|Location: Wast#! %ela!#nd, Me#$%y|
-ZE#&%$RO? -
My hand rested lightly on my stomach as my back sank into the softness of the clouds beneath me. For a fleeting moment, everything felt calm and peaceful—like time itself had slowed, wrapping me in a gentle embrace. But then, a sudden, heavy thudding sound broke the silence, growing louder and faster as it raced toward me. I sensed it was an intrusion, a disruption waiting to shatter my suspended moment.
Before I could brace myself, the sound transformed into a loud knocking on my door. I blinked open my eyes, the remnants of the dream fading as I took in my familiar surroundings—the bed nestled beside the window, the closet standing sentinel by the door, and in the corner, a small playground crafted just for me, untouched but full of memories.
My eyelids felt heavy, weighed down by a deep, irresistible fatigue. The comfort of my bed called to me like a warm shelter from the world. I tried to sit up, but my body refused to leave the cocoon of rest.
The knocking persisted, steady and insistent, echoing through the quiet room. Then, a familiar voice broke through the haze—my brother's voice, rusty and deep, a sound I had long forgotten but that now stirred something inside me.
"Wake up already, it's not my fault if you're late."
His words echoed in my mind, teasing and familiar. I wanted nothing more than to stay wrapped in the warmth of my bed, to ignore the world outside. But I knew his persistence wouldn't wane if I stayed silent.
With a reluctant sigh, I pushed myself up and opened the door. There he stood, framed by the hallway light, his dark hair falling over his forehead like the night itself. I met his gaze calmly, comforted by the steady presence.
"Thirty more minutes," I murmured, turning back toward my bed.
As I reached to close the door, he slid his hand effortlessly between the frame and the door, pushing it open before I could even think to lock it. I could have been faster, but deep down I knew it wouldn't have made a difference. Perhaps I never should have opened the door at all.
"Quit wasting time! Mom's gonna freak if you're not ready by the time she's done cooking," Zerhe kept nagging, walking right into my room like he owned the place.
"Ugh!" I flopped back onto my bed, feeling like my lazy, comfy days were getting stolen away—thanks to this guy.
I curled up under my blanket, trying to hold on to whatever comfort I had left.
"You left me no choice. Take this!" Suddenly, Zerhe pounced, yanking me out from under the blanket in one quick move.
He grinned like a little troublemaker as his hands started creeping toward my side. I knew exactly what was coming. I tried to squirm away, but he was too fast. No escaping it.
Then came the tickling. I couldn't help it—laughter spilled out loud and uncontrollable, filling the room. I kicked and twisted, but his lean frame was way too quick for me.
"Brother, stop it right now!" I gasped between laughs, but he just smirked like he was winning.
"That's what you get for ignoring me," he teased, keeping up the tickle attack.
We suddenly heard footsteps, and we both froze. Turning around, we saw Mom standing there, looking ready to give us a serious talking-to. We jumped up and tried to look innocent.
She crossed her arms and sighed.
"What are you two doing? Zarhe, you've got a presentation later, and heck—it's your first day of school!" She shot a look at me, then kept going, arms still crossed. "Now get ready. You've got a long day ahead."
Zarhe. Right. That's my brother's name. I stared at him, trying to really take him in, but my eyes kept drifting back to his dark hair, like it could swallow me whole if I looked too long. I snapped my attention back to Mom.
She was waiting, watching us carefully. We answered together—knowing better than to argue.
Even though I really wanted to stay in bed, I didn't want to mess with Mom. She didn't hesitate to crack down on us when we disobeyed, and what was that thing she always said again?
I wondered why I couldn't remember much about her, but maybe I was just too young. Still, hearing her smile felt nice—kind of made my chest flutter.
"Yes, Mom!"
"Sure, Mom!"
"Did I hear a bit of attitude there?!" She caught me trying to sneak back to sleep.
"You didn't hear anything," I said fast. "Oh, didn't you say we need to give those fruits to Mrs. Alaman? We can drop them off on the way—I've still got time before my presentation."
Zerhe jumped in, stepping between Mom and me with a confident smile. He even joked about forcing me to go outside—one of the few things I really hate.
Mom gave him a sharp look. "Are you sure, Zerhe? Your brother can go on his own."
I couldn't believe Mom actually wanted me to go alone. Sure, I wanted to visit Mrs. Alaman, but outside... by myself? That didn't exactly sound like a good mix.
"What? It's no big deal. We'll be back in no time," Zerhe said like it was nothing.
"Oh! And don't forget to tell her congrats—she got married last week, and I couldn't even make it to her wedding," Mom called out as she headed back to the kitchen.
"Sure, come on, let's go," my brother said, grabbing me and dragging me over to my closet to get dressed—thicker clothes since it was cold out.
Once I was dressed, he pulled me again toward the door. This time, he really meant it—I was going outside. The moment I saw the door, instinct took over and I tried to run back to my room, but Zerhe was too fast. His hand caught me before I could slip past.
