1ST HORSEMAN OF THE APOCALYPSE: PESTILENCE

"WHAT ARE YOU FEELING at the moment?" A psychiatrist named Melinda Cartel asks while looking at the man sitting in front of her.

     The man was looking out of the window, staring at the tree that was swaying with the wind. He watched as the leaves fell, and then he chuckled when he saw a kid trying to catch them like the leaves were butterflies.

     He continues to stare at the falling leaves in complete silence. But as he was staring, he was suddenly reminded of the autumn leaves that fell on him when his adoptive mother, Alexandra Lancaster, was pulling him out of the forest to escape the cult that was trying to chase after them. It was supposed to be a terrifying experience, but all he could remember was how warm and motherly Alexandra's hands were.

     "Bishop?" Melinda calls out to catch his attention, instantly making him blink and look back at her.

     "I-I'm sorry. What was it again?"

     "I was asking about what you felt at the moment," Melinda calmly asks again, and Bishop takes a deep breath and looks at his hands, staring at the paint that he wasn't able to properly wash off before he got here.

     "Fine?"

     "You're not sure?"

     "I just feel a bit lonely sometimes, but I'm not entirely sad about it. That's all," Bishop then explains, and Melinda nods her head and writes it down in her notebook.

     "Have you been hearing anyone from your system recently?" She then asks next.

     "Sometimes Alice would come out and speak with me, and there are moments I just blackout and get notes from Winter, but those only happen about a couple hours, sometimes even minutes," Bishop explains, and Melinda nods her head again, but this time, she doesn't write it down.

      "How about Krimson and Tomorrow? How have they been?" She asks next.

     Bishop scratches the back of his neck and looks out of the window again, staring at the dancing tree and falling leaves. 

     "They've been quiet. Ever since that day...they've been quiet."

     Two years ago, when Krimson, Marcelino, Laurence, and Adeline went their separate ways, Krimson went out to find more information regarding his real father, Lincoln Hollow.

     Thanks to Giovanni, Krimson found out that he was still alive. Before they left the manor, Giovanni told him about it, and in the envelope that he gave them, records about Lincoln were found inside. It seems like these were the records that Mateo Ricci once mentioned that went missing at the hospital.

     Krimson used up some of his money to make calls to find his father's whereabouts. When Krimson first saw the records, he thought that he would have died or maybe been discharged, but when he found an informant from his home country who told him about his father, everything became clear.

     Lincoln Hollow, the once proud leader of a cannibal cult, has been in the hospital for over ten years now. Due to their practices, Lincoln ended up having rare and incurable diseases, diseases that he never recovered from. 

     Krimson was surprised by this and didn't even want to believe it at first. But when the informant sends him a picture of him, Krimson ends up laughing and then breaking down.

     All those years, during all the times he suffered from the things his family did to them in the past, his father was finally paying his due. It was the irony of it all. And for the first time, Krimson felt relieved.

     "I can finally go to fucking sleep!" Krimson shouted when he saw the picture of his dying father.

     "Do you want to go to sleep now, Krimson?" Tomorrow then asked him. "Let me come with you! Don't leave me, okay? You have to take me with you."

     "Why do you always cling to me? You're such a brat!"

     "It's because you saved me, Krimson. Everyone says you're mean, but that's not true. You're the kindest, Krimson. You've always protected me more than Alice. That's why I want to be with you. Bring me with you, Krimson. Don't leave me!"

     "Ah! Shut up already! You're so annoying."

     "But Krimson..." Tomorrow whines like a kid.

     "Fine! Who else is going to take care of a criminal like you anyway? Come on. If you bother me so much, I'll throw you away like last time. Do you understand?" 

     "Yes!"

     Right after that exchange, the body fell to the ground, and everything became dark. The constant smell of blood was slowly disappearing, and then everything turned into ashes. Silence filled the room for a few more minutes, and right after that, a bright light appeared.

     "Wake up," a gentle voice whispers, and soon after, the man with blue and brown eyes awoke in an unfamiliar motel room. He stood from the ground, his head aching. But as soon as he saw his reflection in the mirror, a tear instantly fell from his eyes as overwhelming emotions started to consume him.

     He looked at his hands and then started touching his body, making sure he wasn't hurt anywhere. But the truth was, he was only checking if this was all real. 

     "I-I'm awake..."

     And that all happened a year ago.

     "It seems as though your system is more organized now compared to the first session we had, and I believe it greatly affects how you stay focused in real time. As long as you are aware of everything that's going on around you, you'll be fine," Melinda says with a warm smile before closing her notebook.

     "Alright, looks like we're done for today. I'll lessen your dosage for this month, and then we'll see how it goes," Melinda says, standing from the sofa so she can write the prescription for him.

     Bishop thanks a deep breath but continues to look out of the window. "You know, I've sent the letter to Mr. M and the others. It wasn't much, but I think I was able to express my feelings."

     "Then isn't that wonderful? When are you going to meet up with each other?" Melinda asks while writing something down.

     "On the 8th. That's a week from now. I don't know how it will go or whether they'll even show up, but I just know that after doing this, I think I wouldn't feel less lonely anymore. Maybe I'll really be fine this time," Bishop says before turning his head to his doctor. "I'm really thankful for everything you've done."

     Melinda stops writing to look back at Bishop with a smile. "Don't mention it, Bishop. And besides, the records you gave me from your previous doctor helped a lot. The details he wrote down made it clear that he was really trying to help you, so it's basically a joint effort."

     Bishop smiles and looks back at his hands again. Melinda didn't mention his name, or rather, Bishop never told her, but just remembering him made Bishop feel some kind of sadness despite the past he had with Claudio.

