Chapter 2
Flow – Chapter 2
Janus looked down, the man was still lying on the ground. Slightly tilting his head up, the light of a bleak sun hardly blinding his vision, he looked around for any onlookers. It would be impossible to tell if anyone was gathering at the windows of the building opposite them, these were not the typical windows found in any building but the reflective kind, the type of window you would normally find anywhere where people want to see but not be seen.
There was no police in the sky. Janus wondered if this was a good sign or not, you would expect police to be swarming around, the sirens of ambulances and police should already have been fast approaching.
He was sure that he wasn’t the only one to have noticed the falling glass, the people around him had screamed and dodged and everyone within sight had looked up to see what had happened. Was it possible that only he saw the body of the man? Something was wrong here, instincts told him that this was not possible, that something must be happening; he can’t have been the only one.
Looking down on the body of the man, Janus saw an image of the past.
5 Years Ago
“Hey Janus!” Kurt was climbing the stairs that led to the Grimnor Park, as usual Janus had already preceded his friend to their usual meeting place. “Hey Kurt!, Why do I have to always wait for you? Man, I got so bored I was going to start talking to the trees!”. Kurt made his way up the last couple of steps, his skateboard under his arm, the Umbrae Nocturnae sticker which he had put under his skate slowly disappearing one scratch after another. “My Mum made me stay home till my I did all my work”. Janus looked at his smiling friend’s face, for an instant a face flashed in his memory, warmth, comfort. Kurt looked at his friend; his eyes were not in this world at the moment. “Still having those dreams?” Janus answered, his usual warm hearted grin beginning to slowly spread over his face “No, no, Kurt, just remembering something, well trying to anyway” , Janus’s laughter made Kurt forget the moment, slowly the two turned around, the Park was all theirs.
The afternoon sun began to set, Kurt and Janus found their way to the rusted swings near the park’s entrance, the old rusty swings, the ones on which countless children had swayed, the light shining on them, the memories of summer days forever in their hearts. “Hey Kurt…” – “Yeah?”, “Well, have you ever wondered if, well, if you know, if something was out there, something that you though you lost forever, but maybe it wanted to be lost, that it didn’t want you to find it?” Janus looked at his friend, Kurt was lost in some daydream. “Huh? You lost something?” Kurt looked at his old friend, he knew something was bothering Janus, but whatever it was could surely be fixed by a big Ice Cream at Grandpa’ Fox’s Ice Cream shop. “No, nothing, never mind Kurt” – “Ok then, lets go get an Ice Cream at Grandpa’s!”
Walking Idly down the Imperial Stroll, Janus looked around, the families started to go out, the summer breeze making the humid air of the lagoon more bearable, this would be a wonderful night to go out. “Hey Kurt, whats it like to have a mum, you know a real mum?”. Kurt looked at his friend, this was the first time he asked this question, something was definitely wrong with Janus, Kurt increased his pace, it was definitely time to get that Ice Cream. “Hey Janus, you know, since dad died, my mum hasn’t been home much, she has to work, it’s for money. Grandma’ takes care of me these days” Janus looked at his friend, looking at the floor in embarrassment, forgetting that Kurt had also lost something, something which Janus never remembered having. “Its ok Janus, Dad is up there, somewhere, mum says he’s always looking at me, protecting me, your parents must be up there too, protecting you, it’s what mum always says”. Janus looked at his friend, for the first time, he could see that the little boy next to him was not the bold, rash boy every kid thought he was, he was Kurt, Kurt like himself had pain, pain which never went away.
Grandpa Fox’s Ice Cream Parlor. The neon light flashed wildly above the little tables set out on the Stroll, the customers, most of which children were already sitting down for the typical late afternoon ice cream. Kurt looked around to see if any of their friends were there, however it was just the two of them. “I wonder what happened to Alex and Dom”, Janus looked around, noticing that their two friends were strangely missing, the ice cream ritual being the one thing in the world that they would not miss. Kurt and Janus sat down; soon a pretty little blonde came over. “Hey Kids, is it the usual?” Kurt looked up, he was secretly infatuated with Melissa, however as usual, nineteen year olds still saw twelve year olds as cute cuddly little things. “Huh, yeah, huh…huh..” Janus Interceded his love struck friend “Yeah Mel, the usual thanks!” Melissa winked once and left, Kurt looking at her all the way until she disappeared behind the counter.
