The Frontier by Jackzaking | World Anvil Manuscripts | World Anvil
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In the world of Frontier Planet

Visit Frontier Planet

Ongoing 1028 Words

Prologue

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There stood a man atop a 15-story building. Perhaps calling him a man was incorrect as he turned 16 just a few days ago. What was he doing one might wonder?

He had currently lost all that he could ever care about.

His mother's funeral had just ended and he had come to realize that he did not have much left to bother with. His friends had spread apart so much that he even remember how they look. He never met his father, or the family of his own mother cause her mother despised them. Studying would only put him in debt and it was not like doing so would guarantee success.

With that the case, would not anyone agree that ending such a life would be the best idea Alan could have? Perhaps things would have been different if he had never been bullied? Or perhaps if his mother never died, all of his savings and finance wouldn’t have gone for the funeral? While entertaining such thoughts, he stood atop the edge of the concrete railing and stared down to the bottom of the building.

The people walked without so much as a care, as they lived their lives like bees always busy and buzzing with life. He could have been one of them. Maybe before, but not now.

"No more wasting my time because I'm scared. Not like thinking of how it could have been, is gonna change anything..." he said to himself as he decided to jump.

"Now now child, at least listen to me before you go" came the sudden response of an unfamiliar women. Surprised, Alan turned around to face a tall woman dressed in a business suit who he never met before. She slowly walked towards Alan as her long sunshine hair swayed from side to side with her stride. Her mouth had formed a wicked smile which sent a chill down Alan's spine. She radiated an otherworldly beauty, which did not help matters for Alan either.

"Who are you? No matter what you say, it won't change my mind. So just stay back!” Alan responded firmly in the hopes that this woman would back away. It felt as if her smile widened upon hearing those words.

"Whether you jump or not is up to you. All I want to interest you is a job or in your case an opportunity," she says as she does a ninety degree right and continues to walk a bit. "You see, I'm looking for someone like you who has nothing better to do for some work that I just could not do myself. You seem free enough, so why not do that before you go kill yourself.

Alan's eyes widened at these words. He had already thought of what to say if someone

"A... job? What kind of a dangerous job are you gonna offer to someone who is trying to kill himself? Don't tell me you want to use me as a terrorist or something"

"Oh, don't worry it's not like that. It's just a bit of a… survey?” The lady responded. “The place you be going is getting really famous amongst my people. It's just really far away so most people would not really be interested in doing it," the woman said shaking her head to say no. "You see most people have families, lovers, friends, but you, you have none" continued the woman.

Waves of grief washed over Alan who struggles to stand still atop the railing as he got reminded of why he wanted to jump.

She stopped and did a complete spin to walk back the way she came “That means you could help me. It's not like you have anything better to do" said the strange lady as she approached.

She stopped in front of Alan and turned her head to look at him, her eyes looking straight into him, sending another chill down his spine. Alan could see himself reflected in her eyes. It was as if every movement that he could ever make was already known to her. As if, no matter what he chose, things would not go as he planned. Between the choice of jumping off or obliging a seemingly mad woman offering a job to a suicidal person, tt was not like Alan had too many options though.

"What… exactly is this job that you want me to do so badly that you would get a person like me?" Alan asked softly, wanting more details.

As if sensing Alan's willingness to listen now, the women obliged. "I already told you, that it's a survey, so faraway that I think someone who would be on a suicide list would be willing to work on it. That's all I can tell until you agree to help me."

‘The way she speaks… it feels like she has a contract or the like going Wondered Alan.

Maybe agreeing would not be so bad. By doing so Alan can learn the details, and maybe, just maybe with this he might be of some use to the world.

"I... agree, so please tell me more about this job" said a reluctant Alan.

The smile on the woman’s face grew even wider. "Contract established then. My name is… Fortuna and I'm happy that you chose to agree instead of increasing this ceaseless banter. Well then first let’s have you killed, shall we?"

And then she pushed Alan off the railing. It happened so fast he did not even have the time to react.

It felt as if time had slowed down for Alan who was falling down, as he saw the woman looking from the top with her smile still as wide as before. All his memories both good and bad flashed before his eyes as he spiraled down to his imminent doom. Could he have chosen not to accept her help? Perhaps then his death might have been under his own control rather than that of some stranger who gave off bad signals from every way.

Either way, this is how Alan died.

By being pushed off a building by someone that Alan can calmly claim is pretending to be human.

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