A round of applause sounded from behind Jack as the curtains separated. It had revealed a set of boxes, a handsaw, some rings of differing sizes, a tank that could easily fit a shark, and an extremely excited feminine figure. She stepped forward with her hands on her hips, her top hat glistening under the lights on the stage. Her smile was full of wonder and determination, but it looked like there was something more sinister underneath. Those eyes of hers looked as if they belonged to an angel that fell into Hell, maliciousness and playfulness somehow fused in her gaze. Suddenly, her arms stretched out in front of her in a way that said, ‘Look at me! I’m here!’ The woman, who was called Lepus, walked to the very end of the apron like how a prima donna would. When she stopped, she took off her top hat and bowed to what could be called the audience. Insect-like antennae stood at crooked angles on top of her head, something that could be described as snow white and hair-like covered them. The antennae quivered a bit under the harsh light, each hair-like end moving like a leg of a millipede. Then, she stood up straight, quickly pulling the top hat over the antennae. She looked down at Jack, wearing that exact same smile that she had since the curtains had opened. Lepus shifted her eyes to the audience of rabbits. “Hello, everybody. Tonight we have a very special guest. He will be helping moi perform, and he will be answering some questions that were provided by yours truly. So, come up here guest.” After she said this, her gaze, followed by the rabbits shifted to Jack again. Thousands of eyes were on him again. Looks like I have no choice, but to go on stage. Jack walked up the steps apprehensively. With unblinking eyes following him, like predators stalking their prey.
As soon as Jack stepped on the stage, Lepus dropped all pretense of seriousness and started to skip over to him. Jack, that had felt the unsettling presence of the audience watching him, started to sense the piercing eyes dissipating as his nerves began to tranquilize. The rabbits were still watching, their crimson eyes soothed, as the petrifying gazes had reduced their intensity. As Lepus skipped closer and closer to Jack, she skipped once, twice, thrice, and then she fell. A crack sounded from her body, her left foot bent in the opposite direction it was supposed to be in, she was grasping the bent area of her leg. As Jack witnessed this she began to whimper, pained tears dripping down her face. “Why?... Why now?... Of all times… I just wanted to make people happy… I can’t continue being a show woman with a leg like this…” She told herself, breathing nearly realistic pain into her words with a heartbreaking tone. As raindrops poured on her face and ragged cries were released from her mouth. Jack stood there questioning everything around him. Um… Should I help her? Is this a part of her act? Huh… What the hell am I doing? I should check on her regardless. Jack pushed the distracting thoughts from his mind as he stepped closer to the woman. “Hey uh… Are you okay?” Jack said as he looked over the scene before him. “No! I’m not okay! I’ll never be able to act again!” She cried out. “Um… Okay, just grab my hand. I’m going to pull you up.” Jack offered his hand to Lepus, with a mixture of concern and uncertainty. Lepus swiftly gripped Jack’s hand, applying resolute pressure to his hand. Jack started to lift Lepus, he was trying to help her stand up and find balance on her front facing foot. It took a few seconds of awkward movements and uncomfortable positions, but Lepus finally stood on one foot. Although one of her arms was slung over Jack’s back in a sort of semi-hug, Jack was now her crutch. “So, what now?” Jack asked the questionably injured woman, she seemed like she was really hurt but he still had his doubts. Despite her strangely realistic cries, it still felt fake somehow. Like she was an actor in a play or a movie. “Well, I wanted to say thanks. So, thank you. And I want to give you this.” Lepus reached with her free hand and picked up the rose from her shirt pocket. “Here.” Jack took the rose from her hand and took a look at it. And then… Splash. Water covered Jack’s face, as little transparent drips generated from the rose head.
