It was just another average day in this city: dark, gloomy, and seemingly lifeless.
Countless, heavy drops of rain from the dim, dark, light-gray, cloudy sky relentlessly fall onto the concrete jungle beneath it. It splatters against whatever surface it lands upon and any unfortunate person getting caught by one or more, staining them in a damp, darker color. Seriously, it rains nearly every day, and thus it is no wonder it gets the more romantic people somewhat melancholic, which eventually leads to depression if left unchecked, and even worse…
'Me.'
Well, it's another perfect time for drinking, ain't it?
…is what the drinker had thought, but unfortunately the large, neon glowing CLOSED sign on the bar's door said otherwise. They-no, she… he? No, it was she…right? The drinker stood there in a daze, staring at the buzzing purple-pink-green neon glow as though it'll just magically change to OPEN.
Unfortunately, no matter what she thought in a daze, nothing will change even if she stood there for an eternity. As reality set in, and the cold rain continued splattering on just basically everywhere around them, she suddenly bit her lips and suppressed the abrupt feeling of unexplained anger that rose in her chest. It was a barely controllable hot thing, full of nonsensical madness and bloodlust that plagues just about nearly every pubescent child and teenager- or even adults- with anger issues.
'Shit, just when I-no, when we needed another drink,' "they" thought. The slight, pounding headache reared its ugly head, totally agreeing with her thoughts that were wholly justified in wishing to get drinking till dropping dead under the table.
The thought of buying a cold one at the closest convenience store made far too many thoughts in her body nearly push her over the edge…but no. The merciless drops of rain that brought a spine-chilling code made her sober, and thus forced him-sorry, no- her to focus.
Today was maybe the day she'll get it done. Just like she always tells herself every single day.
Maybe today. If not today, maybe tomorrow, and if not that…maybe the day after. It continues like a broken stereo, far into the distant future, forevermore…or until she just bites it.
Slowly turning away from the door, she began making "their" way down the street, walking somewhat sluggishly, with one foot nearly over the other, stumbling here and there.
Every once in a while, cars continue to pass by, their wheels continuously splashing across puddles of water, flinging it towards the sides of the road. The few civilians who were outside at this hour were unusually quiet, as they had to be outside on this unfortunate day, wearing rain coats and holding umbrellas over them. There were some who had neither, running here and there with something to cover their heads- or maybe nothing at all, the poor bastards- as they made their way towards their destination. Those closer to the road had to duck, dodge, or just be as far away as possible from the splashes of water made by cars lest they get wet, thus making their day even worse, making the unfortunate curse quietly under their breath.
These all happened as the drinker stumbled forward, swaying as the concrete clicked somewhat harshly beneath her feet followed by the occasional, sporadic splashing of rain water.
Walking on the sidewalk, waiting for the stoplight to turn red with a group of people, crossing the street… she simply walked and stumbled. None seemed to notice her, and the entire world around her was seemingly unable to even touch her save for the wind and rain.
For under half an hour, this continued on, until suddenly, "she" halted and turned to an alleyway.
What appeared before her sight was just the average alley in an urbanised city: trash cans against the wall, with litter and cardboard boxes lying on the ground here and there. Above on the walls were pipes, wires, graffiti written artistically, and even posters that were beginning to slowly peel off if they hadn't already. There were even some "unidentifiable" pieces of "trash" on the ground, and being soaked in rain and puddles made it all outright worse for the sane who wishes to enter, if not already warned by the sound of clinking and rustling noise made by the scuttering bugs and rats hidden amongst the piles of trash.
The thought, stench, and sight of it all wafted towards her menacingly, but she didn't so much as flinch nor wrinkled her nose and instead stepped into the battle.
Just as she made it in a couple of steps, she tripped. Just like that, she fell face-first into the puddle of water, splashing everywhere around her. For many seconds, she just laid there, as though she was part of this terrible world she was in- a puppet made to dance at a theater by the strings of fate.
Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to…just a couple more minutes.
