"What?"
What a great way to start my day in the office. I was forced to wake up on a Sunday morning and walked an unusual street to witness an accident that suddenly I was not "allowed" to take pictures of even though that was clearly my job and there was a King? Most importantly, my name is not John!
I racked my brain to try to understand what the heck was happening to me but the unusually angry woman in front of me was not of any help. Why was she even angry? Coronation of the King? Who even was the King!?
"What's going on, John!?" she shouted even more. "Get on the service car or you will be late!" I could not really believe that she was raising her voice like this. Kayla used to be the perfect workmate, so easy-going and composed. She was so far from this wrinkled from stress woman in front of me. I took a deep breath and sort out my thoughts. I glanced around the office and looked at the same faces I see everyday. I took one more shaky breathe and fixed my shirt. The last thing I want to do was to show how dumb I am so I tried fixing my composure.
"Coronation? yes. Of course," I said, although I tried hard not to sound so oblivious. "I will be on my way." I heard her irritated approval before she turned her back on me that left my mouth open in surprise. She was never grumpy! I found my path on the way to the restroom and took one more glance around before going in. I looked in the mirror and sort out my thoughts.
I am still me. My face, my beard, my eyes, they were all the same as I knew them. "John." I read the identification card hanging from my nape. My face was in it so it must be mine. I am John? As far as I know, my name was Justin and I couldn't remember having my name changed because wouldn't be able to afford it and the paperworks would surely stress me. My head started hurting painfully. I fell down on one knee and both my palms were on my temples. My jaw clenched and I groaned in pain. 'What the heck!? What is happeninh!?' I saw my identification card on my peripherals and it hit me. I am John. Gradually, the pain subside but my breaths were still heavy. I stood up trying to stray away my attention from the pain. I am John. I still couldn't understand everything but I have decided to act accordingly for a while. Thinking would have to be done later, lots of it.
I stepped out of the restroom and rushed my way downstairs. Indeed, a service car was waiting for me outside. The driver was already on his seat and was looking grumpily.
"You sure took your time, John." he said as soon as I sat on the passenger's seat. I would never be used to being called like this.
"I'm sorry." I am. "Shall we go?" I looked out on the window as he stepped on the gas pedal and drove. Everything were still the same way as they were supposed to be, except to some shops that I do not recognize at all. I've been here a lot of times before and I have dreamt of entering every shop in here so I was pretty sure some of them were not here before.
"That shop," I pointed out to a boring looking shop with no lights outside or anything except a single paper sign that says 'Closed Permanently'. I remember that shop. It was an anime merchandise shop. Why was it closed and permanently? That hurt the fan in me. "What happened there?"
"Closed." He answered straight-faced. Well, duh. I would have said that if only he was not driving for me and could end my life with a single crash.
"Yes, I see that." I said as calm as possible. I surprised myself, too. "But why?"
"Selling influential products." He said, still not looking at me in which I am very grateful. That was true. Anime could really be influential.
"How is that a bad thing? They're just for enter-" I was surprised when he looked at me and cut me off with his glaring eyes.
"Only the King's influence could be spread in here! Hail the King!" He suddenly shouted with all fervor that shocked me so hard within. I got scared. He turned back into driving that gave me relief. I raised my camera and checked my gallery once again. I remembered the accident that happened earlier this day and I wonder why I could not publish it into a story with Kayla. It was a hit and run, well, technically and literally, because the driver ran off from the scene. I took a closer glance on the victim's face trying to recognize if he was someone I knew.
"Make sure you only point that camera to the King." he said while smiling and probably dreaming about this King. I was too scared to ask more information about the King because it seemed like it 'should' be a common knowledge to everyone. "Please the King, let only him be known among the lands. Let his glory spread on to the world." he said that I answered with a confused face.
"Oh, I'm sorry, you must probably know that since that is, indeed, your job." He stepped on the break with a full smile on his face. "We're here. Glory to the King!"
I smiled at him that probably seemed the most insincere smile a person could muster. "Glory to the King." He smiled back and drove off.
I stood there for a while, watching the back of his car fade off the scene when someone touched my shoulder. I jumped in surprise and turn my back to see who did it. "What the-" he covered my mouth and pushed me a little back. He was the one in my picture! My breathing went heavy and I could hear my heart beating hard inside my chest. I felt like every blood that I have were rushing up to my head and my body was shaking badly. This guy is dead! a dead guy! He is!
"Sshhh-" He cut off my physical protest. "Hey hey hey. We will talk about this. I saw you earlier." a loud bang was heard somewhere else. It was the program and it was about to start based on the sudden rush of people around me. I look at his eyes and but I could not for long because they were so... alive. "Meet me somewhere, anywhere, after this. For now, I want you to be careful. You cannot be seen." he said before rushing off like a suspicious man into an alley.
What was that? I cannot be seen? There were I think thousands of people here how am I supposed to be invisible!? And that guy was surely dead! I saw it! A lot of people saw- no one. No one saw it. Except me. What the heck is happening!?
"Holy crap!" I cursed when somebody touched my shoulders again. Why won't people stop doing that!
"Hey, John," I turned back and looked at the female voice who spoke. I knew her. She's from the same office as I am but I could not remember her name. "I thought you said you were getting us a drink?"
Wait. What?