Today, I was feeling a bit risky and decided to take the longer path there. Mostly because walking the same route every day was boring when there was nothing new to see—besides the occasional demonic entity. The route I was taking led through a lush green forest. Despite it being longer, it was much more peaceful than my usual route through piles of rubbish and filthy roads.

The breeze calmed my mind in a way that nothing else could.

I had heard rumors that the forest was extremely dangerous, but people had passed through here before without issue. I suppose I should be wary of poison apples and whatever else might be common in these areas. Or some insane psycho lurking among the trees... but that kind of thing usually never happens. I think those are just dumb rumors meant to keep people from taking this trail.

As far as I knew, not a hint of malice lay ahead—no warnings, no hushed chatter from others.

This morning had been a great experience. I hadn’t felt the luxury of expressing myself to another person in years. It felt like a dream, yet this was reality. The thought of seeing her again made me giddy. I suppose saying that makes me seem like a creep, though that’s not my intention. I was just excited to have an actual conversation with someone instead of being stuck inside all day.

Suddenly, a loud metallic sound rang out behind me.

‘’Well-hell-ell.’’

I turned around to see some kind of machine.

‘’Who the hell are you?’’

‘’Name’s Sketchy, your humble little robotic jester.’’

The robot was exactly as it implied—a pseudo-jester, with clown makeup in rows of red, white, and blue on its faceplate. Its body was lanky and extremely flexible, almost like a rubber hose character. Its arms were lengthy and thin, with tiny clawed hands, each having three curved metallic fingers. Its head was entirely white, almost oval-shaped, with two spiked, curved ears that held a hat with jingle bells attached to each point. Its legs were nearly the same length as its arms, fitted with three pointed metallic toes.

Its tone of voice was manic, like a crazed performer—a trickster through and through.

‘’I’ve heard particular things about you. As you can probably infer, I’m no ordinary creature. I was simply designed by the man in charge—my good old friend.’’

‘’What are you talking about? Man in charge? Old friend? What the hell is going on!?’’ I said, frustration rising.

‘’How naïve,’’ it snickered.

‘’I don’t know what the hell you want, or who this person in charge is.’’

‘’All your questions will be answered soon, but that time is not now.’’

‘’What? Why won’t you tell me now? You just showed up out of nowhere, spouting some random bullshit, and now you’re refusing to explain anything?’’

‘’There’s no enjoyment in a question if the answer is already known. I’ll keep in touch, my little sheep.’’

With that, it conjured a spiraling portal and disappeared.

None of that encounter made sense. I had thought my passage through the forest would be peaceful, without any distractions. Instead, it left me with even more burning questions.

Who was this "man in charge"?

What the hell was that jester thing?

If this person—or creature—was in charge, then I had a new goal. I needed to find out the truth.

For now, though, I needed to focus on gathering spare parts at the junkyard.

Maybe, if I found all the parts, Skip could help guide me to this person’s location. That realization filled me with determination. If there was even the slightest chance I could stop this madness, I had to try.

The search wouldn’t last much longer.

An hour later...

The jester from before exits his portal and walks into an empty black room. Inside, a person stares into the abyss.

"Seemingly bad news is coming your way. You know, when I went to check up on the kid—well… he seemed to have found another piece. It projects a radar that knows exactly where you are. Aren’t you at least a bit concerned about what will happen if he finds y—"

"It’s fine."

"Huh?"

"Greeting him in person is exactly what I desire. That’s something I’ve been trying to do for a long time. He only needs a few more pieces, and then he’ll know my exact coordinates. I’ve been wanting to meet him for so long, and now he will finally have the opportunity to come and greet me."

"If that’s what you wish. I’ll still keep an eye on him like you said."

"Another thing."

"Hmm?"

"I’m grateful that you’ve decided to stick by my side after all this time. Thank you, friend."

"Always happy to provide assistance."

The jester conjures the same swirling portal from earlier.

"Well, see you around… friend."