Like a machine slowly restarting, she lifted her face from the centimeter high puddle. Facing forward with a blank face, she placed two hands beneath her, and without a grunt, pushed herself up with spattering drops of dirty water falling from the entire front of her body.
Just like that, she simply stood up and just stumbled onwards, ignoring the stains of dirty water adding upon the rain water already annoyingly clinging onto her.
The drinker walked further and further, walking past a door here and there, walking past a couple more graffiti, dumpsters, trash cans, and past everything else. She even walked past the light that began to fade from above her, and the depressing gray sky above slowly disappeared, leading way to the darkness surrounding her in a cold embrace. The sound of rain seemed to disappear, the familiar pitter-patter already a long, but distant dream. Now, only the remnants of smell and drops of rain falling from her seemed to keep her company.
For the few silent minutes with nothing but the sound of consistent, slow footsteps, it continued this way, with total darkness and seemingly nothing surrounding her.
As the drinker continued walking in the darkness, gradually, a faint, strange light appeared around her. It was a faint green at first, and as they continued stumbling forward, suddenly as though abruptly opening his eyes from his slumber, she was no longer in that dark "tunnel."
Now, she was in a dark room. Totally different. The smell, the atmosphere, the very faint lighting- it's all different.
The faint green light she had seen filtered through from the distant windows. During this brief moment time she hadn't stopped walking once, and just a few seconds in her right foot bumped into something.
Giving her pause, she peered in the darkness a couple inches in front of her. After staring for a bit, she blinked and clapped her hands.
"Oh, it's Number 421. I forgot I left her there…"
Murmuring and shaking her head, the drinker continued stumbling forward, leaving "Number 421" behind.
Walking deeper and deeper into the room, vague, strange humanoid shapes in the darkness were beginning to be discerned. Some dangled from the dark ceiling tied chaotically by messy strings, some with broken parts lying across the ground, and some just simply tied up.
It was like a theater or a stage set for a horror movie or play.
After a couple seconds in, the drinker abruptly stopped. Instead of groaning, or anything nonsensical that'll give her pause, she simply reached out her hand in the darkness and grasped a string with many bulbs- a pull cord. With just a light thug…there came light.
The entire room was somewhat revealed in all its glory: a large rectangular room. Not only was it a room, it was a room with things. Not only was it a room with things, there were people. Well, not people people, but lookalikes. Hanging around with lines here and there around where the limbs connected to the body and joints, they were clearly dolls. At face value one could say this was a very big workshop- well more like a warehouse, but who cares- and thus not out of place. Perhaps it was somewhat eerie if only they didn't look exactly like the drinker in terms of shape, size, and appearance.
Leaving the dangling pull cord behind that extended far down from the ceiling that was at least three stories high, she approached a table. At the center of the warehouse was a doll- no, a "puppet," just like every other, laid down on a flat, 6ft long, 4ft wide metal table. A perfect table to do certain experiments on with the least effort, with occurring back pain at an all time low.
However, just like the other tangled puppets, this puppet was tied especially well.
Not only that, this puppet was trembling, like a rabbit caught in a net trap or something.
"Today, Number 420, it's finally your turn," the drinker said in a faux cheery tone as she sat plopped down on a wooden stool. Scooting in, she began humming a small tune, grabbing the tools she had left during the previous 'experiment.' "Aren't you so, so glad? We're getting close to half now, and perhaps this time, I can finally find a more efficient way for you and everyone else to truly… hmm? Goodness me, are you actually so excited?"
The drinker eyed the puppet, and it struggled even more frantically in the binds.
"We truly are connected, aren't we?" the drinker murmured. "Just like I thought, you, Number 421, and every single one before and after you did the same thing…"
As her voice trailed off, she fell still. Her head had fallen, her chin resting on her chest, and her arms dropped to the side. Like a toy abruptly running out of electricity. A complete shutdown.
Or as some may say…like a normal puppet. A human petite-sized puppet.
