Realm 3, Milky Way109Please respect copyright.PENANAr7kXhB6edV
Earth, United States
October 21st, 2008
Lockers slammed shut as the students of Casper High School were milling about, ready to go home from a long109Please respect copyright.PENANA78y7hHQ7lm
day of studies. Homecoming week had everyone gushing about the upcoming theme days and dance. The halls were decorated with masks and gold and silver streamers, flyers plastered on every door and window to remind the students of the masquerade theme. Teachers tried to guide the students out of the building in a timely manner, rushing those that were only just reaching their own locker.
"You've got 4 minutes until the buses leave!" Shouted a male teacher. "Come on now Ms. Hayne, you've just been standing there. Get a move on."
"I'm waiting for my friend; we're supposed to go home together." The girl replied. With a nod the teacher turned to a couple to admonish them for public display of affection.
Rolling her eyes, the girl began to tap her foot impatiently. "Come on Egg Head, why're you always late?" She muttered in annoyance.
"Zoraiya!"
Turning at the familiar voice, Zoraiya Hayne broke into a grin as she saw her best friend's bright blue mohawk rushing through the crowd. He shoved past a group of jocks, his porcelain face flush from exertion. He had a delicate pixie-like face, most people mistaking him for a tomboyish girl before he opened his mouth.
"I'm sorry, I was finishing up my project for Photoshop." He explained breathlessly. "I was working on Zeig's coronation, I'm so excited I've been wanting to make this for a while!"
"It's ok," replied Zoraiya. "I thought you forgot about tonight."
"No way I could! Been wanting you to spend the night forever, I've got so much to ask you."
Egres suddenly paused to look at Zoraiya as if just noticing her. "Why are you wearing that?" He asked, pointing to her red bandana.
Zoraiya was confused at his question. "Um...to keep my hair back?"
"Oh, never mind." Egres shook his head. "You reminded me of someone I used to talk to. We aren't friends anymore."
As he made his way through the crowd, Zoraiya awkwardly slid her bandanna off and let her long black hair fall. She tucked the piece of cloth in her back pocket as she followed him, climbing into the back of a black SUV with her friend.
"Hi Mrs. Leisiem! Thank you again for having me over tonight." Zoraiya greeted the middle-aged woman in the driver's seat.
She had a round and kind face. A pair of of librarians glasses perched on a slightly crooked nose. "It's ok, Raye. He should have friends on his birthday." The woman responded with a thick accent, her airy voice making Zoraiya feel welcomed.
Egres stuffed his backpack between his feet and began rummaging through his folders as he told his mother about his day. Zoraiya couldn't help but smile as she listened to the two speak to each other. She envied their relationship, her own mother too busy to spend any time with her let alone her siblings. Usually, Zoraiya was responsible for taking care of her younger sisters as soon as she got home from school. If anything, it was still a shock to her that her mother even agreed to let her spend a night with her friend, let alone the week. She was still ruminating over her home life when Egres shoved a picture in front of her face.
"Lookit!" He demanded excitedly, his cerulean eyes wide with excitement. "I told ya I finished it. I think I might actually want to add more details to his robe, but this is what he looks like!"
Zoraiya grabbed the picture and studied it carefully. Although Egres was just turning 17, his skills as an artist were on par with any professional. The main character of his story stared right up at her with a cherubic smile. His flaming orange hair reached his waist, his cheeks pink with happiness. He wore a flowing white robe, a scarlet tippet draped over his shoulders embroidered with golden symbols. The character sat on a throne as he held a coronation scepter in one hand, a ball of blue fire in the other. The piece was so well done Zoraiya could've mistaken it for an actual photo.
"This is really good. But I'm curious," she said as she handed the art back to Egres. "Who's Zeig? I've only heard you talk about him in passing, but you've never really told me about him."
Egres smiled at his best friend. "Tell me about Nathaniel." He countered.
Zoraiya blinked owlishly at him wondering how he knew the name. Egres laughed and pulled out a composition notebook the two had been using to write notes to each other in between classes.
"You mentioned him in this. Do you even remember what you wrote?"
With a shake of her head, Zoraiya reached for the notebook. Mostly filled with random rants and doodles, the notebook also had short stories the two had been writing in their pastime. Egres opened the notebook to the page he was referring to and handed it over, talking excitedly as Zoraiya tried to read her own scribbles.
"I've seen Zeig since I was a kid. He's my main character." Explained Egres. "I've got this whole story mapped out; I know their language, their history, and even how the planet was made. I've got more characters but he's currently my favorite which is funny because when I first saw him, I hated him. I don't even know why, I just really hated him.
"He's the leader of a future earth. He isn't human at all he just uses a humanoid form so it doesn't scare people. Also, he's a major goofball despite his past. He may be the leader of the future Earth, but all he wants is to live life and experience joy. He's only got his brother and nephews for family right now. He used to be married and have kids. But he became infected by a disease that only his species can get and...did bad stuff to them. Imagine rabies on steroids, except you're fully aware of what's happening and no matter how hard you try there's nothing you can do to stop it. Until a scientist created the cure way after Zeig waged war on his own people.
