Hollow: A Coalesce Short

The Cage

Atlanta, GA

United States of America

January 2017

Mack noticed that Jian looked terribly empty. He didn’t know how that happened; usually the Asian was full of life and cheer and teasing. So he tried to bring it back. 

“Business looks like it’s starting to suck,” he commented. Jian rolled his eyes as he polished the inside of a glass, later looking up to see the curly-haired man glancing at him. The smirk appeared once Mack recognized that empty Jian was still present. “I’m surprised people are still coming out and drinking when shit’s been happening lately, you know?”

“You make it sound like there’s someone out there to murder everyone,” the bartender replied dryly, doing his best to ignore the sudden uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. Fingers twitched.

“There might be.” Mack shrugged and took another drink from the beer bottle, “I’m not surprised anymore. You get shit like this happening left and right. You sort of get used to it the more you immerse yourself into investigating it.” he said all of this while holding the bottle gently, keeping up the inviting tone in his voice. Trying to get the same old Jian out. 

“You’re very calm about all of this.” Jian set aside the glass where many others also sat in perfect lines, “It’s weird.” 

“I don’t generally give a shit unless my life’s at stake,” the other answered bluntly. This made a frown come to the Taiwanese man’s expression, a stony frown instead of an empty one, and Mack noticed. He blinked. “What’s wrong?” Did I do this wrong? 

“Nothing, nothing. You want another drink?” 

Mack was about to say something else when his eyes fell on the nearly consumed bottle. “Huh. Alright.”

Minutes passed. Jian served other customers and Mack drank, occasionally texting his squad mates or reading something online. Eventually did Jian return, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. Mack glanced up and couldn’t help but smile. “You look like you need a drink yourself.”

“Later. We’re closing up early tonight, but you can stay.” the forensic scientist raised a brow but didn’t say anything, instead nodding. Jian unpocketed his phone and glanced at it shortly before returning it. He cleared his throat. 

“Mm?”

“You’re on the case, aren’t you?” 

Mack was not surprised. Instead, he gave another nod. “Right. My squad is on it, but we haven’t really gotten to the down and gritty. We’re just backup until the police give up and hand it over to us.” 

“And how are the police doing?” Another weird feeling in his stomach. Jian felt his fingers give a small switch and shoved his hands into his pockets to hide them. The other didn’t notice. 

“Fuck if I should know,” Mack laughed. “I’m just a forensic scientist, Jian. All I care about are the evidences or data sent my way, and that’s when I can start to care. But as for now?” the man shrugged and raised his bottle to him, then drank. “As for now, I’m retaining my usual mode.”

“Your lack of shit-giving.” 

“Apathy, Jian. Apathy.” this made the bartender stop for a moment, and Mack noticed yet again. “You okay?” Jian nodded, letting an empty fall to his lips. He looked back at Mack. 

“Perfectly fine. Just do me a favor?” Mack gave an eager nod. To his disappointment, Jian turned to go back to the staff room, most probably for a break or to fix himself up. “Don’t talk about things you know nothing about.” With that he left, leaving behind a bewildered (and very much confused) Mack behind with his beer. A lady came out soon and kindly asked if the curly-haired man wanted another drink, but Mack refused and soon paid. 

Jian watched from the door as Mack eventually left and exhaled. Said lady peeked back inside and lifted her brow at him. “Was he pissing you off?”

“No,” he replied, eventually getting his false calm back. Jian cleared his throat and fixed his collar, “No, Elsie. He was okay. I just needed a break.” The braided girl gave him a long look before shrugging the man’s mood off.

“Suit yourself. You ending shift in a while?” Jian nodded and Elsie shoved him away from the door, “Go. I’ll take over.” 

The two stared at each other before Jian gave his trademark smile. “Thanks, Elsie.” the lady left to take over Jian’s remaining ten minutes and the Taiwanese man exhaled upon realizing that there was no one else with him in the room. 

He had to admit to himself that talking about recent crimes with Mack had stirred something within. Mack then mentioning his so-called ‘apathy’ made it worse. His fingers gave a twitch; Jian looked down at his hands and saw his pointer and thumb fingers of his left hand making a movement similar to that of turning on a lighter. “Fuck,” he muttered. “Fuck.”

Jian stuck to a schedule most times. That night, he had planned to go back to his apartment and just rest, then carry on with his other duties the following day.

He quickly collected his items, clocked out, and left the bar, taking the longer path that time instead of the shorter one. His fingers twitched and he grit his teeth, walking further and further and further away until he reached a more deserted area. 

A small, worn out place. He had to double check if there were people around.

(If there were, that would make it both more relieving and at the same time more stressful. He wasn’t quite sure how that was possible, but it was. Alas.)

Upon seeing no one else, he let a smile come to his lips, took out a pouch from his own bag, and approached the area quietly. Footsteps were quick to fade, leaving almost no trace behind. 

Five minutes, then ten, then fifteen. 

The steps weren’t new to Jian, as he prepared the materials and took out a few more. A few lighters, matches, and the like. Eventually it was ready. The entire place was ready to be razed to the ground and it send a chill up his spine, but it was the kind of chill that he liked. 

You’re fucking disgusting, the more rational side in him groaned, but he ignored it just as he did almost ninety-percent of the time that he did that. 

Eventually, he had to take a number of steps back and watch from a corner as the entire thing started to rage. Flames licked around the edges, tasting. Flames liked what they tasted and began to tear the place apart. 

Jian stayed and watched. 

Watched and watched and watched until he didn’t know how much time had passed and the place was still burning (Jesus did that take long). While watching, he merely kept his gaze forward and let the image burn into his mind. At the same time, he willed for his current feelings to burn away with the building. 

Feel something, asshole. That’s why you’re doing this kind of thing in the first place. The voice in his head sneered. What do you feel?

To his disappointment, there was nothing. 

“I feel nothing,” Jian muttered to himself, but also fill the emptiness around him. In the silence, sirens began to fill the air but he remained hidden in his corner, still staring at the burning building. “Nothing at all.”