Chapter 4: Your Actions

Location: Cordova Slums

"No leftovers today" Alan has just finished searching his 10th trash can today. After the new city laws on food waste, you won't find much of it in the usual spots. Alan sigh in disappointment, but he somewhat expected this. His tummy grumbled, demanding to be feed. Should he visit the soup kitchen downtown, or just sleep it out in his alley. Either way, he won't be satisfied with either outcome.

As he returns back to his alley, he notices a weird scent. The smell of ash and sulfur has surrounded his nostrils, yet he hasn't lit his makeshift barrel fire in hours. He scours his surrounding, staying alert for any dangers ahead. Was it Tommy or his gang, scavenging from his supplies? Alan remembers how funny they smell coming back from garbage diving.

As he went deeper in the alley, he notices the figure of a man standing in front of him. As Alan comes closer, the man's features become more evident to him. He wore a black trench coat, with black vest and white button up underneath. He had matching color pants, and black leather moccasins. His long hair was combed back, nothing reaching the front of his face

"Oi" Alan called out "what ar you doin in mah alley?" The man in the alley faced him with an odd look, as if surprised that Alan noticed him. "Ah, I apologize for the intrusion," he answers, "I must have accidentally walked on your humble abode." "Well If ya don't want to get the end ov dis thing, then you better scram!" Alan threatens, now with a knife on his hand. Instead of being scared, the man starts to laugh at his predicament. "Oh you humans, I forgot how funny you all are!" he mocks. Alan steps back as the man approaches. "Is this guy crazy?" he thinks so himself.

"I only wish to ask a few questions from you, he finally says" he says "after this, you will be rewarded handsomely." Alan rethinks the man, proposition. He does look wealthy considering his clothes, and if he's lucky, he can eat something big tonight. "Fine, what'd you want?" Alan relents, although still keeping the knife up. "Good, smart man" the man comments. "I will ask you a total of three questions, and thy hunger would be satiated." Alan's stomach gurgled as if it had ears of its own. "Ok then wise guy," Alan responds impatiently, "what are your questions?"

"My first question for you, the man starts, "is what city is this?" the man in the alley observes Allan's confused. The hobo answers him, "What do you mean where are we, this is Cordova City, the pride of nation of Cordova!" The man's face promptly showed a tinge of annoyance, "Yes, yes, I know that." "For my second question," the man begins again, "how many people do you think live in Cordova City?" Alan felt stumped, unsure on how to answer the question. "Uhmm, I guess around 1 million", he finally replies "maybe half a million more." That man in the alley starts form a malicious grin, unsettling Alan. He hears the man in the alley uttered "delicious" softly "Good, good" he cries, like a dog owner commending his dog, "Now final question".

As he is about to ask his final question, Alan notices the shadow behind the man. He notices something, something wrong. The sun should be behind him right now, yet the shadow is right behind him too. Alan jerks back a bit as sense of fear starts to envelop inside of him. "Why are you troubled human, the man in the alley interjects, his shadow starting to grow. "You are almost at your reward." His voice now shaky, Alan finally asks him, "what is your third question sir?" The man bellows, his shadow now becoming attached to him. Tendrils start to come out of his back. Alan collapses in horror as the man walks closer. Whatever is here with him, it isn't human. "My final question for you, the man starts to ask, "Is where do the children of this world go to?" "They probably go to Cordova Public High-school," Alan replies as he starts to panic.

The man then cackles, spreading his arms to reveal the insides of his coat. In Alan's horror, he sees faces of people, his victims. He sees the faces of Tommy and his gang, trying to reach out, trying to escape. "Please whoever you are, let me go" Alan begs on the ground "You promised to let me go and reward me with food." "Oh my boy" the figure, bow directly in front of him "your reward isn't to satiate your hunger, Its to satiate mine." As Alan then scream in terror, as black tendrils grab his limbs. The tendrils then pull him towards the man, as the darkness under his coat devours him whole. "What a hearty meal" Obscurion acclaims, now alone in the alley. "This world has such a wonderful selection of food." "Now, to find the holder", he continues as his tentacles morphs back into his shadow, "so I can be free to feed on this wonderful, fresh world!"

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"Jocelyn!" I call out from the hallway. I catch up to her as I enter the classroom. "Oh hello Arthur," she greets me, "I didn't see you this morning. "Wait, what do you mean?" I ask inquisitively "I just the same as ever." Jocelyn looks at me strangely, as if she was watching chemicals react in science class. "I don't know how to put it, but you just look brighter." My face starts to become red as I blush with embarrassment. "Well, I guess I am in a good mood today," I finally reply to her.

As we enter the classroom, I remember her interaction with her dad yesterday. His cold entrance and introduction in the school was somewhat hard to forget, even when your having fun flying as fast as airplanes. "Was dad your dad yesterday? I asked her curiously. "Yes, that was my father." she replied, her voice suddenly becoming monotone. I guess she's not comfortable talking about him, so I drop the subject. "Well looks like Mr. Dela Rosa is here" I notice as I take my seat, "might as well cut this conversation for now."

"Hello class, today I would like to do something different" Mr. Dela Rosa starts. Our Science teacher this year, normally we would be in the science lab mixing chemical, but looks like he decided to stick to our classroom. "I believe that we have been doing too much chemical reactions that it has started to affect your minds" his nasal voice fills the room "so today we will work on your theorization and hypothesizing objects." I start to put my head down on my table, ready to sleep, as he recites today's activity. "Yesterday, a blue light flew over Cordova City." I raised my head so fast that my brain could have hit the roof of my skull. "Sounds interesting, Arthur?" he looks at me, knowing he has my attention. "As our lesson for today, we will be studying this phenomenon, and theorize what it could be." he continues as I'm filled with apprehension. "People saw me yesterday?" I thought to myself "I made sure to leave without a trace." My head racks as I think on how I was discovered" Did someone in the airplane see me? Was it someone in the city? "Mr. Dela Rosa continues "some people I know who work in the ATC tower in the Cordova airport detected this thing on their local radar." "It appears to be something physical, that can travel in Earth's atmosphere" he persists, "It isn't some kind of comet like what the Science and Research Division has told us!"

In the corner of my eye, I see Jocelyn raise her hand. "There are no official announcements on what this phenomenon is Mr. Dela Rosa" Jocelyn argues, "These are merely just theories." "But that's the thing" he replies eccentrically "as scientist, we must continuously hypothesize and theorize in order to come closer to the truth!" As the teacher and Jocelyn continue to argue, I continue to dread my situation. Remembering what the mysterious man said, I contemplate on the possibilities. If people saw me in the sky, then they know something is out there, and they would stop at nothing to find what I am, especially people like Mr. Dela Rosa. As I am about to retreat to my thoughts, I suddenly hear the mysterious man again. His voice, as loud as a siren, brings me one clear message. "He has found you" he warns me, just before the classroom windows explode.