《The Siege of Churros》


 Chapter 1: A Bittersweet Ending

    The dim haze of a dusty sun illuminated the land as the heat beat down upon my brow. Clinkingrock candy and the stamping of boots were a constant companion as I strode forth upon a landscape that had all life stripped from it. At one time, these plains were filled with gumdrop boulders, licorice grass, and splashes of color from the manysugar daisies that once bloomed unmolested. But now, parchedchocolate soil that had cracked from a severe lack of moisture spread as far as the eye could see. Behind me marched a grim-faced army that made no sound other than that of marching. An army comprised of the battered but not broken remnants of our land, Churros. Gingermen, Sweetkin, Choclins, andSmorves all marched shoulderto shoulder in unity that, before these dark days, had been unimaginable. These soldiers, these heroes, were the remnants of the once proud nations that ruled these lands. They were the ones who stood between this world¡¯s destruction at the hands of the Gobblors, invaders from another realm. TheGobblors had destroyed everything in their path of total conquest and their ravenous nature had scourged these once-sweet lands.


    The rumbling of our footsteps echoed off the dusty land as we marched across what had once been the Kingdom of Melonia. Our silence was bred from the acceptance of our impending demise. We knew that we may die, yet we marched on anyway. It was the only way to ensure the future of our world. Ever since the emergence of The Rift, not a soul had had a restful sleep within our lands. So dire was the invasion of these strange monsters that had wiped out entire kingdoms in rapid succession.


    This was our final stand, our final stab at the darkness. I wiped at my face, brushing away the syrup that beaded from the merciless sun. The sugar-crustedrings of my armor that had once shone brilliantly had been stained a light brown by the chocolate dust that constantly blew with the wind. Dark clouds swirled in a circle through the sky, likecotton candy mixed with too many colors,that could usher forth a devastating cyclone at any moment. At the center of this phenomenon would be the Rift. Lightning crackled to the east, surging from the ground up towards the sky as if to defy all sense. We were close.


    ¡°Nervous Commander?¡± A broad-shoulderedGingerbird manwith the head of a falcon spoke beside me. He wore taffy armor riddled with holes that had been hastily patched. His eyes at first glance appeared sharp and alert. But if you looked closely, you could feel his exhaustion. The same exhaustion we all felt.Chocolate stainsmarred his feathered head. Two eagle-like wings grew from the soldier¡¯s back. One was bent at a slightly odd angle. He hissed in pain through his beak as he attempted to stretch them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself Heath.¡± I warned, but he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°We all need to push ourselves this time Commander.¡±


    ¡°I still say you should have stayed behind in Tapiocia.¡± Heath growled at my comment.


    ¡°What? And miss all the fun? I¡¯ll not let them say that the last Gingerbird hid away from the final battle due to a broken wing!¡± He boasted and beat his chest. Neither of us knew if he truly was the last of the Gingerbirds, but none refuted him his boast. Heath looked to me with a grin, ¡°When we¡¯re finished here lets have a duel. Just you and me, like old times.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°Yeah, sure Heath. I¡¯ll kick your ass just like every other time.¡± Behind us rumbled gravel-like chuckles. Distractions like these helped cast aside the constant feeling of doom as we marched to our fates. ¡°There it is, the Rift.¡± I pointed as we crested a hill not two miles west of the ruins of a town, the remains of which still stood like the wrapperof a long eaten candy whale. Not a sprinkle¡¯s throw away was our goal, a massive rip in thesugary fabricof the world. Small, gray-skinned figures scurried about in the ruins of the town, forming into a mass of bodies that faced us. Closer to the Rift, an even larger group was forming up to charge towards us in a wave.


    ¡°The sheer power¡­¡± A robed Gingergirl, no older than fifteen, with long blue raspberry hair gasped as she stared with wide gray eyes at the Rift.


    ¡°Caramelina.¡± I spoke to draw her attention and smiled, ¡°Focus.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. Sorry Commander.¡± She bowed her head and returned to staring at the wound in our world. Out of all of the sugar magi that survived our march, she was the most powerful. As such, she was to be the focal point of the ritual to close the Rift. Protecting those sugar magi was our utmost priority, even at the cost of our very lives.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get through this.¡± I assured the sugar magi that looked at me nervously. There were only twenty of them left after all our battles with the Gobblors. We had leftSweetrock with over two hundred. The eldest of the sugar magi had privately warned me that they may not be enough to close the Rift, but we continued anyway. To turn back after all the sacrifices we had made would be to consign ourselves to death. I clenched my fist over the pommel of my gummy sword that hung snugly at my side in an attempt to hide the shaking of my hands. I looked back towards the army¡­my army. Even after all this time, it still felt weird to call it that.


    Scores and scores ofSugarites and Sweetkin of all races looked back at me expectantly. We were not ready for this. I was not ready for this. Yet we would stand all the same.


    One of our battles marching towards the Rift had claimed the life of our previous Commander, Meltmallow Bunt Sucklecane. A wolf type Sweetkin with an unnatural cunning that had helped hold the Empire ofSweetrock together when they stood alone against the Gobblors. He was a legend in the army, and losing him had nearly cost us everything. But thanks to Heath, myself, and our many subordinates, the army held together just enough to beat the Gobblors. As we stood atop the hill overlooking the ruins of what may have once a peaceful farming village, I could feel the weight of the entire world upon my ginger spiced shoulders. The far off army of gray-skinned invaders began to rush towards us. It was time.


    Gods I hated public speaking.


    ¡°Nervous Commander?¡± Heath repeated his initial question and smirked as he stared towards The Rift.


    ¡°Nah, just hungry. Daemon-spewing portals always bring out the glutton in me.¡± Everyone within earshot shared a chuckle.


    ¡°Then hurry up and eat that damn thing so we can all go home!¡± A soldier shouted from behind, followed by a chorus of cheers.


    ¡°Hey, I brought you lot along because I thought you¡¯d want a piece for yourselves!Meltmallow always claimed I was the caring type after all!¡± I shouted back which only made the men laugh more. Backs straightened as the men laughed.Gingerkind joked with Sweetkin, whileChoclins stood shoulder to shoulder with Smorves, each boasting of the trophies they¡¯d be taking home.


    ¡°Good on you Commander.¡± Heath whispered. ¡°Poor bastards haven¡¯t had much hope these past few¡­¡±


    ¡°Months?¡± I finished for Heath and lightly punched his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re all the hope the world needs.¡± I pointed towards the army arrayed against us. ¡°Look, they¡¯re practically pissing themselves at our arrival!¡± I laughed. The men followed, shouting obscenities at our foes.


    ¡°Pies forward! DoubleStuffed CreamFormation!¡± I yelled atop my lungs. The army that had marched in a column behind me rapidly spread out into two horizontal lines. At the center of the front line was our heaviest infantry. Sweetkin, Smorves, and Humans in multiple layers of leather, chain, and plate armor wielding deadly pikes and durable war-picks. At the flanks stood forces wielding lollypop axes, rock candy maces, and gummy swords in theirsugar mail attire. The second line was comprised of everyone else who wore lighter taffy armor. Those in the second line wielded both licorice bows and gummy blades. Their goal would be to pelt the enemy for as long as they could and would stay close to the sugar magi should they require support.


    My greatest regret is that we had no cavalry to speak of. Our malt chocolate armored horses had always been focused by the enemy in every battle. They hated the mobility and power that a unit of heavy cavalry could bring to bare. I gave a silent prayer to Cinnamoca, the Goddess of Churros, for victory. But of course, nothing happened. Still, it never hurt to ask for divine intervention at every moment. Who knows, perhaps this time she¡¯d come down and win the war for us.


    As the men finished their formation I strode purposefully before them with a serious look upon my face. Heath strode along at my side, glaring at everyone arrayed before us in an attempt to show that he was far more fearsome than our foes. I¡¯d like to think it worked.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been marching a long time!¡± I shouted at the top of my lungs. The Gingermen and Sweetkin whispered my words down the line so that all would hear what I said even if my voice didn¡¯t reach them. ¡°And still we cannot rest! The Rift, the source of these demons, is before us! Every moment we wait is another moment more of those bastards break through!¡± I stabbed my gummy sword into the parchedchocolate beneath my feet. ¡°No more!¡±


    ¡°No more shall we let these bastardsconsume our lands! No more shall we live in fear of the next onslaught! On this day, we put a stop to the Gobblors! My brothers and sisters in arms, when this day is done we will return to our homes as heroes!¡± I paused for a moment, ¡°No. Not heroes. Legends! Our names shall be sung from coast to coast for the rest of eternity! Stories shall be spun that live through the centuries so that those that come long after we are gone will know! We stood upon this very ground and refused to yield!¡±


    Roars of approval surged higher than the loudest crack of lightning. The sound of gummy bladesslapping against shields in rhythm thundered across the land. The quaking sound of marching in the distance reached my ears. I turned my head to regard the small force from the town ruins charging towards us. The ocean of bodies that surged from the Rift followed far behind.


    I drew my gummy blade from the chocolatety earth and pointed it towards the enemy. ¡°Let them come! We are the sugary wall that will break this dark tide! We are the ones that will usher in a new dawn for all races of Churros!¡± My roar joined the army¡¯s as we charged down the hill to meet the enemy in combat.


    Clashing gelatin sung in my ears as my chewy bladeslapped against blackenedskin, parrying a thrust aimed towards my chest. I paid the enemy little mind as I rebuked his blow andbludgeonedhis arm, a shrill cry cut short as my bladeslammed into it¡¯s neck. At this time the sugar magi would have stayed atop the hill just behind the second line and began their ritual. I hoped against hope that those twenty would be enough to close the Rift. We had our objective, they had theirs. All we could do was hold the line. The sweet sound of twanging licoricestrings and the whistling of hard candy arrows overhead spoke of the second line beginning to fire their ammunition. Once their candy arrows were spent they¡¯d draw their gummy blades and form a circle around the sugar magi.


