His already untidy brown locks grew even more messy in the wind as he raced with no destination in mind. As he cycled past fasting moving houses, he racked his head to find where his sister could have gone.
“Damn… where the hell could they have gone? Could it be the forest…? But I’m sure Demi’s smart enough to refuse because she’s alone… Oh no, is that too much trust than a deserved amount. Sure, she makes stupid crazy decisions but she can differentiate between life and death. This path leads to the school, hopefully I meet them there.”
He was confident he could catch up on wheels and gave that uncertainty a shot. As he drove past familiar lanes and neared the school, his attention was focused on the campus. His head was completely diverted from the pavement and totally focused on the school grounds, where they had last been. A few seconds of relentless staring later, he turned his head ahead and realised he was inches away from an individual blending into the brick walls and flower beds. With all his might he pulled the brakes and not caring whether it would snap entirely, he could never bring himself to crash into this person, not today or ever.
The already half squatted boy, bent over even more in response to the screeching rubber tires. They both screamed bloody murder.
Dylan, falling off his bicycle, clenched his chest. “What the hell, Lin?!”
Lin also with unsteady legs fell to the ground resting his left elbow on his corresponding knee. “Dylan, why?!”
“I’m sorry, man! I didn’t see you!”
Lin, a little short out of breath, stood up and reached for his bicycle handles. “Are you hurt?”
“Nah… what about you?”
“I’m fine, thank you for asking…”
Dylan eventually got up with Lin’s assistance. “So, what are you doing here? Did you have Taekwondo today?”
“Yes, we did… but it ended a long time ago.”
“Huh? So you did have Taekwondo today, I guess Demi skipped. What is the actual reason your still at school?”
“Well…” He brushed his nape and avoided eye contact. “I’m here for Robin…” he said timidly.
“Robin? Why?”
“Dylan, I suggest you keep this under wraps because I don’t want this to reach Robin. Can I trust you with that?”
Dylan intimidated by the sudden weight of responsibility, he answered. “Uh… sure? I mean, am I not a trustworthy person!”
Lin preferred not the answer the last part and proceeded to convey his worries. “I think Robin is being bullied.” What appeared to be a bold statement on Lin’s end even with no actual evidence, he was spot on.
Dylan with his mouth ajar and chuckling nervously, he realised he’s not slipping away easily this time.
Lin continued. “I know it’s a little far fetched, considering his friendly demeanour and charismatic personality. He has been reserved lately and shows explosive tendencies from time to time, it’s odd and he’s never like this. He avoids eye contact with almost everyone and turns to angry outbursts every time I ask him what’s wrong.”
“Umm… maybe it’s puberty..?” Dylan’s brain had turned off.
“Honestly he reminds me of you now…” Lin turns unintentionally savage when people least expect it.
“HEY!” Unfortunately for Dylan he didn’t have much to defend against his insult.
Screams were heard in the distance and they were a little to familiar to brush aside.
“Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to offend…”
Dylan looked around and noticed two people coming out of the greenhouse storeroom. They were in a heated argument and screaming their lungs out.
Dylan swiftly pointed to the two and both ran to break away the fight.
“What are you doing, Robin?! Why are you lashing out on Demi?!” Lin proclaimed as he tightened his grip.
“Let go, Lin! We’re not fighting!”
“Actually I was this close to punching your face if you didn’t comply just now.” Demi added.
“God..! I can’t take you anywhere!” Dylan arrived at the scene last with a panic stricken face and caught hold of Demi.
He then whispered into Demi’s ear as the other two sorted out their own problem. “What’s going on here?!”
“We got caught.” Demi presented the cat in her arms. The cat was a little restless and decided to jump out of her hold and walk away.
“Again..?”
“Why is he so angry anyway? Reminds me of you…”
Dylan smacked her head. “Shut up.”
“Kaelin! Instead of holding onto me like I’m in the wrong how about you ask your precious girlfriend what she has been doing!”
The levels of frustration skyrocketed and Lin grew wary of it and let go of his friend.
“Demi… explain.” Lin pulled out his sharp voice that he uses like a secret weapon.
