EPISODE 1.1

Darkness. My only companion in this current instance. The noise of the deafening silence and buzz of incoherent thoughts that are not even mine are the only constant in this restraining void that my consciousness is situated in.

What do I feel aside from this sheer emptiness? Fear? Confusion? Dread?

I do not even know how I got myself into this bleak space nor the reason why I am unable to command any movements to whatever is left of my body—unable to feel any sensations from the surface of my skin.

Am I dead? Any gentle touch from the elements is the only confirmation that I need. Anything. ANYTHING.

As I am plunged within the confines of the nothingness surrounding my very self, I could only reminisce of the not-so-distant, yet fleeting memories I have that have led me to this lonesome moment of pitch quiescence.

* * *

image [https://i.ibb.co/mNkQ3Nq/Glitch-Cam-20240602-114327442.jpg]

SHOW STATS:

GENERAL INFORMATION

Name: Rolf Widmann

Profession: Doctor (Attending Surgeon)

Gender: Male

Mental Health: Distressed

Physical Health: Fine

Underlying Factors: Anxiety

Strength: Beginner

Dexterity: Master

Intelligence: Master

Technical: Expert

Will: Adept

Charisma: Advanced

Inventory: Mobile Phone (×1), Pair of Prescription Glasses (×1)

Special Items: Nothing.

The night I will never forget…

It was in the middle of the dead of night. My eyes battled against the pressing weight of my drooping eyelids as they maintained a blurry focus through the wet windshield that was soaked by the raging storm outside.

The grueling extent of the past several hours ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace, but it at least gave room for a moment of relief knowing I escaped from the sights of those pursuing cops who had the audacity to give me the inconvenience of a dramatic chase scene throughout the town I was leaving behind.

Whether it was the incompetence that was on their side or my driving proficiency was just too exceptional for them to handle, either way it was still a good thing that I managed to lose those pigs before they could call on for more unwanted company.

Perhaps they were unnerved by the chilling idea of cruising along the stretch of this road of stillness and desolation amidst the roaring weather, while going after a person they wished they've never crossed paths with? After all, the former was the least of my worries and let's just say that I am built different than any of these ANIMALS.

If I were being honest, this whole spectacle did caught me off guard. Imagine starting the day early at dawn, forced from a deep, peaceful slumber to hastily tend to a patient with ruptured appendix waiting for a skilled surgeon to come by in the operating room.

What appeared to be another day's work was quick to fall into the rabbit hole of chaos when a couple of cops came by. Questioning me, a SKILLED and RENOWED surgeon, about my own medical practices!

It was not my methods as a licensed physician those dogs were after, though, and I immediately sniffed out their ulterior motives the first time they came by to my office. Oh, the irony. Their actual purpose was something of pure intrusiveness, or rather, too personal for my liking which meddled outside the boundaries of where they were supposed to be.

It annoyed me, ANGERED me, that despite the heart-shattering disposal of my artistic crafts, down to the cleansing of every small details that could rat me out, every pieces of jumbled puzzles remained pointed to me as if taunting me how stupid I was and that I should've tried to be a little more conscientious!

I cannot help but grit my teeth by the possibility that I can no longer return to what I had left behind, as everything I worked hard for was gone in an instant.

Pushing away any unwanted thoughts, I moved a shaky hand to snatch the phone out of my pocket while the other maintained a tight grip to the steering wheel. My fingers danced along the smooth surface of the touchscreen as I dialed the familiar contact number that belonged from a trusty neighbor who considered me to be their friend, but never quite the opposite.

While I wasn't sure if he's still up this late in the evening, it was still worth the attempt.

A short series of dialing tones later, answered a person in a raspy and nasal voice—something you would expect from a typical elderly man, "Hello?"

"Hey, Fred. It's me."

"Oh, Doctor Widmann!" What appeared to be a breathless speech was quick to shift into pure jolliness that even I admit was difficult to fake. "Is there anything that bothers you, son?"

"Nothing at all, Fred." I let out a short cackle, trying to match the old man's usual friendliness, as I hid any traces of shakiness from my trembling breath. "Look, it is embarrassing for me to ask but I need a favor."

"Of course, Doctor Widmann! How can I be of help?"

