by Ayman Ghalit
“Sweet?” she wondered. “It is slightly citrusy.”
“Y-Yea… but, it is good, it really is.”
After done eating their dinner, the groom thanked the invitees, and left with her husband by their decorated silver car. Alma looked at her golden wristwatch, and said, “It is time to go home.” She thanked Kaiser for this lovely night and confessed that she really enjoyed it and felt completely comfortable talking with him as he is the first Phugwak who made her feel so. She left, and before going far, he said, “I love you.” She stopped, as if pulled back, paused for a moment, and awkwardly, she returned to him saying, “I too felt something toward you, Kais.”
“Say it out, loud and clear.”
“I don’t know what is it. And I am not in a proper place that allows me to try and figure it out. It is… new to me!”
“Say it.”
“I have to go home now… I got work tomorrow.”
“I Love you, Alma. I really do … but, it is alright. In the morrow, I will meet you in Mawan’s cup. I promise.”
“I will be more than glad to see you there.”
She left, leaving him in a sundering doubt and indecision. He took a taxi and returned to the Most Welcome Hotel at 2AM. Quietly, and almost tiptoeing, he entered the bedroom where sorting Bob and Jack were sleeping. He laid down on his bed while trying to figure out an ancient puzzling matter, Friends or Love? Sleep wasn’t easy for him as he overly thought about lots of mind-troubling matters. They will leave in the morrow to Narbiz, but he promised to her that he will meet her in Mawan’s Cup! Then he recalled how nice the night was and how she deliberately ignored her friends and chose to sit with him all alone! And he rethought about the major differences between them and the Phugwaks. Moments after, he realized that he had followed his emotions for too far, and rebuked himself, ‘Why did I tangle myself up with her? I was carefree!’ But the emotions he followed had a different opinion, for it brought him comfort and joy. Brought him feelings he didn’t even dream of. All that depression, anxiety, despair, and self-hating feelings faded the moment he met her. Life is worth something right now, and that’s what mattered for him.
Through the glass window, and while wishing for a swift sleep, he gazed upon a distant glittering star which reminded him that he doesn’t belong in here. He pursed his lips in doubt, looked at his sleeping friends, let out an anxious sigh, and said,
“A blind heart you chose, to lead the way?
Phugwak it brought, after lost and astray!
With deafened mind that dances on lies,
Surly, your love, will squander and dies.”
Joyful Morrow
At 6AM, odd sound waves forcibly woke up Carl. It wasn’t barking, nor howling this time, rather, it was loud roaring of angry crowds. He rushed, and open the window to be staggered by a view which fearfully widened his eyes. He beheld a sea of Phugwaks covering the streets all along the horizon while raising up lots of flags and signs. He listened closely, and heard them orderly shouting for disobedience and rebellion. And the overly used word was: Freedom! He rushed to the other window to witness them pulling down the golden statue of Emperor Edmond till it fell down. They then climbed it up, and began stomping its face. Stuttering in fear, he said, “That not good!”
After taking some pictures, he rushed waking up his friend who carelessly said after seeing the view ‘So?’ Carl, whom his hand was slightly shaking, urged them, saying “Let us run while we still can. Pack your stuff up immediately, and let us leave at once. It is going to get awfully ugly.”
Kais yawned, and said, “you always exagge—!”
A loud explosion sound interrupted him, followed by chaotic cries and screams that indicates pain and loss. Their eyes widened in shock as they paused silent looking at each other in bewildering fear. Carl then roared, “Move, fools! We have to go.” They hasted to pack their stuff. Carl picked up his phone and took a picture of the Milky-Way page in the astronomy book. Gael grabbed his gun, and while the others were busy packing their stuff, they started to hear the whizzing combat-jets circling the sky!
Moments later, a missile landed and blew up building not far from theirs. Its sound wave was so loud it shattered their glass windows. Gael, who fear almost chained him, roared loud, “Leave everything! Let escape this building before it collapses on.”
