Leave a reply " I learned a new word today , " she said . They had been silent for a few minutes so it startled him when she said it . They were both enjoying the summer sun and the controlled chaos of Trinity Bellwoods Park . " Oh yeah ? " he replied . He opened his eyes and sat up , sweeping off the grass that inevitably stuck to his hair , arms and shirt . Whenever she said that she learned a new word , it would always be an unspoken challenge between the two . He was no walking Oxford dictionary , but he had a decent vocabulary . So did she , of course . " What would that be ? " She also sat up , also sweeping the grass off of herself in a similar fashion . " The word is … " she paused a moment , perhaps trying to make sure she got the pronunciation on her first try . " Epizootic . " A short word , but a fun pronunciation . He asked her to repeat the word , then said it to himself phonetically . " Ep - ih - zoh - aw - tic … " He shook his head . " Nope . nothing . " " You can probably figure out the definition if you think about it , " she said . " But I 'll tell you anyway . It 's the animal version of an epidemic . " He met her two years ago , and he had his high school to blame . Growing up in the small town of Paisley , Ontario , he was surrounded by people who were happy with their lots in life . As he progressed through his four years with no interest in school sports , he found himself increasingly uneasy talking with some of his classmates . What were you in a small town , if not an athlete ? On encouragement from his teachers , he applied to the University of Toronto 's chemistry program and got in easily . His friends were a little shocked that he would within a year be making the transition to the " big city . " He had no such qualms . He wanted to get the hell out . Things went a little better once he moved in . He took to his studies with vigour , as always , but he made more of an effort to be involved with extracurriculars . He ended up , on a whim , getting involved with a U of T theatre group . The first production he had a role in was As You Like It , as Duke Senior , a role his friends described as " eerily suited to him . " Apparently he always had an air of authority , even when he didn 't mean to . In third year , he met her . She tried out ( and got ) the part of Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew . He did not get the part of Petruchio , but he still worked up the courage to talk to her after her audition . He wasn 't sure how to describe what drew him to her . She just had an air of confidence in the way she presented herself , from the casual , barely - there makeup around her eyes to the way she had hair piled up on a bun . During her audition ( she recited Hamlet 's most famous speech ) her eyes could look like they could well with tears one minute and blaze with anger the next . He wasn 't nearly so poised , which was probably why he was interested . Maybe he could learn a thing or two . They met a few days later , deciding to hang out the cheap way ( they were students , after all ) by going for a long walk . They decided to walk to Exhibition Place , which at least an hour on foot , and so they had plenty to talk about on the way and back . She was studying history and had done extensive traveling in the year she took off before applying for school . They learned a lot about each other , that first real meeting , and it quickly became something more . When he finally asked her if she would be his girlfriend , she laughed in his face . He was hurt for a minute , until she clarified the reason for her laughter . " I didn 't think we had to formalize it . What is this , 1895 ? " " Came across it in some research I was doing today , " she said . Just a month ago she got an archiving job at Robarts , and when she was finished a task and had some downtime she 'd skim articles for interesting factoids to pull out later . " In 1990 , something like 10 , 000 cormorants died from Newcastle disease . It was seen as pretty bad , but it might have been even worse 100 years ago , when it wiped out a slew of Scottish livestock . " " It 's what I do , " she said . There was another lull in conversation , this one lasting at least five minutes . He looked around the park , from the baseball diamond ( currently hosting some adult softball game ) to the dog bowl , a naturally lower - elevated part of the park where people take their pets to play in a large but enclosed space . " Hmm , good question … " she said . She closed her eyes and ran her hand through her hair . " It 'll be something to do with Russia . Maybe Putin will overplay his hand and some country will get offended and then BAM , some other country will get spooked by the tension and launch a nuclear missile . I just know it 'll be something really stupid like that . It 'll be a few minor events that suddenly add up to something huge , like when Princip killed Archduke Ferdinand . " " So what ? " He did his best not to strike a professor - ly tone but he couldn 't help it . " A massive eruption could send huge clouds of ash up to the sky and blot out the sun . We 'll all live in misery for the brief time we 'll be able to survive without sunlight . I see everything going all Walking Dead , minus the zombies , of course . " " I worry about our conversation topics sometimes , " he replied . Suddenly they both heard a shriek . They looked over to see what was happening . A small crowd had gathered . 