Chapter Eight:

  You wouldn't believe what time it is right now. 2AM! Yes, that's correct, bloody 2AM!

  We only got in the limo around five minutes ago, and even though Phillip had knocked back at least ten drinks, he only appears tipsy.

  I had one more cider then cola for the rest of the time, and I feel okay, actually. Normally two drinks would knock me out.

  I'm so glad I managed to get out of that club in the end, for more reasons than just hating it there.

  Diana is free now! I'm so relieved for her, and even more relieved we didn't get caught. She hasn't spoken to me the past few hours because she said it was risky for her to do that in such close proximity to the Game Master.

  She told me so much in that hour or so beforehand, though, my tiny brain could barely comprehend any of it. The piece of information that stood out the most to me was the complexity of this dimension.

  The way Dennis and I travelled here is so illegal, one of the worst offences, believe it or not. I did remember Dennis touching on the subject of needing documents and stuff, but wow. And remember what Chelsea mentioned about us Surfers being chipped? They prevent people from using Pulseless, which is the way I got here. Not by stopping the ability either, but disabling their bodies if they attempt it. Their location is then sent to the Parapolice and they're immediately imprisoned without trial. By the way Diana was telling me things, there's not much use of court in this dimension.

  "Arthur…" Phillip purrs, his hand squeezing my thigh gently.

  I snap out of my thoughts, looking around at him wide-eyed to find him grinning from ear to ear.

  Maybe he's more than tipsy…

  "I don't know how I'm still awake." I joke nervously, cautiously moving his hand away from my thigh.

  His grin doesn't falter as he sends me a wink. Now I'm wishing Otto and Ravi had come back with us. And that's saying something, because Ravi is a horrid drunk, and Otto was egging him on.

  "Has anyone ever told you how adorable you are?" Phillip murmurs, scooting closer to me.

  With a gulp, I say. "Your sister, actually."

  He hums in response, raking a hand through his once neat hair. "I want to get to know you better, Arthur. So, tell me." He turns to face me better and folds his hands over his lap. "What was life like in the Normension?" He asks curiously.

  The question takes me aback, and naturally, I stammer and stutter before I can speak. "I- Um, it's- it's much less modern than this place. The grass and trees, they're green, not pink and blue, and the sun is yellow-"

  He raises a hand to shut me up with an exasperated look on his face. I gulp again, anxiously wringing my hands.

  "I meant your life there, Arthur, I'm not a fucking idiot." He grunts.

  I can't help but feel lost for words even more now. How was I supposed to know what he meant?

  The longer I sit here in silence, the stronger his glare grows. Thankfully, I pluck up what little courage I have and answer him. "It was boring, some may say. Well, I certainly thought it before this place. Just me and Mum, I was practically housebound due to the, um, Fazing out. No other family really cared, and I certainly didn't have any friends. No school, no college, I just had my games console to keep me company." I admit sadly, a little in shock with how much I shared.

  He nods slowly. "Okay… Explain the day Dennis brought you here, word for word." He urges with a wave of his hand for me to carry on.

  I do exactly that, stumbling a little along the way, but he shockingly doesn't mind. He sits there hanging onto every word, soaking it all in.

  "Hmm." Is all he says once I'm done, seemingly deep in thought.

  I take this time to recover from so much explaining. It's insane to think that was only, what? Two or three days ago? If that. No wonder I'm exhausted.

  "About your parents…" He begins to say, so I look back up at him. He wears a perplexed expression. "Obviously, they were Surfers, but by what you've told me, it'd be near impossible for the mother you know to be one, too."

  My eyes widen as a possibility springs to mind. "Is it possible that Mum is human, and my dad a Surfer?" I gasp as my mind races.

  His chuckle instantly suggests I'm wrong. "No, I don't think so. Times that has happened, the woman is obliged to abort the child. It was a big issue back when the ParaPigs weren't fully in control yet."

  Wow… That's terrible… So, by the sounds of it, they're forced to abort their child? That's just wrong. They should have a choice, not have it forced upon them. It's their body.

  "Do the babies not survive to be born then?" I warily question.

  He carelessly shrugs. "Don't know, don't really care either. All I can say is that ParaPigs have their reasons, and they don't back down, no matter how controversial." He states, shrugging again.

  I shake my head a little in disbelief.

  Of course he doesn't care… I really need to stop being surprised by his lack of empathy.

  "It'd be a hard push to figure out who your real parents are. It's most likely they are Chipless like you, or at least one of them. And to put your DNA in the ParaNetwork is something we certainly don't want." He says as if he's speaking his thoughts aloud.

  He's right, I'd rather not think about it, though. It's hard in more ways than one to imagine Mum not being my mum.