"The story is still coming to me in bits and pieces. But that's what I've got so far!" With an excited flush on his face, Egres stared at Zoraiya expectantly. "So...."
Zoraiya looked up from the notebook and shrugged. "Sounds like the makings of a pretty epic story. Why do you want to know about mine? It's really basic compared to yours." She admitted.
"I don't care." Egres said with a smile. "What you wrote sounds interesting too. What's Nathaniel like? Who is he? Where'd he come from?"
Zoraiya couldn't help but laugh at Egres's exuberance. "I swear, there isn't much to him. Like I said in the notebook, I dreamt about him. That's it. I didn't even remember that I wrote to you about him."
Still, Egres stared at her expectantly, rolling his hands in front of him motioning Zoraiya to keep on going. With a defeated sigh Zoraiya turned in her seat slightly to face him.
"I'm serious. My story is just about a lonely vampire that lost his soulmate and how he's been spending lifetimes trying to find her." Said Zoraiya.
"Lifetimes? How old is the guy?"
Zoraiya shrugged again. "I'm not sure. But he is the ruler of his own land. All the citizens are essentially refugees that lived an abusive life but were granted the ultimate respite. Honestly, I'm kind of bored by his story. He and the citizens live in a utopia that's impossible to destroy because it's protected by the laws of the realm it's in. Oh, and that his cousin is his worst enemy."
"That's it? Come on," Egres goaded. "I talk to you all the time about my stories. You can give me a little more than that."
Zoraiya stared at him for a beat before she reached into her own bag and pulled out a green spiral bound notebook. "Well, I've got a picture of Nathaniel's cousin somewhere around here. And I wrote a short story about him for our Creative Writing class. Here it is!"
She gave the notebook to Egres, a folded-up piece of paper falling on his lap when he opened it. He balked at the tiny writing on the pages.
"Yeah, I'm not reading all that." He said. "Not that I don't want to. I just personally don't like reading cause I'm slow and this would take me a week."
"It's just 3 pages!" Zoraiya laughed.
"Front and back?! You wrote this for ANTS, not human eyes."
The two laughed at each other as Egres picked up the paper that had fallen out. He unfolded it carefully before suddenly going so still he wasn't even breathing.
"What is it?" Asked Zoraiya.
With a grimace, Egres handed the drawing over to her.
"I don't like him. He looks dumb."
Zoraiya stared at him in shock. "That's pretty harsh considering you just asked me to tell you about my characters..."
"No, oh my god, that's not what I meant." Egres rushed to amend. "The drawing is really good. I just...he feels off."
With a tilt of her head, Zoraiya frowned. "I guess that makes sense. He's a pretty evil dude. The skit I just wrote was of how he had destroyed an entire village sparing no one. All because he was bored...you got that just from the drawing?"
"I don't know. Like I said; just a feeling."
"Okay..."
"Tell me their story. I swear I really want to know."
With a deep breath Zoraiya hesitantly shared her own stories and characters, Egres's eyes growing wide and an excited grin spreading across his face as she shared as much as she dared. The more she spoke, the happier Egres became. Eventually they arrived at his house, Mrs. Leisiem insisting they relax in the finished basement while she cooked Egres's birthday dinner. The friends didn't miss a beat as they continued to share their ideas and different stories.
The two had barely known each other for four months now, but they'd been inseparable since the first day they met their sophomore year of high school. They had never met anyone else like the other. The more they shared, the more they noticed the similarities of their lives. Escaping reality was their pastime, the people and stories they saw the only respite they had from strict parents and outright neglect.
"I love my mom more than anything." Said Egres as he handed Zoraiya a can of soda. He opened the basement door that led to his backyard, motioning for Zoraiya to follow him. "But my dad...he just doesn't care. Like, at all. I can't remember the last time we went out as a family and my dad didn't ruin it with his attitude. So, I try to take my mom out every chance I get. Lately she's been really tired and it's been freaking me out."
"Has she gone to the doctors?"
"No, she refuses. She said it's just because she's working too much, but she won't cut back on the hours either."
"Does your dad not work?"
"Not anymore." Sighed Egres. "He decided he wanted to become a priest about a week ago. My mom thinks it's a good idea and that he's all 'noble and good' for doing it. But I see it for what it is."
Zoraiya took a sip of her soda as she studied Egres's profile. He was starting to zone out, his eyes focused on the creek they had been walking alongside of.
"He's avoiding me." He softly said as he kicked at a clump of sand. "He called me a demon fag last night. Said that I'm too interested in the occult and stuff like that. We got into a really bad fight and he said a lot of awful shit to me."
The temperature was beginning to drop as the sun began to set. Zoraiya couldn't stop staring at her friend, her heart breaking as she noticed him bite his lower lip to keep it from trembling. She knew how he felt, her own mother never missing a chance to remind her that she was meant to be aborted. She kept silent though, knowing that Egres needed his moment to vent and feel his well-deserved anger.
"I don't know, man. I just really wish it was just me and my mom. I've even asked her to get a divorce."
"You did what?!"
