As he is walking down the street, Isaac comes across a peculiar poster on the side of the brick building. Isaac turns towards the poster to get a closer look. The poster is a message directed to the world and it reads: When will all of you agree that I exist? The placement of the poster is isolated from the others, but there is someone nearby tearing them down. Isaac walks over to the man questioning him on his work. “Why are you not tearing down the poster over there?” As Isaac waited, he focused his sight on the man’s eyes for the honest answer. The man turns towards Isaac only to be speechless. “Hello?” Isaac is getting impatient and walks away from the man tearing down the posters from the wall. When Isaac had some distance from the man, he turns his head over his shoulder to see what he was doing. The man is still standing there frozen in place. He’s a statue set down by others waiting to be picked up again. Isaac turns his head back and continues his walk towards his destination. Mino’s bar, the escape, is calling his name. Meanwhile, there are two men in black suits in a parked car across the street from the encounter.
“So it’s confirmed?” The man in the passenger seat asked.
“You can see it for yourself, right? Isaac Reede, age 25, only child, he’s the bartender at the bar, and lives by himself in an apartment a couple blocks from here. No other information about him from this document that’s readable,” the man driver’s seat replied.
“Oh, has it been redacted?”
“No. All of the usual information a normal person would have should be here but it’s not. We also know from these reports that he has influence that’s absolute.”
“I don’t see that in him. He looks harmless to me. Let’s move in and take him out in the bar.”
Isaac continues his journey towards the bar. Another night, another escape albeit temporary, at a place that holds men of vile actions with disruptive motives and drinking alcohol to blind themselves of their own truth, but despite these truths, he engages them, nurtures them, and protects them because that building is their escape too. Isaac looks at his watch to get the time. The time is 9:13 pm. The presence of the two men goes unnoticed by Isaac as he nears the entrance of the bar. Mino Havel, the owner of the bar, is standing at the entrance. His black buzz-cut hair, camo clothing, and black shades looks like he’s at war with someone. He is holding refugees inside of his bar. He greets Isaac as he reaches the doorway.
“Isaac, my main man. Serving shots for days!” Mino said.
“Aye, that’s what the job entails.” He replies.
“No one can get the people to buy more alcohol than you can. You got this aura that’s overwhelming. It’s like they want more interaction from you. Your voice puts them in a trance to obey your every command, ignoring their own will. Let’s get you inside. These streets will do harm to you if they know what you can do.” Isaac and Mino walks inside of the bar and the two men behind them continue their pursuit of Isaac.
As Isaac enters the bar, he pans the area to see who’s here. No one in the bar is new only the usual. Isaac walks over to the bar counter to begin working while the two men following Isaac enters the bar. Both of them walk to the counter and order a drink.
“What can I get for you two?” Isaac asks.
“If you got Jack Daniel’s, then we both will have a shot of that.” One of the men replies.
“Of course.” Isaac turns around to get the bottles and two shot glasses, and the men began mumbling something to one another. Isaac senses something, he puts himself on alert. These men aren’t here just for a drink. What could they be after? Isaac wonders. Isaac places the two shot glasses in front of them and pours the drink. “Anything else I can get for you?” His ability of absolute influence has been enacted. Isaac’s words are like incantation of a magic spell to subdue the evildoers. The two men notice the change in his voice. Both of them were about to ask for another until one of them takes out a pen and stabs his leg. “No,” the man said who stabbed himself with the pen. He proceeds to stab the other man beside him. “Shit! Could you warn me first?!” The pain is real, yet there was no sign of blood. “I will need you to come with us, Isaac Reede. There are people who need your help. Don’t make me do things I don’t enjoy doing.” The shift in his voice confirmed Isaac’s uneasiness. Mino notices the confrontation from the other side of the bar. He leaves the main area and goes into his office in the back.
“It seems like you know who I am. Well don’t you know that you can never tell me to do anything you say? I have absolute control of my existence and the others around me. You can pull your gun out and try to shoot me, but you will not be able to pull the trigger. You will feel paralyzed although you’re not. I can make my presence overwhelming to a specific person or expand it across the whole planet. You are disturbing the others here. This is their escape and mine too. Leave.” The two men are still sitting down in their seats helpless. The words Isaac spoke stopped them in motion. Moments later they began to leave the bar. As the second man left, he turned his head back to Isaac and moved his mouth like he was saying something, but there was inaudible. Studying his mouth’s movements he said, “You will end.” The door closes behind him. The others in the bar go back to what they were doing before being interrupted. Mino reemerges from his office.
