Death-Escape

Five seconds more for this Death to die. Jonathan and I hastened to cross the river only to encounter another Death clone. The giant clock rang, dispersing the usual yet perpetually infuriating noise of sheer danger. 24-hour Death Escape ended and the succeeding level transition met us almost immediately. This has been our 19th year on-game. One rule, one aim. Survive.

Jonathan's grip seems to break my petrified soul from the passing Death clone before us. However blind, it can ideally perceive fear. We continued to walk past it and securely paced the red line imprinted over the earth's surface-our compulsory path, resembling a railroad track preserved generations by generations through entities we never knew and met. Neither do I remember following it for the first time. My insights implied nothing but the faces of him. Jonathan's presence always had settled my soul to safety. His truth and existence rendered me everyday hope that someday we'll reach the end of the line, together.

Not until Death finally found Jonathan. He struggled a little bit more but eventually followed the clone's order. He stopped for a minute and I was lost in anticipating he'll look at me for the last time. But he just left. He left me behind.

The next thing I knew, I was exhaustedly running away from the same clone. Now void of purpose and refuge, my direction appeared to be deserting the track. Two steps further and I'll be out of the line. Two seconds more and I'll be loosing the game. One millisecond left of hope, and suddenly the Death clone perished. The ringing cued the alarm. 24-hour Death Escape ended, another span coming soon.

I was catching my breath, unsteadily continuing my pace beyond the track. I did make it out of the red prison-out of the red line. I seemingly forgot what happened earlier. So it was real. Jonathan did die. I looked behind the track I forsook and I never found him again. My Jonathan. My life.

Now lost in the woods with nothing but the company of despair and darkness, I seek no more than a place for rest. Our track had it always, a home just waiting beside each thousand-meter distance. But now you know I've missed it. Forever.

A smoke not far away attracted my thirst for human fellowship. A friend please. Or maybe not. Jonathan always warned me about the lone place of security. No other ally can be found outside the lane. All are wolves clothe with sheep's skin. The track is the sole truth. No other hope. But now his departing strengthened me to prove him wrong. 

And by the way, I'm starting to hate him too.

All the while a mighty growl from behind stole my self-control as I seem to faint upon seeing this dreadful beast. He invited me to a gathering across the city and promised me to be safe against the Death Escape Battle. I never felt much comfort since Jonathan's nearness and now I'm likely to commit that there is something worth living outside the track.  

As I rode at its seemingly broken back, I started to feel strange uneasiness while moving far away from the smoke I foremost wanted to go, most especially the faded vision of the red line I've walked on for years. I humbly asked if it can take me first to that certain area but its silence only intensified my discomfort. 

At last we arrived in the city. There seemed to be a continual feast and gathering for years and beasts and humans-alike were acting excessively out of sense. Yet they call it true reality. They are out of rules. Out of bound. Free to do anything at will. Their stories of past histories caught me at first but as I understood the place, I realized I was too late. Hundreds of Death clones were coming towards us and the beast who invited me presided the program of Death Acceptance. Several humans I've collided recently had willingly submit to the clones and were out of sight momentarily. My guilt started to devour me as I remember Jonathan's warning and how the world outside the lane could be this untrustworthy and wicked. I never should have let my feelings decide my path. I never should have left the track.

With the littlest hope of escaping death, an acquaintance held my hand and all of a sudden swept me away from the city and back to the woods near the familiar sight of smoke. It was Jasmine. The oldest robot in the city. She cannot speak words as mine yet I can assure she's a friend. Her sentimental embrace rekindled my dying will to continue life for her grace reminded me Jonathan's love. Jasmine knew I was born from the renowned track of truth and her actions embodied her intention of helping me return to the place I truly belong. It had me glued on for seconds. Can I really go back to the track? And if I can, will I be satisfied all alone? Is meeting the end line the sole purpose of this journey? Is escaping death what makes up life? 

Jasmine released a deep sigh as she seemed to understand my melancholy. I sat over the geometry of the old ground, 20 meters away from the red line and Jasmine likewise seated beside me. I looked above the sky and found favor in the great mystery behind the spark of white lights. I guess good thing still exists. It just needs to be noticed.

A single blink of an eye involuntarily drifted me to an unknown house and I knew this was Jasmine's doing but strange enough, I was alone. It appears to be a dwarf's domain having diminutive scale of equipments all erratically placed and laid down. The window was wide open and the ambience suggested the advent of sunrise. Some familiar scent enticed me to wander around and I realized it's the same smoke from last night. I haven't gotten myself ample time to sleep and besides I'm not that bodily weak. For years, Jonathan and I would travel days without slumber and compensate it through days of home rest. Though thinking about him now is quite deteriorating. But I must distract myself into going back to the track. My life in Jonathan died. Nevertheless, as the clock's way of alarming us the end and beginning of the game, the same ringing from within drives me to go back and see the end of the line. Probably Jonathan will be there too. Probably Jonathan will be my reward.

