Chronicles of Myth Volume One: Twisted Daydreams

Scene Seven

I walked into the living room after washing up and saw a sticky note on the coffee table, “Consider it as a homecoming gift, you know what I mean” XD. I saw the masks mounted above the fireplace; ten masks colored to represent the soul of the wearer. Next to the note I saw grocery list all crossed off with a long receipt stapled to it, I looked to the kitchen and saw the morning light enter the window for the first time in weeks; “Life is going to get a hell of a lot more interesting now”. I entered the kitchen and opened the first fridge I saw, “Damn it’s empty; have I seriously been surviving of whiskey for the last three months”, I closed the door and opened it again, I looked in every corner of the fridge; to find fresh bottles and pitchers of juice, soda, water and alcohol; I thought back three months ago, “Fuck, of all the times I decided to go on a diet”. I closed the first fridge and turned to look at the other four besides it; “Okay… never mind, I guess I didn’t go on a diet after all”. I opened the second fridge and saw it packed to the brim with fruits, veggies, and nuts; I closed the second door, “Door number three do you have what I’m looking for”? I opened the third fridge and found it was packed with eggs and dairy, I shut the third door, “Exactly when did I get all this; I didn’t at eat home since last month”. I opened the fourth fridge and saw it packed full of meat, I closed the door and gagged a little being reminded of Lexes torn apart mug; I opened the last fridge and found it full of desert, anything remotely sweet or comforting was found in here, it was glorious. I closed the last fridge door and went into the bakery to check my supply of bread, grains and root vegetables, lo and behold it was packed full just like everything else; I went back to the coffee table and checked the receipt, Ashton Q. Total bill: 5,985.82$. Date: 11-8-14, 12:41 AM; “Sounds like something I do, okay so I took care of the month’s groceries while sleepwalking, yeah sounds about right”. “Eh… Forget it, this is chump change, won’t even make a dent in my bank account”.  I grabbed my apron and started grabbing the ingredients by habit, albeit I’m a little rusty; I threw everything together into a bowl and mixed it with a whisk, pouring it into a blender I pulsed the batter; I turned on the grill and my brain shut off, I went on autopilot and started cooking like a madman: pour, wait, turn and wait. Twenty or so pancakes later I ran out of batter and plated them on a circular platter, I put it in the oven and started chopping fruit; “Ok breakfast is done”. I poured half and half milk into the mixer and stirred it gently, happy with the fluffy textured whipped cream I quickly set the table and poured out four cups of juice, I sat down and took a look at the wall clock; “Thirty seven minutes; that’s a new record”. Sleepy eyed my new friends washed up in the bathrooms and staggered to the table being guided by their noses, the fruit mixture had a growing cloying sweetness as it mingled with the maple syrup, the orange bourbon maple syrup snapped us to our senses and put us on edge we washed it down with vodka infused orange juice; I ran to the water dispenser and poured out four cups of purified water, running back to the table I swigged it down after putting a spoonful of whipped cream into my mouth; I noticed something different about Nikolai and Astoria, I rubbed my eyes and put the plates away in a blur; putting the morning mess into the dishwasher I set it to run and poured out black coffee for everyone, back to the world of the living we sat, woke up and got to know each other; I looked carefully at Astoria, she was still dressed the white lace dress from the night before, she looked into my eyes and looked into hers, her crystal blue eyes gleamed in the sun light, she was a princess no doubt about it, she a child pure and innocent; her heart was clean despite of everything she had seen so far, I saw a smile appear on her lips as added creamer and sugar into her coffee; I turned my head to Nikolai and saw that he transformed back into a normal man, he wore an orange t-shirt and tan board shorts, he looked at me sleepy eyed; but that was just a deception to hide a beast deep within him; he downed his coffee and looked at me with intense orange eyes,

“I’m a demon, so are you; we’ll get along just fine, hehe”. I heard his thoughts as a sinister whisper, as he read my expression I knew we’re both on the same page. “All right now what do we do”? Elaine asked us, for a moment we all stared at each other with blank expressions; “I’m game for anything”, Nikolai spoke up; “Astoria how about you”? We stared at her and she sat in her chair shaking uncontrollably, “Ashton what did you put in the coffee”. I smelled my cup and didn’t smell anything other than the brew; I looked at the sugar jar and opened it; no that’s not it, I cursed under my breath, “Astoria how many scoops of sugar did you put in your cup”. She lifted up three fingers and dropped the tablespoon clenched in her other hand, it hit the floor with a hard clang; Astoria fell over and started to suffocate, she convulsed on the ground and went into a seizure, I ran over to the medicine cabinet in my bathroom and got out a syringe of adrenaline; I ran back and kneeled next to her I shot the syringe into her heart, looking into her eyes; her pupils dilated and she no longer panicked; with her breathing starting to clear, “Where is your inhaler”; she tapped her right pocket, I reached inside and pulled it out, placing in her mouth; Astoria took a deep breath and the tension in the room sizzled out, I placed a napkin on her mouth and she coughed out some bloody mucus, with two more puffs of the inhaler she breathed normally “There crisis adverted”; I smiled at her and placed her on the couch, “You okay kiddo”? I asked, “Yeah thanks, you just saved my life”.  