Raison d'être

Chapter I: Wrong world

A cold wet feeling covered my entire body as if sucking the entire warmth out of me. However my back is somehow dryer and cooler than that of my front. I just realized that I was lying flat on a flooded floor with my front on the ground exposing my back on the air and my head tilted to my right side. I can feel the unpleasant slippery floor on my chick coupled with liquid substance on it. I can hear the echoing drops of liquid that reverberate the entire place suggesting that I might be in a tunnel of some sort. The foul stench of the place seeps through my nose that I just wish my organ can shut down on its own.

Suddenly I hear a hoarse voice that belongs to a man standing beside me. “Move! You don’t own this place lad,” said the man.

I slowly open my eyes and gradually adjusting my vision to the place. The place begins to form a clearer picture now despite its poorly lit. It was indeed a tunnel but more like a sewer.

Standing next to me is a shabby man dressed in trench coat, rugged jeans, and a rain hat on his head. He was somewhere on late 50’s and had a gray beard that follows the shape of a ducktail.

I try to remember why I was here in this horrible place but there is nothing that comes-up in my mind. Only a heavy feeling and anxiety lingers me at the moment. It is as if I forgot something important or more like I left something or someone.

“Come on. Wakey! Wakey! I don’t want to waste my energy to you!, “ the man protested.

I got up sluggishly and feel the tiredness and pain of my whole body as if I ran for whole day. Or did I really run before I got ended here?

“Wow!,” the man suddenly blurted out. I was caught aback by his sudden interjection that I almost lost balance and fall.

“What is your name lad?,” he asked happily.

 I was really surprised of how he changed his attitude from grumpy to a jolly fela. But I immediately dismissed that thought and focus on answering his question.

However, no matter how hard I tried the answer never pop out from my mind as if it was never there.

“I don’t know,” I replied meekly.

The man suddenly burst out of laughter then asked if I was really joking. Then I nodded with embarrassment while my head cast down.

I saw a glimpse of his shocked face as if the world lost its common sense.

“Then from now on, I’ll call you Sissy,” he suggestively replied. I really don’t know where that name originated but I feel happy since I just got an identity and it was enough for me to live in this world.

Without any warning, my stomach gave a loud growl that it echoed the whole place. “Hahaha! I bet you’re hungry and tired. I’ll show a place where you can rest and also some food as a bonus because I’m a productive person,” he proudly said. I nodded in high spirits. “But you must pay me with that weird device on your wrist,” he said with assertion.

I look at the device in my wrist and look at it closely. It look like a white digital watch that has an octagon shaped body but has no sign of text or markings that will suggest that it is a watch and a strap that what it looks like made from silicon rubber. I asked to myself whether this watch means something to me or is it worth to trade.

I’m thinking that maybe this watch may be the link about my identity. I remove the watch and scrutinize it carefully hoping I can remember something about it or find a clue that will lead to who I really was. Now that I look at it, it has no crown or buttons on it and neither the sides too. I flip it slowly so that I could see the back of its body. It has a circular metallic black plate with silver engravings which read as “NEXUS 121997”.

The man suddenly coughs and said, “So what is your decision?”. Now that he mentioned, I almost forgot about his offer because my attention was diverted into examining my watch. I am currently caught in a dilemma of whether I’ll keep this watch so that I will later find my identity or trade it for survival.

“You know, I’m really worried about you since this tunnel is complex and dangerous that you might end-up lost or in danger. That’s why I’m willing to help you,” the man warningly said.

While thinking, my hunger and weariness grows stronger saying that I might not last long. With this, I have no choice but to agree with his offer. I slowly stretch out my hand and hesitantly handed over the watch to him.

As he reaches my watch, he grinned to me as if saying that I made the right decision. “Well then Sissy, you will now be in my care. Come and follow me,” he merrily said with his crooked teeth showing-up.

While walking, I was thinking how grateful I am being guided by this stranger. If it was other people, I would have been rob, or worse, beaten to death. And I just remember that I have not yet asked his name.

“Uhm, thank you for helping me. And it was rude for me to forgot to ask your name earlier so may I know your name sir?,” I humbly asked him.

“There’s no problem lad. I’m Jude also known as the pyrite tongue,” the man replied with delight. “But I don’t know why people call me pyrite tongue instead of silver tongue,” he complained.

“Right,” I cluelessly answered since I do not know what it means. Silence follows after that conversion.

With the eerie silence, I can only hear the water droplets falling into the lazily flowing murky water, and the wet footsteps that our feet produce. Then Jude breaks the silence. “So I bet that you are a western person,” he suggestively said.

I was puzzled what is a western person is. “Uhm, what made you say so Sr. Jude?,” I asked him. “You know… you have a white complexion and some decent clothes, therefore you come from a rich family,” he explained to me.

I compare my skin color to him and found out that, despite the darkness in the tunnel, he has the same color as I am. “So that means you are also a western man since you also have a white complexion. But why do you wear rugged clothes?,” I curiously asked.

“Ah, this? This is a way to mingle with the poor class. You know, empathizing with them,” he grinningly replied.

I was really amazed by how noble he is to the poor that I’m beginning to idolize him. “That is so saintly of you,” I praised him.

“Nah, it is naturally to do good deeds especially in times like this,” he modestly answered. My mood is now brighter than before however the foul smell of the tunnel always tries to disrupt my good mood.

“Uhm, is this sewer the only way to our destination?,” I asked.

“Don’t be impatient lad. This path is the only shortcut to our place that experts like me take. And were nearly there,” he replied with conviction.

We walk for almost an hour and finally I see a bright light in the end of the tunnel. “Ah we’re here!,” he joyously said.

He turned to me making a silhouette of himself contrasted with the bright light emitting from the end of the tunnel. “Welcome to Erda Pit,” he said.