iGoober
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Prologue
"
Oh, where to begin? So much has happened as of late, and the world seems to have turned upside down. Well..., I suppose the beginning is as good a place as any to start off; so let us begin:
If for better or for worse, the world had changed drastically since the spread of the virus. Spores had infested many a city, and no one knew exactly where the infestation began. Troubling times indeed - and perhaps it would have ended there, as just that, a problem; one that would be swept away by time and soon forgotten, but none were so fortunate. The effects were something of a dilemma. There were cures for disease, to an extent. And the plants could always be replanted. But what was the cure for... a monster problem? What was the solution, exactly? People were at a loss for words. It seemed unreal, as if from a sick fantasy. Loved ones turning into creatures of some sort of deluded nightmare, and for what? But life never seemed to provide a straight answer, but neither do humans really. To what degree do we consider to be a 'lost cause'?
Our world is filled with many a different and colorful character, what shall this world hold for us? Shall we watch this play out? Yes, let's, for there's nothing better than a good story, so long as it's not yours.
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Monster Index
A female creature which feeds off the misfortune of others, the banshee stalks those who are closest to death. Their empty eyes harbor the souls they've consumed, and it's said that their song is the wailing of the deceased. These monsters can be found roaming grave sites, if they're not hovering over a potential catastrophe in the making.
Age: Seventeen
Gender: Male
Height: 5'6"
D.O.B: Sept. 9
Bio: Shion was born in a small village not too far off from the red zone. It was a quaint little place to live, and one could easily find it to be attractive, but then again, there wasn’t much people didn’t find to be accommodating now-a-days. Any place free from monsters was a god-sent, and any location devoid of spores gave one peace of mind.
The village was bordered by a barrier of charms, trinkets, and seals. As a child, Shion had always thought it to be silly, but in reality, it was the only thing keeping them even remotely safe. After all, that village was once a town and, before that, a city. But it had gone to ruin; the remaining survivors retreating to the confines of the abbey. Shion always wondered: what had they done to deserve this? Had the human population grown too large for its own good? Did this god people spoke of feel ignored? Or were they just bad people? He didn’t want to accept that. He knew for a fact that his mother was a good person, and that his father’s kindness was unequaled. So why…?
The Journey Onward
“Stay within the walls,” they said, just one simple rule; yet it seemed so hard to follow. Perhaps it was his choice in friends or perhaps it was his choice in judgment, but either way, the ending was the same.
It had been almost a year since their last visitor, and Shion could remember it as if it were yesterday. It had to be one of the most exciting things to happen since the chicken incident, where eight of the chickens escaped their pens and ran about the abbey grounds. It was chaos trying to catch them all. And they never could find that last one, but they knew it still had to be there, as one could occasionally find its small footprints in the mud after it rained. Other than that, life seemed to pass by rather uneventfully, and Shion would spend the hours daydreaming or staring beyond the walls of the abbey from the highest window. He imagined what it was like out there past the walls of the abbey; dreaming of traveling the world one day. When I’m older… he always thought. Yes, childish dreams were always the best… and always the easiest to crush.
A cool breeze blew through the abbey. Clouds covered the sky and the trees swayed back and forth in the breeze, making for a calming scene. It was Sunday, and everyone had congregated in the church. That is, all but two. Shion stood at the edge of the abbey with Mel. There were other kids in the abbey, but none of them seemed to have the imagination that Mel had. He was curious and reckless, and that’s probably what drew Shion to him. The two would often spend their days together talking about the outside world. It all seemed like harmless fun at the time, that is, until they were standing face to face with the abbey walls.
“What do you think you’re doing!?” Shion had asked in a slight panic.
“Well, what does it look like I’m doing,” Mel replied, as he attempted to throw a brick over the wall for the twelfth time.
“It looks like you’re about to do something stupid, that’s what!”
“You mean ‘we’re’. ‘We’re’ about to do something stupid,” he said with a grin; the brick finally catching on something on the other side, as he tugged on the rope.
“Who said I was going with you…,” Shion retorted.
“Uh, well, duh. Of course you’re coming! How long have we talked about going past these walls, and now here’s a chance and you’re gonna wimp out?”
“No! I never said that,” he replied defensively,” I… just don’t think it’s such a good idea is all.”
“Wimp…,” he chimed.
