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[Short Story] Truth in Shadows

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Hello, Daffa's back. This time I will show you guys with the prequel of Asher's story, the one called "Answer's Seeker" released few months ago. With the positive feedback I was getting, it gave me motivation to make something more from that story. This prequel is called Truth in Shadows.

So, after a few month of thinking for a good prequel, since it was not planned that deep initially, I managed to write a prequel, which hopefully is decent enough to answer some people's wishes
about the murderer
. I recommend reading this after reading the sequel, "Answer's Seeker", as this story reflected from
the murderer side of view
. Though you don't have to.

Don't forget to visit my blog for more of my works, especially stories. Also, take a look at my "The Missing Key" serial here. Enjoy!

==================================================
The sun smiled brightly that morning. I took my stuff and prepared myself to depart to the city, like usual. Swords, twin guns, ammunitions, all inside my backpack. Yes, I was one of the government finest intelligence squad members.

”Brother! Where are you going?" My little brother asked. He's just around the age of early teen, approached me. "Asher, your big brother is going to work like usual, your father and mother are old, and it's my duty to help them in funding the family. I am returning their favor"
"But big bro-"
"don't worry, I will be back early today." I replied to him. I entered Asher's parents room, and kissed their hands before I left to work at the intel.

I came to the intel base, 2 hours later than usual, and my commanding officer scolded me and punished me with a hundred of sit ups and push ups. Then, I was fired, as this was the third time I was late, and ordered to return home. However, on the road, a man halted my path and invited me for a talk. He ordered me to follow him to an alley. I rejected at first, but he forced me. Suddenly he injected me with something. I didn’t really know what it is, but it made me dizzy.

That man carried me to the alley. I barely see a thing, the darkness was shrouding the places. Bats flew and screamed through the horizons of the alley. I could hear conversations between people, but vaguely due to the tense and my consciousness being poisoned by the mysterious drug he injected. He released his grasp of my body in the alley, and I lost my consciousness.

After a hour or so, I regained consciousness. The man, along with his friends, surrounded me. “We want to talk about a favor,” he said. I replied, “After you drugged me, you expect me to aid your requests?”

They didn’t reply. I was very confused and one of them suddenly pointed his sword toward my face. “You have no permission to reject. If you do, all your friends, family and loved ones are going to die, as well as you,” the man said.

I knew I had no choice. I decided to agree with their request, unwillingly. The man gave me a sword and a cellphone. “Kill all the villagers in your village, and burn it down to ashes. Report to me when you have your job done.” He said.

I departed to my village, with a disguise to cover myself. On the road, I thought about all the good people I was about to murder. The feeling of remorse lingered in my heart. I knew I couldn’t do this, but I had to, or everyone, including my adoptive parents and brother, Asher, would perish. I would not let that happen.

I finally arrived near the village. While waiting until the sky became dark, I hid myself near the village, at a bar 300 meters away from the entrance. Before anyone at the bar could discover my identity, I had them all dead. I had remorse doing such, but I knew it’s for the better.

As soon as the village became quiet, I murdered every single person in the village, both ones I knew and I didn’t knew at the time. Until I entered the house where I was raised.

I thought to myself that I need to spare someone. I wondered, “Who should I spare?” I said quietly. I knew time’s about to up and had to make my decision. With mixed emotion, I approached Asher’s parents at their room, sleeping. Slowly I sharpened my blade, and suddenly…

Asher entered the scene, surprised with my presence, but he seemed to think I was a burglar of some sort. Before he reacted, I grabbed him, cornered himself and told him to stay still and watch. I locked his mouth with bandage and bind his hands with small chains, hidden behind my jacket.

Before he could react, I slashed both of his parents, killing them on the spot. I dropped a shed of tear as I did so, but I pretended not to cry, while my heart was broken. I approached Asher as he fell into a shock. Then, I grabbed his neck and whispered to him. A whisper that would turn his life upside down.
 
