Episode 5A: Hangman Has a Heart

After Logun recovers from his heart attack, he begins to wake up discovering new things.

Episode 5

Hangman Has a Heart

Part A

Beep, beep, beep, beep! It was pitch black, and he did not know what he was hearing. He didn’t even know who he was, or what had happened. Just the dark and the electronic beeping sounds that went in a specific rhythm. Eventually there came the blur on front of him. It was white and obscure. He could not make out what was going on. But then.... the rate of the beeping sounds have gone haywire..... so then...

“GGAUUUGGGHHH!!!!” screamed Logun who woke up from a bed feeling intense pain! His whole body burned, and his bloodstream had felt as if it were carrying sharp rocks. His bloodshot eyes grew wider and wider. His veins were bold and visible! Logun had breathed heavily in deep breaths after the deep physical pain he had received! Clearly this was not a clean wake up call for Logun! The texture of his skin did communicate that. Look at that sweat and messy hair of his. He did not wear a ponytail, but instead, let his hair flow freely. Perhaps it flowed a bit... too freely wouldn’t you say? It was hell a lot more unkempt than his normal days.

“Welcome back Logun.” said Crimson so softly who stood by the corner. “Time to rise and shine”

Once Logun had recovered from the traumatic pain and stress, he process where he was and what was there, he had concluded that he was in a hospital. Of course he had multiple questions and asked “Where am I?” “What happened?” then “Why am I here?” and  “Am I sick?”. The hair masked his gauntly and sweaty face. Underneath that hair were confusion, stress, and discomfort.

Crimson laughed a little and answered. “You only had a heart attack my friend. That is all. Nothing to worry about now that I donated some of my blood to you.”

“A heart attack?”

“Yes... a heart attack! Now some subordinate just stopped the train and saved your life! You should thank this subordinate sometime.” stated Crimson.

Logun then held his forehead with one of his hands which absorbed some of the sweat he accumulated. “Some subordinate Crimson said” thought Logun to himself. “Who would have saved my life... who...who....who....” The only one he had in mind was Tanya. His focus and thoughts have drifted away to that one woman and love interest he had. He saw her beautiful body and smooth facial features. Of course he imagined her smiling directly at him. “Of course.....her!” Logun had thought to himself again. “I don’t know, but it could be!”

"I wonder who it could be!" Stated Logun who pretended that he had never got a single hint of his savior.

"No one in particular, but you should not worry at all Logun." Responded Crimson with a smile. "And that is because the boss says you have off for the weekend!"

Wait Logun was off for a whole weekend? What was this? He took a while to think and then said.

"Really? But there can only be a lot to expect from the Ascension! I must get up and..."

"No worries Logun, just rest as long as the doctor says to and you will be fine! I tell you what, just wait for Monday and you may report for duty by then! That is an order!"

Logun rubbed his eyes and decided to submit to Carnegie's request. He could not make sense of it other than the fact that he had a heart attack. But Crimson healed him right? What was it that changed his shift?

After a moment, Logun was cleared once the doctor had examined him. Logun was perfectly healthy, even to work as a hangman for the weekend. He walked away without his pony tail, instead his hair flowed freely. He didn’t feel dizzy, achy, or sick in any way. He decided to walk home since there was nothing else to do. No fun at the tower, no friends to talk to, and no events within Acrisius that he could attend to. As he walked through the streets, he had been listening to the same words from Dick Bobber at the giant screens above.

“This is Dick Bobber for Pro News, Messanger of Heaven” said Dick Bobber. Logun had also heard “The city would be such a lovely place if it weren’t for those rats who call themselves The Ascension. You see citizens of Acrisius, there is no revolution. There is only terrorism that awaits us, and I want you to stop those sons of b*****s right now if you can! But of course we got a perfect defense composed of Hangmen and angels sent by god!”

Logun grew irritated by Dick Bobber’s words through the audio that had spread through the town! He walked faster and faster but the audio stalked him. What could he do to evade airwaves that Logun could only reject? To him the news was just noise, to the subordinates, it was a melody that Dick Bobber always provided daily.

