Mandela Catalogue; ℊяε∀⊥ ∂εḉεḯṽεя

Newcomer of Mandela

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*Clank!*

I closed the suitcase, a heavy sigh left my mouth as I checked out all the things I needed for this flight. I'm actually leaving, again. Not that I mind, of course, I've been on the move like a nomad for about all my life. I lived in Europe for about 5 years, then moved to the Far East for 2 more years. Then moved to the Middle East for another 1 year. At 8, I moved around Europe for 5 years, then settled in the US for about 5 more. In about a month or so, it'll be 6 years in the US, because I'm not moving to another country, just another state.

I shook my head, and grabbed my tag chain. I have a tag connected to a chain for every place I live in. This is my sixth chain, it's tagged; Zanesville, Ohio. I'm not sure what the ruckus is about, Ohio is a good State. A great one even. I'm the one surprised when people act shocked when they see a Nine-Headed Hydra walking around at daytime, conversing with the Earth Worms. Isn't that normal? Anyways, I continued checking around my room, and then my house. Three times I checked it, and thrice it was empty. This house I shared with my roommate, he's outside somewhere.

???:
"Joseph!"

Joseph:
'Speak of the devil...'
'And he shall appear.'

I turn around to see Noah, a brown haired 6 feet tall man, with a normal physique.

Noah:
"Are you really leaving? Why couldn't you stay here?"

Joseph:
"I already told you the reason, Noah."
"In about a few months, I'll be 19. Our lease is only until I'm 19, remember?"
"Don't worry, I'll keep in touch."

Noah:
"Awwh..."
"Man... I really am gonna miss you.."

Mmm, yes, yes. Y'know, it's really hard to feel his empathy and his emotions when I can't stop darting from his eyes to his forehead. Even after many years of being his roommate, I still can't get over with the third eye on his forehead shedding tears. When he closes his two eyes while crying, the third on the forehead begins to literally weep and shed tears.

Joseph:
'And he says he's the most normal person here...'
'Well, I don't judge.'

Noah:
"Wahhhh! Who else is going to help me cook now?!"

Joseph:
"I spent three fu-BEEP- years teaching you how to cook, Noah."

Noah:
"👉🏻👈🏻"

Joseph:
"*Sigh* You'll do fine, take care of your brothers, aight?"

Noah:
"Okay..."
"But where are you going?"

Joseph:
"Wisconsin!"

Noah:
"Wisconsin? Why not Illinois? Chicago's pretty nice."

Joseph:
"I prefer a quiet, calm and rural town where I can live inside a small apartment or house comfortably while occasionally receiving visits from my neighbors."

Noah:
"That's practically what you've been doing for the past 5 years..."
"And what does Wisconsin offer, exactly?"

Joseph:
"Northwest of Milwaukee, there's a relatively rural place called Mandela County. The surrounding area is also pretty rural and quiet. Bythorne, Werksha and Yonder."

Noah:
"Those are some... unique names.."
"But Joseph, what of those... things?"

Joseph:
"What things?"

Noah:
"Oh, y'know, those things? They call 'em Alternates."
"They become specifically active at night, especially beyond midnight. On daytime they blend in, and I heard that they'll kill those who figured out who they are."
"For each person, there's always one Alternate."