The day mother died was the day I encountered something, to some it was an idea, to others a belief, to myself it became my identity.
Looking at my mother on her deathbed I asked curiously. "Why are you dying mama? Why do you look so scary?"
Although my eyes were a little moist, it was caused by the crying of my older siblings beside me; I don't know if it was sadness or just the depressing atmosphere. I was ignorant of life and death. In fact, I was shaken by what had happened to my previously vibrant and beautiful mother.
Her withered body contorted in pain as she drenched the sheets in sweat.
No longer did she have a head of luscious red hair, all that was left were a few tufts on her discolored scalp and the rest thin and gone. Her face was deathly pale with sunken eyes and thin cheeks from heavy weight loss. She could be mistaken for a skeleton if it wasn't for the skin on her bones.
Where was my beautiful mother gone? Why was replaced by this broken woman. The many questions in my fragile childlike mind were answered by a simple sentence.
"Only god knows darling, you don't need to worry about mama." Mother smiled weakly.
A deeply religious woman my mother was to be sure but still, her final ramblings had caught me off guard. I was young, not yet 6 years old but the mention of this "God" resounded in my mind. I'd never heard of this being before but the reverence in my mothers eyes as she clutched the silver cross that hung from her neck sparked an interest that would fixate itself in my mind like a sturdy mountain.
"Only god knows? Who is this god?" I mumbled to myself.
That very same day my mother passed away. I remember it vividly, the calming grey clouds, the daffodils beside the hospital entrance and even the comically large glasses on the hospital receptionist.
Driven by my budding curiosity and with ample access to the internet, I began my search.
I was astounded by what I found, there were many gods, kind and cruel. But they had one thing in common, their absolute superiority and power! They were above us like the stars in the sky, ethereal.
Something grew inside me while reading their fabulous tales, it was a whisper in my heart. A silent desire I didn't understand at the time.
As I grew older I came to understand the world better. The logic behind my mothers death, terminal cancer, an untreatable condition but thoroughly understood. The tales of gods that haunted my dreams were thought as "Fantasy and myth" by the masses. The world was no longer black and white, known and unknown. It was filled with a myriad of colors both beautiful and hideous.
But in my heart, that desire I had was still there and it would increase with each passing day.
Like a worm wriggling and squirming at the back of my mind, seeking to be free. The desire hidden away in the depths eventually came to light, not in some meaningful way but as I was having my morning fruit loops, quite strange really.
I desired to become god!
Even I didn't know why I desired this but it was there, unflinching, unchanging, immovable.
It became my obsession.
But what could I do about that? I was just a pitiful girl in a world filled with logic and rational thought. Where's the magic, the immortals and gods? Nowhere.. because this is earth, home of the mundane. I won't let that stop me though, surely I would find a chance of gaining my sole desire.
I decided to start small by attempting to contact the supernatural, anything that can prove that my desires might bear fruit.
There have been many unexplained phenomena throughout history, roanoke, the bermuda triangle, the disappearance of the town of greenwood springs.
I just needed to get my foot in the door.
As my desire grew, so did the methods and extremes I would go to satisfy my wish, anything to make it reality.
Going unnoticed, I didn't realize how my obsession twisted and warped me. On the surface others would see an ordinary plain girl but inside...was focused madness.
It took some time but finally my chance came but it was not through my tireless but meaningless efforts, just a suggestion from someone, a stranger.
...
One fateful day in a not so abandoned warehouse~
Numerous candles were situated throughout the dark building, in the middle of the barely lit room was a large pentagram drawn crudely on the floor in what looks to be pigs blood. Surrounding it were some stick dolls, dead birds and other creepy objects.
In the center was a plain girl in her early 20's dressed in a red robe with a inverted cross badly sewn onto it and a young child around 7 years old. The child was tied down laying on his back but there is no fear on his face, more like eagerness.
While chanting some unknown incomprehensible words the girl was interrupted by the boy.
"Hey! Hey! Big sis, you're really going to buy me a zbox 420 right?" The boy asked excitedly ignorant to the dangerous situation he was in.
"Yes, yes. Be quiet, after the ritual." The girl replied hastily with slight annoyance.
The young child nodded his head with an eager smile as she continued chanting the strange words.
