2 Ch.1: Bizarre creature

I tossed the pen in the air before shoving my head on the desk. 

Thud.

Damn, it hurts. My face lay flat on the side, with my eyes looking at the tablet a few inches from me. The light emanating from the rectangular box lit my handsome face until it died down after a few minutes of leaving it untouched.

"Argh!" 

I scratched my head in frustration like a madman, my shoulder-length hair was freed from its tie and it cascaded on my face. Now, I'm annoyed. I should have gone to a barber when I had the time instead of wasting time in my bed. Now, I'm too busy to even go.

As an artist, I should possess tremendous and unbreakable patience in doing artwork. My mind should be creative, and imaginative, and have boundless ideas. I should have an amazing focus and visualization. 

Yet here I am, inside this small studio seeming to lose my mind in this feeling of hopelessness. Now, what is it that's making the great painter lose my focus and patience? 

It was because my hands didn't work the way they normally do. On top of that, I got bored and annoyed from trying to search for a reference on the internet because I couldn't find someone willing to pose for me.

Oddly enough, my work doesn't feel the same when I'm using a virtual or a printed reference instead of painting it the classical way. I want my subject to be right in front of my eyes, not for any other reason, but so I can play with perspectives, and shadows and portray the unbiased and unedited façade of the subject. 

Unfortunately, no one wanted to accept my offer, even when I included on the job poster that I would pay a handsome amount of money. It was a pity that nobody wanted a good-looking one-time payment.

"ARGH?! WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND A NUDE MODEL?! IT'S NOT LIKE I'M GOING TO MOLEST THEM, RIGHT?! I'M JUST DESPERATE!" 

I couldn't help but shout my frustration. My words echoed within the walls of my studio. I had been commissioned by a curator of an average adult gallery for my realistic nude paintings to be displayed, two pieces in each sex with different body features. But my cursed hands won't hold the brush the same way unless I'm looking at an actual model!

Just to be clear…I AM NOT A PERVERT.

I slammed the desk like a maniac hitting a cow's butt, my fist clenched, and on my face slowly emerged a wide grin that one can describe as borderline evil, with my eyes sparkling in delight as if I finally saw enlightenment.

That's right! Why did I not think of that in the first place? One less nude painting would be so much better than nothing at all.

I whirled around the desk, stood in front of the easel where a blank canvas was, and stared for a while, before turning at the mirror in the corner of the room.

"Hm. My body isn't that bad. But how can I draw myself? Should I draw while looking at the mirror?" I cupped my chin and thought of another way. It took me minutes to decide.

Moving the eclipse-shaped mirror beside the tripod, I adjusted the slope of the mirror while admiring my beautiful visage – according to me alone, before whirling around to check my posture like a pageant candidate turning a quarter, a half, and finally a whole. I'm not like 'that'. I'm just focused and desperate.

Now, I'm satisfied. 

I took off my oversized shirt which hadn't been visited the laundry for three days now, and tossed the smelling cloth over the desk. I tied my hair in a bun again, revealing my fair and lean shoulders. 

I'm not a workout maniac but I do exercise sometimes so my body isn't that skinny. I'm tall, a hundred and seventy meters at least, and my facial features were just average – but I'd like to call myself handsome. For boosting my confidence.

My shoulder-length hair was a darker shade of brown, and my eyes were lighter than my hair. The only distinctive feature on my face was the tiny twin moles at the edge of my jaw, near my right ear. It's like a vampire's bite, but the vampire slipped and I got bit in the jaw instead of the neck.

I was ready to pull down my pants, but my actions were halted when from the corner of my eyes, I saw a figure standing behind me, reflected in the mirror. 

My body froze and my palms holding the belt of my ripped jeans sweated profusely in terror. The hairs all over my body stood. It was a relief I was still wearing my lower garment. 

Don't look, man. Steel your neck. Don't look. They said if you ignore a ghost, they would just ignore you, too. 

I stiffened my face and body, vowed to never give a double look, and checked the figure I saw as some horror characters should. I swallowed the lump in my throat and breathed deeply, before jovially singing a song. Yeah, a gospel song for a weapon.

"Ahem. Ahem. YOU ARE…MY LIGHT!!! YOU'RE THE…LAMP UPON MY FEET!!! ALL THE TIME MY LORD, I NEED YOU HERE!!!!"

I sang as if my life was in the hands of danger, but my voice might actually be the one bringing danger to me instead. I hope I'm in tune.

When I raised my hands like a lunatic praying at the flickering bulb in the ceiling, I actually forgot I was holding my pants, so they slid down, leaving me almost naked in front of the mirror! Breaking my ritual to fend off the ghost, I bent down in haste and pulled up my pants while turning my head away from the reflection. I shouldn't look. I'm not scared. I'm not calling the word 'M'. I don't have it anyway.

