《I Am Truck-Kun: Now I Must Transport People to Another World》 Chapter 1: What The Truck? Chapter 1: What The Truck Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. AnYtHiNg¡± a sinister smile flashed across her face, never before had Wheeler heard a singular word drip with so much malevolent energy. Chapter 2: Live and Let鈥檚 Drive Chapter 2: Live and Let¡¯s Drive *HONK HONK HONK* Manic honking was all Abeona could hear. She muted the tablet she was using to monitor Wheeler. ¡°Probably best to give him a few minutes to calm down.¡± She muttered. ¡°For who to calm down?¡± asked a flat voice coming from behind her. Abeona turned towards the source of the enquiry. Sneering at the unwanted sight before her. ¡°Adiona, come down here to ruin my day as usual, have you?¡± Adiona¡¯s tone and expression didn¡¯t flinch at the jab. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that dear sister, that¡¯s not the way you should be speaking to your supervisor.¡±. ¡°Yeah? Well, I¡¯m busy right now, so buzz off¡± Abeona shot back. ¡°You¡¯re busy?¡± Adiona chuckled ¡°Doing what? Watching those silly cartoons again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called ANIME¡± Abeona yelled, ¡°Also no. For your information, I am actually hard at work.¡± She turned her attention back to the tablet in an effort to ignore her sister¡¯s presence. Adiona grabbed her sister¡¯s shoulder and spun her around, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, I mean, I even went out of my way to make your job more like those dumb shows you watch¡±. ¡°By adding that stupid ¡®they must get hit by a truck to get reincarnated¡¯ stipulation?¡± Abeona spat. "Gee, thanks for making my job so much harder.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Adiona flashed a false smile, before returning to her usual deadpan demeanour. ¡°Your performance hasn¡¯t been up to par you know.... not that I expected you to do any better.¡± Adiona continued her needling, ¡°You should really do something about your hair too, so many split ends.¡± To emphasise the point, Adiona ran her hand over her own perfectly quaffed hair. Abeona didn¡¯t respond, trying her best to ignore her sister¡¯s prodding. ¡°You know what¡¯ll happen if you don¡¯t start showing some positive results soon, don¡¯t you?¡± She gave a somewhat sinister smirk. ¡°I mean I would hate if I had to shut down your little ¡®Isekai department¡¯.¡± Her voice dripped with sarcasm. ¡°No worries about that, because I¡¯m about to turn this whole thing around.¡± Abeona declared smugly. ¡°Oh, do tell?¡± her sister¡¯s voice was tinged with curiosity. Unmuting the tablet, Abeona showed it to her sister, whose jaw dropped as she processed what was on the screen. ¡°YOU TURNED A HUMAN INTO A TRUCK?¡± Abeona smirked, muting her tablet again ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± the usually controlled Adiona was shaking with outrage. ¡°Where in the rules does it say I can¡¯t exactly?¡± Abeona¡¯s expression indicated she already knew what the answer would be. Adiona swiftly pulled out her own tablet, desperately looking through the rulebook. Surely there had to be something? Adiona had created rules for every eventuality she could have conceived relating to this project. After a few minutes, she whispered a defeated, ¡°It... doesn¡¯t¡±. Her sister had well and truly outplayed her. ¡°HA!¡± Abeona punched the air in triumph. Regaining her composure, Adiona shook her head, ¡°I know how irresponsible you can be, but I never imagined you¡¯d pull a ridiculous stunt like this.¡± ¡°You say irresponsible, I say innovative.¡± quipped Abeona. Adiona made a few swift taps on her tablet. ¡°Yeah, well your little ¡®innovation¡¯ is officially banned from now on.¡± She shoved her tablet, showing the now updated rules, in front of her sister¡¯s face. Abeona stuck out her tongue, ¡°AWWWW, spoil sport.¡± ¡°Knowing you, if I didn¡¯t update the rules, we¡¯d have an army of trucks infused with human souls roaming the earth within a week.¡± Adiona was staring daggers at her sister as she scolded her. She could see from the guilty look already dancing over her sister¡¯s face, that her suspicions were spot on. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°If only I could apply the rule retroactively.¡± Adiona sighed. ¡°But you can¡¯t, but you can¡¯t.¡± chanted Abeona mockingly, in a sing-song tone. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Adiona shook her head again, pinching her brow ¡°My hands are tied.¡± ¡°Ooohh kinky.¡± Abeona quipped. Adiona then got immediately in her sister¡¯s face. Her eyes burning with cold contempt ¡°But believe me, I will be monitoring this situation VERY carefully.¡± Before Abeona could respond, her sister turned, then marched off abruptly, her nose in the air. ¡°OH... she is PISSED!¡± Abeona giggled to herself. Before refocusing on her own tablet. ¡°Right, Wheeler should have calmed down by now.¡± she thought as she unmuted her tablet, returning to her mission. The incessant honking had indeed finally grown silent, as Wheeler was coming to terms with his bizarre predicament. Like it or not, he was a truck now. He was slowly getting a sense of his new body. Switching on his headlights, revving engine, operating his windscreen wipers, everything happened with a mere momentary thought. It all took no more effort than it had taken to raise his arm or turn his head back when he was alive. Was he technically alive now? He certainly wasn¡¯t physically human, but he could think. He could feel. Was this life of sorts? His musings were then interrupted as Abeona¡¯s voice came crackling in, once more interlaced with radio static. ¡°Wheeler, you done freaking out and ready to get rolling and go yet?¡±. ¡°Go where?¡± Wheeler asked. Even with his headlights on, all he could see though his windscreen was corrugated metal in every direction. ¡°Onwards of course!¡± yelled the goddess. ¡°INTO A METAL WALL?¡± he shouted back, emitting a very loud and long honk in the process. ¡°Oh right...¡± Abeona sounded somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Let me just... hang on... the button should be on here somewhere... wait... AH HA! BINGO!¡± Sunlight streamed in as the shutter in front of Wheeler rose, revealing he had been inside some kind of large cargo container. As his vision adjusted to the gleaming glare, he could see an expansive road stretching out ahead of him. ¡°What are you waiting for dummy? Let''s GO GO GO!¡± Abeona insisted. With that Wheeler revved his engine, threw off his brake and erupted full speed ahead out of the shipping container, onto the long, empty stretch of road ahead of him. As he pelted alone the empty open highway, the first thing that struck Wheeler was how it all felt. He could somehow feel all of it. The wind whipping against his grill, the road underneath the rubber of his tires. The exhilaration of the speed as he darted along unimpeded. It almost made him believe that maybe, becoming a truck may not be so bad. ¡°THIS IS INCREDIBLE!¡± He yelled, his horn once more blaring, this time in delight, signalling his overwhelming joy to the world. ¡°Oh yeah¡± Abeona bragged, I packed this truck body with all kinds of features ¡°GPS, haptic feedback, cup holders¡±. ¡°Why would I need cup holders?¡± a confused Wheeler wondered out loud. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t need cup holders? I¡¯ve got cup holders too you know?¡± Abeona responded. Wheeler was baffled by that unexpected revelation ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Yeah, my bra, it holds my C cups.¡± The goddess started laughing a little too hard at her own joke. ¡°Riiiggghhht.¡± he ignored her quip, instead focusing once more on the sensations enveloping him as he continued to drive forward¡±. ¡°This is awesome, I can feel the road under my tires¡±. Wheeler was giddy with excitement. His momentary joy was short lived ¡°EEEWWWWW!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Abeona asked. Wheeler was spluttering like he had swallowed a fly, smoke puffing out his exhaust in bursts. ¡°I just felt a bug get squashed on my grille¡±. ¡°Oh yeah, you can feel everything. You¡¯ll even be able to feel people¡¯s bodies go squish when you hit them too¡± The goddess noted. It took a second for Abeona¡¯s comment to register. Once it did, Wheeler broke so sharply he was lucky he didn¡¯t flip himself over. Had there had been any cars behind him, a pile-up would have been all but guaranteed. ¡°Wait.... what the....¡± *HOOONNNKKKK* ¡°Hey language mister!¡± Abeona scolded. ¡°People¡¯s bodies going squish?¡± Wheeler¡¯s headlamps flashed, his doors flew open and shut. His vehicle even began rocking, propelled the hydraulics as he recalled the specifics of what he was here to do. ¡°You forgot didn¡¯t you¡± Abeona teased. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anyone¡± Wheeler insisted. Abeona sighed, ¡°I told you you¡¯re not ¡®killing¡¯ them, you¡¯re transporting them¡±. ¡°To their deaths!¡± Wheeler shot. Abeona sighed, ¡°No to a new life in another world. With a teeny, little stop-over though the afterlife sure... But after that, it¡¯ll be the Isekai fantasy life you, and maybe they, have always dreamed of.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± Wheeler huffed, a puff of smoke bursting from his exhaust. ¡°Which way to the nearest large crowd?¡± For the first time since they met, a slither of concern entered Abeona¡¯s voice as she uttered a single word, ¡°Why?¡± Wheeler explained his plan, ¡°Mass transportation, I run though a large crowd, get as many as I can in one go. Your numbers go rocketing up, and this nightmare is over and done with as soon as possible.¡± ¡°WOAH WOAH, pump the brakes you psycho, it''s not that simple.¡± Abeona was taken aback how quickly Wheeler¡¯s kill switch had flipped. ¡°Why not? Explain!¡± Wheeler demanded. Abeona began rattling off her concerns, ¡°One, I can¡¯t process that many people at once, I¡¯m on my own here. B, I can¡¯t send just any dumbass who just happened hit by a truck.¡± Wheeler was becoming increasingly frustrated ¡°Why the *HONK* not?¡± Abeona continued her ranting. ¡°BE-cause, you need to be a particular sort of person to survive in the other worlds. If I send any rando, they¡¯ll get killed by a slime or something within five minutes and be right back with me.¡± Wheeler would have rolled his eyes, had he had eyes to roll, instead he flapped his wipers. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that wouldn¡¯t help your numbers¡±. ¡°No... it wouldn¡¯t¡± the goddess confirmed. Wheeler felt completely at a loss. ¡°Look can you give me some alone time to think please? I need to clear my... head, or whatever I¡¯ve got instead of a head now.¡± Abeona took a while to respond but eventually relented, ¡°Fine¡± although Wheeler could tell though her tone the situation was anything but fine. Annoyed? Disappointed? Sad? He couldn¡¯t quite tell, but he could tell she wasn¡¯t ok with this development. With that Abeona fell silent, leaving Wheeler alone with his thoughts. After taking aa few moments to collect his thoughts, Wheeler set his GPS, then slowly began driving to his destination, home. Chapter 3: Close to Home Chapter 3: Close To Home Abraham Ford walked into the living room of their suburban home. His wife Maria was in the living room. Tears rolled from her eyes as a song that was somehow both melancholic, yet up-tempo serenaded her from the television. Her dinner laying untouched on the side. ¡°You listening to that Madame Tone again?¡± Abraham gruffly asked his wife, adjusting his half-moon spectacles. ¡°Her songs bring me some comfort... pretty much the only thing that does since our boy was...¡± her tears intensified as the final words caught in her throat. Abraham pulled his wife into a hug, ¡°I know darling, it''s been tough since we lost Wheeler¡± he paused briefly, noticing her uneaten meal ¡°But darling you must eat something. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± she protested weakly, as her tears intensified. Abraham held his distraught wife even tighter. ¡°He was still young.¡± sniffed Maria though her sobs. She then looked up at her husband. ¡°Do you think there is an afterlife?¡± ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure darling¡± Abraham confessed, as he uncoiled his arms from around her and made his way to the liquor cabinet. Maria was still sobbing, although less intensely. ¡°Madame Tone says she channels the tones of the dead in her songs. That they are the laments of spirits of those who passed.¡±. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected the laments of spirits to be so... upbeat¡± admitted Abraham. ¡°You could probably raise the dead with that racket¡±. ¡°You do believe in spirits right dear?¡± Maria asked her husband. ¡°I''ve been known consort with spirits.¡± he chuckled, as he poured out a glass of gin, downing it in one before pouring another. ¡°You¡¯ll be one if you keep drinking at that rate¡± his wife complained. ¡°You¡¯ve got your coping mechanism, and I got mine.¡± he grunted, wiping his mouth. Abraham sipped his second glass of gin more slowly as he made his way over to the window. Looking outside, he saw something blighting the usual serene view of their quiet street. ¡°That weird truck is still out there¡±. The truck in question was an extremely large one, more suited to a highway than a suburban street. It had arrived about a day after their son¡¯s death. Since then, it had just sat there, ominous yet unmoving, for an entire week. ¡°Maybe I should call the police¡± Abraham considered. ¡°I admit it¡¯s got me rattled, but would they bother to respond to something like this?¡± his wife wondered out loud. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly an emergency.¡± ¡°Remember that nice officer that informed us about Wheeler¡¯s accident, Officer Slaw?¡± her husband asked. ¡°You mean Murphy?¡± Maria responded. ¡°He seemed like a nice man, perhaps a little serious but... you know, in a nice way¡±. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the chap. Well, he gave me his own personal number and told me to call him if anything came up¡±. confirmed Abraham. ¡°That might be a good idea then...it is rather unsettling.¡± Maria admitted ¡°It keeps honking at me and flashing its headlights whenever I go outside.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been doing the same to me! That must qualify as harassment!¡± Abraham slammed his now empty glass down on the windowsill. Then grabbed his old flip cell phone to make the call. ¡°Honestly dear you must get a smartphone.¡± Abraham grumbled ¡°I don¡¯t need one of those fancy overcomplicated things, this does me fine thank you.¡± With that, he carefully keyed in the phone number Wheeler¡¯s parents couldn''t of possibly of known it was their own son who was parked outside. That he was the very truck they were complaining about. He¡¯d been sat there, as a truck the whole week, yearning for the life he¡¯d left behind. Wanting to tell his parents what became of him. Yet any time he tried to communicate, no words came out. Only the honking sound from his horn escaped his truck body. He¡¯d even tried flashing a message in Morse Code with his headlights. (-- --- -- --..-- / -.. .- -.. --..-- / .. - ... / -- . / .-- .... . . .-.. . .-.) ¡°Mom, Dad, it¡¯s me Wheeler¡± Yet it all went seemingly unnoticed. While Wheeler was near them, the practical barriers created by him being a truck made the distance insurmountable. Wheeler ended up simply watching his home and reminiscing. He could see the whole building, his truck windscreen, mirrors and side windows, all acting as his eyes. Every room was a box containing a thousand memories, triggered in his mind from the tiniest glances he could steal though the houses windows. He watched as his parents continued on without him. Able to see them but no longer able to be a part of their lives. He wanted to tell them he loved them, to hug them tightly one last time. He was so close, yet so far. In this form, he¡¯d never have anyway to truly return home. Well without charging though a wall anyway. He almost considered driving even nearer. So, his bumper touched the wall. He resisted this impulse however, the risk of accidentally damaging the house or hurting someone was too great a risk for him to take. After some time, Wheeler was snapped out of his daze by the piercing din of a siren, accompanied by flashing blue lights as a police car pulled up in front of him. A wiry policeman climbed out the police cruiser, making a beeline straight for the Ford families front door. The officer gave a very firm knock. *BANG BANG BANG* ¡°It¡¯s Officer Slaw, I received a call from here about a suspicious vehicle?¡± Abraham opened the door, shaken slightly by how vigorously the officer hammered on his door ¡°Officer Slaw! I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be here so soon¡±. ¡°Well, I was in the neighbourhood... plus your son was killed by a truck. Then, not long after the tragedy, an unknown truck shows up outside your house? I have suspicions that these incidents may be connected.¡± Officer Slaw explained. Overhearing this, Wheeler couldn¡¯t deny the Officer was technically correct. The events were indeed connected. He continued to monitor the ongoing conversation between Officer Slaw and his farther. Officer Slaw pitched a scenario, ¡°We still haven¡¯t caught whoever was driving the truck that caused your son¡¯s death. For all we know, whichever sick bastard did it parked that thing outside to mock you.¡± Maria came over to join the conversation, her jaw dropped at the notion anyone could be that cruel, yet it made sense. ¡°Is that why it keeps honking and flashing it¡¯s headlights whenever we go past?¡± ¡°Could be.¡± Slaw considered. Maria was shaking, ¡°that¡¯s sick¡±. ¡°It¡¯s a sick world ma¡¯am¡± Slaw responded. ¡°Anyway, you folks got nothing to worry about, Officer Murphy Slaw is on the case now. You folks go inside and rest easy. Let me deal with this.¡± He gave the couple a salute. ¡°Ok Officer, thank you.¡± With that, Wheeler¡¯s parents closed the door. Wheeler started to panic as Officer Slaw began slowly approaching him to investigate. He considered driving off, but Slaw¡¯s Police cruiser was parked in front of him, preventing a speedy getaway. Given the sheer size of Wheeler¡¯s truck body, reversing wasn¡¯t exactly practical either. Wheeler wasn¡¯t sure of the full scope of his abilities, what could he possibly do to escape? Whatever the case, He knew someone that did. He called out in his mind. ¡°ABEONA! ABEONA!¡± Abeona¡¯s voice once more came crackling over the radio ¡°Oh look who finally decided to talk to me. It¡¯s only been a frigging week jackass...¡± ¡°Abeona, I¡¯m sorry but...¡± Wheeler started Abeona oblivious to the unfolding situation, continued her rant. ¡°I generously give you a second chance. A shot at that sweet isekai life you dreamed of, and what you do? Ghost me! A goddess like me? Ghosted by a ghost truck...¡± ¡°Abeona seriously, we¡¯ve got a major problem here.¡± The cadence of Wheeler¡¯s internal voice was becoming more frantic as Officer Slaw drew closer and closer. The livid goddess still wasn¡¯t listening. ¡°Oh, I know you¡¯ve got a major problem, it''s called a lack of gratitude you jerk!¡± Wheeler snapped ¡°ABEONA!¡± His horn blared loudly, causing Slaw to stumble backwards, falling ass first onto the sidewalk. ¡°WHAT?¡± yelled Abeona. ¡°That police officer is suspicious of me; he knows something is up.¡± Wheeler kept his words hushed to not accidentally trigger his horn again. Meanwhile, Slaw was scrambling to get up. He tried to peer into the cabin of the truck, but the windows were too heavily tinted for him to see inside. ¡°Who¡¯s in there? Whoever you are, I am an officer of the law. I order you to disembark the vehicle¡±. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re concerned about that guy?¡± Abeona laughed. ¡°You almost had me worried it was something serious.¡± ¡°It is serious, he¡¯s a cop!¡± Wheeler insisted. Slaw had drawn his gun, and was slowly approaching Wheeler¡¯s driver side door, barking orders. ¡°Final warning, get out of the truck with your hands up.¡± ¡°How the hell do I get out of the truck when I am the truck?¡± Wheeler¡¯s internal voice squeaked. ¡°You are Truck-Kun¡± Abeona giggled. ¡®This isn¡¯t a time to be cracking jokes.¡± Wheeler huffed. Abeona¡¯s voice was tinged with mischief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Truck-Kun... I mean Wheeler. This isn¡¯t gonna be a problem. In fact, it''s gonna be fuuuuun.¡± Chapter 4: Law And Disorder Chapter 4: Law And Disorder Officer Slaw slowly reached out, grabbing the handle of the driver¡¯s side door on Wheeler¡¯s cabin. Wheeler shuddered internally as Slaw pulled on the handle. It didn¡¯t exactly hurt, but it was uncomfortable. *CLICK... CLICK*, the door refused to open. Wheeler had activated his central locking system, which kept Slaw locked out. Nevertheless, Wheeler had to endure the ongoing unpleasant sensations, as Slaw continued to wrench the handle harder and harder, trying to force his way in. Abeona had been watching this unfold with amusement though the charm on Wheeler¡¯s rear view mirror, which granted her a view of both Wheeler¡¯s interior, along with the view from the windows. ¡°Ok... now¡¯s the time to really have some fun¡±. She smirked as she pressed a button on her tablet screen. Both Wheeler and Slaw were caught off guard as the driver''s side door sprung open, sending Officer Slaw once more tumbling to the ground. The door then slammed itself shut as quickly as it had opened. ¡°WHAT THE BLAZES?¡± cried out Officer Slaw, as he flew back. Wheeler¡¯s reaction was much the same. ¡°What the hell just happened?¡± ¡°I got remote access.¡± Abeona laughed, ¡°I could drive you around like a little toy truck if I wanted¡±. ¡°Please don¡¯t¡± Wheeler begged. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡± The goddess reassured him. ¡°I¡¯ll only use it in emergencies... for the most part¡±. Wheeler was unsettled by the way that sentence ended, repeating her last words. ¡°For the most part!?¡± Before that conversation could progress any further, Officer Slaw had got back on his feet. ¡°I better call this in,¡± He muttered. Slaw went over to his cruiser and grabbed the radio. ¡°Calling in a suspicious vehicle in front of the Ford House on...¡± Every word of the transmission was picked up by Wheeler¡¯s own radio ¡°He¡¯s reporting us.¡± Wheeler fretted ¡°Hush, mmm... just... mmm, listen to what happens next.¡± Abeona¡¯s words were broken up by an odd crunching sound. Wheeler wondered what the weird noise was. As the realisation dawned on him, he baulked in disbelief ¡°Are you eating right now?¡± ¡°Mmmm, Popcorn¡± Abeona mumbled between mouthfuls. Wheeler narrowly avoided sounding his horn again. ¡°Could you please take this situation at least a little seriously? This isn¡¯t some drive-in movie for your entertainment!¡± ¡°Shhhhh... this is the best part!¡± Abeona insisted, bringing Wheeler¡¯s focus back to Officer Slaw¡¯s radio call. ¡°The vehicle licence plate is... is... give me a minute, over¡±. Slaw walked over to Wheeler, read the licence plate, then returned to continue the call. ¡°The licence plate is...¡± He¡¯d read the plate just moments ago, yet Slaw couldn¡¯t seem to recall a single letter or number from the truck¡¯s licence plate. He remembered seeing the plate number of the vehicle. Yet, even if someone held a gun to his head, Slaw still couldn¡¯t have recalled a single piece of it. Slaw went over to the truck again, taking out his notepad, taking care to write down the complete licence number. Yet on returning to his own car, he found the paper he¡¯d written on was now blank. Wheeler watched as an increasingly perplexed and frustrated Slaw approached him again. This time taking out his phone to photograph the truck, plates and all. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Ok Abeona, something is up, what did you do?¡± Wheeler asked accusingly. The goddess put on her most cutesy, innocent, syrupy sweet-sounding voice. ¡°Who me? Nothing...¡± This was then followed by some very conspicuous whistling. Meanwhile Slaw had got back to his car radio. Upon checking the picture, on his phone. He saw a distortion on the photograph had obscured the number on the trucks licence plate. He thumped his dashboard in frustration ¡°GOD DAMN IT!¡± In that moment, Wheeler could empathise with the officer¡¯s frustration. ¡°Ok Abeona, I know you did something, spill.¡± ¡°Well, I packed plenty of features into this big old truck body of yours.¡± She declared proudly. ¡°One of these Truck Tricks I like to call ¡®License Plate Scramble¡¯. People see a legitimate number plate, but when they try to recall or record it in anyway... the information goes POOF.¡± ¡°Poof?¡± Wheeler parroted in disbelief. Abeona proceeded to elaborate further. ¡°Yes, the information is erased from memory, or from physical and digital records by divine magic¡±. Wheeler could see a frustrated Officer Slaw, sitting in his Police Car, with his head in his hands. Wheeler almost felt sorry for the man. ¡°The message wouldn¡¯t have got though anyway as you have a built-in radio signal jammer too.¡± Abeona mentioned offhandedly, before suggesting, ¡°now how about we get out of here while he¡¯s distracted?¡± ¡°How?¡± Wheeler enquired. ¡°Should I back up slowly, just hoping he doesn¡¯t notice?¡±. ¡°I could tase him by channelling power from your battery?¡± Abeona offered. ¡°Wheeler¡¯s wipers twitched ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun¡± Abeona lamented. ¡°Ok, Wheeler, instead of that then, now you, the amazing Truck-Kun...¡± The goddesses voice now sizzled with the flair of a magician, on the verge of pulling off their greatest trick. ¡°Please stop calling me that¡± Wheeler insisted. Abeona simply ignored him, continuing to speak with the pizazz of a showman. ¡°You shall make yourself DISSAPPEAR!¡± ¡°How exactly am I meant to do that? If you haven¡¯t noticed, I¡¯m a seventy-two foot long, eighty-thousand-pound, slab of steel! I can¡¯t just fly away or vanish into thin air... can I?¡± Wheeler began to wonder what other little ¡®features¡¯ the goddess may have embedded in him without. The goddess still maintained her dramatic demeanour. ¡°Oh, ye of little faith, I¡¯ll have you know, you are a feat of divine engineering. I Packed you with a literal truck full of tricks... some of them rather ingenious if I can toot my own horn for a moment.¡± ¡°Can I actually fly then?¡± Even despite the tense situation, the thought of flying was something really captured Wheeler¡¯s imagination. Abeona¡¯s answer was somewhat cryptic. ¡°You can¡¯t fly, but you could... sort of, disappear¡± ¡°Sort of? How?¡± Wheeler pushed. ¡°What do I need to do¡±. ¡°Well first...¡± Abeona began to whisper. Official Slaw was staring at his knees, still trying to process exactly what was going on. No matter how much he concentrated, the licence plate details continued to elude him. He had been positive he¡¯d written them down. Even the photo had somehow turned out useless. He looked up from the seat his patrol vehicle, out his front windscreen at where the truck was. Slaw was shocked by what he saw, or rather what he didn¡¯t see. The mysterious truck had inexplicably, somehow completely vanished. But how? He¡¯d been parked right in front of the damn thing. Something that size surely couldn¡¯t have reversed without making a ton of noise? Officer Slaw peered around cautiously, he was on high alert, looking for any sign of the phantom truck. *Knock, Knock, Knock* The sharp thud of someone knocking on his window made the officer jump out of his skin. He turned to see the face of Abraham Ford staring at him though his window. Slaw rolled down the window of his car. ¡°Can I help you sir?¡±. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it so fast, but I noticed you already got rid of that strange truck that was loitering around.¡± Mr Ford¡¯s eyes were filled with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, officer. My wife and I will sleep better now knowing it gone.¡± Officer Slaw was still baffled but decided to take the win on this one. Even with the exact details unsolved, the Fords felt safe. for now, at least, that was good enough. ¡°Umm glad to be of service sir¡± Slaw tipped his Cap., ¡°have a good night¡±. ¡°You too officer¡±, Abraham gave a cheery wave before retreating back into his home. Slaw stayed sitting in his car. Still trying to work out where the gigantic truck had gone. Little did he know, the strange truck hadn¡¯t gone far, barely a few feet. Wheeler was right under his nose, or rather, right under Slaw¡¯s own police car. As Slaw pulled away, he didn¡¯t notice the tiny toy sized truck, sitting in the middle of the space where he had parked. As the police car drove away, Wheeler gave a sigh of relief. Smoke puffing out his now tiny exhaust pipe. For now, at least, Officer Slaw was off his case. ¡°You should have sounded the horn, that would of really freaked him out¡± Abeona laughed. ¡°Shut up¡± Wheeler fumed, exasperated. ¡°No, you should have grown to full size underneath him and flipped his car, that would have been a riot!¡± The goddess began cackling wildly. ¡°Let''s just get out of here, before any more trouble occurs¡±. Wheeler returned himself to a full-size truck. After taking one last longing look at his old home. ¡°Goodbye Mom, Goodbye Dad... I love you both¡± Wheeler thought to himself, wishing his words could reach them. With that, he revved his engine, without any clue of where to go, but knowing he couldn¡¯t stay here. Abeona, regaining her composure, gently prompted him ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got work to do.¡± With that, Wheeler solemnly departed, not knowing and past caring, where this insane journey would lead him next. Chapter 5: Mission Improbable Chapter 5: Mission Improbable Wheeler had left the suburban neighbourhood of his home and was now in the more urbanised section of town. Here, an unknown parked truck would draw significantly less attention. ¡°Now training wheels are off, Truck-Kin, time to get this show on the road.¡± Abeona¡¯s charm was dancing on Wheeler¡¯s windscreen mirror. ¡°It¡¯s Wheeler.¡± He insisted, before he noticed Abeona¡¯s charm gyrating around. ¡°Wait, since when could that charm thing move?¡± he questioned. ¡°Well, you left me on radio silence for a week, so I got bored and gave it an upgrade.¡± Abeona then quickly changed the subject. ¡°Enough about that, we need to get to our mission¡±. ¡°Killing people,¡± Wheeler lamented, his wipers jiggling slightly, in the truck equivalent of a nervous twitch. ¡°Transporting people to a better life¡± Abeona insisted. ¡°By killing them¡± he reiterated back to her. The mini Abeona charm dismissed Wheeler¡¯s concern with a wave of her tiny arm. ¡°Details, Smeetails. Anyway, like I was saying earlier, we can¡¯t just go on a hit and run spree, we have to be a little more discerning¡±. Wheeler watched as Abeona ¡®s mini figure pranced around, clearly eager to discuss her plans ¡°Like targeting specific people?¡± he asked her. ¡°BINGO! Fortunately, I¡¯ve done my research,¡± The goddess boasted. ¡°I¡¯ve developed a little list of promising candidates who should be perfect Isekai candidates. People who won¡¯t get wiped out by a slime within five minutes.¡± ¡°How do you go about even finding such people?¡± Wheeler enquired curiously. ¡°A goddess has her ways¡± Abeona answered somewhat cryptically. ¡°What about me?¡± he questioned. ¡°If you have a hit list of specific people, does that mean you chose me specifically for this mission?¡± Abeona suddenly shifted, sounding starkly serious. ¡°From the moment of your birth, it was decreed that you alone, would become the great Truck-Kun of legend. It was fated that we would meet at the crossroads of destiny. An encounter written in the stars!¡± ¡°Really?¡± A stunned Wheeler gasped. ¡°PFFFFTT.... No, you dummy! You just happened to die at the right time, by pure cosmic coincidence,¡± Abeona chuckled. ¡°Boy, I¡¯m not sure what surprises me more. The fact managed to say that nonsense without cracking up sooner, or that you totally brought it.¡± Wheeler¡¯s engine let out a quiet grumble. The goddess really wasn¡¯t helping to sell him on this whole insane situation. Whatever the circumstances, Wheeler was in far too deep to back out now. ¡°So, who''s the first target then?¡±. A sharp click echoed though Wheeler¡¯s cabin, the against his will, his headlights came flickering on. A solid looking, detailed 3D image of an unfamiliar, athletic girl, with long black hair tied into a ponytail, was projected where the beams of light fell. It almost looked like they were really there. The young woman in the projection wasn¡¯t stationary, she was flipping, rolling, sidestepping. Pulling all manner of gymnastic manoeuvres with seemingly minimal effort. Abeona made a sound reminiscent of a drum roll. This was followed by her introducing the first target like a game show contestant. ¡°Allow me to introduce to you, our first target, EVE ADENSON!¡± Her showbiz patter was met with silence. Wheeler was instead transfixed, as the recreation of Eve continued to move around with athletic grace. ¡°HEY WHERES THE APPLAUSE?¡±, She demanded. Her charm figure stomped its feet. Wheeler, lacking hands to clap, rapidly began opening and slamming his door to simulate clapping. ¡°That¡¯s more like it!¡± Abeona¡¯s charm then gave a little bow. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Wheeler stared through his windscreen at the apparition in wonder. ¡°So, is this projection another one of my truck tricks?¡± ¡°Yes, with your Illusion Projection ability you can use your headlights to create illusions that look so real it''s unreal. Aren¡¯t I a genius?¡± Abeona pressed Wheeler to acknowledge her self-perceived brilliance. ¡°Where did you get this footage?¡± Wheeler asked. ¡°I show you this incredible ability and that¡¯s what you focus on? I got it online there is plenty of footage floating about of her competing in various dodgeball tournaments.¡± Abeona explained before demanding. ¡°Now come on, acknowledge my brilliance.¡± Wheeler for his part, was actually genuinely impressed with the projection skill the goddess showed him ¡°I got to admit that pretty cool, what other abilities do I have built in?¡± ¡°A truckload¡± the goddess joked. ¡°Can I transform into a giant robot?¡± Wheeler¡¯s engine revved in anticipation, for the first time getting swept up in Abeona¡¯s enthusiasm. The Abeona charm rolled its eyes ¡°Now you''re being ridiculous, that¡¯s just impossible.¡± The charm shook its tiny head as Abeona muttered to herself, putting on a whiny imitation of Wheeler¡¯s internal voice. ¡°¡®Can I transform into a giant robot¡¯ he asks, I mean really?¡± Overhearing this, Wheeler couldn¡¯t quite figure how asking if he could transform into a robot was a step to far, considering he¡¯d already been turned into a truck. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re losing focus here¡± Abeona brought the conversation back on topic, her figure pointing at the projected image of the girl ¡°Here is our first target, Eve Adenson. She¡¯s nineteen-year-old, and also a dodgeball prodigy.¡± ¡°Dodgeball? Prodigy? Those exist?¡± Wheeler questioned. Abeona began to rattle off everything she knew about Eve. ¡°Well If anyone can be called such a thing, she can. She¡¯s been playing dodgeball since she was six years old. Five-hundred matches, and she¡¯s never been hit, not once. Her dodging abilities are, frankly, borderline inhuman.¡± Wheeler mulled over Abeona¡¯s little exposition dump. ¡°Inhuman dodging skills? Is that why she¡¯s on your weird little Isekai wish list?¡± ¡°Yep¡± Abeona chirped a little too enthusiastically. Wheeler posed a question, somewhat worried about how Abeona might answer. ¡°How do you even decide who gets on that list of yours anyway?¡± Abeona¡¯s response was nonchalant, ¡°If I can think of a cool anime sounding title for their upcoming Isekai adventures,¡± Wheeler¡¯s horn blared, ¡°you¡¯ve gotta be *HONK*ing kidding me!¡± he was aghast at Abeona¡¯s explanation. ¡°Oh, come on¡± Abeona was insistent ¡°You¡¯re telling me you wouldn¡¯t watch an anime called ¡®I evade everything in another world¡¯?¡±. ¡°We are not *Honk*ing talking about watching *HONK*ing anime, we are talking about vehicular *HONK*ing HOMICIDE! * The irater Wheeler became, the more his horn hooted. ¡°Calm down¡± the goddess cooed ¡°We¡¯ve been over this, don¡¯t think of it as killing someone, think of it as...¡± Wheeler cut her off. ¡°Yeah, yeah... transporting them, I know, I know¡± his response was despondent. ¡°I¡¯m still getting used this whole thing.¡± ¡°If it makes it easier, I¡¯ve made a little adjustment to your haptic feedback¡± Abeona informed him. ¡°I know you were concerned about it so... I made it so you can turn it off.¡± ¡°So, I don¡¯t have to feel what happens when I hit someone?¡± he asked. ¡°You won¡¯t feel them go squish¡± she confirmed ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do¡±. Thanks, that¡¯s... uncharacteristically thoughtful of you¡±. Wheeler pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not heartless you know...¡± The goddesses voice trailed off. It seemed for perhaps the first time; Wheeler had caused a crack in her usually sunny facade. There was a moment of silence between the pair. That¡¯s when Wheeler recalled something Abeona had mentioned earlier. ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you just use your remote access to run them down for me?¡± Abeona¡¯s charm crossed its arms in a X. Much like Abeona herself had done when she and Wheeler first met. ¡°BZZTT that¡¯s a no can do. I¡¯ve bent the rules enough as it is by making you a truck. Gods aren¡¯t allowed to smite people directly. If I broke that rule, my sister would have the excuse she needed to shut my department down¡±. Wheeler wipers began twitching again. ¡°You have a sister? What¡¯s she like?¡± ¡°A bitch¡± Abeona shrugged. ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing you two don¡¯t get along huh?