"You deserved it.", "Justice is not served, not until you truly die."
As I awoke, shaken and disoriented, reality began to set in; I was no longer in my cell. Taking a moment to survey my surroundings in spite of the yelling mob, my only focus was finding my mother, whom the law assured was permitted to attend my execution. Pushed ahead by the guard, I was alone, and yet my mother still remained out of sight. Overcome by panic and despair, I could only helplessly shout for her.
"MA!!!!!!!", "MAMA!!!!!", no one answers my calling.
I search desperately for my mother, calling out her name, but the anxiety that is rising within me makes me doubt that she is here. With all my strength, I convince myself that she is nearby, hidden somewhere in the crowd. I need to stay hopeful that I will find her, all I need is...
"SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!!!"
I pathetically attempted to silence them, hoping to create a peaceful environment in which I could hear my mother's voice. Unfortunately, the guards seemed unconcerned and one of them even shoved me, and said
"Move"
"Sir! Where is my mother? Isn't my mother supposed to be here? Giving me last words of her?"
"Move"
"Sir! I cannot have peace of mind without talking to my mother! That is my right."
The guards grab both of my hands and drag me again.
"SIR! THAT IS MY RIGHT! IT WAS STATED IN THE LAW!" I am frantically shouting at this point!
"LET ME HAVE MY PEACE BEFORE PARTING! SIR, YOUR HONOR! ANYONE!"
In response to my resistance, all they gave me was a strong punch in the stomach that left me wanting to vomit.
Finally, I have arrived at my pod, and I can feel tears and sobs running down my face. The facilitator of the cryogenic-sleeping procedure speaks to the onlookers in a powerful voice.
"Silence!"
Then he asks me in a loud voice
"Any last words?"
I didn't bother to look at him; I am just staring at the angry crowd, ignoring their opinions or anything. I am just looking for my mother and all I can say is.
"I WANT TO SEE MY MOTHER ONCE MORE!"
I am sorry and regretful for not apologizing to her when I had the chance and I am overcome with emotion. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced my neck, my body started to weaken, and my consciousness faded, leaving me hovering somewhere between life and death.
I cannot feel my body, I cannot feel my tongue, actually I cannot feel anything.
The clarity of my thoughts is diminishing as my consciousness is slipping away.
A sudden shaft of light pierced my eyelids - it was like a floodlight beaming directly onto my face. I felt my body so heavy and the weight of my limbs so strong, I lacked the energy to move. Nevertheless, I feebly moved my left arm in an attempt to block out the blinding rays. I heaved and growled in annoyance, sending out a subtle yet clear message to whoever was shining the piercing light in my direction. Suddenly, the floodlight was extinguished, and an unfamiliar radio voice floated through the air. There was clearly someone who had purposely disturbed me in this way - I had never been so irritated at being woken up.
"Good morning, sir! Please remain in the pod while the system evaluates your vital stats. Keep your eyes closed to give your senses time to adjust."
As I followed the radio voice, I kept my eyes closed and listened to the computer and static sounds all around me. I took a moment to recollect my thoughts, and the first thing that came to my mind was.
"RRRRggggggHHHHHrrggghhh!!"
For some reason, I see my house in my mind and feel the weariness in my body that reminds me of how exhausted I was that day. Not only did the work, along with the terrible traffic during my commute, drain me, but my boss's tendency to shame me in front of my subordinates when I chose to make the construction workers work safely further tired me out. I'm always conscious of my environment, yet I still cannot escape the aftermath of my regrettable decisions.
"RRRRggggggHHHHHrrggghhh!!"
"Please keep calm Sir".
"AAAAARRRRgggggg.... AAAAHHHHHrrggghhh!!"
My jaw and mouth may be numb, but I'm determined to shout out loud and drown out the numbness to distract my mind!
I no longer wish to heed the directives of the radio, as my memories flood back in a disorienting manner.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!.........."
Despite my body's refusal to heed my pleas, I continue to shout and strive to rise.
"Please keep calm Sir...Please keep calm Sir... Please keep calm Sir... Please keep calm Sir".
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The incessant repetition by the computer is antagonizing, yet it appears unable to recognize my obvious distress signaled by my actions.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!.........."
I am attempting to shout at the highest volume possible, as it is the only way to get the computer to register my response.
I can distinctly hear the computer whirring, the static noise, and the robotic movements, but my mind continually replays the image of those people on my face.
"I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLL KKKKKKKKIIIIIIILLLLLLLL YYYOOOOUUUUUU ALLLLLLLL!"
The wave of emotion that washed over me in that cursed moment now courses through my veins; I am acutely aware that I am hallucinating, yet the compulsion to murder the people in my head is coming over me in a physical form!
"Successor code 29, all vital physical stats are stable, Mentality state unstable"
"Sending the report and notification to the caretaker..... On progress"
As I stumbled out of my pod and collapsed onto the floor, my lungs gasped for air as if I were drowning. After taking a moment to steady myself and catch my breath, I slowly rose to my feet. As my vision cleared, I noticed that tree roots had grown through the ceiling, filling the room with the scent of the forest.
