1 Where It All Started

"It is said that someone who makes themselves stand out from the rest, will absolve themselves of any of the burdens of life that come with being considered "normal". But ever since I was put into this world, I'm starting to wonder what exactly that word is and why I am not it."

This dark, agony-filled voice echoed through the dark shadows that enshrined the room, not a ray of light would enter or escape. Just pitch-black darkness. Then, it speaks again.

"Maybe, if I turned out as "normal", I wouldn't be this way; depressed, in a constant battle with myself, and more importantly a battle with others. Why is it that something that I was given has ruined my life more than I could ever have?"

It seems now this voice has begun giving its life story. There was no sentient being attached to this voice. There was no person -- or perhaps there... was a person?

"My name used to be Rian Hunter Slidely. I'm dead now --- everything caught up to me in the end. I was nicknamed so many things in my lifetime that now I only remember myself as "The Predictor." It revealed more information. But it was no longer just an "it". Why was Rian known as The Predictor? What did he do to earn that nickname? Was it derogatory or insightful?

Suddenly, the dark façade of this dark hellhole erupts into a giant fire of white light. A huge portal into the past appears. It's solid glass, but almost ghostly memories begin to play through it. A waft of smoke inside a translucent, giant ball. For the average "out of the ordinary" day, this was the next level. But who was Rian speaking to? Not only is that the question --- why is he speaking to them? Without a moment to ponder, Rian steps --- or rather, floats, from the shadows. A grim extraordinary ghost figure, with no sentient or stereotypical characteristics of what a ghost would be. There is no halo, but rather just emptiness filled by what can only be assumed is the stormy clouds that forever shrouded his natural life. He couldn't have been happy if his now escaped soul is continuing into a prosperous free afterlife with such melancholy. His wings were present on his back, but they were so small and couldn't provide much flight ability. Instead, he hovered, not bothering to look like all of those "normal people" that wanted so much to be.

"Step forward, Kalyani."

Emerging from the bitter black light, as if she had stepped into the headlights of a car, was also another ghostly spirit. She overlooked the impregnable glass, and then over to Rian. Her spirit too was caught under that thunderous cloud from her previous life --- there was no kindred carefree dialect that was where these two were. They weren't in hell, but it certainly seemed like it. Perhaps, in the darkest areas of heaven? There is no knowledge. Suddenly, Kalyani begins watching one of the various playthroughs beneath the glass, as if she were watching the usual Sunday night game in the NFL.

"I remember this about you, Rian. Your father, when he left your life. That's when everything kind of... got worse for you. You never told me why he left."

"Isn't it obvious, Kal? He didn't want anything to do with me. I confided in you to stop thinking about it, and I never brought it up because it hurt so much. But I don't think you know what happened before you showed up."

"I guess I didn't show up in time to stop you," Kalyani said with almost a whimper.

Wait a minute --- play that back...

Oh wait, in real life, you can't go back. You always have to keep moving forward.

"It wouldn't have changed anything if you did. I couldn't do anything for anyone and it wasn't ever going to get better for me. Everything would just keep driving down in a spiral like a screw into wood."

"That's frivolous and you know it, Rian. I was there for you. Everything could have gotten better for you. You never gave it the opportunity because you were stuck in yourself."

"You really think so, Kal? Then let's take a look at what happened to me. From the very beginning. Then maybe you'll see why we're both here -- why everything happened the way it did an -- K-Kal? Look at me!"

Rian looked over to Kalyani and observed her back turned towards him, obviously in some type of disdain and disagreement.

"I know exactly why I am here, Rian," she begins to turn around, with a wave of almost fire-like anger and hurt filling her eyes, as she begins floating towards Rian. Rian looks around and tries to shift away, seeing her imminent threat. "but I don't think you understand the full scale of what you took away from everyone when you decided to end up here."

"I did what I had to do to end the hurt. I couldn't continue, Kal, I- I... it was too much.."

"Maybe for you. Maybe for you, the hurt ended --- but you piled it onto me and onto anyone else who ever l-"

And now, silence. Their lips move, but there's silence. Presumably, this argument will just continue until the both of them run out of any will to continue. It seems like Kalyani has a very disturbing past and a large role in Rian's life --- is that why they're both here? Something could probably be learned from that glass ball over there. A look inside is probably how someone could make sense of the argument that just erupted between these two. It's time to go back to Rian's earliest memories --- excluding his birth --- and see what his childhood was like.

Maybe then --- and assumably only then --- will it be known why Rian wanted to be "normal."