Fall Foretold

Evolution

She had looked there and away, too many times. He was definitely staring at her. Laura stood up and walked up to him. She kept her eyes on him and he stared back into her eyes, without blinking.

"Hey, Joe", she said and grabbed a seat. "You've been staring at me for a while now. Is everything ok?"

"I don’t know", Joe replied. His eyes were fixed on where she had been sitting. He definitely had something else in mind.

"Oops. Looks like there's something pretty big on your mind", she said. "Almost thought you were planning on asking me out"

"Can I ask you out?", Joe asked. He remained still.

She patted his back. "Are you having an hangover?"

"I think so. I'm drunk with love", he said, again, impulsively.

"You really overfed yourself, did you?", she smiled, hiding her blush.

He turned and looked at her. His eyes appeared tired. "Can I kiss you?"

"Stop it. You better get over this before we continue the project", she said, drank from his milk, and leaned closer. "So what's the matter? Talk to me"

Jackson and Felix dramatically took a seat, watching the two from afar.

"I've not been sleeping, lately", he said and leaned back on his chair. "I've been having weird nightmares about this Shadowmask guy. It just feels so real"

"I’ll ignore how childish that sounds. It's probably because you think about him, too often"

"That's not all. It gets too weird. I even get letters from myself, my handwriting with no memory of how...", he paused for a while. He might be telling her too much. "Let's dance"

"To what music?", she laughed. "You're really sick..."

"They'll get along", Felix commented, as he bit into a sausage roll.

"Yea, probably", Jackson replied. "It would have been nicer if he was a bad guy"

"And how would that work?"

"He'd just punch her face and kiss her nose. Boom! Love sprouts from an eye patch"

"Well, that’s less as absurd as the onion in my sausage roll.", Felix laughed. "Did you hear the news about some Albert Romero guy?"

"He's definitely going to say something dumb, I bet"

"Someone said the Shadowmask works for Cyrus Martinez. Another one compared him to Lucifer. It's crazy. Now, we don't know if he's a hero or the opposite"

"Well, the problem is what to believe. The news said he aided the escape of Klitschko, McMidday's blog said he helped to catch Klitschko but Klitschko escaped from the police, the same night. No one confirms any of the stories"...

★

Cedric always had a plan. He had a goal and if he would build a reluctant team, he would have a bargain to get them working. If his team would refuse to come together, there was always a second plan for backup, and another second backup plan. He stood on top of a building, in the dark, working on his plan. He was always thinking of something. He had a tracking point rifle with him.

"Having that is illegal", a voice spoke to him. The mysterious one who was always sneaking up, in the dark.

"I am illegal", he replied and turned back. "And someone said you helped my escape. That undermines me"

"Was that part of your plan? Making it seem like I'm with you?", the Shadowmask asked.

"I didn't come here for that", he turned back, putting his gun together. "I'm disciplined to focus on my business"

"How did you escape the police?"

"I'm determined. Nothing stops me... And if you'll ask what I'm here for, it's to kill Romeo"

"You tell that to me like I'm going to support it. I will stop you"

"No. You will help me. John will, too", Cedric turned back to the Shadowmask. "Even Lucifer will"

"Why's that? What's the secret?"

"You already know it. Except you also want the key to the beast lock so you can lead the Unchaining"

"Wait. You want to kill Romeo because he wants to lead the Unchaining?"

"I want to kill Romeo because he betrayed me to get the beast lock. If the devil's daughter gets to him before us, there's an higher probability we'll lose the fight"

"My mission lies in the Unchaining. What's the plan?"

"I'll kill Romeo and get the key. The devil's daughter will come for me"

"First, you won't kill anyone. You can't handle the devil's daughter alone"

"You want to help? You won't be doing it in the dark"

"It's still my mission. I have to get my body first"

"Whatever that means, get ready. She's got more minions than you think", Cedric pointed to the Planet News building. "Whatever instinct led you there, it took you to a right place. The man is going down"

★

He had sensed a strange presence. Not a strange presence; a bad intention. St. Sylvester moved stealthily, focusing on every sound. He was sure to hear any slight movement. There was someone or something in the church and whatever it was, it was there for a vicious purpose. St. Sylvester turned round and round, slowly, till, a clatter!

His ears quickly traced the sound. His eyes darted to the entrance of the church. Someone was probably hiding behind the chairs at the front.

"Come out!", St. Sylvester ordered, as his eyes fell on the hem of a white garment.

One of his fellow priests walked out. "I'm- I'm sorry", he shook, visibly, with a gun in hand.

"St. Raph, you don’t want to do this", St. Sylvester said, actively seeking a plan. The priest had already pointed the pistol, shivering as if afraid to hold back. St. Sylvester grabbed an iron chair, shielding himself as St. Raphael pulled the trigger.

He moved into the middle of the chairs, thinking of a way to disarm the priest. St. Sylvester grabbed an extra iron chair to reduce the probability of getting hit, as St. Raphael kept shooting. The noise of the ricocheting bullets seemed to attract the attention of no one. St. Sylvester moved closer to his fellow priest, keeping his shield up. Then, he decided to take a risk.

He flung one of the iron chairs at St. Raphael, distracting the priest for a short while. He stood up and kicked the priest in the chest before he could raise the pistol again..

"What are you doing,. brother?", St. Sylvester asked, breathing heavily. He kicked the pistol aside, far from St. Raphael's reach.

"I'm very sorry. I...", St. Raphael raised his back. "I have to do it". He flung a knife at St. Sylvester.

He didn't see that coming. St. Sylvester jumped aside, almost getting hit. St. Raphael had got up, already, running at Sylvester with another knife. He swung the knife. St. Sylvester pushed his chest in. The knife sliced through his garment.

