Prologue 4: Extras

1) What It Means To Find Hope

It was time for us to leave. We couldn't live here anymore, every day we were here was a gamble with our lives.

"Where are we going, Mama?"

"To your grandparents' home. We can have all your favorite dishes there."

"What about Papa?"

What about him? That deadbeat did nothing but stay out all day. Whenever he got home, he was always almost passed out drunk and... and... I looked at my son, the bruise was a deep shade of purple, plenty more lay hidden and hundreds have replaced the hundreds that healed. If we stayed any longer... I'm not sure how much longer he would have lasted. This was the best way. It had to be.

We picked up our bags and made our way out of the house, careful not to wake him up. We snuck out of the house as quietly as we could. Then a light turned on inside the house as soon as we closed the door. He started yelling out, calling to us. We couldn't turn back. I picked my child up and ran, leaving the luggage behind. It didn't matter. I couldn't risk getting him caught. That monster would kill him if that happened.

"Mama! Papa's coming too!"

To be honest, I don't know what I was thinking when I thought that I could outrun that man while carrying a seven-year-old. We were doomed from the moment he found out. If only we had time to hide.

So I just ran.

I ran like a madwoman.

Then the unthinkable happened.

The whole world went black for a moment.

'Was I dead?'

'Where was my child?'

'Where was that demon?'

Then, light. A vaguely human figure stood in front of us all. "Welcome!" His voice echoed in our heads without Him opening His mouth, "Apologies for the rough entrance. I can't really bring people here any other way. Anyway, sorry to shatter your perspective of the world but you are standing in front of a God." His voice trailed off, at least it seemed so to me...

Thoughts circled my mind, swooping down like vultures and taking turns to peck at my brain.

'God?'

'Was I in heaven?'

'That meant that my child is left all alone. Alone with-'

I tasted bile in my throat.

'I have to get back to hi-'

Then I felt someone tug on my sleeve. "Mama? Where are we?" I turned to see him, as beautiful and filled with childish innocence as always. He was still smiling. Still by my side. I hugged him. I would make sure that no one touches him. I wouldn't let that smile be taken away. Not by his father, not by anyone in this world or any other. I promised to protect him. I was his mother after all.

He pointed into the crowd, "Look Mama! Papa!"

Then I saw him. He hadn't noticed us yet. We would have to stay away from him.

A piece of paper with a mysterious language materialized in front of us along with a quill. I looked at it as my child does the same, me unsure what to think and him jumping around searching for a string or an invisible stand holding it up, waving his hand around the paper to try and hit the support.

He turned to me, "Mama! Mama! Magic!"

I smiled, "Yeah, magic."

I remembered that there was something that I had forgotten in all of this. I turned to check if he was still there, but he wasn't. I began looking frantically for him, worried that he would come out of nowhere and beat us both to a bloody pulp for trying to run away.

I pulled my child close

My worst fear came true. He walked right into me causing me to stumble a bit. Not lose my footing, but I lost my grip on my child who immediately started running to his father. "Papa! Papa!" I turned to try and stop him but he had already gotten too far ahead. I couldn't catch up to him before he grabs hold of the man's leg.

He didn't notice.

He usually didn't notice, but if one of us got in his way, even in the smallest way possible, he wouldn't even need a second.

His eyes, they were set on a goal. I saw it, fixated on God. Fixated on the wish. It wasn't as if he wanted it, no, it looked as if he needed it.

The monster walked up to Him and starts talking to Him. Then God made him shed his skin, changing him into a demon as He killed him. It wasn't a kind death by any stretch. It hurt for sure. He was squirming after all.

It was what he deserved.

But, was that why he was always like that? Yes, it made sense. He was always a demon, he deserved death. I should have run away years ago. After years, I finally felt it again.

After years, I knew what it meant to find hope.

"Mama! Papa's hurting! We have to help him! Mama!"

I sign my contract but I leave my son's contracts unsigned, he doesn't have a signature to begin with so how would he do that? I'm sure God would understand. I was sure God would understand.

