Another day, another disappointment. Lee has lost his ability to have fun and to feel joy. He always feels out of place. Growing up in an ever-evolving extroverted landscape filled with men and women who were always looking to overshare is a true drag after all. New York has always been a melting pot, and now the immigrants are rushing in at an alarming rate (according to his father, at least).

Lee didn't really care about all that. The only thing that matters to him is gaming. While playing and interacting with folks across the globe, Lee feels right at home. The routine doesn't change, but at least he feels alive. And that alone helps him sleep at night when bad dreams lie in wait for him.

Even though he felt drowsy, Lee cannot ignore the hellish need to play at the crack of dawn. The Halloween event is still ongoing, and many prizes are coming his way. Across the hallway beyond his bedroom door, a shrill voice startles him.

Maa: Do not mess around young man! This is not the right time to start playing. You must rest a little while longer, as you will need your energy.

Lee's mother is a short, stout but gentle soul. He has no idea what she sees in his father, a brash alcoholic maniac who spends most of his meagre earnings on gambling and loses almost always. Once he comes home every night, it always gets worse for the mother and the boy. Lee wonders if he'll ever be able to bring about a better life for the sake of his loved one.

Lee: Alright Maa! Hold your horses. I won't be long now, just a few minutes and then I will get ready for school anyway.

Maa: Alright young man. Don't stay glued to that device forever. This habit of yours is so messed up…

30 minutes pass. Lee leaves his home in his untidy uniform. A child raised in poverty, he is accustomed to seeing addicts acting like zombies all out in the open. The politicians never cared, except when they had to dress up during the Galas and shake their arses next to celebrities, after adorning a snow-white white gown that says, "Tax The Rich".

As he passes by Astoria, the Palestinian man greets him with a smile on his face. He thrusts a couple of falafels into his hand.

Lee: I have no money to pay you, sir. You know my circumstances.

The man smiles and waves at him before he goes back into the kitchen. Lee loves falafels; the freshness of the food puts him in a good mood. He keeps walking towards the metro.

The homeless have grown in number throughout the years. They have nothing, and the government takes no action to prevent the decay of the greatest country in the world! Inside the station, the odour of garbage remains just as strong as it was yesterday. The madness and mayhem have reached a fever pitch. You would think that it couldn't possibly get any worse right?

As he boards the ramshackle train, Lee checks his surroundings. His prying eye reveals no threats in sight. At least that's the conclusion he arrives at as he takes a seat inside the compartment. A woman is lying next to him, passed out with drool oozing out of her mouth. Lee wishes he had something he could cover her up with, as she shivers in the winter cold.

Suddenly, a few gunshots alert him. But it is already too late. Lee looks down to see a crimson mark on his unkempt shirt. A stinging feeling grips in his abdomen as he falls, slipping into an ocean of darkness.

I am dead, aren't I? he thinks assuming it to be his final thought. He flings open his eyes and sees blackness like never before. A blackness that makes his previous hospital trip after a heavy beating seem like a trip to Candyland.

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A path opens up, lit with grey spectral lights. A door lies in front of him, ornate and ancient. Dread fills Lee's heart to the brim, but he does not hesitate.

"What's the worst that could happen? I'm gone either way. I'll miss you Maa."

He begins walking. As he approaches the door, a being peeks out. A humanoid butler with the head of a housefly and the tail of a desert scorpion bows to him.

"I am Drog. Master is expecting you, Mr. Lee. Do follow me"

Lee: How come you speak with an English accent? What sort of Hell is this?

Drog chuckles. "Once you meet my Master, Mr. Lee, everything will fall into place. Have patience"

They descend down a spiral staircase littered with cobwebs. Phantom dancing spiders squeak loudly as they come terrifyingly close to Lee's face,

"Drog, drog, who is the new one?

Is Master feeling full, or will the boy have to run?

Drog: Flee, little devils. The Great Old One will not be pleased if you humiliate his guest. You know the repercussions if you take hasty actions.

The squeaks turn into tiny screams as the spiders dart out of sight.

Drog: You are not afraid of spiders, Mr. Lee?

Lee: No. They're ok, just mildly annoying.

Drog: You are very strange indeed. Otherwise Master would not be interested in you.

As they reach the bottom, the boy faces another door. There is a message scribed at the top in a language unknown to him.

Drog: I cannot pass beyond this point. Orders of my Master you see. Whatever happens, I must ask you one thing. Speak the truth, Mr. Lee, for the Great Old One does not tolerate lies and deceit.

Lee entered the room.

A figure lay seated on the throne. His head resembles a giant octopus, and he is dressed in a Victorian coat. That is not all.

Great Old One: Do not be fearful young one. Approach without caution. You have no reason to fear.

Lee could not help but take one step back. Human heads encircle the strange figure; their mouths are wide open but no sound comes out. Lee can feel them screaming, crying desperately for help, but there is no noise.

Great Old One: Ah these, these are those who came before you. They are part of my jewellery collection now. I wish to build a crown with them one day. But right now I am bored. Tell me, Lee, do you wish to go back to the surface? Back to the world you hail from? I could do that for you. I can send you right back into your mother's loving arms. She has already reached the station and is now holding you close to her bosom. She seems to be bawling helplessly…

Lee: No. I do not wish to go back. But I do not wish to become another hapless ornament for you either. What are you?

"I am Cthulhu. Son of Nug. Grandson of Yog-Sothoth. I am the Lord of Nightmares. I am always in your head Lee, and you cannot escape me even in Death. Since you say that going back is not an option for you, may I ask why? Your mother seems to love you. I know you feel the same way about her."

Lee: There is nothing left in that world. Nothing that pleases me anymore. It keeps getting worse with every passing day; degeneracy reigns supreme as the human scum never ceases to hurt one another. I am tired, sir; is there no way I could rest forever without being tortured?

Cthulhu: Rest? Rest is for the wicked. You are wise, Lee. Let me put forth a proposition. I will lend you my power. Will you accompany me to a new world, with new horizons? There are so many out there Lee, maybe you will like this one. Think about it, take your time there is no rush. I have aeons left at hand.

The boy hesitates. He knows what he wants, but he is unsure. Shall he speak his mind and answer the sinister being who reeks of doom? He is reminded of what Drog had whispered to him outside the throne room, and readies himself.

Lee: I accept your terms and conditions sir. I would just want to be born in a less wretched environment, if possible.

The Great Old One smiles. His eyes twinkle; he stands and opens his mouth. A vortex appears and pulls Lee towards it. The boy does not resist.

"I hope that Maa finds peace and leaves that maniac. She deserves better than that rotten excuse of a husband."

"Don't worry about that boy. I will ensure that your father is troubled for the rest of his days. The Great Old One does not break his promise. I thank you for being honest, Lee."

The black hole drags him in as the darkness swallows him whole again.

A red sky with white streaks is what he sees next, as his eyes adjust to the new environment. The sun has a reddish-yellow tinge to it, with a smaller moon adjacent to it. Lee draws in a deep breath.

How long has it been since he had cried? The misadventures in the previous world had turned his heart into a barren desert. A tear streams down his face. Maybe this chance will be worth his while. His back feels different somehow, and to his shock 2 scaly wings seem to be brand-new additions on the back of his torso.

“Hello kid. Did you really think you got rid of me? Remember this now boy, you belong to Me. Dead or Alive. Shall we begin?”