¡±. Wheeler probed, interested to hear more about Abeona¡¯s sister beyond a single expletive. The goddess once more showed off her own evasive skills. She changed the topic of conversation again, this time to avoid the potentially uncomfortable line of questioning. ¡°Anyway, back to business. Our first target, Eve Adenson¡±. Wheeler was rapidly realising there was no way out. He didn¡¯t like the situation, but what choice did he really have? So, he decided his best course of action was to just go with the flow, instead of swimming against the tide. Wheeler examined the image of Eve, his target. Could he really do this? End this girl¡¯s life, even knowing he was potentially sending her to a better one? He tried to push the moral implications to the back of his mind. Instead, Wheeler focused his attention on more practical concerns. ¡°You know, if she is as good at dodging as you say...¡± Wheeler considered grimly. Abeona interrupted him. ¡°Dodging a ball and dodging a truck are very different things¡± she reassured. Wheeler still didn¡¯t feel particularly encouraged. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out I guess... where do we find her?¡± After a few tapping noises, Abeona¡¯s voice came though once more. ¡°I¡¯ve uploaded her location to your internal GPS; it should guide you right to her like a homing beacon. It looks like she¡¯s not far from here¡± ¡°Well then, let''s get rolling.¡± With that, Wheeler, still somewhat slightly reluctantly, began to drive towards his first target''s location. Meanwhile, Wheeler¡¯s target, Eve Adenson was training in the gym of her college campus after hours. Blissfully unaware of what the future had in store for her. Chapter 6: That Eve Chapter 6: That Eve Eve set up the special dodgeball training machine her friend had built. It was a strange Frankenstein device that was clearly cobbled together. Consisting of several extensively modified electric baseball pitchers on a turret like base. Eve then filled the basket on top of the ramshackle contraption with dodgeballs and set the attached timer. She then stood at a reasonable distance from the machine, in front of the barrel ready to practice. The device juddered to life. It began to fire the dodgeballs out in a multitude of different directions and speeds. These throws this contraption unleashed far outmatched anything a regular player could toss. The perfect combination of speed, power and accuracy. Yet Eve avoided every single one, dodging balls as she pirouetted around the gym. A few skimmed close, yet none made contact. As the machine ran out of rounds, she wiped the sweat from her brow. She turned as she heard someone clapping behind her. Her friend had been watching her train. ¡°Great performance as always Eve. I bet you could dodge rain in a thunderstorm¡±. Eve¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You think I really could?¡± Her friend Lily, while running a hand through her curly brown hair, quietly uttered her deadpan response, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean literally.¡± ¡°Well thanks for the compliment anyway.¡± Eve beamed. ¡°Also, thanks for building that machine for me too.¡± Lily blushed, tossing Eve a water bottle. ¡°It was nothing really...¡± Eve swallowed a large gulp of water ¡°Although, could you make it fire even faster?¡± ¡°Fff... faster?¡± Lily gulped. Eve gave Lily a friendly slap on the back, ¡°Yeah, so fast those dodgeballs get lodged in the wall!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s physically possible... but I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± Lily shyly adjusted her glasses. ¡°Maybe it could if I made it bowling balls instead...¡± Eve¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°You could do that?!¡± Lily shook her head, ¡°Technically yes... but that would be far too dangerous.¡± ¡°Go on, What¡¯s life without a little danger?¡± Eve gave Lily an encouraging elbow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just too risky, I can¡¯t...¡± While Lily¡¯s voice trailed off, she remained staunch in her refusal. ¡°Fine.¡± Eve pouted comically, showing Lily while she was disappointed, there was no hard feelings. Lily was rubbing her own arms awkwardly, ¡°Can we talk about something else please?¡± She requested. ¡°Ok, so are you finally gonna tell me who the lucky guy is?¡± enquired Eve casually. Lily began stammering ¡°Lucky... g... guy?¡± ¡°You think I haven¡¯t noticed?¡± Eve teased playfully. ¡°I¡¯ve known you long enough to know you¡¯re crushing on someone, so spill, who is it?¡± Lily shifted awkwardly on the spot, ¡°no one...¡± her words abruptly trailing off Eve could tell Lily was lying. But decided not to push the matter. ¡°Ok you don¡¯t need to tell me. Just remember, life¡¯s too short to waste your time worrying. For all we know we could be dead tomorrow, so...¡± She scooped a dodgeball of the floor and tossed it to her friend. ¡°You gotta grab life by the balls, Chase your dreams girl!¡± Lily fumbled the ball, immediately dropping it on the floor. ¡°My... my dreams?¡± ¡°Yeah, like take mine for example, I want to get so good at dodging, that I can even dodge bullets¡±. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Lily¡¯s body surged with a mix of shock and awe ¡°BULLETS?¡± Eve gave Lily a thumbs up. ¡°Yeah, so I¡¯m training every day, to one day make that dream a reality!¡± ¡°Please... don¡¯t ever actually try that,¡± begged Lily, shaking her head, unsure if her friend was joking. ¡°I won¡¯t... until I¡¯m ready.¡± Eve gave Lily a playful wink. After pulling on her tracksuit and picking up her bag, Eve took Lily¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s walk home together¡±. Lily¡¯s heart thumped hard in her chest as Eve¡¯s hand touched hers, distracting her from her concerns. She was having difficulty meeting Eve¡¯s deep brown eyes. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like that¡±. Lily confirmed, squeezing Eve¡¯s hand gently. With that the pair left the gym, heading out into the cool, dark night together. Despite the chill of the air, Lily¡¯s palms were sweating as she clenched Eve¡¯s hand tightly in hers. She prayed her friend wouldn¡¯t notice. They exited the campus though the main gate. Looking around, hoping to distract herself, Lily realised how late it had gotten. The streets were eerily silent, with the only thing of note being a large eighteen-wheeler truck. It was parked across the street from where they had exited the campus. Eve makes some small talk as they walked home together. ¡°Did you see that worlds strongest man show on TV the other night?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡± admitted Lily with a shake of her head. ¡°You should totally watch, the things those guy do are ridiculously impressive¡± Eve gushed. ¡°Some of them are pretty hot too. Like Chad Swolemen for example¡±. A sting shot though Lily¡¯s heart, a brutal reminder that Eve wasn¡¯t like her. That she¡¯d never see Lily the way the quiet girl wanted her to. ¡°Do you... like that kind of look then, big muscles?¡± Lily asked. She flexed her free arm; fully aware her own muscles were average at best. ¡°Not normally¡± Eve confessed. ¡°There¡¯s just something about him in particular, the way he so easily flings trucks and stuff around,¡± Eve shivered. ¡°It just does something for me you know?¡± Lily fidgeted, finding the whole conversation uncomfortable. ¡°Well, he¡¯s definitely not my type¡± she admitted. ¡°Although...¡± Eve raised a curious eyebrow, eagerly waiting for Lily to finish her thought. Lily gave a small smile, ¡°I can see the appeal in watching someone pull off incredible feats of athleticism.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Eve¡¯s face clouded with concern. ¡°You look really red and flushed all of the sudden.¡± Lily turned away. ¡°It¡¯s just the cold¡± she stammered. Eve brought the conversation back on topic, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want a big muscular body like Chad Swolemen¡¯s myself though. There¡¯s no way a bulky frame like that would be able to dodge things effectively.¡± Lily breath evaporated into the night sky as she sighed. Of course, no man, or woman could replace Eve¡¯s one true love, dodging stuff. ¡°You¡¯ve got a lovely figure¡±. ¡°Thanks bestie, it¡¯s honed though years of hard dedicated dodging¡± Eve boasted proudly, striking a pose. ¡°She still doesn¡¯t get it, I guess she dodges hints as well.¡± Lily thought to herself, trying to not let her emotions show. As they resumed walking along, Lily tried to forget her anxieties. She just tried to herself be in the moment on her walk with Eve. But she couldn¡¯t shake an ominous sensation that began to wash over her. She felt they were being watched. Yet she could see it was only her and Eve here. The one other thing she could on the street that they were walking, was a single eighteen-wheeler truck parked across the road. Wait, was that the same one she¡¯d seen when they¡¯d first left? Eve followed her friends eye line ¡°Hey, what are you looking at?¡± ¡°That truck...¡± Lily whispered, pointed to the large vehicle. ¡°I think it¡¯s following us... what if it¡¯s someone looking to kidnap us or something?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Eve¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± She then cupped her hands at the side of her mouth and began yelling. ¡°HEY TRUCK WEIRDO, YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME? BRING IT ON MOTHERTRUCKER!¡±. Lily¡¯s whispers became more frantic. ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t antagonize them.¡± ¡°Oh? So, I shouldn¡¯t do something like this then?¡± Eve sprinted over the road to the parked truck. ¡°Eve, don¡¯t! Lily begged, her voice squeaking in fear. ¡°Relax.¡± Eve tapped her hand on the truck¡¯s grille before running back across the road to her friend, who was rapidly hyperventilating. ¡°No one¡¯s inside, it''s just an ordinary, empty, parked truck, nothing to worry about.¡± She reassured. ¡°R... right.¡± Lily¡¯s voice quavered as she stood still shaking. ¡°Although it does make me wonder,¡± Eve gave a mischievous grin, ¡°do you think I could avoid a speeding truck?¡± Lily shook her head ¡°I really need to make a list of things you SHOULDN¡¯T consider trying to dodge.¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯d rather I got hit by it then?¡± Eve¡¯s voice was laced with mock indignation. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant!¡± Lily exploded. ¡°Chill girl, I¡¯m sorry, hug it out?¡± Eve had her arms spread out wide. Unable to resist cuddling up to Eve, Lily accepted the hug. The pair embraced, with Lily enjoying the close contact. Right up until Eve next few words undermined the tender moment. ¡°I still bet I really could dodge a speeding truck.¡± Eve sighed, somewhat wistfully, almost as if she was wishing for an opportunity to prove it. Lily couldn¡¯t even be mad with her. She accepted this was just the way Eve was, how she¡¯d always been. ¡°You¡¯re incorrigible¡±. ¡°Thanks¡± Eve untangled herself from the hug. ¡°Now we better pick up the pace, its super late and we both need to get home¡±. She offered her hand to Lily. Lily laughed. Then she gave a sheepish smile and took Eve¡¯s hand once more. As the two resumed their walk home, neither of them knew what the future would hold. That the truck they had encountered had been anything but ordinary. It had indeed been following them. Both Wheeler and Abeona watched the pair walking away through Wheeler¡¯s windscreen. ¡°Target located.¡± Chapter 7: A Dodgy Attempt Chapter 7: A Dodgy Attempt Wheeler and Abeona watched as Eve and Lily walked away. ¡°Target located¡±. As Abeona spoke, a picture of Eve appeared on Wheeler¡¯s GPS screen, next to the map showing her location in real time. ¡°She¡¯s actually kind of hot¡±. Wheeler thought to himself, subconsciously making his engine rev. ¡°Oh, she revs your engine huh? Well, I somehow doubt her type is ¡®truck¡¯, so you¡¯re out of luck big guy.¡± Abeona scolded. Wheeler was caught off guard. He hadn¡¯t realised his mental communication with Abeona let her hear every thought he had. ¡°Do I have any privacy with my thoughts anymore?¡± He considered. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to read your thoughts,¡± Abeona chirped. ¡°Your engine noises told me exactly what you were thinking.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, so you really can hear all my thoughts!¡± Wheeler exclaimed. ¡°Maybe... maybe not.¡± Abeona teased. Wheeler focused his mind ¡°What I¡¯m thinking now?¡±. ¡°Is it... ¡®I bet she doesn¡¯t know what I¡¯m thinking¡¯?¡± the goddess guessed. Before Wheeler could respond, Abeona quickly moved on, ¡°Now do you see the little pulsing line underneath Eve¡¯s picture?¡± Wheeler focused closely on his GPS, located on his dashboard. It was a slightly odd sensation whenever he had to look inside his own truck form like this. He had to sort of turn his gaze internally. Wheeler saw that there was indeed a line underneath Eve¡¯s image, just like Abeona had told him. The line was pulsing up and down like a heart monitor. ¡°That¡¯s her lifeline, her pulse¡± Abeona explained. It allows us to make sure our target has successfully... moved on.¡± Wheeler¡¯s lights flickered in discomfort. ¡°You mean died...¡±. Abeona¡¯s charm gave a casual shrug, ¡°Po-TAY-to, Po-TAR-to¡±. She remarked. ¡°We want to be sure we don¡¯t end up leaving them just paralysed, horribly maimed, or in a coma instead, that would just be cruel¡±. Wheeler hadn¡¯t yet quite become accustomed to whatever strange, divine realm logic Abeona was running on. Still, it was a relief to confirm the goddess had some ethical concerns. Like a lion stalking an antelope, waiting for its moment to strike, Wheeler followed Eve through the streets. There was little late-night traffic, so he kept up with Eve and her friend easily. ¡°We don¡¯t want any collateral damage,¡± Abeona instructed, ¡°So make sure not to hit her friend, ok?¡±. Wheeler agreed ¡°of course,¡± he didn¡¯t want any more deaths on his conscience than absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, the pair were pretty much constantly holding hands, making attempting to hit one impossible without catching the other too. ¡°They sure are close huh.¡± Abeona observed, her voice tinged with irritation. Wheeler felt a pang of guilt shoot through his soul. ¡°Do I really have to do this?¡± As he spoke, the two girls had arrived at a crosswalk. Lily noticing her shoelace had come untied, released Eve¡¯s hand. ¡°You cross, I¡¯ll be right behind you, I don¡¯t want to fall over in the middle of the road¡±. ¡°Ok¡± Eve waved to her friend and started to cross solo. Wheeler heard Abeona¡¯s voice ringing loud in his ears. ¡°NOW¡¯S OUR CHANCE, GO, GO, GO!¡± With no more time to dwell on his moral reservations, Wheeler instinctively triggered his accelerator, going at full throttle towards Eve. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Three hundred feet, one hundred and fifty feet, fifty feet, twenty feet, ten feet, five feet. Wheeler became numb to the world as he turned off his haptic feedback, not wanting to feel the moment when Eve bounced off his bonnet or rolled under his tires. His headlights flashed in Eve¡¯s eyes. Beckoning her towards the light. Lily screamed Eve¡¯s name from the pavement. The yell sounded distorted and drawn out, as if her yell was playing back in slow motion. Eve¡¯s body whipped back, with inches to spare, the dodgeball prodigy¡¯s honed reflexes kicked in. She back flipped out Wheeler¡¯s path and landed safely on the sidewalk next to Lily. Wheeler going too fast to stop, went careening down the road, unable to readjust his path or turn around to try again. ¡°Eve are you ok?¡± Lily threw her arms around Eve, tears streaming down her face. Eve was rooted to the spot on the pavement. Her heart thumping at what felt like a thousand miles an hour. That had been close, another couple of inches... ¡°Eve? Are you?¡± Lily repeated. Eve stared blankly at the spot she¡¯d stood in mere moments ago ¡°That was...¡± Lily held her friend tighter, trying to reassure her. ¡°It¡¯s ok Eve, you¡¯re safe¡±. ¡°That was... INCREDIBLE!¡± Eve beamed, her eyes now sparkling with excitement. Lily immediately unwrapped herself from her friend in shock. ¡°INCREDIBLE?! EVE YOU ALMOST DIED!¡± ¡°Yeah... almost, nothing has ever come that close to hitting me before¡±. Gasped Eve breathlessly, with a big goofy grin plastered on her face. ¡°Hey,¡± She gave her friend a wink. ¡°I was right, I really can dodge a speeding truck!¡± She pumped her fists in celebration of her achievement. Lily desperately tried to hold back a slight smile from forming on her own face. ¡°You really are hopeless...¡± she muttered shaking her head. With that, the two girls continued their journey home, keeping their eyes peeled for anymore runaway trucks. While Lily was on high alert, Eve seemed adrift in her thoughts. Once they entered their shared dorm. Lily finally felt able to let down her guard. ¡°Looks like we made it home without any more near-death experiences¡±. ¡°Yeah...¡± Eve¡¯s voice trailed off, the events from earlier still playing on her mind. ¡°We are safely home¡± Lily reassured. ¡°That truck can¡¯t get you in here. Eve gave a melancholic stare. If Lily didn¡¯t know any better, she could have sworn Eve was actually disappointed the truck hadn¡¯t shown up again. Eve gave a longing look out their shared dorms kitchen window, ¡°I wonder where that truck went?¡± Wheeler, the truck in question was now about half a mile away. His perception of the world was dilating. He had sped off after missing his target, and now wasn¡¯t paying attention to where he was going. He was numb to the world. Not only did he lack all physical sensation due to his haptic feedback being disengaged, but his mind was dissociating too. He had no sense of time, place, speed. All he could think was ¡°I tried to kill someone¡±. The words swirled in his mind on a seemingly infinite loop. With no other feeling, this one singular thought was his entire world. ¡°Wheeler... stop... too fast... dangerous.¡± These words came from outside. Another voice trying to reach him. ¡°Listen... me... stop.¡± In an instant all feeling returned to him. His haptic feedback had been switched back on. The rumble of the road under his tyres, the wind swooshing past. The sensations all served to slowly ground him back to reality. He then felt himself brake sharply and slowly veer towards the kerb. ¡°Sorry, but until your head is back in the game, I¡¯ve got to take control.¡± Abeona then used her remote access to park Wheeler safely kerbside. ¡°I... I don¡¯t want to kill anyone.¡± Wheeler''s windscreen wipers sprayed a fine mist of water over his windscreen. The closest thing to tears his truck body was capable of producing. ¡°If you kept recklessly driving while mentally checked out like that, you absolutely would have hit someone.¡± Abeona chastised. ¡°Not a target, a random person.¡± Her tone was unusually serious compared to her normal demeanour. ¡°Like you care, they¡¯re just numbers to you¡± Wheeler shot. Abeona seemed taken aback, her normally active figurine stayed motionless. ¡°That¡¯s not fair....¡± ¡°Not fair,¡±. Wheeler¡¯s wipers twitched furiously. His alarm system started screeching. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what¡¯s not *HONK*ing fair, tricking me into becoming a goddamn truck, then commanding me to kill people.¡± ¡°Transport...¡± Abeona started. ¡°PO-TAY-TO, PO-TAR-TO¡±, Wheeler fired back, throwing Abeona¡¯s earlier flippant statement back in her face. While her charm was motionless, Abeona¡¯s voice cracked and popped with indignation. ¡°You wanna stop then? Go to Purgatory? endless nothingness?¡± She continued her rant, ¡°or maybe you¡¯d rather have become cockroach? I gave you a chance to earn that sweet Isekai life you always dreamed of... and you know what?¡± ¡°What?¡± Wheeler snapped. ¡°This isn¡¯t even just about you. If this doesn¡¯t work out... my department closes. If my department closes, there¡¯ll be no Isekai more reincarnations, for anyone, ever again¡±. The goddess explained. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to such lengths...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand?¡± Furious and baffled in equal measure, Wheeler began demanding answers. ¡°Tell me why it has to be like this? What do you mean by ¡®no more Isekai reincarnations¡¯?¡± ¡°Instead of telling you, I think I should show you.¡± The goddess relented. Wheeler¡¯s alarm ceased; his headlights flickered to life. The light hitting the air in front of him formed a picture, like on a movie screen. ¡°You need to see this; I¡¯m sharing my memories... So, you can understand.¡± Abeona explained. ¡°This is why are mission is so important.¡± Wheeler saw Abeona and another unfamiliar person in the light as a projection of the past, broadcast from the goddess''s own mind, began to play out before them. Chapter 8: Project Isekai Chapter 8: Project Isekai ¡°So do I get to be reincarnated in another world?¡± Abeona looked at the soul in front of her, a flicker of sorrow in her eyes. ¡°No, this isn¡¯t that type of reincarnation. You¡¯d go back to your world, as any living organism of your choice. Maybe a shark?¡± she suggested. ¡°Oh¡±, the soul hung its head in disappointment, ¡°I was hoping for like, an anime reincarnation. You know? Cool monsters, overpowered magic... that awesome Isekai anime type stuff.¡± ¡°Isekai...¡± Abeona sighed; this was the forty-second person this week to make that request. One she, at least for now, was unable to grant. ¡°Unfortunately, that order is not on the menu, I can offer you reincarnation as an eagle? That¡¯s a pretty popular choice.¡± The soul looked up hopefully ¡°A magical eagle in another world?¡± The goddess shook her head ¡°Unfortunately no, just a regular eagle, in the regular world.¡± Resigned to its fate, the soul despondently responded, ¡°I¡¯ll take the shark¡±. After finishing processing the soul, Abeona recorded the request on her tablet, under a file marked ¡°Project Isekai¡±. ¡°Another soul¡¯s desire unfulfilled¡± She muttered sadly to herself. Abeona realised this was the five thousandth request for an ¡®Isekai reincarnation¡¯ since she¡¯d began keeping records of such requests. ¡°That should finally be enough¡± she whispered hopefully to herself. Once her lunch break from her job began, Abeona could resume work on her own personal project. She opened a file she had obtained from a god named ¡°Tezuka¡±, who had graciously provided her with vital research material. Abeona read a human crafted tale on screen, something she¡¯d come to know as ¡®manga¡¯. The story was told via a series of beautifully drawn monochromatic images, which despite being simple lines on a page, somehow brimmed with life. Abeona was taking notes in another tab as she read. ¡°Extreme powers, daring heroes, endearing companions, captivating creatures¡± she noted. ¡°No wonder this stuff has captured the imagination of so many mortal souls.¡± ¡°What¡¯s even better... worlds like these do actually exist, so it should in theory be simple to ship over souls¡±. She considered. ¡°Not slacking on the job are we dear sister?¡± A voice chimed. Abeona dismissively waved her arm as if she was trying to lazily swat an annoying fly ¡°Adiona, I¡¯m on my break, buzz off¡±. ¡°Now that¡¯s no way to speak to your supervisor¡± Adiona cooed. ¡°I should have known you¡¯d be wasting your time with those silly human fantasy stories again¡±. ¡°It¡¯s research¡± Abeona grumbled, still refusing to look up from her tablet. ¡°My request log is up to five thousand now¡±. Adiona gave a stilted chuckle ¡°Oh yes, I said you could pitch this dumb little ¡®Isekai¡¯ idea of yours if you hit five thousand requests...what a shame.¡± Abeona finally looked up at her sister. ¡°Shame, what do you mean, shame?¡± ¡°Shame I misspoke... I actually meant fifty thousand¡± Abeona¡¯s sister had a smug smirk on her face. Abeona started shaking with rage, after all the work she¡¯d done to reach the finish line. Her sister had moved the goalposts, seemingly just to screw with her. ¡°Why are you being such a bitch about this?!¡± Abeona exploded, throwing down her tablet. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°So, are you giving up this stupid ¡®Isekai project¡¯ idea up then?¡± Adiona taunted, evading her sister¡¯s comment. ¡°You know like you¡¯ve given up everything else you ever started?¡± ¡°This is different¡± Abeona grumbled. ¡°For once in my existence, I¡¯m actually passionate about something.¡± ¡°Typical, the first time you actually put effort in, and it¡¯s wasted on something ridiculous¡± Adiona remarked. ¡°It¡¯s not ridiculous¡± Abeona clenched her fists. Adiona smirked, ¡°Break is over, back to work dear sister.¡± Her voice remained tinged with amusement as she gave a sharp, commanding clap. Abeona gritted her teeth, barely reining in her rage. Ultimately complying, she got up to return to work. ¡°This isn¡¯t something I can just give up on. There¡¯s a real desire amongst humans for Isekai reincarnations, I know there is!¡±. Adiona was unwavering, ¡°Then prove it, keep collecting those requests,¡± she suggested glibly over her shoulder as she left Abeona to her work. ¡°I Will...¡± Abeona resolved. Little did Adiona realise how demand for the service her sister wanted to create was indeed rising. Day by day, week by week, month by month, more and more souls were requesting an ¡®Isekai¡¯ styled reincarnation. This led to Abeona meeting the new quota far faster than her sister expected. ¡°BOOM! Fifty thousand requests!¡± Abeona crowed in triumph, waving her tablet in her sister¡¯s face. ¡°Looks like I have a meeting to set up¡± Adiona admitted reluctantly. Abeona''s mouth dropped; her eyes wide in shock. ¡°Wait really? I thought you¡¯d say you''d actually meant fifty million or something?¡± Straightening her otherwise immaculate suit as she stood up, Adiona stared with her cold eyes into Abeona¡¯s glistening ones. ¡°You have a pitch to prepare my dear sister¡± She declared frostily. Abeona wound her arm, miming throwing an imaginary baseball. ¡°Trust me, my pitch will knock them right out of the park¡±. ¡°It better, because trust me, your plan with be assessed with the utmost scrutiny.¡± Her sister warned. ¡°I¡¯d advise you to be ready to address any issues your idea might cause.¡± ¡°As long as I get a fair shake, that¡¯s all I ask¡± Abeona gave her sister a grateful smile ¡°Thank you¡±, before running off to prepare for her upcoming presentation. Adiona watched her sister leave, before beginning to arrange the meeting on her tablet. She pushed down a small pang of guilt, she had a job to do. Her sister would never understand the problems this ¡®Project Isekai¡¯ could cause. A plan as potentially chaotic as her sister¡¯s couldn¡¯t be permitted. Wouldn¡¯t be permitted. Adiona had tried to spare her, but now? Her sister would have to teach her lesson the hard way. There were rules and those rules were there for a reason. Over the next few weeks, Adiona watched as her sister work harder than she ever had before. Even on her breaks, Abeona was typing away on her tablet, mumbling lines presumably from her presentation, and making various other preparations. Whenever Adiona tried to get a look on just what her sister was planning, Abeona would block her view and wave her finger ¡°Nuh-uh, no sneaky peaky cheeky.¡± Abeona would insist. Adiona was almost impressed. She¡¯d never seen her sister so motivated before. It was unfortunate knowing all that effort, was destined to be torn down. She¡¯d see to that. No matter how much passion were behind them, some ideas were simply too extreme to be permitted. Her sister¡¯s ¡®Isekai project¡¯ was in Adiona¡¯s mind, one such idea. On the day of the presentation, Abeona was disappointed that her sister was nowhere to be seen. There was a note on the side, written in her sister¡¯s usual flowing, elegant penmanship. ¡°Dear Abeona, don¡¯t embarrass yourself today, or me for that matter. Signed your sister, Adiona.¡± ¡°For a goddess, she has surprisingly little faith,¡± mused Abeona. ¡°What did she mean by don¡¯t ¡®embarrass her¡¯? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s going to be there with me.¡± After gathering up all the materials she needed for her presentation, Abeona headed to the meeting. It didn¡¯t take long for her to reach the office where the meeting was taking place. She¡¯d even taken extra precautions to ensure she was on time, something she''d normally not bother with. She took a steadying breath as she stood outside the intimidatingly large double doors that led to the meeting room. As she did, an oddly familiar emotionless voice called out to her from inside. ¡°You may enter¡±. Her palms sweated as she gripped the door handle and pulled the door open. Upon entering the room, Abeona found herself frozen in place in the entrance. ¡°Take a seat¡± the voice insisted. Aside from Abeona herself, there were three faces staring back at her. Two she had expected, they belonged to the manager of their department Janus, the literally two-faced god. The twin faces always made him a particularly hard to read. The third face was a separate individual. A person Abeona knew all too well, who as usual, had been giving her commands. Her own sister, it was Adiona. From the look on her face, Abeona could tell her sister was ready for war. Both sisters immediately locked eyes, engaging in an intense stare down. Meanwhile, both faces of Janus, in a rare moment of unity, held mirroring grins. Both sides of him were savouring the growing atmosphere in the room. The twin faces of Janus spoke in unison. The sounds of one gruff and one soft voice synchronised, piercing the tension between the sisters. ¡°Begin your presentation¡±. Chapter 9: A Once in an Afterlife Opportunity Chapter 9: A Once in an Afterlife Opportunity The fluorescent lights in the room dimmed and the presentation screen flickered to life. Abeona selected the necessary files on her tablet. A file marked ¡®Project Isekai¡¯. The room was immediately filled with bombastic Japanese music. Clips Abeona had taken from the various Isekai anime Tezuka had provided her. As she began, Abeona struck a dramatic pose, extending out her arm as if beckoning her audience. ¡°Ladies, Gentlemen and Others, I am here to introduce you to my revolutionary idea. Don¡¯t miss out on this once in an afterlife opportunity to offer what is the most requested new afterlife service in centuries. Over fifty thousand requests and counting.¡± She continued, completely immersed in her role as presenter, throwing out one flamboyant gesture after another. ¡°Imagine it, a human soul, struck down in the prime of their life.¡±, The video screen behind her showed a series of clips of animated characters dying. Unnoticed by Abeona, her sister was watching though her fingers in shame. Yet she couldn¡¯t help but notice an extraordinary number of these cartoons involved people getting run over by trucks. ¡°An existence cut tragically short,¡± Abeona dramatically held the back of her hand to her forehead. ¡°But there is hope for these poor unfortunate souls, the ones who yearn for a life of adventure they never had.¡± The screen behind her transitioned to a series of increasingly bizarre images. A large elaborately dressed skeleton on an imposing throne. A man with a green cloak and shield, accompanied by a human-raccoon hybrid on a cart pulled by a giant white bird. A modern vending machine in an otherwise historical town. ¡°By giving these souls, the option to reincarnate in another world, they can finally live the magical fantasy adventure they have yearned for, complete with amazing superpowers and unique abilities.¡± She chirped as the footage continued to play. ¡°So don¡¯t delay, don¡¯t let one more soul pass through the afterlife without the option to experience a thrilling reincarnation into another world!¡± Abeona threw a mixture of confetti and glitter into the air. As she did, one final clip behind her, showed a girl in red and black unleashing a gigantic explosion. For the first time, Abeona paid attention to her audience¡¯s reactions. One of Janus¡¯s dual expressions, which was on the face observing Abeona, was unreadable. The other face sported an amused grin while looking at Adiona. Abeona watched as her sister sat, silent and shaking. ¡°Wow, she must have been really impressed by my presentation¡± Abeona thought proudly to herself. ¡°IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE?!¡± Adiona erupted in outrage, while picking bits of glitter out her hair. Abeona tilted her head in confusion, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Regaining her composure, Adiona¡¯s anger shifted from explosively hot, to a chilling cold fury. ¡°What you just pitched is the most reckless, head in the clouds, ludicrous idea I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± ¡°Thank you¡± Abeona gave a bow ¡°That wasn¡¯t a compliment.¡± Adiona threw back, her contempt for her sister scheme was simmering. ¡°Have you given even a moment''s thought to the logistics of what you are proposing?¡± ¡°Since worlds like the ones shown in Isekai anime already exist, it should be simple to...¡± Abeona started. Adiona interrupted, massaging her temple. ¡°Simple?¡± She gave a hollow laugh. ¡°Simple?! You¡¯re talking about dropping people into a world they don¡¯t belong in. Do you have ANY idea how that could impact those worlds?¡± ¡°I...¡± Abeona tried to argue, as a loud bang cut her off. Her sister had slammed both her hands on the desk dividing them. ¡°What¡¯s more you want to grant them superpowers too? You know just to increase odds of a catastrophic outcome, are you insane?¡± ¡°I just... I just... want to give people what they want...¡± Abeona stammered as she tried to hold back her tears. ¡°Well, your little ¡®Isekai Project¡¯ will NEVER be greenlit,¡± Adiona promised. ¡°ADIONA! That is not your call to make.¡± The two voices of Janus once more spoke in sync. Until now he had stayed silently observing the two sister¡¯s debate, but now, he seemed poised to cast his judgements. ¡°Yes sir, of course, please forgive my lapse in conduct Sir.¡± Adiona lowered her head in reverence of her boss. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The face of Janus that faced Abeona spoke first ¡°I am in two minds about this proposal¡±. Abeona muttered to herself a touch too audibly. ¡°No surprise, you¡¯re always in two minds about everything...¡± Adiona seemed to be trying to hide behind her hands once more, clearly horrified by her sister¡¯s lack of tact. She felt Janus second face¡¯s eyes bore into her as he stared in both directions. The second face began speaking in its softer tone, ¡°Adiona has raised some extremely valid concerns¡±. The first face then took over the discussion. ¡°Yet I admire the bold vision Abeona has put forth, her passion is clear¡±. Janus¡¯s two faces began conversing between themselves in words neither sister could recognise or understand. It didn¡¯t match any known tongue. It was Janus¡¯s own unique language; one he¡¯d constructed specifically for discussions solely between his own faces. Both goddesses waited, their divided hearts now beating in tandem, as each hoped Janus¡¯s judgement would go their way. After what felt like eternity to the pair of sisters, Janus¡¯s first face resumed talking in regular understandable speech. ¡°We... rather, I have decided, this ¡®Project Isekai¡¯ shall...¡± he paused Each face took a moment watching the respective sisters. Relishing the tension in their expressions in the moment before he cast his verdict. ¡°Shall be permitted¡± Janus¡¯s second face finally confirmed¡±. Adiona was practically catatonic with shock, slumping to the floor holding her head. ¡°No... it¡¯s impossible¡±. ¡°YES!¡± Abeona cried out in delight, breaking into a victory dance. Which was quickly halted when Janus raised his hand. ¡°Let us... I mean, let me finish¡± the first face insisted. ¡°It will be permitted for a trial period only... with additional restrictions,¡± Janus¡¯s second face clarified. Abeona¡¯s dancing immediately ceased, ¡°Trial period... restrictions?¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry you will be assisted by one of the departments most reliable and trusted supervisors.¡± Janus¡¯s softer voice reassured. ¡°Who?¡± Abeona shifted nervously as the face pointing towards her smiled. She had a sinking feeling that she already knew the answer. ¡°Project Isekai will be overseen by...¡± Janus¡¯s two faces paused for dramatic effect once again. ¡°These dramatic pauses are getting old¡± muttered Abeona, once more, probably a little too loudly for her own good. ¡°Adiona!¡± The more booming voice of the first head eventually declared. Adiona was just coming out of her dazed state, having missed everything that had proceeded the initial announcement. ¡°Yes, what is it Sir?¡± Both faces of Janus spoke in unison once more. ¡°You, Adiona, will oversee the progress of Project Isekai.¡± Now it was the two sister¡¯s turn to speak in tandem ¡°WHAT?!¡± Janus continued to talk in stereo. ¡°Adiona will be in charge of determining the scope and restrictions of the project and ensuring it operates safely. Abeona will be responsible for the project''s execution within the decreed terms¡±. ¡°So.. I essentially get to decide how the project is run?¡±. Adiona asked, with a devious grimace. ¡°Yes, that is correct.¡± Janus¡¯s first face confirmed. ¡°But be warned, open sabotage of the project, or your sister¡¯s efforts will not be tolerated¡±. The second face cautioned. ¡°We... *ahem*¡± Janus cleared his throat and corrected himself. ¡°I have spoken, Abeona, with your passion, and Adiona, with your caution. I expect this project to yield some interesting results. With that Janus stood up and began to leave the meeting room. ¡°Hey! HEY! Janus wait... don¡¯t I get any say in this? Like at all?¡± Abeona tried to get the god¡¯s attention, but it was too late. Janus was gone. Abeona hammered her fist on the door ¡°Damn it¡±. ¡°Well dear sister¡± Adiona picked herself off the floor and straightened her suit, regaining her usual air of smug superiority. ¡°Looks like you got your way¡±. ¡°Got my way¡± Abeona baulked. ¡°If I got my way you wouldn¡¯t be allowed within one hundred miles of my Isekai Project. ¡°Yet I¡¯m in charge of it¡± laughed Adiona. ¡°Believe me I dislike the situation as much as you do. Abeona rolled her eyes, her voice oozing sarcasm. ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯re clearly not enjoying this one bit.¡± ¡°Just making the best of a bad situation.¡± Adiona walked up to stand face to face with her sister. ¡°Now let''s talk restrictions, shall we?¡± Waiting in silence, every muscle in Abeona¡¯s body locked up in anticipation of what handicaps her sister would impose on her. ¡°Since this is a new venture, I suggest we keep the initial sample size small.¡± Abeona put her tablet pen to her lips. ¡°I noticed a lot of the people being struck by trucks in the clips you presented.¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know why, but it¡¯s quite a common Isekai trope¡±. Abeona bit her lip hard, wondering where her sister was going with this. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we make it so only those who are hit by large trucks get the option to be ¡®Isekaied¡¯ during the trial period?¡± Adiona suggested, a hint of patronising slyness in her voice. ¡°That way those lucky souls will get the full, authentic experience you¡¯re so desperate to give them¡±. Abeona was aghast at the proposal. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡± Adiona squared up to her sister, ¡°I¡¯m absolutely serious.¡± She stared unblinkingly with a cool gaze. ¡°What¡¯s more, if you don¡¯t get enough satisfied souls within the next year, I won¡¯t hesitate to shut down your foolhardy scheme.¡± Abeona began to well up. ¡°You¡¯re not playing fair! Do you know how few people are hit and killed by large trucks on earth¡±. With a few taps on her tablet Adiona brought up some statistics ¡°Around five to six thousand, although we¡¯ll only count pedestrians, which account for around eleven percent of that number.¡± Abeona was fighting to hold back the tears that were threatening to brim over. ¡°Why only pedestrians?¡± ¡°Like I explained earlier dear sister, you want those poor souls to have the full authentic Isekai experience.¡± Adiona preened smgly. ¡°Let''s see, if you can get one thousand satisfied souls within the next year, Project Isekai can proceed beyond the trial period.¡± ¡°But ten percent of six thousand is only six hundred!¡± Abeona bawled. ¡°Why are you being so unreasonable?¡± Adiona was unaffected by her sister¡¯s crying. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a long overdue dose of reality. So, are you gonna give up this ridiculous notion?¡± she challenged. ¡°No¡± declared Abeona firmly standing by her conviction. Back in the present, the memory, which had been playing as a projection in Wheeler¡¯s headlights, now began to grow hazy, before cutting out completely. Chapter 10: Playing in Traffic Chapter 10: Playing in Traffic Wheeler had been watching Abeona¡¯s memories with intense interest. ¡°Was all of that true?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± Abeona¡¯s charm shrugged as she spoke, ¡°I may have filled in one or two blank spots, even a goddess''s memory isn¡¯t flawless after all. The broad strokes are there.¡± ¡°Broad strokes?¡± Wheeler repeated with unease. ¡°Let''s not worry about the past,¡± the goddess insisted, ¡°The important thing is, do you understand why I need you to do this Truck-Kun gig now?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Wheeler considered hesitantly, ¡°This is about more than just me. If I don¡¯t do this, everyone who ever wished for an Isekai adventure, will never get the chance to live that dream.¡± ¡°Exactly¡± Abeona confirmed. ¡°This isn¡¯t about killing... this is about granting new life, perhaps even a better one.¡± he considered. ¡°Now you''re thinking on my wavelength, aww yeah. Abeona FM has been received loud and clear.¡± The goddess celebrated, her charm dancing across his dashboard. Convinced, at least for now, Wheeler started his engine, pulling away from where Abeona had parked him. Abeona¡¯s charm went flying from the sudden, unexpected movement. ¡°Where are we going?¡± Wheeler began to drive back towards Eve¡¯s location. ¡°I¡¯ve got a job to do, for the sake of everyone who ever dreamed of being reincarnated in a fantasy world.¡± ¡°Yeah, go get her Truck-Kun¡± cheered Abeona, her charm having finally made its climb onto its usual spot on Wheeler¡¯s rear view mirror. Wheeler sharply slammed on his brakes, sending the Abeona charm toppling from its usual place once more. ¡°AHEM.¡± ¡°I mean... Yeah, go get her Wheeler!¡± Abeona amended. Satisfied, Wheeler resumed driving, as Abeona¡¯s charm yet again climbed back on its perch as Wheeler resumed his path towards his target. The truck sped towards Eve, headlights blazing, Lily cried out helplessly towards her friend, desperately trying to reach her, ¡°EVE!¡± *THUD* Lily woke up on the floor of her shared dorm room, next to her bed. Tangled in blankets and drenched in sweat. The nightmare having caused her to fall out of bed. Lily realised it wasn¡¯t simply a nightmare; it was a memory. Last night¡¯s close call had imprinted itself in her mind. A symptom of the trauma from having almost lost Eve. Her heart thumped hard as if she¡¯d just freshly experienced that moment. ¡°It¡¯s over now¡± Lily reminded herself. Looking over she noticed Eve¡¯s bed was empty as usual. Eve would be down at the college gym, getting in another training session no doubt. Lily went through her normal morning routine, trying to forget the previous night''s incident. Wash, brush teeth, get dressed, then to the dorms kitchen to prepare some breakfast. She poured a fresh mug of coffee. As usual Eve had prepped some before, she left, meaning the temperature was perfect by the time Lily got to it. Lily was reassured by the familiar morning routine. It was a new day, yesterday was firmly behind them. Yet some of what Eve had said to her in the gym resurfaced in Lily¡¯s mind. ¡°Life¡¯s too short to waste your time worrying. For all we know we could be dead tomorrow...¡± How right her friend had been. Last night¡¯s near miss was a testament to that. ¡°Maybe I should finally just tell her¡± Lily considered, taking a sip as she looked out the window. ¡°Tell her what... THE HELL IS SHE DOING? Lily did a spit take, her coffee spraying out over the counter.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Through the window Lily could see Eve wasn¡¯t at the gym at all. Instead, Eve was positioned in a dodgeball stance the middle of the road. Lily threw the window open, ¡°Eve? Please explain to me why, oh why... are you standing in the middle of the freaking road?¡± She exploded. Eve gave her a cheerful wave to her friend. ¡°Last night, something finally hit me, inspiration.¡± She explained. ¡°I need to up my game and what better way to practice than dodging traffic?¡± ¡°HAVE YOU LOST YOUR GODAMN MIND?¡± Lily exclaimed. Eve had pulled some pretty reckless stunts during the time Lily had known her, but this was a new extreme. The dodging obsessed girl hung her head, ¡°I¡¯ve got to admit it¡¯s not quite working out like I...¡± Eve was suddenly interrupted as Lily screamed ¡°EVE LOOK OUT!¡± A car had been speeding towards Eve, but the driver, seeing the person standing in the middle of the street had braked sharply, stopping within inches of her. The driver of the car yelled something to the effect of: ¡°Get out of the road you stupid girl!¡± Except what they actually said was filled with many more expletives. ¡°See! They always brake before I get a chance to dodge them.¡± Eve complained to Lily, ignoring the driver completely. A frazzled Lily began massaging her temples before telling her friend. ¡°Just get back in here this instant.¡± Eve rolled her eyes, throwing a sarcastic ¡°sure mom¡± in Lily¡¯s direction before heading back into the dorm as asked. As Eve re-entered the dorm, Lily came rushing over to meet her. ¡°Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could have been killed!¡± Lily chastised. Eve blew out an exasperated puff of air, ¡°Please, my evasive skills are way too on point for that to ever happen!¡± The dodgeball prodigy began ducking and weaving, as if she was shadow boxing an imaginary opponent. Lily shook her head hopelessly. ¡°Have you ever heard the phrase ¡®Pride comes before the fall¡¯?¡± ¡°Have you ever heard the phrase ¡®You only live once¡¯?¡± retorted Eve. Lily quickly made an unexpected attempt to hug Eve. As she lunged forward, Eve instinctively dodged her friend¡¯s attempted embrace, sending Lily crashing to the floor. ¡°Oops, are you ok?¡± Eve enquired. Lily curled up on the floor, sobbing deeply. Eve knelt down next to Lily, ¡°Are you ok, did you hurt yourself?¡± As tears streamed down her face, Lily replied. ¡°¡®You only live once¡¯ that¡¯s exactly why you have to be more careful... I... I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I lost... if you...¡± she was unable to finish her sentence. Eve¡¯s eyes softened as she picked Lily off the floor and held her close. ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t realise it was that serious.¡± She considered for a moment. ¡°If it worries you that much, I promise I won¡¯t train with traffic again.¡± Lily wiped away her tears as she cuddled into Eve, feeling her reassuring presence and strength. Lost in the moment as she was in Eve¡¯s arms, something accidentally slipped out. ¡°I love you, Eve.¡± As soon as those words unexpectedly leaked from her lips, Lily froze. How would her friend react to the sudden confession. ¡°Aww, I love ya too bestie.¡± Eve responded casually, giving her friend one last squeeze before releasing her. ¡°Now we better get our butts moving or we¡¯ll miss class.¡± Lily gave a small, sad smile, of course, Eve still didn¡¯t get it. ¡°Yes, we better get going¡± she confirmed wistfully. With that the pair collected their bags and headed out the door, and in the direction of their college campus. As the two young women walked together, Lily tried to cast the morning¡¯s events from her mind. Yet there was still this indescribable unease plaguing her. She found herself looking over her shoulder. What was she even looking for? She didn¡¯t know. There was just an ominous sensation echoing though her, just like there had been the previous night. ¡°Lily, are you feeling, ok? You seem out of it.¡± Eve pressed her head against Lily¡¯s head. Lily blushed a deep crimson at the unexpected close contact. ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine¡± Lily stammered, sounding somewhat unconvincing, despite being truthful. Lily wasn¡¯t feeling unwell, she was just... she wasn¡¯t even sure herself. ¡°Maybe it''s just where I¡¯ve been a bit stressed lately. You know after last night¡¯s incident with the truck... and your little stunt this morning?¡± She offered as a potential explanation. ¡°Hey, I apologised remember?¡± Eve pouted, removing her hand. ¡°Yeah...¡±. Lily looked anxiously around again, still distracted by this odd, unshakeable feeling. It was like her body was stuck perpetually in ¡®fight or flight¡¯ mode. ¡°You look really flushed, maybe you should drink something?¡± Eve reached for her water bottle. ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lily asked. Eve shook her bottle, tipping it upside down, causing barely a drop to trickle out. ¡°We left in such a hurry I forgot to refill my bottle¡±. She lamented. ¡°Tell you what, you wait here, I¡¯ll grab some drinks from that shop over there. Lily looked up, following Eve¡¯s finger that pointed over the road. ¡°Ok... but be careful.¡± ¡°Relax, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Eve shot a reassuring smile before starting to run across the road. Lily watched her friend carefully, as Eve crossed the road safely, looking both ways and went inside the shop. Lily took a deep calming breath before blowing the air out as a sigh, ¡°Everything is fine, stop worrying¡± she told herself quietly. Moments later Eve emerged from the shop, two drink bottles in her hand. Eve immediately began sprinting back towards Lily, this time forgetting to check the road as she crossed. In that instant, Lily''s fear reignited as a truck materialised, seemingly out of thin air, ¡°EVE WAIT!¡± she yelled. A dreadful sensation moment of D¨¦j¨¤ Vu occurred. Lily once more found herself frozen in place as she relived last night''s events. The truck barrelled towards Eve. This time, being mere inches from her. Inside the truck, Abeona¡¯s charm smiled triumphantly, ¡°GOT YA!¡± Chapter 11: Dodge Days Chapter 11: Dodge Days Abeona¡¯s triumphant ¡°GOT YA¡± was immediately followed by an exasperated ¡°OH COME ON!¡± as Eve, seemingly effortlessly, dodge rolled out of Wheeler¡¯s path. As the truck drove away, Lily stood in shock, staring at Eve who was now stood safely on the sidewalk in front of her. ¡°What do you know, I didn¡¯t even drop our drinks.¡± Eve crowed proudly. Lily¡¯s eyes were wide, she was shaking like a leaf. ¡°Eve...¡± ¡°Here¡¯s your drink.¡± Eve offered with a wink. ¡°You almost got run over by a truck, AGAIN!¡± Lily screamed, stomping her foot. ¡°Yeah, I know weird right?¡± Eve casually blew a strand of hair out of her face. Lily¡¯s mouth fell open, ¡°That doesn¡¯t bother you? Not even slightly?¡± Eve tilted her head in confusion, ¡°Why would it? I mean now it¡¯s me two, trucks zero.¡± ¡°I CAN¡¯T BELIEVE YOU; THIS ISN¡¯T A COMPETITION DUMBASS! YOU ALMOST DIED! AGAIN!¡± Lily¡¯s reaction bordered on thermonuclear. Eve held her hand up defensively, still clutching the drink bottles. ¡°Hey, chill girl, I¡¯m completely fine. Sure, it was close, but just like in dodgeball, it''s the hits that count.¡± Lily¡¯s eyes were still filled with tears. ¡°We aren¡¯t talking about dodgeball. We are talking about a truck.¡± ¡°Well, they are kind of the same thing.¡± Eve argued. Lily raised an incredulous eyebrow. ¡°Really? How?¡± Eve¡¯s eyes darted around as she frantically searched for an answer. ¡°Because... because...¡± After a brief pause, the dodging obsessed girl hung her head in defeat. ¡°Yeah, I got nothing.¡± Lily started laughing despite herself. ¡°Typical Eve,¡± she thought, while wiping away her tears. ¡°She¡¯ll never change.¡± Lily, being honest with herself, she¡¯d also never really want Eve to change either. Well, maybe she¡¯d appreciate her friend being at least a little more cautious. ¡°So how about giving me a sip of that water?¡± requested Lily, pointing at the bottles in Eve¡¯s hands. ¡°Oh, this isn¡¯t water, I got us something better than plain old water.¡± Eve boasted as she handed one of the bottles over to Lily. Lily took the bottle and read the label, ¡°Chad Energy?¡± She then turned the bottle over to read the ingredients. ¡°Oh goody, just what I need when I¡¯m feeling on edge... caffeine.¡± She grimaced. Eve had already begun chugging her bottle. She downed half the contents in one before wiping her mouth with her sleeve. ¡°SO GOOD¡±, she squealed. ¡°These drinks can¡¯t be good for your heart.¡± Lily grumbled. Eve gave Lily an encouraging slap on the back. ¡°Come on, one¡¯s not gonna kill you. Live a little.¡± After taking a small sip, Lily had to admit to her friend ¡°It¡¯s actually not that bad¡± before slowly drinking more. ¡°I know right!¡± Eve beamed enthusiastically. ¡°Anyway, we better get moving or we¡¯re going to be late.¡± The pair resumed their journey to their college campus, with Eve bouncing along without a care. Lily, however, still found her mind drifting back to that truck. It had vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. She wondered where had it gone? Meanwhile, the truck in question, Wheeler, was being chewed out. ¡°You missed her again?¡± Abeona complained. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault she¡¯s so nimble¡± Wheeler fired back. ¡°Besides I was just following your so called ¡®fool proof¡¯ plan.¡± ¡°Maybe I underestimated the size of the fool!¡± bellowed Abeona, her charm furiously flailing its arms. ¡°My plan of approaching in miniature mode, then returning to full size a second before impact was perfect.¡± ¡°Yes, and it failed perfectly¡± Wheeler chided. ¡°I timed that exactly like you told me down to the second and she still dodged me.¡± Abeona took a breath, her charm mimicking the action of inhaling, then breathing out, with its arm following the flow of air. ¡°Look, clearly, I underestimated that girl. I knew she had skills, but she¡¯s...¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Wheeler interrupted, offering the suggestion of, ¡°A freak of nature?¡± ¡°That¡¯s rich coming from a living truck.¡± Abeona chuckled. Ignoring the jab, Wheeler sighed, ¡°Shame we can¡¯t just explain the situation to her.¡± ¡°What you mean like, ¡®hey pretty please let us run you over, we promise it¡¯ll be worth it?¡¯ Call me crazy but I don¡¯t think that would go down well.¡± Abeona scoffed. ¡°I mean if we pitched it to her that she¡¯d get to dodge fireballs and monsters in another world, I bet she¡¯d jump at the chance¡± Wheeler suggested. ¡°You¡¯re probably right on that one¡± the goddess admitted. ¡°Shame we¡¯ve got no way to communicate with her¡±. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you give me an ability so I could communicate with anyone beyond just you? Instead, I¡¯m stuck with just *HONK*ing honking.¡± Wheeler blared his horn as a demonstration of his truck body''s limited discussion skills. Abeona¡¯s charm started wildly waving its fists once more. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll have you know you are a feat of divine engineering. Your very existence right now is a miracle, so be grateful!¡± ¡°Oh, gracious goddess, how grateful I am that you imprisoned my soul in the body of a truck for your own ends.¡± ¡°Hey! Remember you''re not doing this for me. You''re doing this for every soul who yearns for another life filled with wonder in another world.¡± Abeona reminded Wheeler. ¡°Every individual whose heart aches for an Isekai adventure, all those poor...¡± ¡°OK, OK, don¡¯t overdo it!¡± Wheeler¡¯s engine emitted a low grumble. ¡°We just have to keep trying. I mean, Eve can¡¯t dodge us forever, can she?¡± Wheeler and Abeona slowly made their way to the entrance of Eve¡¯s Campus, parking up outside an abandoned construction site that sat across the road from the college. There they waited patiently for Eve to emerge. ¡°So, what do we do while we wait?¡± Wheeler asked. Abeona began to sing, ¡°ninety-nine people in front of a truck, ninety-nine people in front, mow one down, send to Isekai town, ninety-eight people in front of the truck.¡± ¡°This is going to be a long evening,¡± Wheeler thought to himself. A few hours later Wheeler saw Eve leaving the campus with Lily in tow. He immediately attempted to alert Abeona. ¡°Hey, hey, Abeona, look, it¡¯s Eve.¡± ¡°Twelve people in front of... or was I at eleven... damn it I¡¯ll have to start over¡±. ¡°No Abeona, our target is in sight¡± Wheeler insisted. ¡°Oh, at last, why didn¡¯t you say so?¡± Abeona giggled. ¡°Full speed ahead then!¡± Wheeler hesitated ¡°That other girl is with her¡±. ¡°Right, of course, we don¡¯t want any collateral damage, so just follow them for now.¡± Abeona confirmed. As Lily and Eve left the campus, Lily was on high alert. ¡°You look tense, what¡¯s up?¡± Eve asked. Lily¡¯s eyes were everywhere, checking every road, side road, parked vehicle. ¡°Nothing¡±, she lied. Even the usually oblivious Eve could tell Lily wasn¡¯t being honest. ¡°Let me guess, you''re still worrying about that truck?¡± ¡°Trucks.¡± Lily corrected ¡°Two trucks, two days running.¡± Eve shook her head dismissively, ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence.¡± ¡°But what if it isn¡¯t?¡± Lily shivered. ¡°What you think someone¡¯s trying to kill me with a truck?¡± Eve put on a mock pantomime of fear, pretending to bite her nails. Lily considered the possibility; it seemed outlandish on its face. ¡°No, of course not, that would be ridiculous.¡± Eve gave a hearty laugh. ¡°Exactly. Besides, no matter how many trucks someone threw at me, I¡¯d dodge them all.¡± Lily relaxed, ¡°I guess it''s all behind us now.¡± Eve stepped onto the crossing ¡°Right, it''s all behind...¡± ¡°EVE! BEHIND YOU!¡± A large vehicle, ignoring the red light started to unexpectedly reverse over the crossing at speed. This time Lily didn¡¯t freeze. Instead, she grabbed Eve¡¯s arm, pulling her to safety in the nick of time. The two women tumbled onto the sidewalk, tangled together in a heap. Eve was breathless. ¡°Thanks, I didn¡¯t see it.¡± she seemed shaken for possibly the first time since Lily had known her ¡°That would have hit me...¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Lily gulped. She could feel Eve¡¯s heart pounding against her chest. ¡°Could you perhaps... get off of me please?¡± Eve requested. Realising her body was lying directly on top of Eve¡¯s, Lily awkwardly got up, before helping her friend to her feet. "Ok Eve, this is serious; you''ve almost been hit by a truck three days running.¡± Lily rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, but three times..." Eve gritted her teeth and pumped her fists "Is a CHALLENGE!" she declared fiercely. Lily immediately face palmed hard. ¡°No Eve! Three times is enemy action. I¡¯m really starting to think someone might actually be trying to kill you now." ¡°Who would go out of their way to kill me? I¡¯m completely normal!¡± Eve remarked. Of all the words Lily could use to describe Eve, ¡®normal¡¯ wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°Aren¡¯t you undefeated in dodgeball?¡± Eve stared blankly at her friend ¡°Yeah, so?¡± ¡°Maybe some jealous rival is trying to take you out?¡± Lily suggested. ¡°You might have a point...¡± Eve looked spooked, then drew close to Lily¡¯s ear. ¡°You know assassination attempts on dodgeball players are surprisingly common.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lily¡¯s eyes widened. A small crack appeared in Eve¡¯s serious expression, which then began to crumble into a grin, before she collapsed into gales of giggles. ¡°Of course not, that would be ridiculous.¡± Lily clenched her fists tightly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking this seriously?¡± ¡°Look no harm, no foul¡± Eve shrugged ¡°It¡¯s not that deep. So I had a few coincidental close calls with a truck. I¡¯m not hurt, you¡¯re not hurt, so why worry about it?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m overthinking it?¡± Lily looked Eve in the eyes, only to be surprised by her friend sweeping her up in a hug. ¡°Yes, but I appreciate you looking out for me.¡± Eve held Lily close to her, making Lily feel safe in her arms. While Lily wished she could have remained in that hug forever, it ended all to soon as Eve released her. As the two resumed their walk home, Lily noticed Eve was unusually quiet and fidgety, shuffling from side to side and craning her neck in various directions. ¡°Maybe she is actually a little worried?¡± Lily thought to herself, somewhat surprised. Was it possible that final close call had bothered her dodging obsessed friend far more than she¡¯d let on? Finally breaking the silence, Eve asked, ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll run into another truck?¡± Lily smiled to herself. Maybe Eve was taking the reoccurring truck incidents seriously after all. ¡°I hope not.¡± Lily admitted. Eve¡¯s gave an uncertain smile, ¡°I hope...¡± Eve mumbled the last part of the sentence, so Lily didn¡¯t quite hear what she assumed to be the, ¡°not.¡± Just before they entered the dorm, Lily saw Eve give one last forlorn look down the street. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Lily reassured her. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll never see that truck again.¡± Chapter 12: Again, And Again, And Again! Chapter 12: Again, And Again, And Again! Lily slammed the door to their dorm shut. ¡°Fourteen? Fourteen? If once is happenstance, twice is coincidence and three is enemy action. Then fourteen is...¡± she pulled sharply at her own hair in frustration as she tried to massage her temple. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what that is.¡± It had been a week since Eve¡¯s first run in with a truck. Despite the initial hope that the trucks had been random, unconnected incidents, the ongoing encounters across the week confirmed Lily¡¯s suspicions. Her friend was indeed being targeted deliberately. Eve casually laid down on the sofa with her arms supporting the back of her head. She rested one leg on top of the other as Lily paced back and forth. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s fifteen.¡± Eve declared glibly. Pulling out her phone from her tracksuit pocket, Eve opened app she¡¯d been using to keep score. ¡°Yep, Eve: fifteen, Trucks: zero.¡± ¡°Is this a game to you?¡± Lily erupted. Not even looking in her friends direction, Eve raised her arm, proudly showing the score on her phone screen. ¡°If it is a game, then I¡¯m winning.¡± Lily, exasperated, pulled out her own phone. ¡°Fine, if you won¡¯t take this seriously, I¡¯ll phone someone who will.¡± Eve rolled onto her stomach to face Lily. ¡°Wait, who are you calling?¡± she asked. ¡°The Police of course!¡± Lily began dialling in the number. ¡°Nine...¡± "WAIT!¡± in that moment, Eve pounced on Lily from her position on the sofa, tackling her friend to the floor. The pair began grappling on the ground over Lily¡¯s phone. ¡°You can¡¯t phone the cops over one or two...¡± Eve began. ¡°FIFTEEN¡± Lily spat. Eve corrected herself. ¡°Fifteen minor, itty bitty close calls.¡± Lily was desperately trying to keep Eve from taking her phone before she could finish dialling the number. ¡°Fifteen attempted hit and runs.¡± ¡°None of which hit.¡± Eve argued. As she did, Eve finally managed to pry Lily¡¯s phone out of her hand. ¡°HA!¡± She stood up, deleted the partially dialled number, then she put Lily¡¯s phone in her pocket. Lily slowly rose to her feet, her hands were clasped to her chest and her head was down, seemingly sulking. Eve¡¯s face clouded with concern, ¡°Lily, are you... did I hurt you?¡± Lily immediately ran to her room and locked her door, without saying a single word to Eve. Eve pulled Lily¡¯s phone from her pocket and looked at it. Her friend didn¡¯t understand. These truck attacks, they were the best training tool Eve had ever had. She couldn¡¯t admit it, but she didn¡¯t want them to stop. They were the ultimate test of her dodging skills. Lily believed they were dangerous, but surely things are only dangerous if they manage to score a hit? Eve naturally, had no intention of allowing anything to actually hit her. Chasing the thoughts from her mind, Eve checked for her own phone only to find it gone. She knew at once where it had to have gone. ¡°OH YOU SNEAKY BITCH!¡± Eve yelled, immediately charging towards Lily¡¯s room and banging on the door. ¡°Lily give me back my phone.¡± ¡°No¡± Lily responded defiantly from the other side. ¡°I¡¯m phoning the police and reporting these truck attacks, whether you like it or not.¡± ¡°How do you intend to do that when you don¡¯t know my phone¡¯s unlock code?¡± Eve called back. ¡°You can call emergency line without unlocking a phone you know.¡± She quickly began to dial in the number for the emergency services. ¡°No no no, please Lily, you can¡¯t call the cops.¡± Lily¡¯s finger hovered over the dial button. This was for Eve¡¯s own good, Lily just wanted to protect her friend. Yet the tone of desperation in Eve¡¯s voice made her hesitate. Both Lily¡¯s hand and voice began shaking, ¡°Give me one good reason why I shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Because... because...¡± Eve racked her brains trying to think of a reason that would satisfy Lily and from making the call.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°You can¡¯t, can you?¡± Lily sighed, moving her finger back towards the call button. ¡°No wait, you can¡¯t because... because... it¡¯s not an emergency.¡± Eve finally spat out. Lily didn¡¯t buy Eve¡¯s excuse in the slightest. ¡°Eve, your life is in danger, of course it¡¯s an emergency.¡± she insisted. ¡°Not right now it isn¡¯t, I¡¯m safely indoors.¡± Eve pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s not like a truck is going to come bursting in thorough the wall.¡± There was a beat of silence as Lily glanced anxiously at her bedroom wall. With the way these trucks had been seemingly materialising out of nowhere, the odds of one crashing into the dorm seemed surprisingly high. However at the same time, Lily had to concede Eve had a point. Those numbers were for immediate emergencies. Lily didn¡¯t want to get in trouble for potentially misusing them. With a sigh, Lily unlocked her door and flung it open. She held out Eve¡¯s phone, offering it to her friend. ¡°Here take it.¡± Eve removed Lily¡¯s own phone from her back pocket, presenting it to Lily, before pulling back slightly. ¡°If I give you your phone back, you won¡¯t use it to call the non-emergency police number right?¡± Lily a weak, yet reassuring smile, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t make any calls you don¡¯t want me to.¡± With that promise, the two young women exchanged phones. With her own phone back in her possession, Eve tucked it into her back pocket, then spread her arms wide. ¡°So what do ya say bestie, hug it out?¡± Lily, as usual unable to resist an excuse to be close to Eve, cuddled up to her. Eve embraced her tightly, ¡°Thanks, for not making that call bestie.¡± Lily looked up at Eve, ¡°You¡¯re welcome... but you know these truck attacks, we can¡¯t keep ignoring them.¡± Eve let go of Lily, ¡°Why not?¡± Lily gave a frustrated groan, ¡°Why not? Because they could kill you!¡± ¡°Not as long as I keep dodging them.¡± Argued Eve. ¡°What if whoever is targeting you decide to get to you by targeting me?¡± Lily pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t have your reflexes, I can¡¯t dodge shit.¡± Eve¡¯s face darkened, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare...¡± her voice trailed off, uncertain. ¡°What makes you so sure?¡± Lily demanded. Eve had no answer for her. Her bravado shrunk away as she was finally lost for words. ¡°See, that¡¯s is why we need to get the police involved, if not to protect yourself, then do it for me.¡± Begged Lily. ¡°I... I...¡± Eve¡¯s head was spinning. She found herself once more logically outmanoeuvred. ¡°I was thinking we could try something else.¡± She blurted out. Lily raised an eyebrow ¡°What exactly did you have in mind?¡± Eve panicked, she''d not thought this far ahead. ¡°Well we¡¯re pretty sure it¡¯s always the same truck right?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to record the licence plate, but it certainly appears to be the same truck every time¡±. Lily confirmed. Eve¡¯s eyes darted around as she searched for some sort of plan. ¡°What if we... we... we... ask them politely to stop?¡± she suggested. ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s your plan?¡± exclaimed a thoroughly unimpressed Lily. ¡°Dear Truck maniac, pretty please stop trying to murder me?¡± Eve mounted a somewhat weak defence of her idea. ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot, after all we don¡¯t know for certain it¡¯s intentional, maybe they are just a bad driver.¡± ¡°Who almost ¡®accidently¡¯ ran over the same girl fifteen times?¡± Lily¡¯s retort oozed with a thick layer of sarcasm. ¡°A REALLY bad driver¡± Eve reasoned with a shrug, trying to play the situation off. ¡°How do you propose we send this letter?¡± Lily questioned. Eve explained her plan. ¡°I thought of that, next time it shows up, I¡¯ll slap it onto the truck¡¯s windscreen. I¡¯m sure I can do that and dodge at the same time.¡± Lily made up her mind. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go along with this... on ONE condition.¡± A look of nervousness flashed in Eve¡¯s eyes ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°If there is even ONE more truck attack after that letter goes out, we go to the police. Deal?¡± Lily extended her arm, prompting Eve into reluctantly shaking her hand. ¡°Deal¡± Eve agreed. Lily brought Eve over to the desk in Lily¡¯s room and tore a sheet of paper from one of her notebooks. ¡°Ready?¡± Lily asked. Eve baulked in shock, ¡°Wait we¡¯re writing the letter now?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Lily pulled up a second chair and sat shoulder to shoulder with Eve. ¡°No time like the present.¡± The two friends worked for the next hour writing and perfecting to the mysterious truck driver. By the end it read, in Lily¡¯s flowing handwriting: ¡°Dear Truck Driver, I am unsure who you are, or why you appear to be trying to run me over in your truck. It would be greatly appreciated if you would stop please. If you persist, I will be forced to get the relevant authorities involved. However, as long as you do not bother me again, I promise to forget these incidents ever happened. Sincerely, Eve Adenson.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s pretty good if I do say so myself.¡± Beamed Lily. "Yeah¡± Eve grimaced though gritted teeth. While they had intended to write it together, by the end Lily had taken over the letter writing completely. The same thing tended to happen whenever Lily helped Eve with her homework as well. Lily reached for her stationary. ¡°All we need to do now is get this in an envelope¡± ¡°Let me take care of that, I mean you¡¯ve done pretty much everything else.¡± Eve insisted. She then folded her arms and shivered. ¡°Brrrrr, it¡¯s pretty cold in here. Could you grab my tracksuit jacket from the lounge please?¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Lily got up and made the trip to the lounge to retrieve Eve¡¯s jacket. After about two minutes, she returned to see Eve sealing the envelope. Lily raised her eyebrow in suspicion, ¡°It took you two minutes to put a letter into and seal an envelope?¡± she questioned. Eve shifted awkwardly. ¡°I... ummm... was having difficulty working up enough saliva.¡± ¡°Eww, TMI¡± Lily cringed, her face contorting in disgust. Eve abruptly shifted gears, ¡°Anyway, time to hit the hay!¡± She stuffed the envelope into her tracksuit pocket, before giving an exaggerated yawn and beating a hasty retreat from Lily¡¯s room. ¡°Goodnight bestie.¡± ¡°Goodnight Eve.¡± Lily smiled, closing the door behind Lily after the girl left her room. She yawned, then tried to cast the days events from her mind as she collapsed into bed. ¡°Hopefully, once this letter plan fails, she¡¯ll finally go to the police¡± Lily thought to herself. Meanwhile in her room, Eve took the letter out of her tracksuit pocket. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lily¡± Eve whispered to herself, as she glanced down at the envelope. Looking out the window while feeling the weight of the letter in her hand, Eve wondered to herself if what she had just done was the right thing. Chapter 13: Aerial Assassin Chapter 13: Aerial Assassin ¡°Fourteen, fourteen times we¡¯ve attempted to transport Eve and she¡¯s dodged every single one of them,¡± Wheeler complained. ¡°Actually I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re up to fifteen¡± Abeona pointed out. Wheeler had barely come to terms with the morality of what he was doing. He didn¡¯t expect physically pulling it of to be this difficult. Yet here was Eve, outmanoeuvring him at every turn. ¡°How the hell does she keep dodging me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it happens to a lot of trucks. Just relax and we can try again.¡± Abeona quipped. Wheeler¡¯s horn blared in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for your *HONK*ing joking and innuendos right now. Abeona seemed to oblivious to Wheeler¡¯s obvious irritation. ¡°We just need to try a different position.¡± ¡°What did I say about the innuendos?¡± Wheeler shot. ¡°I mean attack from a different angle.¡± Explained Abeona. Wheeler began listing of the multiple failed attempts he had made to transport Eve. ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, we are fast running out of angles. I¡¯ve tried driving direct at her at full speed, I''ve tried reversing, I¡¯ve tried swerving, I¡¯ve tried side on...¡± Abeona interrupted him. ¡°But we haven¡¯t tried from above.¡± ¡°Ok, how exactly do you propose I do that? I¡¯m not sure if you knew this, but trucks aren¡¯t know for being capable of flight.¡± An increasingly exasperated Wheeler spat. ¡°They aren¡¯t know to backchat either, but that doesn¡¯t stop you.¡± The goddess snarked back. ¡°So does that mean I can fly?¡± Wheeler began fantasising about soaring through the sky. He¡¯d never have to worry about traffic again. Abeona¡¯s charm figure rolled its eyes, ¡°No that would be impossible.¡± She then segued immediately into outlining her plan, ¡°First we need to get onto the roof of Eve¡¯s building, for that your gonna have to climb up the drainpipe .¡± ¡°Ah yes, let me just set my gearbox to the climb setting¡±. Wheeler¡¯s gearstick started shifting wildly searching for the non-existent option. ¡°Oh wait, what a surprise I don¡¯t have one.¡± His internal voice was bristling with steadily rising anger once more. ¡°You need to go into miniature mode smart ass.¡± Explained Abeona. ¡°Then from there, since you¡¯ll weigh far less, the special tires I built you with will allow you to stick to and scale walls. It¡¯s kind of like your a gecko and the tires are your sticky feet. You should be able to drive right up the inside of the drainpipe.¡± Wheeler exasperated, had at this point given up on questioning Abeona. It seemed calling her out on her nonsense, always led to a somehow even more ridiculous explanation. He just listened quietly as she continued to outline her insane scheme. ¡°From there you drive into the guttering, onto a roof while still in miniature mode.¡± Abeona continued. ¡°Then we wait until Eve comes out. At that exact moment we drive of the roof, return to full size and crush her from above. She¡¯ll never see us coming.¡± So with that, Wheeler found himself in miniature mode, slowly driving up the drainpipe. The inside of the plastic pipe was coated in slimy, decaying, leaves which squealed under his wheels. Fortunately these actually seemed to provide more purchase for him to scale upwards. Eventually he reached the top and was perched on the roof of the building which housed Eve¡¯s dorm room.