Egres nodded. "You don't understand. My dad drains her dry. My mom does everything she can to make all of us happy, except for herself. That's why tomorrow she's going to hang with us. I got us an appointment to a hair salon, I want to treat my mom to at least a trim. She thinks the appointment is for me to change my color but it's really for her."
"Seraaaaa!"
Instantly Egres cringed and crushed his empty soda can in his hand. "Oh god, I hate when she calls me that."
Zoraiya couldn't help but laugh at the face he made. "What does it mean?"
Egres smirked as he began to lead them back to his house. "It's a term of endearment that means royalty. I never felt it fit me, though."
They were halfway up the hill when they suddenly heard the bellows of a very angry man that stopped them in their tracks. Zoraiya couldn't understand what the man was yelling, the words in a different language. They could hear dishes shattering and doors slamming. Very faintly they heard Mrs. Leisiem say something inaudible that only seemed to anger the man more. He was so loud that the neighbor's dogs began to bark wildly in response. Zoraiya glanced at her friend, his pretty features pinched, his eyes searing with anger as he swallowed thickly.
Slowly she reached out to grab Egres's hand, his instantly closing around hers as he stared at his house forlornly.
"Do you think they could be real?" He whispered.
Zoraiya's brow furrowed at the question. "Who do you mean?"
Egres turned to face her, his eyes wet with tears he refused to let fall. "Zeig and Nathaniel. What if they were real? What if they existed but in a parallel universe?"
Zoraiya looked down at their hands. There was only one answer to that.
"Every shooting star I see, every eyelash that falls; with every birthday candle I get...There's not a day I don't wish they were real." She admitted.
The shouting continued and they remained outside for a moment longer as Egres tried to compose himself. Zoraiya took a deep breath and gently shook Egres's arm. "Come on. Your mom made some bomb food. I'm not going to let your dad ruin it."
The two held hands as they made their way up the rest of the hill, only letting go when they reached the door.
Although the tension could be cut with a knife, Zoraiya switched off her personal feelings and put on a neutral front. Egres paused at the foot of the stairs, his face uncertain as his father continued to yell obscenities. Zoraiya smiled at him with encouragement, moving up the stairs as she loudly started complimenting Mrs. Leisiem's cooking.
"GAWD that smells SO good ma'am! What'd you make? I'd like a bit of everything!"
The screaming stopped as quickly as it began, Mr. Leisiem marching into his room without so much as a glance at her and slamming the door shut. She reached out to rub Mrs. Leisiem's back, the woman trying desperately to hide her ire as Egres came up the steps.
"You don't have to serve us, ma'am. Let us do it. Go sit down, we've got this." Zoraiya gently offered. Egres shot her a thankful look as he poured a glass of water for his mom before leading her into the dining room that she so lovingly prepared for him.
As Zoraiya began to serve the three of them, Mr. Leisiem suddenly came out of his room and into the kitchen. She turned just as he paused to glare down at her. With a mischievous grin, she held his gaze unflinchingly.
"Ya want some?" She offered cheekily.
The man was as round as he was tall. His features were naturally fierce, his lips set in a grim line. It looked like he had never cracked a smile a day in his life. Any other time he would've intimidated Zoraiya. But today wasn't his day, and she was going to make damn sure he didn't ruin anymore of it.
"Are you Zoraiya?" The man asked, his voice deceptively calm. "Sera told me about you."
"Mmhmm," Zoraiya walked out of the kitchen to place a full platter in front of Egres and his mother. Egres was staring at her with wide eyes, his expression clearly asking her what the hell she was doing. She ignored the look and returned to the kitchen to face Mr. Leisiem. "Would you like any food, sir?"
The man glared at her before he shook his head, turning to the fridge to grab a cold bottle of tea.
"Great, it was nice meeting you too!" Zoraiya called to him as he lumbered back into his room and slammed the door shut for the second time. She silently made herself a plate and returned to the dining room, Egres staring at her as if she'd grown a second head.
Taking a heaping bite of her food Zoraiya groaned in ecstasy. "Oh. My. God. Mrs. Leisiem, I'm obsessed with your cooking. This is great!"
Egres took the que and shot her a thankful smile. "Thanks for dinner, mom. I appreciate it."
Mrs. Leisiem smiled shakily and tried to change the subject, asking the two how their day at school went. After a few minutes the tension was forgotten and Egres soon had his mother laughing as he told her about an incident that happened that day in the cafeteria where Zoraiya had laughed so hard she spit milk straight into their classmates' ear. Not once did Mr. Leisiem make a return appearance.
Once they finished their meal, Egres and Zoraiya ushered Mrs. Leisiem out into the living room to have her relax while they cleaned up the kitchen. "Just chill, mom. You've been up since 5am. I can clean the kitchen just fine.
"It's your birthday, sera. Just leave it there I'll take care of it when I wake up." Insisted Mrs. Leisiem.
"Do you have any left-over ginger root?" Zoraiya asked Mrs. Leisiem.
"Yes, in the refrigerator. Why?"
"Stay there, I'm going to make some tea really quick."
