It was Monday morning, and I knew I was going to be late. Those damn chickens in my father's yard had decided to sing more of their throat music. I knew I was frustrated because I had a presentation on theories related to the development of the Pariah and their powers. An interesting study that, throughout our school's neuroscience program, considered the idea that Pariahs' powers come through a special growth on the cerebral cortex. This growth somehow controlled the nerves of the body as well as energy within the organism's environment. It is much more complex than this, but that is just a basic understanding of the Pariah organism.
Usually, the growth did not appear on any person's brain until a certain age based on autopsies. Although, powers may have appeared earlier then the growth, which was founded based on empirical evidence. I always wondered if there was more to the development and brain powers of these individuals. The theories that had been proposed so far did not make complete sense. I mean many theories seemed to be void of much needed information. My presentation was a theory I had considered that not many scholars had even thought of, or they may have thought of it but had never written down as throughout my research I had not found something similar. And how I knew could have been the end of me and my father.
My father had left some coucou on the stove from the day before for breakfast. It seemed he had run out of fish and had used some gravy from one of the goats he had cooked for later in the day. Usually when he made dinner early it was because he would be out much later. My father did not work under a company. He just worked on the farm and made his dinero by selling animals, eggs and plants. This was not the reason for his tardiness when he was coming home. My father was a fighter; and sometimes visited the city for a less glamorous, slightly illegal career. As a fighter, he would often visit the city and make his dinero amongst the more villainous groups. The city, although run down, harbored criminals. Two gangs. The Mangosta Negra and the Pandilla Voladora.
The Mangosta Negra, I was told to stay away from as they were on the lowest of the criminal ladder. There was supposedly nothing they would not do, and many believed that they also worked for the officials. Some of my family members are in the Pandilla Voladora and they ran the south side of the old city. If it were not for their fighting skills, they would have been overrun by the Mangosta Negra a long time ago. My father was not part of any gang, and he did not want me to join them either. He did desire for me to know my uncle and my cousins. They had not materialized any powers, but they at least knew how to fight; just not as good as my dad. My father told me he did not want me to become a fighter like he was, but he still taught me everything he knew for my own protection. He believed it was only a matter of time before I could be able to best him in one-on-one combat. Beating him may have hurt his pride, And still, I thought, it would also make him proud. The one thing he did not want me to become was a Pariah. I was often confused by this, knowing he jumped at the chance that I could become an official.
I set out early and rode my motorcycle along the dusty streets near my home. The sun was shining bright behind a few heavy clouds and a mist still hung about the air. I knew I could still make it in time. My class started at ten in the morning, and I needed to be at the bus stop by eight to get there in time. The roads were still a mess and at times I had to slow down so I would not slide down any rough patches. My blue, yellow, and black winter coat kept me warm, blocking the cool air and trapping the heat around my ebony body. It was only seven now and I had plenty of time to spare.
Once I finally reached my destination, there was a long lineup of much older students. Some were planning on becoming teachers, or engineers of all sorts, and a few were also taking similar prerequisites for my program. All of them were Pariah who would eventually become officials. Seeing someone my age, so young, must have been both hilarious and insulting to them. I am only fifteen and most of them were now in their mid-twenties — maybe older. I did see a few younger students who were of Spanish descent as well. I knew they all knew each other. I did not know any of them.
"Hey. Hey you!!!"
I turned my head to face the voice that was speaking to me, but when I turned, it was not someone I recognized. The man was shorter than myself and his frame was not like that of my father or me. He was much rounder than I was.
"Yes. Is there a problem?" I asked as I placed the bike's mount against my side and gently removed my riding gloves.
"Why would there be a problem? I mean, some snotty nosed brat comes into line with the big boys thinking he is entitled to a better education. Why don't you go back to a school with kids your age, stupid human?"
I looked around and found everyone was watching me. It was true. It was rare to find someone so young in a school such as this and even rarer for the university to allow someone of my father's non-Pariah blood type and pigmentation into the program — basically inconceivable. Nevertheless, it was also rare for someone to pass every test that the school system had given on every level. I was an exception, and I knew I had every right to be there. I decided not to reply to his insult and stooped lower to get a better look at my bike. This was not the time to become upset over anything. It was exciting, and I still had my presentation later in the evening. Plus, they were up there in age and their powers may have already manifested. There was no sure way of knowing if some fight might awaken something in them that could endanger me, myself or another who just happened to jump in. This was not for my benefit, but for his. Pariah hurting another Pariah, even sometimes by accident when not an official was a criminal offense.