“Hahahahaha… Hahaha… Haha… Oh… That was too good!” Lepus stood on both her front facing and backward feet. She was laughing her ass off while wiping tears off her face. “You actually fell for it!” She pointed to the now water-covered Jack, his face took the visage of someone that is sapped. I had my doubts. I should have trusted my instincts. This is my fault. Jack had thought to himself, water dripping down his face. Jack sighed to himself. He then turned his head to the guffawing Lepus, her frivolous explosion of joyful emotion calming down. “So, could I get a towel or something?” “Ha… Oh… Yeah, sure.” She then clapped her hands in a way that said, ‘service please’. After a few seconds, a dazzling metal cart getting pulled by ten white rabbits moved to the two people on stage. The rabbits had appeared from behind the curtain, and were pulling the glamorous metal cart like they were reindeer pulling the sleigh of Mr. Claus. They had stopped when they had found themselves next to their master, the one who had called them. Jack had observed, no had his eyes transfixed on the white rabbits that had just entered. Something was off, he could feel that. This was the closest he had been to those things, each of them had a look in their eyes that could be described as one that was experiencing some form of agony. Pain, despair, misery, and many more emotions could be seen in their eyes. In a manner of words, their eyes were dead. Their faces and bodies looked exactly the same, none of the negative emotions could be seen on everything except their eyes. Lepus reached into the cart that shined like gemstones, and found a red towel. She aired out the towel. “And for my second trick!” The crimson towel engulfed the mesmerised Jack’s head, it took a second for him to realise that something was covering him. “I am going to make the water disappear!” As soon as she said that, the wet drops resting on Jack’s skin had gotten absorbed. But that wasn’t enough, his skin started to get dryer and dryer. Jack realized something was wrong so he moved to pull the towel of the creation of dehydration off his face. Water was getting removed from his body, cracks appeared on his now flaky scale-like skin. He desperately tried tearing off the cursed towel before the situation could get any worse, dehydration harmed his body as the itchiness of his skin became unbearable.
Then, with a snap of Lepus’s fingers. The towel flew off of Jack’s head and into Lepus’s hands. Jack’s face was messed up, bleeding cracks, dry flaky skin, an uncontrollable urge to itch. Jack angrily glared at Lepus as he scratched his skin like a cat scratching a couch. “Oh, let me fix that up.” Lepus threw the towel back onto Jack, it engulfed his head again. His head was covered again but this was different, the want to itch stopped, the cracks healed, his body began to recover. His body's water supply had been replenished. With another snap of her fingers the towel flew off and revealed a Jack with healthy looking skin. “Better now?” Lepus said inquisitively. “Yes, I’m fine now.” Jack said, visible exhaustion shown on his face. “Can I take a breather?” “Huh? But, the show only started a few minutes ago. And you already want to take a break.” Jack’s fatigued looking face turned to Lepus, and said nonchalantly. “Yes.” “But, I got all of this stuff prepared. Like this massive tank. Don’t you want to be thrown in this tank?” Lepus rebutted as she pointed to the tank. “No.” “But why?” “After what you just pulled. I don’t want anything to do with these items of yours.” Jack left his eyes to analyze the items on stage with him, until he shifted his eyes onto the handsaw. “Is this about the towel? Oh, come on that was just an honest mistake.” “No is no. I said my piece.” Lepus then responded. “Alright, alright. I get that you don’t want to do anymore skits with me. But, the least you could do is answer a couple questions I have for you.” Jack looked back at Lepus. “You make it sound like I have an obligation to do what you tell me to.” “Maybe not, but I’m sure you want to leave this place. So, how about we make a deal.” Jack raised his eyebrow. “A deal?” “Yes, as long as you answer the questions I have for you. I will lead you to the exit of this place.” “What questions?” “Just simple questions like where you come from. Things in your life. As well as why you have come into contact with several authorities.” As soon as Lepus said that the world bent around the two. Those crimson eyes shifted in position and mood, revealing a more sinister expression. Lepus glared right into Jack’s eyes, through the eye contact it was as if a cacophony of hellish screams and demanding orders could be heard. His ears filled with the smells of fire and brimstone, tasting pain and anguish of tortured souls. Jack started dipping into the pit of unconsciousness, his body felt numb as his senses melded together.