    Arrows sunk into theflesh of the oncoming horde of Lactids, the weakest type ofGobblors that many referred to as ¡®Swarmers¡¯. These smallGobblors stood no taller than the average choclin. Their toothy armor was all the protection they relied upon, for they carried no shields. Weaponry wise, they favored forked spearscoated with acid. Most would consider it a stroke of luck that we only faced Swarmers here, but I knew better. In the shadow of The Rift, the more monstrous of invaders would certainly come to end our assault quickly.


    As is, what we were fighting were no better than a mob of well-equipped peasants.


    After the third volley of candy arrows had cut a swathe through the enemy ranks, the onslaught ceased. My heart pounded constantly as the rush ofsugarcoursedthrough my veins. Time itself seemed to slow as I my gummy blade met exposed flanks, crushing bone after bone. A Swarmer cried out in his harsh tongue as my gummy bladepulverized his right arm. Their armor, more accurately described as carapace, was thickest around the chest, legs, and head. Their elbows, wrists, knees, shins, and armpits were where their protection was weakest to provide flexibility. Over multiple battles, I had developed the muscle memory of where exactly to strike the Gobblor. As my foe clutched at hisshattered arm, Icollapsed histhroat with a quick stab and moved onto the next target.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Screams cried hauntingly all along the line as soldiers from all walks of life died in the faith that we would be victorious this day. I stepped forward towards another swarmer and slapped his head clear off his shoulders in a single sweep. My gummy blade sung as I fell into a battle trance, focused entirely on eliminating as many of the enemy as possible. Minutes felt like hours as I crushed countless foes. Step left, upward swing, thrust, step back. The pulse of battle throbbed and echoed within as Istomped any enemy that rushed towards me.


    Parry, counter, dodge, kill. Every movement another step towards sending the enemy to their end. My chest felt heavy as I sucked in air any moment I could spare. A hand pounded twice on my shoulder in rapid succession from behind me. The signal to rest. I nodded gratefully and moved behind the soldier. It was time for me to get a breather and the man behind me would take my place in the line.


    Battle was far more than a quick dealing of death. They were long, drawn-out things that could last for hours at a time.Meltmallow had always said, the first Gingerman to tire is the first Gingerman slain. Twenty minute rotations were drilled into us from the moment we joined his forces. Gods bless that Sweetkin, wherever his soul may be.


    I took a quick breath and surveyed the situation as I retreated to safety behind the line of heavy infantry. We were holding well, despite the oncoming surge of Swarmer reinforcements. In our constant struggle, we had become a well-buttered war machine. But there were just so many of them. Like an ocean of jamspread out before us that threatened to drown the world, they poured constantly from The Rift. I washed my face with syrup from the bladder that hung at my side. A few more minutes of rest and I¡¯d be back into the fight.


    The ground rumbled violently as the Rift churned. Hellfire spewed from within the Rift as a large amount of flying creatures broke through the portal that merged our worlds.Cholestikins they were named, but we coined them simply ¡®Fliers¡¯. They were similar in stature to the Choclin-esque Lactids, but with longer arms and lesstoothy armor. They also had four dragon-fly style wings protruding from their backs that buzzed maddeningly. Shrill screeching soon covered the battlefield as they swarmed overhead, throwing acid bombs into the mass of my army before descending with long arms and sharp claws.


    ¡°Drown them in sugar!¡±Heath cried out far behind me as he managed the second line. The snapping of licoricestrings soon followed, countering the incessant buzzing of wings. The storm of candy arrows sent multitudes of Fliers falling rapidly to their deaths, taking Swarmers with them as they fell upon their own forces. Clouds of Fliers tried to flee from thesugary death, but to no avail. With each volley, large amounts of them were struck from the skies. I grinned as Ismacked a Flier¡¯s head from its shoulders when it dove directly towards me with outstretched claws. I could feel my comrade¡¯s eyes on my back as I moved to intercept the next dive-bombing Flier. They preferred to attack lone targets rather than grouped up forces.


    Once more, the Rift churned violently. But this time, grand figures clad in tooth-like armor charged out from the portal riding large mounts that resembled scarabs. These would be the Sucretash, or Brutes as we called them. They were the deadliest of the Gobblor¡¯s forces throughout the war. Even as they thundered across the dusty chocolate ground, smashing through their own forces to get at our own, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a touch of terror grip my heart. Whenever the going got tough, the Brutes were sure to be where the fighting was thickest. Incandian cries uttered from their gullets as they brandished their weapons as they drew ever nearer.


    ¡°Pies up men!¡± A heavily armored Gingerbear, called out as the mounted Brutes closed the distance. Men quickly followed suit, stepping back and presenting a firm wall of nut-laden nougatto counter the Brute¡¯s deadly charge. Swarmers threw themselves towards the piemen in an attempt to disrupt our formation. They found no purchase, only death. Either by being impaled on sharpened forks, orcrumbled beneath the coming Brutes. But there was one major flaw to our use of pies versus the enemy¡¯s version of cavalry.


    Nougat and teeth clashed as the Brutes and their mounts smashed into our wall ofnutty death. Roars of rage reached the heavens as screams of pain haunted my ears. Piesslammedintotoothyarmor and tore Brutes from their mounts as they suicidally charged our line. But those scarabs that they rode kept charging forward. And their armor was much thicker than the Brutes¡¯. A pie would find no purchase against such beasts, and so we had to ignore the mounts and go for the riders.


    Mounts that were now trampling into our line, crushing those in their way.


    Sharp cracks likerock candy crunching underfoot sounded in the air. I gave a silent thanks to the late Meltmallow in reverence. By his orders we had pie formations mixed with soldiers wielding sugar-picks. Thus far, it was the best option to counter mounted foes. Pies to strike at the riders, sugar picks to crack through even a Scarab¡¯s hardened armor. Even in death, his brilliance lived on to see theGobblar ended. I¡¯d like to think myself a competent commander, but none could compare toMeltmallow''s mind.


    Regrefully, all I could do was watch as gingermen died by the score in face of the Brute¡¯s onslaught. I so desperately wanted to join the fight. Wanted to feel my gummy blade cave inthe skulls of those that would kill those under my care. But I knew better. So I stood at the back of the front line. Watching. Waiting.


    I didn¡¯t have to wait long.


    An ungodly sound like that of a massivemolten chocolate eruption cascaded from the direction of The Rift. Moments later the ground began to quake and I felt my footing fail me. For a moment, there was blessed silence on the battlefield, as if both sides had suddenly decided to cease fighting. Even as I pushed myself to my feet, I knew that wouldn¡¯t be true. And yet, as I stood, I found that it was true. The remaining Brutes, Swarmers, and Fliers had retreated from the front line. My muscles tensed as I saw the reason why.


    A singleGobblor strode forth from the portal. One that stood taller than even the tallest Brute and twice as wide. In an instant, I knew exactly what was coming. This new monster¡¯s body would be exceedingly bulky, almost entirely of muscle. It¡¯stooth armor would cover it from head to toe nearly three inches thick. ACalcifer Gobblor. A ¡®Breaker¡¯. A single one of those could demolish an entire squad of warriors with ease. With large lumbering steps, it made its way towards us. None dared disturb the silence that had settled upon the battlefield.


    With gargantuan hands, the monster cradled a brutal looking maul of what looked to be a giant tooth. Normally, this would have been a Calcifer Gobblor, but it sprouted a set of six dragonfly-esque wings from its back. Wings that, no matter how hard they tried, would never be able to lift their owner. This was a Commander subspecies. Far more intelligent, and therefore, far more deadly. In an effort toharden my resolve, I clenched the pommel of my gummy blade and strode forth. Towards the enemy.


    A sea offrosting and taffy parted before me as the candymen cleared a path. Only the crackling of magical energy behind us could be heard as I made my solemn march towards destiny. Halfway through the ranks, the sound of lollypopsclashing against nougatrung out in ordered intervals. First only a few, but before long a massive chorus joined in as they clashed gummy againstrock candyin a drum-like salute. I could feel my pulse echo that of the beat. With a deep breath, I raised my gummy sword. An avalanche of cheers spurred me on, filling my body with their energy, their hope.


    Before long, I stood beyond the army and awaited the coming Gobblor. As the Commander approached, the ground trembled with each step. New cracks formed atop thechocolate landscape as he lumbered towards me, as if he sought to demolish the land itself. When we stood twenty paces apart, he stopped.


    ¡°You are the leader?¡± It questioned, resting its massive maul upon it¡¯s shoulder. I nodded, surprised that one of them could speak. They had never bothered to do so before. A strange gurgling sounded from behind the monster¡¯stooth helm. It then paused for a moment, as if in contemplation before nodding. ¡°Yes. We see. Your resistance was admirable, but you will all end here.¡± It pointed towards the hill where the sugar magi were focused on their ritual.


    The ridge was covered in Swarmers charging directly for the ritual.


    ¡°Second line!¡± I shouted out of reflex, ¡°Intercept!¡± But my words fell on deaf ears as the first of the Swarmers reached the sugar magi, piercing their bodies with wicked forks. Nobody moved as the hill was overrun.


