Finding Utopia

Chapter 17: Finding Utopia

Aliaan: " So we're basically hallucinating in this place! I wonder what it actually looks like when we're not!"

Xeelai: " Interesting thought, deep, makes me curious but mates, I found the tree, to your left!"

The three Aaraans look towards the tree in pure amazement, it is unlike anything they've ever seen, better than what the book described it to be.

Maanaa: " I guess words cannot give credit to how ethereal this tree is"

Aliaan: " I am so glad I came to Earth, this is the best thing I've ever seen in my life"

Maanaa: " Technically, we're not on Earth!"

Aliaan: " Zip it, Maanaa, don't ruin this for me"

Xeelai *turns to them and chuckles*: " You two are like Earthen siblings, it's so funny seeing you annoy each other."

 The two give him side eyes looks, sulk, and walk toward the tree, and he follows them still chuckling to himself. They suddenly feel a strong wave of pure bliss hitting them, and tears start running down their eyes, it's something they've never experienced before, and they get goosebumps from head to toe, and their wings tremble and shimmer making beautiful musical notes.

Maanaa: " What is going on? My brain wants me to be fearful but my body refuses to comply"

Xeelai: " There's definitely some confliction between my mind and body."

Aliaan: " Guys, look at the spheres, I can see old memories I cherish in them"

Xeelai: " Wait! I can see memories that didn't happen yet!"

Maanaa: " Me too, they should be wishes but they feel like memories."

Aliaan:" Let's not get too distracted, say your wishes and let's go back, the others are waiting."

Maanaa: " Aliaan, you changed!"

Aliaan: " What? what are talking about?"

Maanaa: " You seem more mature in a way."

Aliaan * looks at her softly*: " You can say, I realized what's truly important to me!"

The three then close their eyes and say their wishes, then turn back and go back to the gate and leave Utopia.

Luz: " Finally! you're back! did you see my parents?"

Aliaan: " No, we didn't but it's safe, so I'll take you now, anyone else wants to go?"

Maya: " Me!"

Marco: " Me too"

Ziri: " I'll wait! I'll go with Thiyya next time, you down Thiyya?"

Thiyya: " Sure!" 

The couple and Marco, follow the necessary steps and go into the gate. While Maya decides to go with Ziri and Thiyya.

Marco and Luz start running around like kids describing what they see while Aliaan looks at them bored and wishing it would end quickly, he looks around and finally sees the tree, it changed places, it wasn't there last time he came, he shrugs his shoulders, flaps his wings and calls the neighbors to come towards him.

The two come running toward the tree and get hit by the bliss wave, but this time they start crying, especially Luz, she cries uncontrollably for a few seconds then calms down. The three make their wishes and as they go back to the gate, Luz scans her surroundings.

Suddenly she feels a presence behind her she jumps and then turns, it's her mother, she didn't change at all, she perceives her father coming from behind her mother.

Luz freezes for a few seconds, she looks at them, it's definitely her parents, they look just like the pictures, and they haven't aged a bit. The Gils move towards their daughter grinning from ear to ear.

Mariana: " Luz, my angel, you've grown up so much, you're so beautiful"

Luis: " My baby, you grew up so fast and now you're a married woman!"

Luz steps back, she gets this uneasy feeling, it's like they're mindless NPC clones of her parents, they don't seem to have a mind of their own, they looked like they were high on shrooms.

Luz: " How did you recognize me? and why do you know I'm married now?"

Mariana * walks towards Aliaan and puts her hand on his arm*: " We know everything, this young man here is your husband."

Aliaan gets an uneasy feeling, and he shakes Mariana's hand off him, he looks into her eyes, there's something evil that seems to have taken over her mind, like a parasite.

Luis: " We see everything, we watched you grow, it was so fast, only a day ago, the Hawks were here, but we saw you became friends with their daughter Maya!"

Marco: " The Hawks are dead!"

Mariana: " We know, they should've stayed here!"

Luz, starts tearing up, this isn't what she had imagined, they look like her parents but they don't feel like her parents, they feel like mindless androids.

Marco: " I have a really bad feeling about this, I didn't know we could feel bad in freaking Utopia!"

Luz: " Do you guys even love me? Did you miss me? Did you ever want to come back home to me?"

Luis: " We love you and we want the best for you, but this is our home now."

Mariana:" My sweet angel, how can a mother not love her child? We watched over you, you should come live here with us! Everything you wish is here, you can have kids and we will help raise them together as a family"

Marco: " A mother can definitely not love her child, seen a bunch myself but that's beside the point! Luz, these people are mindless, they're not your real parents, this place has taken over them, your real parents would've come back to you, your real parents jumped into the unknown to give you a better life, this isn't them, this is Utopia talking."

Luz fights her tears because she knows Marco is right, these aren't her real parents, she turns to her right to see Aliaan in deep thought.

Luz: " Is something wrong honey?"

Aliaan: " I think Utopia is a parasite!"

NPC: A play on video games "non-player character" mixed with a play on . An NPC is seemingly a human that is unable to think . We exist in a simulated reality and some humans take on the role of NPCs, spouting "opinions" they are programmed to spout and repeating in a cult-like manner. ( from the Urban Dictionary)