Even though I've been standing here for about 5 minutes I still can't figure out what's going on.
When I came in I thought this was a theater. Not a movie theater, I mean like a play theater, and I was surprised to see that the building was so small. And that there was no advertisement for what show was playing. Or coming up, as the case may be.
And another thing that doesn't make sense is where all these curtains came from. That's assuming they are curtains, because right now I'm too scared to move or touch them. It's not a kind of mortal fear for life and limb or anything, more like a fear that someone is going to come up to me demanding to know who-the-hell-am-and-what-I'm-doing-here and I won't have any answers.
When I came in, what I saw after I stepped through the wide glass doors was that half-cylinder with the bars across the opening that I first thought was a ticket window, but later realized didn't actually feature a window at all. Just a rounded, black surface extending from the floor to the ceiling, with that square hole cut out and interrupted with evenly spaced vertical lines of metal bars bolted solidly above and below the opening.
And I recognize that girl smiling at me through the bars.
I don't know where the light is coming from, because I don't see any lights in the red ceiling, and as near as I can tell there aren't any walls.. Yeah, I'm pretty sure they're curtains, but I don't think they're made from any kind of fabric I've ever seen before. There's that big black one that that girl is standing in front of, and 2 more on either side making you feel like you're in a small room. And I didn't hear anything, or see the room get darker, but now there's a big red stage curtain blocking the spot where the door was. It might still be there, but I don't want to move to find out just yet.
It looks like I'm alone in here with her. She looks at me and says "Is there something I can help you with?". Meaning she doesn't recognize me. Which is confusing.
I walk across the thick red carpet and peer around the side of the black half cylinder and take a hard look at her. Her hair is blond again, but still with a tinge of red. She's wearing a white tank top and faded blue jeans. And there's a wide piece of shiny black cloth tied around her left arm in a big bow that bounces a little when she moves. And I don't see any scar on her right arm, so I guess she made a full recovery.
It feels like my stomach is trembling, and my feet feel really heavy all of a sudden. Finally I manage to say "No. NO! You said we were done with this last time. You said you weren't-"
And I'm interrupted when a man wearing a blue jacket and khaki slacks comes through the red stage curtain, which I assume still has the glass doors behind it.. He steps across the red carpet and the disrupted stage curtain shimmers like an ocean as it settles back into stasis. And it seems to take a long time getting there. And I still can't figure out exactly what light it's reflecting.
The girl looks at him and says "What can I get for you?" And he looks at her and says "I'm looking for a katana. I was told to come here." The girl shakes her head and shugs, making the bow bounce. "Sorry, I don't think I can help you."
Suddenly I'm aware of a man at my elbow. Glasses, long curly black hair. I think I recognize him too, and I wish I didn't. He looks at the man with the blue jacket and says "You don't have to worry. Her mind is in the process of being erased." With that, he turns to move back through the black curtain behind the girl. The man with the blue jacket smiles and nods approvingly and walks back through the red curtain which I can only assume still has the glass doors behind it.
I look at her in shock.
"They're erasing your MEMORY?"
I don't really expect an answer of course. The girl doesn't seem upset by my question, but inclines her head slightly in a kind of muted curiosity.
"No. No. This I can't allow. What, am I here to SAVE you this time? Am I supposed to HELP erase you? What? "
She doesn't have any answers for me, of course.
"Look." I say, reaching for the wide black cloth around her arm "Look at what's under here. I know that will help."
She draws back suddenly, shaken. "Who are you?" She demands.
I sigh.
"Alright, listen." I begin. "I'm just going to go along with this, this time. I know you said I wouldn't see you again. But I don't think either of us forsaw this. I'm going to leave now. If they blank you out and I find you, I'm going to fix you. I know what you said before, but I don't think this situation applies. So, I guess this is goodbye. But THIS time, I know better than to say that this one is permanent."
And I turn and walk toward the red stage curtain, hoping that the world is still behind it.
