The hand of a phantom

Your mind's gone blank. You see the blood flows along the rinkles on the marble floor. You smell the stink pervading in the air. You hear the panic screams of terrified people. You stare at the ticket in your hand dumbfoundedly. You are raged. You are helpless. You are remorseful. A purple hand sticking out of the ground. It's tranlucent. You are not shocked but angered by its existence. You decide to [[grab the hand]] [[ignore the hand]]

You grabbed the hand. It pulls you into a strange space. It's dark and quiet. Not the dark that you are familiar with. The dark is beyond the notion of light and shadow. You are not even sure if vision and sound exist in this space. But you have a name for it, the void. Suddenly, your eyes are stabbed by light. You sit on a bench. The spring and trees in your view tells you that you are in a park. A heart-warming voice whispers near your right ear:" Still worried about your interview? You will be fine." The voice belings to your loved one, who will be present on a concert three days later as the leading role. You want to say something. You want to warn the person sit beside you. But an unspeakable terror deep inside your mind prevents you. The sun is setting down. You pretend to be encouraged, saying:"Yes, we will be fine. You need to rehearse for the concert, let me walk you to your orchestra." After sending your loved one to the orchestra, you start to recall your memory. The invasion of that night, the sreaming of people, and the cold body of your loved one. You start to collate things that you remember... [[the invasion]] [[the concert]] [[the void]] [[your love]] [[you]] You know that you forget something, in exchange, you have more time to prepare. You are confident that you can make it this time. Maybe you just forget you were confident each time. Anyway, it doesn't matter. Now you are expecting something. If things happen as you remember, you are confident that you can save your love this time. After a while, your phone rings. You [[reach to your phone confidently]] [[reach to your phone shockedly]]

You ignored the hand. Though it will be await there forever, you no longer want to struggle among those tough choices, you are exhausted. Your anger and regret is gone, the only thing left in your mind is despair. You curl up in a corner, thinking nothing. You are like a statue, even a bat won't be able to sense your movement, let alone those invaders. You are lucky enough to survive the attack. When it comes to the morning, you finally stand up, walk out of the theater. You lean on the handrail expanding along the dock, stare at nothing. You decide to jump into the sea and end your life. However, what you see next hesitates you for a second. A hand reaches out of the air, or nothing. Among your endless time travel experience, this never happenned. You decide to [[grab this hand]] [[committe a suicide with regret]]

The invasion begins at 7:30 p.m. at the dock, where the theater is nearby. Though the theater is closed to the dock, it's still weird that they attacked the theater.

The concert starts at 6:00 p.m. in the Royal Theater, where the upper-class go for entertainment. Your love is the leading role of the concert.

You have been in the void for many times. You found that you can travel back in time by staying in the void for certain time. The longer time you stay, the more you can travel back, but the more things happened in the future you will forget.

Your love is a violinist. Not like you, your love is from upper-class, started to receive elite education at the age of 6. It is a miracle that your love will fall in love with you. But you know this happiness won't last long.

Though there is no royalty in this democratic world, capitalism unevitably devides people to two groups--the rich and the impoverished. You belong to the latter. You are an ordinary people who can be seen at every corner of the city. You hate yourself for being poor. You blame every your fault, failure and defect for being impoverished, though that's not completely true. You love your consort, but you feel inferior when you are with your love. Now you are striving to save your love.

Silence, darkness, you know you are in the void again. However, this time, you sense some nuances. A light stabs into your eyes--you will never get used to this--you sit on a bench in a park, alone. You look at the street, everything looks so peaceful. You take out your phone, trying to call your love, something attracts your eyes. You are shocked, by the date on your screen. This time, you traveled to the future. You went to the theater, it was still a ruin, but you could see there were engineers observing the broken theater. They were thinking how to fix it. You went to the basement you escaped out from. It was sealed by cordon tape, but no one was guarding. You sneaked into the basement, found Tom's command room and weapon room. You had an idea. You started to wander in the basement and draw the map of it. After checking the correctness of your map for 7 times, you went back home to memorize it. When it comes to the evening, you lay down on your bed, you are even more ocnfident than last time. You slept tight. You went to the theater on the other day, you saw the purple hand was still there. You had only one thought. "[[grab the hand]]"

You hesitate for a moment, for the possiblity that you can make some changes. You recall the memory of which you tried again and again and again. The last defense in your heart is broken. You don't want to experience the torture anymore. You start to blame your impoverishment. You regard your failure as the result of your class. You blame your mother for failing to provide you with enough care. You blame your father for failing to earn enough money. You blame the pencil case you lost at your 6 grade, for it indirectly caused the end of your friendship with Tom... Finally, you hate yourself. You hate your habit of which you will blame others while encountering difficulties. You hate yourself for being cowardly and selfish. Your negative emotion finally takes away your sanity. You jump into the sea with regret. You allow yourself to sink. Your last sight is the hand reaching out of the air. You recognize the shape of it, but it's too late.