Raphael swing the knife, a second time. Sylvester caught his hand and twisted it. He threw a punch at the priest, finally putting him down.

"I'm sorry", St. Raphael pleaded, crying. "If I don't, he'll kill me... He'll kill us all"

"What are you-? Who are you talking about?", St. Sylvester knelt before him, listening. Then, the police sirens filled the air. "No, no. Who called the cops?", he whispered.

St. Sylvester stood up and looked out, through the windows, thinking of a way to keep the cops out of the matter. A gunshot startled him, like the bullet had gone through his spine. He turned back. St. Raphael laid in his own pool of blood. He had shot himself in the head.

Joe stared, through the curtains, from the back of the church. The gunshots had woken him up. He was on a bed, in one of the church rooms, with no memory of how he got there.

The cops soon rushed in, with the woman who had called the police.

★

"I saw everything, St. Sylvester", Joe said, as the Priest sat beside him. "I'm sorry"

"It's how the devil creeps in while we are asleep. How are you feeling now?"

"I don't know", Joe replied, staring at the yellow glowing lines on his skin. "What's happening to me?"

"No need to be afraid. You are evolving"

"What does that mean?"

"You are growing. Everyone has a different purpose and a different making. You are special among us"

"Since when have I been here?"

"It's Monday now. You've been here since Friday morning"

"Damn! I missed the sleepover. How did I even sleep for four days?"

"You were merely unconscious of the happenings around you. The sleepover is not something that should bother you".

"Yea, that's if Laura won't be there. It's past already"

The Priest laughed and they kept silent for a while.

"Is the prophecy still going to happen?", Joe asked. He felt free to talk to the Priest about his weird nightmares.

"When the Lord speaks, manifestations are already in progress. The Angel has fallen... Though, he's yet to discover himself.”

"If you can believe the manifestation of such an unbelievable prophecy, then you should be able to believe my story"

St. Sylvester laughed again. "You should never compare the words of God to that of man. The difference is as the grains of sand by the sea shore. What's your story?"

"I have been seeing things. I have been having dreams and visions. Sometimes, about the Shadowmask. Sometimes, I find a letter in my own handwriting, asking me to come alive. Yet, I don't remember writing"

"Every answer you need is already within you", St. Sylvester said and leaned closer to him. "To discover your true purpose, you have to come alive"

"I don't know what is happening to me. How do I come alive? The answer to my questions lead to countless other questions!"

"Just sit down and meditate, son. Meditate", the Priest replied, leaning back on his chair. "Let the questions go. Feel the breeze, the comfort of the environment. Listen to the howling of the wind. Open up your heart and let your wandering soul to find it's body. That's how you come alive"

A question popped up in his mind. It was about the Shadowmask. "What is Vigilantism? Is it a sin?"

"Who is the vigilante? What is the motive? What are the means? Those are the questions. We live with what we know and we can't judge a man by his sins if we can't see them. The vigilante should ask himself these questions. Are you against the world? Or are you being a hero?"

★

The door slid open and David McMidday stepped in. He wasn't back to his work. He hadn't been called back for resumption, neither was he going to plead to come back. He walked straight, heading for the stairs.

"I'm sorry, sir", the receptionist stopped him. "I've been ordered not to allow you in"

"It's okay, man. Your boss asked to see me", David replied, gently. "Inform him I'm here already"

The receptionist picked up the phone and called.

"Let him in!", Stan said, over the phone, before the receptionist could ask any question.

"Thank you", David walked up the stairs and into the elevator.

No one had replaced him since he left. He walked out of the elevator and saw his seat vacant.

"Hi, David", Jonas greeted. "Are you back with us?"

"Definitely not", David replied and walked into Ashwood's office.

"Good morning, David. You can take your seat", Stan said, as he entered. "Want them to bring you tea?"

"No, thanks. I still hate tea", David replied. "Why did you invite me?"

"There has been a lot of complaints about your new blog and-"

"My blog?! Seriously, I have-... do you know how many people visit my blog? Do you know how many views I have on each post?"

"I'm offering you your job back... with a raise and an apology"

"I'm sorry but I can take the apology alone. I'm already making a lot from my blog and I will be making twice my salary when the world knows the Shadowmask and the conspiracies against him"

"Let's talk about this. The truth behind the conspiracy you speak of", Stan said. "Dinner at Spencer's Joint. Do you mind?"

"I might be there", David stood up and walked out, confidently. He felt good. He definitely wanted to know the secret.

★

He had insisted that he was okay so he got home in the evening. His parents didn't say anything about how he got to church till they got to the dinner table.

"We're glad to have you back, son". That was how Mr. Ryan started the conversation.

"Yea. Are you okay now?", his mom asked, still looking worried.

"I'm alright. I don't even know what happened. Can't remember a thing between Thursday evening and today. Like I slept, throughout the weekend."

"You probably did. Start eating", his mom said. "You just began to shake in the middle of the night, moaning, and your veins were glowing. We had to take you to the hospital. Then, the doctor said there was no way to relieve you and that he found nothing wrong with your system. While your father was panicking, the-"

"Wrong information. While your mother was panicking", Mr. Ryan corrected.

"The pastor called your dad and asked him to bring you to the church. Immediately we stepped into the church, you got relieved"

"The doctor had to tell her that you got relieved, she thought you had died", Mr. Ryan added, laughing.

"What?", his mother said. "Your father was also worried. I had to cheer him up"

"That's one big lie. She was shouting, 'We should have prayed before bed. Now see. It's your fault'. It wasn't funny, then".

Joe also laughed at them as they joked with the situation. He was enjoying it. He had to do the meditation before bed.