The time that may have passed is unknown, but when she woke up, there Vic was, sitting on the steps that led to the building they collided with.
He seemed like he was looking at the stars; his sentimentality was frightening.
She touched her head again; the pain was still there but not as heavy as it was before.
"Oh, you're awake?" He didn't turn to look at her.
"What… happened?" She sat on her legs.
"Who knows? I tried knocking on that door a few times, but I don't think anyone lives here."
'Why did he try knocking in the first place!?' She wondered.
"In any case, that whole thing just now – you're okay, right?"
'No!' "Yes… no." Her voice had gone back to its initial state. "Back then, y-you didn't have to help me; you should've...
"I should've what?"
She wasn't used to people helping her.
"Y-you could just leave me b-behind and maybe you…"
"So what? I should have just left you behind? Like that would ever happen."
Or rather,
She wasn't used to people, period.
"You don't know me! We're strangers-"
"Whatever! You were in need, and I had to do what I had to do to help!
'…" 'why…?'
"No second thoughts! No matter who it is."
'I should've done more to help… I'm so— so…'
She felt a hand on her shoulders
Looking up, she saw his face; despite the strange razor marks under his eyes, he could still form a warm expression like the one he gave her.
She was speechless; she didn't even try removing his hand from her.
"Hey! Cheer up, yeah?"
She could feel her eyelids widening.
The night could use a bit of a breeze; the mosquitoes were relentless in dealing with their faces. They were trapped in a limbo of a place with no way out so far, yet,
He grinned from ear to ear.
Like it was your usual Saturday morning.
She looked at him, her beady eyes wondering why his words made her chest feel so stiff.
"You're giving off the impression that you're depressed, you know."
Her eyebrows grew closer and closer together till they furrowed at the middle of her forehead. Her pupils constricted, and her mouth dropped to look like an O.
A drop of sweat trickled down the side of her face as she absorbed his words.
"What!?"
"Oh, wait…" He removed his hand from her shoulder and balanced himself on the wooden floor, "So you are depressed? Heh, of course, so obvious."
"I am not depressed."
She actually was.
"Hehehehe," he laughed as he brought out his phone. Fifteen minutes after three, well, I am getting that vibe. You know, I heard nothing good happens after 3am till about 6 in the morning.
"There is no vibe, and I'm not depressed; if it's my face, then this is my usual – "
"Yes! I've got a network now. It's one bar, tho–"
"Haah! Call someone!" 'Before it disappears'
"I know." He started scrolling through his contact list. "I hope they pick though."
Boop boop
Boop boop
"Why couldn't you call someone yourself?" He asked her,
"I don't know." 'I don't have a phone anyway.'
Boop boop
Boop boop
"She picked! HEY BIMBO!!"
A rather noisy background echoed from the phone; a blurred voice followed.
"Ello, who is this?" The familiar voice and accent came through the speakers.
"Bimbo! It's me, Vic."
"Which one?"
"Ah! the one you know!"
"Which of the five?"
"Five Vics??"
"Sigh, good bye."
"No, wait, wait! It's Vic, Vic from school."
"Which school?"
"!!? Uni-Port!"
"Oh," she said with a scoff, " I'm still hanging up, good-"
"Wait, don't hang up; I need your help."
"Be quick; I'll have you know that I am very busy this morning, and why are you not in class-"
"Morning? Class? Whatever! So I was on my way to the lecture hall when I got lost on the road to the class area from the hostel, yeah? Any suggestions on how to find our way?"
"Which road did you follow?"
"Bush!"
"Are you daft!?"
"It's fine; I'm not alone…"
"That does not help your case! You both need to get out of there."
"Any ideas on how?"
"Look, I don't have time or brain cells to waste on you; just, um… keep heading north; that's the left side of the sunrise, or – opposite the moon in this case. Don't talk to anyone, and bring me… an egg roll as payment for these tips."
"Don't talk to anyone…" the girl mocked.
"Heh, I'll see you soon, yeah?!!"
"I hope not…"
Vic hung up the phone and dropped it in his big jeans pocket.
"So, which direction is opposite the sun?"
"Ugh!"
He looked around, looking for either a sun or a moon, then his eyes stumbled on the door behind them.