The jester leaves the black void.

"You continue to bring forth my inclination to see you so near. I’ll simply enjoy your stay when that opportunity comes."

---

Unlike other days, I actually felt an expectant day ahead. I don’t know why I had this feeling—maybe it was because I was so close to finding the source, to finally being someone who will do something. I can’t say if that’s the exact reason, but it’s a good theory.

Usually, I am stagnant—more than I admit. Even at times when I was close to finding pieces, I just didn’t have the motivation to keep searching. I should, more or less, focus on the task at hand, which is—surprise, surprise—finding more pieces.

All this talk about searching when I had completely forgotten that my knife was getting very rusty. This knife wasn’t in the best condition anyway, so I kinda expected it to rust quickly. I needed to stop by Melody’s to get this knife back in working condition.

I knocked on her door, waiting for a response, but nothing happened. I figured she was still asleep, even though it was already 11:25. She should be up by now, but maybe she had a long night. I wouldn’t mind; the only issue is that I can't have such a rusty weapon when it could break at any second if I’m in danger.

Kinda wish I hadn’t just walked straight to the junkyard—I guess I was just a little impatient.

Like before, I was having zero luck finding these damn pieces. I completely forgot to mention earlier, but this junkyard is massive. Why? Well, it’s basically where everyone piles up their waste since actual waste is now indispensable. Digging through it is not only revolting but also time-consuming. Luckily, I use gloves for the occasion—something else I forgot to mention.

Although, now that I think about it, that detail isn’t important.

While digging, I stumbled upon something I’d never seen before—a giant golden pot. It looked like it was made of real, solid gold. I was dazzled by its beauty and took a closer look to see if anything was inside.

My idiocy was through the roof, believing no one would notice gold in this rubbish.

When I touched it, the pot shimmered, hopped, and made a loud thud, causing me to lose balance and fall. Then, the gold pot opened an eye—a human eye. Two legs sprouted out, resembling the anatomy of female legs. Inside the pot, a black ghostly figure emerged with a crooked, curvy head, a hollow mouth, and long, wavy arms. It wielded a carving knife in its right hand.

It swung at me in a quick motion.

I rolled away, barely escaping the swipe.

I only suffered some deep cuts, but I could handle a few scratches on my arm. I had never encountered this type of creature before, and I wasn’t even sure if it was killable. Its ghostly body didn’t seem like something I could attack.

While I hid, I thought about finding something to stab it in the eye—I figured that was its weak spot. I maneuvered closer to a lone crowbar. How predictable. How convenient, I thought.

I grabbed it and rushed straight at the creature, jamming the crowbar into its eye.

The creature screamed as blood poured out. It stumbled back but still seemed functional.

Then, it bent its body into a pose that looked… very, uh—suggestive. Almost like I knew what it was but didn’t feel like spelling it out.

A hole opened under the pot, firing massive explosives.

Thinking fast, I dashed for cover.

It stopped firing and started searching for me.

Even though I had stabbed it in the eye, it didn’t seem blind—just severely damaged. The crowbar was still lodged in its eye, so I needed to pull it out and finish the job.

As I tried to slowly approach, I accidentally toppled over a large metal bar—the sound alerted the creature to my position.

I knew I had no choice.

I ran straight for it as it attempted to stab me.

In that moment, I yanked the crowbar out of its eye.

A loud shriek filled the air as the creature tumbled backward and fell.

It disintegrated into dust.

All that remained was the rusty crowbar, still in working condition for combat.

I should have been more careful—I could’ve been severely injured.

I was lucky to only get a few wounds on my arm.

I needed to get home, wash my shirt, or at least get a new one. The amount of blood on it smelled horrendous—it made me almost vomit.

Through the commotion, I hadn’t even noticed that the creature had dropped something.

A shiny piece.

"This is one of the final parts," I said, excitement coursing through me.

Only one more piece left.

Then, I could finally find the source.

