Dreamscape

A Story by JasmineDragon

Tangled with the dark and dangerous, some secrets are best left secrets. The darkness hides more than just shadows.

Name: Qiu-Yue Kang
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Relations: Meng Liao Kang, father " status: terminated (pages 5-6)
Chun Hua Song, mother " status: deceased (page 7)
Chang Ming Kang, older brother " status: -------------

*****

[03:27] Crimson_Tomato142: I need you to break into a chapel for me.
[03:29] AutumnMoon_xz67: Damnit do you know what time it is.
[03:29] AutumnMoon_xz67: Crimson_Tomato142? Really?
[06:14] Crimson_Tomato142: Hey a hacker’s gotta change their name once in a while.
[06:16] AutumnMoon_xz67: What the hell. You message me over the ICQ at three in the morning and just leave for another three hours. What makes you think I’m going to break into some damn chapel for you.
[06:17] Crimson_Tomato142: Can’t I investigate a lead without being interrogated?
[06:17] AutumnMoon_xz67: Not at three in the morning.
[06:17] AutumnMoon_xz67: What do you need anyway.
[06:18] Crimson_Tomato142: Break into that old Catholic chapel on the East Side. That one next to that bar that goes into flames every so often.
[06:18] AutumnMoon_xz67: I have better things to do than do your dirty work.
[06:18] Crimson_Tomato142: I have better things to do than run around the city collecting information for you. I have my own jobs.
[06:20] AutumnMoon_xz67: No you don’t.
[06:20] AutumnMoon_xz67: ...What is it that you need.
[06:20] Crimson_Tomato142: You’ll find out when you get there.
[06:21] AutumnMoon_xz67: I’m going to need more than that.
[06:21] Crimson_Tomato142: Not saying any more than that.
[06:21] Crimson_Tomato142: I’ll see you Friday night.
[06:22] AutumnMoon_xz67: Wait, what makes you think I’m actually going to do the job

---Crimson_Tomato142 has left the conversation---

*****

[02:12] AutumnMoon_xz67: Why didn’t you just pick up the damn music box yourself.
[03:34] Crimson_Tomato142: Looks who’s on the ICQ in the middle of the night.
[03:34] Crimson_Tomato142: What music box?
[03:36] AutumnMoon_xz67: You know... The music box at the chapel. All heavy black marble and rusted brass key. Plays an incredibly creepy song.
[03:36] Crimson_Tomato142: Don’t tell me that a little music box is scaring you, dear Yue.
[03:37] AutumnMoon_xz67: Don’t call me that.
[03:37] Crimson_Tomato142: Don’t count on that~
[03:37] Crimson_Tomato142: Anyway, I have no idea what you’re talking about.
[03:38] AutumnMoon_xz67: Then what was the point of sending me over there.
[03:38] Crimson_Tomato142: Didn’t you notice the circles on the floor? And the altar at the front?
[03:38] AutumnMoon_xz67: The circles? Yeah. I saw the altar, but I didn’t really care to look at it. Why?
[03:39] Crimson_Tomato142: So that isn’t weird to you?
[03:39] AutumnMoon_xz67: No. Hell, there are a ton of crazy people in New York. Seeing circles on abandoned chapel floors is pretty normal to me.
[03:40] Crimson_Tomato142: Your observational skills are clearly lacking.
[03:40] Crimson_Tomato142: The circles were drawn in blood. Probably a few days old. Five at most.
[03:40] AutumnMoon_xz67: ...I’m not sure what creeps me out more. The fact that blood was used to draw the circles, or the fact that you can identify how old the blood on the floor is.
[03:41] Crimson_Tomato142: Dear Yue, you pick up on these kinds of things when you’re in the killing business. Or when you kill hell-muffins frequently.
[03:41] AutumnMoon_xz67: Still, just because there’s blood on the floor doesn’t make it worth sending me over to look at.
[03:43] Crimson_Tomato142: It’s not the first time something like that has happened recently. In fact, I’ve already seen at least four others with similar circles. And there’s actually a lot of blood on the altars of the chapels. If you ask me, this isn’t just some group of teenagers that are just drawing Satanic circles for fun. This is something a little more serious.
[03:44] AutumnMoon_xz67: Didn’t know you could care about these kinds of things so much.
[03:46] Crimson_Tomato142: I have morals.
[03:46] AutumnMoon_xz67: It could just be nothing though.
[03:46] Crimson_Tomato142: It could just be something though.
[03:47] Crimson_Tomato142: It doesn’t matter if it’s nothing or something. I’m going to keep checking this out. Keep Aiden updated if you want. I’ve already started composing a file for this.
[03:47] AutumnMoon_xz67: ...Send it to me.
[03:47] Crimson_Tomato142: I see that you’re interested.
[03:48] AutumnMoon_xz67: I’d rather be informed.
[03:49] Crimson_Tomato142: Sent.
[03:56] AutumnMoon_xz67: ...I’m also sending the files to Hikaru.
[03:57] Crimson_Tomato142: That religion and folklore hell-muffin?
[03:57] AutumnMoon_xz67: If that’s what you want to know him by, sure.
[03:58] Crimson_Tomato142: Do what the hell you want.
[03:58] AutumnMoon_xz67: What about the music box?
[03:59] Crimson_Tomato142: It’s just a damn music box.
[04:00] AutumnMoon_xz67: I should have you listen to it. You might think differently.
[04:00] Crimson_Tomato142: It’s just a damn music box. Like a music box means anything right now.
[04:00] AutumnMoon_xz67: Whatever. Now, unlike some people who don’t really mind pestering people and waking up at the early hours of the morning, I am going to get some sleep.

---AutumnMoon_xz67 has left the conversation---

*****

Subject: Open ASAP " Chapels
From: <[email protected]>
Date: Thrus, Apr 14, 20-- 3:57 am
To: <[email protected]>
Bcc: <[email protected]>

Attached files: ChapelBlood.docx 141KB
ChapelBloodPictures.zip 5.34MB

Hey. Hellsing is putting together a file of recent circles appearing on chapel floors drawn in blood. Think you can make any heads or tails of it?

*****

Subject: Re: Open ASAP " Chapels
From: <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Apr 15, 20-- 7:13 am
To: <[email protected]>

I should tell you this right now, but this isn’t really some big secret underground now. There’s already hushed conversations going around, but I don’t know too much about it though. I’ve visited some of the chapels, but there’s a lot going on right now that demands more attention than some random circles on abandoned floors.

Besides, I think you’re asking the wrong person for help. I’m not educated in this or anything. If anyone can help you find answers, it’s the person who made these files. I suppose you could also contact Hikaru, if he’s willing to make some time to help you.

I’ll keep my eyes and ears open, but I won’t make any promises.

*****

Subject: Re: Open ASAP " Chapels
From: <[email protected]>
Date: Thurs, Apr 14, 20-- 9:42 pm
To: <[email protected]>

I’ve looked over the files. Everything seems pretty suspicious, and it’s mostly nothing that I’ve ever seen. I take it that you don’t want too much attention with this. I’ve already spent a few hours looking through different folklore books, but so far, I haven’t found anything about it. The stuff that’s written around the edges looks like it could be a clue as to what it is, but I’m not sure yet. I still have a bunch of books on these kinds of things at my apartment back in NYC. I’m finishing up a course here, and I’ll be back in the city for about a few weeks before I’ll be starting up my course at Cornell. I’ll be back late on Sunday night, so I’ll call you later about it. In the meantime, I’ll be looking.

Take care of yourself.

Hikaru

*****

Box received.
Half in place.
Contact fifty-two.
Status: recharging.