George Rozier stood behind the counter (his rightful place). The man who said he was Max was doing some cleaning, and George was watching him. As expected, the store was as slow as yesterday (or yerstertoday?), and this put George in a worse mood (which is credited mostly by the strangeness he was feeling), because he knew that his mental and emotional states were aligning themselves to the exact same states they were in the day before, and probably at the exact same time too. This was unintentional, and he thought that there was something left in him from yesterday. He was still in complete control of himself, but ever since Danny came, he noticed that a part of his emotional process was dependent of the previous day's own. Just like when he asked Danny how Julia was, he knew what the answer would be but the curiosity was still very strong as it was yesterday. It was also the same when he was supposed to discover that the humming sound was also being heard outside the store, but he still felt very surprised despite the fact that he already knew the sound's "omnipotence".571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXA5sS8aHdA
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There was also the fact that there were times he had said almost the exact same things he said yesterday. He knew that during these moments, it was his own mental process that led to these words, but considering the fact that the words were almost exactly (if not exact) the same as yesterday's words, then a suggestion came to him that some strings were being pulled and the puppet, which he thought would be him, obeyed. He knew this thought was ridiculous, but so was the fact that everything everything that happened today so far was almost exactly the same as what happened yesterday.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoVjl1ovp3
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But there was one exception.
George stared at the exception, which was Max. A different one though, not HIS Max. This was no blonde, and this no 20-year-old kid. This one was probably at Danny's age, or even a bit older. This Max also cleans the shop without being told. George's Max was lazy and preffered to sit near him while observing everything. He was a great observer though.
This Max, or shall we say, Mil (in reference to the difference in names), was also silent. A silent hardworker. George thought that Mil was too different than Mal, perhaps even woven to be the exact opposite of him. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9AVn60IBE
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And he was struck by another ridiculous thought (which, again was not without grounds). Maybe he was "invented" by someone. "What if this is all someone's work? What if all of these things were manifactured by some sick fucker?", George said, not realizing that he was already whispering to himself. His fingers started tapping the countertop. He knew he was not making sense, but he was sure that what he was thinking has touched the territory of what was really happening. Then he muttered once more, "What if Max knows some----"
SSSSsssileeennCCeeee!
And George shut up. He shut up because he heard the voice, and he shut up because once again, he was afraid. He didn't want to hear the voice again, and that was enough to convince him to leave the subject alone. Besides, he got what he wanted.
A confirmation that his thoughts were going the right way.
****
George's eyes were still staring beyond the glass door, but despite the fact that his line of sight was composed fully of the door, George didn't notice the old wiman enter the door. This woman, we all know too well. She was Antoinette Shavers.
At the sight of her, George's tears fell in streams. George turned around, made as though to pick up something on the floor, then while bent down, wiped his tears with his forearm. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFO1jCPuXin
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"Are you okay dear?", the woman asked, but George was sure that he was able to hide his tears well. Then he thought that maybe old women develop some sort of sixth sense that makes them sensitive to what other people feel. He nodded and said, "Yes. I'm fine," George said, then gave Ann a warm smile. The warmth was real too.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVHD0fqGIw
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Ann's eyes squinted a bit and surveyed George. "I doubt that." Then George pursed his lips and then tried to smile once more. This time though, he failed miserably. His smile was nothing more than a stretching of the lips.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGXrdschI4
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"My, my George. You really aren't looking well this minute, are you?" Ann, as she did yesterday, approached George and touched his forehead. This time, George leaned his head forward a bit. "At least you don't have a fever."
"Yes Ann, that I don't," George said. "It must've been the weather since this morning. Too hot." Then as if his shirt clung to his chest, he tugged the front of his collar.
"Well, you take care of yourself, George, dear," Ann said, then glanced at Mil who was rebooting the ice cream machine.
George, unintentionally, then replied, "Yes Madame Ann Shavers." This somewhat froze him in his place, but somehiw didn't shock him. Besides, he was already expecting that same things that happened yesterday would happen today. First, Danny, then his story. The humming sound, then now, Ann Shavers. The next would be......
George' eyes widened (probably a bit too much), then was about to call out when he realized that Ann Shavers was already in front of him. He saw in her eyes multitudes of thoughts going on in there. But for him, there was no time to think about anything. He gripped the edge of the countertop with her left and grabbed Ann's shoulder gently, yet firmly. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9o4EWUA66
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"Listen to me, Ann. Stay here a while. Do not go out there."
