More than ten thousand years ago, a group formed by witches and shamans sealed an ancient spirit of chaos in a underground cave inside a verdant valley. The spirit was called CYOC, and his dreaded power was to create chaos by transforming beings. He could not create or imagine new forms, so he harvested the imagination of others to choose new forms for the beings that he transformed. He liked to feed the prejudice and ignorance of humans, but his wicked deeds could be born from any desire.
In his prison of law, CYOC waited patiently while humanity itself changed and eventually forgot all about the ancients spirits and gods of yore. The years became decades, the decades turned into centuries, the centuries into millenniums and then a groups of enterprising businessmen decided to build a new shopping mall in the small town of Springvalley, which was the exactly site of the final battle against CYOC.
The destiny choose that while the mall's foundations were being dug, the workers , who were rushing to finish early on a Saturday, broke the seals that held the spirit in check. Eventually, all the workers who wore wife-beaters bellow the jumpsuit were arrested for beating their wives, but that´s another story.
The awakening of CYOC was quick and discreet. Around the time he was sealed away from the world, everything changed and the changed again a lot. But something was the same, the humans. There was all sort of colors, all sort of cultures, men of reason and men of faith, maybe a little more mixed but prejudice and superstition still reigned. The power of order was everywhere and CYOC had few places to recharge his power. He had to keep close from his prison for a while.
" This world has much to learn about change yet. " Said the old spirit and widened his perception in search for his brothers and sisters. He felt no one, as the ancient spirits had moved away, died or have been imprisoned somewhere. Mankind has lost the fear of the old spirits, and thought themselves masters of the world. But that only made them easy prey for CYOC.
" I have much work to do. Soon the age of chaos will begin." Said the spirit while starting to wander around the town looking for his long denied feast.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
Next to the building site of the new shopping mall was a student lodge for the near Springvalley university Campus. Fred and Zach were playing video games at their shared apartment. They both had nineteen years old and were local students. Zach wanted graduate in pedagogy and was a Irish with red hair, not very built or tall. While Fred wanted to graduate in law, had blonde hair and had more muscle than Zach but had more fat also. They weren't exactly wiggers or fratboys, but they like hip hop very much and played a lot of gangster games, in fact they were smart and good kids who studied very much to achieve success in their chosen careers. Everybody in the building enjoyed both but their neighbour Francis. Francis was a racist and hated gangster culture and aways complained about their loud music and thought they both were on drugs or were capable of some criminal act just because the way they dressed. His strong preconceptions and hate rapidly attracted CYOC for his first bite at the new world.
" Sup man. We totally wasted them. But it's better if we take a break. I really have a paper to deliver tomorrow and if i don't grab the books by now it will suck. " said Zach getting up from the conch.
" Dear lord ! I lost track of the time, i had to meet Pam at the gym! She 'll be pissed. " Said Fred checking his messages on his cell.
" I really wonder who wear pants in this relationship bro. " Said Zach laughing while going for a break in the bathroom. While there, the lights flicked a bit, but Zach paid no attention to that. When he got out Fred was talking to some on the phone, his whole expression had changed, he looked pissed and something more. Maybe he was having a fight with Pam, so Zach got to his room to get his notebook. He couldn't forget Fred's eyes, they were dull and angry, so different from his usual carefree self, something was wrong. He decided to check if he had finished his call to ask what was the matter when suddenly Fred entered Zach's room.
" Wasup money. I need ya help with sumetin', gotta dip, we take my ride. " Said him with a deeper angry voice. He had changed into some ratty clothes he had never seen before, low pants, old timberland boots and a faded hoody. They both like to wear branded clothes designed to look like gangster, but these clothes seemed so authentic and made from cheap material. Zach dismissed that as some improvised gym clothes and changed into some trackies, trainers and a jersey.
When he got back in the living room, Fred was putting something inside his pants and he could glimpsed some ink bellow his collar. When did he made a tattoo ? He could not seen the whole thing, but it appeared crude. If he not knew better, Fred also appeared more buff and tanned than before, his eyes more full of violence betraying no compassion or *gasp* intelligence. They both got out of the apartment, and while walking down the stairs Zach noted that Fred walked with a gait of someone really raised on the streets. Zach was becoming afraid, but Fred was his best friend, if he needed his help he would go to the end.
" Yo dawg, buggin big huh ? Ya ain´t sume suburban wangsta. I want no mess with da deal tonite. This crib was cold, but we need to get back to the hood. " Said Fred with no phony gangster talk, this was a real gangster accent.
" What are you talking about ? We were not going to the gym ? " Shouted Zach.