Then a voice could be heard. “You have to get up…” It was distant and yet he could hear it clearly, it sounded like himself, it was like his own voice. “You have to get up…” The voice repeated itself, seemingly louder this time. Newfound strength filled his body, as if the deepest parts of himself were fighting back. Jack pulled himself back into consciousness, his senses separating and coming back. He corrected his slumped body into standing up straight, the exhaustion he had felt from earlier had all but dissipated. “Oh, you managed to resist that one as well. Can’t say I’m that surprised.” Lepus said with a smirk. “What the hell was that?” Jack asked a question with writhing anger building up in his voice. “Oh, are you angry? Maybe you need to take a seat.” She said mockingly while using her hand to indicate a rather comfortable looking chair. Jack breathed in and out, calming himself in order to prevent himself from trying to beat the shut out of her. Then he looked up and started to say something. “You haven’t answered my question.” “And you haven’t answered mine either. So, why don’t you take a seat and let me ask you some questions.” Jack took a look at her at thought. This isn’t going to end if I don’t do what she says. And besides that I could actually get some of my own questions answered. Although she is strange and possesses some sort of power, I shouldn’t be too ready to trust her. I should try to get through this quickly. Jack sat down at the seat and took a look around. Wait, this place isn’t the same stage? Is it? The stage now looked significantly shorter as the strange items were now replaced by two chairs, a desk, and a lamp. “You know, it took a little more work for me to get you here than others. But it might be just worth it.” Lepus visage wore a genuine grin and softened eyes. “What do you mean by that?” Jack asked. “It’s just that the feisty ones tend to accomplish the greatest things in life.” Lepus answered. What the hell does she mean by this? Jack thought to himself. Then Lepus started to speak. “Well, now that you have situated yourself. The real show can now begin.”
“Before we get to the real questions. Why don’t you tell me about yourself.” Lepus said as if she was conducting an interview. “Hello, my name is Jack Carlton. Officially, I was a factory worker for Black Obsidian…” Jack had stopped himself, as Lepus practically gestured go on. “Um… I was born on the first of February, 1865 of the Post-Nuclear Era…” Jack said some more basic things about his life, who he was, some things that happened to him, and other things. “Well, that should be enough. Now I shall ask you the remaining questions that I have for you.” Lepus looked towards Jack, as her eyes analyzed his body. “Okay, so your eyes are slightly different. So slight that most mortals wouldn’t see the difference. And, your body from the neck down has a slightly brighter skin tone.” “Umm… What does that have to do with anything?” “Hold on I’m getting to that. You had said that you had lost one of your arms, and lungs before. Right?” “Yes.” “And you appear to have some traces of the authorities of sin.” Jack, hesitated before responding. “Yes, I have gone into contact with them.” “This includes Envy, correct?” Before Jack even spoke a powerful stinging sensation flooded his mind, but it still wasn’t enough for him to not answer the question. “Yes.” “Alright this leads to my first real question. Whose body did you take?” Jack grasped his head, his breath became shaky, his brain pounded against his skull. Whose body? “My body?” My body? “Your body?” Your body? Jack’s head felt as if it was splitting, but pulled itself together before any permanent damage could be done. “Jack! Jack! Are you okay.” Jack’s breathing had calmed, Lepus had her hands placed on top of his head. “Umm… Yeah I think I’m fine now.” Lepus, who seemed genuinely concerned, exhaled the worry away. “Well, I think it’s best not to push it. Tell me whenever your head starts hurting again, okay. Next question.” Lepus took off her top hat and pulled out a piece of paper. “Hmm… Oh, yes. You seem to have gone into contact with several spirits called the authorities. Could you tell me when that happened?” “Well, um…” Jack started to answer the question.
