Visions of the Visor

Chapter 4a

Chapter 4

"A man with leopard skin lay dying in the shadows on the side of the road. His body was aged, as was his face. Though in his eyes he showed his youth. "I believe in things outside of this world," he said "something beyond the endless, sightless walls, whether it be for the good for the bad. We are not alone." For this he was stricken with unending disease so that he might be a warning to others who might also believe in his fanciful ideas."

Gospel Manifesto Edification 4:67-70

Ethan remained on the rooftop quite a long time after Jaguar had left. The comments Jaguar made to him were still very poignant in his mind. After he had shook off the fact Jaguar had made him mad, almost implying his sketches were not very good after all, he began to think about what Jaguar really did say. What was it that made his sketches so different, so important from everybody else's? After all Jaguar, York, and Cedric could have chosen to harbor any other fugitive artist. Why him?

Ethan pulled back from looking out over the city and turned to his chalk drawing on the roof. He stepped back to get a better look. And then he walked along the sides of it. But in the end he sighed heavily and frowned. He did not see what Jaguar was talking about and he thought he knew why. There was something missing from it. He did not know what it was or even how to try and fix it, but there was something not right, something lacking. He had to get his sketchbook back. Then maybe he would begin to understand what was wanted, what was expected from him. He knew there was nothing lacking in those sketches. And he had a thought it had to do with the way he had been feeling recently, because he never had this feeling before. It was like his whole side was always numb. He knew it was there, but it was just somehow lacking, like it never had before.

Later that night, Ethan made sure Jaguar, York, and Cedric were well asleep before he slipped out of the walls. He knew there was no way they were going to let him go out in the city on his own between his health and the Vertigo on the look out for him, but Ethan had to get his sketchbook back. And quite frankly, his verdict was not in yet on what the motives were of these three. He was hoping his sketchbook might answer that. Trust was not something that came easily in Andrameda. Grabbing his jacket, Ethan slipped out of the walls and headed in the dangers of the sleeping, night-stricken city.

The air was cold and was eerily darker than usual with the power out. With so many street lamps out it would be easier to hide from the white-faced Vertigo, but equally it be much harder to see them until they lifted their heads, moments before latching on. Despite the cold night air, Ethan felt hot and his sweat chilled him. He hoped he was not working himself into a panic attack or something. But then he suddenly felt horribly cold as he became shrouded in complete darkness like he had never seen before. He could feel the hair on his arms and neck stand on end as a cold chill ran up his spine. He felt as though he were in the presence of something so evil it would grab him and never let go. Fearing the Vertigo were near, Ethan cautiously backed into the black wall behind him. When his back hit the ice-cold stone images flashed in front of him so real it was as though he had stepped into another time. Everything was random, though they were all related. Again he saw two sisters whom he remembered seeing before. Ethan saw things he did not understand, things that were strange and unfamiliar, like peering into a world he was not suppose to see nor know about. And there was violence and darkness swarmed by chaos and inexplicable dread. Ethan tried to pull away, to close his eyes to it, but he could not as if this next part he was meant to see. The voices began to clatter all at once getting louder and running faster and faster together, until Ethan could no longer tell who was saying what. Remember the numbers. 94678591. You have to know the numbers. Remember the numbers. 94678591. What are they for? Hurry do you remember them? There isn't much time. But what do they do? Just remember the numbers. 94678591. With them in your memory you will-- But then the images were gone just as suddenly as they had come.