I stood up and noticed a few buses were now ahead of me and people were beginning to board. The buses were a greenish-brown color. Some of the windows looked as if they were rusted shut. Nothing would be capable of opening them. I placed my bike on a sort of metal rack near the wall and the wall opened slightly, allowing the bike to be swallowed whole. I raised my hand, and a letter was stamped into my palm with other symbols that I did not recognize. It was in an unfamiliar language, but I understood the numbers: 4536. I would be required to show my stamp upon return for the retrieval of my bike. Either that or an I.D. card from what I was told. It was a safe process. One that I no longer had to pay for as a benefit of attending the university. I ran towards the bus and slowly climbed up the steps. I smiled at the driver, but he only frowned, nodded and then instantly began to turn the wheel. He seemed to be in a hurry and did not give me much time to find a seat. I found myself being thrown to the side, landing on an unfortunately much smaller male who did not take kindly to my accident. The young man seemed upset, but only pushed me away so that I could stand.
Not a soft push, more like an aggressive shove. I gradually pulled myself to the back of the moving bus where there was still a seat available. I placed my school bag to one side and admired the seats as they had been refurnished. I could tell by newness in comparison to the outside of the bus. The outside of the bus looked like a hot mess. You would think the university would spend some money on them. The seats were checkered black and white. The seats from my observation were made from cow hide or some other farm animal. Whomever had made them had decided to leave the fur and dyed the whole thing. I sat down and rubbed my hands along its softness. It was smooth to the touch, and I imagined having these at home instead of the wooden chairs I was used to sitting on. The only saving grace were the beds.
I looked around and noticed the students were quiet. Most were reading their books getting ready for class, but I had already read through the material and made notes. I just needed to worry about the presentation I was meant to do that day. I opened my notebook and retrieved a metal chip that was used in a machine for 4D projection, a new tool used in the university. It was not a tool that was easily accessible to those outside the university unless you salvaged one through methods that were not praiseworthy. Most officials had access to these devices and others that were not readily available to the public, and they would sell them to the university for prices that were affordable.
Students could rent them out for a certain amount of time. Some technology that was not available to anyone except the officials sometimes found themselves in the hands of the Mangosta Negra. We all knew that the government harbored technology that was advanced far beyond anything we could imagine, hence the Garwayways. We only saw glimpses of these technologies in school or if you were lucky enough to survive an attack by a Garwayways. If you were able to fight them off and come back to tell the tale. Of course, this never happened. If I survived long enough to make it to the Selectiva Crizana, I would have the pleasure of meeting such a technological monstrosity.
It was a long drive towards the university. We detoured through old neighborhoods, tall buildings, and highways that seemed to stretch on forever and winding roads that I thought would lead to nowhere. We finally reached our destination where some old buildings stood close to tall, abandoned skyscrapers. It was a wonder how they had stood for so long. I would have thought most of the infrastructure would have crumbled by this time, but many of the city buildings still stood. There was greenery covering most of the architecture and I wondered if it was a miracle of man or just strong, crawling-vines that had held these buildings up for so long. This was far beyond where I normally would have gone on my own journeys with my father, as most of the officials lived here. I was never to set foot here, but my father had made an exception, as I was now being educated.
I waited until all the other Pariah had marched off the bus and gradually made my way to the front. It was clear that the driver did not feel too jovial with my presence and with how I had taken my time as he glared at me when I smiled. He then began to turn his bus to where the other buses were parked. I only just made it off the dark-bronze stairs before the doors closed on my behind. I began to look around, trying to take in my new surroundings and noticed a few students looking at me. They pointed and laughed, but I kept my head held high and marched straight past them. I would not allow them the satisfaction. Being my age, a non-Pariah, and a martial artist with this complexion would not go well for me. I already knew my life would be difficult. My only option was to find a spot as an official so that my father could live a safe lifestyle like when my mother was alive.
"Hey, don't worry about those other guys, hermano. Some of us have grown out of that mentality. I guess I am one of them. The name is Carlos."
I glanced at Carlos as I stood in line. He was wearing an old, frayed white tank top that probably had seen better times and track pants with thick leather boots. It was clear that he was not in the same program as me. He most likely was planning on going into engineering or another technological field. His skin was brown but with less pigmentation than mine and he did not have the facial bone structure of anyone that I would have recognized. I guessed he must have been Indian. Not Native Indian, but from the South Asian country. A place that I had heard about from the world across the Salted-Sea. A descendant of them. By his complexion and eye color, it was obvious he had been mixed as well.
