Someone Else (Part 4)

Without a moment's hesitation, Arisa hits me with more jabs to the face. The stoic look on her face is unnerving, yet her punches are filled with intent. The sort of intent you’d expect from someone with both a clear resolve, and the capability to kill.

As I raise my arms in hopes of blocking the incoming hit to my face, she twists her body into a kick against my side. I can feel something crack as her shoe digs into my ribs, worsening the already excruciating pain. My arms go limp from the wave of searing pain, but is then followed with three jabs to my stomach. I instinctively gasp.

My yelps fill the silence of the storage room as Oppix and her henchmen watch me squirm.

“He sure is…Durable.” remarks one of the soldiers aloud, as the one next to him nods.

It’s not about whether or not I’m durable, I can’t let it end here. I need to save Valerie. It’s the only way I’ll ever be able to atone for my crimes, or maybe this is some sort of divine retribution set upon me.

“...Heh, I knew this was all too easy-” I mutter to myself, before Arisa punches me in the face. Spatters of blood hit the floor while more of it continued leaking from my nose. Everything gets hazy.

In front of me is a large metal table, the dim light bulb above gleaming down like a spotlight. Beyond that is the one-way mirror I’m sitting on the other side of. I wonder who’s sitting there. Watching me as I twiddle my thumbs in anticipation for my inevitable sentencing. My hands tremble at this reality, then I hear footsteps.

The door creaks open. “Spencer Cross, I see you’re doing well.”

The man entering flashes a smile at me, as he closes the door behind him. I’ve never seen him before, but the manner in which he’s speaking is like we have. Pulling out his chair, he sits down and stares at me, during which I notice his ears. He’s an elf.

“I’m doing well, thanks for asking.” I respond, staring back at his relaxed expression.

Watching as he fixes the cuff of his three-piece suit, I look at the one-way mirror behind him. Is he an investigator? He hasn’t said much since he walked in, but the fact that he isn’t saying anything is just as nerve racking.

The man places his hands on the table. “I see, so that’s the sort of person you are.”

“Huh?” I blurt out, confused by his sudden realization.

“Without protest, You accepted my presence the moment I walked in here. Normally, someone would ask for an introduction, but you didn't think much of it.”

“I wouldn’t say I didn't think much of it, but-”

“But you didn’t question it. A simple ‘Who are you?’ would have sufficed, but you chose to accept me being here. Why is that?” The man asks, his eyes wide with a sort of curiosity. One that expects an answer.

I take a deep breath. “A lot has happened to me over the past few months, so you showing up isn't too surprising.”

“Isn't that sort of attitude the reason you're here in the first place?” he asks, rubbing his chin.

I’m here because they set me up and now they’re nowhere to be found, so for him to insist that it was something else is…

“Who are you?” I ask him, as he chuckles.

He leans back in his chair and rubs his blonde hair. “My name is Jonathan Peak, and I’m the only man who understands you…”

A fist collides with my stomach. The impact puts me in an immediate state of shock, as I cough up blood onto the floor. I try to take a deep breath but I feel my own blood welling up in my throat.

“What’s wrong Clover? It looked like we almost lost you there.” Ms.Oppix says with her haughty tone of voice. “All of this could stop if you just cooperate-”

Spitting out some of the blood welling in throat, I flash her a smile. Furrowing her brow and clicking her tongue at my indignation, she turns towards Arisa.

“Continue!” She shouts, right before Arisa kicks me in the chest and everything goes hazy once again.

“You understand me?” I ask, hoping to gauge his intentions.

“Indeed, there aren’t many men like us. Those who strive to remain inconspicuous in this world, while those in the limelight drastically change the world around us.” Jonathan says, nodding his head.

“Well, It’s not like I have a choice. I am human after all…”

“Indeed, The world runs best if people like us just go with the Flow.” Jonathan explains with a glimmer in his eyes. “Even when you knew you’d lose your freedom, you remained committed to that cause, and that shall not go unnoticed.”

“I was a coward!” I shout, unwilling to accept his celebratory tone of voice. “I chose my own safety over those kids, there wasn’t a commitment to anything. I just wanted to live.”

Jonathan laughs. “Oh don’t be so harsh on yourself! Your fear makes sense, since you are human after all.”

About to protest further, my voice gets caught in my throat. To pass off my crimes as something of a mishap, is insanity. Not even my own friends and family would hear me out, and they were the people I was protecting. This has to be some sort of trick.

Jonathan stands up and takes a deep breath. “You seem alarmed Spencer, but trust me when I say this. I am the only one who understands you.”

I don't understand why this elven man would want to help me, but looking back at the intense look in his eyes, I can tell he’s serious. Although, now that I think about it, why does any of that matter? Even if he’s the only person in this world that trusts me, I’m still going to prison for life.

“Oh, I nearly forgot.” Jonathan says before reaching into his blazer. He pulls out a sheet of paper and a pen from his pocket and slides it towards me.

Jonathan continues. “I’ll admit, it is unfortunate that some don’t see the world as we do. As you already know, going with the Flow has its costs, but I come to you now with a cheap price.”

Tumbling to the floor, my entire body goes numb from the impact of her kick. I look at the corner of this storage room and see Valerie staring at me. I notice her thin arms shaking as she’s gripping on to one the long ears of her stuffed bunny, while a soldier holds onto her other hand. I reach out to her, seeing the fear in her eyes.

