#00: A Stir Upon A Strange Night

What year it was nobody seemed to care anymore. The modern world had left humans with more important stuff to deal with, only noticing that day had come to an end and night was crawling in slowly. For most of them; there were only today, yesterday and tomorrow. No speacial date to remember, no important time for the future. It seemed like everything was following a cycle, a certain rule. The world was mechanical.

A few though, tried to create important dates on their own. The moment they graduated, or the time they got a child; those who actually cared did count up their own days, their own weeks, their own year. These people who actually cared have a strong bond, strong emotions among themselves. However these people were seen as people disrupting the cycle. Demolishing the balance. And in this modern world, anyone disrupting the balance will pay in the end.

Another night came yet again. The full moon shone brightly, filling the empty park with unnecessary light. The atmosphere seemed calm at first before a young woman came bursting out of the bushes. Her face showed signs of fear and paranoia, and her breath was irregular. As she dashed across the eerie park, she kept glancing at her back as if someone was chasing her. But who? Nobody else seemed to be there.

A few days before this, the woman had went out with her boyfriend. It was like every other regular date, but something looked different about the guy. He seemed a bit nervous and far more reserved than usual. The girl was confused of this throughout the date, and only at the end of it she knew why. The guy had been ready to propose to her; and when he did, she was extremely shocked and delighted. She said yes. That day she had cried happily all night, thinking that she was the happiest woman in the world. "I'm never forgetting this day."

The running woman had came to a halt. Her eyes were wide open in shock and disbelief. In front of her stood a dark cloaked figure of a man, its face covered with a smiling mask. Cold sweat began to run all over the woman's body. Suddenly, she wailed loudly; breaking the silence of the night. "Why? What's wrong with being extremely happy?" she sobbed angrily, glaring at the masked man. "And...what do you mean I have to dissapear?"

The masked man bobbed its head. He took a step closer towards the woman and giggled. "To maintain balance, you have to dissapear," he said in a cold tone as he stretched out his right arm. "Don't worry. You're man had already dissapeared."

Then, the silent night came again. No more wails, no more sobs. The park was also empty as it originally was. Suddenly, a silent whisper seemed to echo among the moving winds. "Who's next? Who's next? Ah...the TESL group."