Once Dead OCT : Character Introduction

I woke up, sweating and breathing hard. Waking up so abruptly had left my brain blank and my eyes started to hurt because it found it hard to adjust to the darkness. I grunted and sent a spark through the air, lighting up the area around me. Paul was next to me, Paul my teacher, my only friend was a stick. Wait let me rephrase that he’s a staff (that can talk I am NOT crazy), calling him a stick would be the most derogatory thing I could do. Not that I praise him or anything, his wiseass comments are the only things that seem real to me anymore.

I stood up and stretched my limbs, and then bent down to pick up Paul.  He was intricately carved out of a rare type of wood its texture somewhat similar to mahogany, but it’s a bit more red and is as hard as steel. I held it vertically and started rapping my knuckles in a rhythmic pattern on the topmost part of the staff. I felt it immediately that vague feeling you get when you know you’re not alone. He had no eyes, mouth or ears but Paul is able to see, hear and talk. (Damn it, if he had a mouth I could find some way to shut him up).

“Stop that, you’re hurting me. I want to go back to sleep”, Paul whimpered.

I made sure to keep the words on beat with my rapping, “Do. Staffs. Need. To. Sleep”. My voice made the question sound more accusatory than curious.

“What kind of stupid, question is that, why would I ask you to let me sleep if staffs don’t sleep.”

See what I mean, the agony. I ran the palm of my hand over my face and dropped the staff.

“Ow”, exclaimed Paul as he clattered onto the floor.

Well calling it the floor would be a matter of semantics. Technically the space where I and Paul existed was a kind of temporal reality I could breathe properly, but I didn’t feel hungry nor had the need to relieve myself at all, though I had to sleep; go figure. I’d be even slightly happy if I could control some part of said reality. Well I kind of do, the ‘floor’ was merely a figment of my imagination. I willed it into existence and in some part of my head it exists. Thus it existed. That’s kind of omnipotent but frankly that’s the only thing I can control. When I first realized I was here I was falling. I thought I was going to land at the bottom of a pit ergo the reason why I stopped falling. This world didn’t get rid of physics though. The impact caused me to break a few bones. Wait let me rephrase a lot of bones. Physics a bitch ain’t she.

Other than that said reality was darkness incarnate, and for a while I had to live like that. Paul had the incredible (please note from here on out every compliment towards Paul will be sarcastic) idea for me to make light, he said that the details were irrelevant (When has details ever been irrelevant). I tried but I failed. After who knows how long later I realized I could tap into a well of knowledge.

By its contents I realized whose it was.  My master, Dragon (I know seriously he should get a life). This well can be accessed while I sleep. The first time it happened it gave me a colossal headache. After a while I was able to clear my head and access it whenever I went to sleep. Recently though I’ve been starting to have flashbacks. Just thinking about my past sent a shiver down my spine.  This well of  knowledge also kept me up to date with all the modern stuff and also had a lot of physics textbooks in it, which was how I learnt to ionize air.

I sat down, making sure to cross my legs and took in a deep breath. “Sooooooo….. What are we going to do-“

I didn’t get to finish Paul made a soft noise something like a whimper and quickly said,”Zurüsten. “

That one word pushed me into overdrive. Paul had keener senses than me and the only times he spoke in German was when he was sure we were in danger. Paul’s tone was serious and he never said Get Ready unless he meant it, especially now since he said it in German.

I forced myself up bringing Paul with me and started spinning the staff. Electricity crackled and started emerging in all directions, lighting up the area around me. As that happened I saw the man, he was quite tall and he seemed fit. He was wearing a black cloak that covered his entire body including his head but the light was so dim I couldn’t make out any facial features, though I thought I sensed a slight tint of surprise in him when I lit up the area.

I stayed rigid, not daring to make a move. I just stood there until he started walking forward and then he dropped to the ground on one knee as if he was going to propose. I winced; this wasn’t something you saw every day.

His cloak was so smooth I didn’t see the pocket until he slowly put his hands into it and took out a small well decorated envelope. I tensed and he said, “I am here as a messenger. Please accept the invitation and we shall be on our way.”

“Take it,” Paul interjected. “It doesn’t look like he means any harm.”

I slowly reached out and took the invitation. I carefully opened it and took it out. It read.

Dear Mr. Siegfried
You are cordially invited to stay at our hotel. A one month stay, all expense paid vacation. It will have everything you need and want, with a grand prize of your freedom. Note that you have to decide (Whether or whether not you will grace us with your presence) on receiving this letter. Choose wisely.
                                    -Veronica
                                     Manager

“What does it say! What does it say, you know I can’t read.” Paul interjected.

“I…I… I’m not sure… It says that I have chance to win… my freedom?”

“Accept it.”

“How am I so sure I won’t be kidnapped and forced to work as a slave.”

“If I had a body I’d do this but since I don’t I’ll say it. Facepalm.”

