McKenzie: A Revenge Tale (Part I)
The village of Pogorevolo was never one to boast about its pride and cultural heritage. Located 340 miles away from the capital city of Moscow, the neglected land in the middle of nowhere had a single piece of infrastructure left untouched- A country home, built sometime near the beginning of the twentieth century. It was a house abandoned by the family after their husband’s demise- the place never accommodated another sign of human life. Later, in the 1970s, an artist bought the house purely out of love for art, or so everyone thought. Nobody ever knew his name; Nobody ever knew how he looked; Nobody even knew if it was him or her; people just assumed. And in a rugged, neglected, little village down in the middle of nowhere, it never mattered.
The young guard, well-built and in his twenties, paced across the grim hallway of the godforsaken building. He had urgent news to pass- one that no one craved to hear. After all, no one ever yearns to uncover the five orange pips in their letterbox. They would rather be pleased to hear from an old friend or a family member, who they never knew existed. But today was not one among those days where a certain someone could sip their hot coffee, watching the rain pattering against the windows so strong as if the droplets desired to come indoors. Neither were the past few weeks.
The young man, after a momentary pause for reflection, shouldered open the wooden doors. The fire blazed steadily in the hearth, its eventual crackling giving away its existence. The man, who they were all sworn to protect, remained motionless, staring away into the distant grey woods. General Samuel Stern was one of the most high-ranking officials in the Scotland Army. His excellent records and ground-breaking achievements often bestowed him as the definition of a perfect soldier- one willing to lay down his life for the country. But little did anyone know that General Stern also commanded the Brotherhood of Tradesmen, the looming threat that the government could never cleanse out of their radars. All until the end of October.
Secret societies and fraternities that prevailed throughout history did so because of their one, most powerful equipment in their inventory- their secrecy. The principle was so simple- As long as no one ever knew of their existence, they could never be shoved away into extinction. And the Brotherhood of Tradesmen survived, over the many decades that transformed the world in ways no one ever imagined, due to the very reason. They were invisible, and yet, they were everywhere. They were Gods. So when a gentleman labelled Edward McKenzie began unearthing their wrongdoings, one by one, slowly threatening to bring them to light, they had no other choice but to pluck him away from the game of life. Survival at all costs. But this minor death lost them a bit too much than they expected.
Even before the young man could address the reason behind him gasping for air, General Stern offered him a question, eliminating the need for a mundane introduction, “Is it David?” The guard, though initially surprised, gradually realised that it was not that difficult a riddle to be solved. And a simple nod was enough for the high-ranked, stained officer to confirm his obvious suspicion. He rose from the antique chair, ready to face the young man, who was trying to procure the rest of the speech that he had to convey, “Sir, we need to transfer you to someplace safe.”
The General smirked at the comment, “Safe? And where must be that,” He reached for the ID of the young guard, squinting his eyes to conceal his definite requirement of glasses, “Jeffrey?” But before the guard could explain their elaborate plan of escape, Stern had proceeded to the other end of the room, uninterested. He faced the bookshelves accommodating the numerous titles, ones he was familiar with in his past. Though Jeffrey’s words echoed within the aesthetic chamber, none of them succeeded to disrupt Stern in the least.
“Have you met him? David.” General Stern interrupted Jeffrey from further elaborating his excellent escaping endeavour. Already discouraged, the young man felt even more inferior to realise that Stern had no reluctance to let him realise that his words were worthless. “Yes, sir. Once.” His reply was quick and sharp- the precise mode of communication between a senior official and an inexperienced soldier. Stern discerned the uneasiness he had given the young man by not listening to a single syllable that he spoke- words not being valued or heard. It is always hurtful, whether it be an unstable relationship or an immature teenager, not that he cared about it.
“And you still believe that you can prevent him? Apprehend him?” The General’s words laced with scorn and a concealed sadness over an eventual fate were beyond anything that the young man could find a response. Jeffrey lowered his head in silence- he could pitch an entire spreadsheet of reasons and possibilities, but he knew, inside his heart, that no words or speeches could bring this man down from his enormous egocentric mind.
“David.” Stern sneered, “He is like the wind, a gush of air. You can feel him coming, but once you reach out your hands and hold him,” The General demonstrated the same as vigorous as he could, with a closed fist above the young guard’s shoulder, “He will be gone.” Stern freed his clenched fist in front of the young man, blowing off the little air that he captured in his attack. “Disappearing into thin air. Now, if you want,” Stern sought his faint memories for the name he just learned, “Jeffrey. Don’t wait till the eleventh hour. Get out of here as soon,” His words came to a sudden halt with a tiny object clattering on the floor amidst the two.
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This was supposed to be one big story. But um, I was trying something new, you know- including more descriptions, more imagery, a slower pace and some other little things ^-^ And it turned out too big. To be honest, I still haven’t finished it. So, I thought that it might be a better idea to divide the piece in two. Hopefully, it ends in two (: And um, the next part will be a bit darker than all of my posts. I hope it turns out okay... So, I hope you guys like this one ^-^ His stories are coming to an end soon. So... I shouldn’t have said that XD Anyway, as always, thanks a lot for the support, guys. I would never have done any of this if it wasn’t for you all. Lots of love, CS. <3