The Disillusioned Land

Chapter 3 - Nightmare's Prelude

After uncaringly passing by the building, I feel afflicted by a sensation I have already felt before, a primal emotion unknown even to my own self to the point even my body freezes in place and leaves me only with the ability to gaze.

*heavy breathing* 'This again...' Before I could even complete my train of thought, I begin to feel a creeping presence slowly approaching behind my frozen self, a presence that should not be felt nor acknowledged by any normal means, yet feels so vivid to the point I would question my own sanity.

"Found you!" says the voice that looms behind in a joking way, making all the cells in my body move to face the unknown even if at the cost of my life, only to be met with concerned eyes from homeless men and laughing fairies. "...That feeling again huh, maybe I'm really just paranoid. Well either that or that free sandwich had hallucinogens in it, but I sure ain't complaining about free food" I sneer to myself.

'Must be another parasite from my tap water tampered by those damned FishTec bastards, I jest, I myself can feel I'm starting to lose it but who cares, work calls' I think to myself before resuming my path and lighting up my used Newports cigarette I got from the dollar store. That ordeal from earlier has happened multiple times but that was the first I heard the being's voice. That's right, for some unknown reason it appears I am being haunted by some sort of youkai, looming in my subconscious and attacking me whenever my senses are sharpest, though never truly harming me...

Arriving at the True Store™, I reach for the door and enter it ready for yet another fulfilling day at my cringe 9-5 job, however to my dismay I am faced with yet another ordeal at 8 fucking A.M. in the morning. The door shone brightly yet my body continued to move forward to enter the blinding ray of light, after my vision began to adapt to my surroundings, I attempt to peek at what I wished was the usual sight of lifeless employees and such, only to be greeted by a gargantuan grayed library of incomprehensible design and structure.

*tch* "God dammit what now? Can't a man have some peace in this god forsaken City!?" I angrily usher to myself, wishfully wanting for someone to appear and explain this nonsensical situation to me.

"Dear [REDACTED], please walk towards the designated X marker ahead of you." The disembodied voice tells me, though I failed to hear part of it.

"Hmmm yeah sure that seems like a good idea, not like I have anything else to do anyway" I bicker at the voice while making my way to the X.

"Lol!" the voice sneered, "lmao!".

Before I could even say anything back to its mocking remarks, I begin to fall from where I stood to what seemed to be a bottomless hole.

"Only a moron would trust the words of a being they can't even see! Well, the place you're going to is going to be a lot more interesting than that City of yours, even after the great merge and the Stilled Sun, it pales in comparison to the world you will find down below. Squirm in the hell orchestrated just for you, Mr. [REDACTED]."

"What the hell are you talking about!? I just wanted to make enough money to buy me a premium fishing set!!! The hell did I do to deserve this!"

"Hmph, soon enough you will discover the reason for your involvement in this ordeal, though merely a bystander, you too were a part of the ritual were you not? Do not expect your sins to be so easily forgiven even if the world is to bend its shape."

The voice seemed angry, not more than I since I am still clueless to this all but for now I must concentrate on my landing. The library? That voice's origin? The 100% suspicious trap only a fool would fall to? Those thoughts can wait, for now all that matters is surviving in the proclaimed hell down below, perhaps I'll be able to find the reason why I'm being haunted, or why my Jordans disappeared when I left them to dry in my window, either works for me.

"For now I'll do as you say bastard, but mark my words, I will crawl back from whatever lies under this mess and have my revenge for having my job at the True Store taken! Oh and also for throwing me down this hole." I raise my flailing fists and point upwards, even though I knew the voice was not there anymore. But that too doesn't matter, it's been ages since I was last thrown into another battle, even though I should be excited about this situation, my blood boils for another challenge in my used-to-be mundane life.