You reached to your phone confidently. You knew he was going to call you. You remembered it. "Hello? Who is this?" Your heart beat rises because of excitement. "Hi, it's Tom, your classmate." You notice his voice is anxious. "Nice to hear from you! Tom. It's been a long time, where did you get my number?" "It's doesn't matter, I need your help now. I need some money, my son is sick, I can't afford a bed in hospital. You are a bigwig now, right? Taylor says you are a CEO now. You got to help me." Taylor, you knew this name. You had a good time with this person while your love was busy with a world tour concert. You took Taylor to your love's house and lied that this is the second smallest villa you had. You ended this relationship hastily a week before your love was back. When you are still trying to figure out how did they get to know each other, Tom interrupt your thought. "I know this is abrupt, but my son is dying. I can't just see him to die. Please believe me. If you are still skeptical, I can take you to see my son." You decided to [["help" Tom]]

You reached to your phone shockedly. You thought you were ready for any variables in this track, but you never expected it to appear so soon. You stare at the screen, which says unknown number. You answered the phone call. "H...hello? Who is this?" Your heart beat rises. "Hi, it's Tom, your classmate." You notice his voice is anxious. "Nice to hear from you! Tom. It's been a long time, where did you get my number?" You are somewhat relieved after knowing that the man who calls you is your classmate at primary school. "It's doesn't matter, I need your help now. I need some money, my son is sick, I can't afford a bed in hospital. You are a bigwig now, right? Taylor says you are a CEO now. You got to help me." Taylor, you know this name. You had a good time with this person while your love was busy with a world tour concert. You took Taylor to your love's house and lied that this is the second smallest villa you had. You ended this relationship hastily a week before your love was back. When you are still trying to figure out how did they get to know each other, Tom interrupt your thought. "I know this is abrupt, but my son is dying. I can't just see him to die. Please believe me. If you are still skeptical, I can take you to see my son." You decide to [[help him]]

You decided to help him. "Listen, Tom. I [[can help you]] [[want to help you, but I have to make sure if what you say is true]]

"I can help you, just tell me how much do you need, I will do what I can." "I need 50,000 dollars. Thank you so much, you saved me...and my son's life." Under Tom's direction, you transfered 50,000 dollars, which is given by your love, to him. You promised your love you need this money to develop your business. You think your love will understand you and be willing to help Tom. While thinking of that, your phone rings again. It's your love. You pick up the phone, say:"Hi, dear, what's going on?" "Did you hang around with your "old friends" again? You promised me you will never do drugs anymore!" Your love's voice is filled with anger and disappointment. "What...What are you talking about?" You are completely lost. "You just sent 50,000 dollar to a man called Tom, you think you can hide this from me? I can track every cent you spend!" "Yes, I did. But Tom needs my help, his son..." "Stop bullshitting! I've given you so many chances. This is the last time you hear my voice." Your love hanged up the call. You are stunned. You can't understand what just happenned. Your brain is like a compass in the coil of an alternator. It takes a long time for you to sort out your [[brain]]

"Sure, come to VA-11, Hall-B tommorw tomorrow. I will show you." Tom hung up the phone call. Next day, you went to VA-11, it's a bar located at a corner of the city which almost no one will notice. You got into the bar, you saw Tom was waving his hand to you. You walked towards him. Suddenly, your sight got dark. Your head was hit by something. [[You were awakened by a bucket of water]]

Nothing happened. You fell in to deeper sleep. You were awakened by the noise of a truck. You were back to your old days, and you hate those days. You made a phone call to Taylor. "I never expect you will call me again." "I'm sorry what I did to you, but I need your help now, Taylor." "You need my help? What happened to the company your sweetheart gives you? My honorable CEO?" Taylor's voice became gloating. "You know I was lying?" "At the very beginning." "Then why... anyway, I need your help now. Do you know a guy called Tom Jefferson?" "Yes, why?" "Do you know where to find him?" "It depends what you gonna say next." [["He cheated me out of 50,000 dollars!"]] [["He is in danger!"]]