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Abeona¡¯s charm, peered though Wheeler¡¯s windscreen while seated in the drivers seat. Unlike Wheeler, the Abeona charms size was unchanged, which meant it took much more space of his now tiny cabin. ¡°Wait for my signal¡± the goddess demanded. Wheeler, like he had done for every previous attempt, turned of haptic feedback, then quietly awaited Abeona¡¯s signal. Inside the dorm, Eve was getting ready to leave to do her usual early morning raining at the campus gym. After drinking her own cup of coffee, She switched the machine back on so it would be ready for Lily once she awoke. She put her hands inside the pockets of her tracksuit, finding the note safely tucked inside, just as she¡¯d left it the night before. Clutching hold of it, she closed her eyes. Was this the right thing? Would this be the final time she¡¯d end up encountering this mysterious metal assailant? Eve cast the complicated questions from her mind, wishing to avoid thinking about what she was about to do too deeply. She opened the front door and looked around, confirming no truck was in sight. Although she was certain it would put in an appearance at some point. The past week it hadn¡¯t been a question of if a truck would try to run her down, but when. ¡°Whoever you are, Wherever you are¡± she whispered into the world, hoping that somehow, the one behind the truck attacks could hear her. ¡°It¡¯s been fun, but if this is to be the last time, then give me your best shot... then watch me dodge it!¡± She smiled at her quiet declaration. With that she stepped out the front door onto the street. ¡°NOW!¡± Abeona shouted at Wheeler, giving him the green light to set their plan in motion. Wheeler accelerated forward full force, down the sloping roof and ramping off the guttering. Moments after his wheels left the gutters surface, he returned to full size. The sudden increase in his mass, caused Wheeler to come crashing down to earth at high speed. *SMASH* He hit the ground like a meteorite, the impact shattering the concrete of the sidewalk below. A cloud of dust and debris was flung into the air, obscuring Wheeler¡¯s vision, preventing him from seeing what became of Eve ¡°No way she avoided us this time!¡± cackled Abeona in triumphant glee. As the dust settled, it slowly revealed a swift figure moving within it, gracefully pirouetting away from the devastation. That initial celebration of victory, had been somewhat premature. Poised on all fours a few feet from where they had crash landed, was Eve. Her tracksuit was now filthy, but she herself was unharmed. ¡°NO *HONK*ING WAY.¡± the pair of attempted aerial assassin¡¯s exclaimed in unison. Wheeler¡¯s horn honked in a cacophonic chorus, signalling his internal disbelief to the outside world. Eve grinned as she heard the bellowing horn blare. ¡°Feeling frustrated? Have to hand it to you that was close, I¡¯m not even sure where you came from.¡± She picked herself off the floor and pulled the note from her pocket. ¡°Now its my turn to hit you with something, take this!¡± Eve started sprinting full force towards a stunned Wheeler. ¡°What the hell is she doing? We¡¯re meant to be charging at her!¡± Wheeler exclaimed. ¡°Who cares, just drive at her now!¡± Abeona demanded. As Wheeler tried to drive forward he found himself unable to move. The sidewalk underneath him had been completely obliterated, his wheels just span uselessly on the shattered shards of stone and cement. His engine roared under the strain of trying to advance out of the hole Wheeler had found himself in. Meanwhile Eve was getting closer by the second. A panicked Wheeler yelled at Abeona, ¡°She¡¯s coming right at us!¡± ¡°Technically isn¡¯t that exactly what we¡¯d want her to do?¡± Abeona pointed out. The dodgeball prodigy flipped onto Wheeler¡¯s bonnet with an audible thud. Then she crawled up to the windscreen and tucked something under the trucks wiper. As she did Wheeler finally was able to get enough grip on the ground to lurch forward, finally freeing himself as Eve clung to his bonnet. ¡°We¡¯ve got her now! Drive, drive, drive¡±! Chanted Abeona encouragingly. Wheeler¡¯s movements were to slow and sluggish. As he juddered forward, Eve simply rolled off him to one side. Wheeler, despite still being numb with his haptic feedback disabled, couldn¡¯t help notice the difficulty he was having moving. ¡°Shit...¡± Abeona¡¯s voice was seemingly, for the first time, filled with concern. ¡°Wheeler, we¡¯ve got to get out of here immediately.¡± ¡°Why? What about Eve?¡± Wheeler asked, confused by Abeona¡¯s sudden urgency. ¡°Forget her for now, we can always try again later, but if you don¡¯t go now, there may not be a later.¡± The goddess warned. As Wheeler departed the scene, Lily came charging out, still in her pyjamas, with her curly hair in a mess. ¡°Eve, I heard a crash, are you alright?¡± She paused as she felt the broken pieces of sidewalk under her bare feet. Quickly she grasped the door frame to avoid sliding into the pit that now lay outside the front door. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± she demanded. Eve tried to play off the devastation around them. ¡°Oh just our friendly neighbourhood truck tried to attack me again.¡± She said nonchalantly before giving a cheeky wink. ¡°I still dodged it though.¡± ¡°Did it have a bomb strapped to it this time?¡± Lily spat, while gesturing at the smashed sidewalk and ripped up road surrounding them. Before Eve could answer, they noticed several people from the surrounding buildings gathering outside their houses. Pointing at and discussing the chaotic scene. Eve quickly bounded over and began shepherding Lily back indoors. ¡°You better get dressed, everyone is staring at your pyjamas.¡± ¡°Umm... I¡¯m pretty sure they are actually looking at the massive hole on our doorstep.¡± Lily retorted. Eve attempted to shift the topic of conversation away from the truck. ¡°Where did you get those anyway they look cute on you.¡± Taken aback by the sudden compliment, Lily blushed as Eve pulled her inside. ¡°They¡¯re cu... cute on me?¡± she stuttered. ¡°Yeah, sure¡± Eve reassured as she took Lily indoors, away from the carnage and curious eyes outside. Meanwhile, Wheeler was fleeing the scene of the incident. Two questions nagged at his mind. Why had Abeona been so insistent on leaving and two, why couldn¡¯t he drive properly? He recognised the familiar disconnection from the world around him, which reminded that he forgot to turn his haptic feedback on after the failed attack. He reengaged the function to regain his physical feelings once more. As Wheeler did, he heard Abeona¡¯s voice cry out to him. ¡°No Wheeler, wait!¡± He skidded to a sudden halt as his giant truck body was wracked by an intense sensation he hadn¡¯t expected... PAIN! Chapter 14: Figuring Things Out Chapter 14: Figuring Things Out A series of sharp shocks surged through Wheeler¡¯s system. He screamed internally. He had never experienced such overwhelming agony in his life. Before now the most pain he had experienced was when he had broken his arm as a child. This was by far, multitudes of times worse than that had been. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can I feel pain?¡± He cried. ¡°Wheeler, turn off your haptic feedback system now!¡± Abeona urged. Wheeler obeyed, disabling his haptic feedback once more. This caused the intense pain to dull immediately. Although he still could sense the echoes of the aftermath for a few minutes, eventually even those tapered off. ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m so sorry... I didn¡¯t... I didn¡¯t realise.¡± Abeona¡¯s voice crackled, filled with remorse. Wheeler was unsure how to take this. The goddess was normally so carefree and flippant. Whatever happened, it must have been severe for her to all of a sudden begin acting so seriously. After a few minutes of silence as Wheeler continued to recuperated from the earlier agony, he asked Abeona, ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°A side effect of the haptic feedback...¡± she explained. ¡°I initially gave your truck body the ability to feel, so you wouldn¡¯t become numb to the world. So you''d be more connected to what was happening around you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s uncharacteristically thoughtful of you.¡± Wheeler shot. Abeona¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°I didn¡¯t give it enough thought. I should of realised, by giving you the ability to feel, I opened you up to feeling pain if you took damage. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Wheeler could see tears running down the face of her tiny charm that hung off his rear-view mirror. He at least appreciated that the normally flippant goddess was showing some remorse. ¡°So that¡¯s what that was?¡± Wheeler thought for a second, then a dreadful realisation washed over him. ¡°Wait if I was feeling pain... that means, I¡¯m damaged?¡± ¡°Yes, from when you landed after driving off the roof. You took a ton of damage from that impact.¡± Abeona sniffed. ¡°How much are we talking about here?¡± Wheeler enquired, bracing himself for the goddess¡¯s response. Abeona read off the diagnostic report from Wheeler¡¯s system on her tablet. ¡°All your wheels are busted, your back axel is bent, your suspension is shot, basically its comparable to a human completely shattering both legs.¡± ¡°No wonder it was so difficult for me to escape that crater.¡± Wheeler thought, before another, more infuriating realisation crossed his mind. ¡°Wait! Why the hell didn¡¯t you warn me I could take damage like that BEFORE telling me to drive off a rooftop?¡± Wheeler demanded. ¡°Just because I¡¯m a goddess, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m perfect ok? I got caught in the moment and made a miscalculation, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Abeona¡¯s tone had shifted gears, now bristling with a harder edge. ¡°A MISCALCULATION?!¡± Wheeler exploded. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious? If I¡¯d known the risks, I¡¯d never have taken that leap. I assumed you¡¯d built me to be indestructible.¡± ¡°Well you know what they say, assume makes an ASS of U and ME!¡± Abeona spat back. Wheeler started up his engine once, beginning to slowly limp forward on his broken wheels. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Abeona questioned. Wheeler gave a resigned sigh, ¡°To find a garage, no idea how I¡¯ll request or pay for repairs, but we¡¯ll have to work it out as I can¡¯t exactly stay like this.¡± ¡°Oh no need to worry about that.¡± Abeona beamed with pride. ¡°I may have not made you invincible, but I did install you with a self repairing system. Due to the extent of the damage, It¡¯ll take a few hours, but eventually you¡¯ll be good as new. ¡°Well that¡¯s something I guess.¡± Wheeler conceded. ¡°Yes isn¡¯t it just?¡± Abeona boasted. ¡°It does take time for the repairs to happen, so don¡¯t rely on it. You can still be destroyed completely if you rack up too much damage too quickly.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Hold up. ¡± Wheeler''s internal voice squeaked. ¡°I can be destroyed?¡± Abeona¡¯s charm figure¡¯s mini hand flew to her mouth ¡°Yes, I thought I mentioned that before?¡± ¡°No you definitely didn¡¯t¡± Wheeler confirmed. ¡°Oh...¡± Abeona¡¯s figuring blushed and poked its fingers together awkwardly. ¡°Well I meant to.¡± Wheeler was shook by the revelation, ¡°Kind of a big detail to miss out! Does that mean I could die again?¡± ¡°Well I was intending to tell you¡± Abeona began before becoming distracted. ¡°Hey, what is that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to distract me and change the subject.¡± Wheeler insisted. No I¡¯m serious, what is that? The Abeona charm hanging from his rear-view mirror was pointing towards something wedged underneath Wheeler¡¯s wiper, that was flapping in the breeze. It was a white envelope. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this more later.¡± Wheeler promised, before Pulling over once more, then shifting his focus onto the envelope. From a cursory inspection, the envelope itself was unremarkable, it lacked any markings on the outside, providing no clues from its contents. ¡°That definitely wasn¡¯t there before we dropped in on Eve.¡± Wheeler noted. ¡°She must of planted it under my wiper when she ran at us. Do you think its for us?¡± ¡°Well she¡¯s out of luck if she expected us to deliver it somewhere, she didn¡¯t even provide an address.¡± Abeona quipped. ¡°What do you think is inside?¡± Wheeler wondered. Abeona giggled, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a love letter, ¡®Dear Truck-Kun, roses are red, violets are blue...¡± Wheeler cut Abeona off before she could finish her rhyme. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure its not that. Only one way to find out what is actually inside.¡± his wipers twitched, almost causing the letter to fall. Wheeler¡¯s engine growled in frustration ¡°It¡¯s no use! You¡¯re going to have to go out and grab it for me¡±. There was a brief silence until Abeona suddenly piped up, ¡°Wait you mean me?¡± ¡°Well, in case you haven¡¯t noticed I don¡¯t have arms¡± Wheeler pointed out. "So I¡¯m going to need you to pop out there grab the note.¡± ¡°Excuse me? In case you forgot, I¡¯m in the afterlife realm, I can¡¯t just ¡®pop¡¯ out anywhere.¡± Abeona reminded him. ¡°Send your little figure charm thingy¡± Wheeler pushed, ¡°It¡¯s about time it did something more than sitting there and looking cute.¡± The Abeona figure jumped down from the rear-view mirror and started stomping its feet on Wheeler¡¯s dashboard. ¡°My charm is under five inches tall, how is it meant to drag that letter in?¡± Abeona moaned. Wheeler didn¡¯t answer, simply rolling down his side window. ¡°Go on, I believe in you Chibi-ona!¡± Abeona grumbled, ¡°Fine I¡¯ll do it on one condition... You never call my charm ¡®Chibi-ona¡¯ again.¡± ¡°That depends, will you gonna stop calling me Truck-Kun?¡° Wheeler requested. ¡°NEVER! ¡°Abeona declared defiantly, ¡°You are Truck-Kun!¡± Wheeler chuckled, ¡°Then hop to it... Chibi-ona.¡± Reluctantly, the tiny Abeona charm dashed across the dash and clambered out of the side window, before inching its way on to the hood. After a few more moments the Abeona charm had hold of the envelope. ¡°Now, move your wiper SLOWLY¡± so I can take it.¡± The goddess instructed. Wheeler gently eased his wiper to the side allowing the Abeona charm to pull the note free. It then held the note triumphantly above its head. The charm figure was actually surprisingly stronger than it looked ¡°So is that charm just like a mini robot you control or is it a separate entity?¡± Wheeler enquired. ¡°Ehh, a little of column A, a little of column B.¡± The goddess hand waved. *EEEEKKKK* Abeona¡¯s charm let out a little shriek as water shot up its back from Wheeler¡¯s wiper jets. She however, still managed to keep a tight grasp on the envelope. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Abeona demanded. Wheeler chuckled, ¡°Sorry, couldn¡¯t resist.¡± Abeona could be heard mumbling a string of obscenities as her figurine charm pulled the envelope inside Wheeler¡¯s cabin. Once inside, her charm then opened up the loosely stuck down envelope and spread it out on Wheeler¡¯s dashboard. ¡°Dear Truck-Kun¡± Abeona began. Wheeler, who was also able to see the letter, corrected her. ¡°It clearly says, ¡®Dear Truck DRIVER¡¯.¡± The pair then continued to read the letter together, which was written in beautifully flowing cursive. I am unsure who you are, or why you appear to be trying to run me over in your truck. It would be greatly appreciated if you would please stop doing this. If you persist, I will be forced to get the relevant authorities involved. However, as long as you do not bother me again, I promise to forget these incidents ever happened.¡± Sincerely, Eve Adenson.¡± Abeona burst into uproarious laughter. ¡°Relevant authorities, who¡¯s she gonna call? TRUCKBUSTERS?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s talking about the police¡± Wheeler responded, his voice laced with concern. ¡°Relax.¡± The goddess reassured him. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure they haven¡¯t built a cell that would be big enough to hold you.¡± Various potential disastrous scenarios played out in Wheeler¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯m not indestructible remember? What if we get into a high speed chase and I crash? What if the cops lay down spike strips and pop my tires? What if I get flipped over?¡± He fired these potential problems off like an anxiety powered machine gun. ¡°Listen, calm down, take a deep breath.¡± Abeona suggested. ¡°How am I meant to ¡®take a deep breath¡¯ when I¡¯m a truck?¡± Wheeler pointed out. ¡°Hmmmm¡± Abeona thought for a moment, before coming to an answer. ¡°Try through your exhaust.¡± The truck engine rumbled deeply as Wheeler tried to simulate breathing in, before blowing out a plume of smoke through his exhaust pipe. As strange as it felt, it did work to steady his nerves. Now that he was somewhat Wheeler refocused his on the letter, catching a detail he hadn¡¯t noticed before Underneath the main letter, scrawled in far messier, somewhat scratchy handwriting, was another message, which read: ¡°P.S: Meet me at the abandoned construction site by the college campus at midnight. Don¡¯t be late.¡± Chapter 15: Midnight Meeting Chapter 15: Midnight Meeting Wheeler stared at the P.S. part of the message in disbelief. ¡°Sorry, am I reading this right, Eve wants to meet up?¡± Abeona¡¯s miniature charm stroked its chin, ¡°It certainly seems that way. I¡¯ve got to admit it¡¯s quite the unexpected development.¡± ¡°What do you think she wants?¡± Wheeler asked ¡°I mean, assuming it is from her.¡± Abeona¡¯s charm tilted its tiny head. ¡°What do you mean ¡®assuming it is her¡¯? Who else would it be?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Wheeler admitted. ¡°But look at the handwriting of the P.S compared to the rest of the note. It¡¯s completely different.¡± Abeona muttered ¡°Zoom in¡± as she looked closer at the note. As she did her figure¡¯s eyes actually extended out of their sockets like a telescopic lens. Abeona closely examined the note comparing the elegant tidy writing of the main body of the letter, to the chaotic scrawl of the final section. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right, according to my tablet¡¯s handwriting comparison software, there are substantial differences.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need special software, anyone can tell that at a glance.¡± Wheeler chided, ¡°But, what do you think it means?¡± ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± Abeona suggested cheerfully. Wheeler¡¯s slowly repairing suspension shuddered with nervous anticipation. ¡°Are you suggesting we actually go?¡± ¡°Why not? Your self-repair system should have you all fixed up by then.¡± The goddess reasoned. Wheeler was still being rocked by a creeping unease. ¡°What if it¡¯s a trap?¡± Hmmm...¡± Abeona thought for a minute. ¡°You might be right. Imagine this. We roll up to the construction site and see what we believe to be Eve at the rendezvous.¡± The goddess¡¯s voice became a gravelly whisper. ¡°We race towards her but then...¡± If Wheeler could sit, he would have been on the edge of his seat. ¡°But then?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been bamboozled.¡± Abeona yelled out dramatically. ¡°It was just a shop window dummy, perfectly placed to lead us into a giant pitfall trap! We tumble in and so ends the legend of Truck-Kun.¡± Her figure lay down in a tragic, yet exaggerated death pose. Wheeler sighed. ¡°You¡¯re not taking this remotely seriously are you?¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Abeona reassured as her figure retracted its eyes back into its sockets. ¡°You should be mostly repaired by about eleven. So that gives us an hour to scout out the meeting point beforehand.¡± Wheeler¡¯s wipers twitched. ¡°How are the repairs coming along anyway?¡± he asked. Abeona read the diagnostic report displayed on her tablet. ¡°About twenty-five percent complete, we should be able to move normally again at about eighty-five percent.¡± The goddess explained helpfully. For now there was nothing Wheeler could do, other than wait for the self-repair system to work its magic and mentally prepare for the upcoming encounter. Wheeler was not the only one making preparations. After an uneventful walk back home, followed by an equally quiet evening, Eve was also preparing for the midnight rendezvous with the mysterious truck. Eve quietly opened Lily¡¯s bedroom door a little bit to ensure her friend was asleep. She watched closely, seeing Lily¡¯s blankets gently rise and fall as the sleeping girl breathed lightly, a faint snoring emanating from her. Content her roommate was indeed asleep, Eve pulled on her tracksuit and trainers. She then proceeded to silently slip out of the front door and into the night. Eve took care navigating the giant crater the truck¡¯s prior attempt had left outside her doorstep. The last thing she wanted to do was twist her ankle or something stupid like that. She¡¯d need to be at full fitness for what was to come. She checked her phone, eleven thirty, that gave her half an hour to get to the meeting place she had proposed. Meanwhile, while the construction site may have currently appeared empty to an observer, her invitee had in fact, already arrived. Wheeler was waiting in his miniature mode, concealed behind some steel oil drums, casing the location prior to their meeting. From his vantage point behind the barrels, Wheeler had a clear view of the rusted gate that led into the abandoned construction site. In miniature mode it had been simple to drive in unnoticed through a hole in the chain-link fenceSupport the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Can¡¯t see anyone around yet. I would have thought if it was a trap, we¡¯d have seen someone setting things up.¡± Wheeler commented. He¡¯d actually arrived fifteen minutes before this and had been staking out the location. Scouting it for any potential sign of an ambush. ¡°Are you feeling more at ease now?¡± Abeona asked impatiently. ¡°We¡¯ve driven around this place three times already.¡± ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡± Wheeler insisted. ¡°Especially after how much damage I took in our last encounter with Eve...¡± ¡°To be fair, that was self-inflicted.¡± Abeona remarked. ¡°Remind me, whose plan was I following when I took that self inflicted damage?¡± Wheeler¡¯s question had been rhetorical. He knew full well the last disastrous attempt had been the goddess¡¯s idea. Abeona didn¡¯t respond. Instead she just whistled innocently yet awkwardly. A few minutes later, she finally piped up. ¡°Five past twelve, she¡¯s late.¡± As Abeona said this, the pair saw a figure in the shadows climb over the locked gate. Eve checked her watch. ¡°Damn... took me longer than expected, well better late than never.¡± She mumbled to herself. Looking around the abandoned construction site, Eve saw no sign of life. Not her mysterious assailant, or their truck. She sighed and shook her head, feeling the sting of bitter disappointment in her chest. ¡°They¡¯re not here.¡± She thought. Eve felt the ground beneath her feet rumble. Sensing something behind her. Eve instinctively threw herself to the side, narrowly avoiding the truck that unexpectedly came exploding out of the darkness. Eve performed a handspring off the dirt and landed on her feet. The truck that had nearly run her down suddenly whipped around for another attempt. She cupped her hands and called out. ¡°So you did show up after all.¡± Wheeler drove at her again full speed, but Eve evaded his charge effortlessly. ¡°Hold up, time out.¡± Eve yelled, making a T- motion with her arms. Wheeler broke sharply, stopping mere feet in front of Eve. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Abeona exclaimed. ¡°She¡¯s wide open, run her down.¡± Wheeler refused, while he had already tried to take her out multiple times, this was the first time he was truly aware of Eve. He saw this young woman stood before him. She wasn¡¯t just a target, but a person. One with hopes and dreams. Yet, he also knew he also had a job to do. Meanwhile Abeona¡¯s voice rang in his consciousness. ¡°What are you waiting for, transport her.¡± Wheeler made a decision. ¡°Let¡¯s hear what she has to say, we owe her that much.¡± ¡°Owe her? How? We are just trying to give her the deluxe Isekai experience!¡± Abeona spat in disbelief. ¡°We are hearing her out¡± Wheeler insisted firmly. Eve of course, could hear none of this ongoing debate. As the truck sat silent and motionless, she cautiously approached the side if the truck. ¡°So are you going to get out?¡± Her request was met with more silence. ¡°Guessing that¡¯s a no huh?¡± Eve reasoned, ¡°You¡¯re the quiet type aren¡¯t you?¡± She once more received no response. ¡°Ok, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re trying to run me down, frankly I don¡¯t particularly care.¡± Eve said. Eve was unable to see Abeona¡¯s charm, which was hidden by Wheeler¡¯s tinted windows roll its eyes. ¡°Oh here it comes, the please stop trying to run me over speech.¡± ¡°Shhh¡± Wheeler shushed Abeona. Unable to hear the pair, Eve continued talking uninterrupted. ¡°The thing is would you mind not attacking me...¡± ¡°Yep, it¡¯s just as I thought.¡± Complained Abeona. Oblivious to Eve¡¯s words, Eve continued what she was saying. ¡°At least during the day. You see my friend Lily, what you¡¯re doing is really scaring her.¡± A shockwave of guilt echoed through Wheeler¡¯s soul. Lily must be the girl that Eve was always walking home with. They¡¯d been careful not to hit her, but in retrospect it was not surprising Wheeler¡¯s attempts on her best friend would have Lily rattled too. ¡°In fact, Lily was actually the one who wrote most of that letter.¡± Eve explained. Abeona¡¯s charm punched the air at the revelation. ¡°AHA! So that¡¯s why there were two different types of handwriting!¡± ¡°So here¡¯s the deal. If you leave me alone during the day, when Lily is around. I¡¯ll meet you here every night and you can take as many shots as you want.¡± ¡°WAIT WHAT?¡± Abeona and Wheeler shouted simultaneously in shock. Once the initial surprise had subsided, Wheeler began to analyse the situation. ¡°I guess Eve¡¯s so worried about the chance of her friend getting caught in the crossfire, she¡¯s willing to risk her to keep her friend safe. He was touched, Wheeler had never seen such a pure and selfless act of friendship in either of his lives. Eve clutched her hand to her chest and smiled. She even appeared to be blushing. ¡°Your truck has come closer to hitting me than any dodgeball ever has.¡± She admitted. ¡°Whenever you charge at me, I feel the adrenaline surging though my veins at every near miss.¡± Wheeler was unsure how to take this unexpected turn of events. ¡°Scratch that, this isn¡¯t about friendship. She¡¯s just a total adrenaline junkie.¡± He realised in horror. ¡°Training by dodging a speeding truck, this will be my ultimate ascent to dodging nirvana. Our battles will be legendary.¡± Eve¡¯s eyes shone with excitement. She almost seemed to be salivating at the prospect of indulging in such a challenge. ¡°If you accept my offer, then try to hit me right now! Don¡¯t you dare hold back, come at me full speed.¡± Eve ran a few yards in front of Wheeler and began making a beckoning motion. ¡°Bring it on!¡± Instead of driving forward, Wheeler slowly attempted to back away, but Abeona hijacked his controls and threw on his handbrake. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± the goddess demanded. Wheeler desperately tried to disengage his handbrake as Abeona kept it locked in place. ¡°She¡¯s absolutely insane.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Abeona shrugged. ¡°But we can¡¯t pass down an opportunity like this. She¡¯s practically gift wrapping herself on a silver platter.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still going to keep dodging us.¡± Wheeler pointed out. ¡°Plus, we have to leave her alone during the day though, are you sure you¡¯re ok with that?¡± ¡°Sure, but think about it.¡± Abeona explained ¡°Before we were getting what? Two, maybe three attempts a day? This way, every night becomes open season on Eve. It¡¯ll only be a matter of time before she slips up!¡± ¡°I guess...¡± muttered Wheeler reluctantly. ¡°HEY!¡± Eve shouted, breaking what to her sounded like total silence while tapping her foot impatiently. ¡°So what¡¯s it gonna be?¡± Chapter 16: The Game Begins Chapter 16: The Game Begins Eve found herself blinded as the bright glare of the truck¡¯s headlights dazzled her. A second later she was plunged into pitch black darkness. While she was unable to see, Eve once more felt the ground tremble as the truck sped towards her. Reacting to the sensation, Eve moved almost effortlessly out of the truck¡¯s path, despite her lack of vision. ¡°I assume that means you accept my offer?¡± Eve asked with a smirk, as her sight returned to her. She turned around to see the truck getting in position to take another shot. After steadying herself for the next assault, Eve cupped her hands and yelled at the truck. ¡°Is that really the best ya got?¡± Wheeler revved his engine, preparing to take another run at Eve. All the while he could hear Abeona¡¯s voice cheering him on. ¡°Wheeler, Wheeler, he¡¯s our truck, If he can¡¯t do it, then we are fu...¡± *HONK* Wheeler¡¯s horn blared out in frustration as Eve evaded him once more. For several hours, Wheeler and Eve played this game of high stakes cat and mouse around the construction site. Eve weaving expertly between the collection of pipes, barrels, cinder blocks and other miscellaneous obstacles that littered the site. As the sun slowly peeked over the horizon, signalling the dawn of a new day, Eve checked her watch. ¡°Wow, time really does fly when you¡¯re having fun.¡± She remarked. Despite his best efforts, Wheeler hadn¡¯t been able to so much as graze the dodging daredevil. Let alone get a clean hit. She seemed to be constantly one step ahead. He¡¯d come within inches of her, only for Eve to slip away from him. He¡¯d almost wondered if Eve was toying with him, deliberately not dodging until the last possible second. Wheeler had no idea that in reality, this was simply Eve¡¯s way of making things more exciting and increasing the level of the challenge for herself. It was like a game of chicken, seeing how close she could allow the truck to get before needing to dodge. A literal dance with death. ¡°Remember,¡± Eve called out ¡°As long as you leave me alone during the day, I¡¯ll keep coming back here every night so you can challenge me again!¡± After giving that reminder of their deal, Eve departed for home. As Eve left, Abeona piped up to Wheeler ¡°So were you actually trying to run her over?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Wheeler, somewhat confused by what the goddess was implying. ¡°Of course I was. I¡¯m trying my best here, she¡¯s just too agile and fast for me to catch.¡± ¡°Trying your best?¡± Abeona sneered in disbelief. ¡°You were barely trying at all, You just kept charging straight at her.¡± ¡°What else am I meant to do?¡± Wheeler complained. Abeona¡¯s charm jumped off his rear-view mirror and onto his dashboard, stomping it¡¯s tiny feet and waving her tiny arms. ¡°Mix it up a bit, catch her off guard. Maybe use some of the special abilities I gave you? Be creative!¡± Wheeler was already well aware of Abeona¡¯s idea of being ¡®creative¡¯. His newly repaired suspension shuddered, as his mind flashed back to the previous failed aerial assault on Eve. ¡°Last time I tried that, you got me to drive off a roof.¡± He pointed out. Abeona¡¯s charm figure blushed, poking awkwardly at Wheeler¡¯s dashboard with her foot ¡°Yeah well, we just need to keep your physical limits in mind this time.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± Wheeler pleaded. ¡°I don¡¯t want to feel that pain again... speaking of feeling...¡± Wheeler re-engaged his haptic feedback. He had kept it off during the entire ¡®training session¡¯, just in case he had managed to catch Eve. The external sensations like the wind and the pressure of ground under his tires returned to him. ¡°So with the agreement we made with Eve, we can¡¯t attack her during the daytime.¡± Wheeler pointed out.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Yes and I think it¡¯s best play by her rules.¡± Abeona remarked. ¡°On the bright side, We now have the whole day to brainstorm some new strategies. So thinking caps on!¡± As Wheeler and Abeona strategized, Eve made it home and collapsed into her bed, her muscles burning from her night time misadventure. She fell into a deep sleep as fatigue caught up to her. Her body needed time to recover from the strain of her new truck based secret training regime. Only an hour later, her alarm rang, which was still pre-set for her usual wake up time. Today however, its alert went unheard. Eve snoozed through it out of exhaustion. It was about another hour later when a different sound roused her from her slumber. An extremely loud banging on her bedroom door, followed by a familiar voice calling out to her. ¡°Eve, it¡¯s Lily are you ok?¡± A somewhat hazy and dishevelled Eve finally rose from her bed and stumbled to the door. She shook herself into semi consciousness and took a deep breath. Whatever happened, Eve knew Lily couldn¡¯t be allowed to find out what Eve had been up to. As Eve opened the door, she could see, even with her currently blurry, sleep encrusted eyes, the worried expression cast across Lily¡¯s face. ¡°Eve, are you ok?¡± Lily repeated. ¡°You¡¯re normally long gone by the time I get up.¡± She cast a concerned gaze over her friend noticing something amiss. ¡°Oh iz nothin, juz woke up a itty bitty laaatt... *YAWN*¡± Eve¡¯s slurred speech was broken up by a sudden yawn. ¡°You look shattered.¡± Lily placed her hand onto Eve¡¯s forehead, trying to check her friend¡¯s temperature. ¡°Are you ill?¡± she asked. After removing her hand from Eve¡¯s head, Lily concluded, ¡°Your temperature seems fine, but you¡¯re clearly not yourself.¡± ¡°Na I¡¯m fin, juz ned sleeeeee.... zzzzz¡±. Eve began to fall forward as she fell to sleep on her feet. As Lily tried to catch her, Eve jolted awake and stumbled backwards towards her bed. ¡°Eve¡¯s no ear now, pleaz leaf a mess...¡± with that, the tired girl passed out, falling back onto her bed. Lily checked on her unconscious friend. ¡°I better call college and let them know Eve isn¡¯t coming in today.¡± She decided. ¡°Hopefully she just needs some bedrest. She was probably just lying awake all night worrying about that truck.¡± Many hours later, Eve woke up. As her eyes flickered open, she saw Lily was sat by her bedside, her eyes still clouded with concern. ¡°Hey sleepyhead, how you feeling?¡± Lily asked. A still groggy Eve sat up in her bed, noticing she was still in her tracksuit from the previous night. ¡°Much better after that rest¡± she admitted. Lily took Eve¡¯s hand, ¡°It isn¡¯t like you to crash out like that.¡± She paused before asking ¡°Is it something to do with that truck?¡± ¡°TRUCK?!¡± Eve sprung to life, her eyes darting away from her friends face, desperately attempting to hide her guilt. ¡°What truck? Who said anything about a truck?¡± ¡°The truck that spent the past week trying to run you over, the one you left the note on.¡± Lily reminded her, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Ah yeah, that truck, ha ha ha.¡± An awkward laugh escaped Eve¡¯s lips. She abruptly made a desperate attempt to change the topic of conversation ¡°Wait, what¡¯s the time?¡± ¡°Four thirty PM¡± Lily told her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about college, I already called and told them you weren¡¯t coming in.¡± Eve grabbed Lily by her shoulders. ¡°What did you tell them?¡± Lily blushed deeply in response to Eve¡¯s close contact. ¡°That you were ill...¡± she muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell them this part, but I assume you¡¯ve been worrying about that truck so much it made you sick.¡± Eve quickly dived on the excuse. ¡°YES!¡± She yelled a little too loudly, ¡°I WAS ILL, BUT I¡¯M BETTER NOW!¡± She released Lily and jumped out of bed. ¡°Must of been one of those twenty-four hour bug things...¡± she trailed off. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Lily questioned. ¡°You still seem a little off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m completely fine now.¡± Eve was rambling quickly, her voice brimming with nervous energy. ¡°Well I may be a little hungry, are you hungry? Let¡¯s get food! Let¡¯s order PIZZA!¡± She then quickly pulled her phone from her tracksuit pocket. She then brought up a takeaway ordering app. Then, before Lily had any chance to give any input, Eve swiftly completed the order. ¡°One big Veggie Pizza to share and... ordered!¡± Lily was taken aback by Eve¡¯s haste, she could sense something was clearly off with Eve. After a moment of consideration, Lily decided not to push it for the time being. ¡°Did you add extra mushrooms?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course I did. I wouldn¡¯t forget my bestie¡¯s pizza preferences.¡± Eve declared proudly. ¡°Thanks¡± Lily responded. The two girls then headed towards the lounge before Lily doubled back. ¡°I just need to use the restroom.¡± Eve waved her phone in Lily¡¯s direction. A little animation of a cartoon pizza could be seen dancing its way to their location. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll keep track of our order.¡± As Lily disappeared into the bathroom, Eve¡¯s enthusiastic facade crumbled away. She wiped beads of sweat from her forehead before thinking to herself. ¡°Good, she doesn¡¯t suspect a thing.¡± Meanwhile, Lily took a calming breath in the bathroom. ¡°I better not mention the truck attacks, unless it shows up again.¡± She thought. ¡°It¡¯s clearly got her more rattled than she wants to let on.¡± Lily quietly hoped that one day, her friend Eve might open up to her more about it once she was ready. After concluding her business, Lily left the bathroom and made her way to the lounge, where she was greeted by Eve sitting on the sofa with a massive pizza box. ¡°Ready for a girls night in bestie? You can pick the movie. Maybe later we can play Charades too?¡± Lily gave a shy smile. ¡°Sure, sounds like fun.¡± She sat next to Eve and the pair settled down for a quiet evening in. Chapter 17: Taking Turns Chapter 17: Taking Turns ¡°Should we rehearse my plan to take out Eve one more time?