Intermission

After I finished talking with Jessie it was getting darker. I got her number and went straight home. As I returned back I passed by Annie and immediately went to my room. Now that I remember, Greg was working on Saturdays so I could hide in my room because Annie won't bother me if I said that I was tired.

Even if Jessie helped me and I decided to change I still was angered by the actions of this pair. After all, it was hard to change yourself, and this was definitely not because my cheeks looked like two apples after Jessie slapped me.

If only I was smarter and stronger in real life, maybe I would've done everything differently. Maybe it was my weakness that caused me to panic because I had a choice to stay here from the begging. But instead of thinking about what I can do and can't, I tried to hide in my shell.

So what if I'm trapped here? This was an opportunity to live another life, not a deceptive VR game, but real life. And I was probably the only one who can experience it.

I was in my senior years of college, yet I acted like a toddler, throwing a tantrum when I met a setback.

I locked my door and threw my clothes on the floor. I plunged into my bed.

"I need to clear my mind from this."

I tossed and turned in the bed for almost an hour. Still, I just couldn't sleep. It was earlier than usual but I was feeling tired and my stomach still hurt a lot. I thought that I would fall asleep immediately yet my brain refused to abide by my command.

I rarely had any dreams, usually, I just closed my eyes, and then before I could remember anything it would be morning, and I would feel refreshed.

As a side effect when I couldn’t fall asleep fast I was thinking of different things and in most times my train of thoughts would be just as chaotic as it can get. I was hunted by a never-ending stream of thoughts.

And right now this world did just that.  It was almost like it was mocking me, denying me from obtaining even this small repose.

Right now, I was thinking about everything that happened, the "fight", friends of this body, no, I decided that I would change. So was it my friends? Then should I help them? Even if this wasn't a game world I still could guess what troubles they had.

After feeling like I was falling down I opened my eyes.

A black room around me. I wanted to check the time but soon realized that it was not my room. I felt muddleheaded, am I dreaming? Before I couldn't stop my mind, but right now every thought was fleeing from my mind like rats leaving a sinking ship.

I saw a small light, seeping through cracks in the wall. Groggily standing up I went closer to the light. It was probably a door as I found a handle and opened it.

I squinted my eyes, bright neon-like lights blinded me. After getting used to the light I once again opened my eyes.

Before me, there was a long tunnel, with the floor filled with the fog. I looked around but I couldn't notice where was the source of the light. I made a few steps forward. The walls of the tunnel. They were made...from what? Was it glass? Or a mirror? I couldn't think straight in this ephemeral place.

Turning around I saw the room from where I came. Cramped dark space, with nothing in it, and a door that looked like the tunnel from the outer side. But the inner side was like the room. So dark, it felt like this door absorbed the light I that were spilling from out of nowhere.

"..om…ere…"

A woman's whisper.

I couldn't make any sense from what she said. Closing the door I left the room behind.

I went forward.

After an unknown amount of time, I once again felt like falling and in the next second the tunnel changed.

There were now people behind the frosted glass that functioned as walls. The light was pulsating creating a stroboscopic effect.

Women and men were moving here and there.

Some were dancing, some were arguing, some were crying. They did whatever they wanted. As the light pulsated they were changing their positions constantly.

When did this barely tangible music appear? A bizarre intermingling of club music and an opera performed by a woman, it was here from the beginning.

I heard people talking, their voices blending into white noise.

And the woman from before, she was the only one I heard.

Constantly giggling and humming.

She was the one who sang.

A sensual voice.

"…ere…hehehe…"

My legs went by themselves.

"Hmmm…hmmm…huhuhu…"

The voices started decomposing into something.

"…fo…ou..!"

"…as…y…ault…"

"I…ou…?"

I was walking through a never-ending tunnel of people.

Were they talking to me?

"I...wo…et…y…o… haaa."

Once again this woman.

I was attracted to this voice.

The music hypnotized me.

"Com…ere…"

Her voice grew more focused and recognizable.

"Here child…ahaha."

Was this door here from the beginning?

Big white door right in front of me. I reached out to it.

Turn around? I felt someone gently turning my head back to the door.

"Don't turn away."

I opened it.

"There's no turning back."

Blinding light.

"Hhnnnghaaa." I woke up from the dream.

"Was I dreaming?"

I didn't notice when I fell asleep. It was always like this when I went to bed.

I rubbed my eyes and after they grew accustomed to the darkness I found my phone. I checked the time, it was the middle of the night.

"Ugh." as I stretched I felt the pain from my stomach.

Using my phone as a flashlight I went to the toilet and noticed that Greg has returned.

After relieving myself I went to the kitchen to brew some tea. My throat was completely parched.

Somehow I was feeling relaxed, I felt like a huge stone was lifted from my shoulders. I suppose it was a good choice to go to bed early. As for the dream, I've already forgotten it. Usually, I couldn't remember them for more than a few minutes after getting up and this time was no exception.

After gulping down a cup of a lightly brewed tea and moistening my throat I decided to go back to sleep.

"Oh, the phone is low on the battery, I should charge it up."

After doing some small miscellaneous stuff I went back to sleep.

As I entered the dreamland once again, I swear I heard a woman's voice.

"You are mine now."