xxvii.g: Soul Quench, the day as well more than a few unsightly individuals were going to be waiting for me … so many little rodents ready to bite at the sewer boy returned surface. I gently try and get up, slowly moving M off of me, sliding her down my left side onto the couch rest … however, M was no deep sleeper, something we had in common … so she awoke pretty much instantly. “H-hey … *Stretch*” she leaned in and put her hand on my chest. “Gotta get up?” I slide the rest of her onto the couch. Yeah … time to get moving on a lot of things, gotta talk to Mrs.Van … get some things settled with her, and try and cut some kind of deal to get rid of that fucking Gangster. Gotta … go dig up my gun as well. “What!? Is that really the best option here? I mean first of all … I’d really rather you not go talk with her … you know she’ll just bring more trouble our way … she’s just gonna … she is gonna use you again like she did in the past Red.” I know … but let us face facts M … we’ve thought on this for four and a half months and there is no other option here, we both know that I’ve remained hidden merely out of luck and through your help/generosity … If I were to leave this building unshielded uncloaked … I’d be cooked within an hour … I can’t live like this, can’t live at all even if I were to leave The City again, I’d just be constantly looking over my back … I need … I have to do this. “*Sigh* fine … But don’t you dare dig up that gun unless Mrs.Van says so, and you really have to, as of now … you don’t have to do that, so don’t … promise me” I won’t dig it up unless it really gets to that point … I promise. “Mmm … you better not break that promise, Devil … ” She moved her hand from my chest to my lower left jaw, grabbing it. “Because if you do … You’ll need more than that gun to save you from me … I’ll burn you and this whole city to the ground … understand?” … Understood … She let go of my Jaw and jumped up. I couldn’t help but stare at her walk away as she disappeared into her bedroom. I get up as well, and put on my clothes from last night that were laying sloppily against the ground. I finished up, fixed my shirt that was slightly folded inwards, and out came M stunning in a purple suit, ready for work, walking in a hurry, fixing her hair. “And don’t forget … ” … I won’t … “Oh yeah? Then what was I referring to?” … Anniversary of The Revolutionary War happened today, DOWN WITH THOSE RE- “NOOO!!! … you promised me a special dinner plan … and were gonna make me feel special … or did you forget?” OHHHhhh … yeah I fuckin forgot. “RED!!!” I REMEMBER NOW!!! And so it will be fine … I have … literally … the greatest idea/plan/proposition/ploy … “red” … scheme/proposal/objective/intent. She walked over to me and flicked my forehead with the power of a medieval battering ram, feeling the full smack of her nail dig into my skin. “I’ve been seriously looking forward to this … so please, don’t forget” … I won’t … she smiled and walked out the front door, smiling at me and waving as she disappeared out the door. I pick up a raisin bagel from one of the bags … stick it into my mouth, and out the door I go as well … to go see … Mrs.Van, The Viper.

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xxvii.f: Soul Quench, I drop my arms in a very low-effort way, as if they were dead weight ... “I know you're physically alive jackass … I meant mentally, emotionally … I mean you crawled out of a fucking rain canal! With Broken Fucking Legs!!! … anyone would be really fucked up after that … I'd be worried if you weren't a little rattled.” well then call a shrink, because I'm fine … I let out a large *sigh* and decompressed totally. I had to make a few choices in that moment while down there … some that reeeeally showed some colors, made a deal I'll probably regret, and sent Hell straight into the sky, unfortunately repeating another cycle of hate. What happened was I met with The Devil, he offered his claw-like hand once again … I took it … and now I'm here, and with that comes more than you can even imagine when it comes to stipulations. “What kind … of deal?” … I feel my eyebrows drop and tighten, to an angry disposition. A return of sorts … to let some limitations go, to freely exist once more, understanding my value and that of others in comparison once again … viciously … which will for certain open doors for me, big ones at that, but block the greater gate I'm wishing to travel through in the long run, the gate of peace and serenity. “Is that gonna … affect our relationship any? Are you returning to back then? Because I'm gonna be honest Red, I don't want to relearn that part of you … this newer shade, so much better.” She put her right hand on my shoulder. “I'm here for you, and I will hold that love like you do, I'll keep it safe within me like you say … you don't have to stop being … you … so just do as you do, and say it all out loud, give me all the details so I'm prepared, and lean on me, even if you don't want to … this is our deal, to stay stable … to not get lost anymore … no more storms.” My face relaxed, I rested my left hand over hers looked at her directly, and said. Don't fret Imp, I made a deal for sure … but I'm not a complete fool … our agreement was based on support, supplementing my lacking sectors, not to take over. Nothing will threaten our relationship, I will not … abandon you. She looked at me, smiled in cute totality, and put her hand back on the wheel, pulling away from my shoulder. “I know … you've done me wrong in the past, but you've always come to rectify that, stuck by me, and you never meant any harm to begin with anyway, just kicking rocks around and managed to ricochet some my way; realistically at my glass house, which isn't your fault any.” Thanks, M. “No need. it's like saying the sky is blue, making compliments towards you, they are merely factual.” Yet not insincere or meaningless, which has always been a part of your refreshing personality. She smiled again, this time big and wide. We got home, and she loaded me into my chair and wheeled me up to her apartment, where I'd stay. … … … Four and a half months pass. I finally, through healing and physical therapy/treatment, break away from my chair and crutches, to walking again, even lightly running. … … … I start to wake from sleep, I feel soft warm skin laying across my whole body, on top of me … feet and legs curled and wrapped up together, I open my eyes to see one very asleep and drooling a pool … Imp … we had one large furry blanket draped over us, that was the color of cyan with hits of white thrown in, I could feel her warm skin, heartbeat, and breath across my chest, I had my arms firmly wrapped around her, one hand resting on her upper back, the other firmly grasping her ass … I could feel her lower half flow between my fingers oh so gentle and softly, I’d say I was getting excited, however, my body had already beat me to it, with morning wood stiffer than good timber. I could die here I thought, no need to fight any fights anymore, so long this feeling and sight never faded away. But … the day as well more than a few unsightly individuals were going to be waiting for me … [To Be Continued]

