No one knows me except Elias. Actually, more people do, but they haven't quite realized it yet.
My long white coat floats through the streets. I have a deep and important history in this town. I'm far more powerful than most would think. A white glow pulses around me.
The TV show I've been preparing for years finally begins today. Of course, I have to kidnap the first victim.
I've been familiar with the other world for much longer, but no one else is. Except for one. Elias — I met him at film school. That's where I learned to work with cameras, production techniques, and so much more.
But I won't say much else — besides setting up the cameras, a lot has happened before. It's all connected to a curse that reappears every hundred years. It's now the year 2000, the second appearance of the curse. I didn't have the show during the first one... because I wasn't ready for it.
As I walk past Blane's house — the first victim — I think about how much more she knows, thanks to me. Just like Zane, I erased her memory with a shock two days ago. Everything that connected her to this show... wiped away. It was too risky to let her remember.
Zane now follows my orders, driven by thoughts that make her act automatically. Blane, on the other hand, has simply forgotten everything.
This town remains a mystery to many. But it's time to take Blane.
I release a raven into the night sky. The rain soaks its wings. Even my painted white beard gets drenched. My staff glimmers like my body. You can see my glowing silhouette from far away. But I'm the only one allowed outside.
I put on my gloves and mask just to stay anonymous a little longer. I call the raven back and lock it inside its cage. I snap my fingers once and the living room light cuts out. My thoughts drift into the house. WHOOSH. The air spreads like a fresh signal. Once I reach Blane, I send her a paralyzing wave. She'll feel nothing but terror, but it's only temporary. Her parents, of course, are fast asleep. Snap. Snap. More thunderclouds roll in above the town.
I open the back door silently. A single creak echoes straight into the living room. A breeze brushes against the atmosphere. She can't notice me or I'll lose control. Step by step, I sneak into the corner. I breathe out in relief for making it inside. But accidentally, my breath slips out loudly. It passes by her ears. How could I be so careless? She starts to react, twitching slightly.
I begin losing control. I have no choice I act quickly. This better work. I can't disappoint the viewers. And Lucifer... he'll have a problem with this. I pull the bag gently from the closet. I walk loudly across the floor — white shoes scraping the wood.
STEP. STEP. CRACK.
I freeze for a second, then keep moving. Come on, come on, I think. Before Blane could even scream, I've already thrown the bag over her head. I did it. She's coming with me to the dark world.
Blane
I slowly wake up, feeling like I'm being moved. My eyes are only half-open. I don't realize what's happening at first... until I notice I can't see. Just a little brown from the bag, shining under a white light. Then it hits me: I've been kidnapped.
Panic creeps in.
The bag beneath me moves rhythmically up and down. My mouth is taped shut. I try to scream nothing comes out. The motion rocks me back to sleep. Part of me knows... I'm not going home anytime soon. But strangely, I start to accept it.
Zane
I watch the first victim enter the world. A white figure drags a girl out and straps her down. It's terrifying. Goosebumps cover my arms as Elias finishes his final lines.
Elias
"Well, I hope everything's clear. Right after the break, you'll see the first victim enter the world. I'm hearing in my ear — her name is Blane!" he says as the commercial starts.
I'm already tired of hosting. Finally Blane is in the game. I already see her hanging from something. This world gives me such a thrill. Zane's up next after the break.
Exciting.
Zane
Wait that's the girl from the photos? Does that mean Billie is next? Poor Blane... she doesn't deserve this in these dark times. This show is insane. I don't even dare to breathe too loud near Elias. I can't let him see I'm scared, not on live television.
Blane's Mom
I wake up slowly, not really sure why. My husband is still snoring beside me is loud enough to be heard miles away. The blanket is warm and soft. The TV is playing ads. Wait wasn't that show airing today? I check the clock — 8:30. A rush of stress hits me. Did I miss the beginning?
I glance over and he's still snoring. Then it hits me that Blane was next to me when I fell asleep. She even woke me earlier to remind me not to miss the show. Why didn't she wake me again? Maybe she's in her room? I should've been more careful.
As I move toward her room, I feel... eyes on me. Suddenly, the room feels darker. An echo of snoring in the distance. I enter but she's nowhere to be found. By the time I return to the couch, the commercial is over.
I sit down. Not knowing what future waits.
Zane
"Welcome back from the break. Looks like Blane is ready — though she doesn't even know she chose to be here," I say with one of my final lines.
Elias follows: "But first, let's see how Blane is doing. Exciting, right?"
She clearly needs help.
Blane
Slowly, I regain consciousness. But I refuse to open my eyes yet. I feel myself hanging from something. Something tight around my stomach. Where the hell am I?
A rotten smell invades my nose — like corpses. It smells like ten moldy sandwiches were thrown into a trash fire. It's not just the smell. I know there's more here. When I finally crack open one eye, I see something sharp. A spike but easily capable of tearing me apart. Another peek again, those sharp thorns. One more time and my eyes are fully open. Endless thorn bushes stretch before me. They lead to a gray, enormous castle taller than a giant. The bushes seem to guard the castle.
They're right up to my chin. One wrong move... and I'm dead. My breathing becomes erratic. My heart races — 100 kilometers per hour. I need to stay calm or I'll panic. I glance up — I'm tied to an old tree, the center of this nightmare. Looking down... I must be careful not to slip and kill myself.
I now realize I'm strapped at the waist — several locks hold me in place. There's no escape. It's like a trap made for death. As I look down further, I see corpses. Ah — that's the smell. Mold covers their skin. The bodies stretch all the way to the palace. Flies crawl from their mouths. Some wriggle into their noses every hole you can imagine.
Suddenly, a drop of blood lands on a corpse. Fresh blood. Drip by drip.,A rat scurries past. I look away, trying not to vomit.
Then I realize — the blood is coming from the thorns.
I force myself to look up. I need to rest from what I just saw. Everything imaginable lies below me. This place is nothing like the real world. One thing is certain that this show is real.
Then I spot a crow, perched high on a branch. It stares at me like it recognizes me. Its face reminds me of... the one that tapped on my window.
Could it really remember me? I pray it doesn't follow me here. More crows circle above and spinning in the sky. I don't know why.
I hang here, feeling like this could be my final breath. The pressure is indescribable. Like so many things here. Suddenly, I spot a hidden camera in the bushes. One of the "crows" is fake and another camera. So it's true. I'm really part of the show.
Oh no... what will my parents think? How will the world react?
Then I hear an echo. It's Elias.
"Blane is our first victim, as you can see. She's hanging from the tree before the countless thorns. Will she survive this? Thanks for watching and—"
BANG.