"I won't be able to go home anytime soon due to some emergency in the hospital. Perhaps you can take care of Luna and Winston for a while? They may get agitated when left alone for a long period of time but they won't give you that much trouble, I promise. I'll be compensating for the expenses as soon as I get back though."

There was a long, unmistakable moment of pause that had me at the edge of my seat and the raging reflex of my hand was begging me to end the call as fast as possible. But then, the next reply that I heard from Fred was what truly shook me to the core:

"I wish I could, son. But the police have cordoned the area around your home. They are still there as we speak and are setting up a caution tape around your lawn. I know this is not my business, but is everything all right? It is not that I am trying to poke my nose into the situation…it's nothing like that…I'm—uh—just worried…about you. Doctor Widmann?"

At that moment, it was as if the world around me was forced to a sudden halt. The incessant barrage of thoughts and faint cacophony blurred and faded together, rendering my once-somnolent mind wide and awake as everything in my vision turned into fiery red.

"Doctor Widmann? Doctor Widmann, are you still th—"

Without a second thought, I heaved and repeatedly hammered the phone onto the dashboard until the thin device cracked like a fragile shell of an egg. My hand felt every reverberating thud as I yelled my vocal cords out, filling the enclosed, empty space of my sedan with an inflamed scream that only I could hear.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!!"

ITEM DROPPED: Mobile Phone (×1)

SHOW STATS:

GENERAL INFORMATION

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Name: Rolf Widmann

Profession: Doctor (Attending Surgeon)

Gender: Male

Mental Health: Distressed

Physical Health: Fine

Underlying Factors: Anxiety

Strength: Beginner

Dexterity: Master

Intelligence: Master

Technical: Expert

Will: Adept

Charisma: Advanced

Inventory: Pair of Prescription Glasses (×1)

Special Items: Nothing.

A sting of burning sensation was left radiating along the walls of my throat after that fiasco, but it was the least of my worries right now. The first thing I would have to find was shelter. A cheap nearby motel would do since I do not have much choice, considering the money in my current possession would not last that long.

Options—My mind raced as I thought about my options. I briefly looked over to the window to my side and it seemed I made it into the part of Runenbach that hit me with a disorienting sense of unfamiliarity. I do not even know whether there are still open motels at this time around nor am I aware if there are even operational establishments in this rural-esque area.

I looked down for a moment to find where that damned phone fell after I smashed its trash-worthy aluminum frame into pieces. The trusty assistance of GPS is the only tool that could help me navigate through in the middle of this nowhere.

As I was busy looking around, my cursed luck had other ideas. Just a split second—A SPLIT SECOND—that I turned my gaze away from the road ahead of me, a sudden collision from the front side of my vehicle caused me to momentarily lose control of the wheel.

The wet road didn't help with my efforts either as my car swerved side by side until it skidded along the bumpy surface of the ground outside the proximity of the highway. A short, rough ride later, I quickly braced from an oncoming collision as I saw myself inevitably headed to the stumpy trunk of a tree. I closed my eyes, preparing myself until—CRASH.

The impact disoriented my senses with a ringing stun, and the only thing that saved me from being thrown through the windshield was the seatbelt securely strapped around my body. I could only groan and cough as I waited for my vision to process the aftermath of the impact.

PHYSICAL HEALTH: Wounded

SHOW STATS:

GENERAL INFORMATION

Name: Rolf Widmann

Profession: Doctor (Attending Surgeon)

Gender: Male

Mental Health: Distressed

Physical Health: Wounded

Underlying Factors: Anxiety

Strength: Beginner

Dexterity: Master

Intelligence: Master

Technical: Expert

Will: Adept

Charisma: Advanced

Inventory: Pair of Prescription Glasses (×1)

Special Items: Nothing.

Once my field of view has finally cleared, I adjusted my glasses and saw the front of my car emitting a steam of fumes under the incessant drops of rain. Ignoring the stinging cuts and minor lacerations, my hand weakly navigated around to unstrap myself from the seatbelt and the only thing that guided their blind movements was my sense of touch. It took an effort to unlatch my vulnerable body but I managed to free myself in no time.