I opened the rear door and was surprised with the multitude of dwarfs aptly waiting just for me. Jasmine was there too as she summoned me to move forward and addressed the gathering. I was truly overwhelmed in seeing such existence of the same features as mine yet notably small. Little humans, literally. I found them hard to converse with but we gradually reached some talks about the red line. The look in their eyes seem to soak me with substantial defense in providing the reason of my departure. Yet I kept it for myself and told them my earnest will to come back. I saw Jasmine smiling at me and though a little forced, I smiled too. Meanwhile, I apparently learned more from these little humans than they did from me. We were all co-existing within the vast realm of the game of life. One rule, one aim. Survive. These entities concluded the harsh truth of their reality. They might be alive but they are outright empty. Neither gloomy nor delighted. They move and toil and try to escape the clone but they go home and found out they are all alone, together. I tried to control my tears upon hearing it. I've got no words that seem fitting to comfort them but a hug, at least they gave it back and at least they tried to live.

Our story followed the fourth ringing of the giant clock as we decided to seek satisfaction in truth. Ten packs of little humans journeyed beside me as we searched for living creatures that are presently walking inside the track. At first it was a long sight of empty space and how I long to step again on that line. We tried to force myself to enter the track but it happened to be guarded by invisible strong walls that needed to be broken instead. Jasmine did nothing but to alarm us for any incoming Death clones. I even saw her laughing while we carried heavy stones to break that wall and all of us knew she wouldn't be of help. Along the travel, I slowly noticed how I seemed to outgrew my dress. My sandals too were partially destroyed after we struggled to climb that mountain-strictly just following the track, two meters beside us. And what's more weird was the fact that the little humans were now half of my height. We looked at Jasmine in pure wonder and hope to answer this case but only she repeatedly nod, placed her hand on her chest and put a smile on her peculiar face.

I remember the 36th ringing since having the dwarfs' company. But they're not really 'that' dwarf anymore and though still smaller than me, the changes towards their countenance outweighed their corporal magnitude. They learned to laugh-even so annoying, to cry-especially when Jasmine forgot to cook breakfast, to express sympathy-when everyone felt tired to take another step and to possess enthusiasm in the promised end of the line. I never knew how great a hope can do. And here we are at last, gazing at a couple-holding each other's hand while walking the track I abandoned.

We were so full of anticipation that we shortly realized how swiftly we dashed towards them. The couple were obviously frightened but quickly brushed away the feelings of refusal. They genuinely smiled and willingly communicated to us. By then I can't stop my tears as I long to see this day of grasped hope. Finally, I'm going back. 

In the most abrupt moment, the ground was filled with shadows from thousands of Death clones flying above us. The atmosphere darkened and knowing that we are still unable to enter the track, my sole choice was to enfold the dwarfs and gaze upon the red line for the last time. The embrace was deep and tight as everybody felt the rapid beat of each's heart. Is this death? Is this loosing?

Attempting to close my eyes, I felt a rare touch of salvation which bursted my thoughts of defeat. It was followed by the magical dispelling of the clones surrounding us. Eventually we realized what happened. The couple's outstretched hands connected us to the track's sufficient fortress. We were saved. We were rescued. We can't stress our feelings enough but we rushed immediately towards them and found out how the once impenetrable walls were much air-like now as we entered the track and beheld the comfort of the red line. And behind me, was Jasmine. She doesn't look like what she was before and I seemed to comprehend her utterance at this moment. 

With her odd voice yet sweet demeanor, she spoke the following while restraining me to reply.

"There exists an infinite force which separates good and evil, truth and deceit, life and death. The track is narrow and few beings try to look for it and make effort to commit. You on the other hand were fostered inside yet your own disbelief pushed you beyond the limit as if you were a stranger to your own home. Jonathan was both your fear and faith and he never existed after all. It was me who taught you words about the law however you keep on owning things done just through you. He's your made-up character whom you trusted the most and all the while, the trust drifted away as the clone won over your thoughts. You put your trust on your own instead of the line long born before you. Death Escape was nothing but mere illusion to trick the other side of division. You are plainly safe on this red line where light and love holds the very foundation of life. Unless you believed in the truth, you will never be freed from your doubts. So once you might have lost the way but the best thing is you found your way back and look how you've grown enough! Your faith determines your size. Trust the track, trust the line. There's more of it than meets the eye. The unfathomable truth, you'll soon realize."

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