    ¡°This is how Churros fell.¡± The enemy commander spoke behind me in a far different voice than it had original spoke. An old voice. A tired voice. A female¡¯s voice. ¡°They took us completely by surprise.¡± it continued. ¡°We had no warning, no forethought to watch the rear. Our eyes focused solely on the Rift. Everything was focused on this final battle. So much so that we forgot one simple rule of battle.¡±


    ¡°Yostul val krassal Tilvols!¡± One of the few remaining sugar magi chanted in a booming voice that echoed throughout that battlefield. As the words left his tongue, a massive eruption of blinding magical energy blasted into the sky from where they had stood. A chorus of fearful shouts matched my own from the explosion that knocked me to the ground. Surely, I was not the only to fall from such a shock-wave of energy. Helplessly, I rubbed at my eyes to recover my vision as I rose to my knees. When my vision returned all words left me. The entire hill was gone. No signs of the sugar magi, nor theGobblor force remained.


    ¡°Always assign a watch at the rear.¡±


    Sickening laughter gurgled from behind as the commander¡¯s voice returned to normal. ¡°You, and all who remain in this world, are finished.¡± Were the last words I heard before a pain erupted in the back of my head, causing me to black out.


    The words ¡®Congratulations¡¯ appeared in red lettering as I stared into the darkness.


    ¡°What?!¡± I cried out in surprise. This was it? This was the ending to Siege of Churros? I reached up to the side of my head and pressed the retract button upon my visor. In an instant, the black screen in front of my eyes was sucked into the small metal contraption that surrounded my head like a circlet. Carefully, I detached the visor from the implant in my head and rested it upon the small table next to my bed.


    ¡°What the hell was that all about?!¡± Just as I was about to head over to my computer desk a call alert appeared in the corner of my vision from a number I didn¡¯t recognize. With a mental click, I accepted the call. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon Mr. Tiramisu,¡± The voice on the other end began accompanied by the clicking of a keyboard. My body tensed as I recognized her voice. The same voice from in the game. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll excuse me for watching your stream of our product. I also hope you¡¯ll accept my congratulations for being one of the few who have seen the ending to our game.¡±


    ¡°Uhhh thanks.¡± Our product? It must have been some sort ofSweettooth Productions representative. ¡°Who am I speaking with exactly?¡±


    ¡°Oh! Please excuse my poor manners. My name is Christy Horderves.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the owner ofSweettoothProductions!¡± I shouted in surprise. A light chuckle sounded in my head. Thankfully she wasn¡¯t around to see my embarrassment.


    ¡°The one and the same.¡± She paused for a moment as the clicking on her end continued at a rapid pace. ¡°I was wondering, would you be able to do dinner later tonight?¡±


    ¡°Dinner? Tonight?¡±


    ¡°If its a problem, we can always reschedule for another time.¡±


    ¡°Oh! No, its no problem.¡± I looked at the clock in the corner of my vision. It was currently four after one in the afternoon.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± She cheerfully exclaimed. ¡°How does six thirty sound?¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± I responded. ¡°Hey wait, this isn¡¯t exactly a local meet-up! Isn¡¯t your headquarters in Montreal? I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to drive that far that fast without getting a ticket or ten.¡±


    ¡°No worries deary.¡± The woman laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve already dispatched an air-shuttle to your home. It¡¯ll be there at around two thirty, so strap in around five-ish and we¡¯ll be golden.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll be there.¡± Christy chuckled,


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have much to discuss. See you then!¡±


    With an audible click, the call ended. Thoughts began racing through my head like a stampede of cattle. Was I really going to meet the reclusive Christy Horderves? What was I going to wear? But above all, what the hell was that ending? Regardless, I quickly sat at my computer desk to check in with the people who watched my stream of the game¡¯s ending to see what they thought of it. But as soon as I sat down at my desk, a ¡®Connection Reestablished¡¯ alert popped up on my screen.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± With quick fingers I checked my Internet connection history. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± The world had long since created a world-spanning connection to the net. It was almost impossible to lose a connection anywhere in the world. And yet, somehow, ten minutes ago my connection had been cut.Spinning some quick math around in my head to account for the accelerated time distortion of Virtual Reality gaming, I came to a conclusion that sent shivers down my spine.


    The connection was cut moments before the enemy commander emerged from the Rift. And it had only just been reestablished.


    ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Much to discuss indeed. But before that, I needed to find something to wear, shave, and shower.

 Chapter 2: Sweettooth

    The hum of the air-shuttle¡¯s engine filled my ears as I soared through the air straight for Montreal. The interior of said air-shuttle was quite spacious, enough for two people to sit comfortably. Leather seats with built in heat and massage settings provided maximum relaxation for up to two people. Relaxation that I took full advantage of, as I had just woken from a nap and the massage was still going. It felt like I had gotten a full night¡¯s rest for just over an hour¡¯s sleep. To be given such luxury and not use it would be wasteful indeed.


    Spacious windows provided a line of sight to the vast countryside below and the skies above. It even had a mini-fridge full of various spirits and liquors. The on-board AI in charge of the flight had offered to play my choice of music or a movie at the start, but I declined. I had then poured myself a glass of wine that sounded expensive and tasted faintly of strawberry. After downing my second glass I had decided on taking that nap which I had just awoken from.


    Some found auto-driving vehicles rather unsettling, and publicly campaigned against their development. But the majority of those were of the older generation, or hysterics who believed the robots were taking over. It was such a laughable view that it almost made you wish it would happen. I myself preferred the automatic vehicles to the manual ones. Whats not to love about getting to lay back, enjoy the sound of the engine, and stare at the landscape passing by? Or in my case, take a nap while the AI handled the rest.


    I shot a quick glance at my reflection in the windows as I gave myself a once-over. That was one downside to this shuttle, no mirrors to make sure I didn¡¯t look terrible for the dinner. Blue eyes stared back into my own in a searching manner as I shifted my focus to my hair. An unruly patch stood straight up as if it were rebelling against the the hair spray I had used before leaving my home. A quick lick of the finger, and a hard press down, brought it back into line amongst the rest of my light brown hair. As I removed my hand from my hair, that same unruly bit pushed itself back up just a bit. Not enough to be noticeable unless you looked straight at it.


    ¡°Meh, good enough.¡± I muttered as I looked down over my black suit, pants, and deep purple tie.


    It was a strange feeling, looking at myself wearing a suit I hadn¡¯t worn in four years. Four years since the accident, the funeral, and everything that came after. Four years, and the suit still fit the same as it did back then. Many times I had considered giving it away to others more in need of fine tailoring. I never did though. It was a memento of those dark times, and a reminder that I made it through them.


    It was proof that I could persevere. Even when the world itself seemed against me.


    ¡°Guess I¡¯m just sentimental.¡± I smiled at my reflection. It was a nice suit.


    ¡°We¡¯ll arrive at our destination in ten minutes.¡± The AI controlling the shuttle reported in a cheery voice. I grunted in response and closed my eyes to help focus. Here I was, about to meet the head honcho of a rising star company. Many would probably be nervous in such a situation, and rightfully so. Its not everyday you get to dine with a big shot. Those people would be obsessed with making a positive impression upon their host, hoping that a meeting such as this could set them for life. Me, I just wanted answers to a few questions.


    ¡°We will now be slowing down on our approach. Please keep your seatbelt fastened at all times during descent.¡± The AI spoke just as hum of the engine began to subside. Back when these shuttles had first come out, they didn¡¯t have any such warning. Then someone had a heart-attack thinking that the shuttle was going to crash with the engine shutting down. Needless to say, mandatory voiced AIs were quickly implemented.


    The relaxing sights of fields of green soon gave way to a forest of concrete with a multitude of other air-shuttles sharing the sky. Far below would be the hustle and bustle of Montreal itself. Horns would blare brazenly into the night as drivers competed for the privilege of getting home a few seconds earlier than each other. Tires would screech as one got too close to another, bumpers would be bumped, arguments would erupt, and life would go on. Except for the times it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I hate cities.¡± I grumbled as the air-shuttle began to descend into the city proper.


    ¡°We will now be landing at your destination. Please remain seated until we have safely landed.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± I responded half-heartedly as I took in the sights. Large buildings arose into the sky as we made our descent into the parking lot of a building only three stories tall. With an audible ¡®thunk¡¯, the air-shuttle had landed close to the building where a single woman watched the shuttle I was in, clad in a formal attire. At least I wasn¡¯t over-dressed. With a deep breath, I opened the door.


    ¡°James Tiramisu, welcome to Sweettooth Productions Headquarters.¡± The woman spoke in greeting with an out-stretched hand which I readily shook. The woman from the phone, Christy Horderves. If I were to guess, she looked to be about forty years old, but could have been much older. Age treatment therapy had long since been something that almost everyone had access to. Her white hair had been tied into a professional bun.


    ¡°Happy to be here.¡± I smiled as the handshake ended. ¡°You must be Christy. Glad to finally be able to put a face to the voice on the phone.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡± Christy nodded, then turned and motioned towards the building. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re interested in touring our facilities, but that can wait until later. For now, we must be on our way. I made reservations at this fantastic restaurant you¡¯re sure to enjoy.¡± She beamed as she entered the air-shuttle. I followed close behind. We barely had time to finish a single glass of wine before we landed once more. People sat at tables outside a visibly appealing restaurant simply titled Maurice¡¯s.


    As soon as we entered the extravagant building, the receptionist instantly recognized Christy and signaled a waiter to take us. With a pair of menu¡¯s in hand, the waiter led us to an outside patio where a few other groups in fine clothing dined and conversed amongst themselves. Our table sat at the far corner of the outdoor dining area. Large hedges with flowers blooming within formed a wall separating the patio from the outside world. The calming tune of a violin melted all worry away as a man deep in concentration played in the center.


