The figure stepped back, and the tall doors slowly began to open. Anthony gathered his arms behind my and Tommy’s shoulders and thrust us forward to enter as quickly as possible. The figure pushed themselves back as if afraid of our being there.
We didn’t look back and ran forward as the humming turned into thunder and chopping.
The entranceway had tall mountain stone walls as high as the clouds, the hall five feet wide. The echo of the wind and the emptiness seemed to protect the city of Dunshop. I had never entered that way before.
Several hundred feet ahead, I stopped and took a breath with everyone else, breathing heavily, I wasn’t even sweating.
“The air here is strange. It’s as if there is no moisture, but no reason for my body to actually sweat. I should be sweating right now. Dripping in fact, but I can’t,” Tommy said.
Tommy and Anthony still held the scarves to their face as if they were astronauts on the moon.
Anthony asked me, “why aren’t you wearing your scarf?”
I replied, “like you said before, I was fine the first time I was here. What makes you think I won't be this time around?”
Anthony didn't reply because my voice became so sinister when I spoke.
“Let’s get moving. It’s too quiet in here,” Anthony said.
Since the humming stopped, it seemed we weren’t in any rush. Anthony assumed that they would never come in themselves knowing what the honeysuckles could do to a person.
We finally reached the end of the entrance hall of tall, towering stone, and it finally opened up to the yellow skies, with the exciting and breath-defying view of Dunshop. A pair of stairs, old but placed well, led us up, one, two, three, four, out of the grand stone entrance and into the open air.
Fields of the pretty unusual addictive flowers covered the entirety of the circumference of the city.
The clouds were different there and towered high like those of the cumulonimbus.
There was only one star ahead, much like Earth, as if we too had entered a completely different world.
Anthony spoke more muffled than he did when we entered the gateway, “we aren’t going to split up. Tommy is right, there is something different about the air here, it's not just the scent of these flowers that change you, it is the natural chemicals that enter our skin changing our own physical dependence for natural life. Let’s just get into the city, and look around, ask few questions, and find Kolash.”
I pretended to find that place interesting. To find Dunshop to be as intriguing as any other foreign world or alternate reality, meant that I had to believe I had never been there before, which I had.
In Anthony’s mind, Dunshop was a place of chaos, led by the crazy, meant to enrapture you for eternity. For Tommy, Dunshop was a mission, an ideal board game he just wanted to finish and get out of. For Sam, Dunshop never existed.
Although Anthony wanted us to stay together, I took a chance and ventured off into the center of the small everyday village city. I could feel Tommy’s adrenaline and fright when he realized I had disappeared.
I was in search of something other than Kolash. I was looking for Lola. A Dark Walker from Earth I had met a few years ago.
In a moment of waiting around the corner of a wall, I was actually happy to see the people of Dunshop. All bright and glowing, almost all to compassionate for each other.
The people, smiling with their happy ageless faces, the little ones in their small religious robes.
I peered out from around the corner and stood back. I took a deep breath. I walked out into the center circle, hoping that perhaps the stranger in the robe that led me last time from the Pod to the sanctuary would reappear.
He never did.
Everything seemed so memorable, but I couldn’t find my own way to the Dark Walker sanctuary.
I walked quickly, sure enough, to keep away from those who might try to deceive me and make me stay.
I kept in mind what the stranger told me when I first arrived some years ago. He said to me that most people who got stuck here died from a psychosis called from an over emporium of hormones from the honeysuckles. It turns out it is nearly deadly in high amounts, but just enough to make everyone feel like they belong to a specific higher power, the All Mighty Dunshop.
I found myself walking along what seemed like a patterned stone path, and at the end was a small circular stone building I remembered from my first presence in Dunshop.
I put my hand on the cold stone side of the entryway into the sanctuary. It felt so peculiar compared to most building stone in such an exotic environment.
As I entered, bodies lined the floor, in a diamond shape with candles at each point.
I crept in quietly, only to recognize one individual that was alive, Lola.
She sat on the opposite wall to the entryway, and she looked up and spoke. “is it he who I think is there?”
I responded, “Lola?”
She asked, “are you the one that came several years ago? Are you Luis Phillips?”
I replied, “yes, it is me. You were right. Anthony did save me. He came.”
She responded, “well, of course, we know best. The All Mighty Dunshop told us so, of a great hero that might save us all.”
I remarked, “I guess so. I thought the Dark Walkers didn’t believe in that sort of stuff?”
In turn, “before, it was different. We lived in peace, and then you, the one came here. You led The Councilor right to our own sanctuary. All his men murdered my people. Shot them all in the head. They left me here. I stopped believing in God like Earth humans do, and I began to worship the only thing left, the All Mighty Dunshop.”
I was horrified, “I’m so sorry. I wish I never came here. I don’t know why I got out of that stupid Pod when it took me here. It did me no good and did you no good either. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Lola replied, “Luis, there is no time to hold onto the things of the past. I must lay here and die, and you must go on your way. Kolash is waiting for you in his own special place. If you leave the sanctuary, there is a small square building to the left, there you’ll find a stubborn but ready to leave man named Kolash.”