She slid her fingers through her bangs and brushed them aside. With furrowed eyebrows and irritated eyes, she goes. “Shit… I’m weak against that.”
“I came here because of the cat. As you could tell that’s Angus and he happened to escape and somehow ended up in this storehouse. And like any good human owner I had to rescue him, which led up where we are now. Happy?” She looked straight at Robin with piercing eyes.
“How did you get in?”
“It was already open.”
“Tsk- And the spider?”
“Really?”
“Yes! I’m asking the questions.”
“Dead. Before I even got here.”
Robin looked away and accepted her answers as valid and decided to let them go. “Fine! You can leave!”
“Gasp! Did we win?” Dylan rejoiced.
Robin turned around and started walking away on his own. Lin caught up to him and stopped him.
“What is it?” The joy sucked out of him.
“…What’s going on? Y’know you can tell me anything.”
“For the millionth time, nothing is happening. I’m fine!”
Their emotion were all over the place and naturally even Lin couldn’t force Robin or himself to continue this conversation. They said goodbye and separated.
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He joined the twins who were a little preoccupied with their own conversation. “Demi, what exactly did you do for him to go steaming off like that?”
“Um… this might that have happened more than once…”
“So, both of you have snuck inside after school hours..?” Lin was bewildered and thought hard about what they were up to.
Both nodded guilty.
“Why..?” He asked weakly. “Also, your lies from earlier may have convinced Robin, but I know that Angus isn’t even your cat and it was too much of a coincidence that he ended up here. Don’t you agree?”
“Well…” Demi was scrambling for the right words but as much as she wanted to get out of this situation fast and carry on her conversation with Forsyth, it was crucial she should be careful with her choice of words.
Seeing no bright end to this scenario, Dylan finally decided to speak up. “Lin!” He continued, “We know… we know Robin is being bullied. We saw it with our own eyes the last time we were here and even he knows that we know… That’s why he’s so pissed.”
Lin was disappointed to learn of this, disappointed and upset because Robin wouldn’t and never would reveal this fact to him. It was frightening to know that he would never come to know of his close friend’s worries and misfortune and live on while his friend was being stabbed behind his back.
“I…I…” He clasped his mouth upon arriving to this judgement.
Dylan knew immediately what was going through his mind— he was worried about his friend and would probably be blaming himself for not paying attention to his surroundings. It was an understandable reaction considering his personality, but somebody has to tell him to stop worrying about something that couldn’t be controlled.
“Bro… y’know this is not your fault, right? Sure, Robin is usually not very reserved but you can’t expect people to not change. If he needs help… he should just… ask.” His voice lost the tempo it had at the beginning because even Dylan was angry and frustrated that Robin kept drawing a border between them. He hated it, more than he realised.
Demi wasn’t as mopey as the other two, she knew when to stop after someone draws the line. Whether it would benefit or ruin them, she didn’t mind, rather she respected their space. She cares and will always care, but today, her mind was filled entirely about the spider.
“The shadow… it was the same shadow of the spider that we saw just beyond this wall and near the garbage dumps.” She glanced in the direction where the spider was originally found.
She finally spoke, “Guys, come with me for a second.”
She started walking ahead to the storehouse and opened the tinted door pointing inside. The two a little confused followed from behind and first Dylan peered in and then followed Lin right above him.
“Do you see anything?” She asked expectantly.
The boys studied each other’s reactions and came to the conclusion that they couldn’t see anything.
“Ok then, never mind.”
She watched them turn away from her and as Dylan also started to move, she pulled him by the back of his collar. She whispered, “Remember the spider? If you look closely you can see its silhouette.”
Dylan wasn’t convinced until he laid eyes on the spider. A damp black patch with four fuzzy legs on either side of the bulbous abdomen lying wrinkled up on the ground.
“Nasty… even as a shadow.” He got up from his kneeled position.
“What are you guys still doing in there?” Lin was starting to find their behaviour suspicious to say the least.
“N-Nothing!” Dylan rushed out and Demi followed slamming the door shut.
They looked around a little bit and finally noticed the absence of the cat. “Where’s Angus?” Demi glanced all around.
The cat did show up and sent its hair wafting in the air. And the closest victim was Lin.
“Achoo!”
