A World Split In Two

Chapter 22: Optical Illusions, But I Swear There's No Green Curtain Or Old Guy!

 One Of Those Is Actually True.

Zack, woke up to a nice cold bucket of agua poured onto his face in the most annoying way--At least he didn't have a headache. "Wake up sunshine," announced someone in a rather low voice for a child. Naturally Zack jumped straight up to find a four foot guy with a now empty bucket in his hand. But unlike the other kids this guy had a rather good amount of facial hair.

"This may sound rude but, WHO ARE YOU AND WHY AM I SOAKED!?" the soaked Zack screamed at the man.

"I'm Chris's father," explained the man, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ohhh...." Zack started remembering what Voc told them about different bone structures.

True, he probably should have found the first adult human he had seen in the last few weeks after he had been told that they all were in another dimension, odd. But by now he was used to waking up to be greeted by the unlikely.

"So if there is a grown up here... why are you guys living in the woods? And where were you when I was running for my life... from your kid!?" Zack asked, still not totally believing the man's family claims.

"Getting supplies."

Zack wondered if the man was even trying to come up with a clever excuse for breaking and entering Zack's tent. Perhaps this man really was Chris's father, but if so Zack wondered if he was going for worse parent of the dimension award, then again he was probably one of the only parents so.... "You left your kid unintended--in the middle of a forest, with sharp pointy things--to go get supplies?" Zack finally asked.

"What? If I wasn't here he would always be unintended." The man did have a point, even if his parenting skills weren't the greatest. "Besides someone had to get the supplies--I wasn't going to eat apricots again--and I'd rather have my kid, whose name is Chris by the way, back here concealed in a forest and armed with 'sharp pointy things', than exploring the Mephistophelian wasteland out there. Now you promised my kid you would slay a giant winged pug."

"Yep. My life keeps getting weirder and weirder. Say could you get out now, you're kind of weirding me out... also I need to change because my current attire is sopping wet, thanks for that by the way."

"My pleasure. Now move it. I don't have all day," the man ordered as he left the tent leaving Zack to follow him, or be left standing there, soaking wet.

"So how far away is this town?" he asked, jogging up to the guy, he was thankfully able to find a change of jeans and an unbiased T-Shirt and hoodie amongst his clothes ball, they kinda had a stale smell to them but it was that or hypothermia. "Also what time is it?" Looking around Zack noticing that it was still dark and there were no kids running around, screaming or chasing innocent self obsessed teenagers. The only sound was the crunch of leaves underfoot, and the wind rustling through the few remaining leaves on the trees.

"Five-thirty, and it's only a few miles away. Now stop asking questions," the short man replied flatly, without looking back. Boy and Zack thought that he wasn't a people person.

The rest of the walk went by amazingly fast. In no way was it the most boring few miles Zack had ever walked. In no way did the man insist on not talking to Zack whenever possible, reasoning that he didn't really care to talk to a moody teen. Although he would really have to get used to it, since there really weren't many other options.

"Wait so if you're Chris's dad... how come Lenny was the chief?" Zack finally questioned, wondering if he just got the names confused.

"He won the paintball fight," the man said, as if it was the most obvious answer, perhaps the man prided himself on his short sentence structure making capabilities.