The System

Prologue Ō - Part XIII --> O.T.

*Curse to seek: Is to Find.*

"Hey there... I am Tetsü. No. Kilə. No. Wait..." The Cam recorder staring at the Kid felt bad. It was running out of memory and he still couldn't get his story straight.

The kid scratched his head and tried again. "Everyone I know knows me as Tetsü. Because we told them to call me that and they obliged." He chuckled to himself. 'obliged' was such a big boy word. "But on my birth certificate, I am named Kilə." He gave a huge toothy smile. "It's a long funny story... I will tell you later?" Tetsü, who's technically known as Kilə by the government, winks at the camera recorder. "Crap! That's probably the worst intro ever." He smacks the camcorder shut and slams his head over his table. "Fuck!" He curses in a muffled voice.

"Hey! No swearing in my house, young man." A voice blasts into the enclosed room. "And your ride will be here soon. Are you done with your video application?"

"Not yet, Mom," Tetsü yells back. "And how does your voice reach me, no matter the obstacles in between?"

Tetsü spins around in his chair, assessing his surroundings. His entire room had been shut tight, with lights focused on him. His room was a typical teenager's room. Half tidy and half a mess that he still has to get to. Known to be soundproof, one would assume sound doesn't go in or out of his room. But that didn't seem to be the case, as his mom heard him most of the time. Privacy is a myth. Tetsü thought as he waited for a reply that had never arrived. "How come her voice can make it and only a selective few of mine can reach her?"

'Oh, yeah! One thing you need to know about me... I am an overthinker. Haha. Yey me!' Tetsü swipes the pile of crap on his table into his bag. Few fall in, while the rest just topples over. 'And you are in my story. So, hey. I am Tetsü. The two dots over the letter U is a mistake. Thanks to a drunk nurse who wanted a unique name.'

Tetsü stares at his bag, which held a pen, one book, and many empty candy wrappers. 'That seemed fun and easy in my head. And maybe I need to cut back on my sugars.' He chuckles to himself and closes his bag, leaving the mess he made behind. Those will be added to his has-to-get-to list.

'Where was I? Oh, yes! Hey there. I am Tetsü. An overthinker. With whom you are stuck with me. That means the make-believe problems my mind cooks up are yours as well. Don't worry though. This is just the prologue. The fun hasn't even started yet.'

"Get your ass down here and break your fast." Mom's voice blasts into the room again.

Tetsü opens his mouth to yell. He stops mid-breath and decides to test out a theory instead. "How come you get to swear?" He mouths the words.

"My house, my rules."

Tetsü turns to look at his bum. "I had a suspicion she isn't human." His bum doesn't respond. "Come, let's get you down."

Tetsü slides down the spiral staircase, slams against the figurine at the edge, and falls on his head.