Egres stayed with his mother to tuck a blanket around her as she surfed through the tv until she found a show she could fall asleep to. Within ten minutes Zoraiya returned with a steaming mug of ginger tea with some milk. "It's supposed to help with relaxing your muscles. There's extra in the pot if you want to try some." She said to him as she handed him the mug.
Egres took a quick sip out of curiosity, his eyes popping open in surprise at the taste. "This is really good. Here, take it."
Mrs. Leisiem briefly fought the offer until Egres firmly clamped her hands around the mug. "Please, mom. Just drink a little bit." He pleaded.
Mrs. Leisiem glanced at Zoraiya and tried to smile; her exhaustion palpable. "Thank you. You two should go. Don't let me ruin tonight."
"You're not the one ruining tonight." Egres gently patted his mother's hands as he looked towards Zoraiya. "You can go ahead and use my computer if you want. I'll be right behind you."
Zoraiya nodded and pulled away to go back to the basement. She could hear Egres muttering to his mom to try and get her to lay down.
It was a full moon that night, its light illuminating the basement. Zoraiya walked down the stairs towards the windows facing the backyard. As she gazed up at the moon, she couldn't help but whisper the same wish she dreamt of since she first saw Nathaniel.
"I wish you were real..."
After he made sure his parents were both asleep, Egres finally returned to the basement. "I'm really sorry about all that. I thought my dad was on a mission for church. Guess my mom had the dates mixed up."
Zoraiya looked up from her writing, her eyes slightly unfocused from staring at the computer screen for the last hour. "It's ok. I was just adding a new scene I just saw while listening to your music. You've got a pretty impressive collection!"
Egres laughed a little as he pulled a giant bean bag up next to Zoraiya's chair. He threw himself on it belly side up, his mohawk flopping to the side. "If our people are real, now's a good time to show themselves." He muttered.
Saving her work, Zoraiya faced Egres. She left some music playing in the background knowing how much he hated silence.
"What would you do if they were?" She asked.
"Ask them to take me back home." He replied without hesitation. He sat up a bit and blew his hair out of his eyes. "I've been wanting to tell you something for a while now." He said hesitantly, his expression wary as he gauged Zoraiya's expression.
She motioned for him to continue, her attention solely on him. Egres remained silent for a moment as he bit his lower lip, his dark blue eyes softening as he sighed.
"I actually believe Zeig and Nathaniel are real." His eyes widened as he immediately regretted his confession. The color drained from his face. His pixie features made him look like a lost child as he slowly sunk back into his beanbag chair his eyes never straying from hers.
Zoraiya's face remained neutral, the only movement she made from her breathing. After a few moments she started to pick at her nails as she took in a deep breath, unable to meet his gaze. "Sometimes I can see Nathaniel waiting for me outside of school." She quietly confessed.
Immediately Egres relaxed, shakily letting out the breath he had been holding in. "Oh, thank god you don't think I'm crazy." He rushed. "It's what my ex-friend, Kai, said. I told him I believed Zeig might be real and he just dogged on me and kept saying I needed to be institutionalized."
"I mean, we should still keep a healthy mindset about this." Zoraiya interjected. "Trust me, I have these extremely vivid dreams of Nathaniel showing up at my door, or waiting for me outside of school. They're so vivid I genuinely forget at times what's memory and what's just a part of my imagination."
"But...?"
Zoraiya sighed, shaking her head more to herself than at Egres. "There's no real evidence...Just these 'visions' I get of them." She used her fingers to sign air quotes. "We need to be careful. That's all I can say." She finished lamely.
Egres let out a relieved sigh. "I get what you mean...I don't want to feed into a delusion and end up finding out I'm deranged." He ran a delicate hand through his hair as he took in a couple of deep breaths. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to tell you that, though. Ever since you and I met, the visions have only gotten more intense. I've seen you and I in this huge cafeteria with a bunch of other kids and Zeig is there, along with a few other of my people."
"Does the cafeteria have floor to ceiling windows? And on the northern side it's always snowing, while the southern side it's always like a perfect summer?"
The stunned silence that followed made Zoraiya squirm. She wasn't sure why she had blurted it out. She couldn't remember how or when she had seen such a place, but speaking to Egres caused a very vivid image to appear in her mind's eye.
"Tell me what you see." He demanded.
"Well..."
Zoraiya explained how she usually saw her and Egres still attending school, but instead of the usual classes they were learning more about space and aeronautics. She distinctly recalled a dream she had where they were learning about galaxies and the result of them colliding.
"Are you talking about the Andromeda and the Milky Way?" Egres interrupted.
"Yes! The guy teaching it is a man named— "
"Asmar?"
The two stared at each other in shock, the only sound the music Zoraiya had left playing.
"There's no way this is just coincidence." Egres declared as he pulled himself off the beanbag and started to pace. "This is the first time you and I have hung out outside of school. We only have one class together. We JUST told each other about Zeig and Nathaniel, I mean, I haven't even told you about Arky for fucks sake."
"You mean the guy with black hair that wears bandannas all the time?"