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Level 21
Joined
Nov 4, 2013
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2,017
A pretty straighforward piece of writing, but it was interesting to read. I found the ending pretty unrealistic because, come on, a man that kills an entire village? It was pretty preposterous to me. Where's the police? Nobody even managed to fight him back? Am I probably missing something from other episodes?
In regard to the errors you make, you seem to have problems with the tenses because you frequently used the present tense while recounting the story.
Now I'd like to point out your mistakes:

Yes, I was one of the government finest intelligence squad member.

"Member" should be plural since you are stating that you are one of the many.

”Brother! Where are you going?" asked My little brother, just about age of early teen, approached me.

It doesn't make sense. The phrase between two commas is a subordinate clause so, if removed, the sentence should still make sense, but in this case it doesn't:

”Brother! Where are you going?" asked My little brother approached me.

What exactly do you mean?
You also missed the article "the" before "age".

late 5 minutes than usual

"Late" is an adjective, you don't use it to describe "5 minutes". You most probably mean: "5 minutes later than usual".

my commanding officer scolded me and punished me a hundred of sit ups and push ups

It should be "punished me with...."
Your sentence, written this way, is really hilarious. It basicly means: "The commanding officer punished for you a hundred sit ups and push ups".

Then, I was fired as this was the third time I was late, and ordered to return home

Add a comma after "fired" because you are starting a subordinate clause which carries extra information that can be omitted.

He ordered me to follow me to an alley

I believe you mean: "He ordered me to follow him to an alley"

Suddenly he inject me with something. I don’t really know what it is, but it makes me dizzy.

Present tense?? You were using the past tense till here, what made you plump for the present tense for these two sentences? It should be: "Suddenly he injected me with something. I didn’t really know what it was, but it made me dizzy."

That man carries me to the alley I barely see a thing,

^ Same as the above. ^

Bats flied and screamed through

No man, just no. The inflection of "fly" to the past tense is "flew". Be sure you know the inflections of irregular verbs both in the past tense and the past participle to avoid this grave mistake again (yes, I deem this as a grave mistake).

one of them suddenly point his sword toward my face.

Past tense, not present tense!

loved ones, are going to die,

The comma after "loved ones" must be removed, it's wrongly put.

I thought to myself about

"Thought to myself"? It doesn't exist because you don't think "to" someone. Remove "to myself".

including my adoptive parents and brother, Asher will perish.

Add a comma after Asher because you are stating his name but didn't finish the sentence with it. Also change "will" to "would". If you are referring to what might happen in the future while talking about the past, you use "would", not "will".

but I pretend not to cry, while my heart broken.

Past tense, again: "pretended"
Also: "while my heart was broken" or "while my heart broke"
 
Level 8
Joined
Nov 10, 2012
Messages
428
Your previous story is actually fine! I will see this, now! I do not use spoilers or I do not mention the another story.

==================================================
The sun smiled brightly that morning. I took my stuff and prepared myself to depart to the city, like usual. Swords, twin guns, ammunitions, all inside my backpack. Yes, I was one of the government finest intelligence squad member.
Nice equipment! :)

”Brother! Where are you going?" asked My little brother, just about age of early teen, approached me. "Asher, your big brother is going to work like usual, your father and mother are old, and it's my duty to help them in funding the family. I am returning their favor"
"But big bro-"
"don't worry, I will be back early today." I replied to him. I entered Asher's parents room, and kissed their hands before I left to work at the intel.
So he is his....? (you know) Kissing hands? What a gentleman! :O

I came to the intel base, late 5 minutes than usual, and my commanding officer scolded me and punished me a hundred of sit ups and push ups.
Forget this! :/ This is unrealistic. I know, that the military organizations is quite authorative in nature, but no one punish you hundreds of push/sit ups because you late five minutes.

Then, I was fired as this was the third time I was late, and ordered to return home.
He should tell his superiors, that he will late, because of the bus/traffic/or any other means. Government agents works like small backwater workplaces? They too oversubscribed? They firing agents, because of late? (Like a small shop or I do not know...)

