Pessimism (Book One)

Chapter 7: The Vision

As memories began to fill my head about what had happened, I remembered something. When Grant and Elaine were there with me, they were just mere illusions. They weren't there. I don't even think they were there to begin with. So what did I hear? Was I looking into the future? And that man in my dream, I wonder what it was about. The car parked somewhere. I didn't recognize the place, but that was because it wasn't burning anymore. We were at the bar. The fire fighters had left, all there was left was caution tape around the place and a few officers. Not here again. I looked behind me, through the back window. It was still there, the accident, or so I thought it wrong. Grant and all the witnesses said it was not a truck accident and Grant believes it was a crime scene. I didn't understand why. If it was a crime scene and he was shot, why didn't they hear a sound, or find a bullet? Unless there wasn't a bullet and it was planned. But the man was never seen talking with anyone. They say for most of his life he didn't open his mouth, until he spoke to me. His words rang in my hand. I didn't know him, I never knew him. Did I meet him way back as a kid or is this just a joke? Maybe he needed to tell someone his final words because he knew he was going to die. Still why me, there were... no there wasn't. There wasn't many people near him or around him. The streets were sort of empty. Now that I think about it, when I saw his face, he was smiling and even when the car was coming, it didn't feel as if it were there. Did he know me?
"You're going to sit there all day?" Grant asked me. He was outside the car and I was alone. I was out of it again.
"Oh sorry." I was getting out. Elaine was just coming out of the place. They went without me. I was really out of it then. I looked at the time. My watch was broken. It read 12:16. Was this the actual time. I didn't think so, but all the other clocks begged to differ. Maybe it was just an accident or a coincidence. I forgot about it. I thought that maybe my senses will come back to me.
"Nope." Elaine said. what was she talking about. Grant looked at me.
"What?" I asked.
"Never mind that." He looked at Elaine. "Nothing?" Elaine nodded. "Well then this should be interesting. If he left that fast, then maybe we're right."
"Right about what, Grant?" I asked him. They didn't explain anything to me. Grant hesitated before replying.
"Jeff left and I think it's because we have the upper hand. But let's not think about that, right now we have to figure out the guys identification." Grant said in a hurry. I wasn't buying the Jeff thing.
"Why? I thought we had nothing to go on. I don't even care about this man. Can I call my mother at least? Just so she doesn't worry." I asked.
"I already did and she's perfectly fine." Elaine told me.
"What did she say?"
"She wasn't worried if that's what you're asking. She just thinks that you're having fun with your friends."
"Fine" I said. "I don't know why we are so fixated on this man, but if it means getting me out of here, then I'll do it." I realized I had no umbrella. I went under a store's hood and covered from the rain. Of all people, why me? I looked at the store name. This was never here before. It read: "Coco's Chocolate Box." That reminded me of so much. Dad used to take me out there to eat chocolate. I didn't think they had businesses all the way here.
"Wait!" I had an epiphany. "If this shop really is here, then so would the killer. He couldn't go very far in this rain, so might as well set up camp here and stay until the rain has gone away."
"And you got this from a store?" Elaine didn't sound convinced.
"Well it's a hunch, but maybe the killer is... right here. What if he was one of the witnesses?" I walked around. "Do you have a list of everyone you spoke to?" I asked Grant.
"Yep."
"Well call them into your office. Interview each one and find out which one is lying."
"And where are you going?" Elaine was starting to sound suspicious. I knew what was going on and this Elaine was staring to find my flaw. But there were first to let out they're bad disguises.
"I just wanted to go into the store." I lied. Elaine was reaching for something. Probably a gun. Grant hesitated when I called him. These two are just posing as them.