Egres stopped mid-pace, his jaw dropping as he turned to face his best friend.
Zoraiya was staring off into space, her expression whimsical. "He wears a green jacket almost all the time. He's usually a major goofball, but he's got secrets...the type he'd do anything to protect. He looks mean, but that's just his resting face. He loves to a fault, but when you've done something to break that love and trust, there's no getting it back. He will erase you from his memory."
"How the hell do you know about him?" Egres whispered in shock.
The blush that spread across her face made him giddy.
"I, uh...I had a dream that he uh..." Zoraiya tried to clear her throat but Egres let out a guffaw that had her turning redder.
"Tell me you didn't..." He teased.
"We didn't do anything I swear." Zoraiya rushed. "I just had a dream that I woke up to him trying to pick the lock to my bedroom door. I woke up thinking it was just my dog scratching at it, but when it opens, he's there. I don't think he thought I'd be awake either. At least, I think he looked surprised. He just kind of stood there for a moment before he smiled and put a finger to his lips telling me to keep quiet. He walked in my room, then quietly closed my door behind him..."
Egres was staring at her raptly, his mouth hanging open and his eyes glittering with excitement. "Then what? What did he do?" He asked.
"I..." Zoraiya suddenly frowned and looked up at him. "I can't remember after that. I think he tried to tell me something, but I really can't say what."
Egres raked his hands through his hair for the umpteenth time, his excitement palpable. "This is insane. Holy shit. You saw Arky. You definitely saw Arky."
"How do you mean?"
"I've never even drawn him out but you just described him perfectly. Even the part about him picking the lock. Arky taught himself how to pick locks when he was a kid. It's such a random thing to know, yet you saw it. You saw him, Raye."
Zoraiya wanted to deny it but she couldn't think of anything to say. Everything they had talked about sounded psychotic. She half believed they really were experiencing a shared delusion, but that was almost too easy to say. Somehow, she and Egres had the same information about people they both thought they'd made up.
"What do you think this means?" She asked.
"I don't know. But I have a feeling we're going to find out very soon."
While there were still a few hiccups throughout her visit, Zoraiya made sure to not let Mr. Leisiem get to her or her best friend. The rest of the week went by faster than they wanted, but by then they had already created a bond neither had ever experienced before. Every night they sat up for hours on end simply talking about their various stories, characters, and worlds. More often than not they found themselves finishing each other's sentences and descriptions of people and places.
By the time Zoraiya made it back home, they were texting each other every other hour. Not a second went by throughout the weekend that she wasn't texting him. When she woke up for school, the first thing she did was shoot Egres a morning text with a brief description of the dream she had that night. She completed her morning duties with her nose stuck to the phone, only looking up as she buckled herself into the front seat of her mother's car.
"Don't ask me to go anywhere this week, I need you to take care of the girls for me." Said Mary-Bell Hayne as she ushered her youngest daughters into the backseat.
Zoraiya closed her eyes and took a moment to take in a deep breath before she could speak without any venom behind her words. "Did you make plans with Titi Mari?" She gently asked, remembering that her mother and aunt had been calling each other quite a bit the last few weeks.
"No, I just really need to catch up on sleep."
The blasé response had Zoraiya gritting her teeth and staring blankly straight ahead. She waited for her mother to elaborate but she knew better. Every week was the same. Their mother was planning on squandering every cent they owned on lord knows what. Zoraiya couldn't fathom how a single human being could blow through thousands a month and leave barely $40 for her children to figure out how to survive on.
Every month they lived in fear knowing they were one missed payment away from getting their water or electricity shut off. They didn't own cable, let alone a working tv. They lived in a repurposed, roach infested trailer home that barely had a working AC. Zoraiya and her sister's diets mostly consisted of mac and cheese and hotdogs. No one would believe that "sweet, God loving, single mother" Mary-Bell was actually a two-faced selfish bitch that provided the bare minimum to her children.
Zoraiya didn't dare ask where the money went. Last time she did, she had compiled her mothers receipts and wrote down whenever she spent money. The amount was astronomical. So she confronted her mother with the proof. In retaliation, she was forced out in the freezing cold with bloody shins in nothing more than her pajama bottoms and a loose shirt. It was best to just let Mary-Bell think Zoraiya was her loyal little slave.
She remained quiet as she popped her headphones in and drifted off into space, her mother yelling over her screaming sisters as they fought over an old McDonalds toy.
All she wanted to do was meet up with her best friend and disappear into their own little world they had created. When her mother dropped her off at school, Zoraiya quickly scurried to their locker, Egres waiting for her with their notebook. They still had 20 minutes until homeroom so they grabbed the materials they needed before meandering the halls to kill time.
"Did you see anything new this weekend?" Asked Egres as he handed her the notebook.
"Not really." She replied with a curled lip. "Once I got back home my mom doubled down and had me cleaning the house and babysitting. I swear they did nothing while I was gone. They were just waiting for me to come back to clean up after them. I was so mad. My mom had left half an avocado out for god knows how long, I smooshed it all over the counter and went on a walk to cool down."
