Abocu
"Don't think you could ever rid of me"
The words echoed through my head as I walked the distance to my apartment. It was near the crack of dawn when I decided to leave the shady place I worked at. Taking a drag, I watched the work of the humans which evolved during the past thousand years.
It was an era of technology passing the times when one used a quill and a parchment. The streets were different, made up of pure granite where the lanes were fixed for vehicles. But as the technology advanced so did the rift between the rich and the poor.
I put out the cigarette on the wall and walked under the shadows. There were lots of gang members running the streets of the town, Esvani, the lower side. The upside was dominated by rich moguls living a lavish life in their high skyscrapers topped with a chain of branded shops a person had to sell one of their kidneys to buy the luxury goods. It was followed by a chain of smaller shops and libraries.
My eyes strayed towards the park near such establishment. It was cold with only a single cloth covering my upper body. I climbed the gate and sat on the swing, watching the golden sun slowly rise from the horizon.
I touched the collar on my neck, the silver amulet shining under the morning light.
"Strays don't obey too well. Will keep you on check"
Fucking demons!!!
The timing was impeccable or my anger must've gotten to my head, for I started hearing the tune of a music box from somewhere. I could hear the beating of my heart when I paused my breath to listen clearly. It was indeed a music of some kind. I used my senses to get a read of the surrounding area, nothing.
I summoned my courage to go where the music was and that was inside the tent, hoisted for some stupid clownery about to commence from tonight. Half the construction was left undone for today, while the other half was barricaded with more clothe.
By this time, the music was not but my curiosity got the best of me. I parted the curtains and closed my eyes shut as soon as the light burnt bright, it was like looking directly into the sun. And when I opened my eyes, I was in a garden filled with pink roses.
Fuck.
I definitely did not jump from one problem to another. The collar still sat on my neck.
"May I know who you might be, dear stranger?"
A child I mused. It was like someone was playing a tape of a child saying it with the way there were static disturbances at the end of the speech.
In front of me lay two ways, one way led to the beautiful pink house where a doll sat, watching me while the other led towards the darkened house, with dark clouds hovering over the mansion.
They might not know who I was, but I had a hunch about them.
"Isn't that the work of a magician as you to know?"
Hopefully I haven't angered the person behind the spectacle. After a slow moment of silence, the voice spoke again.
"Very well. Would you follow me?"
I remained unmoving. It seemed like they were losing patience with me. The ways collided and became one. The mansions collided and became a stadium. The curtains dropped and I stood on wooden boards like that of a stage. From the other side, I could hear the cheering of the crowd resounding the entire stadium.
But once the divide was lifted, only a doll sat on the rows of empty seat.
"Who's your owner?"
I asked and from the door a girl wearing a high school dress with long black hair emerged. She grabbed the doll and sat in its place. She was among the Eight Snake, I reckoned. They were a group of high-profile criminal family that mostly dealt with killing creatures of different kind. God knew what horrid deeds they had done and God knew how I let it all happen.
In that, maybe I wasn't really an upstanding citizen.
"Where are your parents, Mika?"
She said nothing. Just stared at me like that distorted ugly doll of hers. The corners of her lips lifted up and the doll spoke in place of hers. The doll was her mouth while hers were sewed shut. Rarely did the deities bless the humans with special soul energy, gambling on whether they would use it for good or for the worse. Mika was one of them.
"Away. Far away, but they'll be here soon"
That's what I was afraid of. I sighed.
"Will you get me out? Your parents wouldn't like it that you have me here"
Let's just say I didn't have the best track record with them.
She tilted her head while the doll laughed like a maniac.
"Play with me"
She insisted. I checked the time and it was frozen. I tapped on it for it to work but failed. I closed my eyes shut. Of course.
"Lupia"
The boy was good at making multi-dimensional universe for an extended period of time. He was the twin brother of Mika. The Gods really poured their gifts into the house of the Eight Snake for their great grandfather's sake. He helped stood by the side of good when evil ran rampant on the Earth.
I looked up and there he was, sitting on the ventilator.
"Play with him. Get me out of here, Mika"
"My darlings"
The illusion shattered as the threatening voice of a woman sliced through the air. Amroma Galvika, their mother I reckoned.
"I see, you've caught a bunny"