¡± Abeona asked Wheeler. ¡°Your plan? I helped come up with it!¡± he complained in disbelief. Abeona¡¯s charm stretched its limbs as it hung from Wheeler¡¯s rear view mirror. ¡°So does that mean I can blame you if anything goes wrong?¡± she chuckled. The ground throughout the abandoned building site was strewn with tire tracks from where Wheeler had been practicing. Since he had nowhere else to go, he¡¯d simply stayed at their meeting point. He had whiled away the hours getting used to his truck body. A lot of the basics had come surprisingly naturally to him, but in this relatively clear plot of land, he had the opportunity to really cut loose and experiment with his capabilities. All there was to get in his way was a random assortment of old building materials and other miscellaneous junk that had been left to rot. He¡¯d even discovered a few new uses for his special abilities, or ¡°truck tricks¡± as Abeona had named them. The night had already settled in, once more Wheeler and Eve¡¯s improvised arena was enveloped in an ominous darkness, illuminated solely by Wheeler¡¯s headlights. Wheeler checked his dashboards clock. ¡°Eleven-Fifty Five, you think she¡¯ll show up again?¡± As her figure crossed its arms impatiently, ¡°You just make sure you keep your mind on the job.¡± Abeona insisted. ¡°Remember, this isn¡¯t date night big guy. You¡¯re here to hit her, not hit ON her.¡± Wheeler¡¯s wipers twitched. ¡°You make it sound like I was flirting with her. I¡¯m pretty sure attempting vehicular homicide doesn¡¯t count as flirting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true...¡± the goddess admitted. ¡°Although with how much she was enjoying it, I¡¯d say Eve is a girl who enjoys flirting with death.¡± She quipped. ¡°Just make sure to stop holding back, Smash her like a bug on your windshield.¡± Wheeler noticed Abeona seemed even more temperamental than usual. ¡°You¡¯re a little bloodthirsty tonight.¡± He commented. ¡°Yeah well, the longer you go without increasing our transportation numbers, the more danger Project Isekai is in.¡± Abeona explained. ¡°I just want to get the ball rolling. It¡¯s been about three weeks and we haven¡¯t even added a single soul to the tally.¡± Before Wheeler could respond, he was interrupted by a figure entering the abandoned construction site. It was Eve. ¡°Hey mystery truck guy, ready for round two?¡± Eve called out. As she stepped into the centre of the site, Eve was met with something she was not expecting. The young woman stood her ground as instead of just one truck, a small army of trucks stared her down. Their collective headlights blazed like a bonfire. Although the rev of their engines sounded somewhat muted. Without hesitation the trucks all simultaneously sped towards her, Eve shouted ¡°Oh you lot wanna play dirty and gang up on me huh? Well bring it on!¡± As the trucks approached, Eve¡¯s bravado began to melt away, she was cornered. There simply wasn¡¯t enough space in the site for her to avoid them all. She sensed the earth beneath her feet tremble as the tsunami of trucks drew ever closer. Eve couldn¡¯t put her finger on it, but as all the trucks sped towards her, something felt off, it all seemed somewhat unreal. The sound of the trucks were too silent, the vibration of the ground as they approached too mild. It was a risk, but if her hunch was right...You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. She made a quick decision, betting everything on this gut instinct that was now guiding her actions. Stepping calmly to one side, out of the central truck¡¯s path, Eve closed her eyes and braced for impact, hoping her intuition was correct. She uttered what could have been her last words as a jolt of doubt flashed in her minds ¡°If I¡¯m wrong... I¡¯m sorry... Lily.¡± Instead of the merciless crunch of steel, Eve felt a cool pleasant breeze rush past her left side. She opened her eyes to see a single truck rushing past her, the rest having vanished like phantoms . ¡°They WERE Illusions, I knew it!¡± Eve wiped the sweat from her brow and grinned. She then turned and saw the truck stopped behind her. She could sense an aura of fury radiating from it. She could even picture the driver in her mind. Gripping the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles whitening as he seethed with rage. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you pulled off those illusions, but I saw right through them. Ya gotta try better than that!¡± she cupped her hands to her mouth and bellowed in triumph. While the truck didn¡¯t actually have a driver, the truck itself, Wheeler was indeed seething. Not necessary from missing Eve, but from Abeona¡¯s chastising him. ¡°Looks like your plan was a complete failure.¡± The goddess shot. "Oh now it was my plan suddenly?¡± Wheeler fired back. ¡°Before you said it was your plan.¡± ¡°Hey what are ya waiting for?¡± Eve had unknowingly interrupted their conversation. ¡°C¡¯mon try again, betcha can¡¯t get me, betcha can¡¯t get me.¡± Eve was dancing mockingly while chanting taunts. ¡°Plan B?¡± Wheeler asked Abeona ¡°Plan B!¡± Abeona confirmed. ¡°Phase one, active your miniature mode.¡± From Eve¡¯s perspective, the truck simply vanished into thin air. ¡°Hey where¡¯d you go!?¡± she exclaimed In reality Wheeler had simply shrunken down to toy size. He stealthy began to navigate the junk strewn terrain. The various pipes, blocks and barrels now appeared mountainous, as he got into position to enact plan B. ¡°Is this another illusion?¡± Eve¡¯s breath was visible in the cold night air as she peppered the currently out of sight truck with questions. ¡°Are you some sort of trucker magician? Do you do birthday parties.¡± Eve¡¯s queries were met with nothing but silence. The dodging daredevil was left scratching her head. ¡°Where are you?¡± she demanded. Put of the corner of her eye, Eve spotted some movement. Instead of the truck however, she saw a young boy. Looking at him Eve estimated he was about seven to eight years old. He was running around, kicking a ball in a circle. Eve called out to the boy. ¡°Hey kid, what are you doing out this late?¡± The boy simply ignored her, carrying on with his game. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for kids around here, where are you parents?¡± Eve asked, once more the boy gave her no response. A cold chill ran down Eve¡¯s spine as she heard the sound of the truck¡¯s engine revving. She looked up to see it had somehow snuck around to the other end of the construction site without her noticing. ¡°How the hell?¡± Eve began to wonder until she was distracted from her train of thought as the truck began barrelling towards it¡¯s target. But this time the target wasn¡¯t Eve, it was the boy. ¡°HEY KID GET OUT THE WAY!¡± Eve screamed in an attempt to warn the boy. The child however was somehow oblivious to the oncoming danger, still playing with his ball as the truck raced towards him. Gesturing wildly, Eve tried in vain to get the boy¡¯s attention. There was only one thing for it. Eve sprinted towards him at full speed. She was closer, she just hoped she could get to him before the truck. Eve dived at the boy, mere inches before the truck reached him. She stretched out her arms, her muscles burning under the strain as she attempted to push him out of the truck¡¯s path. Only for her to phase through the boy and go sailing directly into the path of the oncoming vehicle. It had been a trap, an illusion. It appeared that Eve had unwittingly thrown herself directly into death¡¯s waiting embrace. Eve felt the truck¡¯s solid metal grille press against the sole of her trainers. She pulled upon all of her strength to kick off the surface and allow momentum to carry her just barely out of range. She crashed onto the earthy ground of the construction site, watching as the trucks wheels narrowly squeaked past the top of her head. She laid in the mud, miraculously unharmed. Her breaths were ragged as she recovered from avoiding the closest of calls. The truck swung round to make another approach as Eve staggered unsteadily to her feet. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s on the ropes,¡± Abeona beamed. ¡°Finish her off.¡± Wheeler was just about to resume his assault when... *BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP* Eve held up her palm in a ¡®stop¡¯ gesture. ¡°Hold on.¡± She pulled out her phone and turned off the alarm. ¡°That¡¯s it for tonight.¡± The young woman then let out a big yawn and stretched. ¡°I gotta go home and get some sleep.¡± Wheeler was too stunned to react as Eve ran up to the side of him and patted his fender. ¡°You almost got me good that time.¡± Eve laughed. ¡°Now that is exactly the level of challenge I was hoping for!¡± With a thanks and a wave goodbye, Eve was gone, leaving Wheeler to try and process exactly what had just happened. Chapter 18: Dodging Discovery Chapter 18: Dodging Discovery For the next few weeks, Eve continued this routine. Sneaking out at night to challenge the mysterious truck to their game of high stakes cat and mouse. Meanwhile, Lily remained blissfully unaware of Eve¡¯s secret midnight truck based training. In fact from Lily¡¯s perspective, the note seemed to have surprisingly served it¡¯s purpose. She assumed the threat about contacting the police must have scared off whoever had been behind the truck attacks. As the weeks rolled on the strange incidents with the truck became mere memories to Eve¡¯s friend. For her, life had very much returned to its comfortably familiar routine. So here Lily was once more, picking Eve up from the gym hall around nine as usual. She saw Eve give a wide yawn as she emerged from the doors, stretching her arms. Lily noticed that Eve¡¯s hair was a mess, almost as if she¡¯d just rolled out of bed. ¡°Good training session today?¡± Lily asked her friend. ¡°Training...?¡± Eve trailed somewhat in a daze before shaking herself back to reality. After letting loose another yawn, the dodging enthusiast responded. ¡°Oh yes, the training! The new dodgeball season is coming, so I¡¯ve had to step things up a gear.¡± ¡°Just be careful, I know you have a tendency to overexert. Like, are you getting enough sleep? You seem kinda spacey at the moment.¡± Lily reached forward, brushing some of Eve¡¯s hair out of the girl¡¯s face. Lily¡¯s hand lingered a little too long before she caught herself and withdrew, her cheeks turning a deep crimson. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just my new training regime is like... super intense.¡± Eve grinned to herself, not noticing Lily¡¯s awkwardness. ¡°Is that so...¡± Lily paused for a moment before attempting to head into the gym. Eve sprang into action, using her foot to jam the door shut, preventing Lily from entering. ¡°Woah, where you going?¡± ¡°To check out the dodgeball throwing machine I built you.¡± Lily explained. ¡°If your training is as intense as it sounds, I want to make sure it can take the strain.¡± Eve kept the door to the gym firmly pinned in place with her foot. ¡°No need for that, it¡¯s working fine, perfectly in fact.¡± Eve was sweating bullets. If Lily saw inside the gym, she¡¯d see Eve¡¯s sleeping bag. Worse, Lily would notice the fine layer of dust gathering on the machine she¡¯d built for Eve. It had been sat unused since Eve¡¯s new truck based training regime had begun. Eve wasn¡¯t actually training inside the gym any more at all. Instead her time in the gym was now being used to catch up on her sleep. ¡°I better check on it anyway, just in case.¡± Lily insisted, trying to push past Eve. ¡°No, you really don¡¯t need to do... HEY look over there!¡± Eve yelled pointing behind Lily. As soon as Lily turned to look at where Eve had been pointing, she heard the gym door slam, followed by the click of a lock. She turned to see Eve had locked herself in the gym, with Lily now stuck outside. Lily hammered on the door, ¡°HEY! EVE WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT?¡± she demanded, yelling and hammering on the door. ¡°LET ME IN!¡± A few minutes later, the lock clicked back open and Eve held the door open for her friend and gestured invitingly. ¡°You can come in now.¡± She then started whistling inconspicuously. ¡°Ok, what are you hiding?¡± Lily questioned, with eyebrows raised in suspicion. Eve evaded Lily¡¯s gaze, as her friend watched the guilty look playing across her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, I¡¯m not hiding anything.¡± Eve bluffed. ¡°I know you well enough to know when you¡¯re not being honest with me.¡± Lily insisted ¡°Let me guess, You broke the dodgeball machine didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t!¡± Eve gasped. ¡°In fact, I just got the dodgeball machine back out so you can give it a proper look over.¡± She brought Lily over to the machine.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Lily took her tools out of her backpack and began to give the dodgeball machine a meticulous inspection. After checking everything was in order, she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°It¡¯s not broken, in fact it''s pristine.¡± Lily smelt a strong aroma emanating from the machine. ¡°Do I smell... polish?¡± ¡°Yep¡± Eve brushed the back of her head nervously. ¡°I¡¯ve been cleaning it after every use.¡± Eve lied. She¡¯d only just given the contraption an emergency clean so Lily wouldn¡¯t see the layers of dust that had built up from the weeks it had spent sitting unused. ¡°I have to admit I was worried you¡¯d done something crazy and broken it.¡± Lily gave a small laugh. ¡°Like loading it with bowling balls or something.¡± Eve crossed her arms ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do a thing like that... without asking.¡± After a few seconds pause, Eve then began to make that exact request. ¡°You don¡¯t suppose you could make it fire...¡± ¡°NO!¡± Lily immediately cut her off. ¡°No I will not make it fire bowling balls. That would be far too dangerous.¡± Eve stuck her tongue out at Lily ¡°Boo! Spoilsport!¡± ¡°While I¡¯m here I can at least make some other adjustments, make it fire quicker and in more varied patterns.¡± Lily grinned, before setting to work. As Eve watched Lily make her adjustments, a jolt of guilt shot through her soul. She¡¯d forgotten how much work her friend had put into making that contraption for her. She recalled her most recent birthday, when Lily had got up early to accompany Eve to the college gym hall. As Eve had entered, A large sheet, hiding something secret underneath had been waiting for her. Eve remembered how unusually peppy Lily had been that day. She¡¯d spent so many weeks preparing this surprise gift for Eve. She pulled back the cover to reveal the custom designed dodgeball training machine. Lily had built specially for Eve. It had been exactly what Eve had needed to take her training to the next level. It fired at speeds way beyond what any human could do, with an array of pre-set patterns. At the time, it presented the ultimate test of Eve¡¯s evasive skills. Yet now, Eve had just left her bestie¡¯s thoughtful gift to gather dust. Why? Because a bigger, more thrilling challenge came along in the form of that truck. That had become the new benchmark, the thing that forced Eve to elevate her skills further beyond. But was that thrill worth Eve potentially jeopardizing her relationship with her closest friend? ¡°Ok, that ought to do it!¡± Before Eve could dwell any further on that question, Lily¡¯s words pulled her away from her current train of thought. Lily brushed off her hands before loading a dodgeball into the basket. The pair watched as the dodgeball was flung at an impressive speed across the gym. While it was pretty quick, Eve could tell it wasn¡¯t as fast, or as thrilling as speeding truck was. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t make it fire bowling balls?¡± Eve pushed. Lily let out a giggle, shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable.¡± She chuckled. Eve gave Lily a encouraging elbow to the ribs ¡°Go on, take a risk and live a little.¡± She encouraged. ¡°Take a risk huh?¡± Lily stroked her chin in contemplation before reaffirming, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not risking your life, if something went wrong, I¡¯d never forgive myself.¡± ¡°We only live once¡± Eve argued. ¡°Which is exactly why you should treasure the life you have and not takes stupid risks.¡± Lily retorted, raising her voice as her frustration with her friend built. ¡°I told you no, so please, don¡¯t ask again.¡± ¡°Fine¡± Eve grumbled, before checking her watch. ¡°Shoot is that the time? We better get moving, I don¡¯t want to be late for...¡± ¡°Late for what?¡± Lily asked curiously, tilting her head. ¡°Late for...¡± Eve hastily searched for a way to cover her verbal slip up before finally deciding on, ¡°Be late for bed of course. Gotta get my eight hours.¡± With that the two young woman packed away the dodgeball machine. Eve breathed a sigh of relief. Lily hadn¡¯t noticed that the machine hadn¡¯t been used recently. The sleeping bag Eve had wedged under the gym mats also went equally unnoticed. For tonight at least it seemed Eve was in the clear. From there, they both headed for home, enjoying the cool night air. As they walked however, Lily couldn¡¯t help but hear Eve¡¯s words echoing in her head. ¡°Go on take a risk and live a little... we only live once...¡± Lily sighed to herself, her breath evaporating into the wind. She¡¯d done a lot of thinking lately, about Eve, about her own hidden feelings. Maybe she should... ¡°Penny for your thoughts bestie?¡± Eve was now the one to snap Lily out of her thoughts and back to reality. ¡°It¡¯s nothing...¡± Lily muttered, as she took Eve¡¯s hand gave a small smile. The rest of their journey home was relatively uneventful. No trucks, just two close friends, walking home together, enjoying each other¡¯s company. The crater outside their shared dorm, now surrounded by road work barriers, being the only reminder of chaotic days that now appeared to have passed them. After dinner, the two both gave their mutual good nights and headed to bed. Lily however, found herself unable to sleep as Eve¡¯s words continued to swirl in her head. ¡°Go on take a risk and live a little... we only live once... Go on take a risk and live a little... we only live once... Go on take a risk and live a little... we only live once...¡± The words were like a siren song, trying to coax Lily into action. As she lay in her bed, wide awake, the love struck girl carefully weighed her options. She knew Eve wasn¡¯t like her, the rare times Eve had shown any indication of attraction, brief as they were, it had always been for guys. Not that Eve had ever pursued a relationship. Eve¡¯s one true love had always been, and always would be dodging. Even when Lily¡¯s own feelings had leaked out, Eve had been oblivious, evading even the most obvious of hints. Tonight though, Lily would not allow Eve to avoid her feelings any longer. While she was certain the odds while Eve and her would never be in a romantic relationship, at least she¡¯d no longer have these secret desires burning a hole through her chest. The decision made, Lily got up out of bed, then made her way to Eve¡¯s bedroom. Chapter 19: Midnight Heartbreak Chapter 19: Midnight Heartbreak Lily stood gathering her breath outside Eve¡¯s bedroom door, dressed in her pyjamas and slippers. This was it, the threshold of the point of no return. If she turned back and went to bed now, nothing would have to change. No, no more secrets, Lily couldn¡¯t suppress the emotions that had been bubbling up inside her any longer. One silver lining was that she was confident that even if her feelings weren¡¯t reciprocated, odds were good Eve wouldn¡¯t abandon their friendship either. Or so Lily hoped, there was still that little doubt of ¡®what if¡¯ rattling at the back of her mind. Even if the revelation didn¡¯t destroy their friendship, it very well might alter it, would Eve look at Lily the same way once she knew? Only one way to find out. ¡°Eve, I know it¡¯s super late, but need to tell you something, and... it¡¯s really important.¡±. Lily gave a small knock on Eve¡¯s bedroom door. Only for it to swing open, revealing Eve¡¯s bedroom was empty. The covers were still neatly pulled over, indicating to Lily that Eve¡¯s bed hadn¡¯t been slept in. Lily ran to the bathroom to check if Eve was there. The bathroom door was wide open, revealing itself to be as vacant as Eve¡¯s bedroom had been. Just as Lily began to rush towards the kitchen to check if her friend was having a midnight snack, she heard the click of a door gently shutting. Lily entered the kitchen just in time to see Eve passing by the window, having left the house via the front door. She was absolutely baffled, where could Eve possibly be going at this time of night? Lily felt a lump form in her throat as an uncomfortable possibility crossed her mind. What if Eve was sneaking out to meet a guy? Was that possible? Why else would a girl Eve¡¯s age be sneaking out so late? If it was a guy who was he? A volley of questions flooded Lily¡¯s head within seconds. Before her mind even had a moment to settle, Lily raced out the front door, not even taking the time to pull on a coat. There Lily was, following Eve, through the night, dressed in nothing but her pyjamas and slippers. She hung back, just enough so Eve wouldn¡¯t spot her, but close enough so she wouldn¡¯t lose her as they made their way across the dimly lit streets. As she trailed her friend, she recognised the route. Eve was heading towards their college. Eve for her part, remained oblivious to Lily¡¯s presence, believing her friend was safely tucked up in her bed. She checked her watch, muttering, ¡°damn I¡¯m gonna be late.¡± Hearing this, Lily wondered what Eve was about to be late for... a midnight date perhaps? Her heart was pounding so hard that it might burst. If Eve was seeing someone, that may mean Lily had taken too long and missed the chance to make her confession. Would Lily be forced to continue to suppress her feelings. Now forced to watch someone else get to be with the person she loved most? Would Eve drift away from her? Lily was spiralling, her mind becoming lost in a myriad of a million catastrophic simulated scenarios. Overhead, Lily spotted a large billboard sporting the image of a muscular Adonis. He was wrestling a bear while holding a can of drink that read ¡°Chad Energy¡±. Wasn¡¯t that the celebrity Eve had a crush on? Chad... something... what if Eve was meeting him, or at least someone like him? This threw Lily¡¯s imagination into overdrive. Eve being walked down the aisle to marry this masculine stud. Lily beside her as maid of honour, biting her lip as the vicar asked if anyone objected to the marriage. Her soul screaming in silence as she watched the love of her life heading off with her new husband for her honeymoon. Ultimately leaving Lily alone. Lily snapped back to reality as Eve stopped, just across the road from their college, at the abandoned construction site.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Lily vaguely remembered reading this land was meant to be developed into a high-rise tower block, but protests seemed to have halted those plans indefinitely, not long before construction had been due to start. What was Eve doing coming to a place like this in the dead of night? Crouching behind some bushes so she wouldn¡¯t be spotted as Eve made her way inside, Lily watched her friend through the chain-link fence. Soon, she would have the answers to her questions. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late!¡± Eve yelled out into the seemingly empty construction site, ¡°ready for another round?¡± ¡°Another round!¡± Lily bit her lip nervously. ¡°Is she talking about a make out session?¡± The darkness shrouding the site was suddenly pierced by the illuminating beam of headlights. Lily¡¯s eyes went wide. She let out a quiet gasp which she quickly held back by covering her mouth with her hand. She¡¯d immediately recognised the vehicle those headlights belonged to as it emerged from wherever it had been lurking. It was that truck! The same one that had been trying to run Eve down mere weeks ago. What the hell was it doing here? Eve, stood in the middle of the yard, didn¡¯t flinch, staring the truck down. Meanwhile neither of the girls could hear Wheeler and Abeona bickering inside. ¡°I¡¯ve got a good feeling about tonight.¡± Abeona crowed. ¡°Tonight will be the night we finally get her.¡± ¡°You said that last night.¡± Wheeler sighed, his engine emitting a low rumble of frustration. ¡°And the night before that, and the night before that, and the night before...¡± ¡°Nothing wrong with trying to be positive.¡± Abeona interrupted. ¡°You should try it sometime.¡± ¡°HEY!¡± Eve unable to hear the conversation between the two, was tapping her foot and tapping her watch. ¡°Are we going to start tonight¡¯s training session or what?¡± ¡°Overhearing this, Lily¡¯s own emotions began to shift. The black overcast cloud that had hung over her on the way here, was swiftly beginning to turn red. ¡°Training?¡± she whispered, clenching her fists, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me...¡± Lily teetered on the precipice between fury and fear as the truck sprung to life, racing towards Eve. Lily could barely watch covering her eyes yet peering through her fingers as the truck raced towards Eve. Eve, acting as if she¡¯d done this dance many times before, which she had, calmly attempted to sidestep the truck. Wheeler however, still had a few new moves stored in his semi trailer. As he approached where Eve was standing, instead of continuing onward, he broke hard and swerved. This caused his semi trailer to swing towards Eve. As he swung around, Wheeler¡¯s rear clipped a few of the barrels that had been sat nearby, sending them crashing to the floor and spilling there contents everywhere. The barrels had contained some kind of oil or lubricant which coated the ground, making it slippery. Eve used this to her advantage, sliding underneath the swinging semi-trailer while narrowly staying clear of the truck¡¯s wheels. She emerged on the other side in one slick movement. As the truck skidded off on its oil covered tires, Eve held her arms up in triumph aa she came to a stop while kneeling on the ground. ¡°Nice try but you missed again.¡± Eve jeered. Looking across the junkyard, Eve then noticed the sudden and wholly unexpected appearance of her friend Lily, standing still in shock at what she had just witnessed. ¡°Really?¡± The cocky, dodging obsessed girl scoffed. ¡°Trying to trick me with an illusion of my friend now? Sorry but I¡¯m not falling for another one of you cheap illusions again.¡± The ¡®illusion¡¯ began to shake uncontrollably before storming up to Eve. ¡°YOU IDIOT!¡± Lily exploded as she drew face to face with Eve, causing her friend to stumble back in shock. ¡°Lily... you¡¯re really here?¡± Eve began prodding Lily, trying to confirm she wasn¡¯t seeing things ¡°YOU¡¯RE DAMN RIGHT I¡¯M REAL, AND YOU ARE IN REAL TROUBLE! CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME EXACTLY WHAT THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!?¡± Eve was taken aback, she had never in her life seen Lily this severely pissed off before. ¡°Now.. I know this looks bad...¡± ¡°Looks bad?¡± Lily gave a hollow laugh of disbelief. ¡°Looks bad? Eve do you have any idea how dangerous what you just did is?¡± She gestured around at the freshly scattered oil drums, whose contents was now splattered across the construction site floor, to emphasise her point. Eve held up her hands, attempting to shield herself. ¡°You¡¯re right, this is dangerous. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t be here, it¡¯s not safe for you.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s safe for you?¡± Lily scoffed ¡°Look I¡¯ve been doing this for a few weeks now, I¡¯ve got this all under control.¡± ¡°A FEW WEEKS?!¡± Lily exploded once again. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t have just admitted that should I?¡± Eve began poking her foot at the ground unable to look Lily in the eye. She was acting like a naughty child, who had just been caught with it¡¯s hands in the cookie jar. As the argument raged on, Wheeler and Abeona simply watched the pair from a distance. ¡°We¡¯d better stay back for now.¡± Wheeler reasoned. ¡°We don¡¯t want to accidentally hit her friend.¡± ¡°Yeah¡± Abeona agreed, ¡°Plus this is too juicy to interrupt, it¡¯s like a soap opera.¡± Wheeler could hear familiar crunching noise over Abeona¡¯s communication channel. ¡°Are you eating popcorn again?¡± ¡°Mmmm butterscotch¡± Abeona mumbled between mouthfuls. ¡°Now hush, I can¡¯t hear what they are saying.¡± Wheeler and Abeona for now continued to observe the ongoing confrontation between the two friends, which was becoming more intense by the second. Chapter 20: Game Over Chapter 20: Game Over In the dark, abandoned construction site, surrounded by broken bricks, toppled steel drums leaking oil and decaying building machinery, the two friends¡¯ argument continued to escalate. ¡°So how long have you been sneaking out here exactly?¡± Eve demanded. Eve continued to evade looking her friend in the eye. ¡°About... two weeks.¡± She admitted quietly. ¡°TWO WEEKS!¡± Lily exploded again. She staggered back clutching her head in realisation. The pieces began falling into place in her mind as the scale of Eve¡¯s betrayal unfolded before her. ¡°That day you collapsed into bed, I thought you were ill, but you weren¡¯t, were you?¡± Eve shook her head silently in confirmation before explaining. ¡°That was the first time. I adjusted my sleep schedule after to compensate so I could train...¡± ¡°Train?¡± Lily cut Eve off with a hollow laugh of disbelief. ¡°You call this insanity training? Playing chicken with a truck isn¡¯t training Eve, it¡¯s just being reckless. Especially after you promised me you wouldn¡¯t train in traffic again.¡± Eve held up her hands, ¡°In my defence,¡± she started, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure a single truck in a construction site doesn¡¯t technically count as traffic.¡± Eve pulled out her phone, searching the word traffic. ¡°You see? The dictionary defines traffic as...¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t you dare try and play technicalities with me!¡± Lily interjected. ¡°The problem is you are endangering yourself and calling it ¡®training¡¯. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, I¡¯m not just ¡®calling this training¡¯, this is training.¡± Eve insisted. ¡°Do you have any idea what it takes to be the best at something? You have to be willing to push the limits further than anyone else. It may seem ¡®insane¡¯ to you, but to me...¡± Eve¡¯s voice began to break. ¡°This is what I need to do to stay on top...¡± Lily¡¯s expression softened, she¡¯d never seen Eve open up like this before. ¡°But if you keep this up, it¡¯ll kill you.¡± Eve shook her head as her tears continued to flow freely. ¡°I can¡¯t allow myself to believe that. Because if I do, if I allow the self doubt to creep in, everything falls apart.¡± Drawing closer, Lily gently brushed away Eve¡¯s tears. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked quietly. ¡°One mistake, if I take one hit, then I¡¯m no longer the dodgeball prodigy. I¡¯m just Eve.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you need to be¡± Lily reassured her. ¡°It¡¯s not enough, I¡¯m not enough.¡± Eve shouted, loud enough her words to echo across the whole desolate and abandoned construction site. ¡°I even only got accepted into college on a sports scholarship, because of my perfect dodgeball record.¡± Lily stepped forward to reassure her friend. ¡°You¡¯re enough for me, I love you, record or no record. You mean everything to me, more than you know.¡± Eve pulled Lily into a hug. For one intense moment. Lily¡¯s heart pounded, as she thought her feelings may have finally got through to Eve. ¡°I love you too Bestie¡±. That nickname ¡®Bestie¡¯ confirmed to Lily, that Eve was still oblivious to Lily¡¯s feelings, seeing her confession as little more than a platonic expression of their close friendship. In that moment, it ultimately didn¡¯t matter, what was important to Lily, was Eve¡¯s safety Which is why Lily¡¯s heart broke as Eve let go of her and began slowly backing away towards the truck. ¡°I love you too Bestie. But you¡¯ve gotta let me do what I need to do.¡± Eve said solemnly. ¡°This extreme level of training is the only way I can ensure that I stay ahead of the competition.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± Lily cried. ¡°You can¡¯t expect me to stand by while you keep risking your life like this. There has to be another way you can train. What about my dodgeball machine? Is that not good enough now too?¡± Lily slowly tried to approach Eve again. ¡°No...¡± Eve confirmed, somewhat reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but even at maximum settings, it just can¡¯t keep up with me.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Then I¡¯ll increase the settings.¡± Lily offered frantically. She began firing off suggestions at machine gun pace. In that moment, she would of offered Eve anything to give up this dangerous game. ¡°Whatever you need the machine to do, Ill make it happen! You want it bigger, faster, more power, more throw patterns. You wanted it to hurl bowling balls so hard they get lodged in a wall? You got it! Just please... stop this truck training before it kills you.¡± Lily pleaded. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about technical stuff like you do, but even I know no machine is ever truly random.¡± Eve explained, her head hanging limply as she confessed. ¡°I¡¯ve learnt every pattern that machine throws, and even if you add new ones, I¡¯d learn those in a matter of days. It doesn¡¯t matter how fast or strong it is.¡± Eve¡¯s sorrow then evaporated as she gestured enthusiastically towards the truck. ¡°But this? It¡¯s truly random, I can¡¯t predict what it¡¯s gonna do next. It¡¯s just like a real opponent.¡± Her eyes were glistening with excitement, her face beaming with joy. Lily''s heart skipped a beat, her head swirling with confliction. Eve''s smile was radiant, her passion and drive were part of why Lily loved her so much. Yet Lily could see those same, wonderful qualities she admired so much, were driving Eve down a path that was ultimately self destructive. Why did it have to be this reckless pursuit that made Eve so happy? ¡°I CAN¡¯T DO THIS ANYMORE,¡± Lily roared, her words reverberating though the night air, before she collapsed to the ground, emotionally exhausted by the weight of the conversation. ¡°I... I can¡¯t do this anymore...¡± Lily repeated quietly, on her hands and knees, sobbing her heart out. ¡°I can¡¯t stand by while you keep throwing yourself towards something this dangerous, I just can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Bestie...¡± Eve moved towards her friend and helped her to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m going home.¡± Lily¡¯s voice quavered. She held out a hand to Eve, ¡°Are you coming with me?¡± Eve looked Lily, as Eve reached out for her hand once more, a spark of hope flickered in Lily¡¯s eyes, only to be swiftly snuffed out as Eve hesitated. ¡°Eve please...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Bestie...¡± Eve turned back towards the truck, clenching her fists her own eyes filled with a steely resolve as she made her choice. ¡°I¡¯ve still got training to do. This won¡¯t kill me, it¡¯ll just make me stronger.¡± ¡°Why are you being so STUBBORN?!¡± Lily stomped her foot firmly, channelling all her frustration into that stomp. She was both literally and figuratively putting her foot down. Eve''s persistent recklessness had finally ground Lily down and pushed her to beyond the absolute breaking point. As Eve drifted away from her, Lily was completely lost for words. It seemed like there was nothing that Lily could say at this point would change Eve¡¯s mind anyway She¡¯d tried everything but it was clear now, Eve was completely beyond reason. Maybe in the morning she might be able to talk some sense into Eve, but for now? Lily was forced into a silent, stinging retreat and praying that Eve didn¡¯t get herself killed before she came back home. Throughout the argument, Abeona and Wheeler had been silently watching all this unfolding drama, waiting for Lily to move away. Eve was the target, and both Wheeler and Abeona had agreed to avoid causing any unnecessary casualties. As Lily started to slowly walk away, Abeona piped up on Wheeler¡¯s radio ¡°OK! Her friend is leaving, quick while Eve¡¯s distracted, go get her.¡± The Abeona charm began pointing aggressively at Eve through Wheeler¡¯s windscreen, making ¡®go get her¡¯ gestures. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we until her friend is completely gone?¡± Wheeler asked, wishing to err on the side of caution. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine.¡± Abeona insisted dismissively. ¡°If we wait any longer, Eve will get her head back in the game and we¡¯ll miss this opportunity.¡± Wheeler was still hesitant. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem entirely fair.¡± ¡°All¡¯s fair in love and war, NOW GO GO GO!¡± Abeona repeated this chant relentlessly, trying to propel Wheeler into action. Nervously, Wheeler revved his engine, threw off his handbrake and launched towards Eve at top speed. Wheeler turned off his haptic feedback so he wouldn¡¯t be able to feel the unpleasant physical sensations that would occur if he managed to hit his target. Eve was in his sights, completely distracted as she watched Lily¡¯s slowly walking away. This was the moment, he was finally going to... start drifting? Eve didn¡¯t move a muscle, but she rapidly disappeared from Wheeler¡¯s line of sight as he began uncontrollably veering off course. Had he left his haptic feedback on, Wheeler may have felt the slickness of the oil that had leaked from his earlier collision with the barrels, and now covered the construction site floor. With that physical feedback, he may of been able to adjust for it. Instead he found himself careering away from his target and towards another unintended one... Lily! Even the normally irreverent Abeona started to panic as she saw was happening through her charm pendant¡¯s eyes. ¡°ABORT, ABORT, ABORT¡± She yelled, unintentionally mirroring her previous chant. ¡°She¡¯s not the target Wheeler, hit the brakes.