Something's Wrong With the Different Realms

Twenty-Five: Apologies

"Yeah, I understand that you're still mad but I have a good reason to do so if you just let me explain."

Allaira twirled with a strand of her wavy caramel brown hair. "M'kay, then explain away."

"Before I talk, can I ask you why you changed your mind about talking to me? What made you change your mind?"

Allaira waved a hand. "I'll tell you after you explain your actions. It's a long story and besides, I have a feeling that what you're going to say is going to be relevant to the thing that made me change my mind."

"M'kay, so the day we were going to the café I had this random thought that popped up in my head. I wondered what it would be like if I told Isla and Jasper the truth like the fairies in our book. I was sort of hoping for a miracle, and I was secretly hoping that Isla and Jasper had mystical abilities and that they'd somehow be able to get us home."

Allaira raised an eyebrow. "And?" she asked, switching to English temporarily. "That's stupid."

"Yes, I know that's stupid! I'm aware of that! That's why I just dismissed those thoughts and continued walking on the trail. Then, I got angry at the world and angry at the fact that we were torn from our families and forced to trample around Earth, a dangerous and foreign place. And because I was furious, I decided to punch a tree which was why my knuckles were strangely orange that day.

"After punching the tree, I felt a wave of unbearable pain and I was forced to lie down on the forest floor unmoving for many minutes. After the pain had numbed, I made a realization. You know this Cassie figure that Allurie mentioned?"

"Yeah, what about them?"

"Well... I'm certain that they're causing the pain as a way to control us in their sick game and experiment. First, they used the pain to try to get us to go across the Sheen. And when I muttered that I didn't want to tell Isla and Jasper about the truth, they used the pain and forced me to tell the truth. The pain subsided immediately when I screamed that I was going to tell the truth."

"Oh," said Allaira thoughtfully.

"Do you know what this means?" I asked.

"Sort of?" Allaira was still trying to click the pieces of the puzzle in place.

"This means that Cassie is the reason why we're on Earth."

As soon as those words left my mouth, a wave of pain hit me. This time, instead of the pain starting from one part of my body and spreading, my whole body lit up with pain at once. It was agonizing, it felt like my skin was being submerged in a fire. It felt like I was being ripped apart and trampled again and again and again. I tried to tear at my skin to rid myself of the pain but it didn't work so I just crumpled onto the hardwood floor.

Once I got used to the pain and it numbed, I climbed back onto my seat and glanced over at Allaira. She was also picking and clawing at her skin. Her face was also scrunched tight. It seemed that she was also feeling the pain as well. It seemed that Cassie didn't want me sharing this information with Allaira and if Allaira had something else to tell me, it seemed that they were also preventing Allaira from telling me.

It seemed to be working because I couldn't form any coherent thoughts with the blinding pain enrapturing my body. At least I had said all that I'd needed to say so that was good. But what about Allaira? It seemed like she had something else to tell me. At the very least, I hoped that she could explain to me what made her change her mind about talking to me.

But Allaira proved me wrong because she called out my name. She must've had some tactics that she used to reduce the pain and to be able to speak and form coherent sentences instead of just groaning in agony.