    ¡°Nice place.¡± I complimented after the waiter had left to fetch a bottle of wine that Christy had ordered. ¡°You must come here often.¡±


    ¡°As often as I can.¡± A sighed a content sigh, ¡°Its great to just come here and relax after a day at work.¡±


    ¡°I can see why.¡± I nodded as I watched the violinist ply his craft. ¡°Is there always live music?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but only during the evenings.¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    I fingered through the menu as I looked for something that sounded appealing. From seafood to steak, they seemed to have a bit of everything at hand. While I perused the selections, the waiter returned and poured us each a glass of wine before setting the bottle upon the table and readying his pen and pad.


    ¡°Are you two ready to order?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the smoked salmon.¡± Christy spoke without even having touched the menu once. A true regular.


    ¡°And you, sir?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a steak, medium rare with a side of Caesar salad.¡±


    ¡°Will that be all?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Christy nodded politely and the man retreated. She then turned her eyes to me.


    ¡°Well, since our food will be awhile, tell me about yourself James.¡±


    ¡°Whats there to know? I¡¯m just a simple network admin for a local school in upstate New York and I spend my free time avoiding doing anything that may prove to be productive.¡± She laughed at my candor,


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.¡°What about hopes? Dreams? Aspirations?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to be an astronaut when I was young. The feeling of exploring boundless new frontiers in a space ship and potentially finding new intelligent species of life. Then I found out all exploration is done by robots, so that dream died pretty quickly. I guess best I could do these days is going on a multi-world trip and see Venus and Mars. At least on Mars you can take a buggy out and explore. Can¡¯t do that on Venus, atmosphere is still too acidic.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve been gripped by wanderlust it seems.¡± She nodded, ¡°I can understand the appeal. Is that why you played my game? The desire to explore the unknown?¡± I shrugged,


    ¡°Thats one reason I play many games. The feeling of exploring new territory and meeting strange and interesting characters. Its like my old dream of exploring the galaxy. And I can do it from my own home.¡±


    ¡°Well then, how about family or relationships?¡±


    ¡°Parents passed a few years ago. No siblings. Had a girlfriend who was more interested in my inheritance than me so I ended that pretty quick.¡±


    ¡°I see, my condolences.¡± She bowed her head politely.


    ¡°Thanks, but no worries. Losing my parents was a rough time, but I¡¯m sure thats the same for everyone. As for the whole girlfriend deal, well, we know theres no such thing as a storybook romance these days. Everyone¡¯s out for something.¡±


    My words seemed to put an end to the conversation as Christy sat there in contemplative silence. I sipped my wine as I leaned back in my chair and glanced around the rest of the occupants in our section. My mother had always called me a people-watcher when we went out for dinner together. It was a habit I had never been able to kick, it was just so interesting watching people. Trying to see their ticks and habits.


    ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to ask me?¡± Christy spoke from across the table. I shifted my focus and looked her straight in the eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with Churros¡¯ ending?¡± She merely smiled at my question.


    ¡°Oh? Not about me personally, but the game itself?¡± I shrugged,


    ¡°I already know a fair deal about you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then do tell, what do you know about me?¡± She smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re an only child of an adoptive family who excelled in school. Eventually you went to some college I can¡¯t remember the name of for technology. Again, excelling until you graduated and proceeded to start your own company, Crave Tech Incorporated. Ten years ago you handed over the reigns of that company to start another. Sweettooth Productions in fact. From then on you became reclusive as you hired employees to create your dream augmented-reality game. Now here we are, ten years later, and Siege of Churros has received, praise, critique, and rage of all forms.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve certainly done your homework it seems.¡±


    ¡°Its all on your Wikipedia page.¡± She laughed,


    ¡°There is only so much one can learn from that website. Well then, perhaps the answer to your question should wait until the tour of our offices? It¡¯d be such a waste to discuss business here when we could be enjoying dinner instead.¡± Christy suggested as our waiter returned with our food in hand.


    ¡°Fine by me.¡± I conceded as the aroma of our food invaded my nostrils.


    ¡°Excellent!¡± She beamed, ¡°I assure you, you will find the answer rather interesting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it then.¡±


    Dinner seemed to pass rather quickly as we made small talk while we dined. When we had finished our plates, and almost the whole bottle of wine, the waiter returned with the bill. As he left with our plates, Christy put down two hundred-dollar bills and arose from her seat without even checking the bill.


    ¡°Shall we take that tour now or tomorrow? I didn¡¯t expect dinner to take as long as it did.¡± She asked as I got up from my seat. The timer from my implant showed it being five minutes after eight.


    ¡°Nows fine. I¡¯m used to staying up late anyways.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡± She commented as we made our way out of the still-packed restaurant.


    Lights from the city rushed past our shuttle as we made our way back to Sweettooth Headquarters in the darkness of the night. Christy kept to herself and sat in deep concentration, saying nothing during the ride. Her face betrayed her inner thoughts as she appeared to be considering something. She¡¯d be a horrible poker player.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± I asked, breaking the silence between us.


    ¡°What? Oh no. Nothing¡­well¡­¡± She sighed, ¡°This may sound strange, but have you ever experienced Deja Vu?¡±


    ¡°Of course, hasn¡¯t everyone? Why, you getting a bad case of believing this has all happened before? Its nothing more than a brain hiccup.¡± She laughed and her face visibly relaxed.


    ¡°A brain hiccup? Really?¡± I shrugged,


    ¡°Thats what my friend from school always called it. Kinda stuck when he randomly shouted ¡®I¡¯m having a brain hiccup!¡¯ in the middle of class.¡±


    The rest of our ride consisted of Christy uttering ¡®brain hiccup¡¯ in-between gasps for breath and bouts of laughter. Even as we landed out front Sweettooth Headquarters, Christy was still doing her best to calm herself. After multiple failed attempts at introducing the company once again, we decided to just head inside and do a tour.


    ¡°As you can see, this is our reception room.¡± Christy managed to say without breaking into a small fit of laughter. A large, welcoming room full of potted plants, comfortable sofas and chairs, as well as a water and coffee machine for guests. A wooden desk sat at the far end of the room where the receptionist would alert the higher ups of arrived guests. A set of doors were marked off to the side of the room as bathrooms. Christy opened the door just past the receptionist desk with a swipe of her ID card that she kept tucked under her suit. ¡°Now, welcome to Sweettooth Productions.¡±


    The first floor of the building consisted of a few large rooms dedicated to game testing and development as well as a cafeteria. Q&A testers would come and go while coders could respond to their feedback and fix any bugs that arose. The second floor however, was filled with various props, models, and artwork of the various races, landscapes, and architecture of the world of Churros.


    ¡°What would you say is our product¡¯s strongest and weakest points would be?¡± Christy asked as we walked through the halls.


    ¡°Strongest? I would have to say immersion. Everything felt so real, NPC interactions were spot-on. It almost felt like I was talking to real people at times. As for the weakest, well, it¡¯d probably be the Gobblor invasion.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°It happens far too soon for the player to prepare any sort of countermeasure. Even knowing all the events beforehand, a player can only do so much before the world goes to hell in a hand basket. And the Gobblor adapt far too fast. If you so much as use any sort of cavalry against them, even in a skirmish, the next battle they have forks and aim exclusively for the horses instead of the soldiers. Pretty much everything is stacked against the player.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. So you¡¯re saying the difficulty is our weakest point?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it just seems that the game is pretty much unable to be won. I mean, I made it to what seemed to be the final battle, only for everything to go horribly wrong.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°And why do you want to close the portal? A lot of players fortify at the Puffmallow Kingdom and can hold back the Gobblor indefinitely.¡±


    ¡°Well, unlike the players who only defend the Puffmallow Kingdom, I know that the Gobblor wouldn¡¯t be stopped by their mountains and walls. Stopping them from invading doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re defeated. I did a play-through defending Puffmallow once. After awhile, the Gobblor stop attacking. And while they don¡¯t attack, they don¡¯t stop building up their forces. I¡¯m sure even Puffmallow¡¯s great wall would be overrun by Breakers and Brutes if given enough time to build up. If those players truly wanted to save Churros, they¡¯d work on closing the Rift. No Rift, no more invaders.¡±


    Together the two of us walked into the elevator that had taken us from the first floor to the second. Christy was about to scan her ID card, but hesitated.


    ¡°And what would you need to close the Rift?¡± She looked at me with a serious look on her face.


    ¡°Time mostly.¡± I stated simply.


    ¡°What about five in-game years?¡± She asked, giving me her full attention.


    ¡°That¡¯d be enough for sure.¡± My mind raced at the possibilities of five years before the Gobblor invaded.


    Christy sighed as if a great weight had been removed from her shoulders.


    ¡°James Tiramisu.¡± She spoke in a formal tone. ¡°What if I were to tell you Churros is¡­was¡­a real place?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have to say the wine has finally gotten to you Christy.¡± I laughed.


    ¡°My name is not Christy.¡± She whispered with a hand held off to the side. A hand where electricity crackled between her fingertips like small snakes made of lightning. Lightning that quickly changed to small beads of flame. Flames that vanished in a puff of smoke to make way for a small globe of water that instantly froze to ice.


    ¡°My name is Caramelina. The last survivor of Churros.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­¡± I uttered, unable to comprehend what I just saw.


    ¡°James Tiramisu. This entire evening I have been watching you. Judging you. And I have finally decided to answer your question about the ending to The Siege of Churros.¡± She spoke, drawing my attention from her hand to her face. Fear and anxiety visibly surging through her facial features. Her eyes glistened with syrupy tears as her next words echoed in my mind.


    ¡°Will you help me save my world?¡±

 Chapter: Caramelinas Plea

    ¡°Will you help me save my world?¡± Her words echoed in my mind as I stared at the spectacle before me. My gaze firmly fixated upon her hand, which now she held firmly at her side. With effort, I tore my attention from her hand to her face. Worried eyes locked onto my own, expectant of my answer. My heart pounded wildly in my chest as my mind reeled from the impossibility that had been dropped right in front of me. My mouth felt as if it had been filled with sand.