xxvii.e: Soul Quench, cracking the casing ... Oops. I back away from the car, and turn myself around, to see a feral Imp absolutely beating the shit out of The Jester, punching him directly in the face about a million times. Then after he is aching in pain and shifting around on the floor my grabbing his face out of protection from the savage beat down he got, she gets up … kicks him in the dick, sending him into a fetal position making him release a high pitch grunt … and says “Gooooo FUCK YOURSELF LESSER. And do not touch me again, or I’ll rip your goddamn balls off next time.” She walks over to me, grabs my wheelchair again and slowly pushes me out of the parking complex. Does this mean you won custody mom? “S-shut up, not from you too.” We roll past The Jester. Thanks for coming to get me … get better … looooove you. I waved goodbye while looking back … he continued to bare his head in his hands in the fetal position while breathing heavily. We get to M’s car, she loads me into the passenger and folds my wheelchair into the trunk of her car, hops in, backs out, and starts to drive out of the hospital parking lot … on the way out, we pass a Jester limping out of a Parking Complex, lightly grabbing his junk … he looked up at M and her car, flips the bird and yelled although muffled from inside the car “FUCK YOU IMP!!! … I’M GONNA KILL YOUR ASS FOR THIS.” “*Sigh* *Click*” she flipped a little lever, and blasted the sinner with Holy High Beams from her car, definitely lightly blinding him considering his reaction of “OWWW FUCK!!!” whilst covering his eyes with his arm. “Oops … wrong button *Click*” She clicked the button again on her center console, turning off the high beams, then clicked the button on the opposite side of her steering wheel, to turn on the headlights. “Oh look at that! … silly me, it was that button.” I rolled my eyes at her while shaking my head. So what now? “We’re heading home.” and where is that exactly? “My place … you’re gonna stay with me, I’ll watch over you.” I see … and so … I’m to just, sit around in an ivory tower, waiting for my would-be murderer to find out I lived and then come find me again … where then he’ll find not just me, but you? “It doesn’t matter.” her face dropped any glee she had from torturing The Jester, to a serious stern look. “If you don’t stay with me … who else are you gonna go to huh? Sam’s would be worse, The Knight had to leave The City and can’t host you, your mother or your Oma’s place would also be just a barrel for one wheelchaired fishy to be shot in. I’m the best bet … you know it so don’t argue, plus I can provide for you better than they can anyway … it’d be a burden on them both, where It’s a privilege for me.” thanks for saying I’m a burden on my family, very nice. “You are! In your current state … get real with me, don’t be like that please … you know I’m right ok.” … I look out the window, and we sit in silence for a good couple of minutes. “Look … I’m sorry. I know your situation is shit, and … there's a lot going on, more than I'm even aware of, as perusal with you … but please … don't be mad at me, I'm trying to offer at least a safer place than your other current options to stay, so you can … so We can figure this out together if you even want my help that is.” I know why you're doing this M … you don't have to explain yourself “You seem off though …  something isn't right here and I can feel it.” Lots of things are “off” M … its not all necessarily bad, but things aren't sittin pretty here. “What happened that night? Why were you in that rain canal? … I talked again with The Ripper … she said you looked like hell, and there was just this … look in your eye, like you were just … dead.” Well as you can see *I raised my arms up and out* as to show off my body. I'm still … alive. I drop my arms in a very low-effort way, as if they were dead weight ... [To Be Continued]

xxvii.d: Soul Quench, “YOU GUESS!?” ... please … guys … can we not do this here in the damn parking lot, we are in the middle of the street for god's sake, at least go to the car. “Fine!” they said in unison while both grabbing the handles of my wheelchair. “I can push him, you don’t even know where I parked so buck off punk!” “I don’t NEED To know where your car is, because he is coming with me goddam it.” “WHAT!?! Like hell he is I got a place all set up for him and everything! Laid out blankets and made the bed, he is to stay with Me!” “What fucking place!? You don’t even live here anymore? Douchebag!!!” “I moved back temporarily, THANK YOU!!! … It’s with a friend of a friend … they’re offering a place to stay for the both of us until he’s all better and able to get around on his own.” “What fucking friend of a friend? You mean one of your methy drug dealer friends? Maybe one of the guys who jumped him not long ago?” “KIND OF!!!! … I ditched that guy thank you btw, me and Red kicked his ass in case you were kept out of the loop BY THE WAY; She! Is a nice chick that I met leaving rehab, and she is a saint, works with that church down the street from Camen St.” “So a sex house for cripple here to sit in the corner and watch/listen to you defile another poor girl with your rotten presence, while being neglected … great! … Yeah not gonna fuckin happen” She grabbed his handle and pulled his hand off, while shoving him aggressively out of the way, and said. “He needs a safe and controlled environment … not to mention a CLEAN ONE … and anywhere with you in it, is immediately a public safety hazard” She started to wheel me off in the other direction. Then The Jester ran over and pushed her out of the way grabbed the handles and started to wheel me off in to the original direction. “Funny! You say something about defiling someone … CONSIDERING THAT’S ALL YOU PLAN TO DO WITH OH SO BENT LEGS HERE!!!” guys please “*THWACK* *WACK*” The Jester shielded himself with his arm while sprinting pushing me along with him towards his car “GET THE FUCK AWAY YOU DAMN SUCCUBUS WHORE!!!” “ERRRRRHA *CRACK*” The book she was using as a weapon splits into two, partially landing in my lap. The Jester turned around in anger swiftly, and kicked her in the ankle. She fell to the ground landing flat on her stomach and hands pretty hard, He laughed maniacally … Then The Jester grabbed my chair once more and raced off towards his car into the parking complex … as we raced off, I leaned over my armrest and looked fully back at her, she was head to the ground … then … she raised slowly off the ground as we got further away … her face facing the ground slowly raised up towards us … and then … I seen the look of the She-Devil her eyes glowing once more in a reddish hue … she lifted her self partially up and into a sprinters stance, then … BOOM … She blasted off in a full sprint towards us. If there was one thing to be said about M from years of knowing her, it’s that her physical strength, was great … her speed … unmatched; she was basically a bullet train off the tracks and on legs, nothing could stop her either, her force was almost comic book superhero status, it was just bizarre … it was … downright terrifying. So as I’m leaning over the armrest, and watching the ballistic missile close in on our position, I say. Oh god J … I always knew you’d be the reason I died in some strange and fucked up way *sigh* “WERE NOT DYING HERE!!! HAHA THE THUNDER BOYS ARE STRIKING FASTER THAN LIGHTNING!!!” Then … I noticed first that M was not in the background … then I noticed … she was opposite of my armrest about three feet away, staring straight at The Jester, with pure Hell in her eyes … then she lurched back, and bolted in, tackling The Jester to the ground, sending my chair wheeling off with no one to steer, I grab the speeding wheels lightly to slow my self, I slightly steer off into a nearby car … bashing into the back right tail-light, cracking the casing ... [To Be Continued]

