CHAPTER 10
10 Reader,
I want you, dearest, to see this all in your mind. See the trees of forest with a small stream running through, Mr. Jack and Raven holding each other tightly. It is completely silent except for the running of water. Until, a quiet sound that sent chills down Mr. Jack’s weak bones. Raven still clung to him while looking around wildly. “What was that, dearest?” Raven said hoarsely. Mr. Jack prepared to answer but was stopped by the same noise, only louder this time. It was laughter. It wasn’t Doctor. The hysterical figure’s sound came closer and nearer each needle prick of a second. But then, Mr. Jack felt breath against his neck and whispers in his ear. The creature said, “Greetings Mr. Jack, You are still playing. That is not allowed. You were meant to leave the game long ago. You managed to escape but you cannot break the rules. Now sir, I, Other, have come to finish the game.” Mr. Jack’s hands were shaking wildly and Raven had not yet ceased to stare at whatever cast its shadow across her face. Our hero slowly turned to his right to face other. He looked into his face and saw the top hat upon his head. Top hat reached up and grabbed one of the stitches on the left of Mr. Jack’s face. He looked pleased and pulled ever so slightly when, suddenly, Top hat was shoved to the ground as a black shadow ran full force into him. “R-run t-to the lighthouse!” Doctor screamed and jumped on top hat. Without even pausing to catch his breath, Mr. Jack grabbed Raven’s hand and charged out of forest. Dodging the cedar trees is felt again like his running from other a few days ago. His chest swelled and his throat felt as if it were clawing at the inside of his throat, though he would not stop. Mr. Jack and Raven had only to cross the desolate clearing to the brightening lighthouse. The child had not eaten in days and began to feel light headed. The lighthouse seemed to be growing larger but farther away. Mr. Jack just squinted his stitchings and kept running with Raven’s hand in his. When our character opened his twine eyes again he was standing in front of the lighthouse. He was confused as most of the time while he was running his vision was so blurred he didn’t truly know where he was headed. The leader followed and Raven seemed to have been lost also as the pair ran wildly from fear. But now never mind the detour, they had made it. Mr. Jack neared the large red door and surprisingly found it partly open. “I thought this would be a difficult break in of a heavily guarded area. I’m glad to know I was wrong” Mr. Jack walked into the lighthouse with Raven closely behind his heels. The stairs ascended for ages and little words were spoken, my darling reader, as both seemed to be thinking the same thought: “Was Doctor alright?” It took a very long and tiring time to reach the top. Mr. Jack then saw a second red door. He grabbed the handle and slowly began to turn it- My love I say no. I am standing on this chair, I am tied by a noose you drew to the ceiling and you will now kill me. You can guess the end of the story and I do not want to repeat it before I die. You deserve to kill me. You tried so hard, ripping my heart out of my chest. You destroyed my very soul as I had handed it to you. There you go, yes, place your hands on the back of the chair. Now pull. Pull it from my feet and fulfill your wish! My dear reader, for your sake only I shall complete this story. For my time is so close to complete. Mr. Jack swung the door open and turned his face as the brilliantly burning fire of the lighthouse lit up the room. He seemed to have adjusted to the light and glancing at Raven he saw how she used her veil to shield her eyes. “We must find some sort of forbidden weapon to destroy this. We shall change the world in its destruction as the world would destroy anyone who changed!” Mr. Jack ran into the room and darted around the fire but was met with a danger even worse. For beside the fire, was top hat. “Hello Mr. Jack.” Our hero looked to the terrified Raven and ran for the door. “There were small closets outside! I’m sure weapons were hidden inside!” Mr. Jack screamed to Raven as he rushed toward the door. Then, suddenly, Doctor appeared in the doorway. He slammed the steel door with a loud bang. “No, Mr. Jack.” Doctor said in a calm voice. “Do not leave.” The room went immediately silent. “Doctor, Why are you…are you on other’s…dearest Doctor, Please explain. “Maybe this will explain my actions.” Doctor then reached up and gripped his mask. “But Doctor it is so bright!” But Doctor pulled his cracked mask from his face and Mr. Jack choked on air trying to speak. Doctor, had leprosy. He turned his twisted face to Mr. Jack and spoke, still calmly. “I am the leper. Although other gave me the house you found me in the day before you arrived. I was given a chance: A choice of redemption. To aid other to end the game, I would be given back my identical life. I could be just as other in return for playing by the rules.” Mr. Jack