An hour later the two kids were walking back, the Monastery Janus lived in was along the same road as Kurt’s house. The two kids had met more my chance than anything, they went to two different schools, or rather Janus studied at the Monastery whilst Kurt went to the local Medium High School. One summer day Janus got hit in the face by a stray ball kicked by Kurt and the two were friends ever since. “Hey Look Janus, that man is in a hell of a hurry” Kurt was pointing at a man running towards them, well he was’nt running properly, more like staggering, the closer he got the more you could see the man was in pain, his hand was covering part of his stomach. The man got closer and closer to them, the two kids very curious, then he was onto them, falling over Kurt. Kurt fell down, the man covering completely, Janus was stuck to his spot, his mind telling him to run, but his body telling him to stay. Kurt got out of the man’s unintentional grasp; a pool of blood was slowly forming underneath the man. “One…One…The traitor was One….suitcase, stolen…..” Janus could hardly hear his words. “Ambulance….no police…help” by now Kurt looked petrified, “Come on Janus, we gotta get out of here…come on” Kurt kept tugging at Janus T-shirt, but Janus just kept looking, “We have to help him Kurt, he’s bleeding!” “No, no, let’s just go!” Kurt’s voice got the better of him, Janus followed Kurt in a mad run all the way to the Monastery.
“…about two hours later in the Augustus Memorial Hospital the Omnisah Manager died of the knife wound he received to the Chest, doctors say that if the ambulance had been called earlier the man could have been saved, so far no suspects have been identifi…” Janus switched off the TV. Guilt was flooding him, a feeling so intense he nearly vomited. Never, ever again, was he going to stand by and look whilst someone needed help, never again.
2005
Janus knew what he had to do “Come on Buddy, I am taking you home with me, lets get these wounds cleaned”. The unconscious man made no reply. Janus shouldered him and made for his home passing by the back allies of the City. No one was following him.
A shadow flicked by, Janus paid no attention, home was close.
Janus looked down, the man was still lying on the ground. Slightly tilting his head up, the light of a bleak sun hardly blinding his vision, he looked around for any onlookers. It would be impossible to tell if anyone was gathering at the windows of the building opposite them, these were not the typical windows found in any building but the reflective kind, the type of window you would normally find anywhere where people want to see but not be seen.
There was no police in the sky. Janus wondered if this was a good sign or not, you would expect police to be swarming around, the sirens of ambulances and police should already have been fast approaching.
He was sure that he wasn’t the only one to have noticed the falling glass, the people around him had screamed and dodged and everyone within sight had looked up to see what had happened. Was it possible that only he saw the body of the man? Something was wrong here, instincts told him that this was not possible, that something must be happening; he can’t have been the only one.
Looking down on the body of the man, Janus saw an image of the past.
5 Years Ago
“Hey Janus!” Kurt was climbing the stairs that led to the Grimnor Park, as usual Janus had already preceded his friend to their usual meeting place. “Hey Kurt!, Why do I have to always wait for you? Man, I got so bored I was going to start talking to the trees!”. Kurt made his way up the last couple of steps, his skateboard under his arm, the Umbrae Nocturnae sticker which he had put under his skate slowly disappearing one scratch after another. “My Mum made me stay home till my I did all my work”. Janus looked at his smiling friend’s face, for an instant a face flashed in his memory, warmth, comfort. Kurt looked at his friend; his eyes were not in this world at the moment. “Still having those dreams?” Janus answered, his usual warm hearted grin beginning to slowly spread over his face “No, no, Kurt, just remembering something, well trying to anyway” , Janus’s laughter made Kurt forget the moment, slowly the two turned around, the Park was all theirs.
The afternoon sun began to set, Kurt and Janus found their way to the rusted swings near the park’s entrance, the old rusty swings, the ones on which countless children had swayed, the light shining on them, the memories of summer days forever in their hearts. “Hey Kurt…” – “Yeah?”, “Well, have you ever wondered if, well, if you know, if something was out there, something that you though you lost forever, but maybe it wanted to be lost, that it didn’t want you to find it?” Janus looked at his friend, Kurt was lost in some daydream. “Huh? You lost something?” Kurt looked at his old friend, he knew something was bothering Janus, but whatever it was could surely be fixed by a big Ice Cream at Grandpa’ Fox’s Ice Cream shop. “No, nothing, never mind Kurt” – “Ok then, lets go get an Ice Cream at Grandpa’s!”