After about 10 minutes the chanting has seemed to reached it's climax, with the girl gasping for breath, she raised a dagger with eerie skull as a pommel above the boys naked chest, candle flames flicker ominously in her eyes as she shouted. "KLAATU.. BARADA.. NIKTO!!"
With all her might she brought down the dagger upon the naive child.
Before the dagger could tear it's way into the soft fleshy chest of the unsuspecting boy, she was interrupted by a voice.
"That's not gonna work silly girl." A tall woman appeared from the darkness, black track pants and a loose white blouse cover her beautiful curves. Her chest was perky and modest, legs slender and long. Her feet wearing some cute flowery flip-flops. A straight nose, breathtaking dark eyes that seemed to resemble the void of space, chestnut brown hair in a shoulder length bob and tan skin were slowly revealed as she got closer to the lit area of the room, her movements and posture were lazy and unrefined.
The girl didn't panic at the sudden intrusion, she merely frowned and placed her free hand on her chin as a thoughtful expression emerged, she mumbled. "That can't be, it should work this time. Last time I said varada instead of barada.. maybe I didn't bring enough birds?"
"Interesting." The woman murmured, an amused expression appeared on the her face as she walked towards the young girl who was deep in thought.
Stopping in front of the girl who was still lost in her thoughts, the woman scrutinized her closely. "This girl is clearly near the breaking point, after a few more failures she would have lost it and shattered completely."
The woman smiled inwardly. "Lets give her a little hope."
"Hey, I know a way you know, a real possibility." The woman whispered in the girls ear startling her.
"Really? you do?! Quickly tell me!" The young girl Shook the strange woman in a frenzied manner. She was oblivious to everything else, only demanding an answer. All that was on her mind was her obsession. It had reached such extremes that she could be diagnosed as mentally ill if examined by a psychiatrist.
The woman covered her mouth as she giggled. "My my, why aren't you an eager little bird. Don't worry, I'll tell you but it's only a chance," The woman's lips raised into a sly smile as she continued. "If you fail you'll be torn to shreds and erased from existence. Also, the chances of you failing are almost certain but who knows, maybe a miracle will happen."
"If there's a chance no matter how small, I'll take it." The girls eyes grew resolute.
"Well come on then, follow me." The woman turned around.
"My name is-" The girl was interrupted mid sentence by the woman.
"Your name is Ariel right? I wonder if it's related to the creator god demiurge? Heh.. It may be fitting if you survive." The woman chuckled.
Ariel shook her head as she replied. "No, mother named me after the angel."
"How may I address you?" She asked.
There was a brief moment of silence before the woman replied. "My name? You can call me Lain."
Walking towards the exit the two are interrupted by a shout.
"Uhh big sis! what about me?" The young boy yelled out.
Lain sighed before turning towards Ariel. "You should deal with that before we go."
Ariel nodded. With her hand still clutching the dagger she walked towards the boy slowly, a brief cutting sound could be heard a few seconds later.
...
It was midday, the skies as blue as the sea with not a cloud in sight. The temperature a staggering 114 degrees.
Currently downtown outside of a local wolmart is a annoyed Lain tapping her foot impatiently against the pavement with her arms crossed.
A couple of men walk past her with ogling eyes, clearly irritated, she snorted in disgust.
"Humph! Making me wait so long, she's lucky i'm such a patient woman." Lain's foot tapped faster as her patience grew thin.
A few minutes later Ariel and the young boy walk out of the store. A large silly smile covered the boy's face as he carried his brand spanking new zbox 420 tightly.
The boy giggled loudly. "Thanks a lot big sis! I can't wait to show momma!"
"Yeah yeah, now get lost." Ariel rustled the boys hair before walking towards Lain who was sighing in relief.
"Come Ariel, let's get something to eat before we leave."
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Westside pavilion, food court~
Sitting at one of the cleaner tables were Lain and Ariel who appeared to be eating some chinese food. In the background, some early 2000's pop music was playing.
Putting some of the beef and noodles in her mouth with a plastic fork, Lain chewed while looking at Ariel strangely.
"Why choose to have your last meal here? This place is like a ghost town." Lain spoke with her mouth full, not caring about her piggish manners.
A pair of elderly mall walkers passed by while giving Lain the stink eye.
"What are you looking at? I'm trying to eat here!" Lain noticing scoffed at them in response.
Ariel looked around nostalgically. "Mother took me here when I was a child, before she got sick."
Lain took a gulp from the coke beside her and burped. "Not gonna miss your family?" She asked curiously as she wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
Ariel snapped out of her reverie and began to nibble her remaining food. "No, I was never really close to my brother, sister and father. Only mother. After she died, they always kept at a distance as if they could sense something from me, it made me feel like an outcast. I drifted further apart from the older I grew and eventually I left, never looking back," Ariel sighed. "I haven't been in contact with them since."
"There's certainly a unique aura about you, some may find it enticing." Lain smiles charmingly.
Like a plane, the complement completely flew over Ariel's head. Lain shook her head an continued eating.
"Ahhh that hit the spot." Lain rubbed her stomach after finishing off her food. She started sipping what was left of her drink. "I'm curious Ariel, why do you even trust me? I appeared out of nowhere and told you what you wanted to hear most. Maybe I'm just a con?"
With a melancholic expression Ariel replied. "I knew you know. In the beginning it wasn't so clear but as time went on at the back of my mind I knew that what ever I did it would be useless, that nothing would come from my actions. But I refused to acknowledge it and deluded myself. Maybe if I do this it'll work I thought naively. On and on I went like a broken record but I couldn't just stop, before I knew it this desire had become my reason for living, for existing," Ariel sighed as she continued.
"My dead-end job at lacys, my little apartment down at indianna avenue. None of these things mattered to me, nothing material, no friend or lover. Nothing. The only thing that could move my heart was my desire but after these last few failures, the reality I buried deep in the back of my mind has begun to surface no matter how much I try to deny it. I can feel myself.. fracturing." The last words were almost a whisper on her lips, the desolation in her gaze slowly swallowing what little light remained.
Ariel looked into Lain's obsidian eyes with resolution. "I've been clutching at straws for a long time now and suddenly you appear when my will to continue was nearly gone, a coincidence? I don't think so. I'm willing to take a leap of faith and follow you because I believe you'll lead me to where I need to be, to give me a chance to fulfill this wish that shackles me."
Lain nodded while listening.
Ariel's eyes locked on to Lain's, her pupils shone with a cold brilliance. "And if you're lying to me? You have my word that I will personally make you suffer.. "
She stared at Lain like a poisonous snake ready to strike at it's prey at any moment.
Lain's eyes narrowed as she focused intently on Ariel, a lazy smile crept onto her face.
Standing up, Lain beckoned Ariel with her hand. "Follow me, it will happen soon and you especially don't want to miss it."
...
The sky was slowly becoming red as the day slowly seeped into the night.
Beneath the Colorado street bridge beside the river on it's bank were 3 figures.
2 were standing close together while the other was standing a few meters apart in a more spacious area. Beside the lone figure was a seemingly large steel structure that only be described as some kind of futuristic but practical space ship.
The 2 were obviously Ariel and Lain.
Ariel clearly lost in her thoughts waiting anxiously for the supposed moment.
Lain curiously looked at the lone figure with an inquiring gaze. He was a man. Tall without a doubt, around 2 and a half meters. A frightening height for any human but unlike other giants he was perfectly proportioned, his body was slim but perfect muscles that didn't sacrifice mobility were hidden beneath his white robes. Long platinum hair that carried a distinct metallic sheen cascaded down his back down to his waist, strands of gold that shone in the retreating sun could be seen evenly on each side of the man's head that made a stark contrast to the vibrant white that surrounded them.
Pointy elf like ears, fair skin and a face that could make any woman hang their head in shame and envy, even his eyes where not normal. They glowed vibrantly with the pupil surrounded by a ring of electrifying blue light, the golden iris also surrounded by a similar ring colored violet like a black light.
One could hardly call him manly because he looked too beautiful in appearance, if it weren't for his male physique he could pass for one of the most beautiful of women.
From the twitching of his sharp eyebrow, the curious stares Lain had been giving him had clearly irritated the fellow.
Unable to bear the incessant staring that seemed to bore into him, the elf snapped. "What! Is there something on my face?"
Stunned, Lain smiled mischievously. "Uh.. sorry for staring miss."
The elf almost fell over backwards. Pointing speechlessly at Lain, the elf stuttered. "You- you-"
Catching his breath, He sighed hopelessly.
"That's the 16th one already, those damn space elves!" The elf grumbled in anger.
A feminine laugh could be heard from the metallic bracelet worn on his right arm.
"Shut it!" He scolded the helpless but giggly piece of jewelry.
Completely ignoring the squabbling elf, Ariel's eyes were more focused then they'd ever been before. Looking intently at the spot just below the bridge in the middle of one of the curved arches, that was where Lain said her only chance would appear.
She had asked Lain if it was an object she was looking for but Lain just smiled mysteriously and her only response was that it was up to herself whether or not she could grasp the opportunity.
Clenching her fists so tightly that her knuckles had gone white, her heart beating faster and faster as time went on. Ariel wore a dauntless expression, her figure barely moving except for her rising and falling chest.
"38 seconds left. No matter what, I will succeed." Ariel whispered to herself.
The elf now had a solemn expression, he stood silently as if he was waiting for something. Only Lain had a carefree look about her as she leaned against a nearby tree.
As the seconds pass, the surroundings had suddenly become quiet. No insect nor wind could be heard, even the loud sounds from the passing cars overhead had completely disappeared.
4..
3..
2..
As the final second passed everyone's breathing had completely stopped, it was if time itself didn't exist.
Beneath the bridge in the air, a soundless tear appeared. Like a cracked window, it grew wider and wider as smaller and larger cracks formed a spider web like shape several meters wide, at the center the pieces fell away into nothing and from within spilled forth a myriad of lights of colors known and unknown.
After a brief period of being stunned the elf had already departed towards his ship the door opening automatically as he approached, the engines crackled loudly as they began to heat up with a fiery light.
Startled, Ariel muttered. "Wha- what is that?"
"A crack in reality. This is your chance Ariel, your only chance. Believe in yourself, in your indomitable desire! Otherwise all that awaits you is death!"
Lain had appeared suddenly beside her and picked her up by the scruff of her collar like a kitten with one hand.
"NOW GO!"
She threw Ariel towards the crack in the sky like a comet. The weight of a full grown woman was like nothing but a feather to Lain.
Ariel screamed in fright at the sudden aerial flight imposed upon her. Her body was spinning like a football and her arms waving everywhere in attempt to grab something to hold on to, as she tried to collect some semblance of herself the blurry surroundings suddenly vanished in a blinding light of an impossible number of colors and then from within, something which her mind struggled to comprehend consumed her totally.
...
In the nothingness, a terrified Ariel floated aimlessly.
"Ok-okay Ariel. Ca-ca-calm down" She thought as her intense breathing slowly regained a regular rhythm.
"Let's figure things out first. Lain, she threw me into that hole. What was it again?" As her thoughts spun, she managed to recall Lain's words in those final hectic moments.
"A crack in reality." She whispered, the very concept was hard for her to get her head around.
Ariel inspected the surroundings.
"Nothing, Nothing and what else? you guessed it. More Nothing!" Ariel joked to herself in an attempt to keep her calm. The current situation was terrifying her as she had never seen such a strange scene in her life. There was literally nothing as far as the eye could see, no color or light or darkness, absolutely nothing.
She tried to speak out loudly but she couldn't be heard, her mouth moving as if she were a puppet without the puppeteer voice.
"How's that possible? There's no air but I can still breathe? Could it be.. Lain?" Ariel thought to herself questioningly.
A gasp came from the startled Ariel as she discovered she could see herself, looking at her hand as it waved through the nothing. It was a yellow aura surrounding her body.
"I'm glowing.. " When she focused on her hand she was surprised again when her vision amplified and she could now see her veins, muscles and bones.
"What? That's freaky."
As she was wondering what the hell was going on, she heard a faint sound in the distance. Not from her ears but from her mind, it sounded like a song.
Looking towards the direction she saw a faintly discernible light that was growing larger and larger. It was extremely easy to see considering that there was nothing else.
As it grew closer she could hair two voices that were growing louder in her mind.
"Come on master, sing along! sing along! I need a hero! I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night!" A cute girlish voice sung.
"What is this nonsense Nuya? Where's my highway to hell?" The other voice said in a disgruntled manner.
"You're not singing master, you're no fun at all.. " The cute voice pouted.
"Listen here Nuya, you need the right song for the rig-" The male voice was interrupted by a loud alarm.
"Oh shit! What is this place? This isn't a fracture in space!? The ship is beginning to break up!" The male voice was panicking.
