What Came, With Its Poison

(Phy Report #0148: 14th August 2000)

A new confirmed creature Phy (0148) has been observed. Current best description: A creature, of similar anatomy to the Homo Saipen, 10 feet in stature, wearing a ripped, dark green jacket over dark brown fur that covers its body. 0148 wears an eroded, brown wooden mask, it seems to be stuck on its head and found to be a few inches to the right of where the face should be – only fur seems to be there with no facial features confirmed. A small etch on the mask where the nose should be, and a carving of a shape resembling a mouth, stretching across opposite ends. Small holes on the mask, seemingly for the eyes but are too small for sight. 0148 seems not to have ears, and with the absence of facial features, it puts forward the question of whether 0148 has any of the five senses. The Phy has only been found inside the city of Rao. No conclusive pattern as to when the Phy appears or where in said city. The hypothesis is that like most Phys, it is a random occurrence.

Every time 0148 is observed, it is walking very slowly, relative to the average speed of humans. A certain decayed smell can be sensed around it. No sound has been observed from the Phy, including its steps. With each observation, 0148 is seen wielding a long stone, the length of a door, with advanced sharpness at both ends. 0148 shows hostility after a subject transgresses an estimated radius of 1 metre. 12 deaths have been confirmed.

"…It’s already ‘97! Sneaked by, didn’t it? Now, for the new year, The EIO Show decided to bring a special guest for you... please welcome, Alyosha Burkhaven!”

Loud clapping arises, and cheering follows as Alyosha doesn’t step out. It subdues to near silence.

“Seems like our fella is a bit shy today."

The earpiece utters “Move on to the next subject, the guest is not here yet.” The host snickers, half of it suppressed at the presence of the cameras.

“As we wait for our guest to come back from jerking off”

The silence demanded more laughter; its energy and volume were noticeably lower than the ones before.

“Let us talk about some big news. The AquaPino bottled water company denounces any involvement or relationship with Phy #0087…” The host continues to read out of the meticulous script of news and happenings. The ennui is palpable, as the only voice attempting to lead is too weak to cut it. The curtain opens, and out of it, Alyosha cuts in, entering with a stomp and clothes that are asking to be noticed. Their eyes are half-closed and their shoulders are purposefully rounded with their hands in their pockets.

The audience sway their attention toward what came in, and the expected cheers and claps fill the room.

“Well, well, look who decided to actually come!”

“Bathroom break.” Laughter breaks out again and the host joins in with an open-mouth smile.

The host keeps the smile. His hands indicate the seat opposite his set table, and he tells Alyosha “Well, why don’t you have a seat?”

Alyosha walks towards it, thriving in the awkward quiet of the room, and sits as the audience applauds and cheers.

“Okay so. What do we have to do now?” The audience proceeds to laugh in reaction to Alyosha’s flat inquiry.

“Well, no need to be too on schedule, ha ha. Anyway, so, you’re the thing everyone is talking about these days. For the oblivious, why don’t you give a quick introduction?”

Alyosha, turning to the camera at the silent command of the host’s eyes, utters “Hello. I’m Alyosha. I, am a confirmed human Phy.” Hails and claps flare up in the set.

“Interesting, interesting. And could you tell the world what you are and how you manifest? To our knowledge, you are the first confirmed one that I can talk to!”

“Been living for two thousand years,” Alyosha replies in monotony and nonchalance. The crowd, after a quick silence unnoticed, cheer nonetheless.

“Okay! And how has that been treating you?"

"Alright."

After a brief stare, the host replies "Interesting. Are you sure there isn't more to it?"

"Nothing remarkable, no," Alyosha replies, tilting their head and keeping eye contact from the moment they sat.

"Well. Okay. I guess that's the end of that."

A suffocating silence fills the room as the host changes postcards.

"So, Alyosha, as a Phy who has lived for, well, many, many years, how do you remember-, or do you remember and have memories of, say, the roman empire or something?" The audience chuckles.

"Well, mister, the country of Gader has never engaged with whatever those guys were doing. And I was in the capital the entirety of my lifetime, which is even further North. They couldn't reach Scotland, let alone reach us-"

"Yes, but I was just asking about-"

"I remember some stuff I guess." A quick silence passes as Alyosha sits there, hesitating to speak until he does. "One time a person pissed on me in an alleyway. In the belly button specifically." The audience cackle. Alyosha opens a light smile as they observe the room.

Focusing their eye contact on the crowd, Alyosha continues "The guy, I’m pretty sure held it for days. I guarantee he had the piss of his goddamn life. Those moans were from the heart. Can't say I share the enjoyment though." The audience continues to cackle, and the host slowly forms a smile. Succumbing, the host looks down and giggles to himself.

"When was that? What got you in such a bizarre situation?!"

"It was so long ago! I can't remember..." The energy that was oozing from Alyosha’s open and excited eyes moments ago gradually subdues. His shoulders and back slouch on the seat, and the indifferent countenance manifests as the half-opened eyes situate again.

"Maybe old age is catching up!" The audience chuckles along with the host's slow and controlled laughter. Alyosha is silent.

