Chapter Six - Found
I’m not even sure if I slept last night. Kyle and I didn’t speak much after our little conversation. I still have my doubts about this being reality and I hope that as soon as I open my eyes, I’ll find myself back home. Unfortunately, deep inside, I knew that wasn’t the case. I could feel a breeze and the smell of ocean mixed with trees and foliage.
I slowly open my eyes and I was right. Before me is a small fire and it looks like Kyle was able to catch a wild boar and has it tied up above the fire, cooking it. It smells like bacon, which is way better than fish.
I find myself staring at Kyle, wondering how I could even trust this guy. What he told me last night made me want to run into the woods and hide. It also angered me that he won’t tell me everything he knows.
Kyle knows where we are and why those robots were after me. What he doesn’t know is why these three people are here. Could they be trusted? At present time, the only person that I can trust is Miles.
“Oh, something smells good out here,” Joice says, yawning as she walks out of the cave. She notices me on the ground, “Did you have a good sleep?”
“Not really,” I stand, brushing off leaves and dirt from my shorts.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it,” she says with a smile. “Better get some breakfast. Whatever that is, it smells good.”
Joice walks over to the fire and to Kyle as I turn to head into the cave to check on Miles.
I highly doubt I’ll get used to sleeping in the wild. Right after breakfast, I plan on finding a way back home, with or without Kyle’s help.
I walk past both Tom and Joe, “Breakfast is ready,” I tell them.
Miles is fully awake and is putting on his sneakers as I reach him, “Are you okay?”
I shrug, “Yea, I’m fine. Listen, I’ve known you since you were a baby and you know that you can trust me, right?”
“Yea, what are thinking of doing?” He asks.
“I want to look around. Hopefully we can find a phone or something and call for help.”
“What about the others?” Miles stands.
“If they want to come with us that’s okay but you know me, I can’t just sit and wait. I need to get you back home. Come on, Kyle made breakfast.”
We start to walk towards the exit of the cave when Miles asks, “You’re going to eat, right?”
“Yea, it’s not fish,” I reply with a dry laugh.
“I have to look after you too,” he says, almost making me cry.
“I know, Miles,” is all I could say as we reach the others. The majority of the animal is already gone. “You guys sure eat fast.”
“I warned you yesterday,” Joe says, mouth filled with meat.
Kyle walks over with two large pieces of meat. “Good thing I kept this away from them, huh?”
“Thanks!” Miles takes the smaller of the two pieces and sits next to Joe.
“Thanks,” I mutter, taking the piece of meat. I take a bite and thankfully it tastes just like ham and juicy to boot.
“At least you’re eating. Thought we were going to have to force you to eat,” Joice laughs.
“Heh, yea,” I pause, “Listen, Miles and I are going to look around after breakfast.”
“Not a good idea,” Joe says.
“Why not?” I ask.
“If you go too far, you might not be able to get back to the cave in time. It’s safer here. We have food, fresh water from the nearby stream and the shield from the cave.”
“Then we follow the stream, that way we’ll have water close by and we’ll try to be back before dark,” I say.
“I think it’s too risky as well,” Joice agrees with her twin.
“Sorry but I’m not going to sit and wait,” I say.
“I’ll go with her,” Tom says, standing. I’ve been here the longest and I’ve actually been deeper into the woods than you two.”
“Thanks,” I tell him, a bit surprised that he offered to help.
“Still a bad idea,” Joe repeats. I look over to Kyle who is looking at Joe. To me it seems that Kyle suspects something from Joe. Then I notice Joice looking at Kyle.
Then she says, “If Tom’s going to go then I’ll tag along too.”
Did she say that to stop Kyle from suspecting something?
“Fine,” Joe groans. He stands and heads towards the cave. “Let me grab the sticks and we’ll go.”
“Sticks?” I ask.
“Yea, he and Tom sharpened the end of several branches for protection once we got here. Guess he needs to protect his sister. It’s not like I can’t take care of myself,” she laughs and heads to the cave to help Joe.
“Did you ever find anything while you were out in the woods?” Kyle asks Tom.
“Just some ruins.”
“Really?” I ask.
“Yea, but I never went back. That same day Joice and Joe showed up. I told them about it but Joe didn’t want to risk it. He said that ruins are useless since they’re just ruins so I never thought about them since.”
Joe and Joice return, with backpacks on their backs.
“Where did you get those?” I ask.
“We were in school, remember?” Joe says dryly. Apparently he isn’t too happy about this trip.
“We have two water bottles but as long as we walk along the stream, we should be okay,” Joice says. “We have about eighteen hours of sunlight so we should be okay.”
“We’re going to the ruins,” Tom says.
“Not that again, Tom,” Joe sighs.
“Then don’t come,” I remark as I start walking.
“Stream’s the other way,” Tom says.
“Yep, I knew that,” I say, turning around.