The girl, too, got curious and turned to look at the door.
"I've never seen a lost building before," she remarked, while looking behind Vic.
He got up and folded his hands.
"You're right, out in the middle of nowhere like this – what an odd place…"
Before she could notice,
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "What is wrong with you!?"
But she knew asking him that question was hopeless.
"It's fine; I'm just checking if it's empty."
That remark was all the confirmation she needed.
And he kept knocking.
Louder than before.
"It's dangerous, ah, never mind." She got up and walked away.
But she didn't go far; she hid by the side of the building, waiting for him to 'get it over with'.
Vic didn't notice; his knocks got more persistent, and soon, it finally opened.
"Ah, final…ly…" A sweat drop fell down his cheek as his heart raced about his chest.
After all, the one that opened the door to that building was none other than a tall figure, covered in sackcloth, from head to toe.
The same one that chased them through the scrubs.
It heaved and sighed like some sort of beast, its head tilted down, as if staring at Vic. The only holes on it are from the seams of the sack and two round holes on its head.
Were those supposed to be eyes?
It looked like a masquerade, a first for Vic to face. But it had an unnatural aura oozing out of it, or maybe that was from its heavy breathing.
Nevertheless, he smiled.
He grinned like he was looking at a long-lost friend.
"It's you, isn't it? Nice to meet you in person," he said with cheer.
Vivian, being confused by the words she just heard, peeked from the corner of the building.
'And with that, my time with him is over…'
She got on her heels and prepared to run as fast as possible in the opposite direction.
But before she could, she thought she could hear something.
Heh
Heh
Heh
She looked behind the corner again.
That's when the thing grabbed itself on the head and pulled away the sack, tossing it aside - and making it disappear.
In its place was a nutty-looking old man with irregular, incomplete teeth, white hair that only grew on the sides of his head, and worn-out clothes. He looked like he would crumble at any moment, though he moved here and there like a person well in their twenties.
Vic jumped back, "Oh good Lord…!"
The girl's eyebrows collapsed. 'Just great.' she put a hand on her forehead, hiding behind the corner again, 'Now there are two of them… '
"Ha ha ha ha, I'M FEMI!!" The old man was screaming.
"Uh… hello…" He didn't know it was possible, but Vic found himself lost for words.
What was he looking at?
What was going on?
Who is this one?
'So many questions…' the girl thought.
He refused to lose his resolve.
He shook his head and balled a fist in front of him and faced the man with the broken smile.
"Who are you!?"
"Femi!"
"Where did you come from?"
"I live here."
"What about Mr Sack's thing?"
"I am he."
"Why do you live here?"
"Hmmm, it is quiet."
"Lies! That sack thing chased us halfway around this place; it isn't quiet."
"I was he."
"How do you…"
"SEE!"
He got loud all of a sudden.
"Femi has reached the limit of questions for the day; nosy children like you should have more respect!"
"Gah…" Vic moved even further back.
"Humph!" He scoffed.
They stood there in silence for a while.
He had answered all his questions, but Vic still couldn't figure anything concerning the old man in front of him.
But he had to trust the situation; he and the girl needed his help.
The man laughed from his gut; maybe he found him amusing. "Come, child, I sell things for free… sacks, books, ink, Hehehe, even test results from the future!" He said the last part in a slight whisper, even though it was just them.
'Uh… that's no longer selling…'
Vic hook his head. "See, Shady Femi, or whatever your adjective is, I and that person over there – "
'Crap!'
" – Are trying to get out of this place. Now, I would love to ask you more questions, 'cause I know you're filled with answers, but you'll help us out, yeah?"
The pressure was showing on his face, meaning he must've given that statement his all.
The energetic youth was conversing like any other person; he must've had enough of the situation they'd been in for the past 20-something hours.
But his hands were stuck in his pocket and back was slouched; the only thing polite about him were the words he just uttered.
The old man - still smiling - looked at him, right into his eyes.
"Heh, hah hah hah hah hah. You are an interesting child; your friend probably is too. Listen, I don't care what you people are trying to do inside this domain, but if you want to leave? Then I don't see why not."
He moved.
Backwards.
He practically floated back into the shed.
Vic found it unsettling.