stumbled to catch his footing, drowning in painful shock. Doctor approached our heroic and mistreated child from the front as top hat came from the back. Mr. Jack looked hopelessly to the cowering Raven who had been gnawing chunks out of her right arm though this all. “My sweetest Raven, I have learned the word. It is forbidden to be spoken my dear but I will still scream it. I love you!” She stopped biting herself and walked over to the prisoner in top hat and Doctors arms. The bleeding Raven lifted her veil and leaned close to Mr. Jack and said. “Oh, but you broke the rules.” Mr. Jack was horrified and glad he was being held or he would have been passed out on the floor. “What are these rules? These games? What is this all you speak of?” Then the sickening sound Mr. Jack knew all too well of many others speaking in unison said, “The game is this form of life. When you are first brought into existence, you have your life’s plan set out for you. Every action you attempted was part of the plan of the game. But there are rules. These rules cannot be broken. You broke them. You were to die from that bridge. Other drove you to that point but you survived. You broke the rules. You broke the rules. You broke the rules. You broke the rules.” Mr. Jack was beginning his terrified ritual of wild shakes and a high voice saturated with fear. “Raven, I love you. We can still go through with this. We can destroy the lighthouse!” Raven giggled like she tended to do so often. “But, dear Mr. Jack, in case you haven’t noticed, I suffer from an addictive habit of mutilation. I cannot escape it. So the only way that I can be granted clemency is to correct the rule breaker. Only then will I be allowed to return to my home, my life, and my L.” Raven then walked beside Mr. Jack and embraced top hat. Her scarred fingers caressed other’s face as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Raven opened her mouth slightly as top hat pulled her closer as their lips met. Mr. Jack tried to struggle in an attempt to look away but Doctor held him in place to not escape the heart wrenching scene. Mr. Jack then went limp in Doctor’s arms knowing that other had won. But he did answer his question he had set out to complete. Yes, this was life. A sick a twisted sort of game but still life. This was also the world. There is no one to trust and no one to believe in. Good things don’t just happen. He met Doctor and Raven so easily for this reason alone. Or, rather, they are appropriately known also as other now that Mr. Jack saw their identities. And the disgusting, ruling top hat, who, I’m assuming dear reader, had a very strong and high position. He might have even been the lighthouse keeper seeing as how quickly he was able to arrive. Mr. Jack felt a small tear fall from the crusted blood that had dried around his stitched eyes. He looked to the couple in front of him and began to remove his shirt. Pulling the large garment that was so unique still even to the others in this room. He took the object that represented more of how he did not measure up fully and could not be like other. Mr. Jack then screamed at the still occupied Raven. “For I ask another favor: Look into my eyes and take the sleeves from me and wrap them around my neck. The sleeves that were for so long around your shoulders. Tie them also to that metal hook suspended from this ceiling. So anyone wanting to look at my body hanging from the makeshift noose that once represented my pitiful life, has only to look to the left.” And now my Dearest the story of Mr. Jack has finally caught up. Now after the first attempt failed, other brought me a chair from one of the closets. But while standing on this chair, I realized that my cause would not be lost. For I still had the pencil and paper I have been left by heredity so long ago. I chose to write it all, my whole life. So the next child who is in my place and whoever next breaks the rules can know my story and learn from it. But, my dear reader, I have been writing for quite some time now and other is still waiting to pull the chair from my feet. What I leave you with is my story: The legacy of Mr. Jack. Whoever my dearest reader truly is, I ask you a single question. “Will you break the rules of this game and stand against other with your uniqueness on your side?” Know that you are not alone. I have not been told your story but never resist telling it. For I hope your tale reaches different children as mine. Goodbye my dearest, sweet, reader. “Other I am now ready. Pull the chair and right the rules. My differences are not my faults, but rather my entire being. If I cannot be Mr. Jack, I shall not be Mr. Jack. Dear Raven, Please pull swiftly and stand with Doctor and top hat so that I may see your faces while I die. You and all of your identical lives will be the last thing I see. This is life. This is the world. Goodbye.” Raven acted as instructed. And my dearest reader, I bid you farewell once again. And stand strong my love.