    Magic! Thats what that had to have been. The lightning, the fire, and the ice! All formed within seconds of each other. But that was impossible! Magic was always just a pipe dream, a superstition drawn from folklore from days long past when we didn¡¯t know much about the world. It didn¡¯t actually exist in our world¡­and yet, there it was. An impossibility made reality right in front of me and all I could do was gape as words failed me. Thoughts within my mind became difficult as each thought felt as if it were trudging through a sea of waist-deep sludge.


    Christy wasn¡¯t Christy at all, but Caramelina from the game? She called herself the last survivor of Churros? Churros wasn¡¯t actually a game, but a real world? And above it all, she wanted my help? So many impossibilities that the logical part of my mind screamed that I was dreaming. And yet, it wasn¡¯t a dream. This was real, and I had been shown the evidence right in front of my eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± With an iron grip, I clenched the bars along the edge of the elevator to keep myself steady. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± I managed to utter after taking a few deep breaths.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking this much better than I did all those years ago.¡± Caramelina smirked in self-derision. ¡°Perhaps before we continue, we should have a seat?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­good idea¡­¡± Slowly, I set myself upon the elevator floor.


    ¡°I had meant a chair in a nearby room, but this is fine I suppose.¡± Caramelina smiled as she sat across from me.


    The two of us sat in silence as we regarded one another. Slowly, my mind recovered from the initial shock as the aches began to set in from over-thinking. Thoughts, questions, and assumptions all sped through and collided within my skull without mercy.


    ¡°How are you here?¡± I questioned, breaking the silence and putting to words the biggest question in my mind.


    ¡°You asked about the ending to The Siege of Churros during our meal.¡± She closed her eyes, reminiscing. ¡°The truth is, beyond the events you saw, I don¡¯t know what happened afterwards.¡± She sighed as she slumped against the elevator wall. ¡°From what I know, a fellow Magi cast a teleportation spell in an attempt to save their own life. And, as best I can tell, it reacted violently with the gathered energy, as well as the influence of The Rift. The blast knocked me unconscious, and when I came to I found myself in your world. Your Earth.¡±


    ¡°Mmmmm¡­¡± I scratched my head in thought, ¡°So what is Churros exactly? Another world in our universe? A different universe?¡±


    ¡°We believe it to be Earth in an alternate reality from your own. One where magic is allowed to flourish.¡± She held up her hand and a small ball of flame popped into existence. ¡°This is all I can do in your world unaided. All my power amounts to the ability to create a flame the size of a golf ball.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°I have a colleague of sorts who¡­well, he knows a lot about these sorts of things. Hes a bit of a strange one at that. And yes, he does know about my situation.¡± She answered before I could form the question.


    I rubbed my head in an effort to calm the ache that continued to pound in my skull unabated. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know what to say.¡± I sighed, ¡°It all just seems so¡­¡±


    ¡°Impossible?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I know how you feel.¡±


    A brief silence returned between us as I did my best to digest all the information I had been given.


    ¡°I¡¯m grateful.¡± Caramelina began, breaking the silence between us.


    ¡°Grateful?¡± She nodded,


    ¡°I could have died in that explosion, James. Yet there I was, thrust into a strange land. A young girl in tattered robes walking along a foreign road made of strange black rock in the middle of the night. The next thing I knew, bright lights approached from behind as a loud horn-like sound broke the previously silent night. I¡¯m ashamed that in that moment I froze in fear as a loud screeching sound came from the coming lights. I thought it was a monster at first.¡± She laughed in self-derision, ¡°It was my first encounter with a carriage that hadn¡¯t been pulled by Gingerhorses. I was amazed at such a thing, even as a man and a woman barged out, the man gesturing wildly as he shouted while the woman ran towards me speaking words I did not understand. As she looked me over, speaking in an alarmed but calm manner, I felt safe.¡±


    ¡°Jeane and Riley Horderves.¡± Caramelina nodded,


    ¡°Yes. They became my adoptive parents.¡± She smiled fondly. ¡°They took me in. Fed, sheltered, and taught me. I owe them everything, and so I used everything I learned to repay their kindness. After graduating college I had started my first company, which received great success. Now they will never have to work again.¡±


    A sad look crossed her face as she continued her story, ¡°I had been transported to a good home, but it never truly felt like home. I was brought to this wondrous world of metal and light. A world that didn¡¯t know the taint of the Gobblors. A world where carriages pulled themselves, and some flew through the sky like the Gingerbird Man. A world that had done away with hunger and famine. A world where every day wasn¡¯t a struggle for survival.¡± She sighed wistfully, ¡°A world that made me realize that everything I knew was but a small grain of sugar in the vast ocean of what your world had accomplished. I, once one the most promising pupils of the Fructosian Magi, felt small in the face of everything your people had brought into existence. All without even a drop of magical ability in your veins. A world full of people who dared to dream and strode forth until they made those dreams reality.¡±


    ¡°While I was in schooling, I knew what I had to do. I had to acquire someone with that same strength of will. That relentless drive to accomplish their goal no matter how insurmountable the objective. But I needed money and a plan. After many years of tireless effort and planning, I had met a disgraced scientist by the name of Erik Krasston.¡±


    I recognized that name. ¡°Wasn¡¯t he the man who had a theory for bending space, allowing for instantaneous transportation between two points in space?¡±


    ¡°The one and the same. It was his idea to create a game that mimicked my own world. And so I left my old company to start a new one. Together, we created the Siege of Churros for the sole purpose of finding an individual like yourself. You are not the first person I¡¯ve contacted James, but you are the first I have told all of this.¡± She sighed, ¡°The others I had interviewed only saw me as a way for them to put their foot in the door. A quick shot to success and wealth.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡± I nodded in understanding. My ex had been the same.


    ¡°I ended up thanking them for their time and told them to look forward to our future products. I judged that they wouldn¡¯t be able to accomplish what I asked. But you¡¯re different James. You aren¡¯t here for wealth or prestige, you only sought answers to the game¡¯s ending and now you have them. So I must ask you once again, will you help me save my world?¡± She asked with her head bowed towards me.


    And there it was. A question with a world¡¯s worth of weight behind it. I could accept, and try my hand at saving a world. Or I could decline, and continue to live my normal life. If I said yes, would I truly be able to help? I know if I decline I would always look back at this moment and think ¡®what if¡¯. My head pounded in frustration of weighing these two choices in my mind. Could I help save a world that wasn¡¯t my own? I didn¡¯t know what to think. There were more than a few things still bugging me that I had not had the answers to. Answers I felt I should have before coming to a decision.


    ¡°Did you cut my internet connection during my stream?¡±


    ¡°I-¡± She uttered, caught off guard by my question. ¡°In a way, yes. It was Erik acting at my behest.¡± I nodded, I had a feeling she was behind that.


    ¡°You do know disruption of a public service is ten years imprisonment minimum, no matter how small the offense right?¡±


    ¡°I would suffer any hardship to save my world.¡± Her voice radiated determination.


    ¡°What would helping you entail exactly?¡± Her entire face lit up with joy. ¡°I haven¡¯t said yes, I¡¯m just asking questions.¡± I quickly noted to her. Her enthusiasm didn¡¯t fade.


    ¡°We would need time to prepare.¡± She spoke rapidly, ¡°I would need to teach you my language, both written and spoken. We would have to constantly review everything about my world until you know it better than your own. I would also send you to professional training for actual fighting experience and physical fitness. A game is a poor substitute for real world experience, though you¡¯re much more fit than previous potentials.¡± She smirked, ¡°But if you accept, Erik and I could go ahead with our plan.¡±


    ¡°You seem to rely a great deal on him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, hes quite the interesting man. Though a bit of a troublemaker at times.¡± She smiled, reminiscing.


    ¡°You asked if five years would be enough, what did you have in mind with that?¡±


    ¡°We¡­theoretically have a way to get you to my world five years before the invasion.¡±


    ¡°Theoretically?¡±


    ¡°Its never been tried before.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re pining all your hopes on an experiment. Cant say I like the sound of that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wish I could guarantee more.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you tried sending yourself back then?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to. But it was Erik who convinced me to gather support. If it were up to me, I¡¯d already be back in my world with a wealth of knowledge to use against those invaders.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask Erik to join you?¡± She shook her head,


    ¡°He has too many attachments to Earth to leave. A wife and two daughters. I couldn¡¯t take him from them.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.Taking a deep breath, I asked my final question.


    ¡°And what if I decline?¡± All the energy in Caramelina quickly deflated.


    ¡°Then I would have to go back to hoping for someone that will accept. But if it takes too long, I will go myself.¡± She whispered. ¡°All I would ask that you kept everything we discussed tonight private.¡±


    She had laid everything bare and now it was up to me whether to accept or decline. Chills crashed through my body at the sheer weight of such a decision. I wanted to decline, I truly did. It wasn¡¯t my world. It wasn¡¯t my problem. But how could I merely stand on the sideline and say its not my fight? How could I continue living, knowing full well I could have done everything in my power to help countless people? Could Caramelina and I truly save an entire world? My father had always told me, ¡®If you want something done right, you do it yourself¡¯, but I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t have this in mind when speaking those words.


