Vow of Unity

Chapter 1

   I walk down the street with the hood of my jacket up. The area around me is very bright as it radiates its spiritual glow and vibrant happiness. This is just a facade. It's all a fake peace and a very obvious one at that.
   I see all the people, going about their lives in the small town. They are completely unaware and ignorant of anything outside of their personal lives. It's sad to see.
   Before I know it, lost within a deep thought, I arrive at my destination. A small house in a lively but minuscule neighborhood. The paint is chipped, the front porch swing broken, but it's mine and I couldn't want more. I climb up the three small steps with a bit of cracks in the cement and unlock the door. It yells out as if I haven't opened it in a long time, forgetting that I'd only left home an hour ago.
   Without hesitation I take a seat on the couch and prop my feet upon the old oak Coffee Table. As I begin to day dream, my first thoughts were of how I'll pay next months rent and what I'll eat for dinner, but I begin to ponder on the things I normally do.
   This World. One that is segregated just because difference of creation, even though none of us are all that different.
   There are the Blessings. The ones from ancient teaching that were the first to descend upon this Planet from what we call the "Rift". In society, they believe they are the great ones, compared to the others.
   The Curses or Cursed Ones. These are people made straight from what we call the "Void". In society they take their "rightful" place underneath the Blessings. Usually one would view them as deceiving and simply, evil.
   I hate it all. The way things are, are exactly how they shouldn't be. Although made coming from two contrasting places, I believe we are all the same. The Blessings might have been gifted with more powerful abilities well built for creating a Utopia like world, but the Curses had no choice in being born the way they are. Sometimes I swear I'll make things change and then I realize there's nothing a lowlife like me can do.
   I turn on the T.V. to the only new station that I can receive, and see yet again a Curse had broken his seals and released himself from the "Damned", which is the common nickname given to the living area of the Cursed Ones.
   "I don't understand." I rub my eyes and let out a heavy sigh, stretching my arms back until they smack against the wall behind me.
   Upon creation, when a Curse is sent from The Void, the "Angels" put seals on them.
   The Angels are those that are deemed worthy to call Judgement upon others for their actions in this World. Obviously, only Blessings can be Angels.
   Seals are placed upon Curses so they can not release the powers given to them. Every one has these powers.
   They are very diverse from what I've seen and the Blessings think that if Curses have any sort of strength in their hands, that they'll rebel against the Law. For that, I honestly wouldn't blame them.
   I want everything to be equal, but then I worry about what kind of factor I'd be into that product. I have no idea what I am. There is no memory in my mind that can recall a time before three years ago, where my first memory is waking up in the bedrock of this house.
   I have no family to help me remember, none of us do. We are created, not made.
   We are told of a time where humans existed and were reproduced sexually, but that no longer exists. There are only Blessings and Curses coming from unknown places.
   I also must have had no friends previously, as no one knew me. The only thing confirming my existence was my job. It told me my birthdate was on Day 31 of 30XX, and that my name is Fable. Most people I know now call me Abe for short. I don't like the nickname much, but it stuck.
   To relax my body and mind, I decide to get up and shower. While doing so, I feel the scars on my body as I always do.
   There is no clue to tell me where they came from, but I know the deep, white marks have a story to tell.
    I get out, and grab my towel. Drying myself off I think about how just two years ago, we were in a phase of highly advanced technology. We didn't have to dry ourselves off, we could say a quick phrase and allow a machine to do it. Every few years, sometimes longer, the Council of Divine Ones will redesign our lives based on a historical time period in the past. They have currently chosen to stay with the 2010's.
   I do miss the easiness of things with technology before, but this time period is nice. One thing I enjoy the most about it would be the fashion. Some of it is wild, but it is interesting to look at. I decided to wear a black turtleneck sweater, with a grey overcoat and black jeans that are a bit tight to allow the overcoat to pop and show its shape. I'm not sure why I'm into fashion, but I don't mind it.
   I tie the the laces of my leather dress boots, and look at myself in the mirror. I've been told I look almost like a model from the current Time Period, with defined features and dark, long hair that curls slightly on the tips. Looks don't mean much to us anymore, as attracting others is really only for fun with no real purpose.
   It's quite strange though, when they send in the Blessings to change how everything looks for the "Period Change", they change how everyone looks to fit that time period, even the Curses. The ability of those Blessings has always amazed me, with this weird circular motion using their hands they change the way things look. The first time I saw it, it made me a bit uncomfortable, as it caused my sofa to stretch and warp as it changed shape.
   I never got involved much with the powers we are given, as I don't remember or seem to have one.
   It's such a strange idea to me. Even historical records explain that anything involving "superpowers" is impossible, it should belong in Fiction. Hell, the Council isn't even sure how things came to be as they are now. All they are sure of is some massive explosion caused a reaction in which seemingly brought along the Rift and the Void.
   There is no other evidence. Researchers are still continuously searching for a way to discover the secret behind it all, but anyways, I think too much. I told myself I'd clear my mind of all these jumbled thoughts filling my head like rain in a bucket during a downpour.
   I walk out my front door into the world of a current setting sun. Locking it, I hear a voice behind me.
   "Evening, Abe!" I turn around to see my neighbor, Jax, placing his car down on his driveway.
   "Did your car break down on you again?" I head towards him, across his dark green grass.
   "Yeah it did," He takes off his hat, scratching his head, "The person I share my house with has a car, but she never lets me use it." He has an accent that I think is called, Southern.
   "Well, you know what?" I rummage through my coat pocket and pull out the keys to a car that is called a Ford Focus. I toss them to Jax.
   "I never drive it. I walk everywhere. Use it as you'd like." I nod to him with a friendly smile and walk away before he can reply.
   I read in a book that an act of kindness can cause a ripple effect, leading to others. I do things like that so maybe someone else can find Kindness. That would lead to compassion, and so on and so forth. I just think too much.

