The Key

Chapter 14 - Death is So Near

Wait." Only Adam wears heavy boots on..." I was unable to finish that sentence as the footsteps halt to a stop. Everyone locked their sight on the entrance to the cafeteria. And one of the people who're at the nearest table to the entrance happens to be me. Adam's right in front of me. And I have no way of hiding myself. Somewhat, unconsciously, I feel guilt creeps inside my mind, numbing my senses, including my common sense. He motions with his finger towards me. I guess I'm the one. I walk towards him. When I'm in a hand's width distance, he grabs me by the collar and literally dragged me out of the room. I was absolutely terrified. He brought me to the Arc. I've never been here because I have no need to be here. This room is used for military training. And I, in no way, am that brave and strong enough to handle the simulations. I did watch a simulation by Adam to get the real vision of how powerful and sophisticated that system is. The system itself is capable to withstand Adam's strength. Besides, the Arc was inspired and co- produced by Adam to suit his physical strength. Both of us got inside the Arc. I absent- mindedly started looking around, feeling awed by the inner structure of the room. "You are so gullible. Aren't you? Harebrained, moron..." He starts to heat up. "I'm sorry. But I have no idea why we are here." I blinked my eyes rapidly. "You have no...idea?! What is actually inside that tiny brain of yours?! Nuts?!" He growled. I choke a laughter. I choked that but he still sensed it. Sigh. "What?! Is that funny?!" He starts to close in in a hand's width distance and raise his right hand. "I can just hold your neck and break it just like that." He motions the movement. I shudder in return. Out of a sudden, his iris starts to turn into a dark red hue. I feel the room starts to produce a shaking motion that rapidly grows stronger and the temperature inside the room continues to rise. He suddenly falls to his knees, with his head down. This few seconds that I have is the only time that I'm able to breathe. He suddenly stands up and opens up his arm and starts to scream. His scream gets louder every second and the room starts to shake stronger accordingly. His veins starts to become more visible as if they're expanding and will pop out. Tiny black spots starts to emerge from his skin. He's...he's burning. Literally burning. His burning anger is burning him, inside out. And I am there, just watching him in the distance. The room starts to shake heavily that I end up sitting near him as I am in no way capable to balance myself in this earthquake- like situation. All that time in the room, I end up only staring at him, in utmost disbelief. Watching my death nearing me is surprisingly far more pleasant than I expected.

What was life like for Adam? Has he always been like this? Being in an uncontrollable anger management situation, killing lives in the process? Does he like this kind of life? Did he even choose this kind of life in the first place? If it's unavoidable, why don't he isolate himself from people altogether? Maybe, he can't do all of that, and.... never will. I guess this is how he is. He is born like that. But he yearns to be around people. Nothing's wrong with that. Perhaps, there are things that need to be paid with a heavy price for the many advantages that he has in this life of his. And automatically, for me, I sensed that his scream is actually more melancholic than just anger. With all this inhuman traits that he has, in essence, he is just a human with supernatural powers. Yes, he is just a human. A lonely one at that, with no one to rely on. Well, I guess, if I do it or not, I'll still be dead. I crawl myself towards Adam. I prop myself up when I'm in front of him. He seems to be in a trance, not realizing or even looking at me at all. At that moment, for me, everything stood still, the scream is muted and the earthquake is numbed. "It's okay. Everything's going to be alright," I whispered and simultaneously, I give him a hug. I try to caress her back, like a mother would. Surprisingly, his body is cold. Like that of ice. I thought by what I've seen from before, he's literally on fire. But he's not. He seems to cease from screaming, stunned by my action. I blinked my eyes as if I'm drowsy. I feel like my energy being sucked out of me. Like life being sucked out of me. Maybe this is what death is like. My vision dimmed. What I see next is just utter darkness.

When I opened my eyes, I noticed that the place was a dark one. But, for some reason, the place brighten a bit due to an unknown source of light. As if there are something shiny with its ambience fell upon the place. I'm like in a kind of closed space. I start to look around and noticed what caused the shine; keys, and there are uncountable amount of it. The light brighten a notch and every keys becomes clearer to me. However, I was unable to decipher the connection between these keys; until I looked behind my back. There, behind me, stands a mammoth door, as long as my vision could reach, and beyond. I almost fell to my knees, it really had taken me aback. My curious nature probed me to closely observe the door; wooden door made from sturdy and mighty woods, like that of an ancient door that I saw in a book that I borrowed from the library long ago, only this one were massive beyond description. On the surface of the door, I try to locate, perhaps, if there is any, a keyhole of that sort. The door somehow was patched with steel, of many sorts, in many sizes. This totally did not make any sense to me. In this situation, I prefer to look the issue in a bigger and broader sense. So, I decided to be as far as I could from the door. And...all of that patches do make sense now. The steel patches, were the keyholes, some were keyholes within a keyhole and strangely, the keyholes were patched with steel in the inside, as if disallowing anyone from entering the right key....unless, the right key was inserted and the key head was broken intentionally by someone. So, how could I use the door to get out from this place? Will I be here forever? I picked up a key nearest to me but lifting the key itself was no easy feat. I ended up dragging the key which was the size of a rod but still, whatever it was made of, it did not do justice to me. I ended up with that key in front of the door but I have no idea on how to put that key inside the correct keyhole. Considering that the key had lost its head, it is impossible for me to decide on where to put this key into. I ended up doing a ridiculous simulation in front of the door. Strangely, the key becomes lighter and somehow, I also feel the same way. When I realized it, I'm already ten feet above ground. It seems that the rest of the key would point out to the location of the real keyhole, automatically. I wonder if I motion my hand on the direction of the keys, will all of the keys automatically be within the reach of my hand? I wonder...while putting the key inside the keyhole. Nothing happen. The key slightly is repelled though it is the correct one.