2 Replies Today I 'm acting on a prompt from DailyPost , which fits quite well because I was looking to write more fiction today . And what did I find on my WordPress reader but a suggestion to write fiction based around the idea of meeting a stranger on an elevator . So here goes . She was a little bit nervous . She looked at the address she had taken down on her phone . This was indeed the building . It stood mightily tall , so many stories high that she thought the word " skyscraper " might be a bit of an understatement . She swept her hair behind her ears , took a deep breath and walked up the stairs to the doorway . It was a revolving door , as she might have expected from such a huge place . Regular doors were apparently for poor people or something . When she got into the building 's lobby she was even more intimidated , but she stopped herself from being petrified with fear . It was only a job interview , for god 's sake . Her livelihood was at stake here . She wandered for a minute or so before finally finding the elevator . It was a little before lunchtime for the offices in the building , so the lobby was fairly empty . She double - checked the floor number , got into the elevator and punched in 34 . Just before the elevator doors were about to close , she noticed a man who was clearly trying to make this elevator . She pushed the " door open " button to make sure he got in . " Thank you , " the man said as he got in . She noticed he didn 't push a button . She hoped that was because he was going to the same floor as her , otherwise she could have very well just let a possible sociopath into the elevator with her . She stopped thinking about it , though , and decided to focus her attention on the elevator display panel . She watched as the digital numbers started increasing . She steadied her frayed nerves , trying to look as calm and put - together as possible when she stepped into the office that would be her testing ground . Her thought process was interrupted by a gruff jerking sound . She looked around in bewilderment and saw that the display panel was stuck at 29 . She thought it might have been a brief glitch , but no , the elevator was not moving . The man beside her didn 't move a muscle , not seeming the least bit concerned at all about this . She hit the emergency button , but nothing happened . She frantically started pressing other buttons but none of those did anything either . " Well not nothing exactly , " the man replied . She decided to finally get a good look at him . Had she been paying more attention to him when he got onto the elevator , she would have immediately noticed that he wasn 't an employee of any offices in this building . She knew this just by looking at the way he was dressed . He had on a beret , the type of hat that men would have worn in the 1920s or 30s . As clothing he had a bizarre ensemble put together , involving a white dress shirt worn with a bow tie , a blue vest over the shirt , and long grey dress pants . His shoes were not dress shoes but sneakers . Who in the hell was this guy ? She was bewildered . Was she being hit on right now ? This was not the time nor the place . " Why should I tell you anything ? " she finally said . She was more pissed off now about the guy beside her than the fact that she was trapped in an elevator . The man sighed . " Alright , then I will . You just recently received your MBA , and you 're going to interview for a job at the marketing firm on the 34th floor . " " Okay , what else … " he paused for a moment as though he was taking some time to venture through her thoughts . " You have a huge collection of unread books at home . You 're always buying them but never actually read them . You most recently bought Charles Dickens ' The Pickwick Papers , didn 't you ? " She decided to be stubborn . She wasn 't just going to open up to this random , possibly supernatural being . She still didn 't get the point of telling him things that he already knew . She tried again to hit the emergency button but came up empty . She pounded the wall harder than she meant to and shook her hand , which was now aching and a little red . Finally she couldn 't stand it anymore . " I was born in the neighbouring city , but I never really enjoyed it there , " she began . And before she knew it , she was spilling her guts to this man . It was as though someone had pulled the plug on a bathtub full of water and it was all rushing into the drain at once . She didn 't at once stop and consider whether the happening in her life was too private and detailed all of her successes , failures , relationships and fights . She finally got to the present . " And now I 'm just nervous about this . I feel like I don 't have a good enough portfolio , and that they 're only interviewing me out of pity . " She stopped and took a few deep breaths . She couldn 't believe how relieved she felt to expel her life story like that . She had to think back . He of course already knew this , but she had to dig up the memories . " Oh right … When I showed it to Gellhorne , he said it was among some of the most creative work he had ever seen . " She was stunned . It was as though Socrates had come back to life . " I … I don 't have anything to be nervous about , " she said . " Exactly , " the man said . " It 's too bad it took you so long to get that , I didn 't think it would take so long . " As soon as he finished saying those words , the elevator began to move again . The elevator reached the 34th floor , and she stepped out . The man waved , and she gingerly waved back , still a little shaken by what had just happened . She looked at her watch . Less than a minute had passed since she stepped onto the elevator . What ? " Oh yes ! " the woman brightened . " Come right in . Ms . Barnes has said a lot of great things about your work and told me she can 't wait to meet you . " Leave a reply He glances at his digital watch . It 's one of the higher - end digital watches available on the market these days . Aside from telling the time and the perfunctory stopwatch , it also lets you know the date , even a very brief air temperature reading . His watch tells him it is May 11 , 2013 . Tomorrow , he remembers is Mother 's Day . He remembers he needs to buy something for his mom , and quick . He isn 't sure he can pull himself together . But then he hits himself on the head and tells himself that no good is going to come from moping around . Only doing will let him accomplish his goals . He looks at himself in the bathroom mirror . He has dark circles under his eyes . He hasn 't slept in over twenty - four hours . His father insisted he get some sleep , and he tried , but now he 's still awake . The scene from yesterday is too terrible to get out of his head . He splashes some cold water on his face . It stings , but it 's a jolt he needs . He takes off his day - old clothes and changes into a fresh t - shirt and jeans . He walks down the stairs and pours himself a drink of water , which he thirstily gulps down . Then he grabs a bag , throws on his shoes and gets in his car . He drives to the nearby mall . The mall is the biggest one in his area , and when he arrives the parking lot is probably at least three - quarters full . There 's obviously a lot of last - minute shoppers . But the mall is always very busy . He parks his car and glances at the enormous pairs of doors that beckon him inside . Sighing , he takes a deep breath and pulls open the doors . The mall floor is just packed with people . Many , unsurprisingly , are men and their wives or girlfriends trying to find that perfect , but probably elusive , gift . There are many fathers alone with their children . He figures the first thing he should get is a card . He doesn 't know where the nearest card store is , so he checks the directory . When he looks , he realizes the mall has four different card stores . He knows what malls always want to offer choice but this is kind of ridiculous . Sighing , he goes to the nearest one , as he intended . He notices the employees are looking especially haggard today , as they 're probably ringing through more cards than they can count . He takes a few minutes strolling the aisles before he finds one he thinks will be good . He thinks getting a funny card won 't really be appropriate right now . He settles on something a little more serious , but also more filled with emotion . He has to wait in line for a good ten minutes or so . The line has to be coordinated by a staff member to that it doesn 't block aisles or anything like that . Eventually he gets to a cashier . She says " Hi " but then gets right to scanning the card . She smiles . " Thanks , " she says with a genuinely pleasant look on her face . He pays for the card and leaves . Finding the gift won 't be as easy , but he thinks he knows where to go . He finds the store that sells fine candles . The store naturally smells like a million different things : vanilla , rhubarb , coffee … the list goes on . He wonders if the store just sells any basic candles . After asking an employee of the store , he discovers that the scented candles are all placed at the front of the store to bring customers in . It 's dark outside now . He lost all track of time in that mall but also in his worrying . Well , he won 't have to worry much anymore . He looks at the card he bought and writes down a long and thoughtful message for his mother when she opens her card . The doctors said she would probably be in a coma for some time , possibly forever . But he knows that he alone can fix this . Card written and sealed , he gets out his six candles and places them in a hexagonal shape around him . He 's careful to make the shape as symmetrical as he possibly can . Everything needs to be perfect . Then he takes a lighter out of his pocket , steps back into the hexagon and then begins to light each candle . As he was instructed , he sits cross - legged in the middle of the hexagon and calls out for help with his mind . At first , he thinks nothing is working . He is about to give up when he hears a sound that resembles someone slicing through something . He looks around in bewilderment and then finally sees the thing take form . It isn 't how he expected the thing to look . He wasn 't exactly expecting the horns and trident , but he certainly wasn 't expecting the tall , slim , human - looking entity that stands before him . This newly - conjured thing wears a gray suit that is tailored so closely it 's though the suit is actually the creature 's skin . A wide gray hat covers the thing 's eyes . The creature has a grin on its face . " Oh ? Who 's that ? Ah , why bother . I 'm getting too sloppy with keeping my secrets close to the vest , " the creature says . " Perhaps , " the creature says . " I 'll need to review the footage . " With a sweep of his hands , the creature manages to make the whole room look like a giant movie screen . He isn 't ready to see what 's about to come next , but he knows he must . The creature watches intently the scene from last night . There in the film is his mom and dad . The creature looks on . Mom is crossing the street at a proper green light , as she 's supposed to , when a red truck comes speeding through the intersection . The truck collides with his mom , she goes flying through the air and hits the pavement with a large thud . A loud cry goes up from all around . " Ooh , " the creature says , wincing with what is probably mock pain . " And it wasn 't her fault at all . Well , I can heal her condition completely . Of course , there 's the method of payment … " " Too bad , emotional turmoil is so much fun to watch . " The creature pauses . " Well , let 's get this over with . Any last words ? " " Yes . Happy Mother 's Day , mom . " The creature snaps his fingers , and then he slumps over . The candles go out , and the creature disappears . Leave a reply Lewis was feeling a sense of accomplishment tied into a sense of deep existential dread . He now knew his place in this made - up world of Spectrum . He was the only person who was supposed to have seen and believed in Owen , and his almost proving Owen 's existence to the man at