---

"Well, well, well. Guess you're pretty good at this search after all."

It was the jester.

"I’ve been watching you collect all those little goodies. Congrats on almost finding them all. I won’t award you a special prize because your true fate is just around the corner. I wonder how you’ll deal with that predicament."

It didn’t matter what he said—I felt the satisfaction of completing my task.

"Despite how curious I am for any info now, something tells me you’re not interested in giving me any."

"That assumption would be correct. I’m still not telling you anything."

"You can go on all you want about how incompetent I am or be cryptic all you like, but I’m almost done, and I can pass any games or tricks you throw at me."

"Don’t get your hopes up, kid. Even if you manage to get to the place you so desire, I can assure you—you will face a fate worse than death."

"I suppose we’ll see, won’t we?"

"In due time. But there are some… activities I need to attend to. If only I could spend more time chatting, but ya know—business is business. So, toodles."

He spun into his portal and disappeared.

I would have ignored what he said, but honestly? I was kind of worried.

Still, if I didn’t go to the mastermind’s place, more people would get hurt—or worse.

I had to finish this mission.

To save this world

I didn’t feel like waking up today. I couldn’t quite explain why; I just wasn’t in the mood. I had been doing the same mundane task for a long time. Today, I decided to just relax, go out, and do some shopping. I needed to take a break and not be stressed for a change.

I’m surprised I don’t go on as many walks as I used to. It's one of the few things that actually makes me feel whole. Well, at least, probably not, considering earlier encounters. I guess talking to people and drawing keeps my mind in paradise. I do like the leisurely aspect of shopping as well, but I often find myself bored since it’s such a straightforward task. Sigh If only I didn’t feel like I was constantly repeating myself.

I just can’t seem to find anything interesting to talk about. I mostly engage when there is some danger going on. I guess the tension allows me to express myself more than regular, everyday tasks do.

Something I’ve been meaning to try is the sandwiches they sell. I heard from a few locals that these aren’t like any other sandwiches they’ve had. They look basic, but the taste is supposedly unforgettable the moment it hits your tongue. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of sandwiches, though I do get them occasionally. I could probably snag one for Melody if she wants—just to do something nice, I suppose.

One thing I haven’t mentioned is that this is one of only two shops still open. Creatures have been spotted in other areas, leading to several deaths and the closure of businesses that experienced attacks. The shop I go to is packed, but not nearly as crowded as the other one, which is much bigger and on a larger scale.

I quickly got the supplies I needed and left. I felt like I was being chased everywhere I went. Even before all this, I had never had this many encounters. Maybe it’s some sort of psychological effect. The many near-death experiences I’ve had must have at least put me on edge.

The mastermind behind this mess must be putting me through more challenges, which would explain why this is mainly happening to me and not specifically anyone else. Then again, maybe these events have led to attacks on other civilians as well. I’m not sure what to think of the situation. I guess only time will tell.

For now, all I can do is plan out my routes. I need to gather as many supplies as I can—food and water, obviously, to keep up my survival. To be honest, I’m petrified about even going through with my plan. I keep thinking that if I do, I will inevitably suffer a slow, painful death that not even my mind can conjure up an image of.

I can’t understand how people around me can be so calm and collected when the whole world is in shambles. I guess people have learned to cope well during these hellish times. Others probably don’t want to cause panic and might have even more drastic situations than mine.

Hmmm… I’m not sure what to do right now. Maybe I should go back to the junkyard, make myself dinner, or perhaps just get a good night's sleep. I just need something to keep this anxiety off my mind. Even if I went to the junkyard, I would just tire myself out and likely not find anything even remotely useful.

In the end, I simply decided to have a nice salad with some crackers on the side. It didn’t quite fill my appetite, but it was satisfying enough for me to get some rest.

"You are so close to me, so... very... CLOSE! There won’t be much time left. The clock always ticks, never stops. Time never ages, and neither do we. It feels like as the days pass, nothing ever really changes... doesn’t it?"