Caesar

CHAPTER THREE: VICTIMS OF WOES(CAESAR)

                           1904

"Time is an illusion, it defines your past, present and future dictating what is present and who is left behind in the past to be remembered as mere memories."

...It had began like a nightmare, you know the kind of dream that starts with a innocent young boy running down a dark lonely alleyway with a serial killer behind him, carrying a blood dripping weapon except that there is no serial killer, no dark lonely alleyway and no bloody weapon, all that is available is an innocent boy walking down any ordinary road....

             GOOD BYE CAESAR; THE
                         BEGINNING

A Buick car stops and the door is opened wide as Young Caesar drops down from it. With a smile on his face, he reassures his driver; "Don't worry, Anthony... It's just down the road...I'll be back soon!"

"You sure I don't need to escort you...!"

"No Anthony, I'll be back..." With that he heads down the narrow road which is too narrow for a car to pass through. As his feet heads towards the Stationery, he knew those words he uttered were lies " He was never coming back! "

Little drops of rain pour down his olive skin as his eyes look up at the grey weeping sky. His pupils dilate staring down at the black umbrella in his hand, instead of opening it, he lets the rain drip down on him as his hands fling the umbrella down. Impassive eyes stare down at the umbrella which is carried away by the rain water.  It may seem like foolishness to you but that is the little way he rebels. His eyes still fixed on it as the ground water carries it down.
His mother's command ring loud in his ears "Use the Umbrella, the forecast said it would rain!"

He stares down at the floating umbrella attempting to leave it all behind; the umbrella, the commands, his parents and his life but first, he had to purchase some books to write down his last words.

He stops at the stationery, the transparent raindrops land on his skin slowly strolling down his body. His feet comes to a halt when he sees "CLOSED!" The bold red sign shuts him out the same way the world did. He turns back, his eyes devoid of emotions or tears;
"Guess the world doesn't care for my last words!"

He moves forward but stops when he hears a voice behind him. Someone coughs out, the cough is loud at first but becomes louder with pain and discomfort. He turns running backwards to help the person.

An old woman wraps herself up in rags and old newspaper, shielding herself from the pouring rain but oddly, his black umbrella is in her hands and she caresses it.

"You threw away something so precious... One that shielded you from the cold...darkness... Pain..." She coughs out blood.

Caesar moves closer to her. He takes off his waterproof jacket, its high quality leather shines brighter as the transparent drops of water decorates it.

"I am sorry...you can have my jacket...you are freezing!" His voice full of insecurities as he searches for the right words to say. The voice of his father terrorises him as they sound loud in his ears;" Don't open up that tramp of yours to speak if you are not fucking sure of what you are saying! As My Heir and Future Zaki, Your action actions can never be wrong, understand me bastard! so only speak when needed!..."

"I thought you couldn't speak..." The old woman says in between coughs.

Caesar looks down to the ground watching the drops of water stroll down towards the drainage with his hands still extended out, holding the jacket. He clutches his fist in anger. His father had used him "his dumb son!" as a selling point to arose sympathy, increase votes and relate with the populace for they were in a period of time where illness reigned over the land, claiming the lives of various children.

The tears stay hidden behind his blinking cold impassive eyes.

"I...I...can...can't...sp...speak!" He stammers playing the part written for him to act like a dummy. The sardonic snicker that escapes the old woman's mouth is sickening. Her brown teeth shakes almost falling off. This time she didn't cough.

"You can't speak?..." She grabs his hands laughing out madly, her fingers digging deeper into his flesh. Soon she lets him go, licking his blood off her fingers as she brings out a sliver mask.

"Wear this and all your woes, tears and pain would be washed away by the rain..." Her eyes focus on the strolling waters.

He steps back terrified by the Lady who now stands without the aid of her walking stick and even walks perfectly towards him.

"Take it!" She commands.

"My parents... They...!" He stammers as cold tears remain still in his eyes. He moves backwards, his boots is soaked and the water makes it harder for him to move.

"Take it...!" She moves closer to him. Her voice autocratic and demanding, her tone low and scary.

He turns back running from her and heading downwards. His bag pack falls to the ground and his umbrella floats by its side. He runs downwards without the knowledge of where he was to go. As his eyes scan through the streets, the only available signs on the roads "CLOSED!!!" is what all the shops say making the street lonely with no one present.

It finally dawns on him, HE KNEW NOWHERE. This was the first time in ages he had left his house so he basically knew nowhere in CRASTLE, Yes even if you are thinking 'not even his way back home!" 

As he runs through the wet street, he constantly looks back. An old piece of wood floats aimlessly on the ground. His feet races forward and his eyes constantly looks back. Finally, he sees her. To make matters worse, he bumps into the old wood and falls down on the wet ground.

Now those still tears of his forgot they could even remain static and now flowed down his cheeks. The old woman stands as a silhouette approaching him slowly.

His body comes back up and he runs the opposite direction but she also stands at the end waiting for him. He turns running but...

He bumps into her. Her grin scarier than all the deaths of farm animals he had witnessed. Her wrinkled hand grip him holding him forcefully. She looks into his eyes shaking his tiny body ; "Funny how ya thought ya could outrun me!"

Finally even though in slow motion, she places the mask on his face. He feels the steel cold body of the mask against his wet skin.

Suddenly, he could feel nothing, his tears were gone. He slumps down to the ground as the steel mask disappears into his skin.