xxvii.c: Soul Quench, I’m not doing this for anyone else but myself, and my well-being … “... Jesus Red …” he clasped his hands together and buried his face in his palms and said muffled “This is so fucked” then returned slowly raised from his hands “So what now? You can’t leave for three whole days, That! … is finale understand. But … after that, you’re gonna go talk to her and set this up or what?” I am gonna go talk with her yeah … can’t say what happens after that/during … here is just hoping she still sees me as her son and well … prodigy “She sees you as Property … don’t get it twisted” Yeah, you are right … either way, hoping she still cares for me as something, and willing to help here, if not … then I don’t know really, maybe reach out to some other street connections and see what I can I get done once I’m healed up. “Great … so our only connection here is just her then really … oh gods where did we all go wrong here, Jesus fuck me.” Just … stay positive here, can’t be that bad, plus we currently have the upper hand in a way, Alzon doesn't know I survived the fall … that I've surfaced from the sewer. “That we know of” that we know of … correct, but still, better to act thinking it's true rather than not … that way we don't half-ass our approach here. “Fine … guess you're right, not like we have much of a choice here either … which is … fucking great.” Don't woooorry! … I'll handle it … come on, IT'S ME! for god's sake ... “Yeah … ” He stood up and *Slammed* the call doctor button, then sat back down and said. “That's what worries me the most.” We both glared at each other until the Doctor came in … he explained my situation, broken bone, traumas overflowing, lacerations and bleeding … the whole nine yards. Some time passes … I get out of the hospital in a wheelchair, wheeled out by none other than … The Jester … It was getting dark out but still that diminish blue out, cloudy overhead, with the street lights just coming on. He said “Allllll Riiiiiight! … out we are, bet you were just waiting to finally crack outta that looney bin huh?” ooooh … Fuck! … *Blargh* think I’m gonna … think I’m gonna fuckin paint the sidewalk with lunch, fuck. “HEY HEY Hey, No no nooooo not now, that will not look good right as you’ve left alright, plus it’d be mad embarrassing for me to ask someone to hose down the sidewalk of your barf.” It’s not like I’m trying to hurl here ok … fuck me … I feel like shit … “Probably the meds right? What they got you downin?” uh … a load of pain killers … prozac … more prozac. “Oh! Lovely … you’re gonna be a fun … Fun guy! Now aren’t you?” Shut the hell up fuck face. “Hey now … I’ll push your ass into traffic if you’re not nice to me” Whatever, just get me the hell outta here before this headache turns migraine, please. “Yeah yeah … don’t gotta use the P-Word now, that’s just not like you at all.” Then I hear walking come from my right and from a little behind me and The Jester. “aaaAAAHHH *WACK*” Out of nowhere The Jester falls to the ground slightly and lets out a painful grunt. “OWWWWWW FUCKIN WHAT THE FUCKIN FUCK, YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT YOU LITTLE SHIT!!” The Jester stands up in anger and faces our attacker. Then a familiar voice responded, “YOU’LL PAY IN BLOOD IF YOU DARE TRY ANYTHING YOU SORRY GOOD FOR NOTHING STILL BORN LET DOWN!!!” I turn slowly … holding back a stomach cocktail meant for sewer rats, to witness … “IMP!?!?! What the Fuck are you doing here? AND WHAT THE FUCK WITH THE HEAD BASH???” “YOUR ROTTEN ASS DESERVES A DAMN BULLET!!! … So FEEL GREATFUL, that all I have at my disposal is this shitty picture book.” The Jester grunted and crossed his arms while staring with a pissed expression. I said while looking over my shoulder, basically with a dead voice. heyyyyy M, nice to see you again, say hi J. He made an audible *Hmpf* sound and squinted at her while saying slowly. “Hi … Imp.” “Yeah yeah, hello J, nice to see you’re not dead yet, I guess.” “YOU GUESS!?” ... [To Be Continued]

xxvii.b: Soul Quench, "SHHHH Damn it … calm down and shut up. I The Imp and Jester know you didn't try and do that, come on get real … your mother thinks otherwise … signed to keep you on a suicide watch for the next seventy-two hours, after you awake and are cleared by the doctor to be fully conscious of course, but you're still gonna be held here for the next three fuckin days." What and the fuck … I can’t do that, I gotta get the fuck outa here, I got work to do, gotta talk to Mrs.Van, make a few arrangements and get some … “Stop! … not gonna happen, regardless. You can’t leave this fuckin hospital before your time is up without the cops dragging you back, at least I think that’s how it works … either way, don’t do anything stupid, you can’t even walk outta here without help fuck face, so don’t go runnin, think about how hard it’s gonna be to get out of here and the trouble it’ll cause you, then think about how that’s just gonna multiply the second you leave this place in the outside world … SO STAY … PUT.” … This is all bullshit, fine my legs are fucked, but give me a wheelchair, I’ll make my way down the street like nothing happened. “You’re heavily medicated and need to stay that way to not be in agonizing pain … you need to be in a controlled environment to heal right” *He raised his hand quick, and pointed at me* “be watched … not wheeling down Central on a mission to see some crooked ass old woman, She’s a damn snake … a Viper … she’ll eat you alive if you go back and talk to her.” I’m fine, perfectly capable even drugged to work, at least when it comes to thinking, etc. I know … she is no good, but this time … I gotta go to her … gotta let her know what happened, it’s important. “Why?” I got thrown off that bridge … that fucking chicano gangster fuck found me, stalked me, kidnapped me, and then tried to sewer me … nearly did so as you can clearly see *I motioned downwards towards my legs* “*Sigh* … Jester thought something like that took place … ” He sat in the cheap plastic chair next to my hospital bed, it made a loud *squeak* noise, and had scooted closer to me. “Ok so … what happened exactly?” I explained everything down to the fine details. “What in the fuck … why now?” I don’t know … I guess really why not now, he felt crossed I know that when I left and stopped working for him, and well … help The Jester leave The City and his service when things went all crazy back then; he didn’t take that to kindly as you can imagine … I had been hiding more or less from him since then, don’t know how he got word of me being back in The City so fast … but he did and he acted on it. Now I have to reach out to the only resource that can deal with this problem … if he finds out, When … he finds out, He’s gonna come back and throw me over the bridge again … this time riddled in lead to really make sure I don’t crawl back out of that fucking ditch. “Right … so she’s the only option here? I mean even a Federal option if available is better than sacrificing your soul to the damn devil here” Maybe you’re right … but I can’t live life in that way. “What do you me, That way?” I could take down the whole damn Rat Aways with one conversation with a Fed … but putting away that gangster fuck is one thing … he can come back, and will … come back eventually; I’ll live life always looking behind my back, always waiting for that day when It’d be my last at the hands of a drug smuggling, human trafficking urban warlord …  not gonna happen. “So you want her … to kill him?” I want her to take that Fucking Scumbags soul to Hell where he belongs … even outside of what he did to me … he is a primary reason for drugs filling the streets here, why The Jester was able to facilitate his problem for so long … probably many others. “Don’t do that … this isn’t a noble cause of helping others … you are doing this for your sake, nothing else … don’t try and shadow that shit in front of me, thought you put that shit behind you?” … you’re right … I’m not doing this for anyone else but myself, and my well-being … [To Be Continued]