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Five hours left, just five hours till the destruction of Jack’s World. The young man was at a table with several other people, they were his coworkers and his boss. The man that was now reaching his mid-thirties and has a shiny bald head sat at the end of the table. A very despondent expression remained on his face, he normally looked depressed. But this was different, it was as if he was about to be doing something that would bring pain onto himself and others. That man was the boss, he sat professionally in his chair and sighed. “Hello, everyone. By now you must be wondering why you all are here.” He stopped and sighed again, wanting to drag it out. “Everyone in this room, all of us, have been laid off.” “What?” “Huh?” The employees reacted to this news in different ways. Some of them in disbelief, some of them worrying about what to do next, some of them quietly accepting it, and finally those that had felt their own quiet resentment grow. In the world they lived in, getting fired or laid off was essentially a death sentence. Unfortunately, if someone was fired or laid off they would have to leave within the hour. Even if they might have been a good person or a hard worker, if they got laid off it could only result in losing everything. The young man clenched his fists, a burning hatred filled his mind. The boss started talking, but the young man couldn’t hear all of it. “We have been laid off… robot workers are being installed… the higher ups decided there was no more room for us…” The sounds started to blend together until the young man stopped hearing, he could still sense sound but he didn’t pay attention to it. He knew the others were speaking, but he didn’t hear, he didn’t want to hear. The world lost it’s color, he could only see black, white, and gray. He stood up and walked out of the room. Yes, he was in a meeting for work. But, he didn’t care, he stopped caring. He walked past a computer that was connected to a metal cylinder. He stopped and turned to the cylinder. Then a thought crossed his mind. Should I take one? To any sane person, they would say no to such a thought. But, that would imply that they would be in a healthy mindset. The young man looked around. No one is watching. And it would take a bit for them to find out. But, what if they find me in the process of doing this? I’d probably be killed. And getting laid off is practically death already. So, why should I care anymore? Why shouldn’t I try to mess things up? The young man thought as he stared at the large cylinder.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The young man activated the sequence to open the large cylinder, revealing fourteen containers that contained a soul-like being in each. Each spirit glowed with their own colors, all of the spirits were about the same size and kept the same spherical shape. These were the authorities of sin and virtue, spirits that inhabit a host and lend them their power. The young man observed as the authorities moved around upon noticing that the large cylinder was now open. He walked closer to the spirits that were trapped. As he walked closer a spirit with a red outer layer and a black core, started to go wild by hitting the container with it’s own body in rapid succession. The young man stepped close enough to touch the wild spirit’s container, he felt no hostility from the spirit. Rather, it was conveying that it wanted to get to know the young man. “Wrath… Interesting name. I’m going to take some of you guys out of this place. How do you feel about coming with me?” Without any delay the spirits moved in ways that conveyed, ‘Yes, please set us free’. The young man smirked, it was the smirk of someone that was pleased, the smirk of a trouble maker. “Alright, I’ll get all of you out. I just have to figure out how.” He took a look around and found a board of switches and circuits that was connected to each of the containers on the wall. Without any hesitation whatsoever, he flipped all of the switches with an honest to god smile on his face. Then, a siren blared as red flashed lights illuminated the area. As the containers opened, the sound of many hard and heavy footsteps started and got closer each second. It was obvious where they were headed, they were coming to where the young man was. “This is just great. I don’t think I can fight them all by myself.” The fourteen spirits flew around, they must’ve been excited to finally be free after centuries of imprisonment. Wrath floated to the young man and circled him as if trying to gain the attention of the other authorities. Several other authorities followed along. One that had a white core and a red outer layer, another with a green outer layer and a black core. “Well, hello there. We don’t really have that much time. Do your spirit thing.” After he said that, Wrath phased into his body. The young man felt his anger bloat, his body felt like fire as his mind was filled with dark smoke. He started to breathe heavy as his eyes ignited, his bones became charcoal as his flesh became fuel for his rage.