He did not want to see his face up on the screen. It was the same sinister face that he had seen everyday besides his colleagues and Carnegie Spree. The people who he had passed only looked up to listen to Dick Bobber’s words. Propaganda and words of power only controlled their brains. He hastily continued to walk down down in order to avoid the propaganda! Clearly they did not have anything else to put on for the subordinates of Acrisius. Even though Logun was able to reject PRO news, he was not free for himself!

Quick, what was going to be the best escape from that pest on the screen? It would be somewhere peaceful, quiet, and free of burden. Where would that be? Of course Logun would know! That was why he turned to a tunnel, for he knew the path there would lead to somewhere safe from all of that.

Once he had past the subordinates and Dick Bobber’s words, he traveled underneath the tunnel which supported the train he had always been taking. It was dark, shaky, and warm. He may as well be in the underworld but it wasn’t. Logun was in the mortal world just like the regular people! The flickering lights did illuminate the path for every other second or two. For a few seconds, the flickering lights did stop once. One second, two second, three second, four second, five second, six second, seven second.....

The lights have flickered at their rate again. Clearly who else would walk through this path? The only eternal source of light was pass the tunnel which wasn’t that far at all. But then suddenly he saw a man right after the lights came on. His head was down, and his back faced Logun. Logun turned to his right to see the mysterious man but wait.... the hair was curly just like one of his targets. When he saw his feet, it was clear that the feet were not touching the ground!

The body stood perfectly still but the head was the only thing that moved. Once the head made a ninety degree angle, it still kept on going. The head continued to turn until it faced Logun. There was no cracking sound, but only the flesh that softly rubbed against each other. It was Andrew Walker’s face, and it gazed upon him with those pale and pupilless eyes. The head had stopped once it had achieved a one eighty degree angle!

Andrew had opened his lips wide that revealed his teeth that were pressed against each other. Every tooth that he had was bloody, cracked, and chipped! It was clear that his facial muscles flexed heavily. His mouth had dripped blood once Andrew’s hand was a gesture of a gun. He pointed at Logun with his hand and revealed that his body had the wounds of Logun’s knife and shots he had received for his death.

Andrew’s mouth had gaped which let out all the blood that was contained. It served as a waterfall for the combined saliva and blood that left his mouth. His head then fell backwards and suddenly.....lights out!

Then lights on! The body was gone. Logun did not care for the body at all. Instead he was still crossing the tunnel. What was so special about that?

Logun had hastily ran past through the tunnels knowing that he was wanted by the dead and the odds. What could he do? What could he expect? What was the next move he could make without anybody disturbing him?

Finally he found an area of peace. Suppose he did know where he was gonna go after all. There were a few people here and there but not many to count. He walked on top of a bridge and through the park where there weren’t any dead people, Dick Bobber, dodgers, or hangmen to bother him. Just the subordinates and the ordinary citizens of Acrisius. The birds chirped and sang along in a tune.

Across from him was someone who he had seen before. Was it someone really who he had seen before? Yes it was.... at the train, the last person who he saw. Oh wait that would be Tanya! Yes of course it was her. He wasn’t sure whether to be patient or act hastily out of instinct. He was debating between thanking her or running away. No, he could not be bothered by anyone else. The underworld and Ascension business had bothered him too much! But what about Tanya? Things could possibly go different between them. He looked to his left. No one watched him. He looked to his right. No one watched him. He looked behind, he concluded that no one was watching.

Now for Logun, this was a new side of Acrisius for him. He didn’t have a target to kill, he didn’t have PRO news, and he didn’t have the hangman business. This is what made Logun smile. Wait, Logun smiles? That’s new! It was the perfect day so far but then he thought that he could not let the day waste if it was just peace. He walked closer to Tanya as she sat down on the bench feeding the birds. Of course Logun was very nervous as he got closer. His walking speed became slower, slower, and slower.

