*Distant Rumbling*
[The distant rumbling of thunder echoes in the distance.]
Decades Ago...
The World of the Living...
♫Quiet Musical Dinging♫
[It's late on a crisp damp night. The rain unforgivingly pounds against the windows of the building, reminding those inside of the harsh outdoors. The only significant source of warmth and light in the incredibly dreary room comes from a brick fireplace against a brick wall.]
The Fire that roared inside you...
[The few remaining logs in it crackle as they burn against the tamed fire around them. The little bit of light the fireplace gives off dimly illuminates the room around it. It's hard to see what the room itself contains, but the dim light is able to reveal what seems to be a sofa, a coffee table directly in front of it with a music box currently playing on it, two reading chairs beside the fireplace with a night table next to each of them, a few bookshelves against the wooden wall, some windows for natural light, and a tv with an incredibly small screen which is turned off at the moment.]
Is long gone...
[A few windows lead from the outside into the room, allowing a bit of moonlight to enter but only enough to illuminate the windows and the area around them. On the far side of the room opposite the fireplace is a staircase that leads downwards to a dark unoccupied part of the building. The music box on the coffee table is playing a slow peaceful beautiful tune with some quiet dings and dongs. At first glance, the room looks to be unoccupied. However, that doesn't seem to be the case.]
♫Quiet Musical Dinging♫
Your spark...
[There appear to be two people in the dark living room sitting on the sofa. One of the people sitting directly on the sofa is a tall man with short black hair wearing a dress shirt and some gray pants. The rest of his appearance is hidden by the darkness. The only other identifiable object he has on him is a shiny silver locket around his neck and over his dress shirt.]
Your only reason to wake to the burning sunrise...
[It's Asher. When he was still alive that is... His eyes remain closed as he comfortably sits on the soft sofa. He takes in a long deep breath and holds it for a few seconds before releasing it. A second after he lets out his breath, a hand reaches up and gently cups his left cheek.]
The reason you found the will to live once again...
[Asher opens his eyes and looks at the hand touching him. It's rather delicate in appearance. Each one of its fingers is rather magnificent, smooth, and slender, and each one of its nails is painted a rich deep pink color. Asher then looks away from the hand and towards the forearm of the person. He then follows the arm toward the owner of the appendage in front of him. Sitting in front of him looking rather comfortable on his lap and facing towards him is a woman. Her figure is thin and petite, elegant even. It's hard to make out exactly what she looks like or what she's wearing due to the current lighting, but Asher can see her. And when he looks at her face and sees her smiling at him he can't help but smile back.]
♫Quiet Musical Dinging♫
Gone...
[The woman moves both of her arms behind Asher's back and wraps them around him drawing her closer to him. As both of their bodies make contact with each other she then tightens her grip on him nestles her head beneath his head resting it upon his chest. The woman becomes still as she rests directly on Asher.]
Without a trace...
[Asher's steady heartbeat echoes through her head causing her to smile even more. She can feel his passionate warmth seeping through their clothes and into her skin. The sound and warmth he creates cause a feeling of solace within her.]
Cruel is the world we inhabit...
[Asher slowly continues to breathe causing the woman's head to rise and fall with each breath he takes. The soft glow of the fire hides the woman from foreign view. Regardless of what can or can't be seen, Asher knows the person resting on him. He raises his hands behind her and wraps his left arm around her waist and places his right hand on the back of her head. The woman quietly giggles as Asher grabs ahold of her.]
???: *Quiet Giggle*
So ask...
♫Quiet Musical Dinging♫
[The woman then lovingly tightens her grip around Asher not seeming to want to let go. Asher then begins to slowly rub the back of the woman's head with his right hand. His fingers brush smoothly through her soft hair which offers very little resistance against him. Then... She starts humming along to the music box.]
???: (Humming With Music Box) ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hhmm♫, ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hhmm♫, ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hhmm♫,–
Ask why that cruelty falls upon you...
[Her humming is on point. And it sounds absolutely remarkable. Just by the humming alone, one could tell that the woman's voice is delicate and incredibly elegant.]