~ The Author
I want you, dearest, to see this all in your mind. See the trees of forest with a small stream running through, Mr. Jack and Raven holding each other tightly. It is completely silent except for the running of water. Until, a quiet sound that sent chills down Mr. Jack’s weak bones. Raven still clung to him while looking around wildly. “What was that, dearest?” Raven said hoarsely. Mr. Jack prepared to answer but was stopped by the same noise, only louder this time. It was laughter. It wasn’t Doctor. The hysterical figure’s sound came closer and nearer each needle prick of a second. But then, Mr. Jack felt breath against his neck and whispers in his ear. The creature said, “Greetings Mr. Jack, You are still playing. That is not allowed. You were meant to leave the game long ago. You managed to escape but you cannot break the rules. Now sir, I, Other, have come to finish the game.” Mr. Jack’s hands were shaking wildly and Raven had not yet ceased to stare at whatever cast its shadow across her face. Our hero slowly turned to his right to face other. He looked into his face and saw the top hat upon his head. Top hat reached up and grabbed one of the stitches on the left of Mr. Jack’s face. He looked pleased and pulled ever so slightly when, suddenly, Top hat was shoved to the ground as a black shadow ran full force into him. “R-run t-to the lighthouse!” Doctor screamed and jumped on top hat. Without even pausing to catch his breath, Mr. Jack grabbed Raven’s hand and charged out of forest. Dodging the cedar trees is felt again like his running from other a few days ago. His chest swelled and his throat felt as if it were clawing at the inside of his throat, though he would not stop. Mr. Jack and Raven had only to cross the desolate clearing to the brightening lighthouse. The child had not eaten in days and began to feel light headed. The lighthouse seemed to be growing larger but farther away. Mr. Jack just squinted his stitchings and kept running with Raven’s hand in his. When our character opened his twine eyes again he was standing in front of the lighthouse. He was confused as most of the time while he was running his vision was so blurred he didn’t truly know where he was headed. The leader followed and Raven seemed to have been lost also as the pair ran wildly from fear. But now never mind the detour, they had made it. Mr. Jack neared the large red door and surprisingly found it partly open. “I thought this would be a difficult break in of a heavily guarded area. I’m glad to know I was wrong” Mr. Jack walked into the lighthouse with Raven closely behind his heels. The stairs ascended for ages and little words were spoken, my darling reader, as both seemed to be thinking the same thought: “Was Doctor alright?” It took a very long and tiring time to reach the top. Mr. Jack then saw a second red door. He grabbed the handle and slowly began to turn it- My love I say no. I am standing on this chair, I am tied by a noose you drew to the ceiling and you will now kill me. You can guess the end of the story and I do not want to repeat it before I die. You deserve to kill me. You tried so hard, ripping my heart out of my chest. You destroyed my very soul as I had handed it to you. There you go, yes, place your hands on the back of the chair. Now pull. Pull it from my feet and fulfill your wish! My dear reader, for your sake only I shall complete this story. For my time is so close to complete. Mr. Jack swung the door open and turned his face as the brilliantly burning fire of the lighthouse lit up the room. He seemed to have adjusted to the light and glancing at Raven he saw how she used her veil to shield her eyes. “We must find some sort of forbidden weapon to destroy this. We shall change the world in its destruction as the world would destroy anyone who changed!” Mr. Jack ran into the room and darted around the fire but was met with a danger even worse. For beside the fire, was top hat. “Hello Mr. Jack.” Our hero looked to the terrified Raven and ran for the door. “There were small closets outside! I’m sure weapons were hidden inside!” Mr. Jack screamed to Raven as he rushed toward the door. Then, suddenly, Doctor appeared in the doorway. He slammed the steel door with a loud bang. “No, Mr. Jack.” Doctor said in a calm voice. “Do not leave.” The room went immediately silent. “Doctor, Why are you…are you on other’s…dearest Doctor, Please explain. “Maybe this will explain my actions.” Doctor then reached up and gripped his mask. “But Doctor it is so bright!” But Doctor pulled his cracked mask from his face and Mr. Jack choked on air trying to speak. Doctor, had leprosy. He turned his twisted face to Mr. Jack and spoke, still calmly. “I am the leper. Although other gave me the house you found me in the day before you arrived. I was given a chance: A choice of redemption. To aid other to end the game, I would be given back my identical life. I could be just as other in return for playing by the rules.” Mr. Jack