Suddenly several of the birds flew away from Tanya and towards Logun. Tanya’s eyes had followed the birds but then once her focus had met Logun, he was surprised that she would notice him quickly. Logun looked away and rubbed the back of his head. Tanya was slightly nervous too but she stood up and walked towards him. They weren’t very far from each other but close enough for conversation.

“Hey...uummm.....” said Logun nervously. It took him awhile to say what he had to say.

“Oh....It’s you from the train. Are you alright?” asked Tanya. This was the first time he heard her speak!

“Yeah! I am.” answered Logun who could not get into the specifics of how he felt better. Why would he talk about Crimson’s blood that healed him? “They let me out early.”

Tanya smiled once she took the answer and then stood still waiting to hear more. It took awhile for Logun to then say. “I’ve just remembered and heard that you were the one who saved me back at the train! Thanks!”

Of course he could not think quick with his words. Instead he had to suck it up and just let Tanya do most of the talking.

“You’re welcome. I just hope you were okay. So anyway, I am sorry for being too nosy but what did you have or what were you sick with?” asked Tanya with curiosity.

“Well.... it was just a heart attack! But the doctor said that it was just stress! So I will have to stop working for the weekend.” answered Logun who smiled and laughed nervously. “I mean it’s nothing serious!”

“I thought so, but you should get some rest.”

“That’s what I came here for!...... It’s just a nice day in the park and that’s what I’m here for!”

“Oh really, because I find this place relaxing too! I mean it’s nice and all because none of us have to worry about what else goes on in Acrisius!”

Tanya stood up straight talking to Logun as he was slouching and not quick with his words. Logun was aware that Tanya’s words were quick and that intimidated him! He was sure capable of doing his own job well but did he talk to anyone else before? No, but this was the perfect opportunity for him to experience that! Even though Logun was nervous, he still listened to those fast words and the voice of the girl he had interest in! What did he get out of her words? Right, she said that she felt the park to be relaxing! Quick, Logun must say something to respond!

“Yeah! I definitely agree that Acrisius does have way too much stuff going on! I can’t even think straight or focus without hearing all the noise!” said Logun who barely made eye contact.

Tanya then began to ask for his name! Logun answered honestly before she said that was a nice name! But Logun did know what her name was before since he searched through the records for information. While the conversation went on, he thought to himself.

“Alright, I can’t immediately let her know that I know her name. I’ve got to play it safe! However I did search through her file! All I saw was her profile picture and her name! There wasn’t much information to be provided, but besides paper doesn’t always get you to know the person very well! Now if we don’t have much information as Tanya provides, then she has to be very careful!”

He didn’t know what to expect out of her! He didn’t know what could possibly happen next! Logun had been accustom to the ones who were constantly oblivious and naive. He had been accustom to the ones who cursed at him before he killed them. Talking to her was very different to him. He wasn’t accustomed to talking to someone who was very nice but that didn’t mean he hated it. The nervousness grew exponentially, for it was as if he were gonna have another heart attack! Suppose this dynamic moment did lift Logun up didn’t it? At least Logun bothered to ask for her name even though he knew it, Tanya then answered correctly but she looked away. Logun was too scared to analyze her movements. This time he did not take his time to read the body language!

“I find it funny that we have been seeing each other on the train, but haven’t spoken to each other!” stated Tanya in a very fast manner. “No one in the train talks to one or another! Why is that? You are the only one who seems to make the effort to keep the conversation up.”

Logun did realize that she had a point. No one talks to another. Not just in the train but also in the city. Yes this is what Logun had been going through for most of the day. No one talks, no one sings, no one chats unless when commanded. But all of the silence and dead activity were only from the subordinates. They were all puppets, rocks, or open targets for the hangmen!

Hey wait a minute, Tanya was a subordinate too? What made her speak like that? Logun was puzzled by this fact and the words that came out of her mouth. The conversation hasn’t gone far but those words were the first that he heard from her. Now Logun could relate and go with the flow.

“I guess nobody cares!” laughed Logun. “Everybody is busy or occupied with something! I mean whatever they have, it’s their job.”

“Hhhmmm.... I guess that is true but everybody has a time off right?” said Tanya. “What do they use that for?”