???: (Humming With Music Box) ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hhmm♫, ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hhmm♫ ♫Hmm-Hmm-Hhmm♫, ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hhmm♫,–
A man who risked his life for others...
[Asher brings the woman's head upwards closer to lips. He then gently kisses her hair on the top of her head. The woman continues to hum along to the music box without missing a beat.]
???: (Humming With Music Box) ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hhmm♫, ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hhmm♫, ♫Hmm!♫ ♫Hmm-Hmm-Hmm!♫, ♫Hmm!♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hhmm♫,–
All the way until the very end of it...
[Her head slowly melts downwards back beneath Asher's chin. Asher continues to gently rub her hair. Softly... Lovingly...]
Ask...
???: (Humming With Music Box) ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hmm♫ ♫Hhmm♫, ♫Hhmm!♫ ♫Hhmm-Hhmm-Hhmmmm!♫, ♫Hmm!♫ ♫Hmm!♫,–
Loud enough so that the Father himself may hear...
[His eyes begin to grow heavy... He attempts to keep his eyes open longer so he may continue to witness this moment. But it's all in vain. Within seconds his eyes are completely closed with a smile on his face. No one would be able to stay awake in this situation. It's too warm...]
My Spark...
[Too comfortable...]
Where...
[Too perfect...]
Where did you go...?
[Asher's eyes sluggishly open. He looks around at his surroundings, barely able to keep his eyes open. His surroundings look far different than they just did. He doesn't recognize it at first glance. But after looking around at the dried dirt ground... The dead trees... The darkened red crimson foreboding sky... He knows exactly where it is... Yep. He's in Hell.]
The Present Day, an Unknown Amount of Time Since the Last Chapter...
Hell, Far Northern Outskirts of Pentagram City...
[It's as ugly as ever. However, the sky looks a bit darker than it usually does. It's hard to tell but it seems to be Hell's version of the night. Asher looks to be sitting on the ground against a dead tree in the middle of nowhere surrounded by plenty of other dead trees and some bushes with a few other objects lying directly around him. The objects consist of about a dozen bottles of alcohol, most of which seem to be hard liquor, and an opened completely empty carton of cigarettes with the packs that were once inside of it spread out all over the ground around it also deprived of its contents. There also looks to be a cluster of cigarette butts directly in Asher's vicinity. Some of the cigarette butts still seem to have a few cinders on them. He eyes the area in front of him. In the distance, he can see a few rooftops and some of the buildings in Pentagram City. It's a moderate distance away, it would have taken someone a fair amount of time to trek all the way out there. Asher eyes the buildings blankly. He looks awful. His usually red and energetic eyes are dull and tired with bags beneath them; His hair is more messed up than it usually is; And his face along with his standard outfit looks like they haven't been cleaned in a day or two. His gas mask is hanging around his neck as it always does but unlike the rest of his outfit, it's more worn than dirty. All in all, he looks pretty dirty and miserable.]
Asher: (Slurred) *Quiet Grumble* Mmmm...
[He grumbles quietly to himself before placing his hands on the dirt ground beside him and pushing himself up a bit off the ground. But before he gets too far he falls back on his ass onto the ground.]
Asher: (Slurred) Gruuuhhh... Fuckn'...
[He complains to himself with his words slightly slurred. He attempts to stand up again. But this time he places the left side of his body against the tree he's leaning on and just uses his legs to push himself up off of the ground. Eventually, he's able to get to a standing position with his hands at his side and his knees bent. He looks back towards the distant city and eyes it. His "glare" towards the city is messed up. His eyes are mostly open but his right eye is only halfway open. Asher then seems to decide he can walk and begins to do so toward where he's looking. He can't seem to walk completely straight and stumbles every other step as he makes his way to his destination. Eventually, he makes it to a tree close to the end of some sort of overlook and leans against it. He stares at the distant city with his head tilted and his eyes barely open. He then raises his right and attempts to point at the city in his view but can't seem to keep his arm still in the slightest. It circles around in the air for a bit before he takes notice and grabs it with his left hand so it stays still. He holds his right hand pointing towards the city and just stands there leaning against the tree.]