xxvii.a: Soul Quench, *Windy howls* can be heard … it's bright out, my vision was blurry, the wind was strong battering my eyes so much I had to squint. I was laying down resting against some soft but freezing cold material … it was glowing white everywhere … snow? I was on a mountain peak? … *Wind howls* once more … … … *CLAP* Darkness. *beep* “Well … you look like shredded cheese … mixed with *Squish* … *Lifts boot* bodily horror.” *beep* “You know what they say … Misery loves Company … and at this point, you should file a restraining order.” *beep* “You'd never feel safe with us making him disappear … *Puts handgun in right hand* … So put your mind at ease … and take back your serenity … fire. *muffled screams*.” *beep* “on my mind? … you're everything now … you're all I think about, and I'm happy it's that way *Rests hand upon chest* But I wanna do a lot more than just think about my fantasies … I have to live them … I want … I wanna feel your hands gripping my sides hard, while I squeeze you tight … while you pulsate and twitch. I want you by my side, all the time … I want you.” *beep* “No … he'd never leave the fucker out. Hate to say it … but he's probably right in this regard, maybe we really don't have a choice but to accept … he's fucked, beyond saving at this point. *Engine Starting*.” *beep* “oh WHATEVER!!! … same shit … different bitch … think things magically change because she knows now, that you're done fucking with misfit toys … JUST Because you've set the bar high, does not mean she can’t reach it … we need a mentally stable partner, someone capable of even existing without having an existential crisis or thoughts of fucking offing themselves, someone who handles their shit … not a recovery/work in progress.” … … … “*Echoed* S-salem? … It's been a while … I'm sorry. But … I've come to strike a deal.” I feel someone grab my hand in the abyss that surrounded me, it was ice cold. *beep* *CLAP* … … … *GASP* I shake violently and awake from sleep shooting upwards from my rest, from my night terror … I'm inside the hospital room. The Knight rushes to my bedside. “RED! … Are You Ok??” … Y-yeah … sorry, I felt someone touch me, did someone touch me? “What? no, no one … you feeling ok? They have you on some meds for the pain … might be fuckin with yah? Where did you feel the touch? How's your head feel?” What? … uh fine I guess, minor throbbing and pain. I swear I felt someone grab my hand, their hand felt slender, and they were slightly shaking … their hand was … so cold. “What in the fuck? … Well, no … no one touched you, promise. It's just me here right now, The Imp left to work, Oma went back home and your mother just left.” I start to slow my breathing and calm myself. “Are you alright? Feeling ok?” I don't feel shit other than my head … my whole, everything … feels numb, what the fuck painkiller they have me on? Jesus fuck. “I have no idea, I was told you could wake up today, so I decided to stay a little longer than I originally planned. But you feel ok other than the numbness?” Yeah, feel ok I suppose … I'm a little dazed and I feel like my head is … empty, light, I don't know how to explain it. “Ok, ok … that's good!” Where's The Jester? He was here right? Or did I imagine that? Also, how long was I out after my initial awakening when you were all here? “Yeah so … that was … a couple of days ago.” A COUPLE … A couple fuckin days … what the shit ass? “Yeah, Doctor said your legs broke most of your fall, but you had still suffered a massive concussion with minor internal trauma to your right lung, and a few other organs on your right side in general … said it was nothing that couldn't heal, just that you are gonna be heavily watched from here on out.” … what the fuck man … damn. “Look, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this … you've been put on watch by the hospital, not because of your injuries, but because they believe you were suicidal … an-” WHAT??? *I jolt forward* I WOULD NEVER, YOU DON’T THINK I WOULD DO THA- *He put his hand over my mouth* “SHHHH Damn it” ... [To Be Continued]

xxvi.j: Son of Salem, then a large sigh ... “God … it feels good to be back. But alright … let’s get this shit over with shall we? See you on the other side … So-” *BOOM* “Don’t say the name” … “Sheesh … whatever “golden boy”, fine.” … He crouches down, puts his hands over my neck, and starts to choke me. He smiles and laughs. I grab his wrists as he blocks my airways in a struggle. Then … out came that long silver tongue … it had to be a foot long … he got closer and closer. Then … He jammed his entire tongue down my throat, I could feel as it wiggled around. I gagged and struggled, I tried to resist … but I couldn’t move. My vision starts to fade in and out of clear and blurry … then it gradually gets darker … and darker … until … it’s pitch black. Once again … Lights out … … …  then I awake in shock and shoot up to a crunch kind of physical expression quick, as if I had awoken from a night terror. I gasp loud and start to cough, spitting up some water. I gather myself in a panic … I reach for my phone again, turn it on, and call this time another number … The Imp … as I had promised, if something bad had happened I’d call her. The phone rings all but twice, then she picks up. “H-hello? It’s really late … are you ok?” M, call this number please, tell them I’m located under the overpass and that I need immediate help … that the drug lord found me and tried to Sewer me, but he failed. I’ve broken both my legs, and I’m bleeding kind of badly here, that I need her to come pick me up and sort me out again. “WHAT!?!?! Ok ok SHIT … ” I can hear her fumble around on the other side of the phone. “OK OK, WHAT’S THE NUMBER!” I tell her the number. “OK I’LL CALL HER IMMEDIATELY SIT TIGHT” The phone hangs up. Then a few minutes pass and she calls again. “Ok! She is on the way.” Got it … thanks, I need to hang up … gonna try and move out of here. “What!? No no stay where you are, so she knows where to look for you.” It’ll be fine, she’ll find me trust me. Thanks again, see you soon I promise, Love you. I hang up the phone. I then try once more to move my legs … and … not gonna happen, they just are in to much pain and broken to much for me to walk on them. I feel an anger like no other boil from deep within, one that was missing for so long, was this Salem’s doing? I lurch over to my side with great pain, and start to crawl with my arms alone, dragging my self through the dirty puddle of water and strong rain. *BOOM* With each and every struggling lunge of my arms *BOOM* I go further and further … all the way … to the top of the canal … I lift myself up and over the side of the wall … flip myself over on the side of the road, to lay on my back in the drainage ditch gasping for air … I was breathless and so tired … one arm stretched across my chest the other across the small grass patch close to the canal wall … I had lost  a lot of blood and exserted so much energy I thought. I was so tired … I passed in and out of consciousness … then I heard a car pull up beside me … then a door opened and then … I heard another familiar voice. “OMG RED, RED ARE YOU OK!? CAN YOU HEAR ME” y-yeah … just help me … please. It was the voice of my Ripper. “OK Ok, god you look terrible, do you have any cuts? any lacerations open wounds?” I pass out. … … … Then I hear, a beeping noise. *Beep* … *Beep* … *Beep* I open my eyes and see … I’m in a hospital. Surrounded by The Imp, The Knight, The Jester, and my grand mother … meine geliebte Oma. They all look in shock. The Imp rushes and pushes the emergency call button to get the doctor. She placed her hand on my arm and said. “It’s ok now! … you’re ok now.”.

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xxvi.i: Son of Salem, why? “Look, I love fuckin people over … making their beach days in the sun a torrential downpour, it’s no secret ok … but I tire of fucking us over … it’s fucking boring me, and I wanna go back to messing with outside sources … wanna live again, yah get me?” Sounds fucking awful … sounds exactly like something I don’t wanna do. “Yeah well … life ain’t fucking perfect, neither are you pal. Sometimes we just gotta compromise and move on with our lives, lest we get stuck in a fucking irritating and brain-numbing loop. I hate … how The City has become … I hate … How we’ve lost the wheel to the Cazbium and everything we wanted came to a fucking halt … it pisses me off … royally.” … *BOOM* … “So … what’d ya say huh? Join forces and finally break this loop once and for all?” My head tilts low … the cost? … He grins. “Hehe … well … looks like you’re still kicking in there after all.” his grin fades to a serious expression. “I knew it” There are no deals with you Salem … that don’t come at some great cost … so don’t play with me … what … is it? “You have to accept the nature that comes with being us … my passive.” What is that? *BOOM* … “The Trial” … What is this trial? What must be done? “Oh? You don’t remember that either?” He giggles loudly “Well then … part of our alliance also includes you taking on my traits … aka … not giving out everything at once. So sorry … but that right there is a secret.” … … … I think hard about my options … which was more of a battle to find options other than saying yes to him. Maybe he was right … maybe he wasn’t bluffing and I really do only have two options … have him join me … or die. *BOOM* The Storm picks up, the rain starts to fall heavier. “Take your time … we’ve only got about eighty more years on this shit hole rock … or until Wrath brings the Neon-Tide and sinks The City into the Sea.” *sigh* … if I accept your deal … I want no harm done directly to anyone I care for … I want no damage to inside sources any longer, I WANT … Peace now … understand?. His eyes glowed bright … his smile wide … he let out one more disturbing giggle, reached out his right hand towards me as to offer a shake, raised his left arm high straight into the air pointed at the sky, and made a finger gun hand gesture. *FIZZ* A small red flame appeared on the tip of his pointer finger, at the tip of his finger gun, and he said with a dark undertone. “Ha ha haaaaa oh I understand … Deal! … I will damage no inner sources or people you care for directly and we will achieve peace … noooo double-crossing … no crossed fingers as you can see … only what you wish and what we’ve agreed on here and now; So long you agree to compromise … and retake on my traits, my strengths … deal?” … I grab his hand slowly … deal. He laughs loudly and eyes glow so bright, they illuminate his face a little “THEN FROM NOW ON … I will be following your words as if they were gospel … as one again.” the flame on his finger grew a little bigger and made a fizzing noise again. He pulls the trigger and then … it suddenly SHOOTS Off from his finger into the sky, lightning quick, leaving a red trail behind, it pierces the clouds and as it does it sends a reddish web stretching across the white-illuminated clouds as far as my eyes can see from down in the canal. He laughs and laughs, jolts up, and starts to dance and kick water everywhere laughing and laughing some more … then he comes over to me and stands above me … putting his feet in between the gaps in my arms from my torso. I ask … What was that? “Karmic Justice … a message to the future my lovely Shade! What comes around … goes around. The fucked up thing is, that’s not even really my doing, it’s the golden pricks … I’m more so just the trigger puller hahahaaaa.” I look at him puzzled. He stretches his back deeply by putting his hands on his lower back and pushing in, stretching his chest out wide and lurching his head towards the sky and grunting … then a large sigh ... [To Be Continued]