~

   I enter the "Big City". It's not impressive, as almost every town has one, but it's basically the place with all the production buildings and where most jobs are. They are the only areas that keep different forms of technology throughout the times for convenience purposes.
   One thing that is most noticeable as you enter a City would be the "Cathedral". It's the tallest tower within the center of the entire City. At the top is a complex structured opening into the Tower that opens and reacts for when a new Blessing arrives.
   I'm not sure how they locate it to that exact point of the Tower, but I think it's something to do with creating a center point that attracts the energy released from the Rift when a Blessing is released. Again, I think too much.
   Walking down the street, since it's dark, I don't have to worry about hiding my face. The only reason I do it is because a lot of people know me. I work for an advertising company and play roles in a lot of informational videos and products. I think Fate toyed with me by giving me that type of job, showing me that no one knew who I was when I woke up years ago, or any time before that.
   I step into a small cafe. It's late, but I don't drink so I usually come here for a cup of Coffee. It's a mix of a library and cafe, the library being upstairs.
   I notice that it is empty besides an old man sitting in the corner, his body flickering in and out of vision. He probably has the ability to turn invisible or something along those lines. When Blessings reach a certain age their abilities begin to become unstable. It's a sign of Death. It's sad to see.
I order my black coffee, and walk up to the library. It's nice to always know books never became something that humans threw to the side, they've stayed in their respectful place for years now. I sit myself down at a table with only one chair, encased by book shelves on all sides.
"The Catcher in the Rye" is a book that I pick up from the table. I've heard of it before. It's a well renowned novel by J.D. Salinger.
I open up the first page and begin to read as I sip on the warm embrace of the coffee.
After reading for a bit, I finish the coffee and check my phone for the time. 9:30. It's a bit late. Walking down the stairs, I see the old man is gone. I think about him as I return the coffee cup to the only worker left in the place, I wonder what kind of man he was?
I step out into the breezy night and look at the beautiful view. This city is like a network of lights. Neon signs, street lights, and apartment building windows all reflect their light off of the sleek glass of everything around it. People move around in a much calmer fashion than during the day, some leaving work and some going to.
With time left to spare from the Midnight curfew, I decide to walk outside of the City. The outskirts are filled with things that aren't fitting for sittings, such as cemeteries, forests, and even a small mountain range. I go there pretty often and enjoy the peace. It gives me time away from everyone and time to think.
I arrive in about an hour at 10:45. The walk never bothered me much. Sometimes I'll find someone that knows who I am along the way and have them walk with me for a bit. The company of others can sometimes be a rewarding thing.
I lay back in a patch of grass that leads directly into a thick forest of tall, vibrant trees. I'm never worried much about animals, as throughout time the "Changers", as I like to call them, began to make the animals of each time period tame. Every once and a while, I'll get a small deer to walk up to me. I'd pet it as I lay in peace, which is what I do now. I stare up at the night sky, with brilliant specs of light all cast into an array of many shapes. I wonder what is beyond these stars? I wonder what the Rift exactly is?
I mark these thoughts as ones for another time and get off the grass. I brush myself off and begin to walk back toward the City when I hear something moving within the trees. I feel as if I'm in one of those horror movies that was made on a low budget. I've seen a couple on late night television.
"Is someone there?" I call out and crouch down, stepping closer to the trees.
I see a blur of movement out of the corner of my eye.
Without even thinking, I run into the forest after it.
"Hey! Don't run!" Is the lame thing I decide to yell at the person running. I focus onto them and see long hair, with a small build. It must be a woman.
She's weirdly fast, but I manage to catch up to her somewhat. As I get closer, I instantly pause.
Standing there, looking back at me, is a Curse. She has no shirt on and I see the seal printed on her back. It resembles black ink and it's a pattern of intricate lines and patterns overlapping each other spanning over the entirety of her tiny back. It looks like a High-Grade seal placed on her by one of the General Angels. For the first time since I've been aware of my existence, my mind is blank.
I look at her face and get feel two different things. One, I know who she is and I've seen her before. Two, she is the first living thing I've ever viewed as beautiful.