Both the twins turned to notice the cat hiding behind Lin’s feet.
“Found him!” Dylan giggled at his misfortune.
“Ah… I already have a cold! Now my nose is running even more…!” Lin fumbled through his pocket for tissues.
The deed was done and it was time to head home. The twins had each other to make sure they were safe but their friend did not. Even after much insistence from them, Lin refused, but he didn’t have the heart to say no completely and agreed to only walking each other halfway. He was confused but didn’t think much of it.
“I think this is far enough.” Lin claimed as they neared the bus stop. His home wasn’t all that far from there and firmly claimed they head home since their home is in the opposite direction.
“Yeah I think so too, let’s go back now.” Dylan also agreed.
Demi a little unsatisfied and lost in her own world said, “Sure…”
“What is it?” Lin leaned over to get a better view of her expressions—indecipherable to any regular acquaintance but easily readable by him. “Why the long face?”
“Stuff…”
“Hmm…” He thought for a second. “Lots of complicated things are going on and it seems the truth never reaches us— or maybe it never reaches me. Being left in the dark is a little scary to me and I don’t want the same treatment from you. I’m not pushing you to tell me, but I promise I can lend a helping hand.”
Dylan watched silently, holding back his laughter as he watched Demi progressively turning red. He whispered, “You’re blushing too hard.”
Demi snapped back to reality and the first thing she does is threaten to strangle Dylan by the neck. “Why are you even here?!”
“What?! Where am I supposed to go?!”
Lin’s optimism drained at their bickering. Before he could get a word out, the twins proclaimed they were leaving. As the two left, Lin remembered she had forgotten to give him the little ‘gifts’ that she started recently. “She forgot, huh? Well, it’s not a surprise if she does it often…” He turned away a little disappointed.
Distracted by the sound of his phone buzzing, he took it out to see who it was. “Unknown number? Should I attend?”
Demi held the cat upright tucking her hands under its forelegs firmly and examined its face. “Is anyone home?”
The cat was unbothered and did not respond to her constant attempts of trying to talk to Forsyth. She wasn’t quite sure if it was just Angus or Forsyth inside its body, so she made the most probable choice of extending the cat to Dylan.
Dylan, although very much aware of what is to come, obliviously held the cat. With the loudest hiss out of the tiny body, and claws sticking out, the cat aggressively squirmed out of his hold and with a great leap lunged forward away from Dylan. “I don’t know why I did this to myself…” He was dejected.
“Could it be that Angus rejected her soul or something?” Dylan posed a question.
“Maybe? But didn’t she get a new one just recently?”
“What about the spider situation? I only went by gut feeling that the spider in the storehouse looked like the one that died. Do you really think that’s the same one?”
“I think so. I mean, why else would Forsyth bring us here?” She continued but riddled with questions. “And why did she leave out of nowhere without a heads up?”
“So that spider is probably connected to the blanks?”
“Yes. And another important thing is there was more than just a shadow, there was an actual spider corpse that we weren’t able to see…”
“What? But how..?”
“Robin. He saw it.”
“Wait, wait! Are you absolutely sure about what you’re saying?”
“She’s telling the truth, I bore witness to that corpse.” The cat finally spoke.
Both the twins turned to the little critter, “Forsyth!”
“Yes, that would be me. Regressing to the point, there indeed was a spider there and not just a shadow that you can see. It was strange, it looked real enough on the outside, but on the inside there was nothing but a void. It possessed no soul even though outwardly it resembles a living arachnid. Capturing it was difficult to say the least and it was the reason why I am no longer in possession of the vessel I obtained. I exhausted my powers to track down and kill it.”
“So the shadows we claimed to have seen was actually a spider to you?” Dylan asked.
“Yes, very much. From what you had claimed, the shadow left the real corpse of the spider, correct?”
They nodded in agreement.
“Then from my understanding, the real spider is long dead and the one that had been scurrying around is a copy of the original. So, it is a blank.”
“Then is it acceptable to assume that blanks really do take your appearance for their own..?” Demi was finally able to connect the dots.
“Yes, and added to that, they can also kill you…” An ominous aura loomed the premise, this predicament was no more just a issue this could potentially turn into an apocalypse in just days.