"You aren't going anywhere." Elaine pulled out the gun. She clicked it and was ready to fire. She fired twice as I rolled behind the car. These two. I reached for a rock and threw it at her. She just dodged it. Grant wasn't next to her. Shit. I ducked and Grant slammed a metal stick on his car. The real Grant would be so angry. I kicked Grant right by his cheek bone. I brought him down to the car.
"Grant doesn't have brown eyes, imposter!" I squished his face harder into the car hood. He kicked my leg and I fell backward. Three shots. I rolled away. I was in the open street. No way was I going to get away from that gun. Elaine's hands were shaking. Her hands never shake. These two just keep on failing. When did Grant and Elaine became these two? I getting worse at remembering things. I ran up to Elaine. Her hands were very unsteady. She missed every shot. I grabbed the gun and threw it into the sewer. I kicked her leg and flipped to the wet ground. Grant came behind me and I took him down just as easily.
"Who are you two?" I asked holding their feet down. I was surprised that not a single officer came running to help me. Unless...
"You lose kid." She said. The officers pulled out their guns and fired at me. I ran behind a car. I noticed that my arm was shot. I could still move it. They kept firing at the car. At this rate the car will explode. I have to think. Yes that gadget. I searched my pockets. When I found it, I was surprised again by its appearance. The pen was a gadget. It was a laser guided bullet. I only had three shots. I looked above the car and there five of them, including Grant and Elaine. I'll shoot the three officers down and take down the other two. I fired my bullets. Each one of them were like standing scare crows. They were easy to shoot down. I brought Elaine and Grant down on the ground, again.
"Who are you two?" I asked again. Deja vu. Elaine was always speaking.
"we're none of your concern." She laughed.
"So then I'll ask, where are the real Elaine and Grant?" I was trying to keep from killing them. I don't know why I felt so.
"Them? They couldn't last a minute with the boss." Grant chuckled. "I'll tell you one thing, you won't find-" I punched him. I searched his pockets.
"What are you doing?" Elaine asked.
"Shut up." I found what I was looking for. It was a phone. I searched through the unprotected phone. I uploaded the messages and there it was. Grant's and Elaine's location. They were here. They were... in there. I looked over at the burnt bar.
"They're alive." I whispered. "But how did they get trapped in there?" I walked forward. When I was inside, I heard voices. They weren't Grant's or Elaine's. It was one voice. I had a feeling I knew who it was.
"Jeff?" I asked. I held a metal pole. "I know you're there so you can get out." The shadow was right ahead of me. Like before, Jeff came out of the wall. I could never get used to his face.
"I've come to talk Ean." He pronounced it right. His voice was fine, like a normal man's. "I see your hand is doing just fine." I looked at my bandaged hand. I mean it was okay.
"So, where are they?"
"Who?" He grimaced.
"You know who you damn monster."
"Oh right." He walked closer to me. "What do you call them again, 'friends'? I don't see why you would be so fund of them."
"What? I will kill you if you come closer." He continued to come closer, not caring about my threat.
"I mean, they didn't do anything for you. Except help you escape from a prison."
"A prison?" I didn't think it was a normal prison. Then that means the barrier was real.
"Oh yes. After that you were out for awhile, or that's how they found you. It was just a test I made up to see how strong you are." I noticed something. His white face looked tanner than usual. And every time he turned to shake his head, I would see a mark of tan.
"I will strike you." He was in front of me now.
"Oh shut it, if you were to actually attack me, you would've done it by now." He was whispering in my ear. For some reason my hand was trembling. Jeff stepped back. He was wearing a coat, a very long coat. It was black, making him look like a white torch. He opened his coat and revealed what was beneath him. It was a bomb. Jeff was crying. Now I knew it wasn't truly Jeff.
"Who are you?" Today was full of trickery I assume.
"Oh me, I'm just Jeff's little toy. I'm his puppet. No when this bomb strikes zero... Well you get the point." The man spoke. Ten minutes.
"You son of a..." He interrupted me.
"Nine minutes. Tick -tock, don't you want to find your friends?" He smiled. I threw the pole down and ran into the back of the bar table. How long did he have that on him? Was he just slowing me down? He distracted me for sure. I looked for a break in the floors and walls.
"Don't worry Ean, you won't be seeing me or Jeff again. What was that? Did I hear you sigh?" He mocked me. "I'm not joking." His voiced echoed from the front. I searched everywhere. They were nowhere.
"One minute!" He yelled.
"Damn it, they're nowhere!" I yelled back.
"Bingo." He said. What? This man was lying. Not only did he distract me once, but twice. I ran for the exit. I heard him laughing. Let's just hope I make it out in time. The alley door was right ahead of me. I heard a loud explosion. I felt bad for this building, not only did it burned down once, but it'll be twice now. I looked behind me. The fire and debris came rushing. For no reason I leaped. The air was so strong I flew away. I hit my head against a metal garbage can. My vision was going blurry. Am I dying? The ashes were still falling. I tried to move my leg. but it was on top of a wooden door. I laid down on the ground and closed my eyes. I'll suffocate if no one finds me. I remembered something.

A Vision

I was in Grant's car. We were headed to where Elaine was. She was taken by a bunch of thugs. They weren't normal thugs. She desperately fought for her life. They held up a knife to her neck.
"Grant!" I yelled and he fired his gun. Three bullets right into his back. That was one of the four thugs down. Three arrows came from above us. Two of the three hit Grant. He pulled them out of his arm. They were strong. Talia left, she was automated.
"What next?" He asked me.
"What?" I didn't know what he was talking about.
"Well you are the "Sorcerer"." He told me. I'm the what?
"What are you talking about?"
"Back then, you didn't think that was all my gadgets doing." He pointed to the wall and the image of me back in the prison appeared. I remember that part. Then I should've died.
"You are the "Sorcerer"." He repeated. "Now help her." everything was starting to become extremely confusing. Everything was deja vu. I had this same exact dream, not too long ago. Actually it was the same day I met Grant. Why couldn't I remember? I had seen him too, and it wasn't enough to jog my memory.
"Then this means..?"
"Yep, you're dreaming." He smiled. An arrow ran through his neck. He fell to the ground, dead. A dream? Elaine was in the same condition. A hand pulled me into a brick wall. It was all white. I didn't know where I was, but I was in a white room. I thought I was dead.
"Hello." Said the light. "Welcome back."
"Back? Who are you?" I asked it.
"You'll soon understand it all, Ian the Sorcerer." She said. Her voice was very delicate. "Now you mustn't die. Wake up." Her voice echoed through my head.

Reality

I got up. I was still in the same condition, but I was wide awake. I kicked the door away and pulled out the stake from my arm. It healed instantly. I miraculously made it out. I was coughing and my lungs started to feel better. A white light shone around me. I didn't know what was going on, but I had to find them. The light pulled from my body and started moving on its own. It was showing me the way. It wanted me to come. I followed it and an image popped into my head for some strange reason. It was my dad. I started crying and the sky rumbled. Why was I thinking about him? I followed the light.
"Grant! Elaine!" I will find them, and then go home.