My child began to choke. He was gasping for air. He started taking labored breaths. I grabbed a hold of him. I felt the skin pulsate under his clothes as if he was a cocoon for something else. As he opened his mouth to breathe, I was able to see inside. The inner part of his mouth was pulsating similar to how this skin was pulsating. I promised I'd protect him. I had to protect him.

I promised.

I turned to God and asked Him one favor, "God," I began to cry, "My son, please save hi-"

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I feel nothing now. All I know is that my son won't take too long to catch up with me. I'm sorry you had to go through that because your stupid mommy couldn't keep her promise. I'm sorry I couldn't protect your smile. You- you can hate me for it, it's fine. There's nothing for me to forgive in it, to begin with.

All I can hear is you crying out in a raspy voice, "Mah-mah! Mah mah!"

After years, I finally felt it again.

After years, I knew what it meant to find hope and lose it again.

2) To Think Things Could've Been Better

We were meant to be from the start. We loved each other. We did. Nothing wrong with us. The whole world could see it and so could we.

We were classmates from preschool. We were already in a relationship on her 14th birthday. I can't believe I went with our friends' idea to wrap myself in a ribbon and calling myself the present but it was still fun. At the time of our marriage, I was 23 and she was 22. We were both 25 at the time of his birth.

He was a beautiful baby boy. I said that he had his mother's eyes. She said that he had my face. We bickered about who's good looks were inherited by the little angel until the nurses took me away to let her rest. Everything was perfect. Then it hit.

I owned a lucrative business. Fact is it was going great. We had plenty of spare cash just in case. Funny what a simple miscalculation can do though, almost like it was orchestrated. Like there was someone gaining from my suffering, no something was feeding off of it. Yes. That was it. My wife saw it as a series of coincidences, just life dealing us a bad hand. She said that God would save us.

I knew the truth though.

When I told her, she laughed it off as a joke.

I knew despite the ridicule.

After a minute or so, she realized I was serious about what I said. She said it was ridiculous.

Of course, it was stupid to you. You couldn't see it.

I set off to find a new job in an office soon enough. I worked there. My job was to work. After I got home my family was always happy to see me. I can't remember much of that though. It was probably the drinking making me forget. Sometimes they cried a little after I got home. Did they miss me that much? I want to be home more often.

I love my family after all.

They love me too.

I heard the click of the door. I looked around. Where were they? I looked outside the window to see who was there...

They were running away from me.

Why?

Why were they running away?

Why were you running away?

I'm scared of being left alone.

Please don't... please don't... please-

I noticed the darkness chasing me.

The darkness was catching up.

The darkness was behind me.

The darkness was around me.

It was all I see.

It had already taken everything from me.

It had come to take all I have left.

After taking everything from me, it came to take more.

Then the light cut through the dark like a blade. I could see it. Salvation. Was this my salvation behind a road of thorns.

She was right.

I saw It.

I was wrong.

God was here.

She was right.

He's giving out wishes to us.

I was wrong.

I planned to ask the details. Maybe, I could find a way to win for sure in the contract.

She was right.

I walked up to It. My chance to fix it was in front of me. I could get a wish for a perfect life again.

I was wrong.

'They ran away because I was losing money, right?'

She was right.

'Remember to be respectful.'

I was wrong.

'Talk with etiquette.'

She was right

'You can save your family.'

I was wrong.

'You can stop them from going.'

She was right.

I walked up to God

I was wrong.

"Excuse me, but I'd like to know the contents of the contract."

She was right...

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that that I'll be okay with signing a contract in a language I don't underst-*cough*-and." I kept going. I could bring my family back. I could fix it. I couldn't turn back. They won't run away if I could manage to get this. They won't run from me anymore.

I was wrong.

My breath became ragged.

She was right.

My body hurt. My bones felt like they were breaking and the shards were being pushed together. My body was changing.

But was I wrong?