Thunder rolls and lightning clashes across the sky as a cold wind moves in. The ship cuts through the waves like a dull blade against bone and throws Doc all around on board. He managed to come to a deal with the two creatures he stumbled upon on the beach, Bob and TK, and they’re all sailing across the Sea of Bargaining towards the mountain.
Doc salivates at the thought of getting closer to his goal and with every flash of lightning he is teased with it looming in the distance. The obstacles behind him were stomped out and shoved aside and whatever trials he faces from here on will be handled the same. But those thoughts are saved for a time where he doesn’t have to hold on for dear life.
Batten down the fucking hatches, Dawk!
Doc hears TK yelling at him, but has no idea what he’s saying. The rain has started and it roars as it hits the sea around them. The storm literally came out of nowhere. When the three of them embarked on their journey across the sea it was what you would call a perfect day. Bluish, purplish sky. Two suns. Fluffy clouds. A clear moon. Wretched beast, Doc thinks to himself, while behind him Bob pulls a rope swing the boom around knocking Doc overboard.
FUCK! DAWK OVERBOARD!
Long before any deals were made and long before the thought even crossed his mind; the darkness had already crept in. Unknowing of it at the time, consumed by guilt… anguish… hate… and denial. All which are great disguises for the darkness. He bargained in his head if it was possible things could be different. He wished and pleaded a thousand different ways for a different outcome, but he’s a doctor, after all. It’s his job to be the logical and sensible one. It’s his duty to help those dealing with similar if not that exact same kind of issues. But here he was. Sitting alone in a dark room, with his only companion a bottle of whiskey, he sinks into the deepest and darkest places his mind could take him and that is where he stays.
Loss. What a terrible feeling. The snowball only gets bigger with his depression. The time away and the life he was trying to attain meant absolute zero now and everything he built he was ready to burn to the ground. Which it basically did so with little to no effort as his company became unbearable and all of those left around him voluntarily removed themselves. This life was no more.
He stirred in his chair and as a drunken slumber began to take hold, he was startled awake by an icy chill that left his breath as a mist. Frost accumulates on the windows and a painful shiver takes over his body. Still dizzy from the whiskey he pushes himself out of his chair and stumbles towards the window. He’s unable to see through it now and his fingers stick to it when he touches it. The freezing cold gust blew on his neck like a door swung open behind him to the frigid air outside.
He then felt a presence behind him. Turning around slowly he saw the smoky shadow ominously waiting in the doorway.
“May we come in, good doctor?”
The figure moved like a woman, but like a cloud of smoke that would get manipulated by a quick movement of air. Each seductive step towards him made the knot in his stomach grow tighter and the softball he was trying to swallow wasn’t helping matters either.
He says nothing and pulls the chair back up behind him and takes a seat. The shadow does the same and sits quietly opposite of the desk to him.
“We’ve ssssssssseen you, Doctor. We’ve ssssssssssseen your work.”
An even colder streak of pain shoots from the bottom of his spine up to his head. His eyes narrow. His mind has not yet completely comprehended the situation before him yet. In his drunken stupor, he’s managed to have many dreams the last couple of months pertaining to a darkness following him. Nightmares of patients haunting him. While the good doctor was well-renowned for his good work, not every story is a success-story and let’s face it, everyone’s a critic. We all have our own skeletons in our closet and for some of us, that’s where they stay. For others, the skeletons are restless.
”What is this?”
”We’ve been lisssstening. We’ve heard your criesssss…”
Whimpers and echoes of hellish screams accompany this thing’s words. Like every breath it takes is a painful one.
”We can help you.”
His hand shakes as he brings his almost frozen over glass of whiskey to his lips. He takes a drink and it burns and cools him at the same time.
”I’m afraid you’re wasting your time here…”
The smoky figure gasps or laughs or something. It’s indecipherable. But the smoke begins to swirl around and solidify into a person sitting across from. A remarkably attractive woman that the good doctor could not place. She had long, dark hair and eyes that could light up the skies but end all life as we know it. Her pale skin was flawless and perfect and her lips were cherry red in this black and white world. She smiles and with it she warms the room and could quite possibly set the world afire with it.