When I came in I thought this was a theater. Not a movie theater, I mean like a play theater, and I was surprised to see that the building was so small. And that there was no advertisement for what show was playing. Or coming up, as the case may be.
And another thing that doesn't make sense is where all these curtains came from. That's assuming they are curtains, because right now I'm too scared to move or touch them. It's not a kind of mortal fear for life and limb or anything, more like a fear that someone is going to come up to me demanding to know who-the-hell-am-and-what-I'm-doing-here and I won't have any answers.
When I came in, what I saw after I stepped through the wide glass doors was that half-cylinder with the bars across the opening that I first thought was a ticket window, but later realized didn't actually feature a window at all. Just a rounded, black surface extending from the floor to the ceiling, with that square hole cut out and interrupted with evenly spaced vertical lines of metal bars bolted solidly above and below the opening.
And I recognize that girl smiling at me through the bars.
I don't know where the light is coming from, because I don't see any lights in the red ceiling, and as near as I can tell there aren't any walls.. Yeah, I'm pretty sure they're curtains, but I don't think they're made from any kind of fabric I've ever seen before. There's that big black one that that girl is standing in front of, and 2 more on either side making you feel like you're in a small room. And I didn't hear anything, or see the room get darker, but now there's a big red stage curtain blocking the spot where the door was. It might still be there, but I don't want to move to find out just yet.
It looks like I'm alone in here with her. She looks at me and says "Is there something I can help you with?". Meaning she doesn't recognize me. Which is confusing.
I walk across the thick red carpet and peer around the side of the black half cylinder and take a hard look at her. Her hair is blond again, but still with a tinge of red. She's wearing a white tank top and faded blue jeans. And there's a wide piece of shiny black cloth tied around her left arm in a big bow that bounces a little when she moves. And I don't see any scar on her right arm, so I guess she made a full recovery.
It feels like my stomach is trembling, and my feet feel really heavy all of a sudden. Finally I manage to say "No. NO! You said we were done with this last time. You said you weren't-"
And I'm interrupted when a man wearing a blue jacket and khaki slacks comes through the red stage curtain, which I assume still has the glass doors behind it.. He steps across the red carpet and the disrupted stage curtain shimmers like an ocean as it settles back into stasis. And it seems to take a long time getting there. And I still can't figure out exactly what light it's reflecting.
The girl looks at him and says "What can I get for you?" And he looks at her and says "I'm looking for a katana. I was told to come here." The girl shakes her head and shugs, making the bow bounce. "Sorry, I don't think I can help you."
Suddenly I'm aware of a man at my elbow. Glasses, long curly black hair. I think I recognize him too, and I wish I didn't. He looks at the man with the blue jacket and says "You don't have to worry. Her mind is in the process of being erased." With that, he turns to move back through the black curtain behind the girl. The man with the blue jacket smiles and nods approvingly and walks back through the red curtain which I can only assume still has the glass doors behind it.
I look at her in shock.
"They're erasing your MEMORY?"
I don't really expect an answer of course. The girl doesn't seem upset by my question, but inclines her head slightly in a kind of muted curiosity.
"No. No. This I can't allow. What, am I here to SAVE you this time? Am I supposed to HELP erase you? What? "
She doesn't have any answers for me, of course.
"Look." I say, reaching for the wide black cloth around her arm "Look at what's under here. I know that will help."
She draws back suddenly, shaken. "Who are you?" She demands.
I sigh.
"Alright, listen." I begin. "I'm just going to go along with this, this time. I know you said I wouldn't see you again. But I don't think either of us forsaw this. I'm going to leave now. If they blank you out and I find you, I'm going to fix you. I know what you said before, but I don't think this situation applies. So, I guess this is goodbye. But THIS time, I know better than to say that this one is permanent."
And I turn and walk toward the red stage curtain, hoping that the world is still behind it.
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
i still have yet to finish sh4. i doubt i ever will. it just disappointed me so much.