They rushed, and left the building while leaving almost everything behind. They took the stairs that echoed with weep and pray, and exited the hotel to be shocked by an unbelievable scene. Blurred by the collapsed building dust, they saw lots of dead bodies; burning, shattered, and decapitated. A headless woman’s body lying beside mixture of body parts was not far from them. And the wounded who moans, and the cries of those who lost a dear deafened them. And the precious liquid; Water, was all over the streets. The scene assured them that this is critically serious. And when Kasi was pausing still in fear, A random guy shouted loud, “EVERY BODY, DOWN!”
Involuntary, they swiftly laid on the ground after an airplane dropped a missile that blew up a building next to them, followed by a loud sound wave that made their ear deafeningly ring for moments. And through the blinding dust, a fast, and a random missile-fragment fissured a man’s face next to them in two!
“We are going to die.” Jack tremblingly said.
“No, Jack.” Kais urged, “Just don’t panic… keep calm.”
Panting in fear, Gael thought his death is certain this time when the bombs were heard exploding one after another. But someone repeatedly shouted, “Head to the subway. Go to the subway!”
They didn’t know where the subway is, but they saw a tearful man, who were holding his infant child, run toward something. They assumed he was heading to the subway, and followed him to find they were right. And while filled with paralyzing fear, they entered the dim-lighted subway. Carl, who was the first, didn’t know what to do anymore. Followed by Gael, who were swiftly moving his tongue in prayer. Then Kaiser, who were confusingly think that he is still dreaming. Next to Jack who were in a crippling fear that made his teeth uncontrollably patters loud! Followed by Bob who were rapidly looking left and right in disbelieve while tightly holding the end of Kais’s shirt.
Confusing was storming their head, but they all agreed to realize that they were totally screwed up… badly this time!
Shelter
The subway atmosphere was despairing and chaotic. It was fully crowded with pained Phugwaks. Deafening cries, painful moans, and the wailing for the lost made it so hard for them to communicate. Then, they have been silenced by waves of dreadful bombardment that made the subway rock, and its hanged lights rapidly sway. It was vicious and continuous. They could hear an explosions every 10 seconds! “We are going to die!” a young man shouted in fear beside them. Moments after, a man climbed up a big blue information sign, and fired a machine gun to the ceiling till he silenced them all. The man was familiar for Carl who recognized him immediately as he was one of the highly wanted men, Clark the Blindson. After that, he roared and loudly spoke:
“O, Phugwaks! The event befell. And here you are now beholding what we relentlessly warned you many years ago. Here is the tyrant rearing his head up and redoing what his damned father did 30 years ago. Indeed, like father like son. They killed our fathers, and raped our mothers and sisters. They stole our land, and devoured our rightful wealth. The heavens will not respond to your cries and screams, they will only cast their strength upon those who fight. So, let us strike them as one, let us struggle and seek the delicious vengeance, if it is not Freedom… By the One, we will only bid humility fare well, and fear is the only thing we shall lose. Death largely nested upon this accursed land till we found ourselves seeking his blessing! Is it this what you want for the generations that yet to come? How come that we live a life where we envy the dead!? Weep not, sister. And stop wailing, mother. For we will only do what our fathers failed to do. Let us march together. Together, we shall succeed. Together, we shall succumb and defeat them. Together, we will sn
atch our rights from their iniquitous jaws.”
While pausing a bit, a man amongst the crowd, loudly shouted, “March us to death. O, Blindson.” After that, the weeping almost stopped, and the crowd regained their enthusiasm, shouting again in one word “Freedom!” Gael impressively wowed, and said, “One man did this? Impressive, if I do say so.” Carl responded “That is nothing but a hypnotizing speech. And it will lead them to their grave, Gael.”