¡± Wheeler applied every breaking system available to him but it was no good. He¡¯d charged at Eve with full speed and now, even with both the handbrake and footbrake activated, the built up momentum continued to carry him towards Lily. Moments before this Lily hearing the truck engine revving, glanced back at Eve, unable to suppress her concern for her friend. She hadn¡¯t expected the menacing truck to be barrelling its way towards her instead. She froze as Its headlights scorched her eyes, blazing with eerie flickering light. Lily had become a deer in the headlights, her mind blank with fear as it bore down on her, seconds away from ending her life. The second to last thing Lily heard was Eve screaming out her name. The last thing was a sickening crunch as steel met flesh. *CRUNCH* Chapter 21: Death Blow Chapter 21: Death Blow Numb and dazed, Lily was sprawled on the muddy ground of the now silent, abandoned construction site. Her body rang with pain as her senses returned to her. The last thing she remembered was her vision going white, enveloped by that truck''s headlights. Then an impact that had sent her flying sideways. Lily looked to her left, her body aching from even this small movement. The truck was stopped inches away on one side of her. Her eyes then moved to the spot where she had stood mere moments before. A gut wrenching scream of horror filled the night air as Lily saw Eve, lying prone and unmoving, her body partly wedged underneath one of the trucks wheels. At the last possible second she had managed to push Lily clear out of the truck¡¯s path before she was hit, but consequently in doing so, Eve put herself directly in it¡¯s line of fire instead. ¡°Eve...¡± Lily gasped, as she made an agonising crawl towards her friend, hoping that maybe, it was a hallucination, or she was in a nightmare or... anything that would make the reality in front of her untrue. Lily heard the truck¡¯s engine still rumbling gently, its hum reverberating though the ground as it slowly reversed off Eve''s broken form. Once it was fully off Eve, the truck came to a halt behind her, seeming to act like a cat in front of a mouse it had gutted, proudly displaying it¡¯s handiwork. This however, had not been Wheeler¡¯s intent. He¡¯d backed up off of Eve¡¯s body not to taunt Eve or Lily, but to try and allow Eve''s friend the space to say goodbye. Now he was watching the consequences of his missions success play out in front of him. He could sense Lily¡¯s pain, radiating from her every expression and motion. ¡°That was a little close. I can¡¯t believe you almost ran over the wrong person, that would have been disastrous.¡± Abeona chimed in, ¡°But you managed to hit the target without any collateral damage, so...¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± Wheeler hushed the goddess, cutting her off mid sentence. "Show some respect for the dead.¡± ¡°Sorry I got a bit carried away. It¡¯s just can¡¯t quite believe we finally got her.¡± Abeona admitted quietly. ¡°Although technically, she¡¯s not actually dead yet.¡± Abeona¡¯s charm pointed to Wheeler¡¯s dashboard display, where Eve¡¯s lifeline was still emitting a small pulse. She still was barely clinging to life. ¡°She¡¯s not got long, I better go and prepare for her arrival in the afterlife.¡± With that, Abeona went silent and her charm went motionless, leaving Wheeler alone to watch the aftermath of their grim sucess. Back outside the truck, Lily had reached Eve and was assessing the damage she¡¯d taken. Eve¡¯s tracksuit was covered in dark moist stains. Lily wasn¡¯t able to work out how much of them were dirt and how much was blood. Eve¡¯s limbs were all twisted at unnatural looking angles. In her head, Lily was urgently trying to figure out what to do. In a situation like this, was it best to put someone in the recovery position, or were you meant not to move them at all? ¡°Wait. Pulse!¡± Lily quickly reached for one of Eve¡¯s wrists. As she pressed her thumb down on the limply hanging wrist, she found Eve¡¯s weak, barely perceptible pulse. It was faint, but it was there. Lily fumbled around her pyjamas, her heart sinking as she realised her phone was sitting at home on her night stand. She then heard the trilling of an alarm from Eve¡¯s tracksuit pocket. The sound led Lily to Eve¡¯s phone. Taking great care to not aggravate her friends injuries, she removed the device from Eve¡¯s pocket and inspected it to check if it was usable. The phone screen had a deep crack in it¡¯s screen protector, but thankfully was otherwise undamaged and functional. The screen showed an alarm displaying the somewhat ironic message of ¡°Training over.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Lily focused on getting help for Eve as soon as possible, quickly dismissed the alert. She then began keying in the emergency services number. She didn¡¯t know Eve¡¯s pin code but fortunately a pin code wasn¡¯t required for emergency calls. Trembling, Lily took a deep breath, composing herself for the call as the phone started connecting her to an emergency services operator. She had to stay strong for Eve. Lily knew if Eve had any hope of survival, Lily would have to make sure the emergency services got all the information they would need clearly and efficiently. As Lily made the call, Eve slowly began to regain some semblance of consciousness. She couldn¡¯t see anything, but she could just about hear snippets of Lily¡¯s voice fading in and out as she drifted in and out of consciousness. ¡°Ambulance, friend, hit by a truck, hurry.¡± Eve couldn¡¯t move, no matter how she tried not a single muscle would respond, she couldn¡¯t even twitch her finger. Eve had been completely disconnected from control of her own body. She was experiencing the world from a distance, with every sensation muted, uncomfortably numb from the paralysis that had seized her. She could feel warmth seeping out of her. From where? seemingly from everywhere. Every nerve rang like a a silent alarm, telling her that something was deeply wrong with her body... why was she so tired? From Lily¡¯s words, one had stood out... ¡°Truck¡±. That was right... there was a truck... it had been heading for... for... LILY?! ¡°LILY!¡± Eve¡¯s internal voice called out as loud as it could. The damage to Eve¡¯s body allowed only the faintest gasp to escape. ¡°Li... Li... Li...¡± The syllables evaporated into the cool night air as Eve strained her shattered vocal chords. ¡°EVE? I¡¯m right here, thank goodness you¡¯re alive.¡± Lily had finished her call, just in time to have heard Eve¡¯s tiny whimpers. Eve couldn¡¯t see her, she couldn¡¯t see anything at all. In that moment, all she needed confirmation Lily, her Bestie, was safe. ¡°ar.... u... kay?¡± she croaked weakly, unable to fully form her words. ¡°Yes I¡¯m fine, thanks to you, just a few bruises.¡± Lily reassured her. She gently squeezed Eve¡¯s hand, but Eve was unable to feel it. Lily explained the situation to Eve as simply as she could. ¡°That truck hit you. An ambulance is on it¡¯s way, please, just hang in there.¡± Lily was safe, that was a relief. Knowing that, Eve felt she could finally rest. ¡°No no no, Eve, please stay with me.¡± Begged Lily. ¡°Stay with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m exhausted... just a little nap,¡± Eve thought as she drifted away. ¡°No Eve! Please, wake up. The ambulance is almost...¡± Lily¡¯s distant voice cried before fading out. She had sounded so sad... But that quickly vanished from Eve¡¯s mind, along with everything else as she fell into a deep sleep. What seemed like moments later, Eve snapped awake, finding herself in a white room. Bright light pulsated from every surface. Eve, once more able to see and move, carefully picked herself up off the floor, wondering where she was. Eve noticed a female figure with rust coloured hair standing a few feet in front of her, dressed in an ill fitting white suit. It definitely wasn¡¯t Lily... maybe it was a doctor? Before Eve could utter a word, the woman introduced herself, extending out her hand. ¡°Welcome Eve Adenson. I¡¯ve been expecting you.¡± Eve blinked in confusion, trying to work out what the hell was going on. As she instinctively reached out to shake hands, Eve noticed her own hand was ghostly pale and translucent. A million and one questions raced through her mind at once. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who even are you? Where am I? Where is Lily?¡± Eve asked in rapid, quick-fire succession. ¡°Dealing with your last question first,¡± The strange, unkempt woman shook Eve¡¯s hand, before clearing her throat with a sharp, theatrical cough. ¡°I can assure you, your friend Lily is perfectly safe and fine.¡± The stranger reassured Eve, before her voice shifted to a less confident tone. ¡°Well, she¡¯s physically fine, at least. But she¡¯s obviously quite upset because of what happened to you.¡± ¡°What happened to me? Wait... I was hit by that truck, wasn¡¯t I?¡± Eve staggered backwards as the realisation struck her harder than the truck had. A final, dreaded, query came to mind. One that even the normally oblivious and evasive Eve was unable to avoid, as much as she wished to. ¡°Am I...?¡± Eve gulped before hesitating. While she didn¡¯t want confirmation of her suspicions, part of her knew she needed to hear it. ¡°Yes, you have been transported to the afterlife.¡± The woman confirmed. ¡°I am Abeona, the goddess of outward journeys.¡± ¡°By transported to the afterlife, you mean I¡¯m...¡± Eve pushed. Abeona gave a deep sigh, ¡°Yes, sorry to say Miss, but you... are dead¡±. ¡°I¡¯m... dead?¡± Eve gasped in shock. Before Eve could fully process that revelation, Abeona gave a sharp, distracting clap. ¡°Yes, now with the bad news out of the way, time for the good news.¡± Abeona beamed. ¡°I¡¯m still dealing with the bad news right now,¡± Eve muttered despondently, collapsing back to the floor, weeping into her translucent hands. ¡°My life is over.¡± Abeona moved to give Eve a gentle, reassuring pat on the head in an effort to comfort her. ¡°Don¡¯t think of this as an ending. In fact, for you, Eve Adenson, it¡¯s about to be the start of an incredible new beginning.¡± Chapter 22: After Life Chapter 22: After Life Eve instinctively moved out the way as Abeona reached out to comfort her. Even as a spirit separated from its body, her phenomenal reflexes remained intact. Eve¡¯s sudden shift as Abeona leaned forward caused the goddess to lose her balance and topple to the floor. She landed in a heap next to Eve. ¡°OUCH¡± Eve¡¯s hands flew to her mouth as she saw the aftermath of the goddess¡¯s fall, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, force of habit.¡± Her eyes still stinging with tears, she slowly rose to her feet, before helping Abeona do the same. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Abeona wheezed, clutching her ribs as she accepted Eve¡¯s help to stand. ¡°In fact, that agility of yours is exactly why you were chosen.¡± ¡°Chosen? For what?¡± Eve enquired, carefully drying her eyes as curiosity overtook her. Putting on her most bombastic voice, Abeona proudly proceeded to make her grand reveal. ¡°Eve Adenson, Since you were lucky enough to die by being hit by a truck...¡± ¡°Lucky?¡± Eve laughed in disbelief, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have called that lucky.¡± Unfazed by the interruption, Abeona continued her pitch with gusto: ¡°But it is! As it means you have been selected the first to receive our newest, premium of afterlife package. A thrilling, Isekai experience!¡± ¡°E...Sec...Eye?¡± A baffled Eve spelled out the unfamiliar word phonetically. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Another world, one of magic and adventure.¡± Abeona dramatically waved her hand in front of Eve¡¯s face. ¡°Picture this...¡± The goddess began to weave a vivid mental tapestry into Eve¡¯s mind. ¡°You, a brave adventurer, battling a mighty dragon, it fires a volley of fireballs. You nimbly evade them, feeling their radiant heat as they blaze past.¡± At the mention of fireballs, Eve¡¯s eyes lit up, finding herself swept up in the excitement. ¡°Are you saying I¡¯ll get to dodge fireballs?¡± ¡°Not just fireballs, arrows, lightning, charging beasts and more.¡± Abeona continued, further stoking Eve¡¯s thirst for greater tests to her dodging skills. ¡°Challenges far beyond anything you could encounter in your world.¡± Eve was being increasingly drawn into Abeona¡¯s pitch. She was figuratively salivating at the prospect of all the new potential dangers she could dodge. The Isekai world sounded like an adrenaline junkies fantasy playground, a dream come true for Eve. Yet, one thing was tugging at the back of Eve¡¯s mind that tempered her enthusiasm. Lily, The friend Eve had left behind. Whether it was out of guilt for having put her dodging addiction before their friendship, or simply missing her lifelong friend, Eve felt compelled to ask... ¡°What about Lily?¡± ¡°Your friend? I told you she¡¯s perfectly safe.¡± Abeona insisted before pausing, ¡°Unless, do you want her to join you?¡± ¡°NO!¡± Eve yelled while firmly shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯ve caused enough trouble for her already.¡± Rubbing her own arm for comfort, Eve''s voice broke slightly as she looked away from Abeona. ¡°I just wish I had a chance to say goodbye.¡± Abeona gave Eve a small, understanding smile. ¡°A lot of souls that come through here ask the same thing, to say a final goodbye to the ones they care about. Sadly it¡¯s against the rules. I¡¯m so sorry, but I can¡¯t break those rules.¡± A dejected Eve gave a quietly despondent ¡°Ok.¡± It stung that she couldn¡¯t speak to Lily one last time. That she couldn¡¯t apologise for not listening to her. But it seemed that was the way it had to be. When Eve looked back at Abeona, she noticed the goddess had a mischievous smirk on her face. ¡°Liked I said, I can¡¯t break the rules... but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t bend them a teeny bit.¡± Abeona pinched her fingers together and with a wink, jumped onto her tablet. ¡°You¡¯d do that for me? Thank you so much!¡± Eve lunged forward, sweeping the goddess up into an appreciative hug. ¡°I¡¯m glad your happy but please, let me go.¡± Abeona gasped from within Eve¡¯s tight embrace.Stolen story; please report. Once Eve released her, Abeona set to work on her tablet. ¡°I just have to contact my special agent on earth...¡± While this was all going on, Wheeler had just been awkwardly parked in front of a distraught Lily, who was still clutching Eve¡¯s broken body. ¡°Please, Eve... don¡¯t leave me.¡± Lily wept deeply as she cradled her fallen friend on the cold, muddy and desolate construction site floor. Wheeler, seeing Eve¡¯s lifeline had stopped pulsing on his dashboard, knew Eve¡¯s spirit had already departed her body. As his headlights illuminated the tragic scene, he was forced to simply sit and watch, as the brutal aftermath of his actions played out in front of him. He¡¯d done as the goddess Abeona had asked him to, transporting Eve to her new life. Yet as he watched Lily grieving, he began to doubt if it had been the right thing. His thoughts were sharply scattered as Abeona¡¯s voice chirped in, ¡°Hey Wheeler, how are things going down there?¡± ¡°Horribly.¡± Wheeler admitted grimly. ¡°Hopefully this will help, I¡¯ve got someone here who wants a word with you.¡± Abeona replied a little too cheerfully. Wheeler wondered how Abeona was able to sound so upbeat after what they had just done. He guessed gods really did just view death differently to humans A different, yet hauntingly familiar voice started speaking, immediately snapping Wheeler out of his thoughts. ¡°Hello. My name is Eve Adenson. Are you Mr Truck-Kun?¡± ¡°My name is actually Wheeler.¡± He sighed in frustrated response to the unwanted alias. Wheeler could hear Abeona stifling her laughter in the background of the radio transmission as Eve chastised her. ¡°Abeona, you told me his name was Truck-Kun.¡± ¡°Well technically I Am Truck-Kun.¡± Wheeler admitted reluctantly. ¡°But I prefer to be called Wheeler.¡± ¡°You were the truck that has been trying to run me over, right Wheeler?¡± Eve shot, in an accusatory manner. ¡°Yes you¡¯re right, sorry about that. I assume Abeona explained why?¡± Wheeler inquired hopefully. He wasn¡¯t sure he had it in him to explain to Eve the reason he had run her down. Even as he sat there as a sentient truck, the situation seemed too insane to rationalize. ¡°We can discuss that later,¡± Eve insisted, before quickly moving on to the main reason for their conversation. ¡°Is my friend Lily with you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s right in front of me, with your...¡± Wheeler hesitated, unwilling to utter the final word ¡®body¡¯ to Eve. It was bad enough that he had killed her. Mentioning Eve''s dead body while talking to her spirit, felt like it would be rubbing that fact she was dead in her face. On the other end of the call, Eve bit her spirit forms ghostly lower lip anxiously, ¡°Is she upset?¡± Wheeler could still hear Lily¡¯s wails of sorrow ringing throughout the construction site. ¡°Upset might be an understatement,¡± he admitted, ¡°she¡¯s devastated.¡± Clutching her chest as a pang of regret shot through her soul, Eve held back tears as she processed what she had just heard. She let out a small heartbroken sigh, ¡°Bestie...¡± With her voice shaking, Eve asked Wheeler, ¡°Can you give her a message for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to, but I¡¯m not sure how,¡± Wheeler responded. ¡°I can¡¯t speak, not to any living human. I mean, besides Abeona, you¡¯re the first person I¡¯ve talked to since I died and she turned me into a truck.¡± ¡°I assume that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t say anything to me during our training sessions.¡± Eve reasoned, before turning to Abeona. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you give him the ability to talk to living people? Wouldn¡¯t have that been a super useful thing for him to be able to do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯ve been wondering.¡± Wheeler chipped in. Abeona rolled her eyes, ¡°Everybody¡¯s a critic.¡± The goddess complained. ¡°Tell me, have either of you ever implanted a human soul into a truck?¡± ¡°No...¡± Both Eve and Wheeler replied in unison. ¡°It¡¯s even harder than it sounds! I performed a feat of divine engineering the likes of which the afterlife has never seen before.¡± The goddess insisted ¡°So I¡¯m sorry, if in the process, I made a teeny oversight or two...¡± As Abeona ranted, Wheeler¡¯s mind began drifting. After what he did to Eve, the last thing he could do for her is fulfil her last request. But how? There had to be some way he could communicate with Lily. Wheeler remembered when he first became a truck, how isolated he had felt. He¡¯d been completely cut off from his previous life and humanity as a whole. He recalled how, in his desperation for contact, he had tried to communicate with his parents by flashing his headlights in Morse Code... wait maybe that was the answer Wheeler asked, ¡°Eve, does Lily know Morse code?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe?¡± Eve admitted with a shrug. ¡°She¡¯s super smart. Smarter than me at least, so maybe? Why?¡± Wheeler carefully explained his plan to Eve. Meanwhile Abeona continued to chatter away in the background, going on and on about the complexities of divine engineering. ¡°I¡¯ve packed into that truck shrinking, signal jamming, illusion projection...¡± ¡°I guess that could work...¡± Eve said hesitantly, completely ignoring Abeona¡¯s rantings. Wheeler could tell from Eve¡¯s tone that she wasn¡¯t exactly convinced. ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± he asked. ¡°HEY IS ANYONE EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!¡± Abeona exploded. She¡¯d been so busy ranting, she hadn¡¯t noticed that neither Wheeler, or Eve had been paying attention to anything she¡¯d been saying for the past few minutes. ¡°NOPE.¡± Both Wheeler and Eve chuckled together. ¡°Well that¡¯s a shame, because I think I¡¯ve come up with a solution to our little communication problem.¡± The goddess boasted proudly. ¡°You do!?¡± the pair of human souls shouted in simultaneous shock. Abeona huffed dramatically, playing up her offense at being ignored, ¡°Yes, but since you both clearly aren¡¯t interested in anything I have to say...¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry, please tell us¡± Wheeler and Abeona begged in unison. ¡°Ok,¡± the goddess began, ¡°Who better to deliver a message from Eve, than Eve herself?¡± ¡°But you said it was against the rules for me to talk to Lily!¡± Eve pointed out. ¡°Right you are Eve. A soul in the afterlife can¡¯t talk directly to a living person.¡± Abeona confirmed, before turning her attention to Wheeler. Abeona, while giggling with glee at the thought of her master plan, turned her attention to Wheeler. ¡°Which is why you¡¯re going to bring Eve back from the dead.¡± A Very Truck-Kun Christmas: Holiday Special Part 1 A Very Truck-Kun Christmas: Holiday Special Part 1 ¡°Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that Truck-Kun soon would be there.¡± ¡°Wait¡±, Wheeler interrupted, ¡°Isn¡¯t it meant to be Saint Nicholas?¡± Abeona''s charm tapped its foot, ¡°Well he works so hard, doesn¡¯t he deserve a vacation?¡± the goddess argued. ¡°I guess...¡± Wheeler mumbled hesitantly. ¡°Exactly¡± Abeona chirped, her figure clapping, ¡°So what I¡¯m proposing is we send him on a permanent vacation... to another world.¡± ¡°Hang on¡± Wheeler¡¯s wipers twitched in confusion. ¡°First thing¡¯s first... Santa is real?¡± Abeona¡¯s response was nonchalant ¡°Yep¡±. Wheeler''s mind was spinning. ¡°Really? Santa?¡± Abeona¡¯s figure raised an eyebrow. ¡°The living truck is doubting the fact Santa exists? Well it¡¯s kind of similar to how gods like myself came into being.¡± ¡°How?¡± questioned Wheeler. ¡°You humans really don¡¯t understand the power of your collective belief. If enough people believe in an entity, like a god or Santa for example...¡± Abeona began to explain. The light in Wheeler¡¯s cabin flicked on ¡°Then they becomes real?¡± ¡°Bingo, that¡¯s how the gods exist, including yours truly.¡± Abeona¡¯s charm gave a elaborate bow. ¡°Anyway back to mission, codenamed ¡®Santa Claus is getting run down¡¯¡±. ¡°Hold up, not just are we going to run over Santa, but YOU GAVE THIS MISSION A *HONK*ing CODENAME?¡± Wheeler¡¯s horn unleashed a loud honk. ¡°Yes I did... anyway...¡± Abeona segued immediately into outlining her plan, ¡°First we need to get onto a roof. Preferably one of a very festively decorated house.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not jumping off another roof.¡± Wheeler protested. His suspension shuddered as he recalled the damage he had taken the first time he¡¯d leapt of a rooftop. ¡°You won¡¯t have to, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got everything planned out.¡± The goddess reassured him.¡± ¡°You have no idea how terrifying that is.¡± Wheeler shot back in earnest. He had almost given up on questioning Abeona at this point. It seemed calling her out on her nonsense, always led to somehow even more ridiculous explanations. He¡¯d learnt it was far easier just to go along with whatever insane scheme floated through the goddess¡¯s head. So he dutifully trundled around the streets until he located a house whose halls appeared appropriately decked out for Christmas. As he did, he was forced to listen to Abeona singing some slightly twisted versions of Christmas carols. ¡°Run over in the snow, Santa dies today, but don¡¯t worry kids, he¡¯ll reincarnate right away. Into another world, where adventure awaits, oh what fun it¡¯ll be when Santa meets his fate.¡± ¡°There is something deeply wrong with you¡± remarked Wheeler. ¡°Oh hush I¡¯m just trying to spread a little festive cheer¡± giggled Abeona. ¡°Oh look, that house is positively plastered in lights.¡± Her charm was waving its arms frantically towards one of Wheeler¡¯s windows. The house she was pointing at had an extremely elaborate display. Christmas lights that had been placed on the roof cycled through a cavalcade of festive colours. There was even a sign out front that read ¡°Santa stop here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect¡± squealed Abeona, ¡°There¡¯s no way jolly old Saint Nick could resist stopping at this house.¡± ¡°So am I going to crawl up the inside of the drainpipe like last time?¡± Wheeler asked.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Of course. How else were you planning to get up there? Fly?¡± Abeona then giggled at her own rhetorical question. Wheeler thought about how much easier it would be if he could fly. He then began fantasising about soaring through the sky. He¡¯d never have to worry about traffic again. ¡°That would be pretty cool.¡± He admitted ¡°Yes it would, but it¡¯s also pretty impossible.¡± Abeona told him. ¡°Even a goddess like me can¡¯t make a truck fly.¡± Wheeler now knowing what he had to do. After pulling up outside the house, he shrunk into miniature mode and carefully drove onto the lawn and towards the house¡¯s drainpipe. He could feel the cold, freshly fallen snow crunching under his tyres. Wheeler then ascended the drainpipe, with his special gecko grip tyres enabling him to easily latch on to the inside, despite the slippery ice coating the pipe¡¯s surface. After a few short minutes, he had reached the roof. ¡°Fantastic!¡± Abeona praised, ¡°Now all we have to do is play the waiting game until Santa shows up.¡± After a few fleeting moments of silence, she began to sing, ¡°Ninety-nine reindeer in front of a truck, ninety-nine reindeer in front, run one down...¡± ¡°Not again.¡± Wheeler sighed to himself. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s gonna be another long night.¡± Luckily for Wheeler, moments later, Abeona¡¯s singing was drowned out by the sound of jingling bells filling the frosty night air. As he sat in his shrunken form on the snow covered rooftop, he was greeted by an unbelievable sight. It was Santa¡¯s Sleigh. It looked as majestic as Wheeler had imagined it would be. The lacquered wood making up it¡¯s panelling had a cherry red finish with golden trim. The rails and runners shone, constructed from polished brass. The interior was a plush, dark leather. Out the front, attached to the sleigh by reins, were the reindeer. Most importantly of all, sat in the sleigh, was the man himself. Santa. Wheeler was immediately awestruck. It wasn¡¯t just that he looked like the collective sum of every image of Santa to ever exist. It was Santa¡¯s aura. Being within the presence of the real Santa was almost indescribable, as he radiated a presence of both calmness and authority. Wheeler felt a contradiction of both reassurance and intimidation simultaneously as he quietly observed this mythical figure, seemingly unnoticed. Wheeler watched as Santa collected his sack of presents and in the blink of an eye, vanished down the chimney. ¡°Ok, now¡¯s our chance.¡± Abeona instructed. ¡°Quick get in the sleigh, before he gets back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still getting used to the fact he¡¯s real. Are you sure we have to kill him?¡± Wheeler whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t think of it as killing Santa, think of it as spreading a little Christmas cheer.¡± Abeona explained. ¡°After all, we will be bringing the gift of Santa, and Christmas to another world.¡± She rationalised. ¡°Besides, ¡®Even if I¡¯m in Another world, I¡¯m still Santa¡¯ would be an amazing concept Isekai series. Unconvinced but still obeying her instructions, a still miniaturised Wheeler carefully, once more using his Gecko tyres, drove up the back of Santa¡¯s Sleigh and stowed himself away silently in the back. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually in Santa¡¯s Sleigh!¡± Wheeler giggled internally. He had to curb his enthusiasm, lest his engine from rev in excitement and give him away. ¡°What if he spots me?¡± he asked Abeona. ¡°Even if he does, since your in mini mode, he¡¯ll probably assume your a toy.¡± The goddess responded nonchalantly. ¡°Besides, now we are in the perfect position for an ambush.¡± ¡°Am... bush...¡± That is when the realisation struck Wheeler like a thunderbolt. That was right, he was up here on a mission to Isekai Santa. Wheeler had been so caught up in the magical moment of seeing Santa, he¡¯d forgotten the whole reason he was here. The ground shook under Wheeler¡¯s tyres as Santa returned and sat himself in the sleigh, the plump Father Christmas¡®s weight caused the sleigh to jostle. Wheeler¡¯s previous awe turned to panic as Santa started to load the giant sack full of present into the back compartment where Wheeler was hidden. As Santa¡¯s oversized sack descended, Wheeler could feel the sheer weight of all the gifts it contained beginning to crush him. The sensation felt like how Wheeler imagined being buried alive must be like. In that moment, as he was overtaken by panic, Wheeler let loose a loud... *HONK* Within moments of him making that noise, the mass of presents was being lifted back off him. ¡°What the hell did you do that for?¡± Abeona chided. ¡°I...I...¡± Wheeler stammered, his exhaust puffing smoke as he tried to breathe. ¡°I felt like I was be... being crushed.¡± ¡°You would have been fine. It would take much more weight than that to actually damage you, even in mini mode. You should of just stayed calm and dealt with it¡± Abeona sighed. ¡°Easy for you to say, you couldn¡¯t feel it! Your safe up there in your...¡± ¡°SHHH¡± Abeona interrupted. Through Wheeler¡¯s windscreen, a pair of icy blue, bespectacled eyes were trying to peer inside Wheeler¡¯s cabin. Santa had found them, and had now picked up and was inspecting the ¡®toy¡¯ truck. ¡°HO, HO... OH, Now what¡¯s this?¡± Santa asked out loud, ¡°Now why isn¡¯t this toy wrapped?¡±. However, something in Santa¡¯s slow, chuckling tone, and the mischievous glint in his eye, made Wheeler believe the big red guy knew more than he was letting on. Santa began giving the ¡®toy¡¯ a shake which rattled Wheeler immensely. Abeona¡¯s now frantic voice indicated she too, believed Santa knew that Wheeler wasn¡¯t simply a ¡®toy¡¯. ¡°OH SHIT, WHEELER, HE¡¯S ONTO US!¡± The goddess yelled. ¡°You gotta return to full size right now.¡± ¡°But... Wheeler began to protest, as Santa shook him again. ¡°Just do it!¡± demanded Abeona. With no time to consider the potential consequences, Wheeler obeyed Abeona and transformed out of mini mode in Santa¡¯s hand. From that moment a lot happened in the blink of an eye. There was an explosion of wooden shards as the sudden increase in Wheeler¡¯s weight caused Santa¡¯s sleigh to shatter into a shower of splinters. Santa himself was nowhere to be seen, most likely now a jolly red smear underneath Wheeler¡¯s wheels. To be Continued A Very Truck-Kun Christmas: Holiday Special Part 2 A Very Truck-Kun Christmas: Holiday Special Part 2 ¡°HA... We got him!¡± cheered a triumphant Abeona. ¡°I just crushed Santa...¡± Wheeler uttered in stunned disbelief. Before he could process this thought any further, the sudden increase in Wheeler¡¯s weight caused him to slide off the roof. As he fell, Wheeler braced for the seemingly inevitable impact with the ground, that ultimately never came. Instead, Wheeler was somehow hovering mere inches from the ground upside down. He felt an unusual lightness throughout his whole body, as despite being a giant truck, he floated like a balloon. Meanwhile, Abeona¡¯s charm figure had toppled off it¡¯s usual perch and had fallen onto the interior roof of Wheeler¡¯s cabin. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Wheeler demanded. ¡°Is this another truck trick you installed but never told me about?¡± ¡°I definitely don¡¯t remember installing an ability like this, I didn¡¯t think anything like this would even be possible.¡± Abeona gasped, her figure looked around the inverted cabin in awe, before noticing something that made her let out a high pitched scream. ¡°AGGGHHHHHH¡±. ¡°What? What is it?¡± Wheeler asked, as he tried to turn his vision to look inside his own cabin rather than the outside world. Once he finally managed it he was startled to see a familiar red suited figure sitting in the upside down drivers seat. ¡°Hello Wheeler Ford.¡± The man¡¯s booming voice declared. ¡°He knows who I am?¡± Wheeler squeaked to Abeona. ¡°I can hear you too.¡± The man gave a hearty laugh. ¡°I see you when you¡¯re sleeping, I know when you¡¯re awake. After all, I am Santa Claus,¡± Santa announced proudly before becoming more serious. ¡°And you, Wheeler Ford and Abeona, just made the naughty list.¡± ¡°How dare you.¡± The tiny Abeona charm stomped her feet and began wildly flailing her arms, looking up at Santa. ¡°Me? A goddess? On the naughty list?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Santa said bluntly, ¡°Attempted vehicular homicide is very naughty, especially when it results in the destruction of my sleigh.¡± ¡°Umm Mr Claus, can I call you Mr Claus? Or do you prefer Santa?¡± Wheeler babbled slightly incoherently. ¡°Let me just say that trying to crush you wasn¡¯t actually my idea, it was Abeona¡¯s and I...¡± Abeona let loose a huge melodramatic gasp. ¡°TRAITOR!¡± ¡°Both of you are responsible.¡± Santa insisted firmly, ¡°and both of you are going to help me to atone for your actions,¡± ¡°How?¡± both Wheeler and Abeona asked in unison. ¡°Since you destroyed my sleigh, Wheeler, with your headlights so bright. You will be my sleigh tonight!¡± Santa announced, his voice booming with authority. Wheeler could tell this wasn¡¯t a request, but a command. ¡°NO, NUH UH, NOT HAPPENING, NO WAY NO HOW.¡± Abeona insisted defiantly. ¡°Wheeler has important Truck-Kun business to attend to, the only thing he delivers is souls to other worlds.¡± The goddess then tried to initiate her emergency override controls for Wheeler¡¯s truck form using her tablet. The device simply flashed up a message. ¡°ERROR CODE: 54NT4CL4U5¡± Abeona¡¯s confidence evaporated in an instant, her eyes widening with shock as the reality of the situation dawned on her ¡°He¡¯s... he¡¯s got full control, I can¡¯t override him. It seems his power exceeds my own¡± ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Wheeler asked, panicked. Abeona had built his truck body and implanted Wheeler¡¯s soul inside Yet Santa was somehow powerful enough to take command of her creation from her. ¡°My best guess,¡± Abeona started speculating, ¡°Remember how I said about the power of collective belief?¡± Wheeler thought back to their earlier conversation, ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± He confirmed. Well I¡¯m a mostly forgotten goddess,¡± she explained bitterly. ¡°Most people haven¡¯t even heard of me, much less believe in me, I¡¯m pretty much irrelevant. That means my influence and power is significantly limited.¡± Wheeler was able to follow Abeona¡¯s explanation to it¡¯s logical conclusion. ¡°But millions of people believe in Santa, especially kids.¡± ¡°Bingo.¡± Abeona confirmed. ¡°While our friend Santa here isn¡¯t technically a god himself, with the amount of collective belief fuelling him, he¡¯s probably got far more power than most fully fledged gods do.¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Now you two seem to understand the situation,¡± Santa interrupted, as he made a spinning gesture with his finger which flipped the levitating Wheeler the correct way up. Abeona¡¯s charm was left to topple face first onto the passenger seat. ¡°We best get moving, I have lots of presents left to deliver and you two have put me WAY behind schedule .¡± Santa insisted. As Santa spoke, Wheeler felt a bloating sensation, like a regular person might if they¡¯d eaten too much. This was confusing considering he was a truck that both couldn¡¯t and didn¡¯t need to eat. If he had to estimate where this feeling was coming from in his Truck body, it would be his normally empty semi trailer. What¡¯s worse, some of the contents felt like it was shifting around inside him. Santa, sensing Wheeler¡¯s discomfort, reassured him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s just all the presents we have to deliver. For once your Semi Trailer is being put to its intended use, storing deliveries.¡± Santa chuckled. ¡°Ok, but why are some of them MOVING?¡± Wheeler asked. Santa let loose another jolly jelly belly laugh. ¡°Those are the reindeer of course, I can¡¯t exactly leave them here.¡± ¡°Of course. What else would it be.¡± Wheeler replied dryly. He the began listing off Santa¡¯s reindeer. ¡°Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and of course not forgetting Ru...¡± ¡°STOP!¡± Santa yelled intensely, as his usual jolly, playful demeanour melted away in an instant and his face became serious. ¡°Don¡¯t ever say that name.¡± Wheeler¡¯s wipers twitched with confusion. ¡°Why not?¡± Santa¡¯s voice became icy cold, ¡°Nowadays that red nosed runt considers himself too important to pull my sleigh.¡± Santa scoffed bitterly. ¡°He got some fancy talent agent called Guy Hollywood. I warned old red nose that guy had been a lifetime member of the naughty list, but he didn¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Wheeler asked curiously. ¡°Guy convinced that reindeer to cast a curse so now if I or anyone else uses his image or even says his name, I have to pay him royalties.¡± Santa grumbled. ¡°That deer is bleeding me dry.¡± Abeona¡¯s Charm, who had finally recovered from her drop into the passenger seat, sat up and gave a mischievous grin. ¡°So you have to pay royalties huh...¡± She let out a malevolent giggle. ¡°Rrrrrrrr.....¡± Santa began sweating profusely, ¡°Don¡¯t say it!¡± he begged the chaotic goddess. ¡°RANDOLPH!¡± shouted Abeona, gleefully trolling Santa by yelling a string of other names starting with R, enthusiastically rolling the starting letter of each one. ¡°REGINALD, RUPERT, RODGER!¡± In response, Santa wearily muted the goddess, leaving her charm shouting 1nothing but silence. If anyone observing Abeona¡¯s charm could lip read, they would notice that she had transitioned from R names to some rather foul language upon realising she could no longer be heard. ¡°You gotta teach me how to do that.