The gleam of the sun blocked my view but it didn't blur the humorous sign that stood on top of that stupidly square building. A red noodle cup with noodles spilling outwards like some college girl got bumped by an ignorant peer.
Also the sky was pink.
My mouth didn't stay agape for long as a fly decided to take an unwelcome entrance. I coughed the fly out while slamming my fist to my chest. The old intimidating man glanced at me for a second and scoffed before walking forward.
The young man patted my back with an obviously fake smile and an even more faked tone as he spoke, "Don't keep your mouth hanging, lil chick. If you don't catch up, the world gon' chew you up and spit you out crippled."
I wiped my lips and then looked forward towards the old intimidating man that stood impatiently with his feet tapping. The young man with his hands in his pockets walked towards the noodle shop.
Chew me up, huh?
Well, screw you.
I know the guy is planning something and that old man is just itching to slit my throat.
Even with that paranoia in my mind, I took hesitant yet consistently fast steps.
Like an awkward duck that waddled—hah, isn't that fitting?
The young man chuckled before hinting me with his head to keep up. And there, I finally stood in front of the square building that was normal building height (whatever that means).
The big buff black men that guarded the noodle shop looked down on us with judgmental eyes, as if we were murderers.
Well I can't speak for them but I'm as clean as my missing wallet.
They all opened their mouths and without moving their lips, they exploded in personality.
"Sons of fucking bitches, aren't y'all late?!"
Their words didn't seem to faze them but it sure did have an impact on me. My fingers felt the rough ground as I fell backwards.
"Our business is with the boss, not with you,"
The old man said with a sharp gaze.
The guards sniggered at the old man.
"Always threatening looking, marine life. You should take a lesson or two from your friend there. And anyways, boss is mad. Real mad."
Suddenly, my arm was yanked which forced me to stand up. "Sorry, sorry, this took us a bit of time," the young man said as he presented me to the guard like he was presenting a gift for apologies.
The guards raised their brows and asked, "Don't tell me y'all picked up fresh meat?" The guards spoke in surprise.
"I ain't need to tell y'all the consequences of your actions, or do I? Remember, the Soul Count."
The guards took a stressed breath like an overworked mother. "Y'all will keep us shackled to these low lives with your shenanigans..." And the guards continued to rant like we were their therapist.
Even if I were their therapist, you couldn't pay me a million dollars (you could) to listen to this nagging voice.
The old man corrected his tie.
"He's an anomaly," the old man spat.
He said it like I was a mistake.
Hell, I am. He's probably salty I didn't follow through with his rushed order.
I locked eyes with the guard until it broke their gaze. It looked at me from top to bottom before making a pondering sound.
Their expression was unreadable and after dust fell and joined the earth.
Thump.
The ground suddenly shook as the guards took a step forward then to the side. It bent and let us enter.
I don't know where the smoke and mirrors are but what looked like a small box building outside was actually a long hall with a red carpet inside.
The universe had me working overtime with questions that ran marathons in my mind. And yet I couldn't fall back. It'll chew me up.
Hopefully, I'll get something clear after meeting this boss of theirs.
The old man led the way before the young man released my arm which made my posture wobbly before I regained balance.
The cat spoke, "Come on, lil chick. A strange tomorrow is waiting for you," then his eyes narrowed, "Unfortunately," and he walked away.
This guy...
****
We walked the grand halls of the supposed noodle shop that didn't look like it at all. From time to time, an opening could be seen by the side of the halls. The hallway was lit by lights that flickered.
My posture slouched as I walked while the two were chattering which sounded more like an argument than anything. I bit my nail as I shifted my eyes every time we passed by an opening.
One opening had an entire room full of crocodiles in casual clothing, doing golf and drinking wine.
I wiped my eyes like a windshield.
Didn't know politicians were invited here.
One who wore a Rolex caught eye of me and its pupils dilated. Then, it growled. I was yoinked out of there before the croc could take a step and that was thanks to the young man.
"Thank- thank you," I said.
"Keep your eyes ahead. Can't be meddling with others' business," he said.