Tom takes the lead as we make our hike into the woods and towards the ruins. After an hour passes, I find myself near the back with Kyle. Joe and Miles are talking near the front while Joice and Tom walk in silence. I start to notice Kyle’s pace slowly down.
“Notice anything?” He asks, in almost a whisper.
“Like?”
“Just anything that’s out of place.”
“You mean Joe? He did start to act a bit odd when I said I wanted to look around and even more when the ruins were mentioned,” I recall.
“Yea, me too.”
“Joice too.”
“Really?”
“Yea, I think the only reason why she agreed to go was to stop you from suspecting something. So my question is what do you think is going on?” I ask, looking at Kyle.
“Not sure. I still don’t understand why they’re here.”
“And here would be…?” I try asking again.
“Can’t tell you that.”
“Oh come on, why not?” I say, a bit louder than I wanted to.
“Because,” he whispers, “Its better if you learn on your own.”
“Huh, learn what?”
“Hey Tom,” Kyle calls out, “Are we almost there yet?”
“Should be another hour or so, why, need a break?” He calls over his shoulder.
“Nah, just wondering,” Kyle says, turning back to me, “If I’m right on where we’re going, you need to see these ruins for yourself. Think you can hold out for two more hours?”
Three of the longest hours pass by and we finally reach a clearing.
“We’re here!” Tom exclaims. “I knew I wouldn’t get us lost.”
The clearing gives way to a pile of ruins made of stone. Kyle looks over to me as I look out towards the ruins. I’m not entirely sure what he wants me to learn from these ruins. My eyes slightly shift from the ruins to a person? Wait, was someone really there?
“Joe..” Joice says, noticing the person as well.
The man looks over to us and my eyes shift back to the ruins automatically.
The man, with red hair and in his thirties calls out to someone. A young woman appears who is of Asian decent and around eighteen years old, “Looks like we finally have company,” he says.
The man and the young woman make their way through the debris to reach us. “I’m Doctor Russell Anazk of the UPC and this is Jasmine Kuntz. I met this young lady and a few others while searching these ruins about a year ago. Funny how when we return there’s another group. Tell me, where are you from?”
“Hold on, why should we tell you anything?” Tom asks, being protective of the group.
I can hear the conversation going on but my eyes refuse to move away from the ruins. This place feels familiar to me for some reason.
“For one, I know how to get you off of this deserted planet.”
“Can you take us back to Earth?” Miles asks, hopeful.
“Ah, so you’re from the same place as Jasmine here. I’m afraid that I can’t send you back to your planet.”
“Why not?” said by all save for Kyle and myself. I can feel him looking back at me every once in a while.
“Listen, I can tell you everything once we get back to the UPC.”
“What the heck is the UPC?” Tom questions.
“Jasmine, if you will, please?”
The young woman with long black hair steps forward, “I’m from California and I was pulled into a portal a year ago along with a few others. We thought we would be stuck here forever until we ended at these ruins. Dr. Anzak was with a team excavating these ruins. He took us in and helped us. Trust me; we can discus everything once Dr. Anzak and I get you back to Zerron. There we can feed you and get you all cleaned up.”
Something clicks in the back of my mind. Something deep, unknown yet familiar as my vision begins to blur. The image of ruins begins to evaporate as a large stone castle takes its place. I can see banners on either side of the wooden doors; they are red and yellow with a symbol in the middle. I’m unable to make out the symbol but the castle itself feels like…
“Why not offer you a trip back home?” Tom asks Jasmine.
“They can’t. Their government won’t allow us to return since our planet is listed as off limits, I’m sorry.”
Doctor Anzak adds, “We’re also putting up blockers to disallow any portals from opening up on your planet ever again. Or just until they catch up with the rest of us.” He takes out a small potion from his coat pocket and throws it to the ground. A small portal begins to take shape and on the other side is a white marble hallway. “Please, follow me and all of your questions will be answered.”
Anzak walks through the portal first, with hope that we would follow.
I can feel Kyle tapping my shoulder but I can’t move. This place feels like…
“I guess it’s better than staying here,” Joe says. Stay close, Joice,” he says as they walk through the portal, followed by Tom.
Miles looks back at us, “Should we stay here?”
“No, just stay close to us,” Kyle says, looking at Jasmine.
“It will be alright, you’ll see,” she says as she walks through.
“…I’ve been here before,” I finally say. With that, my head begins to throb and my heart rate sky rockets.
“Miles, head into the portal. We’ll be right behind you.” Kyle takes my hand and tries to walk me to the portal. My legs begin to stiffen. “A—Jen, can you hear me, we need to get you into a bed. This is all too soon. We need to go through that portal, okay. I need to you to mention nothing but say that you’re sick from the portal.”
I can hear the popping from the portal as my eyes tear up. I suddenly have the urge to cry but I don’t know why. My head gets lighter and lighter and as soon as I hit the portal, all I can see is darkness.