…
"Hey!"
The girl called out to him from her hiding spot.
"What did you ask him? Does he know you from somewhere?"
He raised his shoulders and hands, signifying that he doesn't know.
"Hmph."
"Are you hiding?" He was smiling again.
She's had enough of those these past long hours. Her expression, nevertheless, never changed.
"Cautious, adjective; anyone but you."
"That isn't a definition."
"You're not a definition."
"A definition isn't a noun either; stop speaking, witch."
"..."
…
"So um…"
"What?"
"I really need to know your name. They say names are the keys to knowing people better."
Her expression soured, like her soul had been drained out of her.
"… I am… no one"
"..." He smiled lightly.
"It's better this way-"
"Heh heh, ha ha ha, that's such a useless meaning! You really sound depressed!"
"I... I'm not!" 'Honestly, what is this guy?'
"Talking to me like I'm a psychiatrist, what do you want me to do?"
"DIE!"
The door creaked open, and Femi floated back outside with a more serious expression painted on his face.
He looks at Vic, then the girl, who jumped behind Vic (and came to stand by his side)
His eyes were downcast. The energy from before was nowhere to be seen.
"Listen, why don't we make a deal?"
The man handed Vic a newspaper rolled up in a bundle like a letter out for delivery.
A normal-looking newspaper.
That was what it looked like.
Maybe it was because their source of lamination was the waxing moon, so they couldn't see its contents.
Vic, however, didn't accept it.
"Nah, I don't really need a paper; I'm not a worldly person, you know?"
"I wonder if the guy sells buns…"
"Yeah, egg roll is how much?"
"HAH!" His smile came back, but it was a bit eerie compared to before. "Have the newspaper first; you want to leave this place, don't you?"
Blackmail.
He grabbed Vic by the collar, much to his surprise.
It was as if he teleported right in front of him; he didn't have time to react.
Femi squeezed the collar of his jacket and stared into his eyes; his mouth was a wide grin, and his face was simply creepy.
"TELL THEM, TELL THEM ALL ABOUT MY NEWSPAPER, YOU HEAR ME?? I NEED TO BLOW!"
"G-get away…"
His voice was awfully deep; it caused Vic's ribs to vibrate as he kept his eyes glued to Vic's pupils, chasing them about in their sockets from here to there. Vic paused in shock, looking like he was trying to assimilate what was going on.
"I can see it in you." He was whispering now, "Your future is a very interesting one, child."
"Eh?"
He brought his hand holding the newspaper.
But two hands were still holding Vic's collar.
So the hand holding the newspaper…
"You and Sissy over there want to leave this place today, ba? Then take it."
The girl, again in a fight position, looked at Femi dead-on.
"Stay away from him. We'll take the newspaper, but you'll get us out of here, right?"
The man had three hands sticking out of his body, but the only hint of fear in her was her heavy breathing.
'The only thing I fear is humans. You! You're clearly not human!'
He looked at her, but not for long; after that he let go of Vic's collar.
He backed off, striding over to the girl's side.
"Guy, are you crazy!? What was that?"
He didn't sound fazed at all.
But it would've been a problem if he did at this point.
"Here it is." His extra arm had disappeared, and he looked like a normal human again.
Vic snatched it from him with one motion.
"Oh, and here are the cheese balls you wanted." He shoved it into Vivian's arms.
"Oh, um…" She was dumbfounded.
"Well, at least it's free. Now, how do we get out of here?"
"Just remember your end of the deal." The old man's voice was husky, something that wasn't obvious before.
"Okay, weirdo," Vic remarked.
Then,
"I'm FEMI!"
He was moving.
No,
Floating back into the shack.
"No, Shady Femi sounds nice too, Heh, Heh, Heh, HAHAHAHAHAH."
Laughing and cackling with his hands all over his body, he disappeared into the darkness of the wooden building.
Vic and the girl stared at the crazed man, but the girl was quick to recover from his petrifying spell.
"Wait, where is he going!?"
Vic started a run toward the building's open door.
But, before he could reach the building itself, everything vanished.
The door.
The building.
The entire scrubland around them.
It disappeared from his view, leaving him suspended in a running position.
He was speechless.