“How do we track down these monsters?!” Dylan screamed.
“I’ve destroyed them already.”
“Huh?!” They sounded in synch. Forsyth has the easy ability to leave them scratching their heads.
“I located the hub and found a swarm of them in the sewers. Pulverised a majority and took a few back home. They resembled no humans I’ve seen walking around in the school premise, they looked pale and cement-like. But…” She paused so as to let to information sink in.
“And the one’s that made it out..?” Dylan asked.
“They are the real problems. In my centuries of living, these are anomalies I’ve only come to witness now and as such I do not have any prior knowledge or experience to deal with the likes of them. I believe this will be a precarious situation for me. From what I could understand, you lot can’t view these blanks, therefore you have lost your rightful place in this puzzle solving session.”
The twins refused in a frantic manner, claiming they could help in any way possible.
Dylan could not stand and watch the world burn. When things have yet to escalate, solving the problem right away in front of his eyes is what he wanted most. “This is outrageous! You tell us to pretend like nothing is going on when you say those things could kill us. It could be a spider today and tomorrow it could be humans!”
“That is exactly why mortals can’t be involved! This is an unnatural imbalance of the principles of nature and harbingers of balance are the sole responsibility for this madness. Mortals do nothing! Simply live out your life and die. Leave the rest in the hands of afterlife. Sometimes I wish I could erase your memories and get it over with…”
Demi held her brother and pulled him back from his rage. “Listen Forsyth, I know we are in a mess that we never should’ve gotten ourselves into. But you do realise that we are nothing special, and considering that, we still found ourselves into this situation. Thankfully, we were able to quickly understand blanks because of you, but not the others that have also accidentally found themselves in the same trap as us. I don’t want to know what will happen to the people who will end up being affected by those bleached rag dolls.”
Forsyth sighed as her whiskers drooped and her ears folded. Exhausted as she was with this pointless conversation, she knew they were in deeper waters than she had imagined. With the modern human world still a mystery much like uncharted waters, she knew nothing more than the forest she was in exile for over the past two centuries. She needed help but her wariness of humans was stopping her. They were nothing more than bags of meat and bones who walked the Earth only to meet their determined demise one day. She wondered who she would have been when she was a mortal, the very thing that she despised. Could it be that her mortal life was the reason she resents humanity or something that shaped her over the years? She could not determine that now or ever.
She finally answered in a defeated manner. “Sigh… You humans are such a handful.” As much as she wanted to refuse and stitch up their mouths, she couldn’t bring herself to, literally. Contractually, harming mortals is illegal and will be penalised heavily. Any attempt to make contact with mortals, especially higher level organisms such as Homo sapiens, can cost you your chances of reincarnation. As Forsyth felt nearing strike number two could be tedious, she gave in.
“The best you could do is act as bait. We have to somehow fish out those dastards and I can guarantee they will likely linger around at night and around lonesome humans. I’m afraid, smaller organisms will be difficult to save, but humans dying all a sudden will most definitely cause a spur of commotion.”
She looked intently at their morphing facial expressions, her mind wavered at the sight of them. They are nothing more than children, and to a resourceful person like Forsyth, children were deadweights in her eyes.
Dylan found himself in deep thought. “Humans dying all of a sudden would cause a spur of commotion…” As it repeated in his mind, he finally remembered what he had been trying to figure out. Earlier today, he was watching the news channel on live tv.
As of today, a total of 21 missing person reports have been recorded during the past month. Most being around the age group of 20-30 years old. Amongst the unlikely age group, none of the victims’ families have claimed to know anything about their whereabouts. All had the same to share— the victims weren’t themselves, claiming that they went through a sudden change in personality and engaged in activities they would normally never engage in and finally disappearing altogether. Two have been found alive and seven have been confirmed to have passed from suicide. The only connection between all of deceased persons happen to be punctures in the head probably from multiple forceful hits to the skull. The survivors show symptoms of amnesia and apparent fatigue and paleness.
“Has it already begun..?” He clenched in mouth and his face grew grim.
“What has begun?” Demi turned around with concern and faced him. “What has begun?!”
“The onslaught!”