  Before I can fall too deep into that dark hole of thoughts, I feel Phillip's hand caressing my knee again. "You're spacing again. I'll have a different doctor examine you tomorrow." He assures me.

  I slowly nod then yawn. My eyes feel extremely heavy all of a sudden. Maybe the weight of these past few days are finally hitting me.

  Phillip grabs my shoulder and gently pulls me back into my seat. Drawing me to his chest to tousle my hair. "Lay back, I've got you."

  I know I shouldn't sleep in the chest of a killer, but what other choice do I really have?

  I regrettably get comfortable, and he soothes me into a deep sleep. So much so, that when I open my eyes next, I'm in the fancy large bed again, which I guess is mine now.

  Rubbing my eyes, I decide to lay here for a little bit, enjoying the peace while I can. That is, until I notice I'm stripped down to just my boxers.

  My face burns in embarrassment. It's clear Phillip undressed me, especially considering his unhealthy jealous streak.

  God, it's so humiliating! I must've been out cold!

  "Good afternoon, handsome." He greets with a chuckle, scaring the life out of me.

  My neck nearly snaps, I spun my head around that fast to see him near my bedside, already dressed and ready for the day.

  Jesus, that 'speak of the devil' phrase couldn't be more accurate!

  "Can you teleport!?" I gasp, pulling the covers up to my bare chest.

  He shakes his head, still chuckling as he straightens his tie. "Sadly not. I'm very light on my feet for my stature." He claps his hands together. "Anyway, sleeping beauty, it's 1pm. I need you showered, dressed, and ready by two at the very most. Everything you need will be laid out on the bed by the time you're finished with your shower."

  I nod slowly, still groggy from my deep sleep, and sit up with a yawn. He soon shoos me into the bathroom with a swat on the ass, and trust me when I say I ran for the first time in years. Luckily, I didn't stack it.

  My face, no, my entire body is on fire from the embarrassment of it all. And all he does is laugh. Clearly he enjoys humiliating me!

  "Actually shower this time!" He shouts out as I swing the bathroom door shut. I also triple check the lock is doing its job to save me from further embarrassment.

  Phew… I can't believe he's laying my clothes out for me like a mum. Saying that, mum never did that. As soon as I was able to dress myself, she wouldn't dictate what I wore. And I much prefer it that way.

  Phillip said I would be working for him, right? Promised me a wage, one better than Disruled supposedly. I'll have to ask him about it, as much as I do NOT want to do that.

  As I ready a towel and find the shampoo and body wash, a horrible thought dawns on me.

  Wait… Where are my clothes? Phillip must have taken them off, I fell asleep in them for God's sake. DIANA WAS IN MY INSIDE POCKET!

  I drop the bottles in shock. They fall with a loud bang, and I flinch then swear under my breath.

  "Arthur!?" Phillips yells out in panic.

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  Before I can even assure him I'm fine, even though I'm certainly not, he tries the handle of the door. When it doesn't open, he fucking kicks it by the sounds of it!

  "Shit, I dropped something! Calm down!" I gasp, throwing the towel around me and quickly unlocking the door.

  He barges it open, and I only just step back in time. He's absolutely fuming, no, that's still an understatement. Steam should be exuding from his nose and ears.

  His hands are balled into tight fists, his strong jaw clenched as he glares down at my already trembling form.

  "Why?" He spits out, and before I can even stutter, he snaps. "Why did you lock the door?"

  I clutch the towel around me tighter as my shakes worsen. "For privacy." I squeak.

  He shakes his head furiously and huffs. "When you've been Fazing out and basically losing consciousness? Do you even realise how fucking stupid that is!?" He roars, instantly bringing me to tears.

  Why is he screaming at me…? My feelings and intentions were valid here…

  As soon as the tears begin to roll down my cheeks, he rolls his eyes and grunts loudly in frustration. "Fucking hell, Arthur, get a grip!" He exclaims, throwing his hands in the air in emphasis. Turning on his heel, he storms out of the bathroom.

  I hastily wipe my tears with the towel around me, intaking a deep breath to gather up some courage. “Where is the suit I wore last night?” I say so quickly I doubt he understands what I said.

  He halts, looking over his shoulder at me with an exasperated look. “Why the fuck is that important, Arthur?” He sighs, seriously fed up with me.

  “I’d- Um, just like to know.” I stammer, casting my gaze down.

  “Well, it’s obviously been sent off to be dry cleaned. Just hurry up and stop asking stupid questions. It’s not your only suit. You’ll be getting measured for them today anyway.”

  With another shake of his head, he charges into the walk-in wardrobe that I've never noticed before.

  Nibbling hard on my poor lower lip, I rush back into the bathroom.

  What the fuck am I going to do!? Diana is in serious danger here. Phillip can't have checked the pockets, otherwise he'd be more pissed than usual. So, what? I just let her have a ride in the washing machine!?