     When he woke up, he immediately talked with Alice about everything that had happened. He saw the news of the plague and then the exposed crime that was once committed by three powerful people from Capo di Monte. But the news that shocked him most of all was none other than the news of Claudio Romano's death.

     On October 8, two years ago, the great Giovanni de Vincenzo passed away in front of the famous manor called the Hell House. In the news, the name Giovanni was never mentioned, only Claudio Romano, which greatly affected the Romano family's reputation. The crime that William Romano committed also added fuel to the fire, which completely destroyed their name. Since William is also the only living suspect for the r-pe and murder of Adele de Vincenzo, it's safe to say that he'll finally pay his due debt.

     Bishop also tried catching up with the other events that happened after the final plague. He looked for information regarding Marcelino and Adeline, as well as father Laurence Monet. But the person that he really did search for when he woke up was none other than his adoptive mother, Alexandra Lancaster.

      Bishop, despite everything that he went through, went back to his hometown, Totten's Landing. He went back in disguise, and there, at a small cottage, he found his mother, Alexandra, tending a small garden she's been taking care of ever since she left Bishop at Capo di Monte.

     "M-momma..." Bishop called out.

     Alexandra dropped her watering pot in shock. And without saying a thing, ran to Bishop to give him a tight hug.

    "You're back," she says.

    "I'm back."

     "How have you been? Did you get cured? Did that doctor help you?" She continues to ask, ignorant of the things that had happened when she left him there.

     But Bishop nor Winter did not have any grudge. Out of everyone he had encountered in the past, Alexandra was the only one who saved him. She was the only one who believed he could be better. Of course, she wasn't perfect, just like any other mother, but she loved him. And that's all that mattered to him.

     "Momma, would you like to move away with me? I would like to take you somewhere. Somewhere peaceful...a place where we can start over."

     "Okay."

     Since then, the two of them have been living together as promised.

     Bishop was able to move on from the things that happened in his past. After having experienced such heartbreaks, Bishop finally understood what needed to be done. So when he and his mother moved to Sta. Rosalia, he searched for someone who could truly help him, and that was Dr. Melinda Cartel, who had a small clinic downtown. She was kind and thoughtful, and she knew how to help him as she had handled a similar case in the past.

     It was refreshing to see someone who sincerely cared about their patients.

     "Now here you are, Bishop," Melinda says as she hands him the prescriptions. "Update me if you end up feeling something unusual. And remember, I'm just one call away. If you need anything, just let me know."

     "Thank you, doctor," Bishop replies as he grabs his coat from the hanger. He was about to walk to the exit and head out, but then he remembered something, instantly making him stop. "Oh, by the way, my art gallery just opened up at 178 Marthel St. It's the building beside the barber shop. If you have any time, I hope you can visit."

     "Really? It seems like yesterday when you opened up about wanting to open a gallery, and now here you are. Maybe I should buy one of your pieces when I drop by," Melinda says with a wink, making Bishop chuckle.

     "I would be very much delighted," Bishop then replies before finally heading out of the clinic.

     As soon as he got out of the clinic, he was instantly welcomed by a crowd of people walking down the pavement. Sta. Rosalia was bigger compared to the places he used to live in, so it was naturally livelier. Bishop decided to move here with his mother because he knew that the place would be able to help him clear his mind more, and it did.

     The lake, the building, the people...everything was beautiful. Exploring the world outside your bubble can definitely help you find the right place where you can truly belong. Of course, it wasn't anywhere near perfect, but this was a place he wanted to grow and call home.

     Bishop was determined to get his life fixed. He was determined to move on from the horrors that he experienced and find real meaning in what the world had been offering him. He was willing to let go of the chains that shackled him. He was ready to walk a different path. But despite all that, there was one thing that he wasn't willing to let go. And that was the very reason why he chose to stay in this specific town.

     Because in Sta. Rosalia, there is a promise that he still holds onto dearly. He's not certain if this person even remembers it, but he still wants to believe that it will be kept till the very end. Even if it takes months or years, Bishop will stay here...

     In the place that was promised.

     "Good morning, sir Bishop," one of the workers watching over the art gallery greets when Bishop arrives.

     "Good morning," he replies, walking inside and turning the lights on. "Can you help mop the floor for me before we open?"

     "Right away, sir."

     The worker runs off to do what he was told, so Bishop walks towards his paintings and starts looking through them. 

     When Bishop and his mother arrived at Sta. Rosalia, Bishop still had enough money for them to buy a small house near the lake. He spent most of the money he received from Giovanni on that house, while half was already spent by Krimson. Without any means of feeding himself and his mother, Krimson bought art supplies with the little money he had left and started painting near the lake.

     He painted tourists for a few months until he was able to open up a small studio where he started selling his pieces. Eventually, he found a benefactor who helped him open up his first gallery.

     The paintings he made for the gallery had familiar names. Some were named after his alters, and some were named after the patients that they once had at the manor. But in the middle was a relatively large painting that onlookers have been very curious about. Some even tried to buy it, but Bishop never sold it to anyone, even those who offered a huge price.

     The piece was simply a canvas that was filled with various shades of yellow. It was explosive yet warm. It was filled with emotions that resonated with the eyes of those who looked at it. There was even a time when someone ended up crying as they stared at it.

     "Amore mio..." Bishop whispers, reading the title of the painting in front of him.

     While Bishop was staring at the painting, the door behind him suddenly opened, immediately making him turn around to check who it was.

     "I'm sorry, but we're still closed," Bishop quickly says. But as soon as he turns around, he spots a familiar man walking toward him. And in an instant, a tear falls from Bishop's eyes.

     "I came as promised. I hope I am not too late...my love."

     "Teo."

END