I opened my eyes with the feeling of having half-awakened, like someone emerging from a dream within a dream. The darkness wasn't the same as before: this time there were contours, memories of sensations, and, most surprisingly, pain.
Had I returned to the same place? I thought, feeling my mind still wavering between nothingness and reality. Does time exist here? And what's the point of calling me Steven if nothing changes?
The name vibrated in my chest with a strange tenderness. Steven... it reminded me of Sofia's voice, her wide eyes as she talked about the series she liked. Was she still alive? A lump of hope and guilt settled in my throat. I wanted to cling to that hope, but I didn't have time to delve deeper into the thought before something new tugged me toward consciousness.
Am I feeling something? I was surprised, noticing first a tingling, then a faint sting, then the clearest register: pain. I have pain sensors again. It's something.
My eyelids burned; they felt heavy as if they hadn't opened in years. Seconds stretched into minutes as I forced my muscles to obey. With an effort, I released that first glance.
It wasn't a familiar sky from my city, nor the roof of the university. Above me lay the curved, metallic surface of a pickup truck. The sun shone brightly, projecting a light that made me squint. Around me, the air smelled of something new—an indefinable mixture I couldn't immediately identify—as if the world had placed before me a set of tiny clues I couldn't yet read.
I tried to move more decisively. My body responded clumsily: arms that didn't quite know their length, hands that felt different, a strength younger and more agile than my own. The sensation was strange and, at the same time, familiar in a way that hurt: like stepping into a borrowed pair of shoes that, as you wear them, begin to mold to your foot.
I sat up slowly, resting my palms on the metal. From that height, I could see more of the surroundings: fragments of a landscape that promised to be different, but not enough to completely frighten me. There was movement below, distant voices, and a murmur that could have been the sea, or simply the murmur of a city that couldn't quite be defined.
Still unsure whether what was beating in my chest was hope or fear, I repeated softly, like a spell:
Steven.
The name rolled through my lips, and with it, a new mix of uncertainty and determination. Something—a door, a promise, a condemnation—had just opened. And I, with my hand resting on the cold of the truck, my eyes still heavy, had the feeling I was about to take the first step into a world that wasn't my own.
The truck door swung open. A strange man got in, his appearance difficult to define: too young to be called old, but with enough signs of life on his face that I didn't consider him truly young. There was something familiar about him, as if I'd seen him somewhere before.
The adult looked at me with a calm smile.
Hi, Stevon. How are you, little winner?
I froze. Stevon? How did he know my name? And why did he say it as if it were the most natural thing in the world?
The man, oblivious to my inner turmoil, continued speaking.
You know, Stevon, you've been spending a lot of time with your father lