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Prince ⦽f Madness

 Chapter_7://UFO

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The atmosphere in Prism was dense and uncomfortable with the absence of his majesty. I had a nightmare every single night, you could tell everyone was feeling it too. My classmates and coworkers were failing at the basics of getting their shit together because they lacked sleep.

I didn’t think my dreams would be different once outside the pod, It’s debatable whether they were worse than in the pod, but I can say they were bad, unexpected and it unnerved me to no end. The fact I needed to sleep killed me. Elyan could stay awake for half a month and he didn’t even flinch, I know it's too soon to say this… But fuck, why not trade sleeping habits? Or better yet, his patience, why not give me his patience?

How the fuck did he even do it? He didn’t rip out my heart. I certainly didn’t see that. I mean, I don’t remember that shit, but fuck. That blew my mind.

That asshole, yes he was damaged mentally, but that motherfucker beat the odds and lasted more than what I estimated. Or better yet, why when he gave me his heart I didn’t become nicer? What’s up with that bullshit of a heart of gold? If anything, I became a nasty bitch that bitches all day and night and he just fucking giggles at it.

I thought about it all as I sat on the couch staring at the pod, even the significance of him gifting his heart to me. He did say at one point, that he was in love with me and he couldn’t understand why and I bet he never did... But I did fell in love with him… So, I wonder over the possibilities that our roles reversed. But, Elyan never seemed to be the type to be angry. I bet before he was programmed he could get angry willingly but I never thought he had it in him to feel anger. Even with how he doodled his past self showing a variety of emotions.

So, no. He actually loves me. And did I really love him? Yeah, I really fucking do— Did I not just tell you how much of a little prick he was and I never kicked him out? I bought him food from outside my base— I had to spend money on food, clothes, candy and toys to keep him happy and comfortable. Who the hell does that?? I really cared about him, but at the time I wasn’t expressing it properly. Let’s be real here, I am always going to be an asshole. I am a terrible person; I am mean; I am strict and I have a very short fuse, and no re-programming is going to change that. Not even the fucking grace of the God of Stars and Dreams can change that.

Elyan had been in that pod for almost a month. He actually was getting better, his— my heart— was healing slowly. The pod showed a pulse, but there was no brain activity. I was in denial and it felt good. I should have just shoved him in the pod sooner, but he really was afraid of it. He could coexist with the pod as long as he had nothing to do with it.

There was a knock on my door. I automatically stood up and answered it. “Josiah,” Ice greeted me from the other side. “Good after--”

“What do you want, now?” I was very sick of her face. She came by several times a day and pestered me at the academy and during work hours.

“I just wanted to say hello--” I slammed the door in her face. Fuck that. I’m not going to interact with her. She knocked again. I turned on the radio to pretend she wasn't there but every single channel streamed static. “Josiah, please we have all be worried for you. You are so withdrawn, and you skipped classes for the third time this week!” She spoke loud through the door. I sighed in frustration and shut the damn thing off. “Get the hint!” I shouted back as I rolled a joint in the kitchen.

“Was it what Darrell said the other day?” I really don’t want to remember that. At that point I was willing to die if it meant breaking Darrell’s face with my bare hands. “Goodbye, Ice.” I lit up the joint and locked myself in the study. This was fucking potent.

Believe it or not, I got my first stash from the florist Elyan saved the other day. I was walking back to my car and the little girl asked for Elyan. All could tell her was, “he is out in space fighting monsters…”

“Is he fighting the nightmares…?” she asked.

“Yeah…” The florist caught on that Elyan is no longer with us and she knew I wasn’t coping with it. One thing left to another, she got me addicted to marijuana. She is going through anxiety and she said the best remedy for that. It is the fucking plant she had been selling under the table. No wonder she panicked… this stuff is illegal in Florida. Prism doesn't give a flying fuck what you do as long as you get it done.

I took the first puff and, I wouldn't say the effects were instant, but time became nothing while I sat there staring at the ceiling. I took my next long ass drag and held it in till my lungs were saturated. Each drag was a little drift from my heavy and dense problems, soon, I was nowhere. I stood there on the edge of the empty universe when I realized how alone and afraid I was. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. “Josiah!!” I heard from far away. I knew it was Elyan, so, I turned to the source of his voice and ran. “Josiah!!”

I drew a long and satisfying breath of clean air and I fell off the chair. “Gyah!!!” I hit the floor hard. My breath hitched and I couldn't stop shaking from the sudden shock.

I heard Elyan sing in the other room. I got up and stored the herbal medicine in my desk drawer and slowly walked to the door. But I never seemed to reach it till my face collided with the door. “Ow…” I rubbed my nose and opened the door to finally leave the study.

Elyan was there making dinner. I walked over and sat by the table. Elyan looked at me with the brightest smile. “Josiah, dinner don't be ready till the egg timer goes off.” I glanced at the empty pots and pans and then at the broken egg timer then I looked back at him nodded quietly. Elyan stares at me, puzzled at my passive behavior.

“What…?” I whispered softly. Elyan shivered somewhat in his place. He shook his head and smiled. “You just look and sound at peace. Did the herb make you feel better?”

I nodded. “Try it with me…” I offered.

After asking, we were in bed smoking the joint. I was laying between his legs staring at the ceiling, my body completely numb. Elyan sang softly.

“You died the other day...” I suddenly said. Elyan quiet his voice and shifted his gaze down to me. “I never realized how many people died in my care till then…” I added.

“You did all you could, right?” he asked me and stole the joint taking a short drag. Obviously I didn’t.

“I want to feel like this… every single day,” I said to him. Elyan looked down at me with a soft smile. “Feel what, my love?”

I didn’t respond because I didn’t know what I was feeling.

“You put me in the pod…” He said with a sad smile.

“I did…”

“You have to set me free, Josiah…”

“Don’t start… Not now…”

“Josiah, you need to set me free.”

I kept looking up at him, my head had this urge to look to my right. I didn’t want to, but I did it anyway.

I stared at Elyan sleeping in the stasis chamber. It was surreal. The only thing on my mind is his image, I saw him everywhere I turned.

It fucking sucked. You can’t move on and let go of something until they let go of you. I guess I am at fault too. I never picked up his mess of candy foils, or laundry, or his dishes, or drawings.

“Why the fuck did you do it?” I stuttered, expecting an answer when I knew he would never do so.

It was an ironic situation, A month before that I set a patient free without question, but in that moment I couldn't  face the reality of pulling the plug.

The next day I pulled myself up, took several drags of my illegal substance and dragged my ass to the academy. When I walked in the classroom, the entire class looked towards me. I honestly shifted my eyes to the white tiles and took my seat in my table. I was high, unstable, and I knew that if Darrell said anything to me I was going to break his teeth. I prayed to any sort of deity to grant me that one wish.

“Great…” I heard Darrell grit his teeth. “Why couldn’t the hunters eat this asshole?”

“Please… He is not well, try not to bother him,” Ice whispered to him.

“I can’t believe you of all people care for someone like this, you have a hard on for him, too?” God that would royally suck balls.

“Darrell… Don’t be jealous. You’re my boyfriend--” I genuinely zoned out for the rest of the class thinking about nothing.

We had basic training and armed combat that afternoon. We had to wear our full gear with tracking arm braces. My team is of five people and two of them are Darrell and Ice. This was Elyan’s fault. I wouldn't have been there if he left me to die. Listen, man, I rather die than actually be with people I really, really, I mean, really hate.

“I say Josiah should be a leader,” the other chick in my team suggested. “He has more experience and he can guide--” Darrell quickly interjected, “No. I will take charge. Unless Farnsworth has any objections?” He challenged me. I just hummed and stared at the ground. “Josiah…?” another guy in my team called. “Hey, you really don’t look so good. Do you want to sit this one out?” Ice asked.

“As a leader, I won’t let him slack off,” Darrell really had a hard on for me because I said I hated him. Did I gave a shit? No.

This was basically a game of tag with weapons. Our objective is to take out as many team members as we could. Anything goes as long as it is to succeed. My job is to snipe from our base tower. Darrell knew I have no marksman skills, he purposely did that to make me look bad.

“Farnsworth,” Darrell spoke to me through the radio transmitter in my ear. “5-W, Over.” Basically he is asking the five key questions, when, where, what, who and why.

“4-W, god in sight, 3-W Olympus override, over.” I said, ‘I see a sniper on their base tower.’

“Co--” The signal of the radio fell. I thought it was the other team causing interference. But I could see that the sniper was having issues with his ear piece. My wrist gear beeped drawing my attention and there was a wall of text. And then something talking to me.

-->//Greetings: Hello.

My initial thought was ‘what the actual fuck?’

-->//Query: What year is it?

I looked around confused before I answered. “May sixteen, nineteen sixty seven.”

-->//Query: Where is the god of stars and dreams?

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“He is… he is in a coma…?”

-->//Statement: I see.

-->//Query: Did he die from a heart attack?

“Y-yes…?” I was mildly scared. Not everyday something speaks through your gear when it was never built for text communication, just for status updates. “Who is this?”

-->//Answer: I go by Unknown.

-->//Query: Just for confirmation, you are identification code_C-DW-0371, Correct?

That one made me sweat. But then again that code is in my brace and should be obvious. “Yes, I am First Medic Lieutenant, Josiah Farnsworth.”

-->//Statement: That is wicked.

-->//Statement: I foresaw this very event, and the only way to make things right is to help you bring him back.

-->//Query: I understand he is in the stasis chamber?

“Yes, but how did you know that??” This felt like some sort of alien or some Area 51 bullshit movie.

-->//Statement: That doesn’t matter.

-->//Statement: Just heed my message.

-->//Statement: In (3) hours there will be a massive black out.

-->//Statement: I hacked into the servers again and implanted a wicked virus.

-->//Statement: Said virus is causing this very interference, and it is why we can communicate with no issue.

“Wait! That black out will seal Elyan’s fate!” I jumped off the base tower, I was shot with paint pellets on my way out. “Fuck!”

-->//Statement: Not quite.

-->//Statement: I will show you, step by step, how to bring him back.

-->//Statement: But, in order to be 100% successful, you need the ring he gave you.

I stopped in my tracks. “I lost it…!” I shouted at the arm brace.

-->//Advice: You have (2) hours to find it.

“You better not be a fucking joke! ‘Cause I swear to god I will find you and make your life miserable!” I ran back to the showers and searched the ring like a fiend.

-->//Statement: I have done this before many times.

-->//Statement: It is in everyone’s best interest for The God of Stars and Dreams to survive.

I turned that shower and locker room upside down. I used my sniper rifle to break the locks of every locker in case it is hidden there. “This is fucking insane!!” I shouted desperately.

-->//Statement: Wait till you see what I plan for you.

I found a glint in one of the lockers, lo-and-behold, there it fucking was. In a fucking locker. Ice’s locker. She had my ring. I was too ecstatic to care at the moment. However, trust me, I didn’t let it slide.

“I found it! What now??” I ran out the locker room like a mad man.

-->//Statement: Stand By.

God, that Unknown thing was killing me. I drove back to the apartment and I kid you not, I almost crashed several times because I kept glancing at the messages. I waited for him to send another, and finally, he responded again.

-->//Requirements:

-Blessings from The Lesser God of Knowledge.

-The ring of spirits.

-Artificial Incubator.

-Sacrificial Virgin.

-Gospel of Summoning

-->//Statement: (4-5)Requirements complete.

“A fucking sacrifice!? Elyan is not a fucking demon!!” I said as I ran down the hall to reach my door.

-->//Statement: He is.

At the revelation, I continued to slide against the floor and fell to the side. Look, I really do not know what the hell he is, and I genuinely did not care. Elyan is Elyan, end of story.

-->//Query: Are you O. K?

“He is what— Just what the hell is he?!”

-->//Statement: Hurry. The ritual will take a while to prepare, and you lack (1) requirement (s) to continue.

I burst in the apartment and the first thing I did was check on Elyan and his status. “I'm going to make it all right, Elyan…” I said to him.

-->//Statement: Let us start with invoking the Lesser God.

“How the hell I even do that!?”

-->//Statement: Stand by.

“Come on! It’s been more than an hour!” This was way too complicated for someone like me. “Why do I need his blessings?!” that was an excellent question.

-->//Statement: You need protection if anything goes wrong.

-->//Evocation: Chasim, leik. Elyan, Florehm la merxill. Soujina Merxill. Klame, umnai, stratosfumm. Prus tei garduu lamen ictuna merxill. Marqunnsynacn, Omnu pastus lam, merxill, umnai.

Yeah, no. At that point in my life I was too old for ridiculous satanic rituals. But I was also desperate. “I can’t pronounce any of this!” I shouted at the stupid brace.

-->//Statement: The God of Stars and Dreams probably said each of those at least once in front of you.

-->//Statement: One other thing.

-->//Advice: You can’t say this angry.

“Are you fucking kidding me!? I can’t!!”

-->//Statement: I don’t think you understand the severity of singing that with a specific emotion.

“No! I wouldn’t be yelling at my fucking brace!!”

-->//Statement: Very well.

-->//Statement: Relax.

-->//Advice: This entire evocation will translate differently according to what you are feeling.

-->//Advice: You don’t want to accidentally get the bad end of the stick with these gods.

-->//Advice: So I suggest you calm down and record the evocation into your mind before making a fool to yourself.

-->//Statement: One other important thing I can’t be careless with.

-->//Advice: This is demon/god bait. There is a slight chance something out in the beyond will hear you and answer your call.

-->//Statement: I caused a storm that nearly wiped out an entire city because I didn’t understand the severity of these songs.

“What the hell did I get myself into…” I said as I read the wall of text. Honestly, this was stupid and there was probably a thousand ways to get him back. Like pulling the fucking plug. I carefully read the evocation in my mind before proceeding to try and recite it. “Ch-chasime, laeek. Elyan… F-florh la merxill. Soujina Mehrshyll…” I stopped after I felt a nervous chill run up and down my spine. I looked down at the brace. “Is it normal I feel like I want to shit my pants?” I asked.

-->//Statement: It is a possibility considering you are feeling scared.

-->//Statement: Not to worry.

-->//Statement: I did promise to guide you.

-->//Statement: I won’t let the God of Stars and Dreams perish.

-->//Statement: You were doing well, continue.

-->//Statement: Be more confident.

I looked up at the stasis pod where Elyan slept and took a deep breath. “The shit I do for you…” I said before I scrolled up to read the enchantment or whatever. “Chasim, leik…” I said under my breath. I drew another gust of oxygen before I continued. “Elyan, Flohrem la merxill.” The balcony window burst open and cold air rushed in, flipping everything it tangled in its rage. “Soujina Merxill. Klame, umnai, stratosfumm. Prus tei garduu lamen ictuna merxill. Marqunnsynacn, Omnu pastus lam, merxill, umnai.” As I finished that statement and blunk away the sheet of reality, a million crows sat in every corner of the room watching closely, listening to my prayer. I could see colors that do not exist in my reality. The only ray of light that existed was the small dim flame of Elyan’s fiery red hair.

-->//Statement: He answered.

-->//Statement: Congratulations.

“W-what now?” I stuttered as I gawk at Elyan’s scales floating around the artificial tank. He resembled a snow globe, and it was kind of pretty. I pressed my hands against the glass, and the sensation was scary.

Elyan's eyes opened. Those green eyes could glow in the dark like a firefly and now they are a faded pastel green. The pod acted strange, malfunctioning and giving errors that the person inside was not Elyan.

-->//Statement: You might want to hurry.

-->//Statement: Sing.

“Sing? Why the hell do I have to sing? I can barely sing!”

-->//Statement: You are running out of time.

-->//Statement: You have (30) minute(s) left before the blackout happens.

“Then what’s the song?”

-->//Statement: I do not possess the song.

“WHAT?!” I was panicking and losing my goddamn mind. “What the hell am I even supposed to sing!

-->//Statement: It exists in your time. But in my time, the song doesn’t exist.

“Why?!”

-->//Statement: He hasn’t composed it yet.

-->//Advice: There has to be something, a clue to hint at the idea of the song.

“You are killing me!” I scrambled across the room, the crows were actually helping me but we found nothing. I pulled my hair thinking about everything he did, everything he said but it all came into a blank rush and I thought of all the times he pissed me off.

I let go of my hair at the epiphany and ran into my study and yanked at all the drawers and found my notebook. The one he doodled and wrote all over. “Elyan your shenanigans proved useful after all…”

-->//Query: What did you find?

“That son of a bitch ruined one of my notebooks to write his deep thoughts. Maybe I can find it there.”

-->//Statement: That is wicked.

-->//Reminder: You have (15) minute(s) left.

“Yeah, no, don’t pressure me or anything,” I growled as I flipped the pages to find the poems he wrote. But none were helping and I won’t be able to decipher his siren gibberish. Then it hit me. I looked around for a pencil and paper that was tossed, luckily, close to me after that wind mumbo jumbo from earlier. I tore the pages I wanted to use, and I wrote down the lyrics.

-->//Reminder: (1) minute(s).

I turned to Elyan and recited the words on the paper. I didn't sing. I just said it in a rhyme. Or what I can humbly call a rhyme.

"Your fiery hair glows dim,

and your eyes they fade.

The darkness and the void are slowly consuming you whole.

Your world needs you, the silence is unbearable.

from the moon and back, the nightmares seethe

the ring orbiting around your wrist

is the answer to this planetary siege.

Your voices calms my dreams.

The serene tune, they echo far in ripples,

through thinnest satin and thickest concrete." 

I kinda winged it at this point.

"You are here at our song,

so, where the hell are you now?

You selfish kuck!

Also,

You left a mess of foils on the ground.

You better come back home and pick it the fuck up!

I swear to god,

and any deity in fucking sky jungle,

I will personally drag your royal ass from the afterlife!”

That last bit I said it with anger hammering down every verse as I pounded the glass till it broke under my rage. The fluid and scales pooled into the floor below my feet as I stood back in mild horror at what I did. I even broke my arm brace in the process.

The lights in the entire city went out. The light of the evening dyed the room in red velour. The crows that once surrounded me flocked in an insanity spiral and flew out the window.

Elyan shut his eyes for a second before they opened wide with a bright shade of green. His hair was an unrealistic neon red shade and his scales shifted colors in the light. It was surreal. “Josiah…?” Elyan looked confused, not with a smile, he was actually confused. “W-why am I…?” I quickly unhooked him from the cables and helped him out. “You… called me?” he smiled softly as he asked. “Yeah. Black out.” I said. I could barely contain my shit and if I spill anything else I will spill more water on the floor than I should. And I can’t show weakness to him because he will exploit it to buy more candy.

I honestly thought those joints were a bad trip, I should have been used to bullshitery.

We both looked out into the balcony watching the stars rain down into the city. Huge meteorites broke through the stratosphere. It doesn't take a genius to say we're all going to die. “Josiah… I--” I interrupted him. “I know... ” I grabbed my medical gear and said, “I’m going with you.” He smiled brightly and leaned in to kiss me. I shoved him lightly. “Elyan, not now!” I shouted. “I am still pissed at you for never picked up the fucking foils!” His smile softened and said, “then when I return I will toss them.” He jumped into the air and twisting and turning as the ring blade orbit his body. Like a shooting star he sliced through the comets bursting with glitter and stardust. I was back on my normal routine.