“Oh, shut up and start climbing…” he said. Mel smiled broadly, seeing as he’d won so easily. He could be such a push-over.
Shion was surprised, when they had actually made if over the wall. Considering it was Mel, he was sure his plan would fail and they’d go falling back to the ground. He must have really thought this through [for like, ten minutes anyway]. Past the walls, it didn’t seem much different. The space was vast, and wherever you turned there were trees. Shion had nothing against nature, but he wanted to see other villages. He wanted to see towns; cities even. “This is-,” but Mel was already bounding ahead of him, Shion had to run, just to catch up. They walked for hours, and it felt as though they could go anywhere, see anything; be anything.
Each Sunday the two would sneak out and go into the forest, and each time, they’d pretend they were traveling the world on some sort of quest. They imagined they were pirates, knights, kings: anything they could think of. And for a time, it was good, and yet, all the while, Shion couldn’t help but feel as though they were being watched. He had brought this up to Mel, but the other simply told him that he was being paranoid, because they were somewhere where they shouldn’t be. Shion accepted this. After all, he couldn’t so much as snatch a cookie from the kitchen without caving in afterwards, thinking that someone knew what he had done, when in reality, only he was any the wiser. Considering he had come this far, without breaking the news to someone was surely a personal best. Even Mel admitted to this feat, and all he did was call him a goodie-two-shoes. Shion never really understood that phrase, but it didn’t really matter, all he had to know was that it was directed as an insult.
Week after week went by, and Shion couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being spied on. It got to a point where he was checking behind them every few seconds to see if anyone was there, but no one ever was. There was a time where he didn’t even want to go past the walls of the abbey, it had gotten so bad. He felt foolish for being so worried. It wasn’t like they knew of the dangers that lurked outside the abbey walls, no one ever told them, but no one ever thought they’d be out there either. He was right to be afraid; if only that innate fear had kept him from the forest, then maybe, just maybe, it could have ended better. When it happened, neither Shion nor Mel knew what they were up against.
“What are you two doing out here? You shouldn’t be out here!” a female voice echoed. Mel turned to Shion with a disapproving look that only a kid can give you.
“You told, didn’t you,” he said with crossed arms.
“What, no I-“
“Now, now, you two, it doesn’t matter who said what. You shouldn’t be out here in the first place. It’s far too dangerous,” she stated, leading the two back to the abbey.
The walk was silent and unsettling. Mel refused to talk to him, and the woman who walked them back hadn’t said a word since she’d found them; in fact, Shion couldn’t recall ever seeing her in the abbey before. It wasn’t like he made a habit of remembering every face he saw, and it wasn’t like there were many people within the church to begin with, but he believed he’d remember someone if they had skin as grey as hers. But one mustn’t judge others, even if they have unkempt hair and haven’t seen the light of day in months. Shion kept quiet on the way back. With Mel as irked as he was, there was no chance of conversation there, and still, the lady hadn’t spoken. He was at a loss for words either way. He hadn’t said anything to anyone, but given the situation it wasn’t like the evidence was in his favor. He tried to deduce an answer to the problem, as best a ten year old can, but no matter how he looked at it, it didn’t quite make sense. Mind straying away into his thoughts, he almost fell over as he bumped into the woman, as she abruptly stopped. “Sorry,” he said, but the woman didn’t say a word and Mel still refused to talk to him; nonetheless look at him. He didn’t blame him though, it did appear that he had let their secret escape – and knowing just how much trouble they were in when they returned was bad enough. Anything would have been better than this, or so it seemed at the time.