I let out a low growl and said to the man in the cloak, “Erm… I accept?”

He stood up and patted his cloak. “Very well, follow me.”

I didn’t think until after I’ve started walking. It was impossible to force yourself out of this place. Believe me I tried. This isolated space was probably inside my Master’s head how the hell could I break myself out. Well since this guy was from outside he probably could open a two way portal or something. But damn how much energy would that take. I stopped thinking and focused on the task ahead. If what the invitation said was true I could get out of here. Maybe even permanently. The thought made me feel happier and I walked forward with newfound confidence.

He stopped something and muttered something under his breath. Suddenly the air in front of him started shimmering and swirling. Its size slowly expanding until it was big enough for an adult to pass through. The man gestured to me to go first but after a second of paranoia I decided to not give him the benefit of the doubt.  I stayed where I was thinking that he’d swear and try to force me through but instead he just shrugged and walked through. My eyes widened a bit but I stayed silent.

“Whatcha waiting for huh?”  Paul interjected.

I sighed and walked through.

Imagine coming out of your house after days of storms and cyclones to see the sun in all its glory and the happiness that wells up in you. That’s how I felt. Tears started welling up in my eyes as I looked up at the sun(As a matter of fact I was crying because I was looking at the freaking sun not because I’m an emotional wimp).

“Stop crying you emotional wimp.” Paul said his voiced filled with glee.

I quickly looked down and blinked my eyes a couple of times, having an urge to toss the staff and keep moving, I took a deep breath and controlled myself. “Follow me,” the man in the cloak said. And so I did. As we were walking I started to slowly peace together where we were. It looked like an estate somewhere. Wide open fields and tall trees. There was a building looming in the distance and we kept walking till we were right in front of it. There was a door, not as huge as I thought it would be.

The man in the cloak seemed to have read my mind, “This is only a service entrance, forgive me but a large open area was required to open a way lest I failed and-“

Paul cut him off, “The energy gets dispersed causing a biiiiiig explosion.”

“Yes,” He acknowledged, taking a small silver key from another pocket somewhere and opened the door.

We walked into what I supposed was the kitchen, it was a big room and the shelves were lined with various foods. My stomach growled and I realized that we actually were back on Earth. I held back my delight and kept following him. The man in the cloak suddenly stopped and turned around, “This is as far as I go, give your invitation to the manager and she will show you your room.”

He disappeared. He actually physically vanished leaving nothing at all; I couldn’t feel any physical presence whatsoever. I shivered and kept walking until we left the kitchen and came into a huge room. When I say huge I mean really really huge. I’ve been to the Fuhrers house and this was waaaaay bigger. It was weird. Being in such a huge space but with hardly any life in it whatsoever.

There was a woman lying on one of the couches and she was… talking? Well that’s the only way I could describe it, her mouth moved but made no sound. Suddenly her eyes narrowed and she got up to look at me. She smiled a little and did a weird gesture with her hands, her lips moved again briefly. She started walking up to me.

“Ah… You must be Max? Come on now, I’ll take you to your room.”

I felt something weird in the way she talked, something unsettling and vaguely dark, a part of me screamed at me to run, wait my entire body told me to run but-

“Start walking Max the lady is waiting.” Paul interrupted.

“Huh?” we both said at the same time.

He continued ignoring us, “Max why don’t you ask the lady her name.”

“The names Veronica and I’d appreciate it if you could get your stick to shut up.”

“Hey!” Paul snarled, “For your information I’m not a stick I’m a-“

I sighed and said, “Shut up Paul.”

He swore and stopped talking. “Now if you will?” Veronica announced, “I’d like to take you to your room?”

“Of course Madam.” I murmured.

She made a look somewhere between disgust and annoyance and started walking ahead.  I followed her into an elevator and she pressed the button for the 16th floor.

“Now there are a few things I must tell you, you’re welcome note will be in your room along with spare clothes and other complimentary products. The other residents here are...” She paused, “A bit different, so please try to control yourself and above all don’t die.”

“Don’t die?” I asked.

“Don’t ask.” She replied sighing.

When the elevator finally opened she handed me a key, “Room 1603, and Lunch will be in a few hours, come on down a bit early and you get to meet the other residents.” She pressed another button and the elevator closed. I walked the few steps needed to spot my room and opened the door. Well like everything else in this place my room was huge, enough said. It took me a while to realize how long it had been since I’ve slept on a bed. But before that a hot shower was in order. I was stripping when Paul said, “Hey Max before you go don’t you think you should read the welcome note?

I sighed again, I’ve been doing that an awful lot today, count on Paul to ruin the mood. I took the Welcome note and stopped in my tracks after the first line,”Hey Paul doesn’t Hotel de Las Arañas mean the spider hotel or something?”

“Why yes it does.” He replied.

I groaned and sighed again, “I knew something was wrong, definitely wrong.”