Asher: (Slurred) You... Uhhh... You uhhh–
[He then turns his right hand around and points at himself.]
Asher: (Slurred) You Asher C. B–Burns... You really– *Hic* You really did it...
[He stops pointing at himself and lowers both of his arms to his sides. However, he keeps his left hand on the tree he's leaning on to keep himself steady.]
Asher: (Slurred & Quietly) You blew it all...
[He looks upwards towards the sky of Hell directly at the giant glowing pentagram in the sky. He watches quietly as its red eerie glow illuminates the sinful world below. He raises his right hand and starts rubbing his forehead like he's in pain.]
Asher: (Slurred) You had everything you could have needed and then some... You– Uhhh– *Hic*
[He stops rubbing his forehead and drags it down over his eyes, covering his view of the world in front of him.]
Asher: (Slurred) You had a rough start but got a good life... *Hic*
[He then lowers his hand over his mouth allowing him to see Hell once again. He lets out a groan before he continues talking to himself.]
Asher: (Slurred) *Groan* Grruuuhhhh– Then you went and got it all and– *GAGS*
[Asher's eyes widen as he gags on something in his mouth causing his cheeks to puff out. He then quickly turns around and darts behind the tree he's leaning on. As soon as he does he moves his right hand away from his mouth and places it on the tree before releasing everything he's got in his stomach all over the dirt ground. He continues the painful expulsion process for a few seconds before finally coming to an end. He coughs a few times and spits out the little vomit that remains in his mouth down onto the ground.
Asher: *Cough* *Cough* *Cough* *Spits* *Pained Moan* Ugggghhhhh...
[He faces toward the dead tree he's leaning against and places both of his hands against it. He then spins around the tree, all while keeping his body touching it, and stumbles back to where he was before he started vomiting. He stares at the buildings of Pentagram City once again, this time with an empty stomach and seemingly more conscious. He takes a deep breath before looking down and spitting what saliva remains in his mouth onto the ground.]
Asher: Guh. *Spits* You blew it all into the fire...
[He looks back up towards the sky of Hell. It's still hard to tell but it is dark out. The giant glowing pentagram doesn't really help one tell the difference between night and day. He stares at it silently for a few seconds before speaking once again.]
Asher: Alright... Days almost over...
[He stops leaning on the tree and straightens his posture. Now standing up straight he stretches his neck around a bit and rotates his shoulders around.]
Asher: That means you can't feel sorry for yourself come tomorrow...
[He stops looking at the sky and looks back down at the city.]
Asher: I just gotta...
[He stands there silently once again and just stares at the city, seemingly having trouble figuring out what to say.]
Asher: Just gotta do what I do every day...
[He looks down at the gas mask slung around his neck. He grabs it with his left hand and raises it above his face while grabbing the straps with his right. He tightens the mask to his face and fixes it so he can see out of its dirtied lenses.]
Asher: Smile and take it head-on...
An Hour Later...
Hell, Western Side of Pentagram City...
[Asher is walking down a sidewalk somewhere on the Western side of Pentagram City. His stance is a bit off, instead of standing up straight like he normally does he's slouched over a small amount. His gas mask is still strapped on his face and he has both of his hands inside of his pants pockets. His eyes blankly glare down the path ahead of him still deprived of their normal flare. Combined with his poor posture he fits in well with the rotten occupants of the city. He follows the sidewalk and takes a right turn onto a different street. He walks down the sidewalk with little attention to his own surroundings. He looks to be lost in his head.]
Asher: (In Head) Just– Just get home... And go to sleep... It's almost midnight... The day is almost over... You can go to sleep... It'll be over... It'll be over... It'll be over...
[He closes his eyes and continues to walk forward.]
Asher: (In Head) It's just one day... One day a year you remind yourself–
[He then opens his eyes. His expression has changed from one that is mostly blank to one that reeks of anger and annoyance.]
Asher: (In Head) How shitty of a person you are...
