Story I've been working on for a while. Interesting? Not? You tell me...


Prologue

I don�t know how long I�ve been here, trying to separate the dreams from reality. To tell you the truth, I can�t tell the difference anymore. I don�t even know where the hell I am. I can�t move. I can�t talk. I can�t even see. I can only dream. And even in that solace there is nothing. Nothing.

�Except for the nightmares.

From time to time, I see them. Dark men, with even darker smiles. They�re the only thing I ever see besides the endless haze of shadows, and if I had to choose one, it�d be the latter. The worse thing about them are their eyes, big, impossibly big, and dark for a while, but suddenly flashing with light. The light, it seems�wicked somehow, as if reflecting their dark intentions. They talk to each other, pointing at me and nodding their heads. Then they fade away, and I�m once again left with the darkness, my old friend.

And worst enemy.

It�s kind of funny. I�ve grown used to the darkness. I find some comfort in it. I don�t know how when I can feel it clawing at my heart and mind, taking even my memories away. I don�t even know who I am anymore, or even if I am. It�s easier to believe that I don�t exist, and that I will always be here, trapped. At least it makes the darkness easier to bear.

~~~
What should we do, Doctor?

���The answer is obvious, isn�t it?

What�? You don�t mean�?

Yes, dump it.

But, Doctor�

It�s a failure, and a failure isn�t very useful to us, is it?

Yes, but maybe we can�

There�s nothing we can do. Hey, you two. Take this thing and dump it somewhere. It doesn�t matter where.

Doctor�

Come. We�ll continue our work on the other experiment. Hopefully, this one will be more successful.

intresting... very intresting. The end is slightly confusing though. More to come?

Chapter One

I was cold when I awoke, shivering even, which was odd. It was never so cold in here that I shivered. Something was different. The darkness didn�t feel as complete. And�

My arm�

I could move my arm. The other one�? It moved too. And I didn�t feel that sense of weightlessness. What was happening? I blinked and my eyes began to adjust to the darkness. I was lying face down on the ground, and I turned my head to the side. And that�s when I saw�

�a wall?

I turned over, struggling a bit because I was so weak. And it all hit me at once.

I was lying on my back in the trash of a dark, deserted alley. My eyes widened at what I saw. The buildings that towered above me, dark and incredible and ominous. A plane, cold and gleaming, crawling gracefully across the sky like a spider. But it was the sky�

The sky was so beautiful, my breath caught. The moon hung high in the sky, big and white, its pale, soft light spilling into the alley. The stars flickered with their own bright radiance, like diamonds caught in the light. I finally exhaled and what came out was a laugh. A laugh of pure, unadulterated joy. I couldn�t believe it.

I was free.

I sat up, grunting with some exertion. Apparently, all that time of immobility had made my muscles weak. Weak, but not useless. I tried to stand, but collapsed to one knee, my breath short. I guess it was going to be harder than I thought. I rubbed my thighs and calves, hoping that that would get some strength in them. Then I realized I was naked.

It�s not like I didn�t realize beforehand, but I had been successfully ignoring it. Too many emotions had been racing through me to really care. But now, as I shivered my ass off, I looked around in the hope of seeing some pants. I hadn�t been in the city in a while, but I was sure that running around naked was �frowned upon�. I saw a pile of trash ahead of me, but I�d have to get up to get to it. I took a deep breath, exhaled, and forced myself up. I wobbled a bit as I got to my feet, but otherwise was fine. I smirked, pleased with myself. I bet it wasn�t everyday that a grown man had to teach himself to stand and walk. But walking was easy once I stood and I went to the pile, hoping to see some kind of clothing. But there was none.

�Well, what do we have here?�

I glanced up to see three men standing in the opening of the alley. They each wore black, hooded coats, and smiles that weren�t quite benevolent. I stood up straight as they stalked slowly toward me.

Might as well ask them for some clothes, I thought half-heartedly. When I did, they all laughed, stopping right in front of the pile of trash I was looking through.

�Yeah, we got clothes,� the guy in the front, the leader I guessed, said as he tugged at his jacket. �Maybe we�ll sell them to you. But first maybe you can explain why you�re in our territory?�

�It�s not like I planned a vacation to this particular alley,� I replied, shrugging. �I just�ended up here.�

�Well, I hope you realize that you have to pay a trespassing fine,� he said with a nasty grin. �It�s just a standard fee of everything you have.�

I shook my head. �Are you blind? Or can you not see there�s a naked guy in front of you. What the hell could I possibly have of value.�

�That�s not my problem. Cough up something.�

I sighed. �I don�t have anything you want,� I told him. �So you all being here is a waste of time. For both of us,� I added.

�Well, if you don�t have the trespassing tax,� the leader began, shaking his head with mock sadness. �We�re gonna have to rough you up. I don�t want to do it, but it�s for your own good. You understand?�

I shrugged, not able to stop the smirk from emerging on my face. People who were in power, or thought they were in power, always said that. �It�s for your own good.� I guess they couldn�t fathom that other people could possess enough strength or intelligence or wisdom to know what�s good for themselves.