I immediately hopped out to the door by my side, the weight of my body carried only by noodle feet that wobbled as my knees dropped to the ground. My once-pristine long-sleeve polo shirt was quick to get soaked by the rain while I staggered to maintain balance with such feeble legs and only the sturdy frame of the car supported me from my efforts.

With the additional support from my hands, I moved to see the front of my car and it was a disastrous sight to see—aside from its damaged front bumper that was crumpled like an empty can, the environment it was situated would make it a challenge to get this vehicle out of this spot.

My mind rushed while I weighed different choices to the dire situation at hand and after a brief moment of contemplation, my mind snapped and I proceeded to go back into the car to find my phone. The attempt proved to be no challenge from my exceptional dexterity despite the darkness that enveloped the area and I managed to find it just sitting just beside the pedals. My gaze lingered at its cracked surface while I instinctively prayed for the best.

To my disappointment, the screen wouldn't turn on no matter how many times I pressed the power button and it deserved the final smash I gave it, feeling it crumple in my hands into pieces. With my fruitless deed done, I hopped out of the damned vehicle once more and moved into the back of the car.

I opened the trunk, revealing an assortment of objects and miscellaneous that held no such value to me. Rummaging through the bulk of pile, my hands pulled out a polyester raincoat that I bought from PrimeMart a few weeks past. I could only nod in satisfaction seeing it folded neatly and untouched.

ITEM ACQUIRED: Raincoat (×1)

SHOW STATS:

GENERAL INFORMATION

Name: Rolf Widmann

Profession: Doctor (Attending Surgeon)

Gender: Male

Mental Health: Distressed

Physical Health: Wounded

Underlying Factors: Anxiety

Strength: Beginner

Dexterity: Master

Intelligence: Master

Technical: Expert

Will: Adept

Charisma: Advanced

Inventory: Raincoat (×1), Pair of Prescription Glasses (×1)

Special Items: Nothing.

Now clad in a protective cover that shielded me from the rain, I give the trusty, but now-useless junk of a car a final look before walking back into the highway.

As I reached the asphalt road, I looked back to see what I had crashed into and the sudden brief lightning provided me a moment of vision—lying on a forming reddish puddle, there was a thin, frail figure of a hairless quadruped twitching on the ground. Wait, are those claws? Nah, stupid imagination.

Even with this distance, the sight game me a hint of pleasant feeling and a sense of satisfaction knowing it deserved it for giving me such an inconvenience. With a huff, I turned my back from it and started wandering along the road with my hands kept through each other's sleeve to keep the warmth. Despite the curiosity that lingered at the back of my mind, there is no way I'm touching a rabid animal that possibly carries bacteroids and diseases of who-knows-what.

As I walked, I fought against the showers of the fleeting weather. Just as I was about to lose my remaining semblance of hope, a sense of solace washed over me upon seeing what it looked to be beacon of hope that glimmered at the distance. I squinted, barely making up the lit 'PhilGas" atop a huge pole towering over the trees that surrounded the area.

I proceeded to hasten my pace and my rather unwelcome presence was greeted by a couple of armored transport vehicles sitting at the nearby parking area, as well as car that looked something similar to a police cruiser but with a heavily modified exterior for a tactical look.

Looking around the place, there seemed to be no single soul in sight and even the pumping stations remained still and untouched. Though there was some strangeness that tried to creep up at the back of my mind, I could only brush it off I rushed to the store. And besides, setting up a business at the far side of a city will guarantee a weak flow of customers no matter how convenient and helpful it is for traveling riders, especially this late at night.

A bell rang as I entered where a pitch of dead silence welcomed me. There was no one around and only the incessant humming from the refrigerators and faint buzz from the AC units accompanied me from my presence. I can't help but raise a brow upon the muted sight as I slowly moved from shelf to shelf.

I strolled around for a bit but with no luck before moving to the counter, where I came across a trail of blood splattered across the white-tiled floor. Kneeling down, my hand reached out and poked the cool reddish palette with my fingers. It's still wet, though some spots have began to harden into a gel-like state—an effect of coagulation resulting from exposure to air. The sight is frightening indeed, though with my years of experience as a surgeon, I am no stranger to things like this.

I stood and was about to leave right there until someone gave my shoulder a firm tap. Startled, my head abruptly turned around and a hand was quick to wrap around my mouth to prevent me from making any further noise.