"Yes..."
And God— I wish I listened.
The other room felt like it held my legs and stunned my eyes completely.
Fully tainted red, like a void of dark blood, and in the center? Hands. They were hands reaching to the sky like they were pushing amongst themselves disgustingly. Their skin clung tightly to their bones.
And the thing they were reaching for—was a child whose head was the size of my body.
Acid climbed up my throat but I instinctively grabbed my neck to choke it back in. Gasp. Sour taste burned my throat.
"Don't bother them," the young man told me. "That's how we hold dangerous things. And stand too close and it'll absorb you."
I looked at the young man with dumbfounded eyes. Absorb me? It looked like it could do worse.
I smelt a grotesque smell of familiar flesh.
Which one was the threat? The hands or mega-mind— I meant baby.
This time, I pulled myself out of my trance.
"You did almost fall to that fate. Ask that moody guy ahead of us," he said with a smirk as he pointed at the old man.
I couldn't focus on his words as my mind was still shook. Like how could they live so casually with something like this in their dorms?
The young man snapped his fingers which snapped me to focus on his words.
"Remember that contract you didn't choose? Yeah, that guy tried to trick you."
The old man. The fish. Back then.
I reached the deepest part of my brain before my memories turned to dots and interconnected to each other like before.
"If you chose that one then he'd have full control of you."
"Full control..." I pondered.
In that moment, I understood. And after that revelation, a grim expression painted itself on me.
If I were to choose the contract that fish recommended then he would have absorbed me and replenished himself.
"And he would have absorbed you and by your standards... That meant death."
So that must have been why he kept trying to keep me alive...
The young man noticed that and carefully crafted a cheerful tone.
"It wasn't one of my proudest moments when I chased you guys down. I'm very sentimental for my things," he said as he put his arm around my neck. "You probably understand, lil chick."
I don't.
And he talked about things like his sister was an object.
"And anyways, I wouldn't even have laid a single scratch on you. If I would have then I wouldn't be standing here."
He said confidently like it answered any question. I glanced at my crocodile watch that continued to tell the time. A deep breath from me... That's unimportant to me as of now.
I looked at the old man with complex eyes as he walked a little further from us.
"I wasn't aiming for you."
You sure?
"It was for that guy, and if you were to even get hit it wouldn't still count because you'd fall under collateral damage."
"And what the hell do you mean by that...?" My voice now slightly stronger.
"These systems. They're pretty dumb. There's always a loophole. Though be careful, that'll get you killed."
His grip on me tightened.
"You humans and these shackles."
"Huh?"
I stepped back.
His grip was released but he chuckled.
"You'll understand."
Knock.
I saw the old man hold the golden doorknob of the giant red door that seemed more like a gate.
I didn't notice we were already here, the end of the hall where statues of a golden bird with bulging muscles flexed.
"We're here..."
The old man pushed the giant red door and cold breeze seeped out the crack. I blocked the gust with my arms to my face.
Which helped but still the inside of the room had a thick smoke with only silhouettes of hauntingly large creatures inside.
And between those hauntingly figures, stood an even larger one, and this one had a voice.
And that voice spoke, "Enter."
Like a command that each strand of your flesh needed to oblige or else they'd be ripped apart.
Instincts grabbed my shaken legs and I found myself inside the room, bowing with the old and young man.
The mere aura of the voice touched my bones and made them brittle as if they were to be crushed by my own weight.
And then the smoke cleared.
And even with a drop of sweat tracing down my forehead, my throat drier than a desert, and my pupils rattling.
I managed to take a peek at the now cleared silhouette.
And the daunting figures revealed themselves.
They were— statues...?
And not only that, they seemed to be like the ones outside.
Golden and bulging in muscle.
I shifted my eyes and saw the being that held that voice. That being scratched its short and poorly grown beard with its face surrounded by white feathers and a red comb on its head. Then scratched its belly that popped out of its brown feathers.
That being.
Was a thirty year old man... In a... If my eyes don't deceive me... Chicken suit...?