The Ways of Leland

Wait Without Hope

 I am almost 10 minutes away from the party. The buildings around here look crooked. Their tops lean in, like something out of a Tim burton movie. Lampposts flicker on and off around me. My view of what's in front of me was obscured as the light faded in and out. I guess that what caused me not to see the car. The car that started this whole mess.

I only saw brief glimpses of the black Ford. I recall that the right front light was broken. It was far at the end of the street. The single light seemed to be the size of a mustard seed at first. No doubt the car was coming closer and quick. The mustard seed became a disk, which became larger and larger. My body ceased movement. No matter the amount of strength I mustered, It was useless. It was a good thing that i was on the sidewalk. The lampost flickered again. This time it stayed off. For what felt like hours I heard the car's engine rush ever so close.

As I stood there, knees shaking and quaking, wondered what that car was doing there. I live in the ecofriendly part of Japan. No One I knew owned a car. Everyone rode bikes. Fords are also as uncommon as they get here. It was at these times, when I am scared out of my whits, that I comfort myself in the calling.

The mind is the source of all troubles in the world. This bastard chooses what path you will take, the ways you view others and the world, and most of all, it is the reason you break down. The reason you may never get up. The reason everything seems hopeless. The terrors of the mind will be what destroys you or what builds you.

I sighed. The voices always comforted it me. They sound creepy and strange, they gurgle their speech. I think they sound beautiful. These voices failed to assuage the sense of impending doom I felt. I snapped out of my fantasy.

The light flickered. For the split second i could see, I saw a figure appear before the car.The figure was cloaked in black. I think I saw a flash of long hair flow out of the cloak. The figure held something in it's hand. An oversized knife I believe?The next few seconds are a blur of noises. The light goes out.The first thing I heard was the sound of a car zooming past me. Then a large crash engulfed the air.

The car had crashed into the flickering lamp post. The car sat there for a moment. The light flickered on. The black car's front was compressed into a metal sandwich. I could see a man inside. The man looked to be in his mid-thirties. He sported a large beard that reached his chest. His face carried a frightened expression. He stared at the lamppost and his busted up front. Then he released a animal like scream.

I wanted to help the man. I prayed that my legs would gain movement again. Sadly,neither of our prayers were answered. Instead, the figure appeared. The dark cloak made him disappear at times. For a split second, I saw a strand of jet black hair. \

The figure walked up to the man. The man was still begging for help. I wonder, what will this person do? Kill him, that what it did. With a swipe of the same weapon, the man's screams diminished.

The figure stood there for a second. It was as if it was waiting for something. After a bit, something came out of the man. It was globelike. The top was pointed, like the tip of a pen. The object seemed to glow with the most brilliant light. The figure took the object that was floating up. It held it in their hand, before letting it go. Then in just a blink, the figure disappeared again.

It was now when my feet gained movement again. I quickly ran up to the car. I could see the man lifelessly draped over the window. Very dead. I dug around for my phone, but recalled that I left it on the counter at the compartment. I groaned inwardly. I had barely realized I wasn't alone. The object, it was still there. I got to get closer. The sphere seemed frightened by my presence. It zipped around the place. I saw that the shape seemed to be blueish. I then realized what it must be. It was a soul. I reached out to touch the cerulean globe...

"Henry, I swear to the heavens if you don't get a job soon I will take Maddie and find another man. The man bowed his head. His wife was yelling.

"Ashley, Please understand I am trying the best I can to get a job-"

"Your best isn't good enough." The woman screeched."We've haven't had water from the faucet in weeks, They are about to take the car and our funds, They are coming for the apartment and we won't be able buy food for the next forever!" Tears stung the woman's eyes. She turned away from her husband's face. "I just don't think I can take this anymore.."

I gasp, my hand back to my side. What was that? I went back to the voices, that always calmed me.

The voices came back. "I said to my soul,be still and wait without hope, for hope would be hope for the wrong thing."

Without thinking I repeated the same words to myself. The soul grew more restless at the words. I put my hands up in an attempt to soothe its mind. (Provided it still had one.) I heard a mystical voice behind me.

"Such a shame, isn't it?"

I whipped around to see nothing. "Who are you? Did you kill this man?"

The feminine voice laughed. "Of course not. I deal with the dead. The one who killed him was probably a handmaiden."

"A what?"

"Nevermind that. There is a reason I came to see you today, human." The voice was behind me. As I turned, I saw a woman,

Woman is barely the term used to comprehend the person beside me. The thing was indeed part animal. The legs were the legs of an cheetah or leopard. A long and slender tail followed behind the creature. She was wearing an acient dress. Intricate writings danced across the bottom of the cloth. The rest of her body was slim. The arms were lean and tanned as if they were in the sun for many years. Her face looked very foreign. She is not native to Japan. She looked beautiful. Turquoise massacra outlined her blue eyes. Her golden hair grazed her back.

"Did you see it? The backstory of this poor soul?" The person spoke sweetly. I nodded, too encaptured by her face to answer. She looked at me deeply. "Touch him again."

I obey reaching for the soul again...

Henry was happy. Happiness was something he forgot about. He spent the last 4 months not able to support his wife and child. They had dug themselves so many graves in dept. But now it will all change. He had gotten an amazing job that will get them out of their debt in no time! Just wait until Ashley hears this! She will be thrilled. And Maddie will too since she can stay in school. He just needs to get home. Hey, what is the person doing in the road? CRASSH!!

In a flash, the car was up against a pole. He tried to move, but the car was so squished against the pole he couldn't move. When he looked out the window he saw 2 people. He let out a fearsome and worrisome stream. He couldn't die! His family was counting on him! Oh, here comes someone. Before he could asked for help, the person took a weapon to his neck.

"No.." I whimpered. I dropped to my knees. This couldn't be true. I knew it was though, I was there, standing frozen as ice. This man died, leaving behind two people alone. All of their problems were about to be solved, then they just met the biggest problem they can possibly face.

"You can help this person. Do you want to?" The lady asked.

"Yes." I said immediately. If I can help this person, this family, I must.

The woman turned to me. We looked each other in the eyes. The lady was smiling. I found myself wanting to smile, but I didn't. "Then Leland, you must become my Regalia."

"I'll do it." I stated proudly. The lady's smile turned bigger as she kissed my head...

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That is the end of this chapter. Please vote and comment! It helps so much!

-Wonerfull