Riyad wasn't a big fan of fruits. His parents would force him to choke on at least two or three of them per day and tell him that he would thank them later. Out of all the fruits, he detested oranges the most. Bananas would always taste sweet and watermelons would never fail to be crunchy and watery. There were rare occasions when bananas would taste like grass and watermelon would sog down and bleed his pants, but oranges? Oranges were unpredictable and it wasn't the sort of unpredictability he noticed with the apples, either.
Every time he would pick up an orange, he would never know what he would get. When he would want them to taste sweet, they would taste sour and when he would want them to be sour, they would be bitter. The only thing that would get him past the first peel was the sheer force of his dad's glare. His dad would reassure him that as he would get older, he would be able to read the fruit's mind, and then he could pick his own oranges.
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Riyad didn't realize he fell asleep until he wasn't. He could open his eyes and check his surroundings, but he didn't want to. Even if he did, he knew that the sun shining right above his face would blind him back into darkness again. Instead, he thought of oranges.
Sweet or sour, I could really use some right now, he thought while laying on his back.
His body didn't feel as weak as before. He could feel some strength returning as he rubbed his arms on the ground to feel it. The grass razored his arm with their wet sharpness. He supposed that the stream gargling by him was probably misting water on them.
Stream... Suddenly, all the memories came back rushing to him. He quickly opened his eyes before the image of Carter's bloody body could appear in his mind. Tears puddled on the corners of his eyes at the thought of the siblings. He wanted to throw up, but his stomach was empty.
The image didn't appear, but the thoughts continued to rush. What was Yayli thinking when she saw him sitting on the back like a coward as Vinh tried to kill her? Was she regretting going inside the barn? What was Carter thinking as he dangled from the blade? Riyad shielded his eyes from the sun. He was ashamed to admit that there was another thought that triumphed over them all: he wanted to go home.
He wanted to go back to his bed and hide under the blanket. Then, he could get up in the morning and have breakfast with his parents before heading out to school with Irfan. Not even walking half-asleep to school with an upset stomach sounded bad. He could just avoid Bibha until the summer break would start. Maybe, he could even meet up with his brother after school and play basketball at the park. A life that he would consider dull had never felt this special.
I promise, I would never tell anyone about all this...please, take me back home. Riyad punched his head for thinking like a coward. He continued to punch until the arrow that was stuck to his arm hit the ground and dug deeper into his muscles. He winced in pain until he was able to pull it out and throw it far away from him. The pain numbed a bit, but it still hurt. I'm sorry Yayli...I'm sorry, Carter...I'm sorry, aunt Nur...
His mourning was interrupted by a set of footsteps that seemed to be coming toward his direction.
Why spare my life? So, I can live the rest of my life in shame?
Two blurry heads came into his vision. The sunlight sipped in between them and obscured his view.
"Do ya know him, Carter?"
"Nuh-uh, Yayli!"
Riyad stared at their silhouette in horror. The siblings were back and they stood around him as if they weren't just murdered by Vinh. His body became caked with cold sweat.
He turned his head and from the corner of his eyes, he saw the same stream that he woke up by just a couple of hours ago. He should've been happy and jumping with joy to see them alive again, but he continued to lay on the grass with a sickening feeling in his stomach.
"A spy?"
"A terrorist?"
His left leg began trembling as he heard the siblings recite the exact words as before. They were even leaning toward him with the exact poses. It was almost as if he had traveled back in time. Am I...stuck in a simulation? Do I have to...continue doing the same thing until I'm able to save them...or find a way to get out of here?
"He looks stupefied."
I wanna go home...
"Like a retard?"
I'm tired...
"More like an idiot."
He finally stood up and the two siblings jumped back.
"Hey! His legs are alive!" Carter yelled out.
Only now he was able to get a proper view of Carter and Yayli and it lightened his stomach. They were the same siblings he met before. The slightly crooked nose of Yayli was the exact same and their slightly taller height hadn't changed a bit. In the end, they were still alive and Riyad still had a chance to fix things. Although, he wasn't sure if he would want to go through it all again.
Despite the suspiciousness in their eyes, he wanted to reach up and hug them both, but he held back. He realized that they didn't recognize him, but it didn't matter. He didn't know how to hug anyone anyway.
"I'm telling you, Carter. His brain's fried. What do ya think happened to him?"