The facility's modern interior design clashed with the wild roots breaking through the concrete, leaving me more intrigued by my surroundings than my own miserable existence. In the corner of the room, I spotted several ancient-looking jars, a microwave, and a Microhematocrit Centrifuge machine. Old, dusty scrolls were neatly arranged below wall-mounted bookshelves, suggesting that this laboratory was intended for archeologists. However, I couldn't fathom why an archeologist would need a cryogenic prisoner, or what the purpose of the roots breaking through the concrete could be?
"Where am I?"
My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I was both hungry and thirsty. It was then that I noticed a door I had missed before. I pushed it open, and found myself in a kitchen. The shelves were empty, except for a sack of unfamiliar fruits with a sweet fragrance. I took a bite of the first fruit, and the juice refreshed my parched throat. Its flavor was similar to a juicy banana, but its appearance was that of a round blue apple. Despite its oddness, I kept eating until my stomach stopped growling.
As I reached for another piece of fruit, my hand brushed against a crumpled paper. My curiosity got the best of me, and I unfolded it to reveal a hidden message.
"Go back to laboratory, there are scrolls underneath labelled with numbers, take the largest number, Read scroll and wait for me"
I went back to the laboratory and follow the instructions on the paper, I got the scroll said in the paper and sit on the nearest chair adjacent to the broken concrete wall where I unrolled the scroll.
As I was reading, I felt a sudden tap on my shoulder, and when I turned around, I saw a pair of small but strong hands belonging to a child.
"Kid! You ready now?"
As I turned my head to locate the source of the deep voice, a small hand caught my attention and my eyes widened in surprise at the sight before me. Standing in front of me was a bald man with dwarfism, carrying a rope on his shoulder. His muscular arms were visible through his sleeveless T-shirt, and a thick white beard covered his chest. He looked like a miniature version of Santa Claus on vacation.
"I.... I .... I am not finished reading yet Sir!"
I found it hard to believe what I was seeing, and tried to reassure myself that the man before me was just a person with dwarfism who happened to fit the stereotype of a fantasy dwarf.
"Here!"
He throws a leather bag on my face!
"I know Humans are slow readers! Continue reading in my house! We need to go now!"
After putting my belongings in the bag, I stood up and followed him. I quickly realized that he was walking much faster than I had anticipated, despite his small stature. In fact, I struggled to keep pace with him!
As we went the other side of the kitchen, I noticed a short tunnel that was lit by torches. It led to a steam-punk-style elevator, which he quickly operated by turning a knob and pulling a lever. Within moments, we were lifted up to our destination.
"Sir, May I ask where we are going!"
"To my house! "
"I mean to where specifically?"
The dwarf gave a deep sigh! "Somewhere near the mines!"
He appears to be irritated, so I decided to remain silent for the time being.
"Kid! I want you to follow my instruction, as if it was lyric from your big book from your God!"
"You mean as if your words are verses from the bible?"
"Exactly!"
"Why though?"
"Because you dead if not!"
I decided to withhold any judgment about the dwarf's speech and instead focused on the task at hand. The journey had left me feeling drained, and I was relieved that we had finally arrived at our destination. As we ascended, I could hear the hiss of air escaping from the suspension system, followed by the mechanical clank of gears grinding to a halt. Once the elevator reached the top, the dwarf climbed up the wall to reach the torch and pulled the accordion door aside, revealing a small and pitch-black chamber. I extended my arms and was able to touch both walls, which were made of wood covered in rough bark. The dwarf handed me one end of a rope, while he tied the other end around his waist.
"Tie rope to your waist!"
"For?"
I'll try to mirror his way of speaking; perhaps he'll be more responsive if I do.
"Top!"
He points his finger upward, and I'm relieved that he's attempting to communicate more effectively. Following the direction of his finger, I spot a beam of bright light shining above us. It is evident that we must climb a five-story building to reach the summit.
Oh, I understand now. So, we'll be climbing up there. I think I might survive the trip because of the tightness of this hole, but I'm not so sure about my little companion.
Not that I am bragging but..
"Can you keep up with me?" I seriously ask with care.
"Hahahahahahahahahaha! Can you?" He just laughed and returned the question to me, without wasting any more time, he climbed the wall, and I quickly finished tying my rope. Now, connected by a rope, I asked myself if it was enough - would this old dwarf be able to prevent me from falling? I felt slightly insulted.
2 story building later
later, I was done with this dwarf; this little man was a beast, no, a monster was a better description for him. I kept falling and swinging side to side, my body hitting wall to wall like a rag doll. He didn't even flinch nor bother to look down on me, he just kept climbing without any care. Along the way, I managed to save myself whenever I fell.
Finally, we reached the top and the dwarf smelled the fresh air, while I was on my hands and knees, taking in as much air as I could. My limbs felt like they were going to tear themselves apart from my body.
"This is best part in fulfilling my promise."
Forcing myself to check the surroundings, I dropped my jaw in awe at the beautiful sight that lay before me. We were perched atop the tallest tree I had ever seen, sitting atop a hill facing a magnificent medieval-looking city, complete with a polished white stoned castle, the other establishments likewise having silver-looking decorations. It was breathtaking.
"Miii...Miiisstt.."
"Persis!"
"Sir?" I continue looking in the distance.
"My Name is Persis! Young lad, welcome to Silver City of Luzon." He raised his hands to the sky in admiration of the dazzling Silver City.
I am busy admiring the magnificent Silver City, reminiscing about all the things that have happened in my life.
I cannot undo my action; I cannot reset myself, so the world resets itself for me.