Egres barked out a stunned laugh as he imagined Zoraiya's reaction. "Why would you make more of a mess to clean up?"
"Trust me, it made no difference."
The two continued to chatter away until the bell rang. As they made their way towards the homeroom they shared, Egres suddenly stumbled into Zoraiya. She grabbed him before he hit the floor, his face pale and his pupils as small as pinpoints.
"I don't feel so good." He whispered faintly.
"Let's get you to the nurse."
"...yeah, ok."
Zoraiya flagged down their teacher and let her know she was helping him to the nurse's office and would be back. Egres dug into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. He shakily typed out a message to his mom before handing the device over to Zoraiya.
"I literally can't see. If my mom calls, please answer her."
"Of course."
They made their way to the school nurse, Egres only getting worse the closer they got.
"You ate this morning, right?" Asked Zoraiya.
"Yeah, but this isn't like anything I've felt before." He wheezed. "I don't feel like I'm in my body, if that makes any sense."
The phone began to ring just as they reached the nurse, Egres's mom popping up on his screen. Zoraiya answered it, giving Mrs. Leisiem a rundown of what had just occurred. Without hesitation she let the teens know she'd be there within 15 minutes.
She signed Egres in on the nurse's log, repeating everything she told Mrs. Leisiem to the gentle old lady that was helping Egres onto a bed.
"It happened out of nowhere, he already talked to his mom. She said she'd be here soon." Said Zoraiya.
"Well, you've done your part, sweetheart. I'll take it from here."
The nurse rummaged through a closet and pulled out a clean blanket for Egres, tucking it around him as Zoraiya began to back away.
"I'll check in on you after school, yeah?"
Egres weakly waved her off, his eyes closing as she shut the door behind her. She paused to take in a deep breath to settle her racing heart. As much as she hated to admit it, she was completely worried about Egres. If anything, she was pretty sure she was more worried for her friend than she'd ever been for anyone else.
Zoraiya spent the rest of the day with her mind stuck on Egres. She kept checking the clocks, willing the hands to go faster so she could finally check up on him.
The moment the end of day bell rang, she swept all of her belongings in to her bag and turned her phone off silent. By the time she had gotten home she had called her friend 4 times with no response. She even tried messaging him through their socials and got nothing.
On day 2, Zoraiya had half convinced herself her best friend was dead. By day 4, she hopped on a public bus and made her way to his house. There were no cars in the driveway, but that didn't stop Zoraiya from pounding on the door.
Her heart jumped to her throat when the door cracked open, only for it to fall out of her gut when she came face to face with Mr. Leisiem's cranky self.
Zoraiya swallowed thickly as he glowered at her silently.
"Um...Is Egres alright?" She asked. "I haven't heard from him since he got sick."
"He's sleeping." Came the curt response.
Zoraiya studied the man's face as if she could find any trace of him possibly lying. When he just raised a brow at her she took a step back and nodded.
"Fine. I'll...try calling him later." Zoraiya began to walk away until she heard the door shut behind her. She paused for a moment before she ducked behind the bushes of the house and quietly made her way to the backyard. In the house she could clearly hear Egres' father stomping around upstairs.
If Egres really was asleep, the man was doing a piss poor job of trying to keep quiet.
In just a few short steps, Zoraiya was facing the back side of the garage. She began to scale the metal lattice, reaching Egres' bedroom window that was left open. She took a peek inside, her eyes adjusting to the dark before seeing Egres spread out on his bed fast asleep. His hair was matted to his face with sweat, dark circles under his eyes making his features look gaunt.
Zoraiya carefully stepped into the room, her eyes never leaving Egres. She was just happy to see he was still alive.
"Hey," She whispered as she reached the side of his bed. "Hey, Egg-head. It's Raye."
Egres didn't twitch. She grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on his night stand and started to blot the sweat away from his brow. He made a face in his sleep but never opened his eyes. Zoraiya stayed with him a few minutes longer, only moving to reach in to her messenger bag and pull out a bottle of water and some of his favorite snacks. She set them beside the tissue box, leaning a note up against it letting him know to call her as soon as he was able.
Knowing how much he hated the heat, Zoraiya pulled his ionic fan close to his bed and pointed it at him. She set it to his favorite settings before glancing over at him once more. Egres rolled over in his sleep and pulled a pillow close to him before settling back into a deep slumber.
For now, Zoraiya was content leaving him be until he was ready to reach out to her.
After two weeks of silence, Zoraiya was in the middle of cooking dinner for her siblings when her phone suddenly rang. Seeing who it was, Zoraiya tucked the phone between her cheek and shoulder and breathlessly responded.
"Hey," Egres greeted. "Want to hang out?"
Zoraiya slammed the pot she was holding in the sink as she began to curse out her best friend. "I don't hear from you in damn near a month and the first thing you say is 'wanna hang'; are you serious right now?"
Egres laughed, his voice raspy from disuse. "Um, yes?"
Zoraiya rolled her eyes, unable to bite back a smile. "I can't hang out this week, but I'll ask about next. Are you going to be at school tomorrow?"
"I'm gonna try, but honestly...I don't think I'm really ready." He admitted.