I was doubtful, “are you sure he is there and will leave?”
Lola spat, “do not doubt what I have said. You have done enough here. Just leave and be gone, you have your own kind to save now.”
I shrugged down feeling bad for all that I had caused. I left without saying goodbye. As I exited the sanctuary through the doorway, I thought I felt something strange. A dark presence. A presence I didn’t even know existed.
I turned around sharply, Boom! Boom! Boom! Three shots were fired right into Lola’s chest.
As I looked up, the light-colored hair, the pale complexion, the skinny curves, startled me.
It was Sam.
24
I stood in terror, a feeling of betrayal and broken trust, I had never felt so hurt in my life.
The girl I thought I could be with until the end, the girl I thought liked me, the girl I didn’t know would turn out to be a two-sided, highly trained operative of Unity.
She began to speak, loud and clear as if she were born to be a liar, “You must be thinking right now, “who the hell does she think she is?” Inside, I know. You’re probably crushed, little boy. You thought I liked you. You probably figured by now Luis, that was never going to happen anyway. You just got in the way.”
I began to shake from all the emotion, “I, I didn’t think that this is what would happen. How did you? Why did you?” I stuttered along.
Sam replied nastily, “I, I, I, I what? This was never Earth, you were never home, you cleverly just ended up in my father’s diner, which by the way he works for Unity. Inside you have no idea Luis, I like you so much and then you had to go and screw everything up. First, you get my father arrested, then you try to expose the people, everything isn’t as it seemed. Do you not remember what the agents told you? They told you to forget all about it. Live
your life. You never listened, and you just intentionally put yourself in danger. More and more danger! You’re so young, just like me, we shouldn’t be out here doing things the government should be doing.”
I took a deep breath. I began to back out of the Sanctuary more. She stood firm, and she pushed me back. She wore a black uniform with just as many guns as I had fingers.
Startled, I became. I backed into a figure. It was Anthony.
“Well, well, well. Look at that. So, I’m not to be blamed for all the mistakes we’ve made,” he said looking at me.
I scarfed, “Pft, can we do that later? She has a gun.”
Anthony stood behind me and pulled me out until we were in the courtyard.
The people in religious robes began to circle us as Sam stepped out of the dark structure.
People began to hum, and they began to sing, they started laughing and at all once like in a mental facility, began to touch me and Anthony on the shoulders.
“What is this?” Anthony mumbled to himself feeling uncomfortable by the closeness of the people.
Sam said, “So, you thought you could just solve it all Anthony Larthwalker. My father told me all about you. Espionage, abduction, hell what else is on your profile. You just about did it all, and you thought you could fix it. Tell me Larthwalker, when you woke up after they found Luis and think you were back home in your cozy bed? Or were the fibers oddly distorted from the transference to KS?”
Anthony tensed up and quickly drew a gun out from his back pocket, “Sam. You don’t want to do this. You’re just a girl, what are you even trying to do?”
She replied, “I’m here to stop you from getting Kolash. If his knowledge is brought to light, you will start a new war, a civil war. My father will be killed. The only way I can save him is to kill all of you. Hell, I am just like Tommy. Government steps takes parents even after all they’ve done for the community and service, and then kill them. They hush the knowing children and go on their way and do it over and over and over again. I don’t even know why Tommy stands by you, Luis. You aren’t a good friend, you just support the evil that drew him mad.”
I responded, “I never said I supported the government. Have you not listened this whole time? I reject the government, that is why Anthony is here. He is labeled espionage by the people you support because he was against the government. Frankly, I think Unity has manipulated you into believing they are something they are not. They kill people Sam, this war, this planet wouldn’t have ever have existed had there been more communication of the goals between the government and the people. Sam, please. Don’t do this.”
Anthony held his gun up and reaffirmed his hands on the trigger.
He said stern, “just drop the gun, and we can all get what we want. Just as we intended. We can all be happy!”
She replied, “no one is going to be happy unless I shoot all of you. I can't go back without you being dead. If we leave here, and you aren’t laying here, the government will kill my father.”
Sam began to cry.
Anthony tried to engage, “just let us help you. We can get your father back.”
Frantically she said, “they will kill him the moment I step out of here. They will shoot him, there is no time to waste. There is no time. I can’t but I have to.”
I began, “Samantha, I love you. You are the bravest there is but is this all worth all these lives? How do you know the government won't just kill him anyway? The government lies all the time, that's all they do, and every night they have these blackouts, and they go onto the streets and kill, kill, kill. We saw it. With our own eyes.”
She was breaking down. We could all see it with our eyes. The people grew around us closer and closer, until it seemed like they were chanting some strange tune.
This was it. This was what the stranger told me to avoid, avoid being with the crazed. Those trying to sacrifice themselves and work to sacrifice others in the process.
Tommy came running out from around the corner, and couldn’t be seen until we heard him shout, “hey! Don’t do it Sam!” She quickly turned left and pulled the trigger. A loud pop was heard, and then a thump of Tommy’s body.