"You look like one of those Pariah children. Why are you talking to me?" I asked as I continued to gaze straight forward.
"Just relax, hermano. Not all of us like what those Pariah-Colonialists did here. And yes, I am a Pariah. A Tech Pariah to be exact. My mother looks just like you. My father, may he rest in peace, not so much."
This time I turned to Carlos and gave him my full attention. I still did not trust him but decided I would humor him for the moment. The line to the entrance was long and I knew I would be bored after a short amount of time if I did not keep myself busy doing something. It was better to have a conversation with someone, even if they were the enemy. I noticed he was much darker than I thought when I had first glanced at him. His features were also like my own with a few exceptions; especially his hair, nose and green eyes. For some reason, the look of him just annoyed me. I decided to keep my thoughts to myself. He might become useful at some point.
"My bad, hermano. I just do not trust anyone. And I am sure you understand why," I replied.
"I do. If I were in your shoes, I would not say a word to anyone either. It is only because I am a son of an official that I get some go-ahead here. I am surprised they even let someone like you in. It was tough even for me with my marks. I did not know they allowed humans into these programs," Carlos said with a shrug as he pushed his glasses further upon his nose.
"Yeah! I guess some of us are luckier than others," I replied softly.
"I suppose," he replied.
"Privileged jerk," I whispered under my breath.
I turned and looked at the officials near to us, and then made a careful sweep of my surroundings. It was the first time that I noticed there were not many people around. The streets were empty, and everyone was pushed into straight lines where X's were marked. I looked above and saw signs that read to please stay in line at designated markers or die of your own admission. "Safe", I thought to myself. I looked around me and noticed there were officials at every corner. They would probably love to shoot me in the back if I made a wrong move and claim it was self-defense. The official who caught my eye seemed to smirk as if he were also thinking the same thing. I shuddered. I looked forward again and noticed the line was much shorter now. The building that the students were now entering was a bloody, crimson red, made from bricks that looked as if they were new.
I could only imagine what they had done to get the bricks that red. I have heard stories about what Pariah Officials would sometimes do — not to each other but to humans. I wouldn't put it past these officials. I felt someone push me forward and turned to see that it was one of the officials. It was obvious he was a Pariah, one of the more deformed creatures. His two front teeth had outgrown the confines of his mouth and his ears were much longer and pointer than usual. I smiled and continued walking. I did not want to find out what his powers were, especially since I had none. I felt a push again and turned around to find him pointing his weapon directly at my right eye.
"Look at the little freak over here. Think you are safe? I bet! If it were any other time anywhere else, I would blow your brains right out of your head, you ugly looking freak of nature," the official cried.
I was about to ask him who he thought he was talking to and if he had ever seen a mirror before, but I turned around and began to walk away. I did not want any trouble. I continued walking and felt a small breeze at the nape of my neck. Before I could even turn around, I felt the butt of his gun hit me in the middle of my back. I grimaced.
"Look, hermano. We do not want any trouble."
It was Carlos. He had stepped in front of me and the official as he glared down at the both of us.
"Say thank you to your friend here. I was about to put two through your brain and no one would believe that I did it out of malice. If you are here, know that we have power and authority, you weak non-Pariah. I cannot stand you little colored half and half's either. I only wish your father would have turned against our authority while he was an official. I would rip your spinal cord out of your head and make your own mother eat it," the official responded as he smiled a devious smile and turned his attention to other students near the back. "Who wants to act up today?", he yelled.
"I don't get the best treatment here either as you can tell. We just have to stick together until we are officiated into the government," Carlos whispered. "Until then, let's keep a low profile, alright?"
"I am tired of these things always happening. One day I will do something. And that ugly looking freak will feel my wrath first," I responded while rubbing my back with my left hand.
The pain made the rest of the journey towards the entrance an unpleasant one. Every step felt like something was jabbing me in my brain and all the way down my spine. I could feel tingles at points in all my fingers. I started wondering if I was developing migraines. It was extremely uncomfortable.
"You alright? You do not look too well," Carlos cautioned.
"Don't worry about me," I replied angrily.
We finally reached the entrance where a tall woman with black hair and blond highlights sat there above us. She looked at both of us in disgust and slowly ran her curved fingers through her matted hair. At the end of each finger were razor-sharp nails that looked like needle points. Her skin was scaly like that of a lizard, orange and shiny like newly polished metals.
