I wake up in a white void. Nothing but emptiness and dread. I walk this new plane of blank nothing. It brings a sort of calm feeling. It's soothing, a bliss walk without anything to worry me. No work. No pain. No nothing. There is nothing here to make me worry. But how do I escape? Surely, there was a reason to why I was brought here. Unless this is a strange dream. But what would allow me to be here? "Your questions will be answered. Have faith Johnny Simmons," came a voice so suddenly. It sounded other worldly, divine. "Who are you? Where am I?" I asked the mysterious voice of the plane. "You are in the blank plane. A haven of ours if you will," came the voice calmly. They sounded familiar...I fact all of this feels familiar....As if I have already lived through all this. "It will all come together soon. Remember this for all of time until it begins, the apprentice of old will bring the day of reckoning on all those you call friends and colleagues. Prepare." I don't understand what the voice meant by this. "What do you mean?" I asked confusedly. "Prepare, investigator. Do what you must in your field," the voice said with just. Then everything went black again.
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"Coast!" came a loud and stern voice that jolted me from my sleep. I sat up and surveyed my surroundings, as usual my office was a mess of paperwork. John was in the room relieved I had woken up. "Gave me a scare there, what the hell happened?" he asked. "I don't know...I was finished up with my work and was gonna leave to grab some groceries. Say what are you doing all the way out here?" My office was in a very obscure and hidden part of the city. Since it's a rather small office and there is a separate room for the purpose, I just live in my office. Keeps me away from people and people don't often come in unless they have a case or it's a friend popping by to visit. "Why I'm here doesn't matter much but I have a question for you, why do you live your office?" John said. "Saves me from paying for two places cause I basically own this now."
"Well did you do renovations?"
"It's livable now."
John stopped questioning my living habits after that. But he brought up a new issue. "There's a new case." he said after a bit of waiting. "What's the case? I'm sure we can find out what's happening in no time." I enthusiastically respond. "I'm afraid you'll have to do this one alone." His voice was filled with dread. "What's the issue then?" "It's a surveying of that Oscar's Land of Make Believe from our home town." Great, just what I feared was going to happen. I never wanted to return to that dreadful place after all this time but I guess I have no choice now.
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The drive to my home town was a few hours from Torvana. Very little tourist attractions besides the run down kid's restaurant. Not sure why it isn't knocked down yet, maybe they are still salvaging some things. My mother doesn't live too far from the restaurant, paying them a visit wouldn't be too bad. She's kept in contact with me and James all this time even when they know we risk our lives to save the people. At first she and my father swore us off and kept us away from that kind of work, then I became a detective. James has always had a dangerous line work since he is a violent guy who found himself working at P.I.E. I pulled into my parent's home and stepped out onto their driveway. Haven't been here in a while, a lot has changed since I was last here.
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My mother was surprised when I opened the door and announced I was home, as I usually did when I still lived with them. My mother quickly embraced me soon after I walked in. "What brings you in to your dear old mother hun?" my mother sweetly asked. "I have to survey that god awful land of make believe for work." I said not sounding to enthused about it. "That Oscar's place?"
"Yeah, I remember what happened there, no need to remind me."
"I'm sure your father would be proud to see you here again facing something you hate so much."
"Yeah, I'm sure he would."
My father passed away from Leukemia shortly after I moved away. The funeral was a few weeks after and the burial done in the town's graveyard not long after that. It's taken quite a toll on my mother, it's sad to her weep about him. But she's stayed in such high spirits even after the fact. Makes me surprised that she can stay so happy and bubbly all the time. "I'll get to work. After I'm finished I'll come right back to visit some more Mom." I finally said after a moment of silence. "You promise me that dear?"
"Promise." I reassured her as I walked back out the door.