" Chill, ya could use grabinn´ some irons later ace, but we have work to do. Youre a mad G, act like one. " Said Fred. Suddenly Zach felt a cold hand grab his shoulder and felt a shiver run his entire body, he looked back and saw nothing. He looked back to Fred to ask what was happening, but felt dizzy. There was something in his brain changing things. He felt a overpowering drive to be treated with respect, to answer any threat with violence. Long term goals and consequences were becoming beyond him, only the present mattered.
His clothes became ratty and stinked of old sweat. A ring appeared on his thumb and a goatee on his face, his hair branded itself in cornrows and a bandanna with his gangs colors appeared over it. Suddenly he became well aware that talking openly in the middle of street could attract cops. He feared cops, he hated them, he would shoot them. He tried to fight it, to remain who he were, but all those years hearing rap music were getting inside him, the rhymes finally sounding true, every word of it true. Society was a lie, studying and working were worthless, make you a lamb. If you wanted to be someone in the world you had to fight for it, look for true friends like those on your gang. He got the skills he needed, to be stronger.
Fred brought his car, he never had a new model but now his car was a old model in really bad shape. there were even some holes that appeared to be made by bullets near the door. But Zach found the car normal, when they grow as dealers they will have money to buy some fancy fast cars, but now they needed attitude. He got inside the car and Fred gave him a gun.
The harsh world of the streets were now their homes, not because they were poor or hadn't other options, but because now they were two hardcore thugs, robbing, dealing, chilling, were in their very blood and they couldn´t even consider a different life.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- +-+-
Jeff parked his Lexus in the Home Depot parking lot. Not many people of his age living in Springvalley could afford such a car, but Jeff achieved fast success as a resourceful web designer very early in life, he had all the privilleges, a lot different from his grandfather who was a Mexican immigrant ad worked a lot so his children could go to college. Jeff looked around to see dozens of illegals Mexicans who worked as day laborers, he felt pity for them specially the ones the same age as him who should be studying and not working so much. Jeff knew that different than his grandfather, Mexican nowdays had even fewer opportunities of living the American dream like himself. He just finished college, already a successful company owner. But now he had to focus in a matter in hand, he was renovating his new house so he could move there, and needed to buy some supplies.
While walking from his car to the store door, a fat guy in a old truck full of workers pulled up next to him and shouted: “ YARDWORK ? Huh, how do i say work in mexican ? ... Trabaho... en el jardin! 10 bucks hour. “ Said angrily the fat guy.
Jeff flinched for a moment before answering “ Sorry mister,i fear that i already have a job. Have a nice day. “ said Jeff bluntly. The fat man looked spooked, not because of the mistake but because he found quit strange a hispanic without accent.
“ Oh sorry. Bye. “ Said him driving to the next group of workers. Jeff became annoyed, it always happened when he came to places like this. He dressed well (maybe a bit on hipster side) but only because he is hispanic he gets mistake with a day laborer, white guys could be pretty dense sometimes. Jeff turned to resume his walk to the door when he felt a shiver down his spine.
CYOC was already around the parking lot, the hate against the immigrants and their children was too strong for him to ignore. Human beings feared the new since the start, and the new often started weak, fear soon became hate, and misconceptions were created to justify hate acts. Jeff was only in the wrong place in the wrong time.
Jeff felt a sudden dizziness, it was very hot outdoors, so he hurried and got inside the air conditioning. The store wasn´t very full and he took his time shopping. After some minutes he felt good again, in fact he felt better, more relaxed, loose, not so uptight, many problems from work that were worrying him didn´t matter anymore, the high- ups should resolve them (even if he was the owner). Jeff was happy that he was doing a simple job of buying supplies, for a moment his regular job with computers seemed so complicated and stressful.
Jeff skin started tanning, even having caramel skin, he was quite pale from being such a nerd, but now skin sported a dark tan, of someone who stayed outside all-day. Jeff was very thin, but now he was gaining weight, half muscles, half fat. His polo shirt grew to accommodate his new chubbiness but became bleached and stained in the process.
A very loud trash metal song began playing around Jeff, he wondered if was some gringo´s cell and even complained aloud when a passerby point that the music came from him. That was Jeff favorite song but now he found it annoying, only loud gringo noise. He answered the phone, was Jessica, his secretary.
“ Hello boss, Redking Group called, they want to schedule a meeting to negotiate the network bandwidth cost for the next trimester and to change the trademarked code for a opensource solution.” Said her pretty fast. Jeff knew she was talking about something from work, but he couldn´t understand it very well.