Isaac gazes towards Mino as he is standing by his office door. “Mino! Did you…”
“Yeah. I had a feeling that there was something off about them. My contacts told me that there’s a lot of chatter about you. You’re going to have to leave. There are people that would love to use you for their personal gain. I have a place you can stay that’s not—” Mino stops talking. The television went to a news channel and it was breaking news. “What is it now? Hey Juno, can you turn the volume up.” Everyone in the bar could hear the news anchor.
“We are sorry to interrupt your broadcast, but this man, Isaac Reede,” there is an image of Isaac’s face on the screen beside the news anchor, “is wanted by the FBI. He is a dangerous man and no one should not engage him. If you ever see this man anywhere, please call the FBI. I repeat, do not engage this man.” The news anchor continues to talk about Isaac being wanted by the FBI while Mino and Isaac look in disbelief.
“Whoever those two men work for, they have influence that’s far reaching. Of course you’re being framed. They are trying to put fear into everyone. So you need to leave now. Don’t forget if the safe house is compromised contact BAA. My main man Isaac. You’ll be good.” Mino hugs Isaac and he returns to his office. Isaac leaves the bar through the back into the alleyway. The bar, Isaac’s escape, is being left behind with those vile men still inside.
The alleyway is dark, visibility is at a minimum. Isaac does not lose composure. His arms are relaxed and he is walking with grace. As he reached the end, there is a blockade preventing him from exiting the other side. Isaac stops. A helicopter flies over the area. A light beams down in the alleyway exposing Isaac. “We have you surrounded. Put your hands up. Let’s not make this any more difficult than it has to be.” Isaac remains in his position, “Move in!” All of the agents start to get closer to Isaac with their guns aiming at him, but Isaac still remains in his position. “We need him alive. Shoot only with non-lethal rounds.” The agents took aim and Isaac finally makes his move. “Ghost.” Isaac says. Ghost is one of his abilities. He removes his presence from anyone around a radius of is choosing. He disappears before their very eyes. “Where did he go?” Footsteps could be heard, getting louder and louder by the agents. “He’s still here! Shoot in the area the footsteps are!” The lead agent scream and Isaac escapes the agents following him, “Fuck, he got away. Track his phone.” One of the other agents responds. “Sir, it says the phone is in your pocket.” The lead agent looks in disbelief, “You can’t be serious. Let’s have a chat with Mino Havel.”
The lead agent walks into Mino’s bar looking for the owner. He finds him and asks to have a conversation with him in his office. Mino complies with the lead agent’s request and guides him with his hands towards the office in the back. Mino enters in first then turns towards the lead agent entering the room too. His face was neutral in emotion. No expert in expressions could analyze him, but his mute face changes into a face full of fear. The lead agent’s aura alone is a something that Mino didn’t want to feel. The lead agent reaches into his pocket and takes out a card. The card is white with some lettering on one side. Mino attempts to look at the card without alerting the agent. The card reads BAA on one side. The lead agent signals an agent to keep guard and closes the door behind him.
Thirty minutes later the agents leaves the office adjusting his suit. He wipes his hands clean and throws away the cloth in the trash. He walks back outside to his second in command. “Well at least we know where he’s going and his alternative,” he has a smirk on his face. “We will catch him at the safe house Mino said so we will apprehend Isaac there. Remember: do not kill. Send two agents to watch the alternative location so we will have a heads up.” The other agent nods and gives orders to the rest of them to execute the plan. Back inside the bar Mino leaves his office covered in blood and burner in his hand. He looks down at the burner, press some buttons, and begins to text Isaac.
Isaac is nearing the safe house when his cellphone buzzes in his pocket. He slows down and takes out the phone to view the message. It’s from Mino Havel.
no. That’s what the entire message said, but the message was clear. Isaac removes the battery from the phone, crushes it with his black boots on the ground, and then he throws away the phone in a trash bin nearby. He turns left away from the safe house towards the alternative.
The alternative is not far the primary location. Underneath Isaac’s breath he says aware – he is now able to locate anyone who is after him. After he activates the ability, he notices that there are two men surrounding the alternative. He says ghost again and walks towards one of the men scouting the place. An agent receives a message from the lead agent.