Walking Idly down the Imperial Stroll, Janus looked around, the families started to go out, the summer breeze making the humid air of the lagoon more bearable, this would be a wonderful night to go out. “Hey Kurt, whats it like to have a mum, you know a real mum?”. Kurt looked at his friend, this was the first time he asked this question, something was definitely wrong with Janus, Kurt increased his pace, it was definitely time to get that Ice Cream. “Hey Janus, you know, since dad died, my mum hasn’t been home much, she has to work, it’s for money. Grandma’ takes care of me these days” Janus looked at his friend, looking at the floor in embarrassment, forgetting that Kurt had also lost something, something which Janus never remembered having. “Its ok Janus, Dad is up there, somewhere, mum says he’s always looking at me, protecting me, your parents must be up there too, protecting you, it’s what mum always says”. Janus looked at his friend, for the first time, he could see that the little boy next to him was not the bold, rash boy every kid thought he was, he was Kurt, Kurt like himself had pain, pain which never went away.
Grandpa Fox’s Ice Cream Parlor. The neon light flashed wildly above the little tables set out on the Stroll, the customers, most of which children were already sitting down for the typical late afternoon ice cream. Kurt looked around to see if any of their friends were there, however it was just the two of them. “I wonder what happened to Alex and Dom”, Janus looked around, noticing that their two friends were strangely missing, the ice cream ritual being the one thing in the world that they would not miss. Kurt and Janus sat down; soon a pretty little blonde came over. “Hey Kids, is it the usual?” Kurt looked up, he was secretly infatuated with Melissa, however as usual, nineteen year olds still saw twelve year olds as cute cuddly little things. “Huh, yeah, huh…huh..” Janus Interceded his love struck friend “Yeah Mel, the usual thanks!” Melissa winked once and left, Kurt looking at her all the way until she disappeared behind the counter.
An hour later the two kids were walking back, the Monastery Janus lived in was along the same road as Kurt’s house. The two kids had met more my chance than anything, they went to two different schools, or rather Janus studied at the Monastery whilst Kurt went to the local Medium High School. One summer day Janus got hit in the face by a stray ball kicked by Kurt and the two were friends ever since. “Hey Look Janus, that man is in a hell of a hurry” Kurt was pointing at a man running towards them, well he was’nt running properly, more like staggering, the closer he got the more you could see the man was in pain, his hand was covering part of his stomach. The man got closer and closer to them, the two kids very curious, then he was onto them, falling over Kurt. Kurt fell down, the man covering completely, Janus was stuck to his spot, his mind telling him to run, but his body telling him to stay. Kurt got out of the man’s unintentional grasp; a pool of blood was slowly forming underneath the man. “One…One…The traitor was One….suitcase, stolen…..” Janus could hardly hear his words. “Ambulance….no police…help” by now Kurt looked petrified, “Come on Janus, we gotta get out of here…come on” Kurt kept tugging at Janus T-shirt, but Janus just kept looking, “We have to help him Kurt, he’s bleeding!” “No, no, let’s just go!” Kurt’s voice got the better of him, Janus followed Kurt in a mad run all the way to the Monastery.
“…about two hours later in the Augustus Memorial Hospital the Omnisah Manager died of the knife wound he received to the Chest, doctors say that if the ambulance had been called earlier the man could have been saved, so far no suspects have been identifi…” Janus switched off the TV. Guilt was flooding him, a feeling so intense he nearly vomited. Never, ever again, was he going to stand by and look whilst someone needed help, never again.
2005
Janus knew what he had to do “Come on Buddy, I am taking you home with me, lets get these wounds cleaned”. The unconscious man made no reply. Janus shouldered him and made for his home passing by the back allies of the City. No one was following him.
A shadow flicked by, Janus paid no attention, home was close.
posted by Alberto Francesco Lemma at 10:31 AM
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