I messed her hair, I went into the kitchen threw away the napkin and brought back cup of water, she took a sip and her facial muscles relaxed; “Ashton, how did you know”? Elaine asked staring at me in disbelief, Nikolai calmly drank his coffee examined the scene that just played out; in a blur she me pinned to the wall, my back hit the wall with a light thud, holding my neck with her left arm she pressed harder; she pressed her right fist into my chest, I exhaled and stared at Elaine’s temple, I focused my sight and knocked her to the ground with a break in her forehead. “Don’t piss me off, I just did what I had to, and tell me would you do the same if you had to”? I said coldly, “What does that have do with anything”, she said swinging her fist at my head; I stepped back and caught her left straight, bending her wrist I stabbed the seven pressure points in her arm with my free hand, dislocated her elbow and shoulder I kicked her gut and she staggered back into an easy chair; Elaine straightened out her arm and popped the bone back into place, adjusting her shoulder, I saw her crack her knuckles; she leapt out of the chair and tackled me to the ground, I was grabbed by the collar and punched in the face with the back of my head hitting the hardwood; I lost it, I knife jabbed Elaine between seven and ninth ribs, brushing aside the next punch, I thrust my palms into her chest and pushed her off me. Elaine scrambled up we faced each other poised to kill the other from opposite sides of the living room, “That’s enough”! Nikolai stepped between us and blocked our fists with his arms, he flinched and his golem armor cracked from the impact of our fists, he reverted back to being a normal human and sat us down on the tan main couch. “I’m a medical ninja okay, that’s how I knew”; I said with tears in my eyes; I looked at Elaine, her face flushed with embarrassment; “I’m sorry”, she embraced me; “I didn’t mean to” She stammered, my anger settled down and I wrapped my arms around Elaine; I wiped off the blood on her forehead and smiled, “I’m okay now, how about you”? “I’ll be fine”, she said regaining her composure; trust that’s what we’re missing. I looked at Nikolai and he smiled, there was no joy in that expression; only a warning and the intention to kill anyone who stands in his way including us. Our minds connected, “Tell me now, how much more are you willing to lose; hold on to everything you hold precious because if you don’t it’ll slip right through your fingers and hit the ground turning to dust. I’m not your enemy, but there is a threat coming and I’ll see to it that it dies no matter the cost, get in my way and you’re going to join that man in hell where he belongs”. “Ashton, I’ll follow you into battle; so will Elaine and Astoria, but if you give any us a reason to doubt your integrity, your worth as a human being, I will end you then and there without the slightest mercy”. A PSA flashed on the TV, an execution was being staged in eight hours; on the stage I saw someone very close to my heart, my brother Ragnarok beside him was Lex the leader of the military police presence in the city; Lex spewed his propaganda to a blood thirsty crowd of extremists, rousing their bloodlust they looked at Ragnarok chanting for his death, Nikolai gazed at Lex with murderous intent, we had our first mission; this day we’re to become the start of a revolution one way or another. In the middle of the night I’ve seen every foreseeable outcome of this op, it wasn’t a pretty sight to say the least. I looked at the masks on the mount above the fireplace, everyone’s gaze followed; they saw their masks and looked at me awaiting their orders, “All in”? I asked placing my hand out in front of me, Nikolai placed his hand in first; Elaine followed and Astoria put hand in last, we stared intently at the screen, all of us hated that man on the screen for a reason, today we’ll bring his crimes to the light. “For the underdogs and the people who are sick of his shit”, Elaine said raising her fist; “To stop this madness and bloodshed”. Astoria said confidently, “I can’t let that man run amok anymore; that’s my brother he’s going to kill, I lost too many loved ones already I’m not letting him take the only family I have left”. I said, sheathing my swords, “Today that man will answer to sins; I hope to turn him to our side, if not I will end him personally”. Nikolai said, “So Ashton’s what the plan”. They looked at me expectantly, but I was at a loss; there was much more at stake than saving my brother, today; was our chance to build the spirit for an army of our own, we could start a resistance. You gave me these swords as a symbol of our bond, today I can pay back that debt by saving you.