As soon as he opened the door, a rush of cold wind slammed into my face. That sharp chill told me for sure that the other side was the outside world. I looked up and saw the excitement on my brother's face—he genuinely enjoyed bringing me along. I wasn't a fan of going out—maybe because I felt safe inside my comfort zone—but seeing him so happy made me think this might not be so bad after all.
Still, I had to protest. "I can't believe my brother's dragging me out just to deliver stuff."
"Come on, you're making it sound like we're delivering something sketchy," he said, holding up a basket full of fruits.
"Aren't we? This is basically child labor," I shot back, but he just laughed it off.
"Stop being dramatic. Mrs. Alaman's house is just three blocks away," he said, reaching to ruffle my hair. I quickly pushed his hand away and started walking since I had no choice. Before we left, he gave Mom a quick shout.
"Mom, we're off!"
Seeing him show respect like that made me want to follow his lead, so I yelled out with all my might, which made him laugh a little.
"Child labor!" I shouted again, grinning.
We walked down the road. The cold air had made the ground slippery, so I took slow, careful steps. The streetlamps above served as resting spots for birds, and the houses lining the way made the walk feel kind of peaceful.
Suddenly, Zerhe took my hand. I didn't know why, but it felt warm—comforting enough that I didn't pull away.
"By the way, aren't you excited?" he asked.
"Excited about what?" I replied immediately.
"School. Today's your first day," he said.
I just shrugged. "Yeah, right. Bet they'll make us read stuff I already know," I said with a straight face.
He frowned, and I could feel his grip on my hand tighten as he looked at me with concern. "Come on, you can meet kids your age and make friends."
I couldn't resist slapping him lightly when I caught his pitying look. "Is that why you don't have any friends, Mister Genius? Because you didn't go to school."
I could tell I stunned him because Zerhe suddenly let go of my hand and dramatically flopped onto the ground. He put the back of his hand over his mouth and crossed his legs to the side like he was in some soap opera.
"Ugh! My brother is roasting me," he groaned.
"Now they say I'mdramatic," I rolled my eyes and said bluntly.
"Genius or not, it's better to have real people as friends than an AI," he said, wrapping his arms around me from behind, lifting me up and spinning me around. At this point, I figured it was easier to just let him have his fun.
Just then, a woman with dyed green hair came up to us. Her smooth voice caught my attention. "Zarhe and you too? I can't believe you guys are here. Well this is a suprise"
It was Mrs. Alaman, wearing a gardening apron with tools stuffed in the pockets. She took off her gloves and gave us a tight hug.
"Don't mention it, Mrs. Alaman, and congrats on your wedding," my brother said warmly.
Then a big man came out of the door carrying some dusty boxes. His bear-like figure made Zerhe look like a little kid. I was struck by his bright brown hair and hazel eyes—he really suited the name 'Ygg'.
"Ygg, honey, who are these two?" His deep voice made my ears tingle.
Mrs. Alaman rushed over to him, hugging him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. The man blushed like a shy puppy.
"Drasil, you're back," she smiled.
I stared, surprised to see a man his size blushing like that.
He cleared his throat when he caught my gaze. "And who's this little brat?"
"I'm not a brat! Here, take this. My brother forced me to tag along just to deliver this," I said, handing him the basket.
Mrs. Alaman giggled. "You really never change."
"Honey, this is Zarhe and the feisty one is Z#^@&@#%," Ygg introduced.
"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Ygg's husband. Call me Uncle Dras. Just so you know, my left leg's partially paralyzed," he smiled.
My eyes wandered to the huge tree behind Mrs. Alaman's wide garden. That tree had been there as long as I could remember—and now it was even bigger. I walked over to it and touched the bark, feeling a gentle warmth that made me feel safe.
"Wow, it's really grown."
Mrs. Alaman started to head back inside. "Since he's already inside, I'll prepare some refreshments."
But Zerhe shook his head. "Oh, no need. I'm about to leave for work anyway—got a presentation today."
She crossed her arms, clearly disappointed. "Well, next time then. You better visit."
"Will do. Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Alaman," Zerhe said with a smile, then turned to me. "Come on, we need to head out. You can check on the tree again when you visit next time."
"Fine," I said, and he lifted me onto his back. We started walking away, waving goodbye.
"Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Alaman," we called back, and they waved too.
As we walked, random thoughts popped into my head. I remembered Zerhe mentioning a presentation, which made me curious.
"Brother, you said you have a presentation. What's it about?" I asked.
He answered right away, "Nothing much. Just something I designed for documentation."
"Nothing much—just tell me," I said, grabbing a handful of his hair to 'threaten' him with a bald spot if he didn't answer.
"It's Project Sightseer," he said quickly, but then his voice faded and sounded like static—like a broken TV buzzing. "That's why—You! @%#^$ ^$ @%!%#^."
"What? I didn't catch that. Something's messing with my ears. Can you say it again?" I asked.
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Suddenly, everything went dark. Then his voice came again along with the sound of bubbles and instead of his jolly tone, this time desperate, urgent, and tired.
"Z*%$&*! Wake up! Please!"
And that's when I finally opened my eyes, breaking out of the long dream.
•••••••••