1 Beginning

It was raining heavily that Sunday morning and the wind kept on crashing at his small apartment's fragile window. He kicked off the blanket that was his only source of warmth and stood up to get ready for his job. He would not have to if he could but 'It's all part of the job,' he heard his partner's words in his mind.

Not even bothering to make the bed, he showered quickly, enduring the freezing cold of the water and picked up his most decent clothes among his not-so-decent wardrobe. He raised his prized posession-- his camera, where all of his after graduation savings went to, from the stand next to his bed and slung it over his nape.

"You got to work with what you have." he said to himself.

He never liked his job as a newspaper photographer nor he ever liked taking pictures. He knew nothing about cameras nor a thing about the field he chose. Anyways, he loved to travel, to be on the road or on the walk, to witness magnificent events that his world could ever show and so he chose the job and that cheap camera that he could afford at the time.

It was not very long until he got used to holding cameras and taking the proper images that could be branded as "acceptable". After waiting for the rain to ease, he left his apartment building and walk down the streets to his work. He thought of his working partner, a writer on the same newspaper company, and how easy she was to work with. His partner easily accepted him even though he was ignorant to whatever field he suddenly barged into. She thought him all the stuff he had to know and even gave him pointers on taking good shots that could 'define the story by itself,' that was what she was used to tell him.

He took a turn into a narrow passage that could bring him closer to his company building. He thought of his partner's reaction when she noticed that once again, he was late on another Sunday morning. They have an event to cover, Today, as he remembered. They were supposed to be on the road by now, driving their way into the Election office to witness who are going to file candidacy for the Mayor position on the upcoming election. But then he thought, 'No person of high status would ever go in the Election Office this early in the morning, will they?'

He took more turns that he, himself, found very unusual. He glanced around to check his surroundings that baffled him even more. 'Where am i?' He said to himself. He took a step forward to the wideness of the high way where people in business suits and uniforms were crowding the sidewalk. He blended in to the crowd and let his feet walk themselves to their destination. He seemed to "know" the way but also, he don't.

A roar of engine and a series of car horns blew behind him turning some necks among the crowd. A speeding car passed him, leaving a breeze of wet wind and went straight ahead. Not even a minute passed a loud crash was heard. A journalist that he is, no matter how unexperienced or ammateur, he rushed into the scene. He took out his Identification card and wore it along his nape. He raised his camera slightly, ready to take shots. The car hit a lamp post along the high way together with a civilian in a ragged clothes. Blood were oozing from the civilian's head with no more signs of life. He took a picture of the scene and glanced around and to his surprise, the driver was nowhere to be found. Yet, what shocked him the most was the people around them kept on walking straight like nothing happened on the site. He turned his neck some more, observing the faces of the passers by, watching their eyes closely but none of them ever glanced at the scene. None.

His thoughts raced and his breathing went heavy. He ran to wherever direction without him actively knowing. A minute later, he found himself on the front door of his company building, loosening the weight on his shoulders. He rode the stairs up to their office and went looking for his partner.

"What are you doing here!?" she shouted when their eyes met from a short distance. She sounds angry, a very unusual behaviour for someone like her. She walked fast towards him but he couldn't grasp what was happening nor stop the sweats from flooding his body.

"Wha-," he stuttered. "Aren't we going to the Election Office?" Her face showed a series of confusion and her brows curved even more.

"W-wait!" he picked up his camera and pressed the gallery button and showed his partner the picture of the earlier scene. "Look, an accident happened on my way here. One fatality and the driver was missing."

She swatted his arms forcibly that he almost dropped his camera. "Hey!"

"What are you doing!?" she whispered. "You can't take pictures like that or the King will go for your head!" he got even more confused. 'King? There was no known King left alive in this country' he thought.

"The King?" he asked, his breathing unstable and his hands shaking.

"Yes? The King in which will be crowned Today that you are supposed to cover! Wake up, John!"

Wait. What? I am not John.