"Ha ha ha. Anyway. Alyosha, about Phys. What do you think of them? There seem to be... radicals in every direction in terms of this subject. And I'm sure, since you're a Phy, that maybe you'll have a perspective more interesting than people?"

"There is good and bad to it, I guess," Alyosha replies as they rub their eyes and slouch on their chair.

"Excuse me? Um, where do you see such 'good'? I mean, don't you know that Phys are now the third most common way to die in Gader? And second in Rao specifically. I mean, Phy, I think 0148. The gorilla rhino thing! You realise how many people it stepped on? Triple digits! An- and, that fur guy with the green jacket and the spear, 50 deaths already and it was spotted like, what two days ago?! And that small dirt building with one little, square opening I think, like it's a window or something. It appeared so suddenly in central Rao, and lord knows how many people disappeared in whatever's inside there! I'm sorry but I fail to see any good here, Mr Burkhaven."

"I guess so."

The host gazes at the guest. A half-hidden frown of contempt turns into a smile. He sniggers. No sound comes from the audience.

"One minute a talker, another not, eh?"

"Seems so."

A creeping quiet streams in again. "Though,” Alyosha’s voice cracks, “I'm on my path to slowly become like you.”

“Ah, that’s flattering! I can’t wait until you do.” The host replies and in shallow bullishness, smiles.

Alyosha gazes at him, and then gazes into the distance. Their eyes are droopy and tired. Their mouth wants to not speak again, as if enough engagement was initiated for the rest of existence.

The host, in a controlled and deep voice, says “Right, okay. Seems like that’s it for tonight, hm? So, any closing thoughts?” Silence sweeps in, as it comfortably has been, with no reply or attention to what has been asked of them.

The show finishes, and is then forgotten. Alyosha exits the studio after insignificant yells from the producers for not sticking to the script. In the rare sun that afternoon, Alyosha walks, and walks, and continues to walk, lost in a cloud of their making. They go back to their apartment complex in the southern part of Rao; they chose to inhabit a place that reminds them of the broken game everyone emerges into. They drop their key twice before opening their efficiently compact one-bedroom apartment, rushing to throw their self onto the bed. Their face morphs and Alyosha’s tears form two rivers from the anguish they conceal.

A couple is having rough and passionate sex in the room before Alyosha’s one. A body is hanging on a noose in the room after. Meanwhile, in a basement many streets away but close to Alyosha, the politically active group ‘Lefting’ prepare a march near the famous and gated Upping street, where the Gader president smokes his cigar, as well as makes decisions. Lefting organize and recite the plan to the 500 people who bothered to come. They stomp out, and their sight is on the establishments that piss on them. The protest begins long before they reach the area they aim toward, as the passion could not be held.

"INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE"

"SILENCE IS DEATH"

"ABSOLUTE POWER ABSOLUTELY CORRUPTS"

"POWER TO AND FOR THE PEOPLE"

"REMEMBER ME AND US"

Many more signs, in all their permutations of flashy colours on a square piece of cardboard, were raised and waved. Shouts were erupting and reaching beyond the places that the protesters were obtruding. A crackdown by the armed police force was certain. The march was terminated as quickly as it started. As the police body cams were turned off, they arrested people for public nuisance and obstructing police officers in the execution of their duties. Nothing came of it, like the other five mass protests.

A man steals booze from a grocery shop in southern Rao for the second time this hour. He heads to his mattress on the street and sits on it, sipping the treat. He knocks himself out thirty minutes after. Later on, at midnight, he wakes up to fit his circadian rhythm. They manage to preserve some of the booze for the first time, so they head to the nearby bench in the park, taking sips on the way.

“Oh, this fuckin’ hits, alrigh’!”

Sitting on the bench, amidst the many drunkards, the wind starts to pick up in speed, but it’s not anything he isn’t used to. One of the blokes that he saw before comes up to him.

“You good mate?”

“Yeah yeah, all good. Have a seat will ya?” He sits down next to him, listening intently and preparing himself for the continuation of the rant. After two drinks from his bottle, he sits and takes in the silence before he begins to speak.

“Y’ know. I can’t sleep for long anymore. I still see her.” He drinks again.

“I just, I don’t understand, y’ know. What have I done to put me through so much, y’ know what I mean? First, it was my son, now it’s my fuckin’ wife? Do I deserve this?” He turns to the bloke. “Huh?”

He suddenly stands up, looks up at the sky and violently gestures towards nothing. “Hah?! Do I fuckin’ deserve this?!” While still standing, he looks down, holding back tears. “I couldn’t do it. What she promised me I couldn’t do it. Now my fuckin’ job is gone… I haven’t got much left y' know. All I have is her,” he looks into the distance, “her ghost, it’s just there y’ know. FUCK!” With all the might he has left, he hurls the glass bottle on the park pathway. It does not break.

“I just, I need her to be here y’ know. Everything would be fine.”

Later that month, that very same man was found dead: he was run over by a big truck one afternoon.

In the depths of south Rao, a raccoon traverses. The raccoon later is found dead from unknown causes; its carcass stinks and nobody is bothered. Later in the week, a balloon saying ‘Get well!’ is put on the dead body with duct tape.

Meanwhile, Alyosha wakes up after a two-hour nap; he proceeds to think more thoughts.