Ultraviolet

Chapter Nine: The King of the Light

Kelly: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Or for that matter, has it even truly fallen? If there is a forest fire, and no one can find the tree, then what happened to it before it burned down is any ones guess. Any one's truth is valid. Even if I were to say the tree could speak and sing, no one could possibly deny it because no one will ever know. This is magic."

Their grey faces are all pinned on me, and this woman? Her smile is grey. I am imprisoned in this ashen room with questions being shot at me left and right. I can only glimpse the alluring gaze of freedom through the tiny window that sits so far away. I don't want to hear these people anymore. I'm sick of all of this.

Willard: Leave me alone... I don't want to talk anymore...

I can hear small children playing outside on the city streets below. How I long for that happiness. What happened to me? I don't know, but no one seems to understand that for some reason. All those deaths, all those deaths!

Willard: ARGH!!! So much blood! They killed them! All of them, all of them, all of them, ARGHHH!!!!

Officer: Hold him down!

Officer: restrain him, now!

Let go of me! NO!!! Why is this happening to me!!!

Kelly: Willard! Calm down, for god sakes!

Willard: I've already told you everything! What the hell do you want from me! You keep on reading me these things. I don't understand any of it!

Kelly: Look, you know what people are thinking!? You were the only person who survived the collapse, and all you are telling everyone is magic this magic that-

Officer: Please ma'am, I beg for you to not agitate him too much, he is still in a fragile state.

Don't any of you understand!? Why won't they believe me!

Kelly: Willard, listen to me.

She draws her face closer to mine, clutching tightly on my hands.

Kelly: They think you killed them.

Willard: Me? Why...

Kelly: They think you were the original killer. It makes sense. Being underwater without oxygen that long certainly will have given you brain damage. It's remarkable you even survived. We haven't found your name on any of your school, dental or other records. You shouldn't have even existed in the first place.

Really? How... is that even possible? She sits back in her chair, crossing her legs.

Willard: That's too cruel... how...

Kelly: I don't believe any of it. Look Willard, I want to find the truth behind incident, there is no way it was just an accident. It was way to convenient. You know the truth behind all of this, I know you do!

She stares deep into me, earnestly.

Willard: I've told you...

Kelly: I know you aren't lying to me Willard, but the absolute truth I'm searching for is something you can find, deep within you. It's hidden, but I'm sure you already have the answer.

Willard: I, do?

She smiles once more.

Kelly: Yes, you do! You just need to find out how. I know you have it in you!

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The midsummer trees gently rustle as we glide by on the road with their leaves gently blowing down by the breeze. It's so lovely; the chirps of the sparrows and the smooth damp smell of the earth out here. The golden light of dawn breaks through between the winding trees, illuminating the winding road that draws us further down the dense country forest. She's driving me there, as I have asked her to. I wish to visit my friends again.