“I think you should hear us out.”
Her voice, no longer slithering from her lips but still accompanied by the screams, sounds like a melancholy chorus. She reaches into the gown she wears pulls from it a pink orb. It glows and within it looks like a little galaxy as colors and lights flash and zoom around the small baseball-sized thing. She holds it out and it leaves her hand and levitates across the desk over to him. He doesn’t move and watches as it comes and playfully bounces in front of his face.
“We just need a favor.”
BREATHE MOTHER FUCKER!
TK comes down with two fists against Doc’s chest and like a little fountain he sprays water up into the air with a wheeze.
Doc blinks and sees the beast sitting face to face with him again. The stench of its breath was enough to bring enough sense back to his mind and body to hold back vomit after all of the water in his stomach and lungs had fully expelled.
Well, if it wasn’t for THAT clumsy fool!
Doc points to Bob who is moping around the deck really paying no attention.
Your first time on a boat or what, mother fucker? If you were battening down the hatches like you were told..
TK continues his rant but Doc tunes him out when he realizes the ship is beached.
Wait, what happened?
TK looks dumbfounded at Doc after being rudely interrupted.
Well, if you would’ve let me fucking finish… We were getting off track from our destination and Bob was trying to keep us there. You’re fucking head got in the way.
I’ve sailed abroad before, sir. Through the thickest of storms and stickiest of situations.
Pfft. Listen to this guy, Bob. A regular seaman, he says.
Horse semen?
Doc makes it to his feet and looks around. The ship is on a beach just on the crest of the small forest and the mountain towers over them that he has to take several steps and bend back to get a satisfying look at it.
He had made it.
An uncontrollable smile stretches across his face as he admires the scene and sense of accomplishment flourishes within him. He would love to bid farewell to his new companions, but he’s had no luck in this strange land since his arrival and perhaps his current small strength in numbers would keep him safe during the rest of his journey.
Well, shall we be going?
Where the fuck we going? Our deal was across the sea, Dawk.
Doc sighs and looks over to TK’s companion who is still paying no attention.
I’ll double it.
TK’s eyes light up.
Double it?!
TK wipes the drool from his lips.
I have your fuckin’ word? It’s bad enough you couldn’t even give a down payment, Dawk. And trust? We’re not at that fucking level yet, ya know what I mean?
You have my word, sir. The two of you, I’m sure, know you’re way around this rock better than myself. Further services from you would be very much appreciated.
Fuck, you don’t have to beg. Hey, Bob!
Bob was under the deck at this point and his big head sticks up out of the hole.
We’re fucking rich!
The antenna or… whatever is sticking out of Bob’s head wiggles around for a second and he smiles before going back to his business.
Attack!!!
From the side of the boat comes Corey and Thaddeus! Thaddeus pounces on top of TK and Corey down the hole to Bob and the four scuffle around.
Dawk! Are you okay?!
Startled by Dolly who seemed to appear out of thin air, Doc swings around with his guard up.
Easy, cowboy. Are you okay? Did they hurt you?
Um, no? Not at all. They were assisting me on my way to the mountain.
You ditched us for these clowns?
Of course not! I’m not sure what happened exactly…
Corey, Thaddeus, TK, and Bob continue their brawl as Dolly and Doc talk with one another.
Break it up!
They all freeze and do indeed break it up. They come together at the head of the ship where Doc and Dolly are standing.
What’s the big idea, TK?
What the fuck do you mean? The guy said he’d pay, well now, fifty-thousand to take him across the sea.
Dolly looks back at Doc.
Making deals, are we?
Doc shrugs.
It didn’t seem like I had much of a choice.
These guys are no good bastards, Dawk. You need to be more careful who you make deals with around here.
Hey! We fucking got him here, didn’t we?
Yeah… No thanks to you…
I’m sorry? Say again? Was it not OUR ship that brought him here?
Dawk, if I hadn’t intervened these guys were heading straight for their hide-out.
What’s this now?
What the fuck are you talking about, witch?
Thaddeus hisses and steps forward but is held back by Corey who also snarls at TK.