Four masked armed men ran into the room, with their weapons pointed at the young man. The young man stood silently as several spirits circled around him. The spirits had now numbered four. The two newcomers had white cores and the outer layers had different colors, pink and blue. “Stop there or we will shoot!” The young man turned his head towards the armed men, his eyes scanned the room as if he started to calculate something. Then, the young man stepped forward. “Hey, I said stop there or we shoot!” The young man stared in silence, then took another step. “Are you deaf! I said stop!” The young man that didn’t show any hostility up till then, leaped forward at the men. He got shot multiple times as he snapped one of the men’s neck. Even though his skin was pierced by bullets, even though the bullets pushed through vital organs, he didn’t feel a thing. The young man's face had shown no reaction to his own violent actions or to the injuries he had obtained. He looked to the other men, to say they were in wonder of this would be an understatement. The largest of the bunch began to run at the young man while screaming, but then the young man picked him up and lifted the large man’s body above his head. In the next few seconds the containers on the other side of the room were shattered under the large man’s weight. The two armed men remaining stood in shock, after all this was the first time they had seen a monster like this. They felt as if they were not trying to stop a man, but a monster in human skin. One of them turned tail and fled, while the other stayed behind. “Hey… Umm… Stop! I’m warning you! Stay back!” The last armed man tried threatening the monster. But the monster didn’t listen. The last man had his skull swiftly crushed by the monster’s hand. The monster showed no reaction, expressionless.
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“And that was the last thing I remember. Everything after is all fuzzy.” Jack had finished his story and concluded it. “Hmm… I see, well hopefully you’ll remember soon. Ah, well next question.” Lepus looked over the sheet of paper again, and then put it down. “Well, I don’t want to be the only one asking questions. Ask me something.” Jack grinned at this. Finally, I can figure out what the hell is going on. “Okay, I got some for you. Where exactly are we?” Lepus thought for a second before saying. “We are on a talk show, on a stage, in a theater, in a corrupted area, in a chaos rift.” Jack then said. “What do you mean by that?” “It’s where we are.” “No, I mean what do you mean by ‘corrupted area’ and ‘chaos rift’.” “Okay… So, this place looks like an area from your world right?” “Yes.” “That’s because it is.” “What?” “Oh, yeah… I should probably mention that your world is destroyed. And this is part of what’s left of it.” “Wait, wait… The world was destroyed!” “No not ‘the world’, just yours.” Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing, he looked down at the ground in utter shock. “Oh, Jack are you okay? Do you need me to heal your head again?” Jack looked at her. “No, I’m fine. Let’s continue.” “Okay, where did we leave off? Oh, your world. Okay, so this place is a corrupted area. Corrupted areas are broken pieces of reality that somehow managed to survive a universe’s destruction.” Jack sat and processed the information before saying. “Okay. And is a corrupted area a part of a chaos rift?” “Yes, more or less.” “Alright then… I still have more questions I want to ask you.” “Oh, sure. Be my guest.” Lepus looked to Jack with a bright smile on her face. “This is going to be great for the two of us.”
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The room was dark, a haunting stillness covering what was once the home of a scientist and his son. Then a large metal door that had no windows opened slowly with a sound of two pieces of metal scraping against each other. Eventually a head popped out, the head moved from side to side, analyzing the room. The head that was attached to a body maneuvered into the room, past the door. It was a body with a masculine frame, tall, dark, broad shoulders. He had dark skin, black hair, and black irises in his eyes. “Hey! Anybody there?” After he said that he only heard the echo of his own voice. He walked across the dark room, it was part of his father’s work. Test tubes, microscopes, machines, sanitary containers, gloves, goggles, and many other materials could be seen of the tables and counters. “Dad! Dad, where are you?” He called out to the man that raised him, but found no response. After all he was alone in this place, everyone he could’ve swore was there only a moment ago had disappeared. “Where did everyone go?” The man then proceeded to look around the house, the lights wouldn’t turn on, the only noises that could be heard came from him. Eventually he passed a green child’s jersey that was hung up on the wall, it had the number 02 as well as his name. It showed his first and last names, “Tyrone Bello”. Although he was only nineteen, he became known as one of the best touch-ball players in his world. Eventually Tyrone searched the whole house and found nothing, and went outside. Since he and his adopted father lived in the Southern Dome, he had thought he had no need to put on a gas suit. The air was still, the city-like area was abandoned completely. Tyrone walked down the streets of the scarily quiet city. “It was never this quiet. This is wrong.” Tyrone spoke to himself, using his own voice to try to clear up the unnatural silence. Normally he would never talk to himself, but this wasn’t normal. He kept walking until he saw it, something that implied that his world’s natural laws had changed. “Is that a helicopter?” What Tyrone saw was a metal behemoth that was levitating in the air, but none of the instruments or metal parts of the machine were moving. The helicopter stayed high up in the air despite none of it’s parts moving, staying completely still. Then, Tyrone took a closer look at what was around him. Objects that should be falling levitated in the air, still statues.
