In Pursuit of Wonder

The Overseer

Can you keep a secret if you already know everything?

"You'll never be as good as Messi..." I could hear Mark's faint remarks.
"W-well, my mom said I can be whatever I want!" a kid yelled back.
"Ya mum's a hoe."
"Bullying kids again?" I said to Mark as the kid cries in place.
"..."
"Can you hear me?" I asked.
"I'm just telling them the truth." He replied.
"Maybe you should remove—" I tried reaching for his headphones, but he flicked my hand away.
"I can hear you just fine, Evan."
I chuckle, "Sure..."

I met Mark just a few months ago–I was new in town and was eating lunch on my own before he approached me.
"Hey kid, got anyone with you?"
Who's he calling kid? He looks as young as me. I thought to myself.
"No, what about it?"
He sat down in front of me, "I think Israel and Palestine will collapse soon."
"What?"
I think he's cracked in the head.
"Think about it, since the ancient times they've been fighting over territory." He said.
"Yeah? I think every nation has dealt with something like yhat before. What's your point?"
"They're fighting over sand!"
This guy's a dumbass.
"I think it's more of a religion thing, but okay."

He stopped for a moment–staring at empty space, almost as if he's panicking–before looking at me and saying, "I like you, I'm Mark."
He reached out for a handshake.
I don't think this is the right decision, but I took his hand.
"Eva—"
"Evan, right?"

"Evan?" He called out.
"Oh, yeah." I replied.
"Thought I lost you..." He muttered.
"What do you mean? I'm not going anywher—"
"Your mom and dad filed for divorce, right?"
"Wha—how do you—"
"And as per court orders, your mom will be taking custody of you."
"Wait—"
"That means you'll be moving back to your home town, leaving the city—"

I punched him.
"HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS? WHY DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS?! YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE!"
"Evan—"
"ANSWER MY FUCKING QUESTION MARK, WHO TOLD YOU?!"
"I'm a servant of God."
"ENOUGH WITH THE BULLSHIT, MARK!"
"I'm not lying."
"WHO. THE FUCK. TOLD YOU—"

He punch me in the gut. I cut wind.

...but, something's off.

...everything's grey...

...I hear...voices

...the grieving, the joyful.

...people celebrating life, mourning death.

...dying children, laughing men, women being harassed.

...pleasure, pain, emptiness.

...I hear... no, I feel everything. Everyone.

"He's just a kid..." A familiar voice muttered.
"Dad?" I called out.

Mark slapped me.
"You get it now?"
"W—what just happened?"
"Everything. Pain, Joy, Sorrow, all of the things basic humans and servants could feel."
"What?"
"You still don't get it, huh?.." He sighed, "I was sent to Earth to watch it. Make sure everything goes according to his plans. An overseer, perhaps."
"Who's plans?"
"Does it matter? He'll always find his own way anyway."
"Mark, what's going on?"
"That's just it, you don't get it."
"What?"
"Heh... So, you knew..." He whispered, "...WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP ME SOONER, THEN? WHY GIVE ME HOPE?!" He shouted to the wind.
"Mark, please, what's going on—"
"I KNOW EVERYTHING, EVAN!"
"Wha—"
"WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHAT WILL
HAPPEN, WHAT CAN HAPPEN, EVERYTHING!"

The clouds clear, you can see the sun set by the horizon.

"THE—THE THINGS YOU SAW? THAT WAS A GLIMPSE OF WHAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVERYDAY!"
"..."
"KNOWING EVERYRHING, BUT BEING SO POWERLESS AT THE SAME TIME..." He said as he paced around frantically, "...I TRIED TO SAVE YOU, EVAN. I TRIED TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY TOGETHER!"
"Mark, please—"
"He's gonna send me back down. I'll disappear, and you'll forget this ever happened."
"What? Who's he?"
"God or... whatever the fuck you humans call an omnipotent entity. Whatever, he knows now."
"What do we do?"

He sat on the floor, all egged up, muttering one word.
"Think, think, think..."
"..."
"It's futile, but there should be a chance."
"What is it?"
"This... god, the entity, whatever you guys call, him. He's a narcissistic, obsessive fReaK—" He squirmed on pain.
"Mark!"
"No, you— shit..." He stopped moving.

A husk, a phantom, a forgotten hymn.

He stands there, staring at the sky.

"It was nice knowing you, Evan."
"What do you mean?"

Clothes, why are there clothes on the floor?
What am I doing here?

It feels cold, feels like I left something behind.

I should go home, it's late.