"Muestra de Sangre, por favor!" She said without looking at us.
I looked at Carlos who immediately lifted his hand to hers. She took it ever so gracefully than pushed a Complete Ether magic needle under his skin. He jerked his arm a bit to my surprise and his anguish. I could only imagine the pain the injury may have caused him.
"Sorry," she said with a smile. "Old needle."
She placed the needle onto a grayish metal contraption and a green light appeared above her head. She nodded and told Carlos he was free to go. Carlos stayed beside me however as he nursed his hand. It was clear he was not planning on letting me out of his sight. He had some protection here. I did not; however, anything could happen to me if he turned his back. I was not fully in the school yet, not yet a student officially. I raised my hand and quickly pulled it away once I saw the rusted needle.
"You can put that piece of trash away and use a clean one," I said aggressively, as I glared at the woman.
The woman laughed and stood. She looked like she was a full head shorter than me. Her body was winding like a snake. Her elongated neck looked like it was a third of the size of her own body. I could only hope that if I did materialize any powers, my human shape would remain. I lifted my hand again slowly and as she gripped the edge of my fingertips; she slammed the needle deep into my hand. I screamed. Loud enough that the other officials could hear me. They all began to laugh and shout as if they were at some sport festival and their favorite player had scored the winning goal. The woman ripped the needle from out of my hand and I did not know what had hurt more; the entering or exiting of the needle. She placed the needle on the panel, and nothing happened. She looked confused and lifted the needle for a moment, gently placing it onto the metal contraption. The light immediately turned red; I felt a shiver go up and down my spine. Uncomfortable was not even the word as the other officials began moving in closer and ever closer. Like spiders do with their prey. The woman lifted her hand and the men stopped, all of them staring at me as if I were some sort of demon. The woman lifted the needle and tried again, but this time it turned green.
"He is not one of them. He is not an Akhir. No worries. It may have just been a glitch in the machine," an official cried.
I sighed with relief. I was not sure what they meant by 'one of them or Akhir" but I was only glad I wasn't whatever that was. It was a good thing it was only a mistake made by the machine. It most likely happened enough times that they did not see it as a big deal. I turned to Carlos who smiled at me, and we began to make our way to the entrance. Upon entry there were tons of students standing in the middle of a large room as officials surrounded us. They all looked human, but they were clearly Pariah. I noticed most of the students were not generally fit, and they did not seem to posses any powers that I could notice. If they were Pariah, they were not the deformed kind. I noticed only Carlos and I seemed to have done any kind of strenuous exercise we needed to stay fit. People like us needed to be if we were to survive in this world. Running or fighting, we did not have it easy. I turned to Carlos whose eyes were staring intently at me. It made me feel uncomfortable. He looked a little worried.
"You alright, Jared?" Carlos asked.
"I am. And seriously, stop with that staring, hermano. It's creepy."
"I am just worried about you. These officials don't seem to like you at all," Carlos replied as he looked away.
"I am human, remember," I replied in a quiet whisper. "You would not understand."
"After what happened just now Jared. I am not so sure that is the only reason."
I ignored Carlos and turned my whole body so I could face forward. I soon noticed some sliding doors straight ahead and above. They had the kings crest emboldened in gold, with a dark red background. The doors slowly began to open and a man in a long red and gold gown stepped out. His hair was white, but not the white that you would expect of any one person's hair. It was white and silver and seemed to move on its own. It looked like lightning. Even as he moved, there appeared to be sparks all around him.
"Future officials. This is the school for Gifted Pariah. Not many make it here, so consider yourself lucky. And for those who think you do not belong here, that should not be the case. Outside of these walls, above ground, it may be different... but in here, if you follow our rules and know your place, you can also be accepted by us officials of this beautiful Pariah nation. Please do not act up or one of the officials here will be ever so glad to show you the quickest way out. And I mean death. Any questions?"
I saw a hand raise far above the heads of the crowd near me and a man spoke in a somewhat squeaky voice. I was sure his natural voice did not sound like that. It must have been out of fear. I knew most of the students wanted to be here. Being an official in the top ranks from what I heard gave the officials and their families special privileges. I also wanted to create a safe place for both myself and my father; even if it meant I was siding with the enemy. Even if it meant that I had to go against people who looked like me, who shared my human blood type. I turned my attention to the voice that was speaking again, neglecting my own thoughts as I was curious as to what my peers might be saying. In a situation like this it was important to know what was going on around you.