They had walked into a small clearing. The ground was barren and the trees had all died, it was almost as if a fire had miraculously sparked to life; engulfing but a small portion of land before dissipating into nothingness; yet there were no ashes or scorched earth. A nightmarish scream complimented the dismal scene perfectly, as a terrified Mel lay on the ground crying and with half a leg missing; the woman standing over him with the other missing half of his leg dangling from her open jaw. Draining it of its color and letting it fall to the ground, she promptly tore the boy apart in a frenzy, breaking his neck in her frivolous attempt for blood. Seeing as she had completely mutilated the body beyond use, she quickly turned on the only other living thing that could give her what she wanted. Red eyes and barred fangs advanced. Paralyzed by utter terror, Shion could barely move an inch. What just happened? He was right there, perfectly fine; just moments ago they were digging for buried treasure and now- now he was a bloody pile of disfigured limbs. The creature that stood before him could no longer be called a human-being – the whites of her eyes black; the red irises just barely visible past the mess of black hair; not to mention the grey skin and fangs. Jutting towards him, she latched on to his left arm, teeth sinking in and draining out the blood, before dismembering it. He screamed, but was too scared to even cry. All he could do was tremble in fear for what was coming next, as she gripped his head in her hands. Her fingers were ice cold, as they ran through his hair. It was as if she was sapping the life out of him just by being so close. He didn’t want to die, not like this. Without hesitation, the creature dove in, biting into his neck, as if it were a loaf of bread. So easily did the teeth bore past the skin and muscle, and so agonizing was it to endure. The monster of a woman reeled back, hissing and screeching in a fit of pain, something lodged within the roof of her mouth. It was a small tooth wrapped in string to be worn as a necklace. He and Mel had found it lying on the ground and thought it’d be neat to keep around. It had been Shion’s turn to wear it that day… The world around him began to fade in and out, eventually disappearing from view, as the pained screams of the woman rang in his head.
By the time he came to, darkness had fallen upon them; the moon setting above the gruesome scene that was to be the death of him. The woman’s figure lay not too far off in the distance. Unmoving and lifeless she laid there, a small pool of blood encircled around her face. Shion sat up, his head pounding. He dared not look in the direction of his friend, for if he had, he didn’t think he’d be able to look away, not without falling apart. His fingers clawed at the ground as he fought back the sadness that threatened to consume him. Was this what the world was really like? He wiped away the tears that dared to overwhelm him, as the thoughts of “if only” flooded his mind. In the end, he couldn’t even be ungrateful, he was alive after all, somehow. He slowly turned his head to his missing arm, but instead found it fully intact. His hand immediately rose to the side of his neck, which he found to also be in one piece. Had it all just been a dream? No. She was still there, lying on the ground, motionless. And he was still… he caught but a glimpse of the mess before instantly looking away thereafter. And he was still dead. He wanted so badly to say this wasn’t real and withdraw into the safe haven of his mind, but this was real, and this had happened, and he was still, somehow, alive. He had to stand up. He had to get help. Shifting about on the ground until he found the strength in his legs to stand again, Shion walked back into the forest to find the abbey. It must have been the adrenaline, for he’d never had such an easy time moving through the darkness of the night, and within minutes he could see the roof of the monastery. He neared the abbey, the walls almost visible past the thicket of trees. He could almost make-out the gate, but was stopped in his tracks by searing pain. He stumbled back in a brief daze; the pain dispersing until it was completely gone. He looked around warily, but found nothing to be there. He stood up, moving forward once again; only to have the same thing occur. He gripped his arm until the burning sensation fled. What was the problem here? It took a while for him to notice, or even consider, as they had passed it by idly, so many times. He reached his arm out to test his hypothesis and quickly drew it back when the burning sensation ensued. He couldn’t cross the barrier. “The barrier keeps us from evil,” the nun had said, but he only now knew what she meant. Looking down at his arm, he could now see it was as pale a grey as that woman, that creature, had been. A disquieting wave of nausea swept over him. He couldn’t be like her. He wasn’t like her! This wasn’t okay. He stood there, blank. What was he to do now? He felt so tired, and his limbs so heavy; the weight of what had happened weighing down so heavily on him, he felt as though he might collapse. What was he to do, if he couldn’t go home? To no longer see his parents, no longer see the ridiculous grin on Mel’s face; to no longer worry about something as trivial as whether or not the nuns would be baking cookies. And as easy as it would have been to simply give up there, he couldn’t. He couldn’t let his life go to waste, not after what happened. He had to make his life worthwhile, otherwise, why had he lived?
Before setting off on his journey, which was no longer a luxury of childish fantasy, he retrieved the necklace from the creature’s mouth. She was as displeasing to look upon in death as she was in life, although her features were a little more distorted in death. It seemed fortune had been in his favor, as she had been poisoned. Apparently, there were monsters other than her living in this world. Tying the broken string back together, Shion dawned the necklace, leaving the place he’d called home for good.
How Could You Be So Callous?
The world was far crueler a place than Shion had anticipated. There were monsters left and right, and all considering, people weren’t very generous or accepting when they-came-a-knocking. Wherever he went he was turned away. People either thought he would infect them all, somehow, or they were too put off by his eye that they couldn’t even look at him. Could you blame them though?
