The Comer

I was running for my life!

The tropical setting was breathtakingly colorful with big plants, big trees, big flowers and big... I screamed as I fell on the grass-clad ground; a sudden, overwhelming ache spreading from my left foot. The enormous tree root that caused the fall was darkened and dampened with the moist, indicating that it was possibly early hours of the day?

Oh I had to get out of here. That thing... That...

Leaving behind a faint scent of sweat, hurrying footsteps began to pass me by one by one while I tried to pull myself together and get on my feet again. The footsteps belonged to oddly dressed, punk-like youngsters carrying guns on their belts and swords or knives on their backs. Two of them shouted from afar in a language I didn't comprehend. Those passing me by replied in a scream.

I gulped and wiped a wet hair lock off my forehead before managing to get up on my feet. A deafening screech rose from behind the thick trunks as earth rumbled and shook which almost made me fall back on the ground. I started hopping and praying as I tried my best not to loose track of the youngsters ahead. Damn, they were moving fast!

I pressed my lips together. The earth shook one more time. The group almost disappeared in the shadowy forest path. My panting rang in my ears.

I felt a hissing movement behind me.

For God's sake!

-20 minutes earlier-

My own reflection stared back at me blankly as I watched the cars passing by from the ajar window of my living room with a half empty glass of coke in my hands. From the 8th floor of the grotesque apartments located at the corner of Bell Street, streets jammed with the evening horde hurrying back to their destinations seemed so peacefully distant from me. I was cherishing the bliss of not being a part of the artificial rhythm that man created to exploit man.

This was my home and home felt so unhomely.

These high ceilings, these long, flowing curtains that occasionally swished with the evening wind sneaking in, the sofa set across the plasma set beneath the decorative wall scroll set all seemed like a material set up of the evil that continuously sang the sirens' song about the power of currency.

I simply could not fit in a world where you were your business card which defined you, followed you everywhere, fit in others' cardholders and reflected your living standards. Don't get me wrong, I am beautifully reduced to a small, rectangular piece of card stock, myself, thank you. I am a professional, a Bachelor of Arts and graphic designer.

This extraordinary apartment, however, belonged to my parents who had kindly bought it for me for my graduation from the famous University of Sardoni. It was on the outskirts of the Attica City and if I leaned out from the window a bit, I could see its rising rooftops like a gothic castle under the dawning moonlight.

I didn't want to study graphic design. I wanted to be a performer. Obviously, I had wished upon the wrong star as a kid. Instead, here I was, ended up in this transmogrified city where everything seemed surreal and blandly mechanical at the same time. People woke up, went to work, got out of the work and went home as punctually as a metronome. Yet, each light that poured out of countless windows carried a story.

Mine was the story of helplessness, the story of enchainment and the story of living a life that did not belong to me. My life was my parents' dream, not mine; I was the ideal daughter, the ideal sister-in-law, the perfect candidate for academia and the loving pet owner.

Enter, the lovely Carbonel; my 1-year-old Bombay cat. He was the only one who understood me with those huge, yellow eyes of his. His panther-like appearance was a shudder for some guests and that was like our little secret game. I was a loner, anyway, and Carbonel knew it through that special bond between a cat and their owner. He acted strange, almost dreadfully, in the company of such guests. He stared at them for prolonged, eerie periods or hissed out of the blue towards some invisible company or made strange noises in the bedroom.

Soon, the guests were gladly excused and he reclaimed his place on my lap.

Together, we lied on the sofa across the plasma set and began watching the latest episode of our favorite anime or went over the oldies that I downloaded occasionally. Carbonel's favorites were "Attack of the 50 Feet Woman" (the original) and "Let's Scare Jessica to Death" (I think he had a fancy for the protagonist).

I always thought (wanted, actually) how amazing it would be like if life turned upside down and into a movie or anime. How thrillingly exciting it would be if I could don a laser gun, had my hair purple and flowing and battle against the forces of evil... or perhaps, I could have the chance to be evil, myself.

The worldly kind of this battle seemed pathetic to me. In my fantasies, I could be standing on a rooftop, head-to-toe in latex and ready to jump on my next prey in a cat-womanish demeanor. I could be the vixen or the angel, the damsel or the devil... Whoever I might be, I would do justice to the ideals and characteristics they possessed.