stumbled to catch his footing, drowning in painful shock. Doctor approached our heroic and mistreated child from the front as top hat came from the back. Mr. Jack looked hopelessly to the cowering Raven who had been gnawing chunks out of her right arm though this all. “My sweetest Raven, I have learned the word. It is forbidden to be spoken my dear but I will still scream it. I love you!” She stopped biting herself and walked over to the prisoner in top hat and Doctors arms. The bleeding Raven lifted her veil and leaned close to Mr. Jack and said. “Oh, but you broke the rules.” Mr. Jack was horrified and glad he was being held or he would have been passed out on the floor. “What are these rules? These games? What is this all you speak of?” Then the sickening sound Mr. Jack knew all too well of many others speaking in unison said, “The game is this form of life. When you are first brought into existence, you have your life’s plan set out for you. Every action you attempted was part of the plan of the game. But there are rules. These rules cannot be broken. You broke them. You were to die from that bridge. Other drove you to that point but you survived. You broke the rules. You broke the rules. You broke the rules. You broke the rules.” Mr. Jack was beginning his terrified ritual of wild shakes and a high voice saturated with fear. “Raven, I love you. We can still go through with this. We can destroy the lighthouse!” Raven giggled like she tended to do so often. “But, dear Mr. Jack, in case you haven’t noticed, I suffer from an addictive habit of mutilation. I cannot escape it. So the only way that I can be granted clemency is to correct the rule breaker. Only then will I be allowed to return to my home, my life, and my L.” Raven then walked beside Mr. Jack and embraced top hat. Her scarred fingers caressed other’s face as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Raven opened her mouth slightly as top hat pulled her closer as their lips met. Mr. Jack tried to struggle in an attempt to look away but Doctor held him in place to not escape the heart wrenching scene. Mr. Jack then went limp in Doctor’s arms knowing that other had won. But he did answer his question he had set out to complete. Yes, this was life. A sick a twisted sort of game but still life. This was also the world. There is no one to trust and no one to believe in. Good things don’t just happen. He met Doctor and Raven so easily for this reason alone. Or, rather, they are appropriately known also as other now that Mr. Jack saw their identities. And the disgusting, ruling top hat, who, I’m assuming dear reader, had a very strong and high position. He might have even been the lighthouse keeper seeing as how quickly he was able to arrive. Mr. Jack felt a small tear fall from the crusted blood that had dried around his stitched eyes. He looked to the couple in front of him and began to remove his shirt. Pulling the large garment that was so unique still even to the others in this room. He took the object that represented more of how he did not measure up fully and could not be like other. Mr. Jack then screamed at the still occupied Raven. “For I ask another favor: Look into my eyes and take the sleeves from me and wrap them around my neck. The sleeves that were for so long around your shoulders. Tie them also to that metal hook suspended from this ceiling. So anyone wanting to look at my body hanging from the makeshift noose that once represented my pitiful life, has only to look to the left.” And now my Dearest the story of Mr. Jack has finally caught up. Now after the first attempt failed, other brought me a chair from one of the closets. But while standing on this chair, I realized that my cause would not be lost. For I still had the pencil and paper I have been left by heredity so long ago. I chose to write it all, my whole life. So the next child who is in my place and whoever next breaks the rules can know my story and learn from it. But, my dear reader, I have been writing for quite some time now and other is still waiting to pull the chair from my feet. What I leave you with is my story: The legacy of Mr. Jack. Whoever my dearest reader truly is, I ask you a single question. “Will you break the rules of this game and stand against other with your uniqueness on your side?” Know that you are not alone. I have not been told your story but never resist telling it. For I hope your tale reaches different children as mine. Goodbye my dearest, sweet, reader. “Other I am now ready. Pull the chair and right the rules. My differences are not my faults, but rather my entire being. If I cannot be Mr. Jack, I shall not be Mr. Jack. Dear Raven, Please pull swiftly and stand with Doctor and top hat so that I may see your faces while I die. You and all of your identical lives will be the last thing I see. This is life. This is the world. Goodbye.” Raven acted as instructed. And my dearest reader, I bid you farewell once again. And stand strong my love.
~ The Author