¡± Wheeler laughed, enjoying seeing the normally chaotic Abeona getting curtailed for once. ¡°Finally a silent night.¡± So for that Christmas Eve, Wheeler Ford went from delivering souls to other worlds, to delivering Christmas presents. With Santa at the wheel and a muted Abeona still grumbling inaudibly, Wheeler flewmm.o. through the frosty starlit sky. At every stop, Wheeler hovered over the roof while Santa delivered his gifts, enjoying the simple serenity of a peaceful night. None of the usual moral quandaries an chaos, just helping Santa complete his wholesome yearly mission. Despite still being a truck and technically under Santa¡¯s command, Wheeler had never felt so free, as time seemed to drift by at a mellow pace, the job provided him with a much needed respite. All good things must however, come to an end. Once the task was complete, Wheeler was hovering over the roof of the exact same house he had tried to take out Santa, just as the sunrise began to peak over the horizon. Santa tipped his hat as he started to disembark from Wheeler¡¯s cabin. ¡°Thank you for your co-operation Wheeler, with how well behaved you were tonight, I¡¯d say I can take you off my naughty list.¡± Santa said with a wink. At that moment, Santa felt something tugging at his coat, trying to prevent him from leaving. It was Abeona¡¯s charm which was pulling on his sleeve with one hand while wildly gesturing at her mouth with the other. ¡°Oh right¡± Santa grinned knowingly. With a quick click his fingers, Santa unmuted Abeona. ¡°ABOUT DAMN TIME YOU FESTIVE BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU PUT A GODDESS ON MUTE? YOU MAY BE SANTA, YOU SHOULD BE SHOWING A DIVINE BEING LIKE ME A LITTLE MORE RESPECT.¡± Abeona yelled so loudly the words echoed around the cabin. ¡°Please mute her again.¡± Wheeler requested to Santa, missing the earlier peace and quiet. Santa just laughed, finally departing Wheeler¡¯s cabin unimpeded. Onto the rooftop where a mass of splintered wood that was once his sleigh sat spread over a rooftop covered in crushed tiles. Santa unleashed another sharp click of his fingers, causing both the damaged rooftop, and the destroyed sleigh to reform as good as new. It was even complete with its full complement of reindeer. Both Wheeler and Abeona stared at the repaired sleigh in shock. ¡°Wait could you of done that the whole time?¡± they asked in perfect unison. ¡°Yep¡± Santa confirmed with a cheeky nod. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you?¡± Wheeler asked curiously, while Abeona who despite no longer being muted, was utterly lost for words. ¡°To give you a chance to atone for your actions.¡± Santa said with a warm smile, and a glimmer in his eye which quickly turned mischievous, "Also for a bit of fun, these Christmas nights can get a bit samey you know, I always like when an opportunity comes along to spice things up a bit.¡± ¡°You know if you¡¯re getting bored of the Christmas grind, I could arrange you a nice all expenses paid vacation to another world, one way only.¡± Abeona offered cheekily. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ll pass, goodbye both of you and have a Merry Christmas.¡± Santa gave a hearty farewell and a jolly wave. As he did Wheeler was gently lowered to the ground, until his tyres contacted the tarmac of the road below. Within seconds Santa, his sleigh and the reindeer, vanished from sight as they soared off into the early morning sky. ¡°I wish he¡¯d let us keep that flying ability, that would have been super useful for taking out targets.¡± Abeona sighed. ¡°I wish he¡¯d let me keep that muting ability.¡± Wheeler sighed back. ¡°HEY¡± Abeona chided, ¡°You should be grateful to have me around.¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking¡± Wheeler reassured her. ¡°Well, half joking.¡± He added before quickly changing the subject. ¡°I guess our mission to Isekai Santa was ultimately a failure.¡± Abeona gave an ominous giggle ¡°Not failed my dear Truck-Kun, just delayed. After all, there¡¯s always next year.¡± The End Chapter 23: Charades Chapter 23: Charades ¡°Wake up, please wake up...¡± Lily begged desperately. At this point, she wasn¡¯t even sure if she was asking Eve to wake up or herself. She wanted so badly for this to be a dream. A nightmare that would eventually end with Lily waking up in her bed, going to the kitchen and finding the usual warm coffee waiting for her. A sign that all was fine and her friend was safe and well. Sadly that was the dream and this was reality. Eve¡¯s faint pulse had faded, as she slipped away in Lily¡¯s arms. Now the poor grieving girl was left alone in the desolate construction site with her beloved friend¡¯s body. She held her close, feeling the warmth in her slowly ebbing away in the cold night air. ¡°No... you can¡¯t be... Eve please come back.¡± Tears streamed down Lily¡¯s face as she pleaded as she gently shook Eve, trying to will her friend¡¯s lifeless body back to life. As if that would make any difference at all. ¡°Please no... Please no... PLEASE NO!¡± Lily¡¯s whispered pleas turning gradually to screams echoing in the night as the cold, harsh reality of her closest friend¡¯s death began to break her, before collapsing back to a sorrowful whisper once more. ¡°Please... no...¡± Lily leant forward, trying to give Eve a gentle kiss on the head. She needed this closure, this final goodbye to the one she loved most. Only for Eve¡¯s head to flop to the side out of the way as she tried. Lily let loose a hollow, bitter laugh. Of course, typical Eve. Even in death, she was dodging Lily¡¯s affection. Maybe if Lily had told Eve about her feeling sooner? Would it have even made a difference? She began to replay the past few days over and over, her mind racing with a million questions. What if she¡¯d noticed Eve¡¯s weird behaviour sooner? What if she had stayed home and confronted Eve in the morning instead of coming out here? What if she¡¯d been firmer with Eve about going to the police about that truck. THAT TRUCK! In that moment Lily became aware that the truck was still there, looming over them. The low rumble of its engine. Its headlights still illuminating the grim scene. Whoever was inside that thing, Eve¡¯s murderer, was watching them. Probably mocking them. Enoying the pain it had caused... Lily turned around, eyes burning with righteous fury. After carefully laying Eve on the ground, she stood up defiantly. She saw her own reflection cast in the truck¡¯s tinted windows, illuminated by it¡¯s headlights. The window¡¯s dark tint meant she was unable to see the driver she assumed must be within. The one who was ultimately responsible for Eve¡¯s death. ¡°You sick, pathetic bastard,.¡± Lily spat at the truck looming ominously before her. ¡°My best friend is dead because of you, and you don¡¯t even have the decency to show your face! What do you have to say for yourself? Come on, come out here and face me! Or are you a coward as well as a killer.¡± Her taunts were met with silence, beyond the ever-present quiet rumbling of the engine. The only slight change was a barely perceptible flicker of Wheeler¡¯s headlights which went undetected by Lily. Lily grabbed a nearby metal pole, pointing it menacingly towards the truck. ¡°Come out or I¡¯ll drag you out myself.¡± Lily threatened, her eyes filled with ill intent. Her voice colder than the chill in the night air. She¡¯d never been the violent type, but right now, after losing Eve, the normally quiet and meek girl was ready for war. A thousand men could come pouring out that truck and she¡¯d still try to take them on, if it meant she could avenge her fallen friend. Rage had now completely overtaken her reason. As she made a move towards the truck, the headlights suddenly cut out, plunging the construction site into darkness. Only for them to flick back on moments later. After the light returned, Lily¡¯s vision took a few moments to readjust. She could just about make out a figure standing in the glare of the headlights. Lily readied her makeshift weapon, ready to strike down whoever it was, assuming it was the truck driver. Once she saw who it was, however, the stunned Lily immediately dropped the metal pole. Her hands flew to her mouth as she registered who was standing in front of her.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Eve?¡± Lily gasped in shock and confusion. She turned around to check Eve¡¯s body, which still laid exactly where Lily had left her, then back to this new incarnation of her friend. ¡°What¡¯s happening... why was there two Eves? Warily, Lily approached this new Eve, reaching out to touch her, only for Lily¡¯s hand to pass right through. She then reached what to her was the only logical conclusion. ¡°Are you a ghost?¡± Lily asked the apparition of friend. After a few silent moments, the spectral Eve gave a solemn nod, her face filled with sadness. Lily wasn¡¯t entirely able to believe her eyes, despite wanting so badly to. As far as she knew, ghosts didn¡¯t exist, yet here was Eve, stood directly in front of her while her dead body was mere feet away. ¡°You are Eve... right?¡± she asked hopefully. After another quiet pause, almost as if it was awaiting some unseen instruction, Eve¡¯s ghost nodded again in confirmation. ¡°Why won¡¯t you talk to me? Please say something.¡± Lily begged. There was yet another delay, before the phantom Eve tapped its throat while shaking its head. Lily quickly understood what these gestures were meant to convey, ¡°You can¡¯t speak, can you?¡± she asked softly, her voice tinged with disappointment. There was a few seconds of silence as Lily awaited for Eve¡¯s ghost to answer Little did Lily know, what stood before her wasn¡¯t actually Eve¡¯s ghost. Well, technically it both was and wasn¡¯t. The ghost of Eve was simply a projection, created by Wheeler. It¡¯s movements however were being controlled by Eve. This as it turned out, is what Abeona had meant when she had suggested they ¡®bring Eve back from the dead¡¯. ¡°Lily is standing directly in front of your ¡®ghost¡¯, waiting for you to respond.¡± Wheeler relayed to Eve, who was standing in front of Abeona¡¯s tablet. ¡°You know this would be much easier if I could see her¡± Eve complained to Abeona. As Eve spoke, she shook her head in response to Lily¡¯s question, which caused the illusion projection of Eve to also shake its head. Abeona¡¯s tablet was acting as a motion tracker, synchronising the movements of Eve¡¯s illusionary doppelganger, with the real Eve¡¯s movements in the afterlife. ¡°Sorry, no can do.¡± Abeona insisted in response to Eve¡¯s complaint. ¡°Your dead body is still down there and believe me you do NOT want to see that.¡± The goddess emphasised. ¡°Souls who see their own corpse tend to go into a severe existential crisis state. Even by my standards, it¡¯s way too risky to turn on the visual feed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I can hand...¡± Eve began to protest, before Abeona quickly interrupted. ¡°Wheeler, its all gone quiet down there, what¡¯s Lily doing?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just kind of standing there, I think she¡¯s still processing this whole ghost thing.¡± Wheeler responded back. Eve¡¯s face became clouded with concern. ¡°Lily...¡± she uttered mournfully. Meanwhile, Lily had indeed been simply staring at the ¡®ghost¡¯ of Eve. It was a lot to take in, especially after the rollercoaster of emotions this night had subjected her to. Until tonight, Lily hadn¡¯t even really believed in ghosts. Yet, in this moment she wanted to believe in this more than anything. As the apparition of Eve silently mouthed her name, Lily made another attempt to communicate with her. ¡°Yes Eve, it¡¯s me, Lily, I¡¯m here.¡± She reassured her deceased friend. ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡± There was so much that Eve wanted to say to Lily. Should she apologise? Offer her friend reassurance that she was ok in the afterlife? Yet Eve also knew Lily wouldn¡¯t be able to hear a single word. Only interpret them via lip reading or... That¡¯s when Eve got an idea. Eve held up her hand, with three raised fingers. Moments later her holographic duplicate on earth did the same. ¡°Three... free?¡± Lily wondered out loud, attempting to guess Eve¡¯s intended message ¡°You want to be free?¡± After a few seconds, Eve shook her head while continuing to hold up her three fingers, pushing them insistently in what she assumed was the direction Lily was standing. ¡°No, not free... three, the number three?¡± Lily realised, ¡°You mean the number three?¡± Eve gave an enthusiastic thumbs up with her other hand, indicating Lily was on the right track. Lily was frantically guessing what Eve was trying to say, ¡°So it¡¯s three... three what? Three strikes, Three stooges?¡± She began massaging her temples as her brain reached for anything she could associate with the number three. ¡°This is like Charades...¡± Lily muttered under her breath. ¡°WAIT CHARADES! IS THIS CHARADES?¡± she called out to Eve¡¯s phantom. ¡°Three words?¡± The image of Eve stopped the gesture and began inaudibly clapping in approval, the two friends were finally on the same page. Wheeler and Abeona, silently watched the interaction with interest taking a metaphorical backseat. From their perspective, their job was now simply to facilitate Eve and Lily¡¯s final farewell. Wheeler made sure to keep the projection of Eve steady, making sure to maintain the illusion that Lily was talking to Eve¡¯s ghost. He hoped the spectral recreation that connected Lily and Eve, would grant both of the young women the closure they needed to move on. Lily with her normal life, now without her friend, and Eve into her upcoming adventure filled Isekai life. So began this game of supernatural Charades, with Lily and Eve communicating beyond the barrier that normally sat between the living and the dead through this game. Chapter 24: Shattered Illusions Chapter 24: Shattered Illusions In the cold wind of the night, in the middle of an abandoned construction site, Lily prepared to play a game of supernatural Charades with her best friend¡¯s ghost. The image of Lily¡¯s friend, Eve, held up one finger, signalling that she was about to deliver the first word. ¡°Ok first word, I¡¯m ready!¡± Lily confirmed. At this point Lily fully believed the illusion was actually Eve¡¯s ghost. Was this unusual? Yes, unprecedented? Certainly, but for Lily, this opportunity to share a few more moments with her friend was everything. She simply couldn¡¯t bring herself to question it. As the mimed message began, Lily watched carefully. ¡®Eve¡¯ began by pointing at herself. As she tried to answer, Lily began tripping over her words and mixing up her tenses. ¡°I? I mean, I as in you, Eve, not me Lily.¡± Lily babbled, slightly incoherently. The apparition didn¡¯t seem to mind Lily¡¯s verbal stumbling, simply giving a thumbs up and nodding to let Lily know she was correct after a few short seconds. ¡°Ok, give me the next word.¡± Lily requested firmly, indicating she was ready to continue the game. Eve¡¯s left arm formed a circular shape, pressing her palm towards her abdomen. ¡°Circle?¡± Lily guessed, ¡°Hoop? Round?¡± Eve waved these guesses away with her other hand. She then began dipping that hand into the hole she¡¯d created with her arm. It was as if she was inserting something into the empty space. Lily made a guess, ¡°Insert?¡± Eve¡¯s hand wavered, Lily was close but not quite there. ¡°Inside? Into?¡± Lily tried again, she could tell she was close, so close. ¡°In... In... In¡± Lily repeated, trying to think of another word starting with in, before noticing Eve had given her another thumbs up. ¡°IN?¡± Lily shouted. She gave a relieved smile, realising she got it right. ¡°Ok so it¡¯s ¡®I In¡¯, what¡¯s next?¡± In the afterlife, Eve pointed directly up in the air. This was it. The final part of her message. The projection of her back on earth transmitted this action to Lily. Lily prepared to make her guess, but she froze as before her eyes, the right side of Eve¡¯s ghost disappeared, while the left half remained visible. A piece of cardboard that had been picked up by the wind, had blown onto one of Wheeler¡¯s headlights. This random piece of trash was now blocking one of the beams creating the Eve projection, causing half of the image to vanish. ¡°Eve, where are you go...?¡± Lily cried out, before her eyes were drawn to the truck. The truck Lily had up until that point completely forgotten. Lily been so focused on Eve¡¯s ghost, so caught in the illusion, but now? The spell was broken. Lily saw what Eve''s ghost really was, a fake. Reality came crashing back in. Of course ghosts weren¡¯t real, Lily realised. The truck had been toying with her. Playing with her emotions. A new rage washed over the young woman as she rearmed herself with the metal pole she had discarded earlier. She silently began approaching Wheeler, her eyes burning with malevolent fury. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Wheeler exclaimed, for some reason despite him being a truck. The aura Lily emitted as she advanced on him was terrifying. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why has Lily stopped guessing?¡± Eve asked, worried for her friend. ¡°She¡¯s figured out the illusion,¡± Wheeler squeaked as Lily continued her approach. ¡°Oh, how¡¯s she taking it?¡± Eve enquired. *SMACK* Metal contacted metal as Lily brought the pole crashing down on Wheeler¡¯s hood. ¡°YOU BASTARD!¡± She screamed, wailing on the truck with her makeshift weapon. ¡°Ow, not well, she¡¯s... ahh... attacking me!¡± Wheeler exclaimed as Lily repeatedly struck him, ¡°With a metal pipe¡± he clarified. Lily¡¯s wild uncoordinated swings bounced off his bodywork. Every hit caused a slight sting to resonate through his truck body, comparable to being flicked repeatedly. Individually they didn¡¯t hurt that much, but the frequency of the strikes were causing Wheeler some degree of pain.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Despite this, Wheeler didn¡¯t disable his haptic feedback. On some level, he felt he deserved this. After all he had done, even if his actions had been well intentioned, he''d caused Lily so much pain. It seemed only fair to him, to allow her to take out her frustrations on him, as a form of penance. ¡°Wait Lily is attacking you? With a metal pipe?!¡± Eve exclaimed in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s not like her at all.¡± After a brief pause, Eve burst out in uproarious laughter. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit bestie, get stuck in!¡± she cheered. ¡°Finally you¡¯re taking chances and taking names! WOO!¡± The piece of cardboard had dislodged from Wheeler¡¯s headlights restoring the projection of Eve. The illusionary Eve was still linked into the real Eve¡¯s movements. As a result it was dancing around and silently cheering Lily on as she continued to batter Wheeler with the pole. This seemed to just serve to piss Lily off more. She glared daggers into Wheeler¡¯s tinted windscreen, looking directly at the driver she believed lurked behind the wheel. Wheeler could see Lily¡¯s pain reflected in her eyes, the anger seething through the grieving girl¡¯s every movement as she continued beating him with the pole. Overcome by guilt, he offered no resistance to Lily¡¯s assault. All Wheeler could think as he felt the impacts repeatedly ringing throughout his truck body was ¡°I deserve this.¡± ¡°Still using the image of my friend, who YOU murdered, to mock me you sick fuck!¡± Lily shouted at him, stopping her assault to catch her breath. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get out here and face me huh? Coward!¡± Lily¡¯s hot rage now transitioned to cold fury as her outbursts went ignored. ¡°If you won¡¯t come out, I¡¯ll just have to smash your stupid truck to pieces.¡± She threatened. Instead of another blind swing, Lily focused herself. This time she picked the spot where she felt she could cause the most damage, and began winding up for a more precise and effective strike. Abeona had been listening to this all unfold with a slight bit of amusement. ¡°She really thinks she can smash up a truck?¡± the goddess giggled. ¡°She¡¯s got guts I¡¯ll give her that. But so far her attacks have barely left a scratch.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t underestimate her...¡± Eve warned cautiously. ¡°Even I¡¯ve never seen Lily THIS angry before.¡± ¡°No matter how angry she is, no regular human can damage the mighty Truck...¡± Abeona began to boast, until she was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. ¡°Kun.¡± she finished, her voice quickly draining of her initial confidence. ¡°Wheeler, what just happened?¡± Abeona asked in a panic tone. ¡°Oh... Lily just broke one of my headlights.¡± Wheeler responded, seemingly in a daze. Abeona immediately hit the roof. ¡°SHE DID WHAT?¡± ¡°WOO! GO LILY!¡± Eve chimed in the background. ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± Wheeler assured her, sounding as broken as his headlight now was. ¡°Just let her do what she wants to me.¡± He insisted quietly. The loose glass fell from the destroyed headlight, the bulb fizzling out, cutting out half of the Eve illusion as it failed. ¡°No can do Wheeler, you¡¯ve got to get out of there.¡± Abeona had dropped her usual flippancy, now becoming deadly serious as she realised that she may have underestimated Lily¡¯s fury. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be able to destroy you, but since she broke your headlight, who knows what else she¡¯s capable of.¡± *SMASH* A notification popped up on Abeona¡¯s tablet screen informing her both headlights had been destroyed and the Illusion Projection system had been disabled. Abeona could hear Lily¡¯s voice, as it came crackling over the tablet. ¡°Now are you going to come out and face me you cowardly scumbag? Or am I gonna have to cave in your windscreen and drag you out?¡± Lily threatened, still talking to the driver she believed was hiding inside the truck. ¡°Wheeler get out of there, now.¡± Abeona ordered. Only to be met with no response. ¡°Wheeler?¡± The goddesses received nothing but silence. ¡°Wheeler?¡± Abeona repeated, sounding more desperate as genuine concern began to settle in. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you responding? Please don¡¯t shut down on me again.¡± Wheeler stayed silent. Not just had he killed Eve, his attempts to comfort Lily, to allow Eve to say goodbye, had only made things worse. As the beating continued, all Wheeler could think was, ¡°I deserve this.¡± That thought cycled through his mind in an endless loop, blocking out everything else. He wasn¡¯t even hearing Abeona¡¯s instructions at this point. He wasn¡¯t just broken physically, but mentally too. He was practically catatonic. The night¡¯s events, transporting Eve to the afterlife, witnessing Lily¡¯s grief. It had all been simply too much for him to bear. Lily was now using her weapon to pound on Wheeler¡¯s windscreen. While the tougher, tinted glass, held up better than the headlights, it would only be a matter of time before she got inside. Abeona could see the damage increasing. She could hear Lily¡¯s almost animalistic grunts of exertion as she swung at Wheeler again and again. Turning to Eve, Abeona could see Eve¡¯s initial excitement at Lily coming out of her shell, was being quickly overshadowed by concern. ¡°This isn¡¯t like her. I thought that was a good thing, but now...¡± she mumbled sadly. ¡°You¡¯re not so sure?¡± Abeona responded quietly. Abeona realised Lily wasn¡¯t going to stop. She also knew Wheeler wasn¡¯t going to move. Just like after his first attempt at transporting Eve, the trauma had caused him to dissociate. The goddess decided she now had no choice but to intervene. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Wheeler, but if you get destroyed, then the whole of Project Isekai is at risk. I can¡¯t allow that.¡± Abeona took a deep breath. ¡°I hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to do this again...¡± she sighed regretfully, as she activated her remote access to take control of Wheeler¡¯s truck body. As Lily was winding up for another attack, the truck unexpectedly threw itself into reverse, avoiding the distraught young woman¡¯s fierce swing. The momentum of her attack caused Lily to stumble forward, sending her crashing into the dirt and the pole to go flying out of her grasp. ¡°HEY! WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE GOING?¡± Lily yelled at the retreating truck, as she tried to pick herself up out of the mud. Having used all her strength however, she simply collapsed back onto the cold, unforgiving ground. The sound of sirens began to fill the air, as he truck crashed backwards through the chain-link fence. It then swerved around and took off along the adjoining road at top speed. Sobbing, Lily pulled herself along the ground back over to where Eve¡¯s body laid. As the truck responsible for Eve¡¯s death disappeared into the distance, the emergency services Lily had called earlier finally arrived, too late to prevent its escape. I Am Truck-Kun New Year Special: Divine Resolution I Am Truck-Kun New Year Special Divine Resolution In the afterlife, the realm of the gods, stands a divine hall, the hall of celebrations. For millennia, at the end of each year, the gods gather in this place to commemorate dawning of another year of humanity, it is a sacred tradition. ¡°I think they¡¯d really enjoy playing ¡®Pin the wing mirror on the Truck-Kun¡¯.¡± Abeona argued, shoving her crudely hand-drawn picture of a truck in her sister Adiona¡¯s face. Adiona snatched the drawing from Abeona and tore it up. ¡°The Twenty Four Hour New Year Celebration Ball is one of the highlights of the divine calendar, it is hardly the time for such a childish game.¡± She insisted sharply. ¡°Now are you going to help me put up these decorations or not?¡± After picking up the tattered remains of her picture, Abeona forced the shredded pieces into Adiona¡¯s hand. ¡°Here¡¯s some confetti, can I go now?¡± Abeona groaned wearily, ¡°I¡¯ve got important Project Isekai business to take care of.¡± Adiona raised a sceptical eyebrow, ¡°Let me guess, by ¡®important Project Isekai business,¡¯ you mean you want to go watch anime.¡± Abeona¡¯s eyes avoided her sister¡¯s piercing gaze, ¡°It¡¯s research...¡± she protested quietly, her voice trailing off. ¡°Today was meant to be a night off, why do we have to do this anyway?¡± Abeona grumbled. ¡°Janus himself gave this task to me.¡± Adiona beamed proudly as she began tying up the first side of an enormous Happy New Year Banner. ¡°You know how important The New Year Celebration Ball is to him. He is the god of transitions after all¡± ¡°If it¡¯s that important to him, he should set it up himself.¡± Abeona spat. Not rising to her sister¡¯s jab, Adiona continued with her work ¡°He is a very busy god, so it¡¯s only natural he would need bestow this job to his most trusted and reliable assistant.¡± ¡°Not to mention the most humble.¡± Abeona quipped, rolling her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know why we bother, the Chinese gods are just gonna be putting on their own shindig in about a month anyway.¡± Adiona continued to ignore her sister¡¯s remarks as she finished setting up the banner. ¡°So what do you think?¡± She asked Abeona while mopping the sweat from her brow. ¡°It says 2025,¡± noted Abeona blankly. ¡°Yes, that is what year it¡¯ll be after all, do keep up, ¡± Adiona shot back. ¡°But it can¡¯t be, that number is far too low.¡± Abeona observed with a sly grin. Adiona tilted her head in confusion. ¡°No I checked, 2025 is definitely correct¡± she insisted. ¡°But the earth is billions of years old, not two thousand and twenty five years old,¡± complained Abeona. ¡°For instance, What happened to all the millions of years where the dinosaurs roamed the earth?¡± Adiona shook her head with a sigh, ¡°That doesn¡¯t count, I mean, even the gods weren¡¯t around back then.¡± ¡°That shouldn¡¯t matter, think of the dinosaurs sis, they are being unfairly left out, what must they be feeling?¡± Abeona climbed onto one of the tables and began rhythmically pumping her fist in the air, marching on the spot enthusiastically while chanting loudly, ¡°JUSTICE FOR THE JURASSIC! FOR CREATURES OF THE CRETACEOUS! IN TRIASSIC WE TRUST!¡± ¡°GET DOWN FROM THERE.¡± Adiona barked at her sister, while massaging her temples. ¡°Why do you always have to be so ridiculous?¡± she grumbled as she straightened out the tablecloth that Abeona had messed up with her marching. Abeona got off the table and sat down, going unusually quiet as she sat down on one of the chairs. Both the sisters sat as an air of awkward silence flowed between them, neither one looking at the other. Eventually, Adiona turned to look at her sister, noticing she had an unusually contemplative look on her face. ¡°You¡¯ve really got to learn to be more responsible.¡± Adiona explained gently, ¡°I didn¡¯t get where I am by messing about. If you took things more seriously and dropped this silly Project Isekai nonsense, if you focused all that energy into something more important, you could really make something of yourself.¡± She said, giving her sister a warm reassuring smile. ¡°After all it¡¯s new year, perfect time to turn over a new leaf,¡± She added, nudging her sister who was still staring into the middle distance.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Sorry what were you saying?¡± asked Abeona, snapping out of her trance like state, ¡°I was just wondering if I could Isekai a T-Rex.¡± Adiona face palmed hard, ¡°I should have known, you really are hopeless.¡± ¡°Oh come on, even you have to admit ¡®The Reincarnated Hero Is Actually A T-Rex¡¯ would be one awesome anime.¡± Abeona giggled. ¡°What kind of person wouldn¡¯t want to watch that?¡± ¡°I was saying, new year is a time for turning over a new leaf,¡± Adiona explained to her sister. ¡°Surely there is something you¡¯d like to change? You know, some way to improve yourself?¡± ¡°Hmmm...¡± Abeona tapped her finger against her mouth while making an exaggerated ¡®thinking¡¯ pose. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I mean it¡¯s pretty hard to improve on perfection.¡± ¡°Now who''s being humble?¡± Adiona remarked dryly, before suggesting, ¡°Have you considered perhaps making a new years resolution?¡± ¡°I have actually, I¡¯m thinking of giving up chocolate.¡± Abeona said as she took a chocolate from the table''s centerpiece display and popped it in her mouth. Adiona walked over to her sister and gave her a patronising pat on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re clearly off to a good start.¡± ¡°Hey mmm gimmee a mmm brea...mmm¡± Abeona began, her words muffled by a mouthful of chocolate. After swallowing the sweet treat she repeated, ¡°Hey cut me some slack, the new year hasn¡¯t even started yet.¡± ¡°Fair point¡± Adiona conceded. ¡°Besides, she grinned, these are going to taste so much better once I¡¯m not technically allowed to have them.¡± She chuckled as she pocketed a large handful. ¡°One, those are for the party.¡± Abeona scolded as she pulled the wad of chocolates from her sister¡¯s pocket and put them back in place. ¡°Two, that¡¯s not how resolutions work. Three, are you actually planning on making yourself useful or not?¡± ¡°Aye aye ma¡¯am.¡± Abeona saluted playfully, before picking up some multi coloured party balloons and starting to carefully tie one to each of the hundreds of chairs that filled the hall. After about an hour of both sister¡¯s quietly going about their duties, Abeona piped up. ¡°If I talked to Chronos, do you think he¡¯d let me go back in time and Isekai a dinosaur?¡± ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE!¡± Adiona warned sharply. ¡°Do you have any idea the trouble you could get in for requesting time travel for such a frivolous reason? Not to mention the fact It¡¯d reflect badly on me as your overseer.¡± ¡°Relax, I¡¯m joking, you always take everything so seriously.¡± Abeona chided playfully. Adiona stormed away from her sister, ¡°One of us has to.¡± She sighed as she refocused on hanging more decorations. ¡°Everything¡¯s a joke to you.¡± ¡°Hey not everything. I¡¯ve been working really hard on Project Isekai.¡± Abeona asserted firmly, glaring at her sister, as her normal cheery tone evaporated away. ¡°That dumb project of yours is the biggest joke of all.¡± Adiona shot fiercely. *THUD* The glasses and cutlery rattled as Abeona thumped the table. ¡°IT¡¯S NOT A JOKE. IT''S IMPORTANT, IT¡¯S SOMETHING HUMANS WANT.¡± ¡°What about Wheeler, you know, that poor human whose soul you trapped in the form of a truck, was that what he wanted?¡± Adiona asked pointedly. Abeona was immediately on the back foot, ¡°I had to get around all your ridiculous rules and red tape somehow. You know a good sister would be trying to help me, not sabotage me¡± A laugh of disbelief from Adiona filled the air. ¡°Oh so it¡¯s my fault? Of course, as always, I¡¯m just the bad big sister spoiling your fun, am I right?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about fun, I¡¯m building something that matters.¡± Tears formed in Abeona¡¯s eyes as she shouted back at her sister. The argument between the pair intensified, ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re doing, the damage you could cause, Project Isekai is inherently reckless.¡± Warned Adiona harshly. ¡°Then help me,¡± Abeona pleaded, ¡°If you work with me instead of against me we could...¡± ¡°I am TRYING to help you.¡± Adiona insisted coldly, ¡°While you act like a child, with your irresponsible ideas, I¡¯m helping you by acting like the responsible adult, cleaning up the messy reality you leave behind.¡± At that moment, Abeona realised, that no matter what she said, her sister would never understand her. ¡°You know what, forget it.¡± Abeona grabbed another handful of chocolates from the table, shoved them in her pockets and headed towards the exit. ¡°Good luck decorating this place on your own, I¡¯m out of here.¡± ¡°Fine by me,¡± Her sister replied coldly. ¡°You were just slowing me down anyway.¡± Abeona left her sister to it, storming out the door without looking back. Had she done so, Abeona might have caught the regretful expression that briefly flickered across her sister¡¯s face. Returning to her room. Abeona she collapsed in her bed, she wondered to herself ¡°Why do I even bother with her? She¡¯ll never change, she¡¯ll always be the same stuck up... aggghhh.¡± Abeona pounded her pillow in frustration Glancing over at her tablet, Abeona saw the display monitoring Wheeler¡¯s status. She considered talking to him but ultimately decided against it. After all she had promised him that she¡¯d allow him to take a break from Truck-Kun duties for tonight, it being new year and all. ¡°Next year, things will be different.¡± Abeona told herself. ¡°Next year, with Project Isekai, I¡¯ll finally make a difference,¡± She resolved. That night, Abeona saw in the new year in her room, as the other gods partied for twenty four hours solid as the new year passed through every time zone. She dared not show her face, as her sister was probably there. Instead she consoled herself by binge watching anime, alone. She wasn¡¯t the only one, Abeona had been wrong. Adiona was not at the party, but instead busily working away in an empty office. While the other gods enjoyed the celebration, Adiona didn¡¯t have time for such things, there was always work she felt needed to be done. Meanwhile, Wheeler was parked quietly outside his parents house. While he was frustrated by still being stuck in his truck form, he appreciated having a night off from being ¡®Truck-Kun¡¯. Tonight, he wanted to be with his family, or as near as he could get to them in his current state. He knew he couldn¡¯t communicate with them, he may not even see them, but as the year came to an end, at least he could be close to them. The warm glow from the house¡¯s windows indicated they were still awake as the clock turned midnight. ¡°Happy New Year Mom and Dad, he sighed to himself as the chimes ringing in the new year played over his radio, followed by Auld Lang Syne. The End Chapter 25: Truck-Kun Life Crisis Chapter 25: Truck-Kun Life Crisis It had been about three hours since Abeona had driven Wheeler away from the scene where Eve had perished. Once he was out of danger, the goddess had parked him somewhere outside of the city, then relinquished her control. Since then Wheeler simply sat as rain poured from the formerly clear night sky. He had been silent and still. Not a word said to Abeona. Not a rumble from his engine or a flick of his windscreen wipers. The rain simply being allowed to flow down his windscreen like tears. ¡°Wheeler, are you ready to talk yet?¡± Abeona asked him gently, but she received no reply. Eve, who herself had also just been sitting quietly next to Abeona, was also currently deep in thought. Processing the full ramifications of both her death, and the unusual circumstances surrounding it. With the chaos of everything that had happened at the construction site, Eve hadn¡¯t really had time to really think about any of it. Only now, in these last few hours of quiet, had she truly had any room for contemplation. She was dead. Her best friend, who almost died in her place, was heartbroken. Eve¡¯s own soul may very well have shattered if she kept thinking about everything she¡¯d lost. After taking a deep breath, Eve whispered to herself. You can¡¯t go back. So keep moving forward,¡± she whispered to herself. This goddess, ¡®Abeona¡¯, had promised to send Eve on an epic adventure. She told Eve that her ¡°death¡± wasn¡¯t actually the end, but a fresh start. On its face, her whole situation sounded completely insane. Eve would have scarcely believed it, had she not been experiencing all this first hand. While there had been a lot to get her head around, Eve was finally ready to take her first steps into the new life in a new world that she¡¯d been promised. This was a new beginning, then Eve was absolutely ready to begin. After all, hadn¡¯t the goddess promised her a new life full of adventure? So far all Eve had done is sit around in what felt like limbo. The white glowing room might as well have been the afterlife equivalent of a waiting room. Eve turned to Abeona, who was still trying to reach out to Wheeler. She then asked the goddess, point blank. ¡°So, when do I get to go to this ¡®EEE-Sec-Eye¡¯ world you promised me?