the pier had forced Owen to right things . Lewis spent a day resting , his shoulder wound slowly scabbing over . He didn 't want to wait around too long . He needed to go and finish what he had started with the death of those two priests . " Lewis , you 're not back to full health , you must rest another day at least , " one of the doctors said . Lewis pounded his fist on the ground , but he knew being the hero would not be easy . If he was to take on a possibly supernatural creator , he would need all of his strength . His resting period eventually finished , and as soon as the doctor pronounced him ready , Lewis was up . He tapped his foot patiently , waiting for the Victoria to hit land . A few hours later it did . Lewis ran off the boat and led one of the horses off with him . He hopped on . It was then he noticed how hot the mainland was ; being at sea made everything appear cooler . He grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head . He felt like he couldn 't get there fast enough . The horse was galloping , but he knew the horse would eventually tire , so he didn 't spur his companion to go any faster . While he crossed the landscape , whizzing past the cheering faces of those who believed in his cause , his mind raced . He thought back to one of the many proclamations No - Face had made to him . " You know as well as I do that you 're in love with him . " The him being Owen . Lewis knew this was correct , something he dreaded . He thought back to his childhood . His devotion to the Creator as a child was unrivaled . Every morning he had prayed to Owen , and he was always telling his parents about what he was going to do when he and Owen inevitably met . He remembered the exact moment when his devotion reached a fever pitch . A traveling choir , originally from Heartland , had stopped by the little farming town where he grew up . The choir was immaculate , dressed much better than the dirt - stained farmers who inhabited the place . The choir sang through a few devotional hymns , but it wasn 't until they started singing Psalm 21 that Owen began to feel something . The song was pure and beautiful , as though heaven itself had created it . And during the climactic moment of the song , Lewis was sure he had seen a shadowy figure , three times as tall as the choir , appear right behind it . The figure didn 't really have a face or anything defining , but it did have a violin . Lewis nearly screamed but contained himself . The shadowy image disappeared after a few seconds . Lewis was now nearing Mount Alpentine . He knew the end was coming . He felt a searing pain in his hand and saw that it was bleeding . He had been holding the reins so tightly that the skin had split . Taking a deep breath , Lewis held onto the reins with one hand and tore a piece of fabric from his shirt ( which lay behind him on the horse ) carefully , to use as a gauze for his hand . Dying of blood loss would be a pathetic way to go . When he reached the base of Mount Alpentine , he knew this journey would have to be made alone . He began a slow trek up the mountain , taking the path to avoid any excess energy spent . Eventually , he passed by the garden formerly occupied by Imelda . He stopped for a second in her garden , taking in the impossibility of it all , before he climbed higher . He passed by No - Face 's lair . He couldn 't see the monstrous bird anywhere - he hoped the thing was dead . As he walked up , he could hear the faint sound of the violin again . As he climbed higher and higher , the sound became more and more pronounced . He soon reached the summit 's path . Unable to contain his energy , he began to run , only to trip and fall . " Clumsy , clumsy , " he muttered to himself . " I can 't even keep my shoes tied . " Taking extra care to prevent them from tripping him up again , he made his way higher up . Finally , he reached the top . He looked around , seeing nothing . He was confused . The violin was now almost booming it was so loud , but he could not find the origin of it . Then a whooshing sound made its way through the air , and from a distance Lewis could see a big shadowy figure start to materialize . It was exactly how he remembered it looking when he saw it as a boy . Then the violin appeared too . Lewis stood for a moment , completely mesmerized . The shadowy figure , who could only be Owen , was deep into whatever song he was playing . His shadowy head held the violin close to him while his bow arm wailed on the strings . Lewis didn 't know what to do . How could he kill him ? Then Owen stopped playing , and his shadowy form shifted . He materialized again in front of Lewis , this time appearing as an ordinary human . Owen didn 't say anything . He only looked Lewis straight in the eyes . Lewis ' hand was shaking . He knew what he had to do , but his heart was pounding in his chest and Owen knew it . Owen was betting on the chance that Lewis was too soft . Lewis had had no problem maiming No - Face , killing the priests , slaughtering soldiers who had crossed him . But when it came to facing the object of his affection , all things melted away . Lewis gripped the spike tighter than he had the reins of his horse . He gulped . " Your light is spent ! " he cried , as he drove the iron spike into Owen 's eye . Owen didn 't even make a sound as he stumbled backward and fell of the side of the cliff . Lewis ' heart was beating faster than ever as he looked over the side , watching Owen 's body sailing ever downward . Eventually , he saw the vultures swoop down . Lewis waited for something cataclysmic to happen . He had just killed the Creator . The author had been removed . He was sure Spectrum would start to disintegrate along with him and everybody else . Owen had created him , so surely his death would un - create him , no ? Lewis waited and waited , but nothing happened . He was alive , and