  With another sob, I leave the door open very slightly and try and figure out how to adjust the temperature properly for the shower.

  "Arthur, I'm here." A familiar, delicate voice suddenly graces my ears.

  I slap my hand over my mouth before I make too much noise to alert Phillip and inwardly breathe a huge sigh of relief.

  "Thank god! Where are you? Are you okay?" I gasp, obviously in my head. It's crazy how it feels so natural already.

  "Yes, I'm well, I really appreciate your concern, and am extremely indebted to you for your bravery."

  I almost laugh at her wording. "I'm glad, but I'm anything but brave."

  I look left and right before tugging down my boxers then hopping in the shower.

  It's a fancy cubicle one, and there's no curtain to cover me. I need to move quickly.

  "Where are you? Is it possible for you to teleport somewhere safe?" I ask Diana as I lather up my hair.

  "I'm hidden inside your left bedside drawer under a stack of papers. Yes, thankfully I can teleport again. As soon as I was out of the Game Master's radar, the true capabilities of my powers came flooding back."

  "That's incredible… I'm so glad."

  I wash off my hair and quickly wash over my body before Phillip can charge in here again. Soon enough, I turn off the shower and securely wrap a large towel around my chest, not just my bottom half.

  "Clothes are laid out, Arthur! I need to go for ten minutes max, so be ready for when I get back!" Phillip calls out. Seconds later, I hear the door slam.

  With a sigh of relief that he's gone for now, I head back into the bedroom and examine what he laid out on the bed.

  Huh, it's a lilac three piece suit and a white shirt with lace inserts. Nothing like the dull one he laid out for me before. This is much more my style.

  I quickly dress myself in the bedroom, bad idea, but thankfully I do it without flashing anyone.

  No doubt my shirt is tucked in wrong and I'll have to have my top buttons undone. I've done them up for now, apart from the very top two, hoping I get away with it.

  I smooth down my collar a little as I look in the mirror, frowning at myself.

  "This ugly ass mark…" I grumble as I gently prod at my neck, only to hiss in pain.

  Ow! Still more than tender.

  I shake my head and try to fix my hair instead, considering there's nothing I can do about that intricate scar for life.

  Fixing my hair is impossible, though. A bit sticking up here, there, and everywhere. I never wanted short hair in the first place, it took years to get it close to the length I want. And just like everything else, it's been ripped away from me…

  I choke a sob, turning away from the mirror. I can't handle looking at myself right now.

  "Arthur, if I could offer some comfort, I would. Your predicament seems awfully complex, even to my vague knowledge of your situation." Diana says softly.

  I nod slowly, running my hands down my face whilst intaking a shaky breath. "You're not wrong…”

  I sit on the edge of the bed waiting for Phillip to get back. Seems like a death wish to go looking for him, he’ll think I’m on the run. I wish I could pull that off.

  Minutes pass before I hear a knock at the door. My brows knit together as I rise to answer it.

  That’s not Phillip, he’d just barge his way in, or kick the door down. One or the other.

  With a deep inhale, I pull down on the handle and swing the door open. Standing there is Rhys with a stern expression which seems to be permanently plastered onto his face.

  “Master Reed has requested I escort you to him, he’s waiting in the car outside.” He informs me.

  I nod slowly in response, stepping out and softly shutting the door behind me.

  “Arthur, I’m going to teleport into your inside pocket, so please don’t be alarmed.” Diana whispers.

  Before I can ask if that’s really a good idea, I feel the subtle warmth against my chest where she rests.

  “Did he tell you where we’ll be going?” I ask Rhys nervously as I trip slightly to catch up with his strides.

  He glances at me from the corner of his eye, his face screwed up in a scowl. “You stick out like a sore thumb. He’s just making the target on your back even easier to shoot.” He grumbles.

  His comment takes me aback, but he makes a valid point. I am dressed so differently, and after the drama yesterday, it’s inherently clear I am NOT wanted here.

  I’m not too sure what’s so offending about me, though, I haven’t uttered a word to any of these people. I’m just not good enough for Master Reed in their eyes, I guess. Didn’t realise his love life was like a well publicised reality show.

  I cringe at the thought of people associating me with him that way. I guess he’s handsome in a way; a way most people swoon for in fiction. And I never thought I had a type, but with him? I’ve sure narrowed it down.

  Why he’s so intrigued by me, I haven’t a clue. I certainly haven’t won the popularity vote, a lot of people are jumpscared by an autistic in the flesh, and I’m neither stereotypically handsome nor beautiful. So, what’s the deal?

  “I know. Trust me, I’d much rather be at home, far away from this dimension.” I admit to him with an anxious chuckle.