It didn't make an iota of sense to him.
He stopped and stood at a point; his eyes fell to the ground.
It had turned into a road.
HOOONK
A red van broke his attention; he jumped out of the way before it hit him.
The van didn't slow down at all, and it sped off into the corner that led to what looked like the school building.
As he was trying to process that, his eyes stung from the sudden light around him.
He looked at the sky.
It was almost pitch-black a minute ago, yet the sun broke through the gray clouds, brightening up the atmosphere, as it did the morning before, and the sinister wind continued to hover over the land.
No, the problem was that it was still morning.
They had spent a whole day's worth of time in the scrublands; the morning daylight was,, of course, surprising.
It was the same morning they left for school.
But it, itself,
Never left.
He turned around and stared at the girl, who looked too terrified to even flinch.
He stood on the road.
She stood on the walkway.
Their minds, their very knowledge of common sense, were in pieces at the moment.
The situation threw them off balance.
Bewilderment will be an understatement.
A mosquito, carried by the wind, flew onto Vic's face and began to draw out blood.
He didn't even blink.
His heart beat only accelerated.
With her eyes still fixed, she ran to the opposite side of the road, away from the scrubland behind her.
A crooked grin finally showed up on Vic's face
"The school area? Finally." He put his hands on his waist, "We won!"
She couldn't look at him. "What just happened? Did you see? Am I the only one who saw?"
He became rather calm. "Some sort of local juju manifestation, that's for sure. I wonder…"
"AREN'T YOU SHOCKED?? THIS ISN'T NORMAL."
"You ask too many questions!"
"What do you expect?"
"Sometimes you have to push back your confusion and remember the life in front of you."
The girl stared at him blankly
" …ehn!?"
'He's plain crazy…'
He started walking towards the school area, his hands behind his neck.
"We got out; that's all that matters."
"But how? Who was that sicko? He probably did –"
"Can you stop shouting? It's too early to be mad. So annoying."
huh
Where did that anger come from?
She stared at him as he walked off; her brows were crossed, and she looked at his head moving here and there.
She took in a deep breath and sighed.
At least it's over.
She followed him from behind; they were heading in the same direction after all.
Vic checked his phone and announced the time.
"9:30, Thursday the 4th, time didn't even flinch, yeah."
She could only muster a light smile.
Not because of him, but because it felt like they just overcame a nightmare.
Basically unscathed, if she doesn't count anything mental.
Then, an awkward silence came between the two. Vic stared at her, as if trying to take in her features again, but looked away when she looked his way. Then the girl sighed and stopped to let Vic keep walking; he stopped when he noticed, then turned around to face her.
"What? You lost something? Do you want water? Oh wait – "
"I'm Vi-Vivian; that's what I'm called."
Vic stared at the sky first, then at her, with another of his grins, "Well, nice to meet you, Vivid Vivian. I'm Vic!"
"Th…that's not my adjective; it's… well-"
"Yeah, I figure it's the opposite of Vivid, but… that's what I want to know you as!" He looked like a light bulb of positive aura; she couldn't look at him directly.
"Wow, that wasn't cringe at all." She continued walking, passing him by the side. "By the way, we're in the same department."
"Which department?"
"Yours."
"What's my department?"
"Mine, sadly."
"Oh, that's cool!"
"I can't believe you took those things from a stranger."
"We did! It was your idea; I only did it because you were scared."
"Was I, really?"
She couldn't help but think of what they had just passed through that morning, the large empty scrublands that had served as an open maze, Shady Femi, the masquerade that had chased them around the place like the maniac he was, or the teleporting act they featured in just now – all because she followed the words of a guy she met 30 minutes ago.
A textbook definition of a stranger,
A person she should have nothing to do with but was now sure was a psychopath of some sort.
'I have a bad feeling about my life now, an awful one at that.'
Cheer up.
Those were the words he repeated to her.
They were the ones that stuck.
She'd been told a lot of things over the years.
Negative, scarring,
Truths, lies, and some she was unsure about.
But he was the first in half a decade to tell her those words again.
"…"
A faint smile grew across her lips.
She had to find a way to get away from Vic ASAP.
But little did she know of the future events that would bring them together.
Time,
And time again.