Tyrone kept walking, but took a closer look at the places he was traveling to. The exact same pattern of silence and stillness shown everywhere he looked, it was all the same. Tyrone got closer and closer to an exit of the Southern Dome, in each of the domes there are four main entrances and exits in each of the cardinal directions. Tyrone finally walked down far enough to see it, a massive hole where the southern entrance was supposed to be. The hole’s outline looked as if it was a glitch in a computer program, horribly mashed up textures, broken lines of the source code of his world. Pieces of the glitched outline fell only for the new parts of the outline to get glitched, the hole and the corrupted parts around it slowly continued to get bigger and bigger. Beyond the hole was the void, deep, dark, silent, if something were to fall it would never get out. “Nope.” Tyrone’s reaction to this was instantaneous, he turned around and ran like a marathon runner. Tyrone ran and ran, he could only hear the sounds of stepping and breathing. After crossing his house, Tyrone slowed down. He looked to the direction he came from. “I’m not messing with that.” At this point he could no longer see the hole, but the void of nothingness was still growing. It was then Tyrone heard a series of noises marching towards him, the stomping of hooves, the drums of war beating. Tyrone had wanted to run, but he couldn’t tell where it came from. It was as if it was already around him, like he was already surrounded. Slowly and steadily the marching grew ever closer, eventually Tyrone’s home was surrounded by many different figures. All were warriors, although they came from different times. Some of them looked like barbarians, hunters, crusaders, knights, soldiers, assassins, ninja, samurai, guards, and many more trained in the arts of death, the art of war. There were warriors with swords and bows, some with rifles and grenades. Different sets of weapons and armor from different times. The warrior’s bodies stood still waiting for an order, their hollow eyes empty of a personality, if they still had a soul it would look like it was gutted out and burned to a crisp.
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“So, why do video game-like mechanics exist here?” Jack asked the woman sitting across from him. “Umm… Do you mean the windows in your eyes?” Lepus said. Windows in my eyes? Does she mean the menus? “Yes…” Jack said with uncertainty. “Those are just a product of Holisin.” “Holisin?” “Holisin is the world we are currently in.” Jack thought for a second and then said. “I thought we were in a chaos rift?” “We are in a chaos rift, yes. And in the world called Holisin.” Jack thought for a second that got the gist of what she was saying. “Is the chaos rift in Holisin?” “Yep.” “Alright then, why does Holisin have RPG mechanics?” Lepus put herself in the thinking man’s pose and made her eyes get wide in an expression of realization, like she had a light bulb turn on in her head. She turned to Jack and then said with utmost certainty. “That’s just how this world works.” Jack looked at her and said. “That doesn’t help me with anything.” “Well, I don’t really get out much so I’m not the best person to ask.” Lepus brushed her hair with her hand sheepishly. “But, if you need to know anything about chaos rifts I can tell you that.” Well, I won’t get any information on this world she talks about. I don’t really want to talk about myself right now. What about her? Jack had thought. “Can I ask about you?” Lepus looked at him quizzically. “What are you meaning to ask?” “About your powers, the rabbits, what and who are you, what you are doing, why are you doing it, and many other questions.” Lepus shifted her eyes around before opening her mouth as if she was about to say something. Then immediately closed it.