How angelic could I be or feel in a world that had genuinely begun to forget it had a humane side and flauntingly claimed otherwise?

I was loosing faith as the hands of fate turned all humanity into the slaves of man-made layouts. Those who fit in survived; those who didn't were either idealized as celebrities or mocked as outcasts. The dilemma lingered, hope deteriorated... Thus, being a part of the flock felt unbelievably blasé to me and the only times I felt at piece were those hours I spent in front of the TV with Carbonel by my side.

It felt as if the TV leaked into the living room; the high ceiling was sprayed in azure, the walls in shades of green, the floor in tile red and, soon, I was floating in the air while jumping from one roof to another after my companions to fight the big bad of the story arch. It was a relief to move against the laws of gravity, the ability even the possibility itself showered me in euphoria.

A sudden pat on my left ankle pulled me back to reality and I blinked at my reflection before turning my stare downwards only to be welcomed with two piercingly yellow eyes. I smiled at the "main guy" in my life and although I could not be considered a looser when it came to guys, felt further relief in his company.

"Hey there handsome", I smiled, kneeled and continued on a soft tone, "Looks like it's going to be one of those nights." With my free hand, I stroked him from head to tail, a favorite gesture of his. He looked at me for a brief moment and started licking his paw to which I smirked and shook my head lightly. He had his way of telling me "I don't buy it lady. Let's get moving to the sofa and only then will I react merrily to your stroking attempts of affection."

Or so I thought... Maybe he was just licking his paw. With a cat, you never knew...

I got up with knees crackling and proceeded towards the open kitchen. Disposing the remaining coke into the sink, I started getting rid of the remains of the dinner and set the plate, the salad bowl and the glass into the dishwasher.

Life... An anime... What a relief it would be to wear the same clothes over and over again. I was too busy killing the world of fashion that I barely noticed the ruffled curtains over the single-hung tilt windows billowed silently.

I started the countertop dishwasher, set the coffee machine for 10 minutes and glided towards the bedroom, pulling my jumper over my head while doing so. The flat was small but the ceilings were high enough to make one feel devoured by its Victorian angle. There were even carvings on the ceilings, patterns on the corners of the walls and I won't even go to the gargoyles on the edges of the building. Tall windows and high arcs complimented its style but this was what Attica City was famous for; reflecting its legacy by preserving the old buildings and keeping that touch alive in the new buildings erected.

The city breathed history while it consumed technology.

I sat on my crimson bed and touched a few times on the digital panel above its head to program a light cradle during my sleep. I didn't like this type of luxury but since I had it, it would feel dumb not to make use of it now and then. Getting up, I proceeded towards the transparent, semicircular shower cabin that protruded from one of the walls and made the necessary adjustments on the wall panel next to it for a 5-minutes warm shower. The cabin door glided into the wall as I stepped in and glided back to close behind me.

For a brief pause everything felt so uncannily quiet. The plastic feel of the cabin floor under my feet, the narrow, tubular space and the fact that I hadn't turned on the lights and ended up in the dark all added up to the coffin effect.

Then, the water poured and it all ended...

In 10 minutes, I was in my velour, thigh-length robe with cute ruffles around its wrists and hem. It was a present from... Anyway, I let my hair dry on its own as I got out of the bedroom. Carbonel, who had been lying curled on the bed and eyeing me ever since I got out of the shower, jumped down and followed me with a purr. It was our quality time and this was Naruto night. As I reached for the coffee mug, he jumped on the comfy sofa and turned to me with erect ears.

With my black coffee sugar at hand, I paced towards the sofa and slid under the cashmere blanket that we both happened to love and turned into the fixture of our nights across the TV. Instantly clad in soothing warmth, I picked the flat remote and realized that the episode was ready. The blinking red light on the corner turned green then disappeared as Carbonel settled himself comfortably on my thighs.