    ¡°Caramelina.¡± She looked up at me with defeated eyes, as if she had already guessed my answer. Who in their right mind would accept such a request? Guess I¡¯m just not right in the head then. ¡°We may not be able to save your world Caramelina, but I¡¯ll be damned if we don¡¯t at least try.¡±


    Her eyes widened in shock. Her mouth opened, closed, and opened in repeated motions, like a fish out of water. I felt a great weight lift from my shoulders as I stood up and held out my hand towards her. Gingerly, she took hold of my hand as I helped her to her feet. Her eyes flooded with sweet tears as she rushed towards me and embraced me. Hot, sticky tears soaked my suit as she sobbed into my shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve waited so long to hear those words.¡± She managed to say in-between sobs. I was thankful that we were alone in the building, as her wailing pierced the silence of the night while she cried into my shoulder.


    ¡°Sorry it took so long.¡± She laughed,


    ¡°Ever since I was ten years old, when I came to your world, I hoped to hear those words.¡± She spoke, her words muffled by her face upon my shoulder.


    ¡°Ten years old?! Wasn¡¯t your in-game character fifteen?¡±


    ¡°Sixteen.¡± She sniffled, ¡°I had to change my own age to get past the censorship laws.¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself, I began to chuckle. My chuckles quickly turned to laughter. And my laughter was soon joined by Caramelina''s.


    It wasn¡¯t until almost eleven at night that Caramelina had calmed down.


    ¡°I still have one last thing to show you.¡± She spoke as she punched her ID into the elevator. A small panel with a single button opened below the floor selections which she pressed. The doors closed with a hiss, and we began our descent towards the first floor. And then the first floor passed us by.


    ¡°Hey what-¡±


    ¡°Basement.¡± She stated as we descended further and further. ¡°Only Erik and I can access this section of the building. Its our secret project and the key to getting back to my world. Its also the reason why I asked if you¡¯ve experienced Deja Vu earlier.¡± Before I could ask the question forming at the tip of my tongue, she held up a hand. ¡°You¡¯ll understand shortly.¡± The doors clanked open as she spoke.


    A short passageway walled and floored in rubber led to a high-security doorway not ten feet from the elevator. The two of us walked side by side as we made our way towards the door. A faint tingle in my head quickly turned to erupting pain in my skull as we made it halfway to the door.


    ¡°Wha¡­what the hell is this?!¡± I yelled out as I clenched my head. A wave of nausea erupted from my stomach as I fell to my knees. My mind felt as if it were splitting in half. Caramelina knelt worriedly next to me, speaking words that I could not hear as I began to see.


    I saw Caramelina open the door ahead of us, her lips moving as she spoke to me. I followed her with ragged steps, my hands firmly clenched to my head. Together, the two of us entered the room and a stranger met us inside. A man that Caramelina seemed to know quite well and angrily yelled at. The man laughed and began typing on a control panel. In an instant, I saw myself standing as if the pain had never been there in the first place. The vision went on and on with no end in sight.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Caramelina worriedly asked. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, the room shouldn¡¯t even be working at this time. Erik had already gone home¡­¡± She mumbled to herself as she walked forwards. Slowly, I rose to my feet and followed close behind, clenching my head from all that I was¡­remembering. That was the best way I could describe this strange feeling. It was as if I were living a memory I never knew I had. Except that memory hadn¡¯t occurred yet. It was Deja Vu on steroids.


    ¡°Erik? Man about six feet tall? Blond hair, green eyes, with a shaved face? Yeah he¡¯s here.¡± I uttered through clenched teeth. Caramelina¡¯s expression rapidly contorted into a snarl.


    ¡°That man. I¡¯ll give him a piece of my mind¡­¡± I¡¯d have laughed were it not for my head thumping uncontrollably.


    ¡°Whats going on?¡± I gasped as the vision kept moving forward. My mind was screaming at me being in two places at once and yet only in one place in reality.


    ¡°This room was designed by Erik and I.¡± She spoke quickly as we moved through the passageway. ¡°Call it a little piece of Churros. This is what it will feel like as a Seer within my world.¡±


    ¡°A Seer?¡±


    ¡°One who can see the future.¡± She began, ¡°They were rare in Churros. Most are driven mad by their visions, and those that don¡¯t end up taking their own lives to escape them. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the vast majority of people in your world possess such a ability, only for your world to hamper it.¡±


    ¡°Is it magic?¡± I asked with gritted teeth.


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not sure honestly. Possibly? It was never considered such when I was at the Fructosian academy. Though, some may call it a sort of brain hiccup though.¡± She smirked and punched in her ID to the door.


    ¡°Greetings esteemed colleague and her chosen hero!¡± A man shouted with acclaim as the doors opened.


    ¡°Erik what the hell are you doing here at this hour? And why did you activate the room without notifying me? James here didn¡¯t even have a warning for Cinnamoca¡¯s sake!¡± Caramelina fumed.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The man posed before typing on a control panel and the massive migraine vanished as if it had never been there to begin with.


    ¡°Are you okay James?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good now.¡± I took in a few breaths to steady myself.


    ¡°See? The boy¡¯s fine!¡± Erik grinned. ¡°Of course, I knew he¡¯d be fine way ahead of time!¡±


    ¡°You¡­you what?!¡±


    ¡°I foresaw everything that would happen today, yesterday while you were working!¡± The man grinned.


    ¡°You knew that we would find James? And that he would accept my plea?¡± Caramelina growled, ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me?!¡±


    ¡°Pay attention Jamie boy, this bit is important!¡± Erik grinned mischievously, ¡°Your first lesson in changing the future! Also known as knowing when to not alter it!¡± He shifted his attention towards the woman staring daggers at him with crossed arms. ¡°Dearest Caramelina, what if I had told you of our friend here, hmm? You would have approached him differently. Perhaps with far more confidence, as you would be assured it would be a surefire thing? But, said confidence may not have been able to shift his disposition towards helping you. In fact, it could very well have been your very desperation is what drove him to act!¡±


    ¡°I have a question for you.¡± I addressed Erik as Caramelina mulled over his words.


    ¡°The answer is training, my boy. With enough practice, you¡¯ll be able to stave off the constant visions by training your mind to subconsciously block them. Caramelina has told you of her people¡¯s Seers going loony and killing themselves, but this room here will help so you don¡¯t! We have the advantage of turning off this room to allow our minds time to breathe as we learn how to filter out these constant visions. Though I will admit, getting to that point is quite difficult, it took me nearly three months to be able to do it!¡±


    ¡°And how did you go about doing that yourself?¡±


    ¡°The scientific method my boy, trial and error!¡±


    ¡°He locks himself in this room for hours at a time everyday. He does it everyday for the past few years.¡± Caramelina turned to face me, ¡°It¡¯s something you¡¯ll have to master before we can attempt our journey to Churros. Otherwise¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Well I¡¯m glad introductions are over, I¡¯ll be heading home now. I don¡¯t need to see the future to know my wife is going to kill me for working late again. See you both later! Ta-ta!¡± The man scrambled out the door and rushed to the elevator in a mad dash. He turned as he reached the elevator, waved, and was on his way.


    ¡°How did you get him to sit still long enough to help you?¡±


    ¡°I asked him if he believed in magic. He called me foolish and ranted about how it was unscientific. He changed his tune pretty quickly.¡±


    Not long after Erik had left the scene, we made our way outside the building. Caramelina had offered to pay for a hotel, but I declined. I had to go home, shower, catch some sleep, and put in my thirty days notice at my work. After saying my goodbyes, I entered the air-shuttle once more and sped off into the night towards my home. Complete exhaustion gripped my mind as the comforting sound of the humming engine lulled my consciousness away.


    The heavy scent of smoke crashed into my nostrils as an unbearable heat assailed my entire body, waking me from my peaceful slumber. Gone was the sound of the humming engine, replaced by the roar of a massive fire. All around me, wooden buildings were consumed by flames that licked at the night sky. Clouds of smoke billowed into the air as the flames raged and buildings collapsed. Keeping low, I moved through the cobbled streets, doing my best to avoid falling debris. Occasionally, I¡¯d rush towards a street only to find it blocked by a burning collapse.


    Minutes seemed like hours as I traversed through the hellish inferno. Other than the crackling of flames and the thunder from collapsing buildings, there was no sound. No people yelling, no children crying. Just a hellish landscape devoid of all life burning to the ground. Time had no meaning as I rushed from street to street, coughing from the smoke all around me. If I didn¡¯t get out of here soon, I¡¯d die from the smoke inhalation.


    Marshmallow walls arose in the distance as I made my way through the city, and with no better landmark, I made my way towards them. The closer I came to the walls, the less smoke there seemed to be. My breathing eased and the heat faded when I had finally broken through the inferno that had consumed the entire city. Gasping for breath, I inhaled the cold, clean air. With curious eyes, I glanced along the marshmallow wall, looking for an exit. I didn¡¯t have to look far, the walls had been destroyed in many sections. Piles of chocolate rubble formed massive mounds on the inside of the walls, as if they had been broken through.


    I jogged towards the nearest hole in the wall and peered outside the ruined city. Barren landscape stretched as far as the eye could see. Not a single blade of candy grass, nor a single sprinkle tree for miles and miles. A cloud of chocolate dust drifted across the land, kicked up by a gust of wind. Claws dug in to my shoulder from behind. Before I could cry out in pain, the claws ripped sideways, spinning me around to face my attacker as my arm was ripped from it¡¯s socket.


    ¡°You will change nothing.¡± A Brute-type Gobblors uttered before sending it¡¯s claws towards my face.


    Reflexively, I reached for my face, only to find myself in the backseat of the air-shuttle. My entire body was drenched in sweat from the nightmare I just had. In a practiced manner, I took a few sets of deep, calming breaths. I had had nightmares like this before, years ago. Merely a dream affected by self doubt and fear. I knew this dream wouldn¡¯t be the last, I¡¯d have plenty more ahead of me.