everybody else seemed to be alive as well . Lewis sat down next to Owen 's body . He drew with his finger over one of Owen 's shoulders and noted his tattoos . This was the man who had created Spectrum . He was a man like anyone else . Tiring of this , Lewis got up and began to walk back to his home . No need for a horse . He walked and began to notice Spectrum 's scenery up close , as though everything had gotten more vivid . He walked by a marble statue that had weathered with age and covered with moss . He looked up at the sun , holding his arms wide . He held out a thought , hoping there was someone higher than Owen who might now pick up Lewis ' dropped strings of destiny . Lewis didn 't doubt Owen 's existence , though . He was sure , somewhere , Owen was watching over everything . He was probably even willing Lewis to rebel . But why ? And how much power did Lewis have over his own actions ? Was Owen guiding him toward an endgame ? Lewis looked around for a place to hide the bodies of the two priests . He spotted a small cave a few steps away and was about to drag them over when he heard a loud squawking sound . He looked up and saw a horde of vultures descending from wherever it was they lived . They immediately began pecking at the bodies . Lewis sighed and hopped onto his horse . He supposed the other two horses would wander off by themselves soon enough . He knew the path to Heartland , but he wasn 't going that way . He began to follow the route up the mountain . The climb wasn 't too hard for the horse , as the inclines weren 't too steep . The next part of his plans was to eliminate the symbols . First stop , Imelda . Local lore spoke of her as " The saddest bitch in all of Spectrum . " He didn 't know her story , but he supposed he might find it out when he faced off with her . Would there even be a fight ? Who knows . Soon he arrived at a large plateau . Contrary to everything on Alpentine he had seen so far , the plateau was lush with vegetation . There was a fountain in the middle and Lewis could even hear birds chirping . He didn 't even question the logic of it ; this was only more proof that Owen was the divine creator of Spectrum . Lewis looked around to try and spot Imelda . He didn 't even know what she looked like . His wondering didn 't last too long , though , as a woman stepped out from behind a tall bush . It wasn 't some kind of dramatic " This is me " gesture , but simply her being bored of standing where she was . She didn 't even notice Lewis and horse standing there . Lewis would have remained silent and tried a sneak attack on her , but then his horse neighed loudly , snapping her to attention . Imelda laughed . " You 'll get no argument from me . Owen has been so painfully boring lately . Nothing has been happening for some time now . The ink has dried in the well . There 's no action . " " I 'll be on my way , then , " Imelda said . " You might have a little more trouble with No - Face , though . He talks a lot . " With that , Imelda swept up her skirts , walked to the cliffs and leaped . Lewis nearly gasped , but then noticed that she was sliding gracefully down the mountainside . No - Face would be next . He had no hope in hell of reaching Cockatrice - it was near the top of the mountain where Owen lived , and he didn 't mean to go as high as the summit just yet . He needed to take action first . A bit of a climb later , Lewis reached another plateau , this one much darker than Imelda 's lair . It was physically dark , rather ; it was as though a storm cloud had chosen this particular spot to park itself . All the lay on the rocky plateau was a table . Near it stood a monstrous - looking bird . This was No - Face ? Lewis figured Owen must have a thing for birds . " Welcome , Lewis , " said No - Face . " You 've gotten rid of Imelda , and without a fight . Well I 'm sure you must feel proud of yourself . After all , what have you done with your life since being born ? You 've plowed the fields year after year . You 've gotten strong , but your life has no purpose , just like all the rest of the inhabitants of Spectrum . " Lewis was trying to interrupt him , but he couldn 't form the words . He wasn 't nervous ; he physically couldn 't speak . Whenever No - Face talked , he couldn 't . " And now you want to try and take down Owen ? Ha ! " the laugh was more of a squawk . " You know as well as I do that you 're in love with him . " The statement felt like a knife to Lewis ' chest . " You won 't be able to kill him anyway , even if you felt differently . " Lewis couldn 't take it anymore . Charging forward , he quickly found himself face - to - face with the bird . Before No - Face could even figure out what was happening , Lewis had grabbed him by his beak and thrust his right arm upward at a high speed , cracking the beast 's jaw with a sickening crunch . No - Face let out a cry of pain and fell over . " You 'll never speak again , " Lewis said , glad to be able to talk again . His two targets had been hit , and he could now proceed with the next phase of his plan . He hopped back on his horse , and as he headed back the way he came , he was sure he could hear the tune of a violin . It was faint , but it was there . He reached the base of the mountain , and then headed to the nearby port . He looked around for the best place to make his speech . He saw a pub just a few steps away . He walked over to it and looked in . Filling the pub were sailors and generally the type of men Lewis was looking for . He cleared his throat , expecting everyone to quiet . No one did . He decided he could only get their attention with noise . He walked up to the bar , ordered a stein of ale . When he received it , he immediately smashed it on the floor . Everyone looked up to see what was happening . " I have just come from Mount Alpentine , " Lewis bellowed . This silenced all , though he