55 Prayer: 03

Impressive how the course of my life changed in a few weeks. I could never have guessed how far from my objectives I would get and still be so close to achieving them. What intrigued me the most while I sat on the kitchen counter was how a single person was responsible for most of those changes.

I couldn't sleep even though my body requested it with urgency. My mind was too electric to settle down, thoughts were coming and going at the speed of light neither giving me time to consider nor dispose of them. There were too many things happening at once, things beyond my control. Staring at my newest screens I could feel the cold haze of anxiety crawling off my stomach, passing through my heart and into my throat.

Unable to find answers I sank my face into my hands and let myself feel the tip of my fingers scratch my skull. The sensation was extremely pleasurable, nothing is better to distract the mind than something as primitive as a touch.

Near the glass wall a big screen opened by itself, interrupting my angry relaxing massage. At first it was only the leadership logo, the announcement of an official broadcast. Not once that logo was used to introduce good news to the people.

Replacing the eye that mounted the three towers, the image that followed struck my heart.

"Citizens of Tier-1, I'm here today to celebrate with you all."

"No…" - a faint inaudible whisper was all I could provide as a reaction. Sleepwalking, I stood up from my chair and headed to the high windows.

At the stairs in front of the City Tower the man stood behind a white podium. Heavily armed Force agents occupied each step of the staircase positioned in a triangular formation with him at the highest point. Finally, at the base of the stairs, kneeled down, the image that froze my blood. Three figures with their faces covered by the Mask.

In every screen, in every building and in every centimeter of that gray morning sky there he was, standing on a pedestal over living corpses.

"As you know, it's my duty as the chosen Leader to look after our home, to preserve the progress we so hardly work for."

Even though that perfectly staged scene was everywhere the only thing I could see was the three bodies at the bottom of the stairs.

Who were they? Did we know each other? The slum was a gigantic place, yet I felt like I knew those people closely. What if...

"To secure Tier-1 at the top on the world ranking, I can count on the City Force to suppress any attempts that might disrupt the peace in our great City."

The more I heard, the stronger my stomach pain got. What happened that morning? Did they find anything?

"Recently our police architectured and precisely executed a strategic incursion into the lower tier. As a result we have successfully detained and neutralized a theorist cell that had been walking our streets."

Impossible, they couldn't...

"Today I bring you the responsables for bombing the houses of innocent people while injuring dozens of honest policemen. All of those atrocities were done just to selfishly stain our legacy.

However, monstrosities will not stay unpunished under my watch."

Three agents stepped closer behind the masked trio. Shaking while dark dots stained their clothes, they grasped for each other's hands, holding so tight that the image of nails piercing the flesh took over my sight.

"I, as the protector of this City, bring to all the respectful citizens of Tier-1, this celebration of justice."

As much as I wanted to close my eyes, I couldn't. The bond between them was so desperate, yet so real. I kept staring at those white fingertips even though I wasn't really seeing anything.

After what seemed like an eternity of thoughts later, the loud sound of boots on the ground preceded the fall of the three masked bodies.

The boots echoed throughout the city, as fireworks on new years eve. The resemblance between the two sounds was sadistic and could only come from that man.

- What was that?

A disheveled Officer walked into the kitchen the second the transmission was over. The image did not go away. Three more souls taken by that greedy son of a bitch. He wasn't done yet, that was only the beginning of a new phase on his plan.

- Hey! - a hand landed on my shoulder. - Are you okay?

Abandoning the ocean of buildings already back to being covered by plastic surgery ads, I forced myself to look into her eyes. What would she have said about the announcement?

- We need to get moving. - under the surface all I wanted was to get inside one of those rooms and hide under the covers until someone came to kill me. However, staying would also culminate in a confrontation with the Officer and in that case I preferred to move.

- Where are we going? - a third person came out of the hallway.

- No. - I said without a second thought.

- Yes!

Louise was the stubbornest person I had ever met, that is why I wanted to leave her locked in her room until everything was sorted out. I only wished to be alone, that wasn't the moment for complicated relationships.

- There's no way in HELL you are coming. - the blood on my veins suddenly boiled, making a tug war the last thing I needed. - You'll stay here because if you leave this apartment you'll die and there's nothing I can do about it.

The room went silent. The volume of my voice screaming in my ears. Once again the tied hands popped up spiking my temples at once. There was no room for me in that loft.

- I'll need your help, Officer, if you may.

Feeling my bones shake with something I didn't recognize as fear or anger, I grabbed the delivery bag I left on the kitchen counter and headed out without looking back.