Lepus stood up as she removed her tophat, her antennae twitching in the light. “I’m bored, no more questions, let’s have fun.” Jack then said. “Didn’t you say we wouldn’t be doing skits anymore and besides that, you haven’t answered my questions.” “Well, I have answered enough. You think too much, that can’t be good for your own health.” Jack sighed to himself and thought. Might as well play along. He stood and walked towards Lepus. “Alright, what do you want me to do?” Lepus pushed her tophat into Jack’s arms. “Pull something out of the hat, you could get something good.” “Hey, I know this trick. You’re trying to get me to pull the rabbit out of the hat.” Lepus turned her head. “Who would put a rabbit in their hat intentionally?” “I would expect you to be the one who invented it. Considering everything I’ve seen when I met you.” Lepus chuckled before saying. “Go on, go on. Grab something in the hat.” Jack peered into the hat, it was a void absent of any visible matter. It felt like the softest of silk in his hands. As he reached in, he felt the inside of it. The walls and floor were a flesh-like material that had some patches of what could be assumed as mangled fur. The space inside the hat was clearly much larger than the outside, as Jack could barely touch the bottom even when he was shoulder deep inside of it. Suddenly when he was searching for something to grab, something bumped into him. It felt like the smooth fur of a small animal. Then, he tried to find what bumped into him. As he moved his arm and hand in the direction of the fur-like substance, he found nothing. It was like what had bumped into him had disappeared.
“Having trouble?” Lepus asked. “No, I just touched something.” Jack said, dismissing Lepus. He moved his arm around in the darkness, like someone trying to find a light switch when it’s dark. Then, it happened again. The thing with the fur bumped into his hand again and again. Until, finally. “I got you now, fur ball.” Jack had held the critter with a firm grasp and pulled it out of the hat. As his hand came into view so did the creature. Before Jack could say anything more, Lepus spoke up. “Camus!” She scooped up the mouse-like chimera from Jack’s hand and hugged it, wrapping it in her warmth. “Congratulations, Jack! You won the special prize!” She said while lifting the chimera creature above her head. So that’s where the little guy went? “So, what is this special prize?” Jack asked. Lepus placed Camus on her head in between her antennae. “Hmm… Well, it’s a surprise. Yes, a special surprise prize!” Lepus said while putting back on her tophat. “I just need to get one thing ready.” “And what would that be?” Lepus began to grin maliciously, her crimson eyes shining. “That would be you.” As Lepus said that she moved her arms forward. Metal chains that appeared to be dyed red with blood and rust gripped Jack’s body before he could even react. As his arms and legs were pinned to the floor, he struggled to free himself. “What the hell?” “This is the surprise, but it’s only the first part.” As Lepus said that she pulled out a handsaw from behind her back. “Don’t worry, it won’t bleed.” Lepus crouched down next to Jack’s right side. “You said you lost this arm once before right?” Jack made no noise, or rather he couldn’t. It was as if his voice box was forcefully muted. “What? It shouldn’t be an issue if I borrow this for a while.” Lepus placed the blade of the handsaw onto Jack’s arm. “This won’t hurt a bit.”
Lepus pushed and pulled the handsaw into Jack’s arm, but there was no blood, no rips and tears. Just a clean cut separating the arm from the body. Lepus picked up the arm with a smile on her face, then she snapped her fingers. The red chains dispersed like gas, freeing Jack from the binding. Lepus leaped backwards and placed her hand on a large metal ring. She threw the ring into the air, but the ring didn’t fall. The ring floated in the air, as Lepus stood in front of it. Jack stood up, his body feeling numb. “If you want this back, you are going to have to chase me for it! Bye Bye.” As Lepus said that she jumped through the ring. Jack ran after her. “Wait! Hey, stop!” Jack saw that the ring that Lepus jumped through, led to a city street. Jack jumped into the portal with a sprint, he landed in the street. Jack quickly took a look around and saw the end of a cape pass the street corner. “Come back here, you magic bitch! Give me back my arm!”