could hear a few skeptics muttering " Loony " and other such things . " I have spurred Imelda down the mountainside . I took No - Face by his beak and broke his jaw ; he 'll never speak again . " " Prove it ! " shouted a man near the back of the place . " We seen plenty o ' folk who come in braggin ' , but got nothin 't ' back up their words . " Lewis smiled . He pulled out the part of No - Face 's beak he had snapped off . It raised a gasp from the crowd . " I am seeking to change Spectrum for the better . I plan to sail to the nearby islands and deliver a simple message . However , I will need men who will accompany me . I need ships . " " Oh Heartland … " Lewis began , pausing for dramatic effect . " Up yours . " This raised a raucous cheer from the crowd . Many men came up to him , offering their services . Before long , the men had found Lewis some proper armour , and several ships had sailed off . The ship Lewis was traveling on was called the Victoria . Eventually , though , it led to a scenario that Lewis had been hoping to avoid . As he went from island to island , he gradually began picking up more and more people . When they stopped at a pier to restock on supplies , he saw a man speedily exit the boat and go near the water 's edge . Lewis knew something was wrong . " Don 't come any closer ! " he cried . " I am afraid of the man I 'll become if I lay my life down for a people who I don 't even care for . " Lewis knew what was at the heart of this . The man wasn 't convinced that Owen existed , and further , he doubted that , if he were to die in the struggle , that anyone would remember him . Ignoring the man 's warnings , Lewis stepped closer , putting his face near the man 's . " No , I 've seen his work upon the panes of cathedrals , in the sweat of the workers and the flight of seagulls . " Or at least , that 's what he tried to say . The soothing words were lost in the roar of battle horns . Ships had appeared as if from nowhere , and from nearby trees came hundreds , perhaps thousands of shoulders . Eyes wide , Lewis stood frozen . Suddenly he heard a thwmp sound , and before he knew what was happening , a spear had lodged itself in his shoulder . Grunting with pain , Lewis dove into the water to avoid being hit by any more weaponry . His ships had had the good sense to set sail as soon as they saw the enemies , so Lewis ' agonizing journey back to the Victoria was more painful than it should have been . He finally reached the boat , and the captain pulled him aboard . A doctor immediately saw to his wound . Up until that spear , Lewis had felt invincible . With that sense of security stripped away , Lewis felt more and more that he was indeed a puppet on a string . He knew it now . Owen existed without a doubt . But whose story it was was still up in the air . Leave a reply The following story could turn out to be a total disaster or it could be decent . It remains to be seen . As a disclaimer , the story isn 't completely mine . It 's based off of the work of one of my favourite musicians of all time , Owen Pallett , who put out the wonderful Heartland three years ago . I implore you all to go and buy it from your local record store , it 's ridiculously good . The story of Spectrum is based on my interpretation of Owen 's lyrics . I know I 'll probably misinterpret some of the lyrics , but that 's a risk I 'm taking . Here goes . And then he was standing at the edge of a bridge , numerous soldiers standing with him . It was the middle of the night . " The way will be lit by the bridges we burn , " Lewis said to them , raising a cheer from the men . His muscles ached . They always ached . It was at the point where Lewis felt like no pain meant he had done something wrong . Just as he got out of bed , he heard Cockatrice 's cry . He plugged his ears , and his wife quickly opened her eyes as well . Lewis pulled on his clothes and then glanced out the window . There was the sun in the sky . He couldn 't tell any longer whether it was yellow or red . He had repeated the phrase " The sun is red " so many times that his mind could no longer tell what was what . His wife had not fallen back asleep , but instead decided to stay in the bed a little longer . She said nothing , but Lewis knew that every action was more or less spending energy , and all energy needed to be conserved , Lewis was a farmer , as was everybody else in Spectrum . Everybody except for those in the Heartland ; but rarely did a farmer ever venture there , with its priests and holy officials . Mount Alpentine loomed far away , a mountain that rivaled the legendary Mount Olympus in its height . At the top of that mountain , it was rumoured , lay Owen . No one knew what he looked like or whether he existed , but the existing folklore said that it was Owen 's will that moved all beings of Spectrum . All citizens prayed to Owen before doing anything of consequence . He walked over to his wife , who had just gotten out of bed . " Today 's a planting day , " Lewis said . " I 'd better get started . " Lewis walked into the mail hall . His daughter was already seated , awaiting the day 's breakfast . " Good morning , Daddy , " she said . He returned the greeting and lifted her up into the air , making her giggle . Then he put her back down and told her breakfast would be ready in a few minutes . He went outside , got a fire started and cooked a few eggs and sausages over the heat . He brought it back in for all to eat . " I 'll eat later , " he said , deciding to finally start the work . He was a strong man , but even he couldn 't afford to slack off . He went to his shed and retrieved two big bags of seed , each weighing a few pounds . He got to work on the first field . As he began doing the repetitive task of digging , planting and re - digging , his mind began to wonder . He wondered about where his son was now . Several years ago