xxvi.h: Son of Salem, No that’s NOT TRUE ... “YES … Yes it is true … and gods did I arrive at the perfect time! HeheHAAAAAA … Feeling Helpless are we??” Shut your FUCKING MOUTH!!!! “OH HO!!! THERE HE IS!!!! … The PASION!!!” He walks around me … menacingly. “THATS!! What I like to see … more of that and maybe you would have secured your spot wi … oh no … wait no, I guess that happened because you said a little too much now didn’t you?” I start to wheeze some more, breath heavy and quick. “You can’t fear ME!!! We are the same! We are one! … I’m not the by-product of those other two FUCKS! HA.” He leaned in close and grabbed my chin. “I’m the by-product of You!” I whip my head away and look at him with anger, although I know he only sees the fear in my eyes. “I wanna ask you a few questions” Go Fuck Yourself! “Gladly! … probably after my questions honestly.” he giggled. “Do you think there is even a lasting thought of you in their head? … think you’ve managed to carve something out in there? News flash! … that head was rotten.” He giggled again. “Think about how easy it must have been … to just … drop you … flick of a switch I imagine.” He giggled again all while walking back and forth in front of me. “maybe how much you put in, and how little you get out … some people would have, oh I don’t know … realized what was happening a bit sooner? You know … would have left and caught the next train ride out before shit hit the fan.” stop it … “We’ve always trusted our gut … It’s the only reason we’ve made it as far as we have … it’s all we got … “friend” … ” … “But you … you decided, for some reason, that the gut was untrustworthy … man has that backfired huh? Guess that’s what you get for going against yourself right? That’s what you say all the time Right!? If you’re not being you then what are you doing? and whom for? That masks are all just LIES … put on to shroud people's opinions of you … that it’s cowardice and self-destructive to mask … because the only person you’re fooling is who again?” shut the fuck … up “ooooh right … only fooling yourself.” I aggressively splash water in his direction, which … doesn't even make it to him. “Don’t act like this doesn't hurt me to … think I wanna see you of all people down here with me? Think I asked for this? DO YOU!” He jolts towards me, scrunching his face in anger, showing his teeth and eyes burning brighter than before. “No” he backs away … eyes dim slightly and he adjusts his collar. “No I don’t wish to see you hear of all places at all … I actually want to see you surrounded by white marble, gilded in gold … sitting on a throne with a Stupid Fucking! *sigh* … crown on your head.” He leans down to a Slavic-like crouch and faces me. If you’re here to end me on behalf of Wrath and his Deformities … just do so already, Just … end it already … even you can see my pain now … what my decisions and trust has gotten me … please … please don’t make my suffering greater than it already is … If I’ve lost … so be it, congratulations you’ve won I give up, that what you wanna hear? “Wrath?” … He makes a puzzled face. “Oh … you think … ha … Haha … HAHAHA … You think I work for WRATH!!! You think I’m a lackey here to do his DAMN BITTING?” … I stare confused and in pain. “I’m not here on behalf of him … or anyone else for that matter.” what? Then … why? “Like I said … don’t wanna see you here … never again.” huh? “So … “friend” … I’ve come to offer you a deal” No … no not gonna happen. “Seeing as you’ve really no choice … I fail to see how you won’t accept … unless of course … you really have been that damaged in your slumber like all the talk I hear, just as Wrath preaches … in that case maybe it is best you die.” … “I wanna offer you” He grins devilishly and is enshrouded in darkness. “ …  my help … ” He giggles again. “My allegiance MY power, the one you’ve been missing this entire time … the one you crave the most … I will join you … and help you remove that Parasitic tick Wrath from The City and win this shitty little civil war” … why? ... [To Be Continued]

xxvi.g: Son of Salem, that drug lord has signed his death warrant *Bzzz* I can’t believe … I can’t believe I’m alive … the trash must have broken my fall, why didn’t they come and check if I was dead? What kind of lackluster effort was this shit? *Bzzz* I try to move … It sends shooting pain all across my body, it felt like I was wrapped in a web of pain for a mere second … *Bzzz* Come On!! Please!!!!! You have to pick up … I need you more now than ever *Bzzz* My face … goes dead in shock … my chest starts to sink, eyes start to dim with … fear. *Bzzz* No … no … please not now. *Bzzz* ... ... ... “you have reached the voice mailbox of … ” *click* I end the call. … … … I sink into the trash and water … looking up at the clouds as the rain falls and hits my face now like little missiles, for the rain picks up in intensity slightly. My jaw … starts to shake … my eyes start to fill with water, not brought by the rain … that sinking feeling now is so heavy, it might as well have been an elephant sitting on my chest. I start to weep … then cry … then let it all out as if no one could hear nor see my pains. I think to myself, now as tears run like rapids down my face. Oh … so this was the grand setup, wasn’t it? This was the oh-so-awaited karma payout that was waiting for me, this was the feather that broke the camel's back … is this really what I deserve? Is it my fault something like this did happen? Did my luck finally run dry? Was I careless … was I not accommodating … I was always told I was robotic in nature, always trying to figure out others … but was this the punishment that I deserved? To be left here in a canal surrounded by trash and dirty rainwater … to die now? Of all times why now? … My stress … and heartache … overwhelmed me and triggered the ill-fated passenger that had haunted me from birth … Cataplexy … I pass out. … … … It was strange, although I slept … I had never felt closer to that beating heartbeat that I strayed away from for so long, my entire life. I could feel it … it wept … it cried … I could feel as its warmth engulfed me in this empty space of abyss. I awake … I hear … footsteps trenching through the water … then I hear what sounds like someone dancing in and kicking the water around … then I hear … laughter. “HAHAHAHAHAAAAA” That voice … sounded familiar, but I could not pin it. The footsteps grow closer and closer until … Scarlet Red horns peak from the outside of my vision in … slowly … then white, ashen hair *BOOM* lightning can be heard. Then a forehead then eyebrows then … golden framed, red-tinted, glowing in crimson circular glassed, glasses. A shiver gets sent through my entire body. Then a nose then a … then a … devilish grin … then the fuller picture. “Why … hello there … having some issues?” He giggles under his breath in a dark and evil way. My eyes widen … my heart stops … my past faces me. No. I said with great struggle and fear. He removes the glasses to reveal, glowing pinkish-red eyes. He tucks them away in his pocket. “What!? Hahahaaaa … not happy to see me?” I struggle but try and move again … I jolt around but my legs still refuse to move. He laughs again, this time louder. “Well look at that!!!!! … all these years you’ve been runnin … and all it took was for you to break those little legs of yours for us to finally sit down and talk! … if I would have known that sooner, I would have wished for a bus to flatten you.” NO!!!! NO!! Stay the FUCK away from me. I struggle and struggle some more … then … I stop almost completely as if I were frozen. “Aww … what? … scared?” The man that stood above me … the devil … the careless, the heartless, and the damned. The last shard I wanted to face … was … The Son of Salem. *BOOM* Dressed in a white tight-fitted dress shirt, tucked into black jeans, while wearing a black tie, and black boots. Why now!? How’d you find me? “Oh dearest old friend … why not now? How could I Not! find you … you glow like a Fucking disco ball when hurt … it’s like a damn neon sign that says … HELP ME” No that’s NOT TRUE ... [To Be Continued]