".... I would...ummm...I would like to know. What happens to us when we become Pariah? And why is the city so empty?"
I turned my attention to the man above us on the platform. His hair was now all silver and lighting spikes seemed to hurdle over his body. His face was illuminated by this light, so it was only partially seen. I could only see his nose, eyes and his mouth. His forehead and cheeks were also hidden in this silver, bright light.
"Not questions I have not heard before. Well let me tell you. If you become Pariah while in this facility, you automatically become officials. I am kidding. You remain students until you are finished your program. I know many of you wonder what becomes of those outside of this facility. Or even those who rebel against this wonderful government, but we can assure you they are taken to the king to be in his service. It is not as wonderful as this. And yes, they are put to work, but nothing of harm. Nothing like the glamorous lifestyle we have here for our officials. It would be better for you to stay here and remain obedient to your king."
I turned towards Carlos who was glaring at the man speaking above us. His face was plastered with anger and murderous intent. Just being in his company brought shivers down my spine. I could not imagine myself or anyone being filled with so much hatred. But here he stood; with a face like that of a demon. I turned my attention towards the place above me again and noticed the man's lighting was like a small cloud compared to Carlos's anger; whose hate felt like a raging thunderstorm. If the room would have been swept by a strong gust of wind that threw us all left and right, it would not have surprised me in the least that this great power would have came from my new acquaintance. His anger disturbed me more than any thing I had seen on anyone's face before, and I wondered what this man on the platform had done to cause such emotions. I decided to leave it for now and hoped he would tell me in the future. I looked around and noticed another young woman raise her hand, bolder than the first, and her voice seemed to boom from all four corners of the room.
"When do we start classes? I'm bored of this already."
"Shaki, is that you?" The man on the platform said with a smile.
"Yeah. Can we start already? This is boring. I would rather be fighting right now."
"I haven't seen you since you were a young girl. I am so glad you made it this year. Well, we can start soon enough. We decided to postpone classes for today. Sorry to those who were preparing presentations over the summer. We want all of you to get settled in and then we can begin tomorrow. You will all be shown to your rooms. Of course, you will be separated, male and female just in case. This university is strictly business, not pleasure. When you do become officials, you will be selected for careful breeding for best optimization of your powers. You will not choose who you want to marry. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir!!!" The crowd replied almost sullenly.
"Good to hear you will all be obedient. Don't want any mishaps like last year. We will not be as lenient to any disobedience in this regard," the man said as he bared his teeth and with a blinding flash he was gone.
"I would love to see one of y'all disobey. Especially you half and half scum. Just try me," one of the officials screamed over the deafening silence.
"Like you could actually do anything," Shaki replied as the man grimaced.
"These officials are a nuisance. Someone should eventually teach them a lesson, huh Carlos?" I asked as I turned in his direction.
Carlos was still glaring in the direction of the platform. Sweat now beaded on his forehead, his face much calmer, as calm as it could be now. Every muscle in his body seemed taut like a rubber band that had been spun and was full of kinetic energy, ready to spring forth. He was like a grown tiger ready to pounce on its prey. One mistake and his victim would breathe its last breath in its sharpened claws and teeth. I felt a jolt and realized the whole room was beginning to move. I looked up and noticed there was nothing above me but sky. There were a few metal bridges, but mostly a darkened, dull sky. Then everything went dark, and the room began to move even faster. I quickly lowered myself to the ground in fear and held tightly to my stomach. It was over. We were all going to die. As fast as the thought came and went, the room slowed to a steady halt, and I looked up to find everyone in the same huddling position except for the officials and the woman named Shaki.
The name was written on the back of her jacket. Shaki Pheonight. She was staring upwards with her hands folded against her chest. Her long, black, braided hair seemed to float in the air and landed softly against her slender shoulders and dark brown skin. She looked at me and smiled. I turned away and felt my face become warm. I had never seen a woman more beautiful than the woman that stood before me. She reminded me of a shining star in the middle of a vast, gloomy sky. I heard another sound like that of a loud motor bike and I turned around. The walls of the room began to open and to my surprise there was a huge underground city like those I had seen only in photos. They were lights everywhere, as far as the eye could see as well as skyscrapers that reached to the very tops of the underground ceiling. I placed my hand on Carlos's shoulder to steady myself. It was astounding. I had never seen something more beautiful in all my years. I looked over at Shaki again. Well maybe not the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
"It's beautiful," I heard a man say.
"I could live here forever," a woman replied.