"What did you have? I tried visiting you--."
"Yeah--creepy, by the way. But thank you for the snacks." He chuckled as he crunched on a chip, eliciting a laugh from her.
"I swear I knocked on the front door first, but your dad answered and I don't trust the bastard so I had to see for myself."
"Honestly, I wouldn't have known you swung by if you hadn't left me the note. My dad never said anything when I woke up."
"So," Zoraiya prodded. "What'd you have?"
"I don't know. I have an appointment next week. I feel real out of it. At first it was just extreme exhaustion. But it feels like I'm still dreaming and haven't fully woken up."
Zoraiya served 3 plates full of food and set them on the table, calling for her siblings before returning to Egres.
"I miss you, dummy." She told him. "You really need to take care of yourself."
"Stooop, don't get all mushy on me." Egres whined. "...but, thank you."
They fell easily into habit as he asked her what he'd missed at school and if she'd seen anything new from the "other side", as he liked to tease. Hours flew by as they talked to each other. Zoraiya's mother had taken a cocktail of narcotics and was out before everyone had finished dinner.
By midnight, everyone was asleep except for Zoraiya. She hid in the laundry room as she finished washing dirty clothes, Egres speaking animatedly. When she finally glanced at the clock on her phone she sucked in a breath between her teeth.
"I'm really sorry, I have to get to bed or I'll never survive tomorrow. You sure you're not coming in?" She asked.
"I'll probably sleep through homeroom and come in closer to lunch." Replied Egres. "I'll shoot you a text, don't worry."
As soon as they hung up, Zoraiya lumbered into her room and threw herself in bed, falling asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
When morning arrived, she barely registered anything she was doing. On auto pilot, she managed to get her siblings dressed and ready for school. As they were leaving their apartment, Zoraiya had to catch herself against the door frame. No one noticed her stumble, her family already settled into their car.
A tingling sensation formed from her neck and reached down her spine, a low hum in her ears. The feeling disappeared as fast as it came, Zoraiya carefully making her way down the stairs to her mom's car. She remained silent all the way to school.
When her mother dropped her off, Zoraiya checked to see if Egres was waiting at their usual spot, only to aim straight for her homeroom when she didn't catch sight of his bright blue mohawk. There she sat in her assigned seat at the center of the class and laid her head on her arms. While she didn't feel nauseous or any other ill symptom, she sure felt tired.
Zoraiya had started to drift off in to sleep when the bell rang for the morning announcements. She didn't move a muscle as the teacher closed their classroom door and was reaching for the tv. Suddenly it flickered on, the intercom producing a static noise and a high-pitched frequency that had Zoraiya and four other classmates clasping at their ears in pain. The teacher and students that were unaffected looked at them in horror as they dropped to the floor writhing.
No one knew what was happening. Outside the classroom, wailing and thuds could be heard as other teens dropped like flies. Those affected by the sound continued to convulse after the high pitched noise stopped.
The television finally adjusted to reveal an average looking man with shoulder length brown hair and eyes sitting behind a desk. His hands were folded demurely by the microphone seated in front of him. The intercom became quiet and he smiled, revealing sharp canines.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your morning announcements for one of our own."
Doors crashed open throughout the school and a synchronized march thudded in the halls as beings in hooded robes barged into the classrooms, ignoring the kids screams and the teachers' threats as they loomed over those still on the floor.
"We've come to relieve you of your burdens."
Zoraiya gasped as a strong grip latched on to her from underneath her arms and pulled her up from the ground with ease. The shouts ceased as some of the hooded figures broke from their group and entranced the people that hadn't been affected by the intercom. All she could do was watch as her body remained locked and she had to lean into the being that was leading her. Her muscles twitched painfully as she was forced to walk out the school.
As they passed the open classrooms, she could see the other students and teachers were slack jawed, their eyes unfocused. Whatever was being done to them, they no longer seemed to be aware of the mass kidnapping happening right before them.
"There is no further need of your assistance at this time." The man declared before his image disappeared from the screens.
As they made their way through the school parking lot, Zoraiya tried to fight past her stiff neck and look around to see who else was amongst them. She caught a glimpse of Egres, a strange black veiny patch spreading underneath his skin around his wide eyes. He looked up at the being leading him and said something she couldn't hear. Before she could call out to him, he was steered away towards the center of the asphalt. The air there flickered as if it was emanating intense heat. Egres and his leader walked straight through and disappeared without a sound.
Zoraiya stumbled as shock ran through her. For a moment she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but the closer she got there was no denying what she saw. The air flickered once before revealing a transparent image of a room with multiple pods and what she assumed were medical instruments.
"This is a joke, right?" She thought she said.
All that came out was mumbling as she began to lose feeling throughout her body. She tried to look up at the being clasping her shoulder. The only thing she could see was a glint of hawk like eyes before she felt as if someone drenched her in ice cold water. That was the only hint she got that she had walked through the portal before she lost consciousness.