This is your chance to fix everything...if...this is how it has to be. They both stood as alive as any human could. He felt an itch of guilt. Here stood the pair who risked their lives to try to save him. Yet, he was torn apart between wanting to go home and ensuring the safety of the siblings. He told himself again that the siblings probably weren't aware of what they were getting themselves into when they sneaked into the barn. Would he have done the same if the roles were reversed and he wasn't aware of the robotic monster behind the barn doors?
Saving the siblings meant saving myself and completely avoiding the situation with Vinh... He was no match for Vinh, but this time around, he had something Vinh didn't have. He was aware of the future as much as the past. Maybe, just maybe, he could change his situation just a tiny bit enough for Vinh to never find out about him. Considering that this is all a simulation, that is. Of course, there was still the arrow in his arm for consideration, which didn't seem to be complimenting his theory.
"Hey, guys," he finally spoke. No messing up this time. "I- uh, I'm Jasper and I'm from Woods. Someone really dangerous is chasing me right now, so if you guys can take me to someone who can help me escape, I would uh, really appreciate it."
Great, you already messed up. Should've just told them something else and went to Y.E. instead.
"Someone, huh?" Carter frowned.
"Someone tough?" asked Yayli.
Do they know someone who can fight someone like Vinh?
"Ah!" cheered Carter.
"I think we know the perfect person for this situation. Why don't you come with us, so we can take you there?"
"Come with us, Jasper!"
Nice, they are gonna take me to Y.E! Riyad relaxed his chest. A random thought popped up in his mind: why didn't Yayli seem friendly to Y.E?
I could wow them by asking them about Y.E. and Pikeya...they're gonna think I'm so cool, heh...nah! They're gonna crack my head with that pickaxe. He cracked a smile. His throat was itching to bombard them with questions and facts, now that he held more information himself, but he decided that it would be better to be cautious with his words. Y.E's reaction to Riyad's questions was suspicious enough.
The group slowly began following the stream, toward the village. Everything looked the same as before—even the sun above his head, which shone with the same intensity. Riyad stopped his mind from wondering where exactly where he was in the universe. He inhaled the sweet breeze. This is my reality now.
"Say, Jasper," Yayli readjusted her pickaxe, "why are you being chased?"
"Because I stole someone's chicken."
He didn't want to admit it, but he wanted to make the siblings laugh and wow them with his knowledge, especially Yayli, but it didn't quite work out in his favor. Yayli almost tripped, but she quickly straightened herself and side-eyed Carter and he nodded. Riyad sighed. His pathetic attempt at a joke now had the siblings on their toes. They probably believed him, because after all, that was that they mentioned the last time. Riyad wondered if their chickens had been getting stolen.
"I've stolen a chicken once," Yayli shrugged.
"Nothing bad about stealing."
Huh? As he looked over his shoulder to Carter, who now had a straw in his mouth. There was one mystery that he hadn't considered much: the siblings. Were the siblings a part of the whole mystery? Could they lead him to the door back to his own reality? Riyad shuddered. At least, they seemed friendlier than Vinh. They could kill him right there and then if they had wanted to.
"Hey!" Carter poked Riyad's arm. "Jasper's leaking!"
Yayli stopped in her tracks and leaned in front of his wound. "Whoa, this looks bad. The chicken dude really ain't playing around, huh?" Before she could poke his wound, Riyad flinched back. "Don't worry, Jasper. We will patch you up so good, once you're healed, you'll be able to hear with your arm!"
Riyad smiled once more. He had much growing up to do. Maybe the siblings could be the vine he could grab onto on his ride to the top.
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It wasn't long before they reached the village and Riyad continued to walk ahead of the group toward the heart of the village. As much as he wanted to play dumb, he also wanted to hint his stash of knowledge to them. Surely, Yayli would be impressed by just how enigmatic he was. Ever since he met the siblings the second time around, there was a constant struggle for powers between the angel and devil on his shoulders.
No, Riyad! Focus. Leave Yayli alone. This is very serious, said the angel on his shoulder. He looked behind him and saw the siblings standing by the horse with a set of puzzled eyebrows.
Riyad stopped in his tracks. "What happened?"
Yayli put down her pickaxe and leaned on it. "Changed your mind?"
"It looks like all the strong people should be over there."
"No, stupid. All the weaklings are over there," spat Carter. "You want to meet a tough person? He is over here."
Yayli nodded at the house next to them as Carter finished speaking. Riyad's eyes slowly veered towards the direction she pointed. It was the house where the siblings lived.
Y.E. is in there? So, some things have changed...I don't really see the chicken around here, either. He turned his attention back to the siblings. Who are these kids?
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