¡± ¡°Oh right, of course, sorry Eve, I¡¯ll send you right away.¡± Abeona stuttered, hesitantly putting aside the tablet she¡¯d been using to communicate with Wheeler. Eve started bouncing up and down excitedly like a child on Christmas. ¡°This is gonna be epic, I can feel it, I wonder what cool monsters I¡¯ll get to face? Bring em on, I¡¯ll dodge them all!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you¡¯re so enthusiastic but would you mind holding still?¡± Abeona asked with a sigh. ¡°I need to place my hand on your head for the transportation spell.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll do my best, but I¡¯m so EXCITED!¡± Eve beamed, brimming with energy. Although she couldn¡¯t help but notice the goddess kept glancing away. ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate it if you DON¡¯T dodge me. I don¡¯t wanna end up falling on my face again.¡± As Abeona spoke, the goddess seemed somewhat distracted. Even the normally oblivious Eve, couldn¡¯t help but notice Abeona kept looking over at the tablet she had set down earlier, rather than focusing on Eve herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, do you have something more important you¡¯d rather be doing?¡± Eve scoffed in offense. ¡°Am I not worth your attention all of the sudden?¡± Abeona snapped out of her haze. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry Eve, it¡¯s not you it''s...¡± as Abeona trailed off, she cast another look towards her tablet. Following the goddess¡¯s eyeline, Eve noticed the tablet¡¯s video feed had been switched on. There was no movement beyond the falling raindrops, but two sounds could now be heard. One was the rain, the other was the sound of someone crying. At the very top of the display, there was a nametag that read, ¡°Truck-Kun (Wheeler).¡± Eve¡¯s expression softened as she realised why Abeona was so distracted. The look in the goddess¡¯s eyes was uncomfortably familiar. ¡°You¡¯re worried about your friend aren¡¯t you?¡± Eve asked carefully.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°He¡¯s not so much my friend as my subordinate,¡± Abeona snapped, before her voice dropped to a more solemn tone. ¡°But yeah, I¡¯m worried about him.¡± She admitted. ¡°Would it help if I talked to him?¡± Eve suggested. ¡°Maybe I can give him a pep talk? I used to give ones to my dodgeball teammates before matches.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s worth a shot.¡± Abeona reasoned. ¡°After this, I promise to send you right on to the other World.¡± She promised Eve. ¡°You have my word as the Goddess of Outward Journeys.¡± With that Abeona retrieved her tablet and passed it to Eve. ¡°Just talk into this and Wheeler should be able to hear you.¡± The goddess clarified Meanwhile Wheeler, in his truck body, was still being tortured internally by guilt and the reality of what transporting Eve really entailed. While he had once more turned off his haptic feedback, couldn¡¯t switch off his emotions. From the outside, all an observer would see is a regular truck, parked quietly at the side of the road, possibly abandoned. At this moment, Wheeler gave no external signs of life. Yet despite externally appearing as an ordinary truck, internally Wheeler was still very much still human. A person who was aware of the pain his actions had caused. Even when he¡¯d tried to make up for it, he¡¯d only made things worse. He¡¯d killed Eve, then unintentionally toyed with the emotions of her grieving friend. Abeona had made it sound simple, like Eve was simply hitching a ride to a new life. Wheeler was realising reality was anything but. As he heard the goddess¡¯s voice call out to him, Wheeler simply ignored it. She was the last person he wanted to talk to right now. She¡¯d just insist on sending him straight to the next ¡®mission¡¯ no doubt. Suddenly in the dark quagmire that had seized Wheeler¡¯s mind, a different voice called out to him. ¡°Hey, You¡¯re name is Wheeler right? I need to have a chat with you.¡± ¡°Was that... Eve voice?¡± Wheeler wondered. ¡°Listen, since you ran me over, I think you at least owe me a little chat, am I right?¡± Eve called out to him. ¡°So if you feel bad because of what you did, talk to me.¡± Eve was right. Wheeler wasn¡¯t sure there was anything he could say to make this right, but he owed it to her to at least try. ¡°Eve, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Wheeler¡¯s voice finally came crackling back through the speaker of Abeona¡¯s tablet. ¡°For...?¡± Eve asked expectantly. ¡°For killing you.¡± Wheeler replied, his voice filled with regret. Eve gave an indifferent shrug. ¡°Eh, I¡¯ll live.¡± ¡°No you won¡¯t.¡± Wheeler protested. ¡°That¡¯s, kind of how dying works.¡± ¡°Except it isn¡¯t, not in my case. Abeona already explained everything to me, I¡¯m getting an... Isekai I think she called it?¡± Eve sounded surprisingly upbeat for someone who was technically dead. ¡°Yes, that right.¡± Wheeler confirmed. In his distress, he¡¯d almost completely forgotten the whole reason he agreed to go along with this Truck-Kun situation. This wasn¡¯t about death, Project Isekai was about rebirth. ¡°I always believed we only live once,¡± Eve said a little too cheerfully. ¡°But thanks to you, I¡¯m getting to live twice.¡± Wheeler paused for a moment, Eve¡¯s reassurance had soothed his conscience somewhat. If Eve was at peace with the situation, that¡¯s ultimately what mattered. Yet, Wheeler couldn¡¯t help feel that the young woman seemed a little too at ease with the situation. That perhaps Eve was trying to convince not just Wheeler, but herself too. ¡°What about your friend, Lily wasn¡¯t it?¡± Wheeler asked, ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to help you deliver your final message, in fact I¡¯m pretty sure my attempt to do so ended up making things worse.¡± For the first time in there conversation, Eve¡¯s voice began to quaver slightly. ¡°Thank you for trying, it just... wasn¡¯t meant to be, I guess.¡± Once Eve finished speaking, Wheeler heard her taking a long sighing breath. After that, an awkward silence fell over the conversation. As she thought of Lily, Eve wished she didn¡¯t have to leave her bestie behind. Although in retrospect, Eve¡¯s secret keeping and thrill seeking had almost got Lily killed. Eve considered the possibility that Lily might actually be better off without her. Still Eve couldn¡¯t help but worry about her bestie. After spending a few minutes lost in her thoughts, Eve spoke up again. ¡°Wheeler, you wouldn¡¯t mind doing me one final favour, would you?¡± Eve asked quietly. Wheeler responded without hesitation, ¡°Of course Eve, just name it.¡± ¡°Keep an eye on Lily for me.¡± Eve requested. ¡°I know she¡¯s a strong person...¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve got two broken headlights and a ton of dents that can attest to that.¡± Wheeler interrupted dryly. After letting out a small chuckle, Eve continued, ¡°Could you just check in on her every now and then? Just to make sure she¡¯s ok?¡± ¡°Consider it done.¡± Wheeler reassured her, almost instinctively. He hadn¡¯t really thought of the logistics of this promise, it was one Wheeler fully intended to keep. ¡°Thanks.¡± Eve replied. Wheeler could almost hear her smile broadcasting over the communication channel, even if he couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°The only question left is...¡± Eve¡¯s voice became laced with mischief. ¡°What do these buttons do?¡± Eve giggled as she began pressing some of the icons on Abeona¡¯s tablet. As Eve did, the mini Abeona figure on Wheeler¡¯s rear view mirror sprang to life. It began to perform a series of very Eve like movements as it rolled and flipped around Wheeler¡¯s cabin. Despite himself, Wheeler couldn¡¯t help but laugh as Eve made the mini Abeona charm dance across his dashboard. ¡°HEY THAT¡¯S NOT A TOY YOU KNOW! I DIDN¡¯T SAY YOU COULD PLAY WITH MY CHARM FIGURE.¡± Abeona yelled at Eve before snatching the tablet away from her. Overhearing Abeona¡¯s panicked reaction only made Wheeler laugh even harder. After recovering her tablet from Eve, Abeona pressed a button onscreen, which made her charm return to it¡¯s usual perch on Wheeler¡¯s rear view mirror. She then pressed another button, muting her tablet to avoid any interruptions as she prepared to transport Eve Turning to Eve, Abeona quickly went about regaining control of the situation ¡°Thanks for helping Wheeler with his Truck-Kun life crisis,¡± the goddess said. ¡°Now we should really get on with sending you to your new life.¡± Eve began to pump her fists enthusiastically. ¡°Oh Yeah! Finally!¡± she cheered. ¡°Let¡¯s get this show on the road! Watch out other world, ready or not, Eve Adenson is coming.¡± Chapter 26: Moving On Chapter 26: Moving On ¡°Okay, I assume that means you¡¯re ready?¡± Abeona asked with an amused smile. ¡°Yes!¡± Eve confirmed enthusiastically ¡°I just have one last question, will Wheeler ever go to the Isekai world?¡± Abeona¡¯s eyes narrowed as she tilted her head. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the only thing that ever successfully landed a hit on me.¡± Eve explained with a serious expression, her normal casual aura evaporating in an instant. ¡°One of these days, I want us to have a rematch. Bet he couldn¡¯t hit me again.¡± Abeona gave a little chuckle. ¡°Well who knows what the future might hold. I¡¯ll be certain to let him know.¡± ¡°Please do, it¡¯s surprisingly difficult for me to find a worthy opponent to dodge.¡± Eve lamented. ¡°No shortage of those where you¡¯re going.¡± The goddess reassured Eve. ¡°Razorback Boars, Manticores, Dragons...¡± ¡°Dragons!?¡± Eve repeated, her eyes shining with excitement. ¡°Yes dragons and much more¡± Abeona said, a slight edge of impatience entering her voice. ¡°So are you ready now?¡±. ¡°Yes.¡± Eve replied firmly. Eve closed her eyes. So finely tuned were her dodging instincts, that it took all of Eve¡¯s concentration to resist her natural inclination to dodge the goddess¡¯s incoming grasp. But she stayed put as Abeona¡¯s hand made contact with her head. Abeona then started to chant words Eve was unable to understand to initiate her divine magic. "Anima mortalis, Egredere in alium mundum. Anima mortalis, Egredere in alium mundum. Anima mortalis, Egredere in alium mundum." Within seconds, Eve was enveloped in a bright heavenly light, then mere moments after that Eve was gone, leaving Abeona alone in her chamber. ¡°Good luck Eve.¡± Abeona whispered quietly, before returning her attention to her tablet, unmuting it so she could talk to Wheeler. The goddess started the conversation in a immediately upbeat and jovial mood. ¡°Good news Wheeler my man... err truck, our first mission is now officially completed!¡± Abeona cheered, clearly giddy from their success. ¡°So, Eve has been safely transported to the Isekai world?¡± Wheeler asked hopefully. ¡°Yepperooney, aye-firmativo.¡± Abeona chirped cheerfully as she now made her charm dance across Wheeler¡¯s dashboard in a similar manner to how Eve had done earlier. Wheeler, his engine emitting a low grumble, asked for clarification. ¡°For those of us who speak English and not nonsense-ese?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Abeona confirmed with a more blunt, straightforward attitude before switching back quickly to her more giddy attitude. ¡°Our first satisfied customer. This is cause for celebration... if only Adiona hadn¡¯t confiscated all my booze.¡± Wheeler¡¯s suspension shuddered at the thought of what a drunk Abeona may be like. She was quite frankly enough of a chaotic mess sober. The idea of this gremlin of a goddess after a few drinks was positively terrifying. That aside, Wheeler flicked his wipers across his windscreen as if wiping his non-existent brow. With Eve happily moved on, Wheeler¡¯s job was done, he could finally rest and hopefully move on too. ¡°So tonight we celebrate. TO THE SUCCESS OF PROJECT ISEKAI," The goddess yelled out triumphantly. ¡°Then tomorrow, we go onto our next target.¡± ¡°Next target?¡± Wheeler stuttered immediately, panicked. ¡°Yeah, I know the first one was tough on you emotionally, but don¡¯t worry I promise it¡¯s going to get easier and easier with each target you take out.¡± Abeona reassured him. Wheeler for his part, wasn¡¯t exactly sure he wanted this to get easier in the way Abeona suggested. While he may be a truck on the outside, he was internally a human, or at least clinging onto the vestiges of his humanity. If he lost that, Wheeler dreaded to think what he might become, should he become detached from the morality of his actions. Detached... that reminded Wheeler of the unsettling numbness that cloaked his Truck-body. With everything going on, Wheeler had forgotten to re-enable his haptic feedback. As he turned his systems back on, the sensations of the world rushed back to him. The chill of the faint breeze, the drumming of the rain on his surfaces. The solid tarmac beneath his Wheels, which connected him to the earth. He was finally reengaging with the world around him once more.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. As he readjusted to the world around him, Wheeler was aware that after the intensity of the past few days, he wasn¡¯t sure he was ready to jump immediately to another target. He desperately tried to think of an excuse to stall. ¡°Oh, tomorrow, we already have a mission tomorrow.¡± Wheeler pushed insistently. ¡°I promised Eve I¡¯d keep an eye on Lily remember?¡± Abeona¡¯s figure stopped dancing and gave an incredulous look. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend checking on her quite yet.¡± The goddess warned. ¡°If she sees you again, especially so soon after what just happened, it¡¯ll likely only upset her more.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Wheeler relented with a dejected sigh. ¡°Aren¡¯t I always?¡± Abeona giggled. ¡°Nope.¡± Wheeler replied, without missing a beat before adding. ¡°But you are this time, I guess.¡± He admitted reluctantly. Ignoring the initial jab, the goddess reassured Wheeler. ¡°We¡¯ll check in on Lily eventually, I promise. But for now, we should give her some space to grieve.¡± Silently, Wheeler wondered to himself where Lily was now. How was she coping with the aftermath of Eve¡¯s death? At that moment, Lily was sat in the police station waiting room. She¡¯d already lost count of exactly how many times she¡¯d cried, but once more, Lily found herself wiping fresh tears from her reddened eyes. Her mind kept flashing through the night¡¯s events. As the emergency services arrived at the construction site, Lily had returned to Eve, and what she¡¯d seen, now haunted her. Eve¡¯s eyes, that once sparkled with life had turned into glassy voids. Any flicker of the energetic young woman Lily had loved had gone, leaving behind an empty shell. Lily had tried gently closing Eve¡¯s eyelids, but it had been too late. That hollow stare was now burned into Lily¡¯s mind, becoming the last memory she had of Eve. After that, the paramedics had taken her away. What remained of Eve was likely in the morgue by now. Not wanting to think about it anymore, Lily desperately searched for any distraction. The mostly plain waiting room at the station had very little of interest. A few chairs, a water cooler, the only thing Lily found to focus on was a noticeboard. The board was filled various posters, advertising different services the police provided ¡°When there¡¯s Crime in your neighbourhood, Who ya gonna call? US!¡± declared one poster. Another, offering some kind of emotional support counselling service, for some reason, that Lily couldn¡¯t fathom, had an image of a piglet in a police hat. These images did little to disrupt Lily¡¯s train of thought, which kept replaying every detail. Her mind was filled with countless questions, as she analysed every moment. Who was driving that deadly truck? Why had they targeted Eve? Why didn¡¯t they also try to kill Lily? The more Lily thought about it, the less the whole situation made sense. The grieving girl was jolted out of her thought by a loud booming voice. ¡°Miss Foster?¡± A stern looking policeman stood in front of her asked. The still somewhat dazed and shaking Lily nodded passively. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Lily Foster,¡± she confirmed quietly. ¡°I¡¯m Officer Slaw. Sorry to keep you waiting, I¡¯ve read over the case and need to hear your testimony about what happened tonight at the construction site.¡± The policeman explained. Lily, followed the Officer Slaw as he led her towards one of the interview rooms. As she sat down in one of the chairs in the interview room, Lily took a deep, calming breath, gaining some modicum of control over her tremoring. If she was going to get justice for what happened to Eve, Lily knew she¡¯d have to do her upmost to recall and communicate every detail, no matter how small. So it went on, for several gruelling hours, Lily was forced to relive the events of earlier that night, the worst night of her life. She laid out everything, from the days of close calls with the truck Eve had encountered prior to her demise, to every sight, sound, scent of the deadly event itself. For every answer she gave, Officer Slaw asked a string of follow up questions. Lily responded to the best of her ability to every query, until finally, the cop asked her a question she found herself unable to answer. ¡°What was the truck¡¯s license plate number?¡± ¡°License plate number?¡± Lily repeated, repeating her mind for the answer. It was such an obvious thing. But she simply was unable to remember. She thought she would have taken in such a vital piece of information... maybe she¡¯d simply forgotten? How could she have missed something so important? ¡°AGGHHH¡±, Lily began smacking her forehead with her hand. As if truck¡¯s number was simply stuck in her mind and needed shaking loose like the last remnants of sauce in the bottom of a condiment bottle. She could feel it was there somewhere, but she couldn¡¯t retrieve it. Some sort of mental barrier keeping the information just beyond her reach. ¡°Why? WHY CAN¡¯T I REMEMBER.¡± Lily growled in frustration. Officer Slaw gave her a calming smile. ¡°It¡¯s ok, happens to the best of us.¡± He reassured her. ¡°I actually had something similar happen a few weeks ago. You see I was...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I really don¡¯t care right now, I know that number is in here, so just let me think¡± Lily snapped. ¡°Miss Foster, I understand you¡¯re upset, but...¡± Slaw started. Lily leapt to her feet and brought her hand crashing down onto the interview room desk. ¡°I JUST SAW MY BEST FRIEND DIE,¡± She bellowed, ¡°YOU WEREN¡¯T THERE, YOU HAVE NO DAMN IDEA HOW I¡¯M FEELING.¡± She then collapsed in a sobbing heap back onto her chair. ¡°What use am I? I couldn¡¯t protect her, I couldn¡¯t save her, I can¡¯t even remember a damn license plate.¡± Lily cried. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t jumped in to save me, she¡¯d still be here.¡± Slaw gave a deep sigh, ¡°I think you would benefit from talking to our emotional support officer, Officer Pacifica.¡± ¡°I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Lily accepted tearfully. ¡°Great, I¡¯ll go get her.¡± With that Officer Slaw got up and left the room, leaving Lily alone with her thoughts. A few minutes later, he returned, holding something wrapped in a purple blanket in his arms. Looking around confused, Lily saw no other officers at Slaw¡¯s side, Where is the emotional support officer? I thought you were going to get her?¡± ¡°I did, she¡¯s right here.¡± Officer Slaw pulled back the blanket to reveal a baby pig in a police hat. With a felt police badge stuck to it. ¡°Miss Foster, meet our emotional support officer, Pacifica.¡± Slaw beamed proudly. Chapter 27: The Whole Hog Chapter 27: The Whole Hog ¡°You''ve got to be kidding me!¡± Lily spat, ¡°this is a joke right?¡± She looked at Slaw, her eyes burning with contempt. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke Miss Foster,¡± Slaw insisted, completely straight faced. ¡°Recent studies have shown emotional support animals to be highly effective for those dealing with grief.¡± Lily glanced between Officer Slaw and the piglet that was peering at her with its beady, half asleep eyes from inside the blanket in his arms. At that moment she honestly couldn¡¯t tell whose stare was more vacant, Slaw¡¯s or Pacifica¡¯s. ¡°Trust me, a few minutes with Pacifica, and you¡¯ll be feeling much better, she¡¯s such a good listener.¡± The cop reassured Lily as he began to place the piglet in her arms. ¡°Look I don¡¯t want to hold the...¡± Lily tried to protest, but her attempted objections fell on deaf ears as she was saddled with Pacifica. The first thing Lily noticed was the smell. She¡¯d braced for the pungent earthy stench that is normally emitted from livestock. Instead a pleasant aroma of lavender wafted from Pacifica¡¯s body. ¡°Did... did you put perfume on this pig?¡± Lily asked with an eyebrow raised. Slaw shook his head firmly ¡°No that would be ridiculous,¡± he said, with a deadpan expression. ¡°We give her Lavender bubble baths daily to increase Pacifica¡¯s therapeutic abilities. Research shows lavender is calming scent after all.¡± After a few moments of silence, the baby pig started gently nuzzling into Lily¡¯s lap. ¡°She likes you Miss Foster.¡± Slaw gave a warm, encouraging smile, before asking, ¡°So are you going to talk to her?¡± while pointing at Pacifica. Lily gave a deep sigh, ¡°I can''t believe this.¡± she muttered under her breath. As ridiculous and patronising as she found this whole situation, Lily felt her best course of action, was to co-operate. The sooner this was done, the sooner they could get back on track and find Eve¡¯s killer. ¡°Hello... Pacifica¡± Eve¡¯s speech quavered awkwardly as she reluctantly engaged with the unusual emotional support animal. ¡°Hi Miss Foster¡± A shrill, squeaky voice replied, ¡°Officer Slaw told me your friend passed away tonight. I can''t imagine what you must be feeling right now. Would you like to talk about it?¡± Lily looked up at Slaw, her jaw clenched tightly as she grumbled fiercely, ¡°Look, I can go along with the pig, but can you perhaps NOT do the voice?¡± ¡°Some people find it useful when Pacifica ¡®speaks¡¯ to them.¡± Slaw stated in a matter of fact tone. Lily raised an incredulous eyebrow. ¡°What people?¡± ¡°More than you¡¯d expect, mostly children, but it works with some adults too and I thought...¡± Slaw admitted sheepishly. Lily, spoke in a hardened whisper, making her distaste clear while trying to not startle the pig still nestled in her lap. ¡°You thought wrong, what would help is catching my friends killer.¡± ¡°Of course¡± The cop agreed, ¡°But it¡¯s important to give yourself time to heal, if you give Pacifica a chance, she might surprise you.¡± ¡°I very much doubt that.¡± Lily insisted firmly. Sensing the tension in the room, Slaw decided that maybe it would be better to give the grieving young woman some space. ¡°Tell you what, I''ll let you and Pacifica have a little one on one time. Don''t worry, you''re in good hands.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t even have hands.¡± Lily pointed out, still reeling from the absurdity. Without missing a beat, Slaw responded, ¡°good trotters then. Just give her a chance, I promise she¡¯ll make you feel better.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Look, we really don¡¯t have time for this.¡± Lily protested. ¡°Eve¡¯s killer is still out there and...¡± But her objections fell on deaf ears, as Slaw excused himself from the interview room, leaving Lily alone with Pacifica. As Lily sat in silence, the small piglet fell to sleep while still perched on her knees. As Lily gathered her thoughts, she found herself absentmindedly stroking the slumbering animal. ¡°He''s the one I have to rely on to find the truck driver that murdered Eve?¡± Lily sighed. ¡°He doesn''t exactly inspire much confidence.¡± She felt Pacifica stirring in her lap, as the pig awoke, it snuggled into Lily¡¯s torso as her hand continued to talk to herself while stroking it. Lily reflected on Slaw¡¯s esoteric approach, ¡°I get he means well, but this isn¡¯t going to help catch Eve¡¯s killer.¡± She insisted. ¡°If I want justice for Eve, I¡¯ll have to do it myself. What do you think Pacifica?¡± Lily had lifted Pacifica up to her eye level. The piglet just stared blankly back at her. After a moment Eve caught herself and realised what she was doing. ¡°You don''t think anything, because you''re a pig.¡± Lily rolled her eyes and shook her head as the realisation set in, ¡°I¡¯m talking to a pig.¡± Lily carefully sat Pacifica on the interview room table, then stood up and walked over to the door. As she did, Pacifica bounded off the table and began prodding its snout at Lily¡¯s legs. Ignoring the little piglet, Lily opened the door to find Officer Slaw waiting directly outside the interview room. ¡°So I assume you¡¯ve asked all your questions and I¡¯m free to go now?¡± Lily asked pointedly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all for now, but if we need anything else we may call you back in.¡± Slaw confirmed. ¡°Do you need an escort home?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll manage thank you.¡± Lily briskly answered back, brushing off Slaw¡¯s offer before turning swiftly towards the stations exit. ¡°WOAH, NO YOU DON¡¯T!¡± yelled Slaw sharply, diving to the floor by Lily¡¯s ankles, toppling in a heap next to the young woman, almost tripping her up. ¡°What the hell are you...?¡± Lily gasped, before noticing the Pacifica wiggling on the floor in Slaw¡¯s grip. It appeared Pacifica had attempted to follow Lily outside. ¡°Sorry, I guess she must have taken quite the liking to you.¡± Slaw chuckled as he stood up, while holding Pacifica firmly, ¡°She does get attached quite quickly, don¡¯t you, girl? Yes, you do, Yes, you do.¡± Slaw had started talking to Pacifica in a way you might expect a mother the talk to their baby, complete with little affectionate snorts. Meanwhile Pacifica seemed eager to get away, thrashing about in Slaw¡¯s arms. Lily gave the pig a final, affectionate stroke on the head, frankly she could empathise with the little piglet. Since just like Pacifica, Lily also wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. To that effect, with a finally farewell to Slaw and Pacifica, Lily resumed her exit, a cool breeze blowing in her face as she got outside. Lily looked up into the sky, seeing the morning sun beginning to peak over the horizon, signalling the dawning of a new day. She stifled a yawn, Lily realised she had been awake throughout the entire night. Fatigue rapidly set in as the surging adrenaline from the night¡¯s events, that had been keeping Lily going, began to taper off, leaving her body drained. Lily drifted through the streets, stumbling on increasingly weary legs, yet despite her sleep deprived state, she managed to make it back to her dormitory safely. By this point, Lily was both physically and emotionally exhausted, her eyes barely remaining open as she entered the front door of the accommodation that she had shared with Eve. Her blurry eyes wandered across every surface as she entered her darkened home, with only small patches of sunlight creeping around the cracks in the curtains providing illumination. Despite no changes to the building itself, the usual warmth that had made it feel like home had drained from its walls. Every object, every doorway, echoed with bitter reminders of what Lily had lost. A thousand memories of mundane moments she and Eve had together flooded her mind, the type which we all take for granted, because we believe there will always be more. Breakfasts, dinners, arguments, jokes, all those small things that make up life, were all past. Never to be shared between them again As she made her way through the hallway to her own bedroom, Lily stopped at the door leading to Eve¡¯s room. At least it had been Eve¡¯s several hours ago. Now, it technically was vacant. Lily could feel the void Eve used to fill sitting just beyond the door. She pushed it open and stepped inside. It was, of course, a mess, a minefield of discarded dirty clothes, training equipment, and other items. It was exactly as Eve had left it. It was almost as if Eve had simply popped out and would be back any moment. Yet Lily knew her friend would never return to this room, or their shared dormitory for that matter. She was gone, forever. Lily sat on Eve¡¯s bed, the mattress flexing slightly as it took her weary weight. She stared dazed into the middle distance as another flurry of fractured thoughts played in her mind. Dominating all of them was that she was tired, so tired, in every possible way. She tipped sideways onto the bed. Her eyes flickering shut as her head hit Eve¡¯s pillow, sending a familiar comforting scent into the air. It was Eve''s aroma, still present, embedded in the bedding. In her sleep deprived state, Lily could almost believe her friend was there, lying beside her, providing some slight comfort to her as exhaustion took her and she drifted off to sleep. Chapter 28: Curveball Chapter 28: Curveball After barely a day had passed, Lily was already back at college. That suited her just fine, she found it preferable to keep herself occupied. It was the quiet moments, where she wasn¡¯t distracted that were the hardest. During class, she could immerse herself in the work for a precious few hours. Focus on something other than the void that now occupied her life where Eve once had been. As class ended, Lily was quickly surrounded by a group of students. ¡°Hey, Lily...¡± ¡°OMG, how are you holding up...¡± ¡°I heard something about Eve and a truck...¡± ¡°You and Eve were like, super close right...¡± ¡°She was such an asset to our team...¡± ¡°If you need a shoulder to cry on...¡± A volley of about a dozen different voices, a cacophony of questions and condolences. Some of which were from people Lily recognised, her own classmates, Eve¡¯s dodgeball teammates, along with others Lily was certain she and Eve had never interacted with before. ¡°I... I...¡± Lily stuttered as she clutched her bag tightly, trembling. She got up from her seat and pushed her way through the throng of students, squeaking meekly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not ready to talk about it right now... please excuse me.¡± ¡°Wow rude...¡± ¡°There¡¯s something weird about this if you ask me, you know she missed class yesterday cause she was being held by the cops...¡± ¡°Seriously, shut up with your dumbass conspiracy theories...¡± ¡°All I¡¯m saying is it¡¯s always the quiet ones...¡± ¡°Her friend died asshole...¡± Lily caught these, along with various other fragments of conversations from the gathered students as she fled from class. It seemed the rumour mill was already in full swing. Maybe coming into college today had been a mistake? Lily found refuge in the gym hall. As always, it had been automatically booked for Eve¡¯s usual specialised dodgeball training but given Eve was no longer around, the hall was empty instead. It would likely take a few days before the college administration updated the system. Lily sat herself on a pile of gym mats in the gym¡¯s dimly lit storeroom. As she did, the mats shifted awkwardly, as if something was preventing them from laying completely flat. After moving a few, Lily found a sleeping bag had been sequestered underneath the pile. After pulling it out and inspecting it closely, Lily found a label that read, ¡°Property of Eve Adenson.¡± It was Eve¡¯s sleeping bag. ¡°What is this doing here?¡± Lily wondered aloud to herself, ¡°Now why would Eve need her sleeping bag in here?¡± After a few moments however, the pieces started clicking into place in Lily¡¯s mind. Eve had said she¡¯d been doing her secret midnight training sessions with the truck for a ¡®few weeks¡¯ when Lily had discovered her night time activity. Lily hadn¡¯t thought about it until now, but if Eve had been staying up all night playing with that truck, she¡¯d have to have found some other time to sleep. Reeling from the realisation, Lily clutched the edge of the pile of gym mats for support. If Eve had been ¡®training¡¯ when she should have been sleeping, then Eve¡¯s original practice time must have become her sleep time. Looking at the large dodgeball training machine in the corner, the same one Lily herself had made especially for Eve. Lily remembered the last night she had met Eve here. How strangely her friend had been acting. The lack of wear on the machine. The scent of fresh polish. It all led to one conclusion.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Eve likely hadn¡¯t used the machine in weeks, instead favouring the truck as a more exciting escalation of her evasion addiction. What¡¯s more, she had made the effort to conceal that fact from Lily. The smell of polish must have come from Eve quickly cleaning the machine to hide the dust which would have built up on it from weeks of neglect. It was becoming increasingly clear to Lily, that damn truck, on some level, had already slowly started taking Eve away from Lily, long before it finally finished the job by killing her. Lily¡¯s fingers dug deeper into the gym mats as her grip intensified, her muscles tensing as a fresh wave of anger and adrenaline surged through her veins. The lies, the betrayal, they stung almost as badly as Eve¡¯s death. That truck, and whoever was behind it, would pay, Lily swore. They would pay for stealing away the one person that had meant everything to her. But how? Sure, Lily had managed to crack the truck¡¯s headlights at the abandoned construction site. But that was only because the vehicle had stayed still as she assaulted it. The moment the truck started moving again, she¡¯d been helpless to prevent it from escaping. As she pondered her options, Lily paced back and forth around the cluttered storeroom. There had to be some way she could take that truck and its driver down. She¡¯d initially considered just waiting for the police to do their job, and bring the mysterious, murderous truck driver to justice. However, after her encounter with Officer Slaw and his pet pig, Lily felt if she wanted this job done properly, she¡¯d have to do it herself. As she paced around, lost in thought, a sudden sharp pain rang through Lily¡¯s toe as it struck something hard. The agony snapped Lily back to her surroundings. ¡°AGGHHH SHIT.¡± Lily exclaimed loudly as she grabbed her foot. She then gave a frustrated growl. Peering into the gloom, Lily noticed a black gym bag that had been sat next to the dodgeball machine. Until now it had sat unnoticed, concealed by the darkness of the poorly illuminated storeroom. As she tried to pick it up, her muscles strained under the unexpectedly heavy weight. Breathing heavily, bracing herself and using all her strength, Lily managed to pull the bag onto the gym mats, enabling her to get a closer look at what was inside. It was, a large pink bowling ball. She wondered what on earth it was doing here? Bowling certainly wasn¡¯t one of the courses taught at the college. She turned the object over in her hands, feeling its significant heft as she inspected it closely. Realising it offered no clues, Lily placed the ball to one side on the gym mats. She carefully ensured it wouldn¡¯t roll off and break anything, such as the floor or Lily¡¯s own foot. The very idea of the weighty ball landing on her foot made her wince uncomfortably. Once the ball was in a secure position, it was time to inspect the gym bag it came in. It didn¡¯t take Lily long to find, that the gym bag, like the sleeping bag, also had a nametag attached to it, which read in bold typeface: ¡°THIS BAG BELONGS TO:¡± Next to that, in scrappy handwriting that Lily knew all too well. It was the name of the bag¡¯s owner, ¡°EVE ADENSON.¡± This caused more questions than answers. Eve hadn¡¯t ever shown any interest in bowling. On the contrary Eve had always found it boring. Lily smiled to herself as she recalled one birthday where she¡¯d taken Eve bowling in the local arcade. Eve had taken one look at the game and responded to it with a bemused expression. ¡°So you just throw the balls at the pins and they just sit there and take it?¡± Eve asked. ¡°Yes, do you expect them to get out of the way?¡± Lily laughed. ¡°Why not? They should have little legs and run around!¡± Eve had insisted. ¡°Or maybe little arms to throw the bowling ball back?¡± Eyebrow raised, Lily responded with, ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem practical OR safe.¡± They had then played a few rounds, only for Eve to disappear half way through the game while Lily was taking her turn. After an hour of searching, Lily found Eve playing laser tag elsewhere in the arcade. ¡°This is more my speed, so what do you say Bestie? Want to join me?¡± Lily, back in the present, shook her head firmly to dispel the memory, refocusing her attention on the gym bag. Rooting her hand around inside, Lily¡¯s hand came across a paper sticky note. It appeared that it had originally been stuck to the bowling ball. On the note, in Eve¡¯s familiar handwriting, was a message. ¡°To Eve: Ask Lily to upgrade training machine to fire this (if she says no, keep asking until she says yes!) From: Eve.¡± Alongside the sentence was a crudely drawn picture of a bowling ball being fired from a cannon. Lily, even in her current state, couldn¡¯t help but laugh. This was classic Eve, reckless to the end. Imagine the damage firing a bowling ball could do... Imagine the damage... In that instant, a flash of inspiration surged into Lily¡¯s brain like a lightning bolt from the blue. An answer to the question of how she could take down that truck that had killed Eve. Lily glanced at the dodgeball training machine, then at the pink bowling ball, after her eyes had flicked back and forth between them a few dozen times, she reached her decision. ¡°I¡¯ll do it, for you.¡± Lily whispered, laying a small kiss on the sticky note. Turning her attention to the dodgeball machine, Lily thought to herself, ¡°It¡¯s going to take a lot of modification and reinforcement.¡± She pulled out her tools from her own bag and got to work. Sure, it may take her days, maybe weeks. But this was for Eve, and Lily would not let her down. To Be Continued... I Am Truck-Kun WILL Return.