Part 2: Chapter 5: Ingress
Hanako begins the ascent down the final steps of the hill, the glowing anticipatory lights lie in soft blankets of black night. The rain has ceased almost completely, now a barely discernible patter on the stalks of grass, left un-hewn. She reaches a doorway, cut unceremoniously into the barren side of a concrete barrier, left unattended and remiss. But she is not held back, the negligence of this entrance only encourages her motivation and resolve; only fuels the fire she has long kept burning.
Stepping over rocks, heavy in solidity as contrasting to the essence of her spirit, she finds herself primarily in front of the arched doorway. Lacking a door, she assumes the passage will be easily attainable; step through, examine, decide, stay, or leave. Simplicity, its lack of authenticity is her setback, and she feels a smooth gust of wind; as if a warning. Her hand reaches up, bringing an air of authority, and she runs her thin fingers along the curving frame, a dark green paint covers its splintered form. A sense of intrusion grasps her, berating her with atrophy, and she pauses, a final tilting movement towards the opening in the wall, and falls through. Her footsteps glide in, careful in her manner, and she finds herself on the other side of the vast expanse of concrete. The view retains her careful past.
The village is large, consuming the valley, and laid out in a wasteful manner. Each building has more than enough space around its walls. It is immense in its exaltation, seeming to lighten up the darkening night.
She walks through its streets; no more than fading dirt paths alongside the houses, and with great curiosity comes the realization: she is alone. At first, it is in an emotional sense, the flickering lights of each house seem to portray some type of humanity inside, but; in a quick sidestep into one of the open doors, her solitude is greeted with a physical aspiration as well. She no longer feels the apprehension that fueled her excitement. In a trance like state, she wanders still, where she finds herself is a tall house at the other end of the circular encampment, its variances from the other houses intrigues her. She approaches it, carefully walking on the stones laid in the ground for guidance. She sidesteps a tall protruding object, thrust into the grass with great force, and examines it. A spear; or something like a spear, a weapon nonetheless, and she pulls on it.
Stop.
She turns, her eyes wide, and notices a tall young man coming toward her, he has the straight back of a distinguished person, and the long strides of someone with purpose.
Stop touching that. It signifies strength and irrevocable solidity. If you move it loses that denotation and you will have destroyed something beautiful, surely you don’t want that?
No, Hanako says, I’m sorry, I did not know what it was, and I thought I was alone here.
Clearly, you were mistaken. His look of annoyance has faded, but he still seems to hold authority, as she is in the dark with cordiality here. I am here, and… some others are as well.
Oh. I apologize for my intrusion.
As you should.
You emanate hostility.
Indeed.
You aggravate me.
Thank you.
She stands up straighter; higher, and faces him closely, her nose inches from his,
Will you cease to perturb me?
If you would explain your presence here, as it confuses me as to why you wander at night, in the rain.
Many are confused by me.
I am with that many.
Good. She says, a lacking of deference her goal, and steps past him, looking over the walls and houses to the mountains beyond. They seem so distant now, her impertinence for this boy is quieted with the pretentious view of wonderment before her.
I came because I was curious, curiosity is a blind ambition, but in a foreboding sense, I draw upon the unknown, the reoccurring web of colorless emotion.
Yes, and you will find none here. Come with me.
She follows him into the house, its walls are abundant in emptiness and the floor lacks character as well, filled with the ghostly outlines of lightness where furniture once stood. He leads her to a room of great variation, filled with bookcases, couches, a desk, a fire, tapestries of worth hung from the walls, and large curtains shielding the outside from the light.
Sit, and then wait. He says with impudence, a mark of his distaste for deviations. She does, and as he leaves, he answers her unspoken question, my name is Trevor.
She waits, and what will befall her? She inherently stares at the fire, a busy collection of impunity. It jumps out at her, then falls back, almost lifeless for a moment, only to reintroduce its anger at random points. She ponders this, how can humanity relate to the arrogance of flame? Humans lash out in covert terms of rage, just as a fire can be imitatively calm, then still burn a hand when touched. Arbitrary values seem an assessment of human nature, while flames leap out of the ring of protection at indiscriminate moments as well. As well as nature, humans will destroy their path as they walk it even if only to further their position on the same path. This only promotes the notion of illogical hate in human faith.
As she advances her mind’s interpretation of flame silently, she notices a woman walk in, keeping in the dark corners of the room, out of reach of the fire’s prying light.
Part 2: Chapter 6: Conviction
She is short, the woman, and Hanako can barely even discern her face in the shadows. She stands from the chair, and walks to the fire, blocking out its essential lighting and as she does, the woman steps out. Without a moment of hesitation, she says calmly:
My name is Jane, and you shall place faith in me as have all newcomers. I can entrust a worth of greatness in you, and your benevolence shines through your silence. You are pristine, and I envy your genuine lack of affability.
Jane’s comment surprises Hanako, she has never inherently come off as lacking in sociality, and she moves forward to be closer to this curious old woman.
I… fail to see your integral point in calling me unapproachable, it surpasses me why that is an initial impression of me. Maybe, perhaps if your eyes could have seen me in more recent times, it could be assumed that I am of a certain introverted background, but… just because I speak only when justification is evident does not mean I am thoughtless.
Yes, I am aware of your mental criticism of us all.
I mean not to criticize.
No, you do not. But, she places her hand on a table and stares at Hanako, nonetheless you do. What can we make of you? Answer me this, though you seem to be errant as of this moment: can one search for a truth they know not of?
Hanako gazes out the window, a visible excuse to break Jane’s conscious gawking.
Indeed. In retrospect, it is easy. If the errand is done in the right contemplative method, and all the obvious truths are answered, it will come to them.
Have you personally reached that truth yet?
No.
Then what serves your right to answer me?
