A Serenade for the Innocent - 118 The Masterful Plan of the Pale

Everything is going so well that I almost feel like I’m cheating, for real. The harmony of it all made it seem like I was just mind-controlling to do precisely what I want and just go on with it till the dungeon ride is done. Really, the plan is simple: I want these three messy characters—the policeman, the salesman, and the nurse—to kill each other hopefully soon once we leave this overly disgusting and 100% dark hallway. That’s just it, really, since explaining more of what I have in mind will only ruin the fun of the dungeon for you! However, I am confident that I can pull this off somehow and will leave this place knowing that I did not even do or said anything to make these three people kill themselves just because I showed them a diamond rosary. It would be phenomenal!

I know what you’re thinking, “Anatoly, what are you gonna do to that weird looking-ass silver guy? Are you just gonna ignore he exists?” Well, first of all, I wish I can, oh boy, I sincerely hope I CAN! However, he has an important role to make in this whole plan, and that can only work as long as he remains alive! Okay, look, remember that time when I said that the last part of the dungeon needs someone to stay inside so everyone else can leave? That part is true—no lies detected there, nuh-uh! Now, remember when I also said earlier that I am willing to make myself the sacrifice so these four babies can go home? Not true. First, they die, then the silver man lives, then he willingly tells me that he should be the sacrifice, and then I will be the only person who would leave.

I think it’s a fantastic plan, to be honest. However, when I told my mom about it, she went berserk mode on me and started saying, “THAT’S A SHIT PLAN! COME UP WITH ANOTHER ONE! YADDA-YADDA-YADDA! COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN!” Then again, when she told me all of those things, the only thing she did is to pressure me into thinking more in-depth and seriously about this dungeon thing instead of offering a better plan! Besides, I’m not gonna die in this dungeon, anyway! I’ve been thrown here so many times while I was growing up, and there’s no way I can’t leave this time with that same plan.

Yes, I’ve been using that plan every time I was thrown here.

Yes, my mom will always nag at how bad that plan was.

No, Susan doesn’t care.

Yes, I get out with no wounds every damn time.

What is the big deal then?

To make this plan to fruition, I have to be closer to the silver man as much as I can. From what I have observed, he seems to be a very timid and cowardly person. Therefore, I need to reinforce this notion by making me a messianic figure to him that will always be his ally and will always be there to save him. I’ve already established this plan earlier by telling all of them explicitly that I am adamant in protecting them. The only thing I have to do now is to be closer to the silver man.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I said as I wrapped my hands around the silver man’s shoulders. “You’ve been down ever since we came here,” I said with a downcast gaze at him while patting his back gently to ease whatever pain he’s feeling in his heart at that moment. I don’t particularly like doing this; I hate it at church, and I most definitely hate doing it here now in this UGLY place! However, this is the best I got in making sure that I can get out, so… Just give me some slack, okay?

“Oh…” The silver man said as he dropped his head. The other three who are walking ahead of us don’t seem to care much about what we’re talking about since they continued to walk forward wordlessly. “I’m sorry, father. I’m being a letdown again, aren’t I?”

“Who said you were ever a letdown, my friend?” I said as a gentle chuckle arose from my lips. “Look, why don’t you tell me what’s ailing you, and we can fix it together!?”

“There’s a lot in my mind right now, father.” The silver man said with a defeated chuckle. “I don’t even know where to start. Well, of course, there’s this dungeon; that’s already one of my many worries, to begin with, and I would probably keep thinking about it till we finally leave here.”

“Don’t worry, my friend; everything here may seem scary, but they’re all still a part of God’s work; thus, still making them a part of God’s work. The only thing you need to do now is to believe Him, and everything else will soon follow.” I then placed my hand on my chest as I continued with a dazzling smile, “Look, aren’t I here, sent by the Lord God himself to deliver you out of this hell?”

“Then…” The silver man said as he moved his head towards me. “What about the other people who came before us, the ones with you? Weren’t they a part of god’s plan too?”

“Eh?” What?

Wait.

Ah, drat!

This is bad, yeah, I remember now. The excuse I gave for being here is that I was here with some other people before, and then they all died, and I’m the only one who remains!

I felt as if the world had suddenly gone slow motion. I need to find a way to get out of this mess. Perhaps, this man is like one of those atheist pricks like Susan, who refuses to accept the merry word of the Lord in their hearts; oh, bless them, dear God, for they don’t know what they are doing!

To hell with it! I’ll just say something convincing enough but not too revealing of what I am trying to do! “Well, the Lord’s plan, really, is—”

I was about to speak out some random garbage excuse like, “They’re with the Lord now!” or something like, “Life is a part of a great story, and they’ve already fulfilled their part!” Okay, I know they’re all terrible, but that’s not the problem now.

Somebody suddenly screamed. It’s a loud, shrill scream that came from the farthest, deepest part of the darkened hallway. It sounded like the voice of an old man; I then heard the sound of countless hurried footsteps moving towards us, which sent all of us into fight or flight mode.

The person who screamed and ran towards us then went straight towards us and heaved quickly when he finally saw us. He then went down to his knees with his head deeply rooted on the hard cobblestone floor of the dungeon. This entire thing felt like it already happened before—like some déjà vu moment, and I feel like the silver man agrees with me with the way his face contorted into a puzzled scowl.

“PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU!” The bloodied man said as his head was rooted on the ground. “PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU! I WILL DO ANYTHING!”

I could see from his dirty and tattered clothes that he had been here for far longer than I could ever guess. His dark and grease-filled skin made it clear that he hadn’t showered for what seemed like an eternity. The blood covering his ravaged clothes and greasy skin looked fresh, but a careful look at him made me see that he doesn’t have any wounds, so the blood is not his. His long and ragged hair is so fizzy that it made me think he was a victim of some kind of electrocution experiment. His raspy voice made me almost believe that I’m not hearing the words of a human being but a debauched alien pretending to be like us instead. All of that mixed with his pungent smell that could make any sane person throw up was enough to make me rue the day that I was ever permitted to use my nose.

“What the—” The policeman said as he took a step back.

“A-are you okay?” The nurse asked in perplexity, but she dared not go towards him.

“Ugh! You’re disgusting!” The salesman said as he waved his hand before him.

The silver man merely shrieked at the sight of this mess.

Meanwhile, I looked at the bloodied man with a puzzled expression as I tried to see if I could find any hidden cameras around here. I don’t know why I did it even though I know it would all be for nothing, but maybe it’s because I’m desperate for someone to help me answer a straightforward question.

“PLEASE, PLEASE, TAKE ME WITH YOU! I CANNOT STAND THIS HERE ANY LONGER, AND I’M SO TIRED OF BEING ALONE IN THIS PLACE! PLEASE! I AM BEGGING YOU! I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!” The bloodied stranger continued to plead with us as he continued to shove the top of his head onto the cobblestone floor.

Haha…

Hahahaha!

This is not good…

HAHAHAHAHA!

WHO THE HELL IS THIS!?