Nothing happened. You fall in to deeper sleep. You are awakened by the noise of a truck. You are back to your normal life, you think. On the day before the day when the invasion will take place, you left this city. A few days later, you get to know that the invasion is suppressed, the city is safe, but you never go back to that city in your life time.

"I'm glad to hear that, idiot." After saying that, Taylor hung up the phone call. This time, you really don't know what to do. You tried to sneak into the house where your love lives, but you were found by the guard and almost caught. You can only wait for the day when the concert begins. The day has [[come]].

"He is in danger!" You lied subconciously. "Oh, really? Fine, come find me at VA-11, Hall-B, otherwise I won't tell you anything." Taylor hung out the phone call. You went to the place apprehensively. It's a bar. You saw Taylor sitting in front of the counter, was waving a prosthesis arm to you. "Yo, bigwig, come here." You sit next to her. "You wanna drink?" said Taylor with a smirk. "No, I'm in hurry" Your overwhelmed brain needs this. "So Tom is your friend?" Taylor asked. "Kind of." You remembered some old things. "You said he is in danger, what happened?" Taylor asked curiously. "Well, [[he involves in a crime."]] [[I lied to you about that."]]

"Oh, really?" Taylor frowned for second, then became serious. "Here's your drink." Taylor looked at your eyes, which made you have no choice but drink it. "Where did you get to know that?" Taylor asked. "Well, I received his phone call, he turned to me for help, saying that his drug business was spotted by cop, he needs some money to get away from sentences." You recited the lie you came with on your way here. "That sounds terrible, doesn't it? Tom?" Taylor sniggered. "No worries, my saviour has arrived." A man walked to you from the table at the corner of the bar. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Your eyelids were heavy. You felt dizzy. You lost concious. [[You were awakened by a bucket of water]]

"I know, idiot." Taylor said that with a smirk. Suddenly, your head was hit, your sight got dark. You passed out. [[You were awakened by a bucket of water]]

You opened your eyes, in your vague sight, you saw a man. "My dear friend, you decided to help me that night, I appreciate that, but I have to tie you up." The man sat on a chair in front of you. "Yes, I lied to you, but please rest assured, your money will be used in the right way. Have you ever thought who sets you into this circumstance? Me? Taylor? Your dear violinist? No, no, no. It is the god damn capitalism!" The man stood up, adjusted his gesture, ready for giving a speech. "On the Union Day, when the whole earth became one country, everyone celebrated. There will be no war anymore, human kind can finally settle down and fix problems together. However, as the threats from outside vanished, the government is useless to capitalists. The heads of those world-class companies had a meeting, discussing how to figureheaden the government. They already infertrated the government through their money and power before the Union Day, when the union government were devoting to settle everything down, those big capitalists' puppet politicians were preparing to elect a new president. When the world has been settled down, the president was assasinated. The new president was elected hastily before everyone realized. Then the new system started to rule the world." You knew this history, but you couldn't even sense you mouth, the drug in the drink palsied you. "As you know, there are two ruling companies now. The Eagle and the Bear. They feud each other, wishing each other's devastation even in dreams. In the evening of the day after tomorrow, we will practise an attack in the Royal Theater. We will disguise ourselves as the fellow of the Bear in order to provoke the war between the Eagle and the Bear. After they weaken each other, we will raise a revolution! But right now, we shall tear those fucking bourgeoisie in the theater apart first." The man looked into your eyes, smirked. He walked to you, loosened the rope, saying:" As for you my friend, you have to take a rest here for a few days, until our revolution succeeds." He went out of the room, locked you inside. You lost your concious again. You were awakened by another man, he sent you your dinner. He then walked out of the room, stood beside the door. He was the guard. You looked around the room, there were no windows, only an exhaust fan and a clock. It was cool inside. It was also quiet. You could hear the echo of foot steps. You realized you were in a large basement. After you finished your dinner, the guard took the plates away and locked the door. You knew you couldn't break up the door, you had no choice but sleep. In your dream, there is a purple hand, you decide to [[grab that hand]] [[look away]]