“ Good morning to you too Miss Jessica. I didn´t understand, please repeat slowly. “ Said Jeff not noticing the humble tone in his voice like he was talking to a boss, not his employee.
“ … Is this Jeff Narvaez ? I´m calling Jeff Narvaez phone. “ She asked annoyed, this awakened Jeff a little from his groggy state. “ Of course it´s me Jess. Why wound´t ? “
“ Jeff ?! Why are you talking with this accent ? I thought it was some relative of your talking. “ Said her more cheerfully.
“ What are you talking about ? I don´t have any accent. I don´t even speak spanish. Listen, schedule everything for tomorrow, i am taking my day off. Hasta luego. “ Said Jeff angryly turning off the phone. After calming himself he felt sorrow about Jess, she haven´t any falt. Why he was angering so fast ? He felt different, more rough around the edges, more manly. He wanted to examine this strange feelings, but he had a task and he needed to complete it.
Jeff resumed his search for all the itens from the list given by the contractor renovating his new home, but he was having trouble following it, so he asked for help to a store clerk. His name was Earl, and by the look of him he was some middle age Texan. Earl hated immigrants, he thought they came to steal their jobs. Even knowing Jeff was a regular customer, today he was having trouble remembering that. He stinked like some wet mexican day laborer. He hated when they got inside the store. So when Jeff approached, he barely could hold his animosity.
“ Hey Earl, i need your help. I guess this contractor renovating my home forgot to write this list in english. “ Said Jeff with a deep latin accent. This time even him could tell that was something wrong with the manner how he was talking. But he forgot about it, as soon as he saw the anger in Earl eye when he got the list.
“ This list is cool, now you wetbacks that should learn a real language before taking errands that you don´t have skill to fulfill. “ Earl said while shovering the list on Jeff and storming off.
“ Hijo del puta ! “ Jeff shouted back, immediately putting his hand on his mouth. He was swearing in spanish ? He didn´t know why he had done that. The strange feeling was coming back stronger, his face started itching and felt very rough to the touch like some sandpaper. He was near the bathroom mirrors aisle and got there to give a look on himself. He was unshaven, at least a week growth and a impressive mustache, when he was flawless shaven just moments ago. His hair was longer and wilder, even his eyebrows were thicker, near a unibrow.
Jeff was in shock, what was happening to him ? Turning around he saw a full body mirror, he saw that his clothes were changing also. Before he was wearing a polo shirt, khakis and dress shoes. Now he was sporting some old leather sandals, dirty jeans and a grubby grey t-shirt. Jeff panicked and run outside, on the way he saw a lot of store boards the he knew were written in english were now meaningless scribbles.
Jeff tried to get inside his car, but his keys had vanished. In their place stood only a bus card. In despair Jeff looked around and saw lots of day laborers dressed just like him. They were talking among themselves and Jeff could understand everything, even the slang. He was turning into one of them ? What a ridiculous stereotype, these illegal immigrant workers were only a fraction of all latin population on America society. This was not only unfair but sociologically it was... it was...
Jeff could not finish the internal monologue, he could´t remember the meaning of the word or all his lessons in anthropology that led him to understand all the ramifications of this transformation. In fact, his education was regressing, before he had full college education in webdesign and business. Now he barely had education of a high school drop-out and even that was decreasing. Common knowledge expected from someone raised on America was lost, he could´t understand any of the mechanism that someone could use to raise beyond the line of poverty.
Jeff´s teeth started decaying, some even falling down. His hand became calloused from year of hard work, his face became rough and it appeared that he was at least ten years older. Muscles that you could only gain from manual labor and a “tequilla” belly. Jeff arms became a lot hairier, and a chain formed around his neck with a crucifix over his chest.
Jeff couldn´t ask for help, even being born in USA, he now had a fear of authority and deportation imprinted in his very soul. A need was growing inside him, a need to work. He lost his last task, now he needed other job to pay his landlord. Jeff got inside a van for a farmhand job outside town, these were good jobs because they took longer and paid more barely remembering that he made more money in a week than his new self could make in a year. Jefe only thought now were that he needed money to buy nicer clothes to marry some chica. Maybe someday his grandchildren could have a education and go to college, but now a life of hardwork awaited him.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
CYOC was just beginning, this new world would be his to torment. Where CYOC should seek new victims? It was then that he felt his name being called, would exist followers of his in this age ? CYOC sensed people trading stories among distant lands, but he needed more power to reach them. It was no problem, there was plenty of negative feelings in this world for him to transform in power. The change is coming.