Vol 6 Chapter 4 (1/2)
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Leave Every Hope
through me is the way into eternal woe;
the divine Power, the supreme Wisdom
Leave every hope, ye who enter!- Dante, The Divine Comedy Vol 1: The Inferno, Canto III [1]
It began suddenly. No one would have been able to predict it.
It began suddenly, and amidst the crowd that had gathered in the square. It began as when gas erupts after being compressed for a long time underground.
12:15 pm
Front Square, City Hall (also known as The Moondrop)
The wind blew icily and nipped at the skin, but the sun was bright. The sky was clear, and was dyed a brilliant blue, appropriate for the festivities. The hearts of the people were buoyant. They waved flags, and all praised the Holy City.
”Our mighty No. 6.”
The square in front of the city hall where the ceremonies were to be held was bursting with people.
”It's hot,” complained a woman in the stuffy crowd. She was young and slender. ”I feel like I'm going to suffocate, there's so many people.”
”So true,” her friend agreed beside her. She was short, with black hair. She sighed as she dabbed the sweat off her nose. ”Isn't it horrible, how there's barely even s.p.a.ce to walk? How disgusting to sweat in the winter. I feel all sticky.”
”Really, I don't believe it. We dressed up for nothing.”
”I know.”
Both had barely any experience of sweating. They had always lived in places where the temperature and humidity were adjusted just so for maximum comfort. They couldn't stand the sweat that streamed under their arms and down their backs. They found the heat of the jostling crowd exceedingly unpleasant.
The black-haired woman pouted her painted lips.
”My supervisor said I absolutely had to partic.i.p.ate in the ceremonies. If I didn't, I would get my salary cut.”
”Me too. Boss' orders. He said it's mandatory that I show up. If it wasn't, I definitely wouldn't be here.”
”They'd know from your ID card if you didn't show up, wouldn't they? The gates scan your citizens.h.i.+p number when you pa.s.s through them... and I heard they notify your workplace afterwards.”
The slender woman nodded gravely, and furrowed her brow. A bead of sweat rolled down her cheek.
Oh, how unpleasant. I wish I could take a shower and freshen up.
The black-haired woman continued loosing her stream of complaints.
”My younger sister is still a student, but she told me all of them have to meet at school, and they get bussed over here.”
”Really? They didn't have anything like that in our day, did they?”
”No. I heard it's just started this year. They want to confirm your loyalty level to the city. My sister was complaining that if you don't partic.i.p.ate, you get negative points for your Activities column. You get placed in Rank D. That means you wouldn't be able to get further schooling, or land a job. I thought it was a bit harsh, don't you think so?”
”It is. They're practically forcing us. And speaking of which―it's a bit much these days, isn't it? Everywhere you go lately, it's loyalty-level this, loyalty-level that. I kind of find it weird―”
The slender woman was interrupted suddenly as somebody grabbed her by the arm. White s.h.i.+rt, grey pants. He was a nondescript middle-aged man with a strong build.
”Um, what―?” the woman began.
”What were you talking about just now?”
”Excuse me?”
”What were you two talking about just now?”
The two women looked at each other. Their hearts quickened. ”W-We were only talking about... you know, how hot it was... stuff like that...”
”Is that so? It rather sounded to me like you were expressing some dissent, discontent towards the city. Am I wrong?” The man's narrow eyes glinted. His words were courteous, but the light in his eyes was sharp and fierce. It made the women cower. Fear pierced through their bodies.
The Security Bureau.
”N-No!” they protested. ”Discontent―no―never, we would never say that. We would never think of that. Not us, we would never...” The black-haired woman clasped her trembling fingers to her breast. Tears welled up in her eyes. Help me. Mom, Dad. Help me.
”No matter. Will you kindly let me escort you two? We will have plenty of time to hear your story later.”
”How can you... that's not.. no...” Unable to bear it any longer, the black-haired woman began to cry. The slender woman was also shaking.
”Kindly let us escort you.” Another man in similar clothing materialized and grabbed the woman's arm. His fingers were shockingly cold.
No―that's not fair, we were only having a conversation. We were only saying our thoughts out loud.
She was so stunned by the incident, no tears came. She could not cry like her friend. The slender woman only trembled.
”Come, then.” The man's eyes flashed incisively.
I'm scared. I'm so scared. Help me, Mom, Dad.
―Mmgh.
There was a m.u.f.fled groan. It had trickled from the man's mouth. His eyes were bulging, wide open, and his mouth was opening and closing like a fish. No voice came out. Only his lips moved. His hands tore at his neck. His face began to discolour into a dark shade.
”Wh-What's the matter?”
The man with the cold fingers reached out towards her.
