Act One: Materia Prima - Chapter 14 (End of Act One)

The man looked for an exit. Found a stair. It led down. He took it. Judging from the view out of the window he had to be on the first floor. No sound was heard. Silence had never frightened him. Not before. Now it did.

He hoped that everything would be alright. Everyone. Please. But the ideas planted by the darkness had taken deep roots in his mind. A lesson of humility. Punishment. Cruelty.

The stairs ended. The living room with the green sofa. No candles were lit down here. He looked around. The terrace was empty. The door to the dining room was closed. Some light escaped from there through the door gap. He moved toward it. Opened it. Entered.

Hrain stood at the table. Her back turned towards him. Just stood there. Watched the table. Or the girl laying on it. Hlout. Blood everywhere. Her torso was cut open. Wide. Two cuts. One across. One lengthwise. Some of her organs were missing. Her liver for sure. It was a mess.

He broke down. Gagged. Wanted to puke. But could not. He looked back at Hrain. A knife in her left hand. She turned. Looked at him. With those wide eyes. Black goo streamed from them. From her nose. Her Mouth.

She told him that she needed to know everything. How their bodies functioned. That she had started with Falsk. But it had not been enough. Now there was no one left. She had used them all up. And still needed to know. Everything.

She asked him if had found what he had been looking for. Where he had been. He could not speak. This was not real. Nothing had been. It was all in his head. Just in his head. Why would it not end? It had to.

Hrain tilted her head. Asked what was wrong with him. Why he looked so afraid. She told him that everything would be fine. At some point someone else had to show up. And then she could continue her studies. She smiled at him. But it was not hers.

He stood up. Shaking. Approached Hrain and tried to take the knife. It was time to end it. He did not care about the possibility of pain anymore. He knew where his radial artery ran. Hrain would not let go of it. Was surprisingly strong.

He staggered back. Leaned exhausted against the wall. His life had been a huge failure. His fake afterlife was no different. It would be best if he just disappeared. Into nothingness. But he was too weak. Even for that.

Hrain laughed. Asked him if he was looking for a play fight. He asked for the knife. She denied him. Said that he could not be trusted with sharp objects. Laughed again. This was not Hrain. It was just wearing her face. It had to be.

The man turned away from it. Screamed. Punched the wall. Did not stop. His knuckles were bleeding. He heard something breaking. A part of his body. Did not stop. Until he fell to the floor.

Hrain took his right leg and dragged him out of the room. Through the living room and the entrance area. Down the stair. Through the garden. He saw the outline of a small figure lying among the cabbages. The green ones. He closed his eyes.

At some point they reached their destination. Hrain did let go off him. Told him to stand up. He did nothing. She kicked him. Asked him to not be such a baby. He opened his eyes. Sat up. Looked around. They were at the small pond. The spring of the river that had led him up here.

Hrain entered the water. Waded to the middle. Faced him again. Smiled. This was not her. He reminded himself this thing was something else. The darkness or whatever. It told him that it was his fault. That it had also been all this time ago. That he had defiled her. Killed her self. He had done so five times.

She told him that he would never find what he had lost. He thought about her words. Did not mind the things missing at the back of his mind. But the thing in his chest. That loss did hurt. It did hurt him.

He said that he was sorry. That he did not remember. That he did not want to. Hrain said that it was better this way.

She raised the knife and slit her throat. A wicked smile still on her face. Black blood sprayed from the wound. He tried to rush to her. But was unable to get up quickly enoguh because of his battered hands. She collapsed into the water. It was running black with her blood.

When he reached her she had already lost consciousness. He was too late. Had been too late back then too. When they were supposed to meet at the lake. Meet whom? He did not remember.

It was time for the fire escape. He grabbed the knife. It should hurt him. He deserved it. There was a moment of hesitation. He gathered all his courage. Stabbed himself in his own stomach. Again and again. It did hurt. A lot.

He collapsed into the water as well. Said that he was sorry. Closed his eyes. His consciousness faded away. A face reappeared in his mind’s eye. A woman. He did not know her. Not anymore.