Flashes Of Light

Past - Logar

The Anti was super proud of how we had handled the bachelor party.

Which, of fucking course, meant it was a major disaster. The blond lady and the guy who didn't want to blow me had huge followings on social media, and he was about to marry some minor model of whom people, however, knew the name and advertisements.

So, when a psychopath with yellow hair interrupted his bachelor party saying idiotic things with the microphone and accusing the groom of having almost partaken in homosexual activities with him... well, how do you think the public took it?

The first few hours we were only making people laugh, or making them enraged. Then, Michaim used some kind of showbiz wiz to make the newspapers know our name, and then we were not just a nameless group of demented individuals. No, we were the Power Of Sight, and people are afraid of what they don't understand. Death threats soon followed.

Yes. Death threats. And not because people were upset because of the groom -- it seemed he got over my avances pretty soon -- but because no one could even wrap their own minds about how we could exist. And they were right, of course. Not even us knew what we were doing! How could we explain it to someone else in a way they would have understood?

The following morning, we were already all over most of the newspaper. I went out to buy one first thing -- the one with the most readers -- and I threw it on the table when the others were having breakfast.

"Is this about us?" Sveta asked. Which was a stupid question. I didn't know she was completely illiterate, but as she grew up on the streets or in various institutions, I expected something of the sort. The question, however, was a little daft, because there was a huge picture of us on the cover.

I gave it some thought, and understood that she probably didn't want to believe it was. I slowly nodded.

"I'm going to read," I said, to her benefit, and to my benefit, because I like hearing the sound of my own voice.

"What for?" Lix asked. She was blowing a bubble-gum. I wondered whether it was her breakfast. Well, mine had been candies for a while, with the wrap-a-pills, so I couldn't judge...

"We all need to know," I replied. "And it's better if it the news hit us at the same time. Besides," I winked at her and Percie. "I don't know if you can read. I'm pretty sure I can."

I coughed, to clear my voice. The article looked pretty long.

"Voices have spread all over the internet of a new terrorist cult," I started reading. "But they are not from a third world country. The dangerous group of individuals is made up of four young people from Silkton. Percie Tolkien, a young boy of African English descendant, was spotted on the crime scene. We tried reaching out to his parents, who denied the rumors, and instead stated that their son is working for the Anti President."

"Shit, shit," Percie said.

"Two girls from the Dormitory have found a way to escape, and joined the terroristic association. Lix Apophis, a doomed young girl who was traumatized by the terrible Apophis divorce. You might remember it -- her parents even made it to the papers."

"Fuck, Logar," Lix commented.

"Hey," I held up my hands. "I know I'm the scapegoat every time something happens, but I haven't written this. I merely read it. And don't worry, Lix. I'm a sensible kind of guy, as you might know sharing my room. Have you ever seen dirty socks?"

"Keep on reading," Sveta said. She looked half-pissed off and half-amused.

"Lix Apophis made a scandal herself five years ago, when she was sent to the Dormitory after a suicide attempt."