"Master, the ship is disintegrating! You need to activate the time warp immediately!" The cute voice said in a serious tone.
"Ahh dammit! The old man got it wrong, space anomaly my ass. Nuya we could end up anywhere, there would be no chance we could go back and save the human race."
"I know master but we're out of options.. Perhaps this was inevitable."
A sigh could be heard from the male voice.
"Sorry old man. Buckle up Nuya, this is going to get bumpy."
Ariel watched as the light got closer and she was surprised. It was the same ship she saw when she arrived at the bridge with Lain.
The ship zoomed past Ariel at blinding speeds, it looked like a burning wreck but it was still holding together.
"Time warp drive charging, 88%, 92%, 96%, 100%! Time warp drive fully charged! We're ready master!"
"All right Nuya, engage!" The male voice tried to sound cool and collected but failed badly along with his attempted english accent.
"Uuu silly master, you're not captain picard.. "
Suddenly the ship became see through, a trail of blue light followed the large rockets at the back.
A tear opened up in front of the ship, wasting no time it speed into it.
Shouts of excitement could be heard from both of the voices.
After the ship passed and the tear closed, all that was left was a stunned Ariel with her mouth agape.
She floated there silently still trying to understand what just happened.
"Ahh!" A sudden scream of pain could be heard from the startled Ariel.
She stared at the origin of her pain with teary eyes, the tips of of her fingers.
The aura protecting her body was slowly receding like the ocean tide.
"AHHH!!" Her screams were now hoarse and full of suffering, she could now feel the pain at her feet.
She looked her fingers with the mysterious vision granted to her, eyes now completely bloodshot.
"My fingers! They're disappearing!" As she inspected her fingers, she saw the retreating aura and as soon as any part of her was exposed whether it be skin, muscle or bone it disintegrated. Like thousands of needles piercing her skin and ripping away her flesh.
There was no time that existed in this place outside reality so Ariel didn't know how long she had been here in this black abyss. Her screams of pain was now replaced by a deranged laughter.
Ariel was now just a torso.. well half a torso, gone were her arms and legs, belly and shoulders. One of her lungs had also started to disappear causing her immense torture.
Her laughing fit was interrupted by coughing up blood which was immediately consumed by the nothingness.
She stared listlessly into the endless nothing that would eventually devour her.
No longer distracted by the immense pain, Ariel recalled her purpose for coming here but now that she was at the end of her rope, it didn't make a difference.
"I came here.. why did I come here? Oh.. yes, I wanted to become a god.. "
"Lain she said t-to believe in my desire, I believe but all I see is nothing....only emptiness."
"I'm going to disappear.. I won't exist anymore.. will anyone remember me?"
"Mama.. I.. will.. "
Tears slid down Ariel's pale cheeks. Most of her organs now gone, her heart beating slower and slower. She could feel death near.
"I will.. "
"I.. will.. become.. "
The light in Ariel's eyes disappeared along with her final thoughts. All that was left was her severed head floating in the void.
...
As Ariel's head finally disappeared, floating out from the nothing came a sighing Lain.
She clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. "Another failure, I had a good feeling about her but I guess I was wrong."
"Oh well, guess I'll have to find another one. The next reality crack, Hmm.. it should be.. Alpha Centauri!" As Lain turned to leave she halted in her tracks and looked back to where Ariel disappeared.
"Oh my." Lain's lips curved upwards into a big grin.
There was a faint light glowing ever so slightly in the void, it was so small and weak it could flicker out at any moment.
Lain's smile grew wider, she stretched out her hand and cupped the little light gently.
Bringing it to her ear, she listened carefully.
"I.. "
She could barely hear a weak voice which was as fragile as a feather. Nodding her head, Lain brought the little light in front of her and whispered a question. "Who are you?"
"Who?"
"Who.. am.. I? "
"....."
"The.. one.."
"You.. have.. been.."
"Seeking.. "
"....."
"Know...that..."
Lain lifted her hand up and free'd the little light. As it escaped from her grasp it flew into the distance like a shooting star. When the little light disappeared from view, the faint voice could still be heard like it was whispering directly to Lain's mind.
"I...am..."
Although the voice was fairly indistinct, it caused the void to ripple and tear under it's terrible power.
"GOD!"