[He continues to walk down the sidewalk with that nasty look on his face. A few seconds later he walks past three demons who seem to be having a conversation while loitering next to a storefront. Two of them are standing on the sidewalk looking at the last one who is leaning against the storefront. Asher walks past them paying no mind to them or their conversation. However, as he makes his way past them, the one demon leaning against the storefront takes notice of Asher walking past them. While he doesn't seem to mind at first, after taking a closer look at Asher's appearance his mindless stare turns into a glare. He then hits the shoulders of the two demons who are talking in front of him. They both immediately seem annoyed that their friend roughed them up a bit. The First Demon that hit them then gestures to his right in the direction Asher went. The Second one looks in Asher's direction while the Third one takes a step towards the road so he can see past the Second one and see the same thing. They all see Asher with his back turned toward them as he walks away. The Second and Third Demons turn back towards the First one. The First Demon seems to nod as the two look at him before gesturing over toward Asher's direction with his head. They all stop loitering around and begin to walk in the same direction as Asher. Tailing him. The three demons seem to be walking a bit quicker than Asher so they can catch up with him. Asher seems to be unaware or uncaring of them tailing behind him. As the demons get closer to Asher, they all suddenly stop walking and get his attention.]
Demon 1: Well, well, well! If it isn't Ashhead!
[Asher stops walking when the Demon finishes his sentence. He stands there on the sidewalk completely still for a few tense seconds before looking over his left shoulder towards the Demon that spoke to him. It's hard to see from the outside but he's glaring at them from beneath his gas mask. His glare is the same as before, cold and unfeeling. He then turns around completely and faces the three Demons. The three individuals are standing there doing their best to look threatening towards Asher. They all have some nasty smiles on their faces. Asher then tilts his head a bit to the left in a confused fashion.]
Asher: Uhhh... Do I– Know you three?
Demon 2: No! But you know our boss!
Demon 3: And he's been looking for you for a long while!
[Asher continues to stand there with his head tilted. He blinks a few times with a completely blank expression on his face.]
Asher: Listen... I'm kind of out of it today and am not really in the mood for any shtick, can you just tell me who the hell you are so I can go to my bed and finally end this dreadful day?
[All three of the demons now glare angrily at Asher after he responds.]
Demon 1: WE WORK FOR JOCKEY YOU ASSHOLE!!!
Demon 2 WERE PART OF THE JOCKEYS!!!:
Demon 3: YEA!!!
[The Second demon elbows the third one in annoyance. Asher continues to stare at the three before fixing his head and straightening out his stance. He still keeps the cold stare directed towards them.]
Asher: Oh... Right... Damn...
[He looks up a bit towards the building rooftops.]
Asher: I was kinda hoping you chaps would have been wiped out by some bigger gang because your boss did something really retarted... I guess not...
[He looks back down at them with the same cold stare.]
Asher: Maybe if I ask Leo nicely he'll do it for me...
[The three Demons who are Lackey's of Jockey, seem to be a bit more irritated from Asher's comment. Asher doesn't seem very fazed by them. Actually... He doesn't seem very fazed at all. He then lets out a tired sigh and speaks.]
Asher: *Tired Sigh* Listen... I'm not really in the mood at the moment to properly insult you, idiots...
[He shrugs and tilts his head once again.]
Asher: *Shrugs* Not that any of you could understand an insult that has more than three syllables in it...
[The three Lackeys growl a bit in anger and annoyance. Asher straightens his head out and continues to blankly stare at the three.]
Asher: So please, for the love of God, the love of Satan, or even the love of yourself, leave me alone...
[Asher turns his back towards the three and looks down the sidewalk he was previously walking down. He seems to sag his posture a bit causing his demeanor to look worse than it was before.]
Asher: I'm not in the mood...
[He starts walking away from the three Lackeys and continues toward his original destination.]
Jockey Lackey 1: HEY!
[The first Lackey quickly and aggressively speed walks over to Asher to catch up with him. Since Asher is walking slower than the Demon he quickly catches up. The Lackey puts a hand on Asher's shoulder and tugs him back a bit causing him to stop walking away from the three.]
Jockey Lackey 1: We're not done with you yet Ashhead!
[The two stand there silently after the Lackey finishes his sentence. After two seconds of tense silence between all four of them... Asher speaks.]
