Whale Mall
You head into the dark passage of the Whale Mall and the soothing tones of the whales fill your mind, providing you with some respite from the crazy day you’ve been having.
Who is this Hero character and what is he trying to do here? The thought pops into your head and you can’t shake it, you find yourself wishing you knew the answer.
You look up at the whales, only to find that they are looking back. You look to the ground, and then back up again. You walk further up the passage. Yes, their eyes are definitely meeting yours; the baby even seems to be smiling at you.
“Hell-ooooh!” The whale’s voice fills your ears, shakes you to the very bone. It’s the largest whale, the top one, talking to you. You look around for that Hero, knowing that he must be behind yet another crazy occurrence.
“Whoooo are you looking for, my friend?” No one else seems to hear the whale speaking, only you. Shakily, you answer.
“The Hero, I’m looking for that stupid Hero who is behind all this rubbish,” you answer, hoping he will hear you and start to leave you alone at last!
“The Herooooo? Oooohh noooooo…did you bring him here?” The whales, slowly, look at each other, seeming perplexed. “Fooooolish huuuuman.”
“No,” you answer, “I have been trying to get away from him all day.” You are attracting odd looks from the other people passing through the mall. “Is there somewhere more private we can talk?”
The whales laugh. “Silly huuuuman. You can stop talking to us aloud, we don’t need to hear your words, you can just talk to us through your mind.”
“My mind?” you think.
“That’s the way!” The whales laugh again, slow rolling laughs that take minutes to reach their end.
“How is this possible?” This mind talk takes a lot of concentration, you find yourself trying to clear your head of all other thoughts to make your point. You begin to feel weary.
“Well, you are one of us now!” explains one whale with glee.
“Oooonne of uuuuuss!” repeats the baby.
Is it just you, or did all the other animals you can see in the windows to the museum just turn to face you? “Oooonne of uuuuuss!” they chorus.
You need some air; you’re feeling drained, limbs heavy. You try to stumble backwards and out of there but you find you can’t move.
“What is going on?” you thought-speak, panicking now.
“You have joined the Daarrrrk Leeeegion. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“No!” you answer, and then out loud for good measure, “No!”
“Are you sure?” asks one whale, “you did run away from the Hero a number of times. Are you sure it wasn’t us you were running to? The Dark Legion?”
You’re not at all sure what you wanted, actually, and it’s becoming difficult to control your thoughts and memories. Dark Legion? Someone mentioned that… The thought drifts through your mind as your muscles stiffen and stop. The air seems thick and soupy, just like your brain.
Two museum workers come out and pick you up, carrying your now stiff body into the museum. A statue, you now belong to the Dark Legion, placed at the entrance to the museum to spy on the comings and goings of the visitors to South Bank.
END
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