Hastening displeasure greets Hanako; she has never introspectively conversed with another of such disquieting conjectures. It is as if the woman is vividly extracting Hanako’s fearful thoughts and acting upon them instantly. It occurs to her that this woman is less than accommodating, maybe even mercilessly berating her questions for no reason. Hanako blinks her long eyelashes slowly, in sudden realization of her impulsiveness.
I cannot answer in full as of now, but, those who do not attempt a sequential existence have no right more than I. I sense that a great deflection has reproached you lately, and I wish not to… intrude on your controlling reception of me, but I must leave.
Your departures grieves me, but, if it is so, take this with you.
Jane places an incandescent figurine on Hanako’s outstretched hand, the piece no larger than a pebble, and closes her soft eyes. Her body falls deeper into the chair, and seemingly loses color rapidly, an instinctive reality if her imminent transience. Hanako straightens her slouched back, once bent to see the subjective object in her insipid palm. It is a small cage, detailed in its extreme miniature size, and holds the likeness of a tiny human figure inside. The small person, its gender unknown due to the minuteness, falls around the cage as she moves it, hitting the sides and turning upside down. As the enclosure is made of silver metal, the figurine inside is cast in a lighter material, almost white.
Thank you. She whispers to empty air as she departs the chamber, the fire growing low and cold in its loss of presence.
Part 2: Chapter 7: Regress
She steps out, her adherence to silence still in form. And, striding forwardly to the gate marking her exit, she hears a faint call, no more than a whisper. Her name. She turns, engaging her eyes in a closed position, then opening them to see Trevor standing on the steps, his hair blown back and over the right side of his forehead.
Yes?
I want to come with you. You present knowledge unlike any I have met before, and I assume you could engage my learning as well.
Hanako turns again, stepping outside of the angular perimeter of this house, and inwardly began a struggle of her utmost animosity. Letting this slightly defensive boy come along with her would distract her from her integration of justified thoughts. She may lose the distinction between persistence and obsession, she may face great recluse of her journey, the factual evidence of her intellect. In a light voice, she answers, attempting to explain her adamant decision.
I am sorry. But… I must travel in solitude, as it relieves my mind of the sociality that adjoins friendship, and I cannot bear that thought. To have friends, to have… companions, would inhibit my emotions. I seek answers, and the truth lies hidden in solace, not in camaraderie, so, I entreat you to explore, regret everything, while regretting nothing. It is a negligent existence we were placed in, it is your duty to challenge it, to explain it, while it is mine to question it. Alone, we are as one.
He stands, fallen. But, the hope of his inheritance lies deep in his dark eyes, his knowledge of delay and impertinence sending him to a state of excitement; he is a crucial key in this puzzle of the world. He can exemplify actuality. Trevor waves, his fingers lingering in the dark air, then retreats into the depression of the house. She watches this, then turns her head to face the irrepressible rain.
Part 2: Chapter 8: Ambiguity
Hanako continues her pace, an integral piece of her journey is that she does not cease to wander. Her mind wanders, sending her thoughts to the ghost again. It was her core, this much she knows, it was the very being of her essence. Essence; she knows this word to be a focus of her presence. But, a lonely thought invades her mind: can it think? Does it have the privilege of conscious thoughts? Or is it such an exact replica of herself that, due to the form of only having one true Hanako, it cannot comprehend existence, locked in this world with no conscious knowledge of what it is? Or, the thought creeps into her soliloquy quickly, horrifying her, is it the real Hanako and she the ghost? No, this cannot be, she is so aware that she knows this to be a falsity, but… the thought lingers.
It is with care that she strides, passing by the hollow and empty houses, knowing there is only one inhabited building in this lonely village. She questions this, wondering what became of the rest of the village.
The sky has adopted a violet glow, the moon casting its vividness into the hollow clouds, streams of its light shooting out at angles. She marvels at this wonder of nature, her eyes bright and vibrant, questioning. The answer she seeks is unknown, a truth she cannot comprehend is within a graspable reach of her, yet she remains unprepared for its arrival, and seeks it nonetheless. Her dark hair blows forward, into her eyes, forcing a barred view of the world, fuzzy and grey. The violet in the sky begins to shift to an average color, the beauty ending. She reaches the wall that marks the end of this village, and stops.
What can she do? She knows that leaving will impend change, and in her young eyes, that is positive, but the rapidity of that would leave her off course, wandering aimlessly again. She realizes that having a destination is priority now; to journey in ignorance is considered loss. She is not lost, she stands in front of the wall, staring blindly at the doorway, considering her many options. Return to the imperfect society she just left, which would be illogical, discounting her obvious intrusion and inexperience to their customary practices. Leave this interchangeable community, innately continue her adventure, ceasing to care for the apparent atrocity behind her. Stay here while disregarding the flagrant humanity behind her, ignore a group of people that desperately require assistance. But, Trevor is strong, she considers, and he can surely lead them towards the destiny they deserve. The options weigh on her, begging to be decided on. All of them recurring in her head until she regards each one with struggling consideration. Personally, she feels each choice in her mind instigates damage to herself while helping others, or hurts the society of knowledge while aiding her own existence.
She steps forward, her mind decided. She places a hand on the rough surface of the wall, closing her eyes and recalling the standing stones in the field where she met her ghost, essence. That image of imperfect perfection stands out in her mind as an inspiration, an idea forming in her mind. She withdraws the statue given to her by Jane, examining its straight lines and covert aptness. Smiling, she places it on the ground, between the two walls that make up the doorway, representing the trapped state that lies within these walls. But she is aware of her ineptness to help, they must escape on their own. She has hope for Trevor, he seems solidly encamped in his control.
So she steps out of the village, evading the small statue, impressively standing, seeming to capture the attention from everything else.
Select Page below to Continue Reading…
