Chapter 2.5: Those Left Behind

The funeral for Austin had been a somber affair with his death listed as an accident. No one blamed her for it, in fact people were treating her like the victim. That only made it worse because she knew it was her fault that Austin had died. If she hadn't taken him out drinking, if she had just found her key's more quickly none of this would have happened.Of course there was one person at the funeral that blamed her, vocally in fact, Austin's sister Mary. Karen didn't blame her for it as she knew that Mary had been in love with Austin since even before she had dated him. And honestly she agreed with Mary.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Weeks had gone by and news that Mary had vanished from her parents home reached her. Apparently she had gone out one day after packing a bag and never came back. Austin's parents had called her frantically to see if she knew anything. She promised to give them a call if she heard anything and hung up while thinking that their was no way Mary would want anything to do with her now.Karen's depression lasted month's with her refusing to leave her apartment with various friends and coworker's trying to get her to go out and even her girlfriend, who had came by every day, eventually gave up and never came back to try again. She was starting to get into the habit of sleeping all day and only eating when she got too hungry to sleep and probably would have continued to do so until she died but one day her day was interrupted by a loud knock on her door.

[Go away!] - Karen

Thinking that the person would give up like everyone else had she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep but another knock, louder this time, interrupted her.

[I said go away!] - Karen

This time there wasn't even a gap of time and a third knock rang through the small apartment. Grumbling to herself while getting out of bed she wobbled on uncertainly legs over to the door only halfway dressed.

[What about "Go Away" do you not understand you fuc....] - Karen

She opened the door intending to tear whoever it was a new one but stopped midsentence when she realized it was Master Lao Shi who promptly strode past her and invited himself in and then sat down at her dining table.

[Well...? No tea for your venerable Master?] - Master Lao Shi[Wha...? I mean you...? Why are you here?] - Karen[Also tea? Seriously?] - Karen[Yes tea. Haven't you ever had a guest over before or only those women you so like?] - Master Lao Shi

Master Lao Shi shook his head slowly as if lamenting the modern breaking down of morals and glanced pointedly at his still empty hands as if to ask when he was going to be receiving tea. Seeing this broke Karen out of her stupor and she hurried to put a teacup with bagged tea into the microwave.

[I only have bagged tea, I hope that okay?] - Karen[That's quite fine, I doubt we'll be here long enough to boil water anyway.] - Master Lao Shi[Oh that's goo... wait why am I making you tea?!? You never answered my question. Why. Are. You. Here?] - Karen[Tea first, then I'll answer your questions.] - Master Lao Shi

Sighing to herself about stubborn old men she grabbed the teacup out of the microwave and set it in front of the old man then pointedly stared at him as he sipped the tea then grimaced and set it aside.

[I'll never understand the American obsession with bagged tea, disgusting basterdization of true tea.] - Master Lao Shi[Well anyway let us get started. If I were to ask you if you would give up your life, your future and everything you are for Austin, would you?] - Master Lao Shi[Yes!] - Karen

She didn't know why he was asking her that question but the answer had always been yes, it had been yes since she first knew him in high school. It had been yes when he was the only one to stand by her side after she came out as gay. It had been yes when her father threw her out of the house and he snuck her into his room without his parents knowing to give her a place to sleep. She'd always say yes for him.Her answer seemed to please Master Lao Shi as he smiled brightly before continuing.

[Why are you so certain you would do so? Wouldn't he want you to move on with your life, to find other people to care about?] - Master Lao Shi[Your right.... He would tell me to stop worrying about him and just accept his death... but that's exactly why I would give everything for him, I would do anything for him, I love him more than any other person in this world!] - Karen

Her eye's widened as she said this, realizing that she did indeed love him. More than any of her various girlfriends he was the one that stood out amongst them. Despite her not being sexually attracted to men she was still in love with him. Master Lao Shi clapped his hands together as his smile widened and suddenly the world around them vanished replaced with a black void as far as the eye could see.

[W-Where?] - Karen[We are currently between worlds in one of the gaps in creation.] - Master Lao Shi

His calm response to her confused question only calmed her down momentarily as she stared to panic.

[Wait! How did we get here?!? Gaps in creation? What!??!?] - Karen[Now now calm down, I'll let you know everything but first, Austin is not gone.] - Master Lao Shi

While Karen had been about to start freaking out again his last sentence instead caused her to start crying in relief.

[H-he's not? Can I meet him again? Where is he?] - Karen[I'll get to that actually I'm still trying to find out where he came out at, and you're going to help me with that....] - Master Lao Shi-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------