Phantom Chained

Chapter 23. Explosion from within. Elm.

Explosion from within!

Something heavy... It's squishing me!

Wet... Alcohol? It burns... Fire! I'm on fire! What do I do? I can't move... Fear has completely taken over my mind. I'm burning! Is this how it ends?

Apparently not.

A man jumps on top of me and starts hitting and choking me with a towel. I can't hear anything... I'm burning! Can't breathe... how do I resist? Pain... I need to leave this body, exit, abort!

No, I can't. Exiting is worse than death...

Wait, I'm breathing! And not burning!

I throw the towel off my face but don't see the fire or the man.

Good thing I stayed.

Anyway, what the hell was that? I really don't like how I've integrated with the body so deeply that the system being in danger completely blocked all of my thought processes. Perché cazzo did I panic? Instead of analysing the critical situation and finding an optimal solution, I turned into a yelling cretino!

Gonzo! Coglione! Idiota!

But why?

How did I become such an idiot? No, what was it that made me?

Internet?

Yes, the internet.

And now that the trance is broken I feel like a sinner exiled from heaven because of current circumstances. Oh no, I've completely forgotten about the deal! Time is running out, hopefully I haven't gotten too sidetracked.

I crawl out of the basement, carefully avoiding the sleeping man curled up in a ball like a baby. I drag my heavy body and my body drags me across the carpet, the wooden floor, the cool ceramic tiles and closer to the dim light coming from the window. I shove the empty bottles along with the sleeping woman and look up at the moon.

Now this is impossible! Mamma mia, what is going on! When I entered the body the moon was in its third phase but now it's almost a new moon! How much time have I spent on the computer?

Oh mamma mia, the contract... I almost broke the contract! I won't be able to deal with the dead soul if I don't hurry right now, I need to beat it while I still have time, while it's still weakened by the moon. What was I thinking?

Oh, right, I wasn't. This idiot just sat in his library, forgetting anything else existed. Lost himself in the chaotic catalogue of the human mind, merging with genius, talent and madness, the facts, theories and fabrications. Tiny seeds of truth sprouted in front of me with prismatic fractals of fiction. Fiction that was impossible, yet more realistic than the truth it was based upon. There was no number to them, yet they increased with every moment in this wonderful and perverse universe that is open to every human but closed to even the most powerful of us.

People created their own heaven, one that is going to consume them in the end, leaving the First alone, dooming them to be hungry and hateful in the material Sheol. And the smoke of our tortuous existence will rise up for all eternity until the final disincarnation. Guai a me!

They are the ones that attracted us, and they are the ones that will kill us. Although...

Our kind will definitely not let that happen.

Personally, I'm not going to tolerate such injustice. What if this is finally a chance for us, those that fell because of the humans, to enter a new kingdom, a virtual one? What if I become the first one, the saviour, bringing my suffering brethren to a place where there will be no hunger, suffering, regrets and degradation?

On second thought, they can all go to hell. I can't trust any of them, they are poor and angry and will only mess things up.

I'll go alone. Everything will be mine!

But first, the girl.

It's cold outside. I don't like the cold, it distracts me. I throw on everything I can find, put my hands in my pockets and hurry past the brightly lit houses, seeing how people go about their business. I break into a run in the more deserted areas where nobody will stop me or become suspicious. It's best if I quickly finish my end of the deal and be back inside the matrix as soon as possible. Back to tasting every human achievement and sin instead of having sex in a dark room. Speaking of sex, I have tasted a significant amount of it, too. I admit, even I didn't know about some of the things I've found... he-he. Of course, that didn't substitute real sustenance but thanks to my damsel, I could've stayed inside for another month if it weren't for the damn contract.

Oh, that dead bastard... just a shard of magical combat program that humans confuse for a deadly illness. The bastard is hard to get rid of. Hopefully it didn't get to the schismogenesis or I'm done for. It's hard enough dealing with one, but more?

Stop, that's the house.

I hop over the fence but my way is blocked by a white dog. It hesitantly wags its tail but once our eyes meet, a vicious growl comes from its throat. It senses a stranger.

"Shut it, Ice!" I whispered. "I'll kill you!"

The dog started shaking in response. The growling turned to whimpering and a puddle of urine formed at its feet, letting off steam into the cold night air. Its scared to death but doesn't move. Good dog. It's big and strong, it will be hard to kill it quickly. Can't risk it.

"Die." I say as I leave the front entrance. The animal is smart enough to not follow.

Thinking through other options of getting inside, I choose the easiest one for this body. There is an old ladder behind the house and it's just high enough to reach the second floor window that doesn't close properly. How convenient.

I climb inside with ease.

The inside of the house is warm and filled with the scent of incense. The house is full of thin membranes of Christian spirit, shining with threads of red gold. I wade through it like a swamp, slow and steady, but start to lose it the closer I get to the girl. The membranes cling to me with those sticky threads, each giving me a burst of euphoria and love towards everything. And a complete loss of direction.

The bedroom is filled with an amber haze, incense and candle light that illuminates the numerous icons. My last few steps made me feel like I was a blessed dandelion, wandering through fluffy clouds with heavenly harps playing in the background. The source of this blessed tinsel is dozing off on the couch, still holding onto a silver cross that is working on full power. His holiness was probably tired after doing his righteous deeds. Deeds that are, unfortunately, completely futile. Oh well, he is better off sleeping than getting in my way.

I shake off the intoxicating threads off and approach the bed.

And my heart starts racing.

For a few terrifying seconds, I think that it's over, that I'm too late and the empty bed signifies death. But then I breathe a heavy sigh of relief when I notice the blonde hair that blends in with the blanket, along with a pale face frozen in a pain-filled grimace.

The period of rowdiness ended in a coma.

The pretty girl is so thin that her body barely lifts the blanket. Her hands are like dry branches with knots of blood vessels. Despite that, her wrists are bound to the bed with thick leather belts and her hands have mittens on, probably so she wouldn't scratch.

The only thing these so-called exorcists didn't put on is a muzzle. Couldn't find one?

Poor thing.

I kneel by the bed, take off a mitten and press my lips against her hand. I'm a knight about to go into battle!

I let all the air out of my lungs and slowly start to release myself through me, on me, from me and... basically turn myself inside-out, merging with the twinkle of a weak aura. My abilities are limited due to the human vessel but they are still more than enough for the intrusion since most of the work has already been done for me.

I look for the wormhole.