xxvi.f: Son of Salem, I try to loosen my restraints silently and in an inconspicuous manner, to no avail … whatever tethered me down was tight and restricted to the point that I could feel my hands a tinge colder than the rest of my body, due to the limited blood flow … Once again … he starts cursing and throwing slurs my way, trying to make a point, which I just key out in my ever-increasing panic. Then … the van stops … they all get out and the back doors open wide, I can see orange street lights and the open road … what? This wasn’t a compound or safe house? They grab me by the legs and drag me out of the van, I fall from the back and slam into the street still restrained, they then all take their turn kicking the ever-living shit out of me … with each kick, I feel my body recoil in shock. Then the kicking stopped, they stood me up, removed my restraints, the two men in the back held guns to me … the main torturer that was in the back of the van with me, eyes me down, and says “You should have listened … you should have done as you were told and behaved, but now … I have to do this.” I look around … I’m on a bridge … an overpass … and over the overpass was a large rain canal that was dead and dry, nothing but concrete, the drop … was immense. It was then I realized, I was not going to be used as a bargaining chip, or even be tortured or shipped off to be used as some slave worker … no … NO … They were going to Sewer Me!!! THEY WERE GOING TO THROW ME OFF THE BRIDGE INTO THE OVERPASS TO DIE. He hits me again, this time really hard, I fall to the ground, and this time something is off, my head starts to spin and I can feel my vision go a little … he must have rattled me a little with that one, then he puts his hand to my neck and says, “You make me a bad guy … if people like you didn’t exist, I’d be a happy man.” I look him in the eyes and say, YOU DON’T GOTTA DO THIS YOU CAN ST … He grabs my collar and says to me “You did this.” He pulled me in … then he forcefully pushed me back with both hands … over the concrete barrier … I fall backward, and suddenly I was staring at the ground, ever growing closer, I continued to flip … then … not in slow motion at all but almost as if time had sped up. I slammed into the ground, partly onto some trash heap that had built on the overpass pillar … Light’s out. … … … I can feel rain … on my face … I can feel water surrounding my body, about three inches worth. The rain was light, and gentle, with light gray almost illuminated clouds. I slowly open my eyes … I’m at the bottom of the rain canal, I can’t feel my legs, I go to move them, they twitch slightly and send a shrieking pain right back my way. I gasp in pain. I immediately reach my hand down into my pocket, It’s still there! They didn’t take it. I pull out my phone … all while gasping even harder now, fear intensely rising, pain ever enshrouding as I start to come to more. I fumble my phone and drop it on my lap off to my side, I struggle to grab it as it slips around in my soaked hand, but I manage to grab it … It doesn’t turn on at first. DAMN IT!!!!! I yell into the night, all though it was but a mere whimper in earnest. I try again … no deal. NO NO NOOOOOO!!!!! I gasp again. WHY NOW!!!!. Then … it turns on. My eyes light up not just from the white LEDs of the screen, but from hope for my chances of survival as well. I immediately swipe the emergency call button … It slowly reacts to my touch with great delay, it opens … I call the first number on my list … hoping … they’d answer … I sat there as the phone rang, feeling all of the pain I had dished out over the years now coming straight to me in the form of broken bones and physical trauma from my fall. *Bzzz* I gasp again … trying to catch my breath, I start to have a minor panic attack, wheezing ensues *Bzzz* This will start a war … that drug lord has signed his death warrant *Bzzz* I can’t believe … [To Be Continued]

xxvi.e: Son of Salem, He spits on my face ... “NO … You helped him leave The City back then huh, you had old lady blackmail our boss to get you free of your debt huh?” Help escape The City? Old lady? Black Mail and Debt? He slaps my ear again so hard, I can feel it sting and start to bleed. “YOU TRY TO FUCK ME HUH? THINK I'M A STUPID HUH? I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND BITCH” Then … it clicked, a while back, I had helped The Jester escape The City … helped him leave and escape an insane Mexican drug lord we had worked for, well ... The Jester worked for, and I helped to get him off the street, and put a little extra cash in my pocket. You see we didn't exactly leave on good terms … he suspected I helped him disappear out of The City to help escape out of the drug lords influence, so he could stop working for him, he and I both had seen too much you could say, there was no leaving peacefully. And in that, he ended up putting this “Debt” on my head, that I apparently owed him. Me being me … I went to see an old friend and “Other Mother” of mine named Mrs.Van she was a Vietnamese kingpin in the Vietnamese mafia, and had taken care of me and The Jester when we were young little shits, running around The City when we were super poor, me homeless/a runaway. She had offered us housing, food, clean clothes, jobs, and of course … money. All-to-do drug runs for her as kids … no one would expect a child with a school backpack to be carrying around bricks of coke and baggies filled with countless grams of pot to sell to the rich and addicted. I more or less, owed her a lot, we had separated for a few years, about three, one year before my collapse … then the two that were my collapse. After my involvement in helping The Jester escape The City back then, I needed to secure my own safety … so … I went to the only person I knew who'd have the power to actually do that. Mrs.Van. She ended up agreeing to do so, so long I explained my absence and caught her up on The Jester, as well … run a few jobs for her … free of course. And boy did I … and boy did I hate life. But she managed to shake the fucking dirty thug for me, incidentally … by blackmailing him. Never found out what the blackmail was, but she did it. Then life went back to normal pretty much, like I hadn't passed off a crazy drug lord and basically had his life or business or whatever threatened so he'd stay away from me. And well … seems he had caught word of my much-awaited return to The City, and must have been keeping tabs on me. And so now … he was probably gonna have me tortured … laundered off to some high bitter or used as a token to structure some deal against Mrs.Van. Little does he know … she does not do hostage situations, merely drops the hostage as well the drifter trying to swindle her. She'd say “You get caught, you get ransomed, you ruin my business, you are liability and will be cut off like dirty asshole who tries to get one on me” so now … I let this Spanish fuck keep swearing at me while I wait for my indefinite doom. He continues on, saying how you should have never did what I did … I should have known better … and can't fuck over a true mother fucker, etc. Gangster mumbo jumbo really. All the while my head is racing with so many thoughts, I'll never get to tell The Knight about the words his dad had left with me the night after his twenty-first birthday. How I wanted The Jester and I to take that trip to the mountains like we always wanted to, that I was finally ready. And to The Imp … well, there was just too much to say … one of which was to thank her, for when she helped me years ago with Aurora, told me everything I was doing wrong … and how I needed to treat her and everyone else better, and how they had all actually discussed me being a problem, that without her help … I would have lost them all much sooner than I did, that she was so special for what she did, and I needed to thank her. I try to loosen my restraints silently and in an inconspicuous manner, to no avail … [To Be Continued]