Ann gave him a puzzled look, but George caught a glimpse of recognition in her thought-filled eyes. She smiled knowingly, then asked, "I don't understand, Georgie, dear. What's wrong?"
George pinched the top of his nosebridge, tapped the countertop, changed his gaze then said, "Don't go out there. Or you'll die." Then he bowed his head, as if he it could hide his own embarrassment.
The exact moment George uttered the word "die", something changed. And it wasn't a small one too. It wasn't like a change that occurs when you misplace one item, or even when you clean a store. It was as if he was in a different place, maybe even a different world. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2QJ3Eg1CY
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George's knees buckled and he had to lean onto the countertop and grip its edge to keep his balance. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZH5sYsm5D
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He looked at Ann. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3lpHNj78B
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Ann Shavers was smiling at him like how a mother smiles at a child who done his job very well.
"So it begins, my dear."
*******
Maximalian Wilson stood behind the counter, which was previously George's rightful place. Mr.Viscotti had tasked him with what should be George's work, and he didn't object. In fact, it even felt right to him. Of course it did. He was George's 'pprentice.571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd258b8xwyF
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It was 2:00 pm, and the day was busy. A lot busier than yesterday. The good thing was, Max didn' t panic, and in fact even managed to do things perfectly. It was a good thing that he paid attention to everything when George was showing him the ropes, or else this day would be a disaster. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQm5ynimU4h
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Max nodded and watched the last customer of the current wave leave the store. He printed the list of the items bought by the customers of the last wave and went to the backroom, grabbed whatever was sold then proceeded to restock the shelves. He preferred it this way instead of restocking the shelves when it was the end of the day and he was itching to get home.
He was already at the last item when he heard the whispering voice again. The voice spoke in Sacred Tongue, but this time, we proceed to listen in on their conversation in our own language.
"He plans to stop the death," the voice said.
"I expected that. Let him. He won't succeed."
"But he'll feel pain."
"He won't die."
"It will impede the town's demise," the whispering voice said, now with a hint worry.
"It doesn't change a thing to me. Besides, if it turns out that he'll be able to finish it off," Max paused. He scratched his head in irritation and shook it. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbfF7UwkXk
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"That'd be a bummer. I prefer to do the killing."
The entity who was once known as Ava hissed angrily and fell back into silence.
"Yeah, go back to where you came from. You were just a reneger. Well, at least you were given a task by father."
The entity cursed Max in numerous languages and fell silent, knowing that there was nothing it could do but speak.
Max grinned triumphantly and spoke in his own immaturish way, "Go back to where you came, Ava Walsh."
The entity did not speak immediately, but Max knew that it was not done. It had something else to say. Then finally, he heard the entity speak once more, this time, in an emotionless and a matter-of-factly way.
"He who was sai, shalt kill once before thine time. Yet thou shalt kill multitudes, and commit thy own crime."
Then the entity was gone. Max felt it go away, and he finally felt better. The entity made him feel afraid, but he didn't want it to show. When he heard the entity speak back in George's house, he knew who it was. And he was immediately afraid. He was supposed to be hunted, but it had been a relief that he was not. He was not to be forgiven, but at least he was not to be hunted. And this entity had once lived to be one of the hunters. This one though, abandoned its duty long ago, but continued hunting for pleasure. Max envied this one, because this entity was still given a task despite being a deserter. But that was fine, because this deserter did not rebel, this one just left.
Max finished restocking the shelves and returned behind the counter. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsL8CsqquZt
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Then he muttered, "Damn, Mr G. Hope you do well, wherever the fuck you are," he looked up at the glass door where a customer was appraching, and before the door opened, he said, "Just don't kill em all."
*****
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George looked around him and saw Mil frozen by the ice cream machine. Mil didn't just freeze up, though. He really was not moving. He had his right arm raised, resting atop the machine, and his left arm in front if his mouth, which was open in a yawming fashion. He was immobilized like that, and George was already starting to feel wonder when Ann Shavers grabbed his hand and said, "I have a story for you, Georgie. Just like when you were a kid." Then Ann let go of his hand and told him a story that consisted of elements he thought had no business with each other. 571Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzVenOgwDK
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