Asher: I said–
[He slowly turns his head over his left shoulder so he can see the man who stopped him directly behind him. The First Lackey seems to recoil back a bit when he sees Asher's face. Both of Asher's eyes are as wide as saucers and glowing a fierce bright flaming red. Oddly enough, the X-like crack on his gas mask's right lens is glowing a bright white. It's almost as if a light was trapped directly inside of it. The immediate sight of Asher's masked face sends a feeling of dread throughout the First Demon.]
Asher: (Corrupted) I̸͕̚'̴̘̀m̶̳̃ ̸̹̍n̸̖̏o̴̳̓t̵͍̕ ̴͕̾î̵͇n̸͈͑ ̸̼͝t̶͍̕ȟ̵̭e̵̝̍ ̶̭̅m̸̞̾ȯ̴̠o̶̭̎ď̶̬...̷̖̽
[The First Jockey Lackey quickly takes a step back away from Asher shocked and raises both of his hands up in front of him defensively. The other Demons behind him seem to do the same and take a step back out of shock. All three of them share the same look of worry and terror on their faces.]
Jockey Lackey 1: (Nervous) Woah, woah, easy! Were uhh–
[The First Lackey slowly takes a few more steps back as he speaks. Asher continues to just stand there completely still with that dreadful look on his face.]
Jockey Lackey 1: (Nervous) We were just leaving! *Nervous Chuckle* See!
[The First Lackey quickly takes some more steps backward before turning around and breaking out to a full sprint away from Asher. The other two Lackeys do the exact same and run after their friend away from Asher. The three Lackeys continue running away from him until they're so far out of sight that he can't see them. He stares off into the distance where they disappeared with the same expression as before. Then he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before a long exhale.]
Asher: (Long Exhale) Great...
[He opens his eyes and stares blankly in the direction where the Jockey Lackeys ran off. His eyes don't seem to be glowing anymore and the crack on his mask looks completely normal.]
Asher: Now I have a headache...
[Asher turns around and continues walking in the direction before he got stopped. He stares forward blankly. Quietly. Patiently walking toward his destination.]
Half an Hour Later...
Hell, Western Outskirts of Pentagram City, Jerry's Workshop...
[Jerry's hidden workshop is oddly quiet. Without Asher being present inside the building and Jerry clanging away in the workshop, it's eerily silent. An unnatural mood for the hidden workshop.]
*CLANK!* *Tick...* *Tick...* *Tick...* *Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick-*
[Suddenly, a loud clank followed by some slow ticking which quickly begins to speed up echoes throughout the hallway.]
*-Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick-* *CLANK!*
[The ticking continues before another loud clank silences it. The hallway goes completely silent once again before the large metal door besides the one that leads into the workshop, the one with the large rotary combination lock in the center of it and a welded-on handle opens outwards into the hallway just slightly. A person from inside peeks out from the darkness of the room into the lit-up hallway. The two yellow eyes look out of place in the dark environment as the red pupils scan the hallway carefully. The door is then forced open as the large blacksmithing imp Jerry pushes it aside and walks into the hallway. He's slouched over like he usually is but he looks exhausted, physically drained. He has a bunch of dust and black char over his face and leather apron. He then stands up straight and stretches his arms upwards, almost knocking them into the ceiling of the hallway.]
Jerry: *Exhausted Yawn* Ahhhhh... I overdid it again...
[He lowers his hands and goes back to slouching as he normally does. He then takes a step away from the large metal door he just walked out of and slams it closed behind him.]
*Slam!*
[He then faces towards it and places his left hand on the large combination lock embedded in the door hiding the numbers. He then drags all of the dials downwards causing them to spin furiously in place for a few and creating a constant ticking noise.]
*Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick-Tick-* *CLANK!*
[The dials spin for a few seconds before coming to a rest and making a loud clank.]
Jerry: *Tired Groan* Ehhh... That's enough work for today...
[Jerry then looks over to his left towards the metal door that leads into the workshop. It's closed shut and looks perfectly normal. He then looks over his shoulder towards his right where the front vault door along with his and Asher's bedroom doors are. All three of the doors are closed shut. Even so, Jerry eyes the front door curiously.]
Jerry: (Mumbling) Hmmm...