Pricing throughout the crowd, armed groups headed toward the subway exit. Followed by animals that had the head of a male-lion and the body of a donkey. It was dragging white carts filled with ammunition and weaponry; heavy assault weapons, portable anti-air-craft missile, anti-tank grenade-launchers, and heaped heavy-caliber rounds. They went outside, sparking a vicious battle as the rapidly buzzing rounds and the whooshing rocket lunching roamed the sky. Moments later, joyful cries were heard, indicating that they had pinned a fighter jet down. Calmness returned 10 minutes after, no more explosion and no more bombs. By the power of their simple anti-air craft weaponry, the rebels almost created a no-fly zone. Clark the Blindson, who was a huge man with twisted thick mustache and a long horizontal scar on his forehead, passed by the guys when he went outside. After a while, he came back and ordered the capable men, and he who have a medical background to go outside and provide help. The guys, who were near the exit, didn’t dare to refuse when he sincerely glanced and ordered them to go outside and help.
When they went outside, their eyes couldn’t believe the view it beheld. A view they couldn’t believe as the place was so devastated it made them swear this is not where they came from! And while surrounded by pillars of black smoke, they paused still in fear. The place turned into flaming and havocked ruins. And disfigured, stranded, and burning bodies were all over the streets. Shout, screams, curses, and prays ascended to the heavens from the helpless, asking the supreme one for an urgent help and vengeance. And sadly, not far from them, The Most-Welcome Hotel, that they barely recognize, was completely destroyed. Though, there was no blood, nor red fleshy shreds, but it was a knee-paralyzing view. Carl, who gulped his saliva in fear, uncertainly urged, “Stay calm, we will get through this.” Then a guy, who found them standing for too long, yelled at them, “Don’t stand like fools! Take the cart and carry the wounded.”
Looking at the inconvenient lion-headed donkey, Gael pulled it by its rein and followed the sound of the moaning wounded. The number of those who survived the bombardments on the streets were strikingly low as the bombs didn’t differentiate between man or woman, young or old, innocent or guilty. Most of the breathing wounded were not pleasing to look at, but they managed to carry what they could and deliver them back to the subway. After doing so, they had a dreadful private time together. Jack whisperingly urged, “We got to go. It is a miracle we survived. We have to go while we still can!”
“To where? we don’t know the road.” Kais replied.
“To Narbiz, or anywhere but here. They will come back for the true slaughter, I tell you that.”
“We have to wait,” said Carl. “We must not run heedlessly. We have to know the road to Narbiz first, then we will leave. Till that time, we have to wait.”
Not far from them, they got interrupted by a loud argument between Thanker the Rhinoceros, whom was one of the highly wanted Phugwaks, and Clark the Blindson.
“What is it you brought to us, O, Blindson?”
“What should have happened long time ago.”
“You will be responsible for every drop of water on the streets. Put this in mind.”
“What’s wrong with ye? It is an unavoidable matter that will certainly happen, now or morrow.”
“There are other ways, yet you chose the ugliest one. Starting it in this iconic square! What a disastrous woe you brought upon us!”
“We thought not that the respond might be this quick, nor this fierce.”
“It always the wrongful thoughts of yours. I restlessly advised you, but you chose to march recklessly.”
“Enough with blaming, Thanker. Take this joyful tiding; Angus had told me that the uprising spread throughout the empire, and now it is reaching Narbiz...”
Fright staggered the guys after hearing Narbiz, Clark went on “and from the Eastern cost, to Narbiz, they all revolted. The fifth and the fourth army divisions in the South had all defected and joined the revolution. The cities of Kroy, Goldenberg Harbor, and Dengenrooth revolted as well. The accursed empire will have to fight in various fronts right now, that will shorten our path to freedom. It is done for sure this time. Nothing will return to its previous status, Thanker. Our long-awaited dream of beholding this Empire tremble and collapse in destruction is getting nearer.”
“What about those beneath our feet?”
“We will evacuate them as soon as possible by Sothern Garamond-train, to Zaimur.”
“Are you out of your mind! You want to pack the Phugwak in a fixed target!? They will bomb the train! Remember who are we dealing with, the son of The Aquatic! You are sending them to their death.”
“There is no other way. And fear not, brother, backup will arrive shortly.”