Ahhhh!!!
The woman screamed. She felt like her shriek would tear her throat apart. The black-haired woman had started screaming at almost the same time.
”Oh G.o.d!”
The man stopped moving. He stiffened, his eyes and mouth still open. They could see inside his mouth.
Plunk.
Something fell to the cobblestone with a soft sound. Something small and white...
Teeth.
All the man's teeth were falling out of his mouth, one after another. His hair was also falling out. Clumps of it turned white and scattered all around. The man's eyes rolled back into his head as he fell face-forward onto the ground. His body convulsed. A black stain spread from his neck. It swelled into a b.u.mp, and then―
An incomparably stronger wave of fear came cras.h.i.+ng down onto her. She felt like she would go insane. Perhaps she was insane already. Perhaps she had gone mad, and that was why she was seeing something that wasn't supposed to exist. She had no other choice but to scream. She had to raise her voice, and release her terror somehow. If not, her body would swell and burst. She would shatter.
The woman breathed in.
Ahhhh!
Eeeeek!
Before the woman could open her mouth, shrieks and bellows welled up from the rest of the crowd. Here and there, they rose and burst. Voices of men, shrill screams of women, yells of young people, the clamouring of the elderly―everything writhed, mingled and twisted around.
”Nooo!!” The black-haired woman was frantically flapping her hands and feet. She looked like she was doing a disturbing dance. ”Someone―someone's there. Inside me. Help―help me―!” Her teeth fell out as she opened her mouth to scream.
Plunk, plunk, plunk.
A stain was spreading from the black-haired woman's neck.
”It's poison!” someone was saying. ”Run! We've been poisoned.”
She heard another voice. It was saying, ”we're all gonna die.”
It's poison. Run. We're all gonna die. It's poison. Run. We're all gonna die.
The woman stepped over the fallen man, and tried to break into a run. But before she did, she saw something glitter suddenly before her eyes. A bug? Someone shoved at her back. A fat woman tumbled and fell close by. A ma.s.s of bodies stampeded over her ruthlessly.
This is h.e.l.l. I have to get out of here―quickly―right away. Unconsciously pressing a hand to her own neck, the woman leapt over the bodies strewn on the ground, and broke into a desperate sprint.
The Holy Celebration Day, 2017.
Karan was baking pastries. Cravats, in fact. She twisted the dough, which had powdered almonds in it, into the shape of a necktie. She fried it, flavoured it with orange curacao, and sprinkled it with icing sugar as a finis.h.i.+ng touch.
”It looks delicious,” Lili said as she swallowed hungrily.
”And it is. Let me set aside ones I won't put out for the shop, and we'll eat them together with some tea. Or would you prefer some warm milk with that, Lili?”
”I want cold milk. I like cold milk better.”
”Alright, we'll do that. Some nice iced milk, but not too much, or else it'll give you a tummy-ache. But remember Lili, before that―”
”I have to help with the store, right?” she finished. ”I'm gonna do a really good job. I love being able to help with your store, ma'am. It's exciting.”
”Today's the Holy Celebration, so it'll be very busy.”
”I know. First I say 'h.e.l.lo and welcome' right, and then I put the rolls and m.u.f.fins in the bag.”
”Mm-hmm. And make sure to tell them, 'please feel free to use the trays on the table by the entrance. You can put your items on them.' And if the customers are children, or can't use their hands or legs, ask them, 'may I get that for you?'”
”'h.e.l.lo, and welcome! Please feel free to use the... the...”
”Trays on the table, by the entrance.”
”Trays on the table by the entrance. You can put your items on them. May I get that for you?”
”Brilliant, Lili! That's the spirit. And don't forget to smile.”
Lili's nostrils flared appreciatively. ”It's easy to smile when it smells so good. My cheeks just melt, like this.” As she cupped her own cheeks, a shadow flitted across Lili's eyes. Her tone dropped slightly too.
”Ma'am?”
”Yes, darling.”
”Can I take some of these pastries back to Daddy?”
”Of course. I'll leave some for both your Mommy and Daddy―why, Lili, what's wrong? Has something happened to Renka?”
Karan had heard that Lili's mother Renka was pregnant with her second child. Perhaps something had happened. Residents of the elite residential area of Chronos would be promised thorough and meticulous aid and treatment from specialized medical staff, from conception to birth. However, a Lost Town resident could only dream of receiving medical care at the level of Chronos residents. The mortality rates of invalids, the elderly, and children were manyfold compared to Chronos.
Karan was not discontented with her life in Lost Town. But numerous times, she found herself forced to face the fact that they were at the very bottom of the rigid hierarchy which the city had created.