Well here I am, out in the middle of nowhere, walking down some rural road between farmlands. It being the middle of autumn there isn't too much to look at out here. Open fields of dirt with a few homes and barns in the distance. I still can't believe I'm doing this. I have to get across the country, to some tall building named Seisurell. I'm out here all alone, with barely any money and I'm already exhausted, the sun is going to set in just three hours too. I probably should've started this journey sooner instead of putting it off. I also should've taken the chance and stole that car.
Flying there would've been nice, but two weeks ago, I had an ankle tracker put on me for that bar fight where those two girls were cut in the face by a bottle I was holding. I got the thing off me, and I've been able to make it here on foot. What's really freaking me out is I know the cops could show up behind me at any moment. If they stop me from getting to Seisurell then—. "Gena! I found you!"
"Baah!" I shriek, startled by the familiar voice coming from behind me.
I spin around to see Archibald, my former social worker and thankfully not a cop. "Gena! What are you doing out here?! The police are searching the city for you! We need to sort this out before you get into any more trouble!" I turn away from him, I feel the tears swelling and I don't want him to see. Archie is the only person I know who cares about me, and the only person I care about. I start running to get away from him, but I only last a few seconds before I have to stop to catch my breath. Archie just pulls up behind me and gets out. He puts his hands on my shoulders. "Gena, what is this all about? You were fine with everything just last week--,"
"AAAA!" I scream pulling away from him, I can't stand this. I grip my chest I can feel the pain in my heart. "Just go home, Archie," I manage to choke out through my tears and the lump growing in my throat.
"Gena, please just get in the car, I'm not going to leave you out here," he says, and I can hear his sincerity and it cuts through me. He was there when I was abandoned after birth, been with me my whole life, stayed with me after I gave every foster parent I ever had, so much trouble. I've never wanted to do anything to hurt him, yet I can't stop. I'm not sure what to do.
I then look up and see the long straight road with no end on the horizon, I then look back at Archie's car and I get an idea. "Archie, if you help give me a ride, I'll explain what I'm doing," I quickly move to the other side of the car.
"Gena, the only place I can take you is the police station," I knew he'd say that. It's really hard to fight the urge to do what he says. I quietly get into his car, not liking the idea I just had. "Good, now you'll have to go to court again, but I'll be there, I'll be supporting you. Let's just--" As Archie tries to turn the car around, I pull out my switchblade and place it against his neck.
"I'm sorry Archie, but there's somewhere I have to get to and I need you to drive me there," it's hard to hold back the tears.
"Gena? You can't be serious," he says with his voice trembling. Hearing Archie sounding like that I can't help but cry a few tears. I don't want to hurt him, but I have to stay strong. I accidentally press the blade against his neck harder than I meant to and he starts to bleed.
"Keep going straight and take the fifth left," I say wanting to move the blade, but I need him to do this.
"Gena, the police will find you, we'll both be facing jail time," he's stammering, I hate seeing him like this.
I take a breath and a push my feelings down. "Relax, that won't happen. Let me explain everything to you, and you'll understand," telling this story is going to be hard.
"Gena, there is nothing you can say to make this okay," he says, stammering, almost blubbering.
"Listen, recently the memories of someone else came to me in my dreams and now I know everything that's ever happened and one thing that will. That's why I know there is somewhere I need to get to," it feels strange saying that so easily, when so much crazy stuff is about to happen.
"Gena, please put the knife down, I'll find you some help before calling the police," seeing him like this is too unbearable.
"When you were in fourth grade you stole a toy from your friend Brandon O'Neil and you didn't start feeling bad about it until three years later," Archie went silent after hearing that. He just stares at me, so shocked by how I knew that, he drives the car off the road!
"Watch where you're going! If you want, I can drive," I offer while putting my knife away.
"No. No, I'm fine. Please continue," I can only hope he'll behave moving forward, I didn't want him to see what's going to happen.
"Here, let me make this quick, I'll start in the middle. Many millenniums ago, a 23-year-old man and his best friend Trent started a business together and the two were seeing a lot of success. Unfortunately, Trent used the business to launder money for some bad people and it soon caught the attention of the police," I'm glad I can skip the first half. It'll help keep this simple.
"Millenniums? It sounds like this happened recently," Archie says and it's understandable.
"It'll all make sense by the end. Now when the cops came, Trent made a run for it through the city, and the friend he betrayed had to stop him or else he'd take all the blame. The chase led him down a sketchy alley, filled with homeless and shady people. At the end of the alley, he sees Trent's girlfriend, Janet drives up next to the sidewalk to pick him up. If he gets in that car he'll disappear! The criminals he worked with have dozens of places to hide Trent," his mind races with all the worst outcomes.
"Right before he makes it to the end of the alley, a black wall appears from nowhere, right in front of him and it moves forwards, enveloping Trent, the sounds of his screams vanishing along with him. The wall keeps moving forwards and engulfs him too before retracting back, pulling everyone it caught into another world," alright, now I'm getting to the crazy stuff.
"Gena, what does any of that have to do with what you're doing now?"
"Everything. But for the sake of getting to the important stuff, I'll skip ahead a few weeks. That black wall pulled him into a different reality, onto an alien planet. He wakes up to find himself completely restrained and this is the part you need to pay attention to, just make sure you pay attention to your driving too…