[center][sub][h1][img]https://i.ibb.co/rKv3mZPV/post-5-header.png[/img]
[b][color=black] I S S U E  # 5[/color]
[color=red]I S S U E  # 5[/color][/b][/h1][/sub]
[sub][h2][b][color=black] A L L  T I M E  L O W[/color]
[color=red]A L L  T I M E  L O W[/color][/b][/h2][/sub]
[sup][h3][b][color=black] P A R T  F I V E[/color]
[color=red]P A R T  F I V E[/color][/b][/h3][/sup][/center]
[quote][i][color=slategray][b]Previously...[/b][/color]

[indent][color=olive][b]"I am Jean-Paul. But you can call me Frenchie. Everyone else in this place does."[/b][/color] He smiles. [color=olive][b]"Marc Spector, I think you and I are going to become very good friends."[/b][/color][/indent][/i][/quote]
The world goes still after Frenchie says those words, the room collapsing around us and falling into an endless abyss. Back in the void. I look to Jake and Steven, both of them taking this brief respite to stop and think in their own ways: Jake with hands on his hips letting out a heaving sigh, Steven with arms crossed and a pensive expression written on his face. I raise a hand to the back of my neck and take in a deep breath, reeling from the whiplash.

It was quick, sudden. We barely had a moment to process the memories, plowing through them one after the other like a roller coaster through our own personal hell. I look over to the two of them, and it's almost like they can feel my gaze because they look up before I even speak. [color=lightcyan][b]"How are we holding up, guys?"[/b][/color]

Jake gives a strained grin. [color=lightcoral][b]"Me? Never better."[/b][/color] It's a lie, but he makes it sound hearty enough.

Steven isn't having any of it though, giving a snort and rolling his eyes. [color=lightgreen][b]"Right, just going through the most traumatic events of our lives again. I'm rather chuffed, personally."[/b][/color]

[color=lightcoral][b]"Yeah, tell us how really you feel, Steven."[/b][/color]

[color=lightgreen][b]"Oh, pardon me Jake, I suppose I should be acting all tough like this isn't the worst cock-up we've ever gotten ourselves into. Why the hell are we even here? [i]How,[/i] even?"[/b][/color]

That makes Jake and I pause. We look at each other, then back to Steven who raises his shoulders in exasperation. I try to rack my brain to think of how we even got here. [color=lightcyan][b]"... What's the last thing you two remember? Before you were in those coffins?"[/b][/color]

Steven and Jake look at each other, then back to me. They're both about to start speaking when they stop, Steven motioning for Jake to go first. [color=lightcoral][b]"We were... We were in the manor, right? I think Marlene and Frenchie were out, somewhere. It was just us."[/b][/color]

Steven nods in agreement. [color=lightgreen][b]"Think we were having a drink of whiskey. Well, more than one drink. We were on the lash."[/b][/color]

I nod along. It comes back to me, at least a bit. [color=lightcyan][b]"Yeah, yeah that sounds about right. We were spending a lot of time with the statue..."[/b][/color] I trail off. The statue, that sandstone monument to the god that had made the three of us a weapon to do his bidding. It's almost like I can still hear him...

[b][color=#8F8F8F]ᴍ[/color][color=#909090]ᴀ[/color][color=#919191]ʀ[/color][color=#939393]ᴄ[/color][color=#949494],[/color] [color=#979797]ᴍ[/color][color=#999999]ʏ[/color] [color=#9B9B9B]ꜱ[/color][color=#9D9D9D]ᴏ[/color][color=#9E9E9E]ɴ[/color][color=#A0A0A0].[/color] [color=#A3A3A3]ꜱ[/color][color=#A4A4A4]ᴛ[/color][color=#A5A5A5]ᴇ[/color][color=#A7A7A7]ᴠ[/color][color=#A8A8A8]ᴇ[/color][color=#AAAAAA]ɴ[/color][color=#ABABAB],[/color] [color=#AEAEAE]ᴍ[/color][color=#B0B0B0]ʏ[/color] [color=#B2B2B2]ᴠ[/color][color=#B4B4B4]ɪ[/color][color=#B5B5B5]ᴢ[/color][color=#B7B7B7]ɪ[/color][color=#B8B8B8]ᴇ[/color][color=#BABABA]ʀ[/color][color=#BBBBBB].[/color] [color=#BEBEBE]ᴊ[/color][color=#BFBFBF]ᴀ[/color][color=#C1C1C1]ᴋ[/color][color=#C2C2C2]ᴇ[/color][color=#C4C4C4],[/color] [color=#C6C6C6]ᴍ[/color][color=#C8C8C8]ʏ[/color] [color=#CBCBCB]ꜰ[/color][color=#CCCCCC]ᴇ[/color][color=#CECECE]ʀ[/color][color=#CFCFCF]ʀ[/color][color=#D1D1D1]ʏ[/color][color=#D2D2D2]ᴍ[/color][color=#D3D3D3]ᴀ[/color][color=#D5D5D5]ɴ[/color][color=#D6D6D6].[/color] [color=#D9D9D9]ꜰ[/color][color=#DBDBDB]ɪ[/color][color=#DCDCDC]ɴ[/color][color=#DDDDDD]ᴅ[/color] [color=#E0E0E0]ᴛ[/color][color=#E2E2E2]ʜ[/color][color=#E3E3E3]ᴇ[/color] [color=#E6E6E6]ᴍ[/color][color=#E8E8E8]ᴏ[/color][color=#E9E9E9]ᴏ[/color][color=#EAEAEA]ɴ[/color][color=#ECECEC].[/color] [color=#EFEFEF]ᴇ[/color][color=#F0F0F0]ᴍ[/color][color=#F2F2F2]ʙ[/color][color=#F3F3F3]ʀ[/color][color=#F4F4F4]ᴀ[/color][color=#F6F6F6]ᴄ[/color][color=#F7F7F7]ᴇ[/color] [color=#FAFAFA]ɪ[/color][color=#FCFCFC]ᴛ[/color][color=#FDFDFD]![/color][/b]

His voice echoes through the void, a hint of desperation in the normally deadpan tone. The three of us exchange glances at each other, each of us unsure where the void might take us next. Then the light comes back, the moon shining over us and so close it's almost as if we can reach out and touch it. Endless sandy dunes stretch out for miles with no end in sight.