The plasma screen turned on and the next episode of Naruto Shippuuden started across the two of us. This was a rather emotional one since it was going to be Naruto's first encounter with his best friend Sasuke after years. They were teammates once but Sasuke's feelings of revenge weighed heavier than friendship so he took off to train with one of their greatest enemies to broaden his potential and hone his skills to the limit. There was a price to pay and a big one at that. Still, Sasuke was willing to pay as long as his revenge was taken and Naruto vowed to bring him back and dissuade him from this ill fate.

Carbonel twitched as an on-screen explosion boomed through the speakers. A huge crater was visible on the ground. The enormous damage these youngsters were giving to the natural habitat while fighting was simply unbelievable. I was expecting significant flora extinction by the time the series would be over.

Talking about flora, I swear I could smell wet grass like the smell of earth after the rainfall. I took a deep breath while Naruto started running towards the light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel seemed to burst out of the screen and into the room and I swear I could hear Naruto's footsteps right next to me. Funny! The balmy wind that blew into the tunnel licked my face and the walls blended into the light and the sights mixed with sounds...

... I blinked my eyes rapidly while the grass beneath my legs felt cold and moist to the touch. Grass? What grass? I could feel a mild headache as if I bumped my forehead into something but I had more serious problems. I was experiencing a lucid dream obviously for this... this jungle looked far from my living room.

The earth shook and the loudest grumble I had ever heard almost hit me like a blast. From behind a group of trees countless snakes rose up in the air with a man-like figure grasped tightly among their bodies.

I... I couldn't move and just stared in complete terror as the snakes released the figure and a humongous, reptilian mouth ascended from behind the tree tops and tore it apart in his jaws. Fear and adrenaline rushed in my veins I took a step back while the earth continued to shake and the creature went on emitting that blood chilling sound. Just as I turned around and started running, I saw, from the corner of my eyes, indistinguishable shadows jumping and running out from behind the huge tree trunks and rushing towards me.

I had neither time nor the intention to figure out what they were.

I was running for my life!

-Now-

The hissing grew louder and the only other sound I could hear was my panting. I could also smell my own urine as it dribbled down my legs and blended into the knee-length grass. I could not turn around, nor could I move forward because of the numbness of reality that weighed heavy on me.

It was too late!

It all happened in the blink of an eye and there was, there should be an explanation; that much I knew. This was a dream after all and when I woke up, I was going to have one hell of a story to tell by a future camp fire.

I trembled as a foul breath enveloped me before screaming with pain as bullet like teeth plunged into my shoulder blades, wrists, knees, ankles, waistline and crushed the bones. My eyes opened wide, I choked my own blood and panicked with the metallic taste. This felt too real to be a dream and even if it were a dream, I wanted to wake up from it right here right now. I never could imagine my subconscious would play such a foul joke on me.

Oh wait! This creature was the manifestation of the reality I so despised. This vivid dream was the extension of my subconscious and yes I was very much feeling this way in life. Totally in distress at the hands of a monstrous life cycle I didn't belong to... For me, it was such an intolerable parody that I had a burning desire to run from it and most likely end up in a fantsatic world like this.

Nevertheless, I didn't want to be in this much pain... I got it now. So, I believe I should be up any minute.

I...

I hurt so much that it left me unconscious for a split second before I managed to shout, rather in vain and for no reason but fear, with the last breath left in my lungs. Blood poured down from where the snakes grabbed me and I was lifted into the air dripping tiny streams of my life from above to the ground. Further teeth grabbed me by the cheeks and teeth sank into my cheekbones. My teary vision was completely blurred with my own blood and my hearing was replaced with a loud ringing, very much resembling the loud beep accompanying the green line on the monitor beside one's deathbed, as the grumble rose from beneath.

The light of the dawn above me, gave way to darkness as million razors cut through my skin, my flesh, my insides and finally...

... my soul...

-Later-

Crunching of grass beneath boots was heard approaching the crimson stained forest path. Indiscriminable skin tissues were scattered all around, some hanging on the branches. The footsteps stopped abruptly. A female voice could be heard mumbling something in an alien language:

-- translation --

female: ...that?

male: I do not know. A rare comer, perhaps.

female: Huh... So much blood for a single victim. Sad.

male: Sad? Why, we were lucky to escape that deva, ourselves.

female: True. *brief silence* Ours is a cruel world.

With that, footsteps disappeared beneath the trees as the suns rose in the sky...