Nothing happened, you fell into deeper sleep. You've spent three days inside the basement. At the night of second day, you heard the noise of crowd, you knew there were setting off. During the third day, no one came to deliver food to you, you didn't hear anything until 23:49. The law enforcement found you. They took you to a trial then set you free. You went to the theater. You saw a ruin. Under the rock, the purple hand is still await. You decide to [[grab the hand]] [[ignore the hand]]

Nothing happened. You fell into deeper sleep. You were awakened by the guard. He brought you your breakfast. After finishing your meal, you started to think how to get out of here. Finally, you decided to escape when the guard took you plates away after your dinner of the day they take action. On that day they will send most of their people out, perhaps all, so that there will be very few people supervising you. The day arrived. You stumbled the guard when he turned his back to you. He lost his balance for a second. You couldn't afford the chance that he might stand firmly again, so you used all your strength to push him. He fell onto the ground with his face down. You pulled up his head, and bumped it to the ground. He fainted. You looked at the clock, it was 17:30. You escaped from the basement. You ran to the theater. You saw a ruin. Under the rock, the purple hand is still await. You decide to [[grab the hand]] [[ignore the hand]]

"I can help you, just tell me how much do you need, I will do what I can." "I need 50,000 dollars. Thank you so much, you saved me...and my son's life." Under Tom's direction, you transfered 50,000 dollars, which is given by your love, to him. You promised your love you need this money to develop your business. You think your love will understand you and be willing to help Tom. You switched the flight mode of your phone on, becasue you knew what would happen next. You fell asleep with a smile. You were awakened by a truck. Your home was in the slum. You never brought your love here. After you finished your breakfast, you got out of your apartment and made a phone call through a rusty call box. "Hi, Taylor. I want to meet with Tom, he is in danger." "Oh, really? This is why you call me? When did you become so heartwarming?" "I don't want to bullshit with you. Tom needs my help." "Ok, come to VA-11, Hall-B, I will be waiting for you here." You hung up the phone call. You remembered the place where you escaped last time. You remembered the map you drew. You sneaked into the basement, where you could find the evidence that can proof both Taylor and Tom were trying to start a riot. You sent the picture to the law enforcement, told them that Tom and Taylor were in a bar called VA-11 at Hall-B. Both Tom and Taylor were caught, you became a famous figure. Your love knew the truth and forgave you. You finally got out of the loop. Your life became successful. But you forgot one thing, or you pretended that you forgot. No matter which one you are, you know you can't do anything to that. You have to live in the shadow of it. Everyone does.

You showed the inspector your ticket given by your love. You got into the theater. Your seat was in the middle of the theater, which is the best place to listen to the music. The lights gradually extinguished. The orchestra appeared on the stage. You can't find where your love is. You are anxious. You looked for your love again and again, finally, when it came to the violin solo, your love showed up. You wanted to take her out of this theater. However, your seat was in the middle of the row. It's hard to move around. You knew the explosion was coming. You decide to [[find cover]] [[keep moving]]

You hide under your seat, because of the darkness and the marvelous violin solo, no one noticed your strange behavior. Suddenly, you heard the sound of explosion. The dust and small particles made your eyes itch. You closed your eyes. [[You opened your eyes]]

Because the position of your seat, you could't move fast. Suddenly, you heard the sound of explosion. Your head was hit by a rock, you passed out. [[You opened your eyes]]

First, you were dumped. Second, your love was monitoring you. Third, there is something wrong with Tom. You tried to call your love, but the synthetic human voice tells you that your love's phone is out of service. You know that is a lie. Your love blocked you. You tried to call Tom, but no one answers. You are panic. You are alone again. At least you don't need to save anyone now. You comfort yourself that you won't be struggling in the loop anymore. You start to persuade yourself that you don't love the violinist at all. You try to make yourself angry at your ex for monitoring you, though you already guess out the reason. You allow yourself to forget everything and fall asleep. In your dream, there is a purple hand sticking out of the ground, you decide to [[grab it]] [[leave it alone]]

↶

↷

Your mind's gone blank. You see the blood flows along the rinkles on the marble floor. You smell the stink pervading in the air. You hear the panic screams of terrified people. You stare at the ticket in your hand dumbfoundedly. You are raged. You are helpless. You are remorseful.

A purple hand sticking out of the ground. It's tranlucent. You are not shocked but angered by its existence.

You decide to

grab the hand

ignore the hand