It was already too late when I realized the direction where my head turned – stupidly, it was in the direction of where the figure was!

I jumped after seeing a man in a hooded jacket. 

I screamed, very lightly, out of fear, but upon closer inspection, the figure didn't seem like a ghost at all. I carefully and slowly zipped my pants and did the button while not breaking contact with the guy whose face was hidden from my sight. 

I needed to fix myself first, so I could run out of the room without worry! If people saw me running naked in the street, then they might really call me a pervert!

I grabbed my shirt from the desk and wore it again even if it smelled. Now, that I looked presentable, I finally let myself blink since my eyes were already hurting from staring at the man without blinking at all. What if he vanished once I blinked? Then, suddenly appeared in the corner of my eyes? I might pee myself.

I glared at the unknown man, "Who are you? How did you get in?!"

No answer. Is he mute? Deaf? Foreigner? He should learn my language if that's the case! Why should I compromise? He's in my land!

"Are you a model?! Then strip already! I've got no time! Deadlines in a week! Chop! Chop!"

I grabbed the pen and pointed at the seat where the model would pose. The guy moved in the direction I pointed, he slowly turned to me with both of his hands on the hood, taking it off his head.

Clak!

The pen fell. As well as my jaw. I rubbed my eyes harder and harder until they reddened but the figure in my front was unchanging. I fell backward, my eyes growing larger and larger until my socket was a millimeter away from rolling out my skull.

The man started to walk closer to me. My throat tightened. It was caught. I promised I didn't take any drugs at all. So, why am I seeing things? It's not real, Atlas, right? Slapped yourself to check!

Pak!

It hurts. It didn't disappear. It's real. I'm dead. 

I'M DEAD!!!

SOON!!

What the world has gone into?!

"W-WHAT ARE YOU?! DON'T COME CLOSER!"

The headless figure stopped. My breath was caught in my throat as I witnessed something unbelievable and terrifying. It was unreal, yet I sat there like a bullied child, waiting for the next kick to land on me.

[Downloading Audio Recording…]

"W-What…?"

I stared at the man with the head of a tablet where letters were blinking and hidden lines kept circling below. I stared in horror. 

Then I thought, what kind of creature had the body of a man and a computer monitor as the head?! Is it a robot? Who created such a revolting thing like that?! At least give it a mouth, nose, and eyes! 

I should be terrified, but my OCD's kicking.

[Download Complete]

The tablet began speaking, "Good day, Mr. Atlas Sterne. You have been chosen as the main protagonist of the novel 'SAVIOR OF THE WORLD'. Congratulations! You have been bestowed the power and qualities of the former protagonist. Your key responsibilities are to help humanity battle its enemies and save the world from its impending doom! The guardians will guide you to your 'ending'. Good luck, Mr. Atlas Sterne!"

The tablet blinked and snapped off.

I gaped in shock as I watched it grab its hood like a normal human and hide its head again. What shocked me more was the fact that I didn't even realize the shape of its head was, even mistaking it for a nude model!

Baffled out of my wits, I stood and grabbed the hem of the tablet's jacket. Only the jacket. I might faint if I feel its body or maybe I might get electrocuted.

Gathering my courage, my lips still trembled slightly. But my stupid mouth voiced out a rather different response, "Y-You're a cosplayer, right?"

I nodded to myself after realizing that my stupid mouth had just involuntarily exclaimed a point. Why did I not think that? Who in the world will believe and fear something like this? Only fools will!

"YOU MUST BE!" 

I shouted; my fear changed to anger as I thought that the guy was messing with me. I'm already stressed and problematic with my lack of models, plus my impending deadline. How can I believe such rubbish and shake in fear like a fool accidentally held a live wire?!

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME DUDE! I'M ALREADY STRESSED AND SLEEP-DEPRIVED YET YOU DARE MESS WITH ME! DO YOU NOT CARE FOR YOUR SORRY LIFE?!"

I puffed out my chest, feeling proud of my achievements. Yeah, that's an achievement. I had never yelled that loud toward someone in public. But since he was in my studio, I felt braver. I could summon all my painting weapons here and defend myself if he ever attacked.

Mr. Tablet slowly turned his head toward me in a very slow motion I almost yawned. Did it get infected? Bad processor? Overheated?

The tablet's hand slowly reached where the chin would be if it was a head, and I patiently watched him press the button in the center. The screen lit up blue and took a minute to load before it displayed another message.

[Opening Zoom Video Conference…]

What? Again?!