    ¡°I will change nothing?¡± I mused with a smile as the shuttle descended. I was finally home. ¡°Just watch me.¡±

 Chapter 4: One World To Rule Them All

    Six long months had passed since I started my brutal training regiment to stave off the visions of Churros. I could now block out the intrusive visions indefinitely with only a few minor glitches here and there. My mind had been tempered in preperation for the decisive battle that would bring peace back into the land of Churros, but something felt strange. Something was clawing at the back of my mind, scratching, gnawing for a way out almost.


    Soon after I began my training in the Acclimation Chamber I started to have strange dreams. They were often blurry and distorted and I had a difficult time even remembering they happened at all. After the first month they started to get more powerful. I started to recall more and more from the invasive dreams. Not every dream was the same, but I would usually be surrounded by people that seemed to know me. I could see them clearly but never quite make out their faces. I was sure I''d never met these people before when I would recall what happened in the dreams. Still, I couldn''t shake the feeling that I had a close connection with the figures in my mind, that they were important to me. Perhaps it was the other way around; maybe I was important to them.


    By the third or fourth month I could no longer call them dreams. They could only truthfully be described as full blown visions or even hallucinations by that point. I figured it was all part of the acclimation process so I never bothered to mention these episodes to Caramelina or Erik. The sensations inside the dreams became so profound that they started to bleed over into my consciousness. It became common for me to have short and intense waking dreams throughout the day. It felt like something was slowly pulling me into another world. I would catch myself staring off into space, my gaze steady and unyielding. My visions were consuming me like a black hole devouring every spark of light that tread a single pace outside its humble course.


    After five months of honing my mind and blocking out the illusions of Churros, I finally realized that I hadn''t improved at all. I had almost completely blotted out Churros, but in doing so, I had left other routes to my mind vulnerable beyond repair. These hallucinations didn''t seem to be the result of some malevolent force pushing its way into my consciousness. It felt more like being naked in a snow storm, exposed to the biting duress of the elements. Every day I could feel my mind slipping further from what I had previously precieved as reality and more towards this ever growing existence beyond the limits of my own sight.


    The ever accelerating tangibility of this alternate me was frightening at first, but the closer that world felt to reality, the more comfortable I became with it. My senses felt sharper each time I gave in and let myself succumb to this dream-like state of consiousness. I soon found myself welcoming these spontaneous jolts into this mirorred existence. Despite a thin fog obscurring anywhere I looked, the sensations felt more real than any virtual reality game I''ve ever played.


    I could feel the soothing tingle of cool metal on my finger tips. The dull echo of murmuring voices reverberated through the walls. Tubular white lights embeded in a low ceiling stretched down a narrow passage; their dull glow revealing the mesh grating softly clinking beneath my boots as I explored beyond. The fog was persistent, but I could just barely make out a door awaiting me at the other end of the hall. As I closed the distance, I could tell the chattering was coming from behind the door. I crept forward at a cautious pace with nothing more than the tapping of boots against metal and the steady hum of the lights to serenade me. A small touch screen affixed to the wall beside the door lit up at my arrival. A blue symbol in the shape of a hand lay at its center.


    I could feel the sweat gliding down from my forehead. Just a moment ago I would have described the climate as cool and dry, the perfect conditions for most of Churros'' inhabitance, but now it felt nothing short of sweltering. I supposed I didn''t have any real reason to fear who ever was behind the door, but I couldn''t help shake the feeling that something wasn''t right, that I wasn''t myself. My hand started to shake as it inched ever closer to the touch screen. My breathing was labored and erratic. I finally built up the nerve to go for it and quickly pressed my hand against the screen. Just as the door retracted, a dense wall of fog rushed passed me, throwing me into a panic and causing me to fall back to the floor. The subtle echo from before quickly grew into a roaring cacophony of desperate muffled cries.


    "James, can you hear me? Wake up!" shouted Caramelina as she shook my shoulders. My vision, still clouded by fog, slowly started to focus as rough figures took shape before me. I gasped for air as I vigorously rubbed my eyes. My whole body ached and was drenched in sweat. I could feel the damp cloth beneath me from the bed I was laying in. When I opened my eyes, Caramelina and Erik were standing over me, both with concerned looks on their faces.


    "What happened?" I asked in a groggy voice before leaning over the edge of my bed and emptying my lunch all over the floor.


    "Oh dear!" exclaimed Erik before shuffling off to another room.


    "How long have I been out?" I asked with ragged breaths.


    "Slow down, James. Just take a second and relax." Caramelina insisted as she sat on the opposite side of the bed and rubbed my back. Caramelina let out a soft sigh.


    "You''ve been gone for almost a month now." My eyes widened in shock.


    "A month!? How is that possible?" I asked with a slight stutter. Up until this point my episodes had only lasted any where from a few minutes to a few hours. A month drifting in a sea of dreams seemed unfathomable. The last time I went to the other side it seemed like it was already over in an instant.


    "Your time trapped within the visions was getting much shorter from the training, but we did notice that you seemed to be experiencing them more frequently as of late," Caramelina explained.


    "We didn''t think it out of the ordinary since Erik often went through cycles of rapid consecutive visions during his training. But the last time you went out you didn''t seem like you were going to come back. Erik never experienced such long episodes before. After a few hours we decided to move you into the Acclimation Chamber with the hopes that it would bring you back to us, but you just wouldn''t wake up. We were so worried about you, James. You were just laying there in a deep sleep for so long we weren''t sure if you would ever wake up again, that is, until just a moment ago. I came in to check on you and your whole body was convulsing and shaking."


    Erik hurried back into the room holding a glass of water.


    "Here my boy, drink this." I slugged down the cool glass of water and sighed as it relieved my burning throat.


    "Can you remember anything about the visions, James?" prodded Erik. I stared up at the ceiling for a moment and tried to recall what happened. I closed my eyes and the memories came flooding in like a burst dam.


    "I was in a corridor, like, uh, a ship... maybe? It was cool and dry. The walls were made out of this smooth pitch black metal with grooves and patterns etched into them. I remember walking down the corridor towards this door. It had one of those hand print verification touch screens next to it like they have at Sweettooth inc. I heard voices coming from the other side of the door so I went to open it, but when I did, this strange fog envelopped me. I coudn''t see who was talking through all the fog, but the voices grew louder and louder until I woke up to you shouting at me. I guess that explains the voices at least." A flash of emberassment spread across Caramelina''s cheeks for a moment.


    "Yes, well, I had to make sure you were going to wake up this time after all. At any rate, I have to return to my work, you know, keep up appearances while I''m still a guest in your world and you look like you could use some rest, well, maybe not that. You get what I mean, so um, I''ll be back tomorrow to check up on things." Caramelina rushed out of the room as fast she could to hamper any possible chances of emberassing herself any further. Erik let out a soft chuckle.


    "You would think after all these years living in our world, she would have figured out how to talk to humans without getting so flustered. You should have seen her right before your little date night. She forced me to rehearse the whole thing with her for weeks. I thought she was going to melt where she stood when you walked through the door. I still can''t believe she had me watch the whole damn thing to ''make sure she was doing okay'' like it would have made a difference in the first place. Sorry, now I''m just rambling. You should stay in the Acclimation Chamber for a while just to be safe. I''ll bring you some real food tomorrow, that is, unless you''ve aquired a taste for the nutrient paste we''ve been cramming down your gullet for the last month." I stared down at the pile of mush stagnating by my feet.


    "Is that was that taste is?" I asked as I grimaced at the thought of that sludge pouring down my throat.


    "Only the best for our treasured guest. Sorry to disappoint you but I''m afraid you''ll have to start chewing your own food again," Erik quipped as he casually paced out of the room.


    "I think I''m starting to get a headache," I thought to myself. Erik''s head poked back through the door way before slipping away again.


    "Oh, and try not to fall asleep for the time being. Shouldn''t be too hard with all that rest you got earlier. Good luck."


    The door to the Acclimation Chamber slammed shut with Erik''s leave. I layed back down in the soft bed, staring at the ceiling in contemplation.


    "Wait, did he say ''date''?" My thought was interrupted by the rancid oder of my cold solidifying vomit.


    "That yammering scientist didn''t even give me anything to clean up my mess and I''m suppost to stay in here all night?" I grumbled in frustration. I pulled the thin sheet from the bed over my nose to filter out the stench and focused back on the pale ceiling before me. I couldn''t stop thinking about what I saw in that last vision.


    "Where exactly was I?" I wondered. I couldn''t help but feel like something important was behind that door, like there was something I was supposed to do there.


    I kept replaying the events of the dream over and over in my head, eyes unblinking and fixated. The more I focused on the images in my memory the more vividly they appeared before me. I could almost see them as clearly as day, dancing before me on the blank ceiling above. I could sense all it again; the smooth metal walls with the etched grooves rumbling beneath my fingertips, the cool crisp air, the dull hum of the lights. There it was, the door, staring back at me. I needed to know who or what was behind it. I felt inescapably drawn to it like nails to a magnet. My breathing started to pick up like before. I edged ever closer to the door yet again. I started to feel heavy and restricted, like my whole body was covered in sand. I could no see the white ceiling in front of me, the acrid smell of the vomit, or the soft padding of the bed. I could only sense what seemed real to me now; the narrow metal corridor I was in, and the door that stood before me.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    My hand met with the scanner at last and the door slid open with ease. I walked through and found myself in my room back home. Everything was there, just as I left it.


    "But, how is this possible?" I wondered. I drew back the blinds that shrouded my room in a comfortable darkness and looked out the window. Every thing still, almost, frozen. People on the sidewalk standing in place, birds suspended in the air, the early morning sun smoldering halfway above the horizon. Struggling to process what I was seeing, I sat down in my computer chair and stared, mouth agape, at the inanimate world in front of me. I looked back over to where the door I came through was, but it was gone, just my normal blank wall.


