by Chaz Hamilton
On the streets of cities around the world, doomsayers can often be seen holding hand-painted signs predicting the end of the world. Travelers see them as novel attractions. Citizens of these cities want them off their streets, claiming the destitute watchdogs to be a huge depressing distraction to everyday life.
Having traveled the world from scenes of disaster and violence, I noticed an interesting fact overlooked by many.
One of the doomsayers present at each location has the same face I'd witnessed at different sites. Yes, while surveying the crowd I discovered that one of the observers had been at the Battle in Bursa, the Quest in the Midwest, the giant robot attack in Las Vegas, and many other events.
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to confront this individual, hoping for an understanding of how a seemingly homeless and jobless vagrant could be at so many different places in extreme times of crisis. Each time I stepped to close enough to ask my questions, they would disappear into the crowd. I tried to chase them down, but to no avail.
That was until today, when this mysterious figure with a poster announcing the end of the world stopped me as I headed into the Sentinel building.
“You must warn them,” they said. They wore an orange knit cap and a heavy worn winter jacket.
It took me a moment to recognize the person before me. In fact, for the first time I could tell that 'they' were a 'she' beneath the grime and disheveled state of their hair. “Excuse me. Warn who?”
“The heroes. The world is in terrible danger.”
Her voice carried a gravity, a certainty, I couldn’t dismiss. “What from?”
“They’ve forgotten the threats out there. They are engaged with frivolity, throwing flowers and searching for eggs. They celebrate winning gold medals at League Wars. They fight only common crimes on their missions in the world. Where is their concern for the larger threats?”
“Larger threats? What’s going to happen?”
“There are many threads to the tapestry of life which are unraveling. Without the hero’s immediate attention, events will unfold that could end the world as you know it.”
“OK. OK. You’re going to have to give me a bit more here. How to you know all of this?” I asked.
“I pay attention. I remember. You were in Las Vegas, weren’t you?”
“Yes. So were you.”
“We are in many places. Observing. Outside of--,” her face contorted with pain as her voice changed and became strangely monotone, “—Master Tech has claimed their best, the Avatar of Strength initiated his test. The mind challenged a game to begin its reign, and the heroes all played the game…”
I took a step back and stared at her eyes as she continued to speak.
Her eyes now glowed with a brilliant white luminescence. “… There will be new challenges to soon explain.”
“More challenges? Will there be more of these avatars showing up?”
She closed her eyes and nodded, her chest heaving with effort to control her breathing
“When? Why?” The Avatars sought out heroes who favored their aspect, challenging them to fight in various arena's to find those who used their domain best.
“They are only part of the future yet to unfold. There are yet mysteries to be solved. The journey to understand has only begun.” She opened her eyes, revealing tired, brown irises that spoke of age and sadness.
“Who are you?”
“I am unimportant. I live outside of these events. My time here is done, for now” She began to fade out of existence, her sign falling to the ground as her body became impossible to see. “Warn the heroes. The time has come to be most vigilant.”
I searched the milling crowds, hoping to find her again in the blank faces of people concerned only for their own business. I had to wonder if any of them saw her and I speaking. The lack of attention from them left me concerned it might have been all in my own mind.
But her sign was still on the concrete sidewalk at my feet. “The End is Nigh…”
Heroes of the world, EB and his fun-filled events are soon drawing to an end but remember, a new month just began. New challenges and opportunities are waiting in the darkness, biding their time for the right moment to strike.
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