By the age of twelve, he had seen things that would make a grown man cringe…
By the age of thirteen, he’d thought thoughts that only a mad man could justify…
By fifteen, he’d done things that made him question whether he still had an ounce of humanity left in him…
And by seventeen, he wondered if it even mattered anymore.
He’d grown to learn a lot about the world he lived in. It was a shock at first, given the abbey had been such a sheltered place, but who knew when he would have found out when there were monsters in their “backyard” if he hadn’t left. Perhaps if he had known, he would have never left, and thusly, none of this would have ever happened. But there was no point in worrying about “ifs”, it wouldn’t change the “now”.
What Might You Be Suggesting?
It had been years since he’d lived in one place, and it seemed that no other town would accept him. The world was a cruel and mysterious place, but people were much worse. But it wasn’t like he could judge, he was no saint either, not by a long shot. Yet, he finally found a place that would welcome him. He was cautious at first, given this had never happened before, but his anxiety was soon replaced by… bewilderment? Not only had they accepted him into their town, but they had done so graciously and even…, dare I say it, with a hint of enthusiasm. He had been greeted by a kind lady from the castle. The place was more like a kingdom than a town. Although, no matter what or where it was, there would always be people who didn’t quite share the same intense enthusiasm to his presence as this lady had shown.
Being escorted to the castle was odd enough, but sitting in the central room of the castle while having casual conversation was beyond bizzare, and somehow, a tad intimidating. Shion had the feeling he wasn’t simply there for kicks-and-giggles. If anything, they had an ulterior motive, why else would they have been so hospitable to a stranger, and a monster no less. His questions were soon answered by the woman in the chair across from him, the peppy one. “You must be curious as to why we brought you here,” she had stated, though that seemed to be rather obvious. “Well, I’ll tell you.” She went over how the world had gone through a drastic change since the spores infested the planet. She was a researcher; a doctor of sorts, and she found that less and less people went into the practice since the incident. Many were too afraid of the consequences of studying such a blatant offense to nature and a danger to the human race, but she wasn’t like that at all; in fact, she was intrigued by it. Wanting to know more about the creatures that inhabited the far scape of the land, she had, on many occasion, gone searching for such anomalies, and with a small army had successfully captured a good handful of them for research. She didn’t delve into the reason as to why, other than scientific observation, but she did let on to a more troublesome matter. She reflected on it, and for a moment it seemed as though she was going to share this information, but it was but a false alarm, as she promptly continued on. Apparently, there were a few “species” which had eluded her for some time. Shion was ostensibly one of them. By now she was practically hovering over him. “Oh, yes, I’m absolutely sure of it,” she said, buzzing about like a busy body. She obviously hadn’t heard of personal space as she would have gone poking around in his mouth if he hadn’t up and left the chair. It began to start sounding more like an interrogation, rather than a simple conversation between two people. This woman didn’t seem to have an off switch.
“I can’t answer all you questions at once,” he said, overwhelmed by her extreme personality. Not having been around people too often, his social skills were a little rusty, and her default to talk was perhaps the most bothersome thing about her.
“Sorry,” she replied, withdrawing a bit,” but how can I not be the least bit excited about this? You don’t find many sane ones.”
“Sane what, exactly…?”
“Vampires,” she said,” well, any monster really. It’s quite a phenomenon!”
Oh, so there was a name for something that drained the life out of all living things, how quaint… Giving a name to a problem didn’t make it any less of a problem, and so one could surmise that giving a name to a bloodsucking monster didn't make it any less of a- well, you know.
Having unsubtly inquired Shion’s assistance in her pursuit of knowledge, he couldn't find a reason to disagree. It was far better than braving the mess of a world that he had lived in for the past six-seven years; in fact, it was an offer he couldn't turn down.
Homes Decent Home
A month had gone by since he'd arrived in town, and the accommodations weren't too shabby. He had been given a job in a pawn shop, in which he took the night shifts; the grouchy old man who had the pleasure of owning the place took the days. At first, he seemed to just be another old geezer with a bad attitude, but he was actually a lot nicer than he let on, but that was another story. Shion was quite content in the place he’d found for himself. If only it could last forever, but good things never did – that’s probably what made them so precious.
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