[He walks away from the door he just locked and down the hallway towards the front vault door. He stops in front of it and stares at the large metal door for a few seconds before placing his right hand on the oversized handle. He pulls on it gently causing the door to slightly shift towards him. He lets out an annoyed grumble.]
Jerry: *Annoyed Grumble* Gmmrrrmm...
[He gently pushes the door closed and looks over to Asher's bedroom door. He takes a step towards the door and places his left hand on the door handle. He then raises his right hand and knocks on the door.]
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
Jerry: Hey bud? Are you in there?
[Jerry waits silently for some sort of response from inside the room. After a few seconds of patiently waiting he turns the door handle and opens the bedroom door with a click.]
*Click*
[The inside of the room is as dark as pitch. Jerry leans into the room and searches it for anyone or anything that may be inside. Nothing. Asher's room is completely deprived of life and anything that one might consider interesting. It's just filled with his only possessions. Mainly his bed, clothing chest, radio, and something else lying on his night table. The light shining into Asher's bedroom from the hallway causes the object to glimmer ever so slightly. Jerry speaks to himself in a somewhat quiet tone.]
Jerry: (Quietly) He's still not back yet, huh?
[Jerry steps out of Asher's room and closes the door with him.]
*Click*
[He makes sure the wooden door clicks closed as he shuts it. He then takes his hand off of the door, turns around, and steps over towards his bedroom door. He places his right hand on the door handle but instead of opening it, he stands there completely still. The tired expression he had on his face has shifted to one of both tiredness and concern.]
Jerry: (Quietly) What the hell has gotten into him...?
[Jerry turns his bedroom door handle causing it to click open.]
*Click*
*Clank*
[A loud clank can be heard behind Jerry. He turns partway over to where the noise originated from at the front vault door. The door has slightly opened inwards towards him. He eyes it cautiously. As soon as the door gets halfway open it stops. A second later a person takes a small step through the doorway and into the hallway. It's Jerry's loud cigarette-addicted co-worker.]
Jerry: Asher?
Asher: Hmm?
[A.K.A. Asher. Asher responds with a somewhat confused grumble. He turns over to his left and sees Jerry standing in front of his bedroom doorway. Asher still has his gas mask on and looks like a mess.]
Asher: Oh... Hey Jerry. Didn't expect to see you here...
Jerry: Didn't expect to– Of course, I'm here! It's my damn house, I live here! And you live here too!
[Asher turns away from Jerry towards the door he just walked through and pushes it closed. Jerry takes his hand off of his bedroom door handle and turns towards Asher completely. He looks at Asher rather annoyed.]
Jerry: It's almost midnight! You've been gone for more than twenty-four hours!
[He crosses his arms as his expression changes to one of some concern. Asher spins the door's spinny lock thing (A/N: I don't know what it's called.) far to the right before it stops on its own creating a loud clank.]
*Clank!*
Jerry: Where have you been?
*Thud*
[Asher then pulls a lever beside the door downwards creating a loud metallic thud noise seemingly locking the door completely. He then takes his hand off of the lever and lets it drop lazily to his side.]
Asher: Where did I go...?
[Asher faces towards his bedroom door away from Jerry.]
Asher: Ohhhh– ya know...
[He puts his right hand up beside him and waves it slowly and dismissively.]
Asher: Just, uhhh... Just around... And...
[He lowers his hand and walks towards his bedroom door which he arrives at after a few steps.]
Asher: And places and whatever...
[He grabs onto his bedroom door handle and begins to turn it.]
Jerry: Are... Are you alright bud?
[Asher immediately stops turning his door handle. The hallway gets awfully quiet extremely quickly. Jerry now looks a bit more concerned than he did before. He still has his arms crossed and is slouched over like he usually is, but he seems to be bothered by the current predicament.]
Jerry: You were acting off a bit yesterday before we called it a night. You were... Quiet... Incredibly quiet... It wasn't your usual waiting to talk or make a joke quiet, it was... It just wasn't normal for you, alright!
[Asher doesn't move an inch or even respond to him. Instead, he just stands there gripping his bedroom door handle. Jerry stays silent for a few seconds as if he were awaiting some sort of response. When he doesn't get one he continues.]
