PROJECT NIRVANA | ONC2020 ✔️

Chapter 6.

I was awoken by a rapping on the window. Darkness coated every corner of the room like a thick blanket, so it took awhile for me to recognize my surroundings.

I rolled over on my mattress, hugging my arms closer to my body. Irrationalities like ghosts and apparitions didn't scare me; however, strange sounds had always made me anxious and unable to think properly. The chirping of crickets droned in the distance, filling the empty silence of the night.

Slowly, I closed my eyes, trying to fall back asleep, but then the rapping sound repeated, this time louder and more insistent. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before swinging out of my bed and drawing apart the curtains. Gentle moonlight flooded inside, bathing me in its milky glow.

A thin woman with shiny blond hair and pale skin stared back at me, knocking on the heavy glass. Carefully, I pushed up the window, curious as to why this stranger wished to speak to me. It didn't take long for me to find out.

"You're in danger," she said in a rushed whisper. "And I've been ordered to escort you to safety."

"Who are you?" I asked. My first impulse had been to shut the window and run to my parents. What if she had come to kidnap me or was somehow involved in the strange events that had been haunting my dreams? How did I know I could trust her? How did I know I could trust anyone?

"I work for the N.I.A.," the woman replied as if sensing my concern. "We can answer all of your questions."

N.I.A. The acronym felt unfamiliar. I had never heard of such an agency.

"Come," she said. Her voice was calm and gentle; it carried a regal warmth that resonated within me. "We don't have much time till sunrise. Once daytime returns to Nirvana, it will be too late."

"If you really belong to such an agency," I said, "Then let me see your I.D." There was no way I was going to be taken for a fool. The fact that I badly wanted to trust this woman and was already making up my mind to leave with her was already foolish enough.

She raised an eyebrow but pulled out a small plastic card from her pocket. I moved closer to look at  the photo and words that were printed on the shiny surface. Natasha Strausberg. So that was her name.

Of course it could be fake but I was willing to take chances. If the so called N.I.A. could help me investigate the strange occurrences, then maybe I would be able to find out what had happened to Avron.

I glanced back at Kasey who snored lightly, sprawled out on my overstuffed couch. I wasn't the kind of person that was comfortable going places with strangers I had just met. But this woman had said that she and her agency had the answers to all my questions. I was more than tempted at this point. I was completely hooked.

"I'll come," I said. If Natasha said that I was in danger, then there was no choice left in the matter. I could either disappear into the night or wait for whatever horrors awaited me at sunrise.  I quickly slipped on my shoes and dropped my phone into my pocket before rejoining her at the window.

Natasha silently stuck out her hand. I accepted it and climbed outside into the cool twilight. I clambered down the ladder she had positioned against the side of the mansion, briefly remembering the fence that stood on the outer edges of the town. It would forever be embedded in my memory.

I stepped off the last rung and onto the mossy ground. Wet grass brushed against my legs and the shadows of the trees stretched out like thin sickly fingers. I ignored the fear bubbling in my stomach, instead glancing up at the starlit sky.

The fragrance of my mother's garden calmed my thoughts, filling me with a sense of comfort. Now I understand why she enjoyed that hobby so much. It had a way of beautifying your surroundings, taking your mind off the terrors of the world.

My family's lawn was a long walk but I occupied myself with speculations about the glitches, the black hole, and what had happened to Avron. Although we hadn't ever really bonded and I was reluctant to call him a 'friend', I still hoped that he was okay.

We were no longer engaged, but I found myself wishing that there was a way to contact him or at least speak to him one more time. And it wasn't just because of my curiosity. Another feeling had begun to blossom in my chest, leaving me both flustered and confused.

But maybe it would be better if we never saw each other again. Maybe now that Avron and I weren't entangled in each other's lives, things would return back to normal.

I could forget about the dreaded black hole and the glitches. However, Natasha had warned of danger. And that meant that Avron must also be at risk. It was already too late for things to return to normal.

I followed Natasha outside the gate to where I could hear the low rumbling of a car's engine. The vehicle's black exterior blended into the shadows, hiding it from the casual viewer. Nervousness made my hands sweat and I wiped them on the sides of my shirt. Natasha quietly opened the door and I slipped inside, settling into the leather seat.

Despite the silence, I could hear faint breathing and realized that there was someone beside me. Should I say hello? It felt awkward to just be sitting in silence. But then, there was sudden movement.

"Felicity?" The person clutched my hand, holding it gently. "Is that you?"

I recognized that voice. "Avron?" My hand tightened around his, as if he would slip out of my fingers at any moment. My voice would probably crack if I tried to speak again, but there was so much I wanted to know. In the short time that we'd been separated, I had missed him more than I cared to admit.

"What happened?" I asked. Ever since his disappearance, I had feared the worst. Images of him drowning in smoke and sand had engulfed my mind, preventing me from thinking of anything else.

There was a pause and I felt Avron shift uncomfortably beside me.

"I think I saw the real world," he said. "A place that isn't Nirvana."