I heard heavy footsteps echo through the steel hallways, my cell door opened with a beep; “Wake up, you piece of shit”. A guard splashed water on my face, “Yes sergeant fucktard what do you want to know”? I asked sarcastically, “Why you little”; the guard swung his baton at me, I scooted the chair backward and slipped through the steel cables, I dodged the next swing and punched him in the stomach, he crumpled to the ground with his innards bleeding out; I stomped his head into a horizontal smear, wiping the brains on my boot over the stainless steel floors, I stretched out my limbs and walked out of the cell, into the hallway; the atmosphere here was chilling at best; my footsteps echoed off the metal as I walked out the isolation block. I found my weapons lying in the open on the security desk, stepping into the main cell block; was greeted by five squadrons of SWAT officers armed with Assault rifles, I pulled on the safety latch that opened the doors; the blast doors slid open and disfigured experiments walked out into the open, staring blankly at the guards they came to realization they were one responsible for making their lives a living hell. The creatures ripped through their captors and ate them alive; they looked at me as the final obstacle between them and freedom, they were right in a sense; but I wouldn’t give them the freedom of walking amongst their brethren in the city once more, rather I’ll give them the freedom and ecstasy of dying. I drew my sword and slid my thumb over its edge, “I will give you rest; tormented souls, your salvation has arrived”. My Kusanagi glowed a deep red and I took my stance; I prepared for my bloodbath, I am butcher and they are the cattle. “Rest in pieces”, I dodged a wild claw swing and slashed down cleaving the monster in two; rotten blood splashed on my face, I reveled in that sensation. I slaughtered them all and I savored every second of it, with last experiment cut in half the alarms rang breaking me out of my trance and the large blast doors open I stared into the horrified faces of stupefied men; it disgusted me to the core, I watched them eye me closely with their rifles; they fired in a useless attempt to save themselves, I sliced them apart and washed myself in their warm blood; “Thanks for the bath, I needed that”. I said splashing the blood on my sword to the floor, I spread it in the pattern of a crying skull. I sheathed my blade and walked out the cell block. In the main prison I met the hate mongering despot known as Lex, he’s a douchebag in every sense of the word. An army of his fascists stood between me and him; but that didn’t matter because at the end of the day one of us was going to die, and I’ll damn well make sure I shred him to pieces and feed his remains to the wolves. But not now, I heard the sound of rifles being cocked, a myriad of laser sights were trained on me; I didn’t flinch or breathe in that instant, I simply closed my eyes and prayed on my knees. I will steal his victory from him and when he has lost all pride, dignity, everything that defines him as a person I will kill him then. I stood up and stabbed my sword into the ground, his army was eradicated and all that was left of them was their dust being scattered to the winds. He fired his gun, I deflected the bullets and walked up to him; he faced me without any sign of fear or doubt, “Don’t you care that I slaughtered your army”. “Soldiers can always be replaced”. He replied calmly, “You’re heartless; have you no compassion for your men”? “No, compassion is for the weak and foolish”. I sheathed my sword, “Aren’t you going to kill me”. “No, you’re not worth it; you’re worse than the scum at the bottom of the ocean, my blade doesn’t deserve to taste your tainted blood”. I turned my back, “Someone else is going to have that honor, I’m guessing”. Lex said; he pressed the barrel of his gun into the back of my head, “Are you afraid of dying”? He asked, “No; I’ve served my time in hell, I have nothing to fear anymore”. I stabbed him in the stomach, after ducking to avoid having my head blown off; I disemboweled him and bringing him to his knees I stabbed through his throat; twisting the blade I broke his neck, I drove my sword through his brain and sliced of his head, tossing the head to the ground, “Ragnarok”. I heard a familiar voice, I was embraced by my brother; pulled out of my rage and brought back to my senses.