xxvi.d: Son of Salem, “Yeah but can't be too sure, also I'm terrible with names so, I gotta REALLY cram them in my head or I'll forget.” ... I see … you … strange aren't yah? “Understatement … bet you're no different.” I raised my glass to cheers. She picks her glass up, and we cheers in unison. I'd rather be weird than not honestly, used to think the opposite, wished I was normal so much that I would have rather died then be weird. “Yeah … I know what you mean, for a long time I kind of was just … me and grossly tall and slender. No one really wanted to hang out with me so I was kind of outcasted.” I understand … I have a friend who's freakishly tall, his words not mine, who lived kind of the same way all his life, but he managed to deal with that and now he's a successful guy, wife, kids … etc. “Sounds inspiring, bet he's awesome.” That and much more, you should meet him sometime! … that is … if I can find him. “If?” Yeah, he's kind of running around The City right now … doing his thing dealing with things kind of like me, so … yeah. “Well that sounds cool! I'd love to help you find him!” Really? I mean … yeah, we can do that I guess, Not now however, I gotta find this other guy named Vigor first but After! I promise. And in return, I'll help you find your Elaine. “Ahhhh HELL YEAH” She wrapped her muscled-up arm around me and raised her glass high. “I'm liking you already! Ok then deal. Here.” She slips me her number that was written on a recipe she got from her purse. “NOW … We drink.” And so we did, for God only knows how long. We parted ways and said goodbye. Then I continued my search down through The City streets and alleyways, asking up down left right … EVERYWHERE … for anything on Vigor. I wanted to see if I could find anything on him before venturing off to the abandoned district. I heard mostly nothing … some said they heard rumors he'd already joined Wrath and was absorbed by Body. Some said he died during the shatter. I couldn't imagine either was the truth … but possible. *Sigh* Fine … fuck it. I started to head towards the abandoned district. Fuck me … this better not be an ongoing theme for the rest of these shards. On another note, The Jester is also walking these streets … I should find him soon as well, maybe hash out some things that went left unsaid before, reassure the happy sad clown that he's wanted here. Reminds me of the time we went into our ROTC locker room and stole The Knights custom ordered-sized twenty-one shoes and were wearing them on our feet stomping around laughing. We got caught and our “Commanding Officer” fuckin blow hard. Chewed us out in front of everyone, telling The Jester he was a waste of air, that he'd amount to nothing … he didn't take it personally at first, least I thought he didn't, but then a few wee … *Crack* I start to fall and my vision goes black … something hit me in the back of the head. I black out … … … I start to come to … I can't see anything … I can feel vibrations in the floor? Loud trap music with a Spanish artist is blaring from a radio … my vision came in a little, but was blocked by … a plastic bag? It was translucent and had red lettering on the other side that read. “Better Fresh, Nowhere Else” I start to wiggle around, my hands and feet bound by some kind of tethering. Some man speaks in Spanish, another man replies, then a third speaks, and they have a mini conversation. Then, they must have seen me moving, they ripped the bag off my head. My eyes were then immediately blasted with a phone light. As my eyes adjusted, I started to see a man crouched down, in front of me, we're in the back of some kind of service van. He says to me. “Think you can fuck with business HUH?” He hits be so hard in the head I fall over on my side. My ear starts to ring like hell. AHhahHHahhaa, Fuck! “You run away! You think we didn't know what you did?” Agh … fucking shit my ears ringing you cuck. He stands slightly and kicks me in the gut. UGHT!!! *Cough* Fuck! What the fuck is wrong with you? What the fuck are you talking about? He spits on my face ... [To Be Continued]

xxvi.c: Son of Salem, But alas … he walks these streets as I do … this time armorless however … I should find him when possible, he might not be taking to the new world in his less guarded state as well as I think he can. Then there’s th … A person sits next to me and says in a feminine voice “You’ve been looking at the bottom of that glass like it owes you money, mind if I ask what’s on your mind?” I turn to look toward the voice, my eyes are met with a muscular red-headed woman with a left nostril fish hook piercing, two right eyebrow ring piercing side by side, and a full dahlia on her left ear. Not to mention … she was larger in proportion than most men & women, even without standing, she must have been easily six two, six three … she was a presence for sure. Oh, uh … yeah no, just thinking is all, didn't even realize I was death glaring my drink, I said with a chuckle. Mostly figuring out a plan to track someone down … gotta convince them to join me in my fight against this big old asshole that wants me dead. She grabbed her glass, shot the whole thing back, then slammed it down flat on the bar and said. “Woah! … who's this bad guy and why do they want you dead?” kind of hard to explain … very complicated mental gymnastics are happening at all times up here *I point to me head* so … the gist is I'm getting in the way of him killing me, well us. “Hmm … so he's suicidal? Wants to bring you down with him, why not report him?” him killing himself is killing me, he is me. “Oh! … you're like … crazy? Or high?” I laugh from her blatant brutal honesty. Yeah … you hit it the nail on it's head I suppose. “Haha, well … at least you can laugh about it, right?” Yeah guess so, nothing else to do except get Crazier, right? “Ha! Right … so, you from around here? The City that is?” Yeah, born and raised, Mega Building and all. “Neat, what exactly is there to do around here for fun other than drink and sulk” Ha, well … there’s the brain dances, to the drugs, to the partying, to the murder … lots … pick your poison … lest it picks you. “I see … and your poison?” I look from my glass at her in slow … still … figuring that one out really. “I see, and when things go a rye … which one of those you mentioned, do you see yourself going towards the most?” … hm … think I’m still figuring that one out, or trying to figure out if it’s even one of the ones listed … could be more you know? “So you're staying in a dangerous place like this then … why? Waiting for one of those things to happen to you so you can find out where you fit? Or die?” No, no … I just have the feeling and a nature a real sick one at that, to stick around in burning houses, seemingly awaiting something … someone. “… why?” can’t say … I just know that something is out there … and I gotta find it or them. One day this whole life I’ve lived will make sense … it has to. “I see … so you’re hopeful for something you’ve got no trust in huh?” sounds crazy I know, and no … I’m not religious … but I know I’m here for some strange and bizarre reason, if not a punishment for something I did I can’t remember. “I feel that … I personally am here to find someone as well … a little girl by the name of Elaine.” find her? “Wouldn’t be here if I had … no, sadly I think she might not be with me anymore … lost.” I see … and what was she like? “Kind … hands not stained in blood, or nearly as callused as mine … she was innocent.” Well … sounds like we both have someone to find then. I take a drink from my glass. “Seems so … You seem nice, calm. My name is … Roxy” She thrust her arm out palm open as to shake my hand. Oh. I do the same. Grab her hand and shake. Names Red, nice to meet you, Roxy. “Nice to meet you Red. Red … Rrrrred … Red Red.” What … what uh, what are you doing? “Putting your name to memory, gotta get it stuck in there so I remember” Oh … I'd assume it's easy to remember no? Three letters … pretty simple … also a color. “Yeah but can't be too sure, also I'm terrible with names so, I gotta REALLY cram them in my head or I'll forget.” ... [To Be Continued]