“Massacre will occur, I tell ye. We are dealing with merciless beasts, have you forgotten?”
Clark irritatingly roared, “What am I supposed to do, Thanker? It is done. We all agreed on this method. Remember, our goal is to discard this dreadful regime... And weep not for causalities, because it is the price that must be paid to achieve it. Don’t bring your crippling emotion to the battlefield. Much more Phugwaks will die. The land must be washed by their water so we can achieve our goal. This is the world altering war, Thanker. Just accept its dooming reality.”
Thanker angrily pursed his lips, looked hard in Clark’s eyes, and said: “O, Blindson… March us to Death.”
*Phugwakya*
The Phugwakian Empire was absolutely despotic with oppressive system and dreadful authoritarian policy. It rules value material more than morals, and denies everything that is not true and physical. Restlessly, the empire carved an infamous instruction on everyone’s brain from birth to death; “Be Obedient, Useful, or Die”
Life in the empire were unbearable. Optionless, and with forcible choices. Colorless and tasteless. All the clear and obvious injustice and unfairness, were taught and lectured to be something normal and are obvious parts of the Peace Balancing Pattern. And to those who disobey, refuse, or even hint that there is something wrong, are unimaginable punishment for them and their families who kept silent. And if someone talk about the forbidden subjects, he or she will disappear without a former warning. Blind obedience is the only way of survival for them.
Clark and his rebels thought not that the empire respond would be this fast and fierce, rather they thought it will worsen by time. But Emperor Draven knew there is something awfully cooking, but he didn’t know where and when will it happen. For that, he made it clear for his ramrod Generals to not tolerate the disobeying Phugwak, and must crush and eradicate them and those who stand with them.
Mournful Rendezvous
At 9AM, Clark and his comrades agreed to evacuate the trapped Phugwaks by the southern train after securing it. Clark spread his soldiers, who were shouldering anti-aircraft missiles launcher to prevent further casualties, across the eastern part of Darg. Then, they opened the gilded subway gate and started the evacuations. Some dropped on their knees when his legs couldn’t bear the devastating result of the fierce bombardment. Mournful cries and screams soared up to the heavens when they beheld their houses that once contained their dreams and hopes flattened to the ground. Others rushed to uncover the bodies on the street, in search for a relieving answer to what had happened to their beloveds. Clark and his group relentlessly urged the Phugwak to haste and go to the train as soon as possible. Some did, others strongly refused, and some chose to take refuge in the western part of Drag where the empire is. The guys were next to the gate where Thanker was evacuating the Phugwaks. Amongst them, a girl, whom was weari
ng a purple-spotted pajama, afraid and in tears. A sight brought relief to Kaiser who called, “Alma!”
She met his eyes, and without waiting for a respond, he swiftly hugged her as she tightly clutched her arms around him. Mournfully weeping on his chest, he gently wiped her hair, kissed her forehead, and comforted her with words that might ease her pain, “Everything is going to be fine, dove.”
The scene was exceedingly puzzling for his friend whom couldn’t help but to wonder, “Who is she? And since when did she know him?”
Kaiser put his hands over her shoulders, and as she was wiping her tears with her thumbs, he concerningly asked “Are you alright?”
“Yes, but I know nothing about my family...”
“They are fine,” he said, after wiping a slipping tear by his thump. “They will be fine. Now, you have to go and board the train.”
“Why? To where? And with whom?”
“This place is no longer safe. Please, you have to go.”
“I will not. I don’t know what happened to my family!”
“Please, Alma, go... I will meet you there, I promise.”
“Go with me then, Kais.” she concerningly requested.
“I can’t, I hav—!”
Carl interrupted Kais, saying, “Go with her, Kaiser. We will meet you there… you better escort her to the train.”
He looked him in the eyes, and said, “Thank you, Carl.” Then, throughout ruins of collapsed golden buildings, he left with Alma toward the southern train. Gael looked at Carl after that, rose up his eyebrows, and said, “How fanciful!”