he had been called to the Heartland , for what purpose no one really knew . They hadn 't physically spoken in many years , naturally , since commoners weren 't allowed in . Every once in a while the family would receive a letter from him , but his letters became increasingly incoherent as the years went on . At this point , the word " sorry " was included in his letters several times per page along with a slew on non sequiturs . " What is it - " he stopped dead in his tracks . Standing beside his wife were two men in long , white robes . What were priests doing out here ? " You are Lewis , are you not ? " One of the men asked . He was a good head taller than his companion , which was the only real distinguishing feature . Both had shaved heads . " You have been summoned to Heartland , " the shorter priest said . " You are to take up a clerical position in the capital . Your pay will be a great increase from your present work . However , the job must be done alone and immediately . We will allow you one hour to pack your things . " There wasn 't a choice in the matter . It was go with them or … Probably be killed . " ' Scuse us , " Lewis said , bringing his wife into their bedroom . As soon as the door was closed and the priests were out of earshot , they began to talk in whispers . His wife was already crying . " Worry not , " he said . He held her close to him , so close that she could no doubt feel his heart beating . He pressed his hand over her lips . He spoke his next few sentences louder , so that the priests waiting outside would hear him . " I will be his baron . With him I have an ending . With him I have completion . " And then he whispered a final phrase into her ear : " And the cover of night . " He took his hand off her mouth . " Yes , " he replied . " I may be gone for weeks , months or years , but I will return to you . " He kissed her once more and then began to gather what few clothes he had . At the bottom of his meager sack he put in his cutlass and a few small knives . His bag packed , he opened the door to where the priests stood at attention . " We shall go by horse . We must traverse part of the way through Mount Alpentine , but worry not . We shall not be going too high , or the horses would be useless , " the short priest answered . Lewis scooped up his daughter in his arms . She had been silent the whole time , being far too young to understand completely what was going on . " Daddy is going to be gone for a while , " he said . " But I need you to be a big girl and help out your mother , okay ? " " I don 't know , " he said . " But I will come and see you again . I promise . " He kissed her on the forehead . " I 'll see you soon , okay ? " His daughter wrapped him up in the tightest hug he 'd ever gotten from her . " Alright , let 's go , " Lewis said . The priests nodded , and the three of them left the house . Lewis hopped on the back of his best horse , and the priests hopped on theirs . " Lead on , " Lewis said . The priests began heading off toward Mount Alpentine , with Lewis following closely behind . " Yes . " The conversation ceased after that . After taking a brief stop to eat , the company arrived at the base of Mount Alpentine a few hours later . " We will be taking the Low Path , " said the tall one . " It is fairly flat , but with a few inclines . The horses may need a bit of nudging , but they will take us across . " " I have never set foot on Mount Alpentine before . I must pray here before we continue . Come , pray with me as well . " Lewis could hear Psalm 21 going through his head . The priests were suspicious for a minute , but then seemed to be impressed with his piousness . They too joined him in kneeling , and repeating the phrase : " Laudate dominum . " Lewis chanted as well , and as soon as he saw that the two priests had closed their eyes , he began to quietly rummage through his bag . He pulled out the cutlass . It was as though someone had shattered a ceramic plate over his head . In that moment , he knew something special was happening ? How had he not seen her before ? She was unusual . Taller than most girls he had ever met , just a shade shorter than he was . She was dressed immaculately , as though she were about to head off to Vanity Fair 's Oscar after - party . Her clothes had clearly been tailor - made , fitting her to a tee . She wore a ruffled white shirt , a smart blue blazer with matching pants . Her black dress shoes were simple yet elegant . She wore her sleek , black hair long , the hair spilling a little past her shoulders . When she turned to his direction , he noticed her dark - brown , almost black eyes , which sparkled with some kind of emotion . He didn 't know what it was . " Hmm , " she said , frowning . Had they met before ? He felt like he would have remembered seeing someone like her . That moment of impact had been unlike anything he had ever felt before . " What 's that book you 've got there ? " " Oh , To Kill A Mockingbird . A classic ! " she seemed to like his book choice . " I 'm picking up Brave New World , I can 't believe I haven 't read it yet . " He nodded . " I 'd love to , " he finally said . They paid for their books separately , and then they headed off to the nearby coffee shop . They turned out to both have an affinity for dark coffee . They sat down at a chic wooden table . The " moment of impact " over , he finally found himself opening up . They talked a little bit about their lives . She had just finished law school and was on track to becoming an associate at a downtown law firm . At first she went into law because her parents wanted their daughter to be a high achiever , but she eventually grew to love the way of the law and the ways around it . He , on the other hand , didn 't feel as accomplished . He had been working in the marketing division of a soft drink company . One of his commercial ideas actually