Achromatic

Chapter Nineteen

The night was brisk, and barely cold enough for Murdoc's wet clothes to freeze against his skin. He passed by cars and strangers walking on the sidewalk who did not even give him a passing glance. And those who did notice him wondered why he was not wearing a jacket.

Once Murdoc had eventually found himseld in the heart of London, its tall buildings shielded him from the cold wind. He continued to aimlessly wander the streets, crossing his arms tightly to stand against the wind. But despite the weather, Murdoc wasn't shaking. He just kept on running.

Once he had reached Big Ben, a strange feeling went suddenly went through him. It wasn't fear, yet Murdoc began to grow paranoid of the environment around him.

The people, all of them were watching him with fear in their eyes. They knew what he had done, what he was becoming, and they just stared and pointed at him as he passed by.

He had to get out. He just had to.

Murdoc stopped walking. He couldn't get the sudden paranoia out of his head, no matter how hard he tried to make it go away. His eyes kept wandering to the cars on the street, with the blur of bright headlights and the sounds of asphalt crunching beneath the snow.

"It's just..."

2D was cut off from Murdoc suddenly slamming on the car brakes. He firmly pressed down on the horn and flipped his middle finger at the car in front of them.

"Get your arse off the road, you fuckin' moron!" Murdoc shouted as he continued to honk his horn.

2D sat in the passenger seat, giving Murdoc a scoff. "You know he can't hear you, right?" He asked.

Murdoc rolled his eyes as the car that nearly rolled into them skidded its tires and drove away. "I just like to see him look intimidated," he said. "See, he's already gone. It's like it never happened, right?"

2D shrugged. "Yeah. Right."

There was something about this intersection, the exact place where Murdoc was standing that made him immobile. He looked across the road at the crosswalk sign, which began to count down as a crowd of people made their way across the road.

15,

14,

13,

"I can't help but think, Murdoc, what's gonna happen when people start asking about us, what are we gonna say to them?"

"We'll just distract them with an unfinished B-side."

"Sir, are you lost? Do you need help, or a cab perchance?"

Someone had noticed Murdoc standing still amongst the crowd. But he didn't hear what the stranger had said to him. His eyes were kept focused on the numbers.

12,

11,

10,

9,

"You know what: story closed. End of discussion," Murdoc retorted.

"12 years, Murdoc! 12 years you've been keeping this under your own name, and it's like you don't even care!"

"Sir? Can you hear me?"

8,

7,

6,

"But,"

5,

4,

"All I'm trying to say, Murdoc, is that,"

3,

2,

"I just want you to-"

1.

Big Ben began to ring and send its chimes looming throughout the city. The stranger looked at his watch, then at Murdoc, who had finally began to move from where he stood. With concern, the stranger followed him as he slowly walked towards the passing cars.

This was where it happened.

This was where his life was cut short, and where the world came crashing down.

"Please, let me help you. I'll call someone. Do you have any family or friends I can contact?" the stranger urged.

Murdoc, with his head hung down, glanced at the stranger out of the corner of his eye. For a brief moment, they looked at each other as the bells continued to chime.

"It's too late," Murdoc said to the stranger. "He's gone."