I screamed, “no”!
In an instant, she put the gun up to her head and pulled the trigger once more sending her to the ground, right before Anthony pulled the trigger on his rifle hitting her right in the waistline.
I broke down, sobbing I fell into the ground. The sound grew so immense of the chanting, and then all of a sudden it was silent. All that could be heard was my soft sobbing and Tommy’s whimpering.
Anthony stood there in shock, while the religious people around us began to hold back, and as if all had been hit with poison, as they all fell to the ground. Lifeless and dead.
Sam lay on the ground, still and white. I remembered her smile like it had been the sweetest thing I had ever seen, yet the most toxic friendship I’ve ever have.
I ran over to Tommy, and he was okay. He was hit in the shoulder, and said “man, am I okay? Is everyone fine? Why are these bitches on the ground?”
He laughed while holding the scarf over his face.
I replied, “you’ll be fine, we just need to find Kolash.”
I looked over at Anthony who finally came out of his awakening.
He walked over to us.
Anthony asked, “Is everyone okay? I know you’ve been hit, let's wrap that up with the extra scarf I have on my bag. When we get back to the car, we can use my Health Monitor to seal it up.”
Anthony crouched down and pulled out the scarf from his bag.
He looked at me, “not everyone is going to win or get what they want. We just have to live, and we have to deal with whatever comes our way. Why don’t you head on over to search the houses and find Kolash.”
I replied, “my friend Lola, who Sam killed, told me that Kolash is supposed to be in that little building there. I’ll go.”
Anthony shook his head up and down, and I ran over to the place Lola said to go.
I crept inside of the creepy, always dark structure. I thought that Dunshop was a happy place.
Inside, sat an old man, with a wrinkly face barely visible due to the light, a long grey beard and a bald head wearing a loose-fitting shirt that looked like a pink robe.
I asked, shaking, “Kolash? Is that Doctor Kolash?”
There was no reply. I walked up to him and got closer. I tapped him on his shoulder, and to my scare, he grabbed my arm.
“Child! You should not be here. Leave. Leave now and don’t come back. He will come for your child. He will!” he shouted.
I interrupted, “it’s okay, doctor. It’s okay. We are here to save you. There is no danger. Who is he if I may ask?”
Kolash still held on to me strong, “child., the man. Do you not remember?”
Kolash was strong but shaking.
I responded, “no, what man?”
Kolash replied, “the man in all black. The suited man. The man who ends all starts, the man who begins again. The man who brought you to the hotel of death. The man who chased you in dreams. The man who made you think it would all be okay by falling off that cliff. Oh, that horrible cliff. This is all wrong, you must run!”
I responded by shrugging his hand off of me, “I am not going anywhere without you. You do not understand. This is not our world Kolash, do you not remember where you belong? You belong on Earth. Do you not remember that place? This is not home.”
Kolash was slow to reply as if he had a moment where he remembered what Earth was like, “oh, Earth? What a beautiful world. The people there, the elders, they truly did corrupt the youth. They stole them all away. And for what? You see.”
I was eager to get him up, “Kolash. I need you to get up and come with me. We are going to fix this!”
As if it had all snapped together at the moment, Kolash was about to grabbing my arm and telling me to run away and to leave.
Anthony stepped in, “is everything okay?”
I
replied, “he is not cooperating.”
As Kolash uttered upspeak able words, Anthony walked over, and pulled out a small device, quickly taising Kolash in his side until he fell to the ground and couldn’t speak anymore.
“That’ll do, I’ll grab one end, you grab the other.” I said.
I got Tommy up, he followed behind us.
I nodded my head.
I squatted down to lift Kolash’s head, and Anthony stood on the other end grabbing his feet. I noticed how he smelt different than the rest. Instead of honeysuckles, he smelled more of roses.
We quickly retreated from the small dark structure and stood out in the center courtyard where Sam attempted to shoot us.
We sat Kolash down for a moment to gather the bags. Within moments of standing there, we were once again surrounded by people and the Devout.
Tommy squeezed in next to me, “he didn’t think I was going to show up in time. I thought your long-lost lover was about to kill us all there for a minute.”
I laughed and then was struck with reality once more. “Anthony? What are we going to do?”
They all were chanting again as if they were trying to sacrifice us to the All Mighty Dunshop.
Anthony soon replied as if he had spent his time thinking about what to do, “we will, we are going to have to find a solution to this. Should we kill them? Or should we? I don’t know what we are going to be able to do. I just really don’t know.”
The Devout began to surround us even closer, getting louder and louder.
It was as if it had all come together. It would not be Unity that destroyed us but rather the very own people from KS in Dunshop.
The people began to close in on us, wrapping their soft hands all around our bodies, I sat down and covered my head hoping something would happen.
At that time, I completely melted down, I shut off my mind.
It was as if it had all come to an end, and I had died, that is until several seconds later, the air was laden with several hundred loud sounds like a machine gun.
It was so loud that I, in fact, had wholly laid flat on the surface of the ground and lifted it slowly to see Anthony stand up.
The World of Hope Page 17