made it to air , though it didn 't have a very long run . He was alright with his position , though . They talked for over two hours , now almost breathlessly filling in the gaps as though silence was poison . They finally reached an agreeable silence . They got up , she gave him her number and her his , and she kissed him on the cheek . " We 'll see each other soon , " she said . When he got back to his place , he immediately bragged to his roommates about his stroke of what he considered very , very good fortune . His roommates didn 't believe him for one second . He had been unlucky in love for so many years they had collectively lost track of the last time he had a girlfriend . He protested , but he felt like the boy who cried wolf . He knew he had met her . He hadn 't hallucinated her presence , and he remembered her paying for something at the bookstore . The cashier hadn 't been talking to empty air . Of course , he could have hallucinated the whole episode . It was a possibility . To allay his fears that he had dreamed it , though , he decided to see if he could find a trace of her online . She had an unusual name , so it might not be too difficult to find her . He started with a few Google searches and found nothing . He figured it was quite possible to go through law school without making headlines . Next he tried Facebook . He typed her name into the bar , and one person with the name came up , except it wasn 't her and was actually someone from Malaysia . Now he was getting paranoid . What was going on ? He glanced at his phone . He had taken her number . He decided to give her a call . After three rings , he thought she wouldn 't pick up , but she did . There she was . " Oh , hi ! I 'm go glad you called , " she said . " Why don 't you come over to my place tomorrow night ? I 'm a good cook . " " That sounds great , " She gave him her address , and the next night he found himself walking over to her lush condo in the east end of the city . She answered the door basically as soon as he knocked . She led him inside and gave him a mini - tour of the place before bringing him over to the kitchen where dinner was cooking . She was making a pretty fancy - looking pasta dish that smelled heavenly . He needed to prove to other people that this was happening . He mumbled something stupid and asked her to lean in for a photo . They snapped a shot together . The night went fantastically . Her dish was indeed delicious . It incorporated oysters , which she explained was an aphrodisiac . He didn 't know if that was true ; he didn 't think it was possible to feel any more passionately what he felt . When he got home , he triumphantly showed his roommates the picture of her that he had taken . They all saw it and were surprised that he was telling the truth . " She 's something alright , " one of his roommates said after they all picked up their jaws from the floor . The next day he got sick . The fever seemed to come out of nowhere , and it was nasty . For a week he was bed - ridden . given to episodes of sweating and high temperatures . He always had a roommate staying by his side , helping him out in shifts . During that week , he asked them to let him know if anyone called or texted . A few people did , but not the woman he was hoping to hear from again . After that crushingly frustrating week , he was feeling a lot better . At least he was feeling better physically . He was hurt that she hadn 't called . He finally decided to call her and see what was going on . He feared the worst . " What ? " now she was clearly confused . " That makes no sense . This makes no sense . But I believe you . Anyway , let 's meet up again . How about I come over to your place ? " When the night came , he waited on the couch expectantly . He was watching the news but not really absorbing any of it , his mind racing with excitement . She said she 'd be there by quarter after six at the latest . He glanced at the clock . It was now 6 : 30 . Then 7 . He decided it was about time to see what was going on . Maybe she 'd been held up on a bus or something . He dialed her number . " What the fuck do you think you 're doing ? " she asked . Not even a greeting . " I was standing in front of a closed - down apartment in a sketchy part of town . I texted you three times and you didn 't respond . I eventually gave up and went home . " " That doesn 't make sense . " It was his turn to use the phrase . " I know what my own address is , it 's not closed down . And I didn 't get any texts from you . " " I don 't want to hear it , " she said , and hung up . He was stunned . This could not be happening . He was starting to wonder if his entire life was a nightmare . Suddenly an idea struck him . It was an inkling , but he had to corroborate it . He phoned one of his roommates . " Fine , " she said , sighing . Beer was a legal form of currency in his household . " I 'll tell you once I get off work . " She was set to finish her shift in about an hour , her shift being the late one . " Oh … " he think he got it now . " One last thing , could you get a picture of it , with the address clearly visible ? And then text it to me ? " And that night , one of the strangest disappearances the city had ever seen took place . His roommates returned home to find him gone without a trace . All of his belongings were gone as well . It was as though he had never lived there at all , except for a few bits of junk he had left behind . His roommates called the police , and MISSING posters went up around the city . The marketing firm he worked hadn 't seen him , nor had his parents or anybody he knew . His disappearance made the news for a few days as people tried to figure out how the man could just vanish . The police , after a fruitless search , called off their resources after about a month . This was probably going to be a cold case , the police assumed .