They were taking you to BOB Headquarters, I would imagine. Probably put you up for ransom or something… Like I said, they’re no good bastards.
So, there’s a guy-Bob and a group-Bob?
Oh, come the fuck on! The guy showed up washed up on a beach. I mean, sure he mentioned something about being a King and all…
The storm?
Dolly shys away from Doc a bit.
That was you? How did--
Look, I’d love to explain this, but if you want to get where you’re going we had better move.
Woah, hold the fuck up here! We had a deal!
There’s no way these guys are coming!
Yeah, Dawk. These guys are nothing but trouble.
Says the frog with the shady past!
The four of them go nose to nose again before Doc intervenes.
It’s true! I made a deal with these fine fellows…
Fine fellows?!
... To accompany me to the mountain. I felt I did not have a choice and in my position I have to do whatever it takes to get there.
The four of them stand down but continue to mock each other from a distance.
It’s your story, Dawk. If you think this is right, we’ll stick with you. Right guys?
Thad and Corey look around and to each other and nod.
DOLLY, THADDEUS, AND COREY HAVE JOINED THE PARTY!
It’s getting closer, my friends. The glorious mountain peak that looms over our heads everyday… Looking down at us… Taunting us…. It moves closer and closer by the day until we see who will take their place on the very top.
I’ve heard the whispers through the halls. I’ve heard the talks between the crowds. There’s no denying that there is certainly a favorite going into this glorious tournament. There’s no doubt that everyone has someone already picked out in their head of just whom that will be. It’s becoming like the good old days again, isn’t it?
You see, back in the good old days everyone just assumed they were, at the very best, second place. They wouldn’t DARE… They wouldn’t DREAM of even THINKING they could possibly be the best. Because they knew the best. They watched the best. And if they were lucky enough they were already beaten by the best.
Yes, I’ve heard the chatter.
What is even better to see is that the good doctor’s path up to this point hasn’t exactly been a gimmie, has it? I mean, we can’t give enough credit to old Demos, can we? The man is a beast, himself, and it was a pleasure to eliminate such a great threat in this tournament in the first round. Just like the good old days, I know that when Demos saw his name drawn and paired with mine that he knew it was the end. A short-lived story is that guy’s life-story, it seems. He carries himself well enough around here, but it’s that big one that keeps eluding him. Even he, after such a short time here, is beginning to realize that there’s no competition with me. Try a thousand times, Demos, your chances don’t keep getting better as the times go. They get worse. Your chances get slimmer. Less likely. Not happening. We’ve established this and THAT, good sir, is the algorithm for success around here. As long as you know that you don’t stand a chance, the better off you are. Perhaps you’ll even save yourself the disappointment and not even involve yourself when you see the good old doctor showing up.
Jenny knows.
If she doesn’t she’s far more dense than I would have ever thought.
She’s been around long enough to see the Doc go down. Her former lovey-dovey Chris Chaos managed to escape with a win and his life, just once, against me. I’m humble. I’m realistic and don’t tell Demos this but sometimes a good dog does have his day. Chris Chaos managed to do just that and he’s another one that projected from that day into a place of Universal proportions.
Jenny knows.
She knows that one time… She knows how lucky Chris Chaos was. And she knows that she just ain’t that lucky. She knows where she belongs and now that she’s been kicked from it she’s trying to redeem a little bit of that Miss Myst flair to not look like a complete and utter failure. The Bombshell Division fell apart because, well, she was the only one in it. Now that the Shooting Star Division is starting to soar…. Guess who got shoved to the wayside. Guess who got forgotten about…. Poor, poor Jenny.
So let me ask, what makes her think that going into something like this is going to go any better? If you're struggling to keep up in one of the most minor divisions in this fine federation, what makes you think you can step up and take what EVERYONE is already claiming to be mine.
I’m sure Jenny has heard the chatter too and I bet it just boils her down to nothing to not hear her name over and over and over again. Another sinking feeling to go with that sinking career as our names were drawn. Another disappointment. Another, oh if I could’ve just drawn a better name I could’ve at the very least made it to the Great Eight! Shame, shame for poor Jenny.
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