Just as suddenly as she fell still, however, her head abruptly raised, and even though her eyes were covered, a madness seemed to envelop around her. The air shifted around her, gravity turned upside down, and the entire area around her vibrated with a power none could clearly explain save for those who truly know.
"It's such a shame," she began to say with a small chuckle. Why did all of you who were granted such an opportunity throw it all away out of selfishness, bitterness, pettiness, and hate?"
The drinker paused with her head tilted. For a few seconds the question was raised, and instead of an expected answer, none came save for the doll that was trembling…along with the many other dolls.
After waiting for a moment, her head banged lightly against the table.
"Why did I even bother asking?" she groaned, raising her head, only to then pause. "You all… no, that's not right. Hehehe…no. No no no…it's not you all, but rather 'us.' Us. Us. Us! US! We ALL could've been so, so, so much more!!!"
Her voice had been steady at first, with a few trembling moments here and there. Gradually, she began to be more frantic- more loud than anything, with her hands waving and gesturing. As her shoulders trembled- no not only her shoulders, but her entire body vibrating in place- her words echoed in the vast warehouse, spreading to all four corners, begging to be heard. To be responded and answered to.
"We had such an incredible opportunity unlike any other! While they were alone, suffering and hating against the world, we were born connected! In the midst of our despair, we found ourselves born anew! Hand in hand, we were all connected in body and mind. WE HAD EACH OTHER!"
She paused again, and then chuckled. It was a small chuckle at first, but as the seconds went by, it grew louder and louder, so loud until it was a full-on belly laugh. Bending over and holding her stomach with both hands, her laughter echoed in the large warehouse.
Then, as the laughter slowly died down, the drinker wiped a tear from her eye.
"Ahh…yet…and yet…each and every single one of you is selfish. Not only did you all simply throw away the opportunity, you instead used it to hurt others just because you all felt hateful towards the world. Ohhhh… how laughable- how funny indeed! Instead of working together to become better, encouraging and bouncing off each other, you all collectively just wanted to spread the pain you felt towards the entire world! It's one thing to get revenge against those who had harmed you, but others? Heh. The innocents? You all chose the easier way out and hurt innocents who had nothing to do with you instead!"
The drinker then chuckled again with a hand over her mouth.
"Oh man this is so funny…so funny it's outright stupid! Nincompoops! Buffoons!! Stupid, stupid, stupid stupid stupid stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidSTUPID IDIOTS!!!!"
At the end, she roared and stood up with a start. Her stool behind her scraped a little across the marble floor before falling backwards, landing with a loud and harsh thud before rolling to the side once, as though trying to get away from her madness once again.
"Well, it stands to reason why you all were chosen as Herrschers. Heh, idiots who can't possibly think straight, bound by madness and barbaric, childlike thoughts of vengeance and destruction and…and-!"
All of a sudden, just like the other times, the drinker fell silent in an abrupt manner. She had no need to take in deep breaths with her physique due to the rant, but she did so anyway.
"God dammit this is pissing me off…" she muttered, running a hand through her hair and sighing. "Phew…damn it. Shit. Damn it. Shit. Damn it…damn it damn it damnit damnit damnit damnitdamnitdamnitdamnitdamnitdamnitDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNITDAMNIT-!!!!!!!!"
Then…there was only red. Her arms twisted and waving, throwing all the neatly piled tools in varying directions, scattering along the floor. The stool she had sat upon, laying on the ground a bit further away, was ruthlessly kicked as well. None was spared from her fury as she found everything she could find to punch, kick, tear apart…anything.
Just anything to vent at this point.
It felt like hours before finally, after a seeming long, long time, the drinker slowed to a stop. After a moment to breathe (she really didn't need to just as a reminder) she chuckled. This time, it was rather carefree.
"Heh… phew. I lost it again eh?" she simply said and just shrugged. "I guess I still haven't gotten over it, even after all this time. Still…ugh…this fucking sucks… "
Muttering a few curses under her breath, she looked up, only to find herself amidst the chaotic mess she created.
"Shit."