However, on the road, a man halted my path and invited me for a talk. He ordered me to follow me to an alley. I rejected at first, but he forced me.
Trained agent... :)

Suddenly he inject me with something. I don’t really know what it is, but it makes me dizzy. That man carries me to the alley I barely see a thing, the darkness was shrouding the places. Bats flied and screamed through the horizons of the alley. I could hear conversations between people, but vaguely due to the tense and my consciousness being poisoned by the drug. He released his grasp of my body in the alley, and I lost my consciousness. After a hour or so, I regained consciousness. The man, along with his friends, surrounded me. “We want to talk about a favor,” he said. I replied, “After you drugged me, you expect me to aid your requests?” They didn’t reply. I was very confused and one of them suddenly point his sword toward my face. “You have no permission to reject. If you do, all your friends, family and loved ones, are going to die, as well as you,” the man said.

I knew I had no choice. I decided to agree with their request unwillingly.
Seems our agent fighting in inside.

The man gave me a sword and a cellphone. “Kill all the villagers in your village, and burn it down to ashes. Report to me when you have your job done.” He said.
It is the story of Itachi Uchiha! :/ Or at least, it greatly resemble with it. Why he not call the police? Contact with his former colleagues? (or friends?)

I departed to my village, with a disguise to cover myself. On the road, I thought to myself about all the good people I was about to murder. The feeling of remorse lingered in my heart. I knew I couldn’t do this, but I had to, or everyone, including my adoptive parents and brother, Asher will perish. I would not let that happen.

I finally arrived near the village. While waiting until the sky became dark, I hid myself near the village, at a bar 300 meters away from the entrance. Before anyone at the bar could discover my identity, I had them all dead. I had remorse doing such, but I knew it’s for the better.
Really no one able to stop him?

As soon as the village became quiet, I murdered every single person in the village, both ones I knew and I didn’t knew at the time. Until I entered the house where I was raised.
I thought to myself that I need to spare someone.
This is agent not so sympathetic, and not even rational! If he accept their "offer", instead do the steps, which I wrote before, he even peaking the problems! :O I understand, that he love his brother, but... he is a total incompetent fool! How he became an agent? :O

I wondered, “Who should I spare?” I said quietly.
How I cause more problem? :O

I knew time’s about to up and had to make my decision. With mixed emotion, I approached Asher’s parents at their room, sleeping. Slowly I sharpened my blade, and suddenly…
Instead of warning everyone! Good! Give that a man a cookie! :)

Asher entered the scene, surprised with my presence, but he seemed to think I was a burglar of some sort. Before he reacted, I grabbed him, cornered himself and
told him to stay still and watch.
He not know his voice? Or I miss the part, that he changes his voice? Nevermind it is meaningless, just my another detail.

I locked his mouth with bandage and bind his hands with small chains, hidden behind my jacket.Before he could react, I slashed both of his parents, killing them on the spot. I dropped a shed of tear as I did so, but I pretend not to cry, while my heart broken. I approached Asher as he fell into a shock. Then, I grabbed his neck and whispered to him.
A whisper that would turn his life upside down.
Congratulations, Mr. Agent! :) I "like your practical, reasonable and rational nature" as I like Ultron, Megatron and Adam Sandler's characters in his films (so not!)
 
The story is at some point might be quite irrational since I do have some kind of fantasy about strictness and such and about Itachi's resemblance, yeah, that's intentional.

About the police and stuffs that guards, you know, he's an agent, so those people are nothing more but flies :p

I truly appreciate the critics though :)
 
Level 8
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Messages
428
since I do have some kind of fantasy about strictness
If I correctly translates this, then I can tell, that a fantasy can be realist and rational in some way.

he's an agent, so those people are nothing more but flies :p
It means he weak?

The story is at some point might be quite irrational
But not the wrong way... the agent is an easily dislikeable character for his foolishness.... and the quantity of the errors is low in your story.
 
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