~~~~~~~~~
There was no telling how much time had passed. Zoraiya could barely remember where she was. At one point she awoke to her own agonized scream, the strain ripping her throat to shreds and making her choke on her own blood. Her arms were pinned to a gurney, her hands clawing at the table until her nails were cracked and raw. Her body felt as if it were being torn from the inside, her very bones on fire. She frantically flipped her head side to side to figure out her surroundings, barely registering that the reason she couldn't see was because she was blindfolded.
The smell of burning flesh pierced Zoraiya's nose and caused her heart to beat erratically in fear. She felt something stab her right shoulder causing her to arch out from her gurney and thrash as she tried to get away from the pain. Her voice came out as an angry rasp as she pleaded for the pain to stop.
Cold hands roamed her naked body, her skin so sensitive it felt like they were raking lit coals all over her. Someone placed a hand on her chest and tried to pin her still as they grabbed her jaw. They forced her mouth open and force fed her a drink that tasted like jet fuel, their hand clamping her lips shut. Within seconds she lost all control as she felt her bones snap one by one, her muscles convulsing once more. This time she welcomed the darkness as she passed out from the pain.
The next time Zoraiya opened her eyes, she could see a sleeping Egres beside her, a blissful smile on his lips. She let out a shaky breath of gratitude before she joined him.
~~~~~~~~~
"That's my human and I'll be damned if I let you keep me from her any longer. I've followed your damned rules, now MOVE."
Zoraiya jolted awake as someone was thrown against a wall, the metallic bang reverberating through her skull. She clutched at her head with both hands and squeezed her eyes shut.
It was pitch black, the only light coming from underneath the door of the room she was in; that little sliver was more than she could bare. She might as well have been staring straight into the sun with no protection.
Before she could call out for them to shut up, the owner of the piercing voice opened her door and slipped in. All she saw was his silhouette as he kicked the slumped body away from him before shutting her door. She tried to ask where she was, but her vocal cords were still torn to shreds.
"Don't move around too much. Stay where you are. I just wanted to finally see you...." The English accent and effeminate inflection were a far cry from the bellow that had awoken Zoraiya. She tried to respond but all that came out was a raspy sob, her body still throbbing. She curled in on herself, tears falling down her cheeks and drenching her pillow.
The man cried out her name as he rushed to her side to kneel beside her. He began to caress her hair gently, whispering soft words of care and encouragement.
"What d-did you do to m-me?" Zoraiya finally bit out in between sobs.
"Oh, love, I swear to you. If I was given any say I would have spared you this pain."
Vaguely she noted a lovely scent from his wrist as he kept stroking her hair. A mix of jasmine and cinnamon; subtle, yet strong enough to keep her attention away from the pain.
"It was absolutely necessary, Zoraiya. You wouldn't have survived otherwise." He said.109Please respect copyright.PENANAcDwt93ykoJ
Slowly, Zoraiya's muscles began to loosen up. She was sure she could move her neck, but she was still afraid to look at him.
"It hurts everywhere." She whimpered.
"And you'll come out stronger from it." He gently raised her into a sitting position and lifted a small vial to her lips.
Zoraiya struggled to back away from him but his grip was firm. He tilted her head back, the movement making her feel as if someone was punching her from the inside of her skull. She felt him slip the tip of his thumb in between her lips and open her mouth. That alone made her realize just how weak she was. She wanted to fight back but the pain and exhaustion were unbearable.
"Drink up."
The metallic tang that hit her tongue had her instantly gagging. She glared at him with astonishment even though she still couldn't make out his features. The unmistakable taste of blood took over her senses. Thankfully it was barely a sip, but that was more than enough for her. The man pulled away as she coughed and retched.
"Oh, that's fucking disgusting!" She said around a glob of bloody saliva before spitting it on the floor. As she straightened, she felt a ball of warmth form in the center of her chest before spreading to the tips of her fingers and toes. Within seconds her pain completely disappeared, her eyesight sharpening until she could make out every detail of her room.
Nothing was familiar. The room was small and sparse, a 2x4 closet on her left housed unrecognizable clothes. Opposite the foot of her bed was a small bathroom with a standalone shower, the bedroom door five feet to the right of the facility.
Finally, her gaze turned to the man that had taken her pain away.
Bright magenta eyes with catlike pupils stared back at her. Black chin length curly hair framed a sharp, beautiful face. His lips spread into a Cheshire cat grin. Memories of this man began to assail her, her brain flowing with information she didn't have before. Without a shadow of a doubt, this was the one being she could trust with her life. She couldn't believe it...
Her best friend.
"Tori?" She breathed.
The man's grin spread wider, his eyes going misty. He slowly reached out a shaking hand, his eyes never moving from hers. Without hesitation Zoraiya grabbed it, pulling Tori on to her bed and hugging him close as she sobbed, this time out of happiness.
For the first time in all her life, Zoraiya was finally close to home.
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A/N: I apologize for the cringe, this is my first attempt at finally putting this story out there. I have always wanted to share this with people other than my best friend, but I've always been kind of embarrassed/self conscious about my work lol regardless, I truly hope anyone reading this will enjoy.
109Please respect copyright.PENANAkHiYM67S5h