Eldritch May Cry

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

["Speech Through Technology"]

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…

Checking my phone, I had a couple of new messages, but I completely ignored them the second I saw it was from the imaginary stalker.

It was 8:50 a.m., and I hadn't slept a wink. I felt better than ever. My training in the once-fictional martial arts actually paid off.

I had stopped trying to learn how to do most things in the "Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist" manual and instead focused on Renewal Taekwondo.

I went over all the moves I could, besides the recoilless series, because that was a bunch of main character-only concepts that I wouldn't be able to grasp in only a few short hours.

The first move I grasped was called Ax. It's a move that involves a front flip into an axe kick while mid-air to strike either the ground or the opponent.

Second was Baek Nok, a type of push kick that brings the leg straight up to deliver the bottom of the foot directly to the chin, sending whoever into the air.

Third was Goh Ryuh, one of my personal favorites, as it's a technique that utilizes two horizontal kicks to either the head or the neck using the base of the feet.

Fourth was Hoe Grab. Unlike what the name suggests, it's not used for grabbing hoes. My disappointment was immeasurable. It's a kick used to lock the opponent's arm by feinting a reverse kick with one leg and then using that same leg to hold the arm of an opponent.

Fifth was Hwechook, the precursor to my favorite technique. This technique is a kick that has gathered force through spinning on a center point. Hitting the opponent with the front of your foot somewhat like a roundhouse kick.

Sixth was the greatest, my most favored technique, 3rd Stance Hwechook. It's a Hwechook executed three times in a row, either coming from the left or right, followed by a straight, then from behind. If the victim ever flinches and tries to step back, damage from the attack will increase. These three kicks aimed at the head come out so fast that it seems that you're being attacked by three people.

The rest of what I learned were either advanced variations of what I already had, hand-to-hand techniques, or works in progress.

Fangs, using both elbows on the ribs of an opponent after a leg swipe like the jaws of a python. Front Kick is an upward kick with a lot of power behind it.

Dragon Catcher is a work in progress for me, as it's a grab, and I don't have anyone to test my grabs on. Scissor Kick: the user jumps and delivers a diagonal kick like the closing of scissors.

Lowest Hwechook, because the first and third variants were too predictable and seen through, this version is usually used as a dodge. Ducking to the ground, the user does a 180-degree spin sweep kick parallel to the ground. It can be combo'd into Dragon Catcher.

Tae Baek is a kick delivered sideways in relation to the user's body. Soksa, a knee attack to the head of the opponent. Usually, instead of a kick to the head, the knee is used.

Baekdu, a knee attack delivered to the opponent. Usually, combo'd into by using a sweep first.

I don't think allowing myself to take two long periods of sleeplessness was good, but I seemed fine.

I took a shower, got myself something to eat, and then brushed my teeth. I made sure to take all my worn clothes to the washer in the basement, which was luckily still there.

The clothes would probably be done being washed by the time I got back and would only need another hour in the dryer.

As I did all of these things and even changed my sheets and covers on my bed, I kept noticing something in the corner of my eye.

It kept disappearing every time I tried to get a good look at it, but I only paid it half a mind.

I put on a white undershirt with a black shirt over it. Matching the upper body, I put on black cargo pants with many pockets.

In these pockets, I put two small knives and one medium-sized one. I could never be caught lacking a weapon out in the streets; if I was, then I was dead.

I made sure to put on my hoodie for extra bodily protection as if I got grabbed by some big entity. I could always take off the extra layers of clothes.

With that done, I grabbed my phone and my documents of myself being a citizen of the state and stepped outside.

It was almost ten as I made my way to the restaurant. I didn't have my hood on, and as I walked, I saw many people.

It always surprised me to see so many people in a world so dangerous. Is it because humans are adaptable or because we multiply like roaches? I don't know.

But, finally reaching the restaurant and noticing Antonio inside, I walked in.

Antonio noticed me almost instantly and gave me a nod. Returning the nod, I took a seat at a table near the counter Antonio was standing behind.

"You're here earlier than expected. Did something happen?" Antonio asked as he walked from behind the counter and took a seat across from me.

"Nah," I responded almost instantly with a slight shake of the head. "I'm just someone who likes to cover all bases so they don't have to worry about it later."

I took out the documentation the second I saw Antonio sit down and laid them on the table.

"You know you legally have two weeks before you need to turn this in, right?" Antonio said as he smirked. "But you would rather cover your bases now. That's a good mentality to have."

I nodded to Antonio as he seemed to do the classic "kids these days," Head shake as he kept a slight smirk.

"It'll be a while as I'll be registering you along with the app that we use. You don't mind, do you?" I shook my head as Antonio finished speaking.

With a nod, Antonio took my identification and went to a back room that I'm guessing was a break room with a computer.

After Antonio disappeared, I felt for the first time in a while that things were finally looking up for me.

Relaxing in my seat, I put my chin on my palm and rested my elbow on the table. A calm smile grew on my face as I took in living in another world away from my friends and family.

'Mom and Dad, I think, just maybe, I can do this.' My depressing thoughts betrayed my calm smile.

Looking down at the table— 'The fuck?' My eyes widened as I looked at pupilless eyes staring back at my own.

It was a reflection on the table but not anything behind me; I knew that much. My wide, unblinking eyes stared at the very furry creature.

I could only see the eyes and whatever was above, as the bottom of the table cut off whatever was below that.

It had wolf-like ears around the top of the head with black—probably black—fur. I was stunned at what I was seeing.

I don't know how long I had been staring, but eventually, the disbelief grew too much, and I blinked. The second I did so, the creature reflected in the table was gone.

I quickly looked at every surface I could see in the restaurant. Nothing showed the creature I had seen, no matter how hard I looked.

I had a hunch, though. Taking out my phone, I went to my messages and checked on my mystery stalker.

I expected to see a picture of myself with the angle of the camera looking up at me. But that's not at all what I found. The picture I did find made me pause for even longer than I did before.

It was a picture of me with that soft smile on my face. I looked as if I had everything in life figured out. It was a profile picture-worthy shot.

The way my chin was in my palm, my eyes facing the camera with that ever-calm smile. My eyes softened, and my hair slightly moved in the ever-frozen image to create something magical.

I could admit that it was a good picture, but I looked like teenage girl crush bait. The type of picture a pretty boy would take, and I was not a pretty boy! I was a nonchalant king, no glazing intended.

Instantly, after being un-stunned, I responded with a text. "Good picture, get something that's cooler next time."

To my surprise, three dots showed up in the messages. Around five to seven seconds later, a picture was sent of a clawed hand covered in light amounts of black fur in a thumbs up.

A crooked smile formed on my face reluctantly as I realized in the background of the picture was a window with myself in the background looking at the phone I currently had in my hands.

…

(A/N: So, I've been gone for a while. College is fighting me hard, and by the time you've seen this chapter, I'll have a paper due tomorrow that I'm going to rush to complete.

But I've found my motivation. This series will continue until every last mystery has been uncovered!)