I recovered from my initial shock and pushed through the crowd towards the city. I looked down and noticed it was bustling with life. Pariah were quickly moving from one building to another, buying, selling and driving along the streets. They were not driving in cars and trucks like what I was familiar with. These vehicles hovered above the ground. It was so futuristic. I could not even imagine how large the whole city could be. It seemed to go on forever. As if the city stretched into the very bowels of the earth's core. To the left and to the right of me, there were two statues of a man with the king's crest on them. I instinctively knew who he was. It was the Sea King. There were stories that his powers allowed for him to control the elements. Not all, but some. These included earth and water.
He was one of the few Pariahs that could wield more than one power. It was known that only he and my mother had these capabilities. It was unknown if these powers could be passed down to their children; as the kings' children had never manifested more than one power as far as we knew. I would be lucky if I manifested anything and even if I did; I doubt the power would be even half of the weakest Pariah. I believed this only because my father had never manifested any power of any significance. Some thought he may have been a Pariah because of his fighting skills, but he had not been taken away by the Garwayways. So, most thought that idea false. He was just a normal, average, everyday human being that was doomed to die a failure in the eyes of the Pariah; although, he was respected by those who knew him because of his fighting abilities.
I noticed the room began to move again. A terribly slow and gradual descent towards the ground beneath us. The Pariah looked so insignificant, like ants, but now I could see their clothes and distinguish their faces from one another. Some were beast-like, some clearly elemental, others looked like normal human beings. One thing was for certain, they were all Pariah. I glanced over to where Carlos once stood but it appeared that he had gone off into the city somewhere. Most of my peers were already making their way to the buildings that stood near to us. I looked upwards and realized it to be about twilight, but I could not tell for sure as the sky was only filled with artificial light from sources far up above. I wondered what the city would look like in the morning.
I decided it best to follow the crowd and moved towards the building to the right of me. All the men were going in that direction, and I soon passed a pool of water that sparkled as it reflected the light from the artificial stars causing the calm, serene water to sparkle with a rainbow-like hue. Upon the pool's bank were poplar trees, flowers and grass. The flowers and trees were of various colors. Not something I had seen before but most likely artificially made. There was no way a normal tree could possibly look like that. When I neared the building, I realized how small it was in comparison to the other structures nearby. It was not small in and of itself, but in comparison to everything else it looked like an ant next to groups of giant bird nests. Upon entry of the building a tall, roughly shaved guard with a long goatee that reached down to his knees handed me a key card for my room. He appeared strange to me, but everything appeared strange to me at the time.
"Room 118," I said to myself.
I looked back to the guard to say thank you and noticed something disturbing. His beard was braided and what I thought was hair were thin pieces of metal that seemed to move on their own. I quickly placed my hand over my mouth and gagged. He only laughed and looked away. Whatever they were, they looked like parasites and they were fastened to the underside of his lips. I could only imagine what he could do with those creatures that held fast to the orifice. I moved slowly through the crowd as everyone began to search for their rooms. Some waited to take the elevator while others sprinted towards the stairs. It did not take me long to find my room. I walked past the reception desk and turned the corner. It only took a few minutes before I was standing in front of my room with my key card in hand. I let out a sigh of relief and slowly slid the key card into the card-sized slot. The door made a sound, like a soft jingle and a green light shone bright around the door's edges. The door slowly opened and what I found was nothing like I imagined.
I walked into the room and gawked at the newly refurbished living room. The kitchen was fully stocked, and my bedroom looked and felt luxurious. I could even see all my rooms as the walls appeared to be transparent. I grabbed a few items from the fridge and seated myself near a 4D projection television set and it automatically turned on. It was almost lifelike. The room changed, and it was as if I was there myself, wherever there was. It was the news channel and she talked about how great the king was and all the wonderful things he did. I tried to change the channel but for some reason the remote would not work, so I turned it off. Instead, I turned my attention to my food. There was corn, a wedge of cheese and some wine. I finished it quickly and wiped the excess off my mouth with my sleeve. The wine caused me to feel droopy, so I stood up, and with as much energy as I could muster, stumbled all the way to the bedroom. I was not sure if I imagined it or not but before I fell into a deep asleep, I felt something open my mouth and scrub my teeth with something soft. I was confused and wondered if it was all a dream. I would have never dreamed of this sensation upon my tongue before as I sensed the aroma of peppermint and a hint of parsley. I do not think I have slept better than that night in all my life.
End of Chapter 2---