It is a very rainy afternoon and nothing is as bothersome as being under the pitch black sky. The people are silent under the dimly lit stores of the vicinity, holding their phones while others sipping on their hot cup of tea or a mug of coffee.

The rain is as cold as the wind. I can barely feel anything from the numbness seeping through every inch of my bare skin. Here I am trying to hug myself, wishing for a little heat to save me from my shivering.

All hope is lost, I told myself.

No one will bother to help me, because even them are far too afraid to go out under a lightning-lit sky. No store will open to let me in because I’ll just wet their expensive mats. No one will give me an umbrella—wait, who gives umbrella to a soaked person anyway?

Maybe I am thinking too much. Humanity’s kindness is nothing but a myth. If there is a supreme being who watches over me…

I shake off the thought.

I don’t care anymore. If he doesn’t care about me, I’d rather feel the same about him. I was never loved by anyone, after all.

“The Fool is my name. I am the first card of the Major Arcana. Others see me as a foolish individual; an innocent mind beyond the greatest ones. I may not be the most clever, I may not be the most courageous, I may not be the most spirited, but I am the one with the greatest potential.”

The who is talking? A fool?

I looked around and find nothing but a couple of wet cartons near the edge of the pavement.

The voice, where did it came from?

Am I losing my mind?

This may be the consequence of running away from home. Should it be called a home when it feels like hell being there?

Noooooo! I don’t want to end up like the crazy scumbags on the streets, but fate must be angry with me. The hell of a home is where I belong, and running away from it probably cursed me.

My eyelids are becoming heavy. I was about to close my eyes when I noticed a faint yellow light hovering before me.

"Hello there, Mr. Eric Greene! Again, I am The Fool. The first card of the Ma-----"

The person knows my name? That is ridiculous. This can’t be real.

“You aren’t real! My mind is tricking me! I am not going crazy. Go away!”

I shooed the yellow light floating above me wishing for it to leave me in peace, but instead, it manifested itself as a physical being.

“A clown?!” I gasped. I was about to run when he grips my arm enough that I have no chances of getting away.

"Mr. Greene, maybe you are scared because you don’t know me yet and we are strangers to each other, so let me introduce myself. I am The Fool. The------"

“The first bald of the Middle Kenya. You are a stupid person but you’re wise enough to know that you’re not clever, courageous and not a spirit or a ghost of some sort. And you said you have a very big provincial. Did I miss anything?”

The clown standed there dumbfounded. It was a few seconds later when his poker face starts to curve into a disinterested one.

“Why do I always end up with a master like this?”

He muttered with discontent but it’s more like he is talking to himself than talking to me.

What does he mean by that? And what master?

“Excuse me, Mr. The Pull. Uhhmmm…”

He raised an eyebrow at my sudden blurting out.

“What did you say?” He replied with displeasure, and by the looks of it, he’s more like trying to maintain his composure.

“Excuse me?”

“Not that. What name did you just call me?”

“Mr. Pull?” Or is it really 'Fool'? Well, that would be more ridiculous. Who in the world would name his son 'the fool'?

He bursted into a fit of laughter. The rain is not as heavy pouring as before, so his laughter echoes around albeit faintly.

“Mr. Pull? The first bald of the Middle Kenya? How low is this guy’s IQ anyway? Or is he deaf?”

I hate him. I don’t like this guy. He’s acting like a know-it-all even though he’s just a clown. I’m not against the clowns of any sort but what does he think that makes him above me? I wanted to be polite and this is how I get in return?

I hate this stupid society and the stupid hierarchy.

“I don’t know why you know my name, and I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just a mere bastard and a son of a slut. I know I am at the foot of the society but you have no right to assault me like this. Begone before I land a punch on your funny face.”

“So, you hate me already? Don’t be like that, new master. We have an adventure ahead of us!”

His smile makes my hands curl into a fist. Is he planning something bad on me? Am I going to be kidnapped? Is one of my kidneys about to be sold in no time?

Before he could grab me again, I did my best to sprint into the alleyway, hoping that I might lose him in the dark maze-like arrangement of the closed stalls. The pavement is slippery wet but having my feet soaked in the rain, I have no worries because my feet plants on the floor well enough.

I’m already running for minutes. I never heard him follow me either. Maybe he just gave up that easily.

“What are we doing here?”

“AAAAAHHHHHHH!!! H-how did y-you get here?!”

“You can’t run from me, Master Greene. Our souls are woven together until the next master is born. I don’t want to sound desperate but I’m begging you to please come with me. We need to save the master of The Magician. He is in danger right now. If he dies, then The Magician will be lost forever.”

What is woven together now? Our souls?  If this guy doesn't have any magical abilities at all, I wish he better be checked in to a mental hospital.

The sincerity in his voice wanted me to say yes but I don’t know what is going on.

Who is the Magician? The master is in danger? I heard something about death. The magician is going to be lost forever? What do these things mean and what can a mere bastard like me do something about--- this future murder?

Call me a stupid person but I don’t care about my life anymore. If he is lying, and all he wanted is to sell my organs and kill me, I’m fine with it. At least, I—errr--- my organs will be of little help.

Why do I try to survive when everyone else is going to die?

I’m just prolonging my agony.

If I die tonight…

Then maybe it is my fate. I can finally say goodbye to this cruel and wretched world.

“Lead me, mister, and I’ll follow.”

The clown jumped for joy, and before I know it, the yellow light starts to appear again.

It grew bigger and brighter and it swallowed the both of us.