“I don’t know! It’s not my business! I would probably have bothered them and they would get annoyed.”

“But being bothered is what keeps us going! However if we do get bothered too much, we won’t have any breathing room!”

Logun sat down on the bench with Tanya who also sat down and said “Well, that’s what this time is..... our breathing room!”

This caused Tanya to smile a bit and she giggled. Logun was puzzled by the minimal laughter. This was a whole new light for Logun. Laughter from a subordinate, and finally talking to the one who he was interested in. What more could he expect?

“So where do you go everyday through that train?” asked Tanya out of curiosity.

“I go to the tower! Carnegie’s tower!” answered Logun who wanted to be honest, but didn’t want to reveal his....real job!

“Oh how lovely! That place must be so grand and lovely! But I do notice how high and protected that place is. All the hangmen go there but never us. Don’t you have access there since you travel there every day?”

Now this is where Logun got nervous! He could handle feeling awkward, he could handle feeling nervous, but he could not handle the discussion about his job. The thought of killing and bringing heads to Carnegie rushed through his nerves and spine. He didn’t want the conversation to dig that deep of a hole. Ah, he had an idea on how to answer that!

“Of course, I work as a photographer. The pictures I take are sent specifically to the tower.” answered Logun. Maybe it wasn’t honest but he tried his best.

“You’re a photographer? What kind of pictures do you take?” asked Tanya who seemed to have obviously taken the answer. Logun was indeed surprised on how she took it.

“Yeah, and they are all sorts of pictures. Pictures that pertain to the news of what goes on in Acrisius.” stated Logun who smiled with a bit of guilt. At least he didn’t tell the truth but that was the point.

Tanya looked at Logun with a smile and said “I’ve never seen you without your pony tail?”

“Really? Well I guess I didn’t have the time to put it on.” stated Logun when Tanya then asked him a question.

“Hey, there is a restaurant nearby. Are you feeling hungry?”

This just jumped right into Logun’s hands. He didn’t expect the connection between him and her to come all that sudden. As much as he was enjoying it, he did find it odd that someone up straight, energetic, and beautiful would immediately get close to him like this. He didn’t know how else to handle the situation but he did answer Tanya.

“Sure.... I’m feeling hungry too.”

With a smile, Tanya said “Good, because I know a place!”

Author's Note

Sorry I've been slow. I have had exams to study for. But if I had posted this earlier, it would not have been finished! Patience is a virtue. However I still have a duty to keep this going. The next chapter will be the last of this book, and then I will make Volume 2 to keep it going!

I know alot happens here but what did you think? I've been dead too long!

Reviews

[Shep]

Another great chsptet. It seems you are getting better and better.keep up the good work.

[Xerclipse]

thanks shep! Always good to have a reviewer like you!

[Xerclipse]

But im curious to know what makes u say im better?

[Shep]

Your detail and action has changed a lot since your first novel or screen play i have read.

[Xerclipse]

Harvest?... that would have been it. Thanks! By the way when im done with Ghost Runner, I might rename that story and completely change alot of things. Rewriting it may need alot of change and to extend the story here and there.

[Writer #00]

on front of him-->in front of him
said "I've never...."---> said, "I've never..."

Aww :3 Logun is so awkward talking to Tanya. I really like how you made their first conversation--it was so cute and showed how little Logun was able to communicate with other citizens in a normal way. Their relationship is going nicely, not too fast and not too slow, and I can't wait to see it blossom. Great job describing this and setting up a side of Logun we readers had yet to see. I wonder how Tanya would react if she found out Logun is a Hangman! O.O

[Xerclipse]

Logun is not little anymore since he is getting out of his own shell. and thanks ;) thats kinda the point for it to be awkward because he would be a completely different character if he was a ladies man.

I can promise you there will be so much more to expect at the last chapter of this volume....then Volume 2 will be developed!

[Writer #00]

*O* ~~~~~yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees~!

[Xerclipse]

but be patient! The next chapter is gonna be concluding the volume. Hold your horses!

[Writer #00]

Yep, don't want you to rush greatness.