ZERO

THE NOTHING

“The weather this week, fog, Sunday till Sunday. Possibly longer as a warm air system moves through the area.” Announces Tom, the pudgy weatherman with a prop flash light, “…so drive safe!”
RING-RING-RING
“Phil, you have a call.” A pretty blonde girl says handing him the phone.
“Phil here.” He answers
“Hi Phil.” A mousey voice says over the line.
“Sophie?” he says perking up, “How…” he pauses to clear his throat, “How are you?”
“I’m good and you?” Sophia replies.
He turns from the others in the room and leans forward and whispers, “I miss you Sophie, I miss the sound of your voice, your smile, I miss you.”
“I miss you too, Phil, but I don’t miss sitting at home waiting for you.” With a sniffle she raises her voice.
“I know that I work too much and you needed me after what happened.” he says with his hand on his head.
“Don’t bring that up Phil, you don’t know what it’s like to lose a child.” Her voice ever rising with anger.
“Yes, yes I do, she was my baby too!” Phil snaps.
“Then why did you choose your work over me, why did you leave me all alone to deal with it?” sobs Sophia, the quiver in her voice shacks a tear from Phil’s eye.
“I don’t know. I felt so empty. I thought that you blamed me.”
“I didn’t call you to talk about this.” Says Sophia clearing her throat.
“Then what did you call for?” he asks.
“Can we meet?”
“Sure. Where?”
“Come to my office, I have an opening at 5 this afternoon. It’s important.”
“Is this about the man being held there, the man arrested at the town square?”
“Yes, He is here and something is really wrong about him being here. I can’t talk about it over the phone, but I can fill you in when you get here. Bring no one!”

*****

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-
Sophia hangs the phone up and looks at the door, trying to keep her self together. ‘Be professional’ thinks over and over. A few seconds pass, KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-
“Yes?” she barely says.
“Dr. Eastwell, it’s Mina, we have an appointment 4 pm” Mina’s light voice carries through the solid door.
Sophia gets out of her black leather chair and proceeds to the door, unlocking it and then slowly opening the door, “Mina, please come in!” she says rushing the girl in and shutting the door.
“Can I ask you a question?” she says putting on her glasses on.
“Sure Dr. Eastwell.” Smiles Mina.
“The man you helped, you said he sings to you?”
“Ya, at night, he helps me sleep.” She blushes while playing with her hair.
“How did you say you met him?” Sophia sits forward in her chair.
“When I was born, he looked so sad so lonely, I think fell in love with him that day. I knew I would help him one day.”
“Two months, hell two hours ago, I would not have believed you, but I think my mind has changed. The two of you share the same strange symptoms, yet the records show that you’ve had no contact with him as long as you have been here, but....”
“You believe me now? You believe that I am the earth?” Mina interrupts.
“…Well, not that I didn’t believe you, but how is it possible….”
“To be raped by the world? I feel everything, everyone, I’m your mother. I had to fool you I still feel the same way, but I must leave here.” Mina says with tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Why must you leave Mina, what is coming?”
Mina looks up at Sophia, her green eye starts to cloud over with blue.“The end”

*****

The white steel door swings open to reveal Zero sitting on the floor with his back to the wall humming with his eyes closed. “General” he says with a sniff to the air. Four soldiers rush in the tiny room with automatic rifles pointed at Zero followed by General Vanoza.
“Col. Lubeck, I see your senses are still intact. Best nose in the business.”
“I’m not in your business any more.” He replies with his eyes still closed.
“Jacob, they will never let you out of here, you know that, right?” grins Vanoza.
“I don’t mind it here. The food is good, the people are nice and I don’t have to hurt nobody to live.”
“You’re an animal, a natural born killer; you can’t be anything else but war machine that I built.” He says stepping forward into the room.
Zero’s eyes open with an icy stare, “No I’m not a warrior. I’m the hunter. I am man.”
“You’re a monster. Just look at the pictures, look at what you’ve done Jacob.” the general throws a stack of photos in front of Zero.
“Stop calling me that, I am Zero the first man, the first human conscience and I don’t need your green vest to hide anymore.”
“Well, now you’re hiding here.” Snickers the general.
“I’m not hiding, I’m waiting.”