Jerry: Then around midnight I hear the front door open and come morning I see that you just left without a clue where you went...
[Asher's grip on his door handle loosens. His gaze shifts downwards towards the floor where he gets a good look at his dirtied-up dress shoes. Jerry continues speaking, still sounding concerned but now slightly aggravated.]
Jerry: Then! Just about twenty-four hours later you show up out of the blue! Dirtied like you've been lying on the ground for hours; Smelling like you've been drinking non-stop since you left; And sounding like you just got hit by a truck and lost all that fight you usually have in ya!
[Jerry uncrosses his arms, seemingly losing all that aggravation he had in the process.]
Jerry: Are you really, alright?
[Jerry finishes his sentence with anxiousness in his voice. The two stand there in the hallway with an uneasy silence. Asher hasn't moved since Jerry started talking. He's still just standing there in front of his bedroom door with his right hand on the door handle. Then, after some tense silence, he lets out a sigh,–]
Asher: *Sigh*
[–lets go of his bedroom door handle, and turns around to face Jerry. He grabs it with his left hand and raises it above his face while grabbing the straps with his right. He unsnaps it and brings the object down from his face revealing it. Jerry's somewhat worried expression doesn't change when he sees Asher's face. Asher looks fine. His face is a bit dirty but he has his normal cool and relaxed smirk right where it usually rests. His eyes seem to have returned to their normal vibrance red. His voice which was previously quiet and low now sounds clear and coherent with a bit of perkiness to it.]
Asher: I'm doing just fine Jerry.
[He brings his gas mask around his neck and lets it rest comfortably where it usually does.]
Asher: I'm just a little blue today. It's just one of those off days where you're down in the mud ya know? It happens to everyone!
[Asher charmingly smiles at Jerry showing off his teeth. Including the fake k-9 tooth he has in the corner of his mouth. Jerry raises an eyebrow, seemingly confused by Asher's change in tone.]
Jerry: Are uhhh... Are you sure?
[Asher gives Jerry a thumbs up with his right hand.]
Asher: Yep! Asher as sure as hell as I can be!
[He stands there continuing to give the imp a thumbs up and charming smile. Eventually, Jerry groans and shrugs in a defeated fashion.]
Jerry: *Defeated Groan* Alright. If you say so...
Asher: Trust me bud! I'm perfectly fine!
[Asher lowers his hand and turns back towards his bedroom door all while keeping his eyes on Jerry. He points back at his bedroom with his left thumb.]
Asher: I'm gonna go sleep it off and I'll be as good as new for the workday tomorrow!
Jerry: Uh-huh... Sure... Just– Just don't push yourself. Alright?
[Asher opens his door and steps into his dark room while Jerry talks to him. He gives him some finger guns while nodding his head.]
Asher: You got it bud! Sleep tight! Don't let the cannibal demons bite!
*Slam!*
[Asher abruptly slams his door shut separating him from Jerry. Jerry stares at Asher's door for a few seconds still with a bit of concern. He then lets out another defeated sigh before opening the door to his bedroom, stepping inside, then closing it behind him.]
*Click* *Switch*
[Jerry's door clicks closed and seems to lock as well. Asher is resting on his back against his bedroom door in complete darkness. He hears Jerry's door close and lock from the other side. As soon as he does the smile on his face swiftly vanishes. He takes in an exhausted breath before raising his right hand up to his head and rubbing his temple.]
*Knock*
[He leans his head back causing it to knock against his door. He looks up towards the ceiling of his bedroom and stares at it. His eyes have reverted back to their darker, less lively color. He then drags his hand down from his forehead and over his eyes. He pulls his head down forcing it to face the floor in front of himself. He then begins walking forward despite not being able to see. After taking a few steps, he approaches his bed and makes a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn before sitting down on it all with his eyes still covered. He then reaches over to his night table with his left hand and blindly waves around for the objects he has resting on it. Eventually, he lands his hand on his radio. He keeps it still for a few seconds before slowly reaching toward the knobs of the radio. He turns one of them causing the radio to light up to life only to play a bunch of fuzzy incoherent static.]