  He either doesn’t hear me or completely blanks me; I believe the latter.

  “Who is this rude man? His aura is below freezing.” Diana gasps. I feel her shake slightly in my pocket.

  “Rhys, appears to be Master Reed’s right hand guy. He seems more cold blooded than him somehow.” I answer then furrow my brows. “Wait, auras are real? And you can see them?”

  “Yes, very much so. I can see them, but at this moment, I can only sense the liquid ice rolling off of him in waves. Other than that, I sense a void. He is undoubtedly a very troubled man with a lot to hide.”

  I nod slowly to myself. “That’s for sure.”

  I bring myself back to reality before I bump into someone or something. We’re reaching a more populated area, which does absolutely nothing for my nerves.

  How big is this place? I just need out.

  Weaving in and out of the wandering groups, I begin to hyperventilate. And you know what? I have every reason to.

  It’s not just me who gets this feeling. The chattering, the judging looks. I’ve always felt this way in public, for as long as I can remember, especially on the rare occasions Mum pushed me in my chair. But this time? This time it’s deadly.

  “Wow, look at the shortass that got Walker killed. Master Reed must be begging for him to get hit dolled up like that.” One guy remarks as they pass with their mate, both giving me funny looks. I bow my head, sticking closer to Rhys.

  I know I should hold my head high and act like none of this affects me. But in reality, I’m shit scared.

  “What are they referring to?” Diana wonders aloud.

  Intaking yet another shaky breath in attempt to steady myself, which doesn’t work, I explain, sparing her the horrific details.

  “Cowering beside me isn’t going to protect you.” Rhys breaks our silence as we reach some sort of lobby, bustling with even more judging eyes.

  I nod shyly, which doesn’t help matters. He huffs at the mere sight of me. Something tells me he’s not saying that for my own good.

  “Oi! Pretty boy!” Someone amongst the crowds yells.

  I physically wince at the volume and immediately fall into panic. I barely notice Rhys scowl and grab my shoulder to push me in front of him. In doing so, I tumble to the floor, not at all ready to even throw my arms out to save myself. I'm too far gone.

  Pins and needles crawl up my arms and legs as my uneven breathing takes a dive from bad to borderline dangerous. Again, I barely recognise I've fallen. With my eyes overflowing with tears, I can't make out my surroundings even if I tried.

  Please… I just want to be home. I crave normality. I need Mum. Hell, I'll kiss the fucking wheelchair and welcome it with open arms if it means getting out of this hell hole!

  A glass shattering scream rattles my brain. Bright flashes steal my vision, robbing me of my breath. Before I know it, everything fades to black. Everything is quiet. Too quiet.

  I either take a few moments or an hour to steady my breathing somewhat. My body trembles from head to toe, my tears and drool soak a cushioned surface beneath my head.

  A pillow… So I’m not in the lobby.

  I try to swallow, but the dryness of my mouth and throat scrape at the action, like I’d tried swallowing a mouthful of sand. With a wince, my eyes finally flutter open.

  It’s dark, though once I’ve blinked a few times, my surroundings become clear, but all rhyme and reason? They’re out the window.

  Someway, somehow… My prayers have been answered.

  The peeling baby blue paint in the corner of the ceiling, a wobbly chest of drawers holding up a small monitor, a Zbox beside it. The small, lumpy mattress beneath me has never felt so good. So… homely.

  I manage a laugh of disbelief, which sounds more like a croak than a chuckle.

  It was a dream, a nightmare. That’s the only explanation. Why else would I wake up here, in the dark, with such a dry mouth and aching limbs?

  I heave myself into a sitting position, scooting my bum back so the wall will keep me sitting up and grin from ear to ear despite my condition.

  It’s all over. Hell, it wasn’t real in the first place. No Paramension, no crazy gangs, no Eve, no shooting and murder. Even better, no Phillip Reed at all! The sun isn’t blue, the grass isn’t pink, there is no such thing as Surfers! I’ll never feel scared for my life and trapped again-

  My smile instantly drops.

  Trapped… I went into that dream hating a life I was trapped in. I went into that dream wishing for excitement, adventure, and friends. And you know what? For the first time in my life, I think I actually had exactly that in some twisted way.

  Tears manage to slip despite how severely dehydrated I am. Clutching my head in my hands, I rock slightly backwards and forwards as my breathing takes a dangerous dive again.

  No, not again! I was never there in the first place!

  I slap the side of my face, determined to snap out of my disorientated state. And when that doesn’t work, I slap the other side.

  Slap, slap, slap.

  Deeper I fall into hysteria, I scream at the top of my lungs. “TELL ME WHAT IS REAL!”

  Silence is the answer I’m given. Perhaps silence is the answer I deserve for ever believing the Paramension was real in the first place.