Monday, March 20, 2006

Chapter 4: "U"

Hello! It's been waaay too long since I last updated the story, so though I still claim a lack of inspiration and motivation, Chapter 4's coming at cha today.
Yesterday in church we had a disruption of power supply 20 minutes before Sunday service, and a big kudos to the worship team for managing to string together an impromptu song set of all hymns. It was kind of surreal really, having to worship with no microphones (save for a cheapo "pasar malam" one), PA system, air conditioning, and the little electric-powered things we take for granted. In an utterly nice way, of course.
But enough talk for now. Let's head on to where the action is.

I whirled around. It was a tough-looking guy who couldn't be much older than I was.
"I knew I would find you here," he said, quite out of breath. "My name is U."
"U?"
"Yes, U as in the letter U. I'm sure the Archiver has told you about Antagonists. Well, I was once one myself."
"Wait...then that makes you a bad person, right?"
"Not any more. Fortunately, when I fought my Protagonist he made me see how I was merely a pawn for the Writer. Eventually we teamed up and went on to defeat the Writer."
Slowly I began to understand. So this was the Antagonist of the guy who defeated the Writer, or the previous Him.
"But then where is your Protagonist now? Are you the only one left here?"
U looked dumbfounded. "Y-you mean you don't know?"
"Don't know what?"
"It's sad, really. My Protagonist went on to succeed the Writer as the new Him."
What? That guy was the new Him?
"Oh, now I get it!" I exclaimed excitedly. "The Writer brought your Protagonist in, but apparently he rebelled and joined forces with you to fight the Writer!"
"Bingo."
"And after he defeated the Writer, he went on to take his place as Him!"
"Precise to the last word."
Now that I had sorted out who this Him was and how he came about, something else befuddled me - was U working for the Him?
"Speaking with the enemy, I see." It was the Archiver!
I fidgeted back over to his side. Better the devil I knew than the devil I didn't.
"Garrick," murmured the Archiver. "Stay clear of this man. He is the enemy of our master, and he is mightily dangerous."
"Still as charming as ever with the newcomers, eh? You used the same lines on Him once, I believe."
"Save it, U. There is nothing you can do to stop the Revolution from happening, and you know it as well as I do. As well as He knows. As well as Garrick will soon know."
"You speak as though it were already a foregone conclusion. Not if I cut you down myself right here." Blurry sqaures formed and shaped themselves into a sword in his hands. "Prepare to fight!"

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