“Anything, Fox?” the lead agent asked.
“Everything’s quiet here.” The agent responds.
“He’s not at the safe house. Keep watch over the alternative. Report back if there is anyone walking towards that area. Do not engage. He’s dangerous, moreover, whoever or whatever is inside that building is a threat too.” The building is small with brick walls, one story, and only two entrances in the front and back. The windows around the building are barred. The grass is charred around the building. Isaac reaches the agent that was closer to him.
“Since when do you think this will work?” The agent tries to but is frozen in place. His eyes and mouth are wide open. In his mind he’s trying to call for help but he is inaudible. Isaac searches, pulls out a broken blade from his pocket and stabs the agent in the chest. The other agent notices that his partner is, so he warns the lead agent then he runs towards his fallen comrade. Isaac notices that he is coming towards him and he uses absolute fear to keep him in place. Isaac enters through the front door of the building. The floor beneath him folds and he drops down through a trapdoor to the basement. The lead agent and the rest of the group, in pursuit of Isaac, reach the brick building.
A minute passes and water is thrown onto Isaac and he comes to lying on the ground with a slight pain in his head. He looks up to see a shadowy figure over him. He could also see the figure emitting a light that leaves him in awe. The figure backs away from Isaac to give him some space to adjust. Isaac gets up and sits in a chair nearby and speaks to the figure.
“And you are?” Isaac asked.
“BAA,” the figure says as he is gathering some papers on the table in the room. The papers are blank.
“What does that mean anyways? I hope you can get me out of this situation because even though I can do all these things to people, I will always be on the run from someone.”
“BAA means Being Above All. What you are looking at now is just a vessel for me to speak to anyone or any creature. Mino sent you here in hopes of ending this problem for you if the safe house didn’t work out. He was questioned in his office for the location of the safe house. Why would he do that? Nevertheless, I will assist you because I am your true ally.”
“Mino must have been tortured. At least he wasn’t killed to I could get the message in time. How are you going to help?” Isaac takes a deep breath. BAA takes the papers in its hands speak at a soft tone so that Isaac couldn’t hear. Writing appears on the papers. BAA hands over the papers to Isaac with a pen. Isaac reads through the papers.
“Sign this and you will be relived of your problems here.”
“The wording here is very vague. It doesn’t explain well what I’ll be doing.”
“Best that you don’t know.”
Isaac is reluctant to sign the papers and puts the pen down, but he cannot let go of the pen. His arm moves out of his control and his hand that’s holding the pen begins to go over the papers and signs them. He attempts to speak but to no avail. After he signs the papers, they fly back to BAA and disappear once they came in contact.
“Now that wasn’t so hard. You’ll be in an unnamed program as one of the subjects for an experiment by a company founded by me. You will not be in this world anymore but in another parallel to this one.”
“Since you’re above all, why are you here now? What’s so special about showing yourself now and not in other moments when it mattered?”
“Because I can, I will not show up. I am not going to explain to you something that’s beyond your comprehension. You may have abilities, abilities I provided you that can manipulate the life of others, but you still don’t have the capacity to hold the knowledge I have. My will has already decided your choice and my choice.”
Isaac raises one of his eyebrows. “Oh so my free will is just an illusion?”
“Again I will not explain the reasoning, for you will not comprehend its complexity. Yes I am the only one with true choice. My will creates the illusion of choice for every other being in existence. Those decisions sport players make in their games is predetermined by my will not theirs. As of a matter of fact, you don’t have will. I believe it’s time for you to leave now.”
Upon listening to it, Isaac is quiet, but he continues to stare at this divine being in front of him. Their words sound absolute in his mortal ears. Isaac attempts to stand up but he fails.
“I don’t want to be here or in that parallel place you spoke of nor do I –”
“No. You don’t listen do you? It’s not part of my will although it could’ve been.” Isaac’s body lifts off the ground, his arms extends out as far as they could, his legs come together with his feet pointing to the ground, and his chins is up towards the unknown. The figure walks towards Isaac while he’s suspended in the air and touches his feet. They begin to turn black. The darkness spreads up his legs and to the rest of his body. Isaac’s body, now black, descends to the ground, but disintegrates when it comes in contact with the concrete floor.