    "How am I supposed to get back? How did I even get hear in the first place?" I pondered for a moment.


    I snapped to attention as I heard a loud crash echo through the house. I jolted upward and peeked outside my bedroom door. I could hear the banging and clanking coming from the kitchen downstairs. I didn''t waste any time and started sneaking down the stairs, keeping my head ducked just above the banister. Once I reached the bottom of the stairs I glanced around for anything I could use as a weapon. All I could manage to find was my sisters pink umbrella leaning up against the wall by the front door.


    "It''ll have to do," I whispered to myself. I clutched the brightly colored umbrella with both hands; my arms winding it up like I was about to crush a homerun at Fenway Park. I took a deep breath before leaping around the corner to meet the intruder.


    "Who the fuck are you!" I roared, as loud as I could.


    "Holy shit, jesus fuck!" bellowed a seedy bearded man as he fell on his back in shock, flinging a jar of mayonaise acrossed the kitchen in the process.I towered over him, pointing my pink umbrella at his face, still clutching it with both hands.


    "Why are you in my house!" I shouted at the portly vagabond. He looked to be in his late 40s, face covered in a long scraggly black beard with streaks of white, his tattered rag-like overcoat covered in slices of my baloney.


    "Jesus christ, what''s the matter with you? You don''t just jump out on people when they''re making sandwiches like that. Didn''t your mother ever teach you any manners?" retorted the man as he rose from the floor and brushed the baloney slices from his chest.


    "Manners, man, who do you think you are talking about manners, huh? Just walking into peoples homes and going through their shit?" I replied, umbrella still ready to strike, my legs firmly planted in a power stance. The shaggy man sighed as he lifted both his hands up in surrender.


    "Alright, I get it, you just went through the door for your first time, everything''s all weird and frozen and some random guy you''ve never met before is in your kitchen making sandwiches, so, you don''t know what to do right now. Well, I''ll tell you what you can do. You can either listen to what I''m about to tell you, or you can try and massage me to death with that Fisher-Price toothpick you got there." I looked down at the umbrella and then back up at him.


    "Door? What are you talking about, how do you know about the door?" I asked, umbrella wobbling in my shakey grip.


    "Okay option one, I like it." The man scooped up the half-empty package of baloney from the floor and returned to making his sandwich with some white bread left on the counter.


    "Everyone here knows about the door, dude, how else are you gonna get here? Look, man, you synchonized with the universe or whatever and then you went through the door and popped out on the otherside at your anchor point. Get it? It''s simple."


    "Simple? What do you mean simple? Synchronized with the universe? The hell is an anchor point?" I asked as I realigned the tip of my umbrella with his head.


    "Come on, dude, enough with the umbrella already. You look like Marry Poppins after she went down the wrong street in Detroit. You''re gonna trip over your Sketchers and poke my eye out with that thing." I lowered my improvised weapon and took a deep breath. The man began explaining where we were while stuffing his face with his freshly prepared baloney sandwich.


    "This place we''re in is like a reflection of the real world. Its got all the same people, animals, trees, but what it doesn''t have is time to put it all in motion. That little detail right there is what makes this such a great place to resynchronize with different time-lines and universes. You see, time tends to slow down the closer you are to the center of the universe and every strand of time in that universe eventually orbits close enough for you to hitch a ride. An anchor point is a unique place where you end up in this timeless space. Everybody''s got one. You should thank your lucky stars your anchor point is a door that leads to this nice house. Mine is a manhole next to that Indian restraunt on 5th street. Not sure why they tend to be around peoples homes. Pretty cool though right?" I let out a sigh as I rubbed my forehead.


    "Look, if you''re just going to stand there and eat my food in my kitchen then at least tell me your name, okay? The man abruptly halted his vigorous chewing and set down the rest of his sandwich before dusting the crumbs off his hands.


    "Fair enough. The names Weston Krantz, but you can call me West." Weston extended his hand towards me. I glanced down at his filthy hand and hesitated for a moment before giving it a firm shake.


    "Okay, West, I''m not really sure what you are talking about with all this universe synchronization nonsense, so why don''t we start with something more down to earth. Why are you in my house?" I asked with a raised eye brow.


    "Well, I''m what you might call, ''Economically Challenged'' and the Time Bubble, that''s what I like to call this place, is a pretty convenient place to take shelter, seeing as how everyone is frozen and therefore don''t have much use for their cold cuts and beds. Your house just happened to be the catch of the day." Weston raised up his half-eaten sandwich and smirked before returning to finish the job.


    "How did you make it to this ''Time Bubble'' place to begin with? Actually, how did I even get here? The last thing I remember doing was staring at a wall while I was day-dreaming then all of the sudden I was in some weird corridor with a door at the end." I scratched my head as I stared at the ceiling. Weston made a quick gesture, tapping his finger against the side of his head.


    "Sounds like you got the thing, man. The gift or whatever you feel like calling it. You must have done something or had something happen to you to pop your mental synchronization cherry. For me it was a tap on the noggin from some asshole that didn''t know what stop sign was for. Not everyone has the gift, but for those of us that do, we get the pick of the litter, man." Weston explained before taking the last bite of his sandwich and dusting the crumbs off his hands yet again.


    "Pick of the litter? What is that supposed to mean?" I asked as I crossed my arms.


    "Alternate time-lines, universes, places, people, dude. Any time period you want to go check out, countries, people you want to be, hell even other planets if someone actually lived there once. You hitch a ride on any one of these infinitely expanding time strands and you can experience life as if you were actually what ever person you synched up with, man. Just a few hours ago I was Ozzy Osbourne the day he learned about cocaine. Cool, right?" Weston leaned back against the kitchen sink and crossed his arms, recalling all the recent fun he had.


    "But what if I want to go back to my own time and, you know, be me? Some people need my help and I should really get back to them." I started fidgeting with my hands and tapping my feet.


    "What are you talking about? Where you not listening to my super scientific explaination earlier? We''re in a Time Bubble, dude. There''s literally no rush. You can''t just cross over the multiversal barrier between time and space and not take a fresh time-line for a spin. Come on man, it''ll be fun. Just jump in one real quick, enjoy the ride, and wham bam your back here in no time. You can meet back up with your pals and pick back up right where you left off." Weston''s exaggerated arm waving and huge grin reminded me of a child at a playground.


    "Okay, I guess, but, how do you even do it?" I asked while rubbing my chin.


    "Should be easy now. You made it here so you''re already synched up pretty good I''d say. All you have to do is think of a person or place you want to be. It helps if you really focus on the finer details. Image their surroundings and what they look like, their name and what time period they are in. Oh, man, I just got a great idea." Weston punged his hands into the pockets on both sides of his coat and started rummaging around for something.


    "Yeah, here it is!" Weston pulled an old dirty polaroid photograph out of his left pocket. It showed a younger man in the picture sitting on a couch and smiling with a pair of scissors in his hand. A name was scribbled on it, but it was far to smudged to make out.


    "This was an old friend of mine from when I was a lot younger and my life was a lot different. He always had these crazy stories he would tell me and my friends. He would tell us about all these wild adventures he went on and insist that they were real. We never believed him and thought he was just pranking us. After coming here for the first time though, I started to think maybe he really was telling the truth the whole time. I thought about jumping into his personal time-line to find out if he really was just pulling our leg or not. But he passed away a long time ago and it just didn''t seem right. It''s one thing to hitch a ride into a dead celebrity or an ancient ruler, but it''s different when it''s your own friend, know? Just seems wrong. So I want you to do it. I still have to know if he was telling the truth or not, I just can''t do it myself. If you''re up to the task, just jump in and when you get out you can give me the scoop. What do you say, man?" Weston extended the photograph out towards me. I grabbed the photo with both hands and stared intently at it. I glanced back up at Weston.


    "So I just have to imagine being this guy?" I asked, unsure if this would really work.


    "Easy as that, man. Just focus up and let that time-line magic do it''s thing." Weston replied before letting out a rumbling burp.


    I sat down on one of the tall wooden chairs I had next to the kitchen counter and began staring, unblinking, into the photograph. I started to imagine myself looking into a mirror and seeing his face. I thought about how the cushy couch he was sitting on would feel. The weight of the scissors in my hand and the flash of the camera that took his picture. My vision started to fixate in the center of the image. Everything around that point started to warp and blur. My body felt heavy again just like when I was talking towards that door. The colors of the image started to get brighter and brighter until they were almost blinding, then there was nothing but darkness.


    I felt strange. I was calm and almost weightless, like I was floating. Then the sounds came. Rushing all around me like my head was under a waterfall. I gasped for air and opened my eyes. I was laying in bed, but it didn''t seem like it was my bed. All of the sudden I felt sick to my stomach and had an extremely strong sensation of deja vu. I rubbed my forehead and tried to remember what I was just doing, but I wasn''t sure why.


    "I couldn''t have been doing anything a moment ago. I was in bed so I was obviously just sleeping, but why can''t I remember my name?" I thought to myself.


    I looked around my room to see if anything would jog my memory.  It looked like the same old room I''d always lived in. I shrugged off the strange thoughts and chocked it up to early morning grogginess. I slumped out of bed and walked into the living room. There were piles and piles of paper stacked up on the coffee table in from of the couch. I opened my front door and walked down to my mailbox to see if there was anything important today. Just a newspaper and a few bills. I sorted through them one by one, giving them each a quick glance. Then the name they were mailed to caught my attention. I squinted my eyes and held the envelope up.


    "Oh yeah, I remember now. How could I forget. My name is ."