Asher's Radio: *Fuzzy Static*
[He grabs onto another one of its knobs and turns it. His radio begins to change stations. Most of them are static or some random music; none of them seem to take Asher's interest. As he continues to cycle through the stations, he hears a few notes play through a random radio station before suddenly stopping. He then turns the knob back a bit to the station where he heard the notes. He stops once the station begins to play the music clearly. It sounds like a piano and a violin playing a slow peaceful beautiful tune. Most of the notes are some dings and dongs with a few chimes here and there.]
Asher's Radio: (Quiet Musical Dinging) ♫Ding♫ ♫Ding♫ ♫Dong♫, ♫Ding♫ ♫Ding♫ ♫Dong♫, ♫Ding♫ ♫Ding♫ ♫Dong♫, ♫Ding♫ ♫Ding♫ ♫Ding♫ ♫Ding-Ding-Dong♫, ♫Ding♫ ♫Ding♫ ♫Dong♫, ♫Ding♫ ♫Ding♫ ♫Ding-Ding-Dong-Ding♫,–
[Asher keeps his hand frozen on his radio for a few seconds before slowly reaching down towards his night table. He feels something touch his fingers. It's cold... He grabs the object and brings it toward him. He then begins to speak. But the tone of his voice is weak causing him to sound incredibly quiet and slow. Despite this... There seems to be a tune to his voice. One almost matching the tune of his radio...]
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) ♫Some–one took you out of my arms...♫
[Asher removes his right hand from his eyes. As soon as he does, a few drops of liquid fall onto his dirtied pants. The ashy-colored skin under his eyes and around his cheeks appears to be slightly damp. A few tears begin to flow out of his eyes onto the tired bags that rest beneath them. He's crying...]
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) ♫Still– I feel the thrill of your charms...♫
[He looks down towards his left hand and at the object he grabbed. In the palm of his hand rests his silver locket. The magnificent piece of jewelry that resembles half a heart with some beautifully engraved roses on it sits there peacefully in the palm of his hand. A tear falls onto the pure object resulting in it shining a minuscule amount from the little light Asher's radio is emitting in the pitch-black room. Asher raises his left hand up to his mouth and places the silver locket gently against his lips.]
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) ♫Lips that once– were mine...♫
[He takes the locket away from his lips and taps the top of it causing it to open revealing the photograph inside. It's the exact same thing he sees every time he opens it. On the left side is a picture of him wearing a suit and tie with a leather strap holding some sort of headwear behind his back. He's smiling, looking indescribably happy. He seems to be reaching both of his hands toward the center of the locket where the small hinge is. Whatever he's holding onto is out of view. The picture on the right side of the locket is covered in his old dried-up blood preventing him from seeing what once was there. Despite this, one might be able to make out the silhouette of a person standing on the right side of the picture beside Asher. The silhouette looks to belong to a woman with a rather petite, thin, and elegant-looking figure. He stares at the silhouette's head... Directly into its dried-up bloodied eyes.]
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) ♫Tender eyes that shined...♫
[Asher closes his locket as more tears begin to flow from his eyes onto his dirtied clothing. His body slowly begins to go limp as he willingly falls backward onto his bed. He stares up at the dark void of a ceiling as the side of his head and cheeks begin to dampen from his tears. He tightens his grip on his locket with his left hand and brings it to his chest, resting it above his heart.]
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) ♫They– will light my way tonight...♫
[He closes his eyes causing some tears to flood out and drip onto his bed sheets. He lies there... Motionless... Surrounded by the cold darkness of the in-ground workshop... Only listening to the reminiscent music playing from his radio and clenching his locket as if it were the last thing to his name... His breathing begins to slow as more tears leak out of his closed eyes...]
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) ...
[It's too cold...]
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) ...
[Too agonizing...]
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) ...
[Too...]
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) ♫I'll see– you– in– my– dreams...♫
[Wrong...]
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) My spark...
Asher: (Quietly & Slowly) Where... Where did you go...?
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A/N: Cherish those you love... Because one day... They may leave for a short time...
Never to be seen again...