xxvi.b: Son of Salem, She sits beside me on her couch, and cradles her arm around my neck. “I don't know … but I'm sure the answer is out there somewhere, you'll find it, it'll all make sense, I know it!” Y-yeah … “Now … to Vigor then. Where even is he? Do you know?” I don't, but have a decent idea, there's this spot in The City, kind of rundown district that never finished construction … filled with half-built mega buildings, empty streets, and nothing but realistically, one giant physical playground, where you could run, lift and pretty much go crazy. Think I'll look there first, and just hope he didn't get into the pits and the underground crime network instead … last thing I need to deal with is some Shard-Turned-Meriden thug causing me issues with reconnecting. [Meriden is a group of individuals and shards that are … less desirable, and more destructive, they are mad lunatics that run havoc across The City, guns a blazing, all chromed the fuck up, decked in the most hyper illegal and pre-alpha bio-ware you've ever seen fuckin seen. With the goal of, do whatever the fuck they want.] “Ok, so … is it safe? Are you gonna be ok to do this? Especially after realistically not taking any time to recover outside of your short little camping trip, and staying over here yesterday. I think you should wait … just stay with me for the time being and, you know … recover.” It sounds nice, really. But I can't do that, gotta get moving again, I have no idea what those deformity fucks are doing or where the Cazbium even is right now. I have to keep my lead … if I still even have one, can't let them catch up. “Mmm … well … ” I stand up and lean down towards her. It'll be fine! Come on … I got this, and if something does happen … I'll call yah! “yeah … I just think it's better if you recover more … but … you are you after all.” I give her a hug. It'll be fine. I sit back down and slide my feet into my boots … tie them nice and tight … stand up and say, So … you staying here and watching Ein then? “Yep! Don't worry, he'll be fine here with me, I'll do some more research on him … see what raccoons like in terms of toys, see if they require a lot of attention, figure out some dietary plans etc.” Ok … sounds like we got a plan then, I'll come back as soon as I'm done, promise. A big smile stretched across her face. I lean down, pet Ein on his head with my finger, and say. See yah buddy, be back soon … be good Ein. *Squeak* I stand … open the front door, wave goodbye and … I'm out. I walk down the street and think … If I were Vigor … would I join me? Especially against Wrath and the two assholes, maybe not, on the other hand … he always loved a challenge. I take a detour a bit, to a bar/diner themed in all things aviation, especially the world wars, a spot me and The Knight would frequent often after work, I go up to the bar and sit down … order a Pepper Jack Cocktail with steak fries and bacon with melted cheese. I sit and null over the chances more on Vigor … If he were to join, that’d boost me further towards being able to deal with Body, more so the ability to withstand the turmoil that would be in becoming him. On the other hand, I’m not sure if he’d even be willing to join my side, especially after so many years of neglect or dogging … shit … might just kick my ass to get in a workout and then tell me to fuck off. On the other hand, he is as of now, a necessity … because first came Vigor then came Valor. Minds equivalent to Vigor in a way … but there is not acquiring the second without the first. I thought about maybe getting some help, seeing if I could find The Knight again … partially was hoping to see him at this bar when I walked in, just by chance. He would be able to support me in the fight more than anyone, considering he was one of the main reasons Vigor even was birthed into this shit-eating world. But alas … he walks these streets as I do … [To Be Continued]

xxvi.a: Son of Salem, I awoke on the Falkor-disguised couch in a never-ending story of comfortability and refreshing rest. I also awoke to what sounded and felt like a mini tap dancing session was being held on my chest … I looked up, Ein had been standing on his hind legs slightly bouncing up and down and tapping his feet … why? Because also above me hovering was The Imp, dangling a long strip of velvet, spinning it around his head as he tried to grab it. Well … this is a pleasurable way to wake. “Wakey wakey … do you want some breakfast?” Yeah for sure! I grab Ein and put him down on the couch, I kick my feet up and jolt to a stand. The Imp takes the velvet strip, and runs it across my face my face making a sound *Woosh* *Woosh* *Woosh* “Knew it!” *she motioned to high five* I jab her in the gut. She releases all the air in her lungs and makes a sound *Uagh!* she falls to one knee. I lean over, with a shit-eating grin, and say … That! … was payback. She raises her left arm laterally with quick speed and paints my face with a red handprint. I stumble a bit. “Fuck … fuck you bitch” I rub my face and walk past her to the kitchen. So … what'd you make? She stands and also walks to the kitchen, going behind the island table sink combo she had that was white marble table topped with pitch black wooden slick finished body. She picks up a white plate and lays it on the tabletop, spins it towards me, landing perfectly in front of me. “Omelet! Made with minced garlic, sliced mushroom filling, garnished with fresh diced thyme and parsley. With a side of apples and crème parfait AND *Slam* *Crack* … a nice cold Dr.Pepper Zero.” It was at that moment I thought I could cry. This has to be … the best fucking breakfast I've ever been served … holy shit. “*ahem*” … Thank You, Imp … seriously. “There it is!” you remembered my Omelet recipe? “Uhhh DUH … it's fucking the best. And you said you loved it right? So I wrote it down!” My heart raced a little, as she stood there and smiled at me big and wide. Well yeah! Of course, I mean … breakfast is the shit so … I had to make the best Omelet recipe ever. She picked up a second plate with the exact same assortment. Sat next to me and we ate breakfast. Afterward, I cleaned the plates and then got dressed in my old clothes from yesterday, now washed and clean. “So … what's your plan then? What's next?” Gotta head out … go find a shade named Vigor. “Vigor? You need to be More! vigorous?? Thought you would have had that one already” Hell no … I mean look at me. I need to collect as much of Body as possible … I'll need more physical strength and endurance, again realistically as much as possible, as well as understand more and find as many Bells as possible, in case my preparations fail. “Woah woah woah … slow it down. Collect as much of Body as possible? How does that work exactly? Thought Wrath had Body so … you gonna shatter Body then collect the bits?” Not exactly, I don't even know if I could do that honestly … but, it's true Wrath has not just one … but both Primarchs, Body & Mind; with every other shade I've been looking for technically being a piece of those two … I guess I'm looking for shards really more than shades but, whatever you get the idea. “Wait … so Body & Mind are like the two main pieces right?” Yeah pretty much. “So then they aren't shards to anything bigger?” No, they are! they're the two main shades to the whole damn Shadow, so to speak. “Well … if they're the two main shades … and Wrath has both of them … why haven't they joined together to become the whole Shadow already? The complete you again.” Well that's … well uhm. My mind went blank, and started to fill with a million questions simultaneously being answered … the supercomputer at work. Well … Well I guess maybe, well no that can't be I guess, oh maybe … or … I … why wouldn't they? “Wait … have you … forgotten?” I-i … don't understand, why wouldn't they combine and end this … nightmare. “Hey … ” She sits beside me on her couch, and cradles her arm around my neck ... [To Be Continued]