�I guess so. But are you sure you want to do this?� I asked.

Now, I know how this looked. I was backed up against a wall, literally, and three ruthless thugs were ready to beat me to a pulp. Why wasn�t I afraid?

The leader laughed and looked to his buddies. �I don�t know. Are you guys sure you wanna jump this guy?� They smirked and nodded, and the leader looked back to me, his eyes gleaming. �Yeah, we�re sure.�

�I�m not sure,� a new voice, female, arose from the darkness.

I chuckled, in spite of the situation. It seemed like the alley was turning into a regular party. I looked past the thugs to see a young woman standing in the same spot the they were a few moments ago. The only difference was, she was toting a gun that looked like it should�ve been hooked onto a tank.

�Now, how about getting out of here?� she suggested softly, the gun raised.

�I don�t think so,� the leader laughed. His friends also laughed. I guess they weren�t paid to talk. The leader looked from the girl, to his friends, to me before that nasty grin re-surfaced on his face.

�Sorry, babe. But I got a better idea.� Before anyone could react, he whipped a knife out from his clothes and held it to my neck. �Now, how about this? Gimme all the money you got, and I might not make his neck smile. But�don�t hold me to that.�

The girl�s eyes narrowed, but she lowered the gun�to a degree. I rolled my eyes, despite the situation. If she gave up that easily, then she wasn�t capable of saving me in the first place. Luckily I didn�t need saving, though. The guy�s head was turned as he stared at the girl, so I grabbed his wrist and squeezed.

�What�?� he began, turning his head, but before he could react, I pulled him toward me. As he stumbled toward me, his chin ran right into my waiting fist and his eyes blanked. The two other thugs darted toward me, their own daggers brandished, and I jumped back lightly with my fists up.

The first one that got to me slashed at me quickly, but I was faster as I leaned back. Both of us were off balance now, so I dropped my right foot back to gain some footing and slammed my fist into his gut. I then gave him an elbow with my left, spinning around to see what the situation was with the other guy. Instead he was just backing away, his hands up and his face panicked. I guess he realized he no chance caught between a crazy naked guy and his gun-toting, would-be savior.

�I give!� he cried fearfully, dropping the knife from his hands. I guess he could talk after all. He looked from me, to the woman with the gun who hadn�t moved since she came.

She waved toward the street with her gun and the thug ran away, never looking back. I suppose his friends weren�t that important to him. The woman slowly began walking toward me, a little cautious, her gun still held ready. I sighed to myself. There was just no trust for the exposed stranger in the alley.

�You�re brave to be walking in alleys at night,� she said. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at me. �Especially with no clothes.�

Instead of answering, I bent down and pulled off the thug�s pants and coat, putting them both on. Luckily, the guy was about my size, so everything fit well. I grabbed his shoes but they were too small. Throwing them away, I pulled off the other guy�s shoes, which were more like boots than anything, and put them on. Not bad. A little big, but I could deal.

�Who are you?� I asked, zipping up the coat and putting the hood on. I was still pretty cold, but I didn�t want to put on the guy�s underclothes. That would just be wrong, not to mention a little gross.

�People here usually don�t give out their names so readily,� the woman said, brushing a strand of wavy, brown hair from her eyes. Her steel-gray, seductive eyes.

�Hey, what can I say? Her eyes were damn beautiful. So was her skin. It was light brown, and flawless�and smooth� But I suppose that�s beside the point�

�Okay then,� I said, shrugging. �How about another question? Where are we?�

The corners of the woman�s mouth turned up into a smile. �You�re kidding, right?� At my blank stare, she shook her head. �This is Conurbia,� she explained, her face becoming suspicious again. �Everyone knows that.�

�Conurbia,� I repeated, folding my arms as I thought. Apparently, the woman still didn�t trust me, and with good reason. But, if I wanted to stay alive in this place and know where I was going, I�d have to placate her somehow. Put her at ease so that she could give me more information.

�What�s your name?� she asked, still distrustful. Her finger was still on the trigger of her gun, as if she were ready to blast me away at the first sign of danger.

�I don�t know,� I answered, shaking my head. Her eyes narrowed again, and I sighed, already weary. �I have no memory. �amnesia. Is that what it�s called?�

�Yeah,� she nodded, eyeing me. The gun lowered again and I was able to breathe a little easier. �You really can�t remember anything?�

�Nothing,� I replied. �Not how I got here, my name, my life.� I shrugged and looked away. �Nothing.�

After a moment of silence, the woman extended her hand. �My name�s Aya,� she said. I reached out and shook her hand.

�Nice to meet you,� I said, an involuntary smile appearing on my face. Finally, things were going my way.

She didn�t return the smile, her face grim. �One thing you should learn when in this city,� she said, turning her back. �Don�t be caught outside at night. There are worse things than hoodlums walking the streets, when its dark. And its always dark.� With that, she began walking toward the street.