“Spencer…” she says, sounding as if she’s almost hesitating to say it. My eyes widen in astonishment, not only at the fact that she somehow knows my real name but also at the fact that this is the first time she’s spoken to me.

As this moment is setting in, the front of Arisa’s heel collides with my face.

Looking down at the paper in front of me, I realize that it’s some sort of contract. It even has the seal of the police department on the top so that means it’s official. Then I notice the list of names written on it…

“Judging by the look on your face, it seems you recognize more than just a few of these names.” Jonathan laughs with a slight chuckle.

“These are-”

“All of the people involved in Terry’s trafficking ring, and yes, the police have confirmed that he is the ring leader. But of course, you were already aware of that.”

“But how?! They already pinned everything on me!” I shout, as I slam my fist against the desk. “They wouldn’t even hear me out…”

“The police already knew this sort of thing couldn't be done with just one guy, but they were really giving them the slip.” Jonathan explains before taking a deep breath. “This entire scandal has been making headlines after all, so just like everyone involved listed here, the police needed a fall guy as well.”

“But he was threatening me! I had to do what he said or else-”

“Oh Spencer, while wallowing in self-pity did you forget? You were just going with the Flow…” Jonathan states with a low tone of voice. “...You’re the reason everything got this bad.”

Hearing those simple words causes me to shutter, similar to having cold water splashed on my face. It snapped me back to reality. I understood from the beginning that what I was doing was sketchy, but it took me some time to realize the scale of this operation. Terry was hellbent in cycling in new talent, since the demand was high. And in order to do that, rushing through applicants was the best course of action for everyone, or at least that’s what I thought.

I started to convince myself that maybe those children were aspiring performers themselves, but over time I noticed the sullen expressions on many of their faces. The Subterranean Soirée to many young and old, is a place of magic and wonder. They should be excited to audition for such an opportunity, I thought to myself. But before I could let myself sink into doubt, I thought to myself…

“...Maybe they’re just nervous.” I mutter to myself, holding back tears.

Jonathan sighs. “It seems I’ve hit a nerve, even though I never intended to. I apologize.”

I shake my head. “Don’t be, Please. In reality I should be the one apologizing to all those children. For five years, I was too much of a coward to stop Terry for five years.”

Jonathan's shoes click as he approaches me. He places his hand on my shoulder.

“Going with the Flow isn’t complacency, it just means you’ve chosen the easiest path for both you and everyone else around you. And it’s not like you're done walking that path.”

I stare into Jonathan’s calm gaze. “What do you mean?”

“By signing this document, it’s a confirmation that all of these men are guilty.” He explains, sounding almost indifferent. “And from that point…well, you’d be a free man once again. Free to go with the Flow once again.”

“But, what if they don’t believe me?” I ask him, not wanting to blindly accept his honeyed words.

Jonathan chuckles. “Why wouldn’t they? You’re just going with the Flow, while allowing justice to be served.”

Holding the pen in my hand, I look down at the signature line. My fingers start trembling, but then I realize. Go with the Flow.

As I’m signing the dotted line, I feel as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I’m finally starting to make amends for the things I’ve done. It’s an indescribable feeling.

“You’re a good man, Mr.Cross, so much so that I bet you won’t deny my next request.” Jonathan says, while putting the paper in his blazer coat

“There’s more?” I ask in shock.

He shakes his head. “If things like this were easy, then imagine the hysteria. Besides, from this point onward, you’re a deadman.”

I shoot up to my feet from my chair. “What do you mean?”

“Oh come now! No one’s gonna hurt you, we’re kindred spirits after all.” Jonathan says with a nod, while stretching his arms outward. “Lets just say that to everyone including your family and loved ones, you just couldn’t handle the guilt of your crimes and…self-deleted.”

“You mean, I’m not gonna see my family again?” I ask, instinctively grabbing his shoulder. He glances at my hand and I let go.

“Just between me and you, after all that’s happened these past few months, I can’t imagine a reality where you would be able to live a normal life again. Which is why I have an important assignment only you can finish.” Jonathan explains with his same tinge of indifference, as he straightens out where I grabbed his blazer.

Even though the alternative is a life in prison, I still can’t help but feel a bit slighted by his lack of transparency.

“Well, what is it that I’m supposed to be doing?” I ask, as Jonathan is walking towards the door.

“Patience Spencer, I will send for your pickup after I get this contract submitted to the higher-ups at the police department. The next few days may feel like an eternity, but it’ll be over in a blink of an eye, compared to the sentence you were heading towards.” He says with a wave of his hand as he’s heading out the door.

As the door shuts, I’m met again with silence. I sit back in my chair, letting everything that just happened to me sink in. I suppose anything he would have me do would be better than spending the rest of my life in prison, but there’s one thing that I now know for certain.There are scary things I have yet to experience in the world, along with scarier people, and that man is by far the most terrifying…

Opening my eyes, I see a small puddle of my blood on the floor in front of me. I wonder why my mind chose to recount the moment I met that man. Is this what they mean when your life flashes before your eyes? If so, then why did it start from then? Oh, I know why. It’s because that’s when this new life of mine started.