I smirked to myself as I watched her walk. Worse things than hoodlums? I guess I�d cross that bridge once I got to it. No use worrying now. I walked out of the alley and onto the sidewalk, looking all around me. Lampposts lined the sidewalk, bathing the street in cold, fluorescent light.

�I�m guessing you need a place to stay?� she presumed, walking to the door of the driver�s seat.

�Yeah, you know of anyplace?� I asked, looking at her over the top of the car.

She suddenly smiled coyly, �I sure do.� She got in the car and leaned over, unlocking the door. I couldn�t help but grin as I opened the door and hopped in, closing it behind me. Maybe she liked me more than I thought.

�Where is it?� I asked as she started up the engine.

She put the truck in gear and began driving, replying, �Just my place with some of my friends.�

�And who are these �friends�?� I asked as I leaned back into the seat. I let out an involuntary sigh of satisfaction, as I lounged in the comfort of the beat-up, leather seat.

�They�re people that helped me when I didn�t know what to do,� she said as she drove. �When I was at the lowest point of my life.�

�The lowest point of your life?� I repeated, eyeing her curiously.

She said nothing, however, only stared at the road as she drove. I shrugged to myself. I guess the lowest point of your life isn�t something you want to discuss. Especially with someone you don�t know. So I moved on to other topics.

�So tell me about this city,� I said as she made a left. �Everything you know.�

�Everything, huh?� I nodded and she let out a breath, then started, �Well, I don�t know much about the history of Conurbia�I think it used to just be a city, just like any other place. But I guess that was before Valentine.�

�Valentine?�

�The richest man in the world. Period. When Conurbia was still a small city struggling to validate itself, Valentine came with a proposal. If he helped to modernize the city, get its economy off the ground, and pretty much just pour money into it, then he would get sole ownership. Needless to say, the mayor at the time agreed whole-heartedly.�

�So then�what�s the problem?� I asked, a trifle puzzled. �Isn�t everyone happy?�

�Ask them,� she said, pointing to a group of people dressed in rags on the sidewalk, huddled around a barrel of fire. �Or them.� I followed her hand to a neighborhood of makeshift houses, made out of cardboard, wood, and probably whatever other scraps they could find.

�Why don�t the people just move then?� I asked.

She smiled dryly. �Because there's no place else to go. And besides,� she said, staring at me. �Would you leave your home, the place of your birth, just because something�s pushing you out?�

I didn�t have an answer, seeing as the word �home� had no meaning for me. So I asked, �How the hell can he do all of this? Why don�t the people revolt?�

�Because they�re afraid,� she said sadly. �Valentine has his own highly-trained army and they wield weapons that are far superior to the variety here on the streets. On top of that, he has a secret sect of assassins that can remove anyone who poses any kind of threat.�

�I see��

�But�it�s not hopeless,� she said, surprising me. Her usual cool-gray eyes burned with an intensity and determination I hadn�t seen before.

�And why is that�?� I wondered aloud.

�It�s not hopeless because we haven�t given up hope,� she said, slowing the truck down and stopping in front of a run-down house. �Because we will never give up hope.� With that, she parked and got out of the truck, closing the door behind her.

As she walked to the other side, I thought about all she had said. It seemed hopeless to me, but what she said about not giving up had left me feeling� I don�t know the feeling, but it was odd.

A knock on the glass startled me and I looked into the smiling face of Aya. �You coming or what?�

I got out, closing the door, and suddenly remembered something. �What did you mean when you said there were worse things than criminals walking the streets?�

She turned and walked toward the house, replying, �I�ll explain the rest when we get in. It�s kind of hard to put in words.�

I followed as she opened the door, and she closed it behind me and locked it. It was dark, and I shivered a little, a moment of unpleasant nostalgia racing through me. I ignored it, removing my hood.

�Just follow me, and you�ll be alright,� she said, lifting a rug from the hardwood rug. She then pulled at a floorboard and it opened, revealing a staircase.

A trapdoor? How secretive.

�You go down first,� she said, gesturing toward the stairs. I shrugged to myself and complied. She followed, closing the trapdoor behind us. We walked down the stairs, our footsteps echoing on the stone steps. When we got to the bottom, she flipped a switch and lights flickered on, illuminating a narrow hallway leading to a door. She opened it, and walked in, and I was right behind her.

honestly at first it seemed to be a great beginning to an existential short story, and it slowly started spiraling downward. I love the beginning, but the body just doesn't seem to fit well to what i had hoped for.

The entire thing suffers from terribly simplistic sentence structure, lack of detail, and general feel that it was written for grade school kids.

You mean you actually read all of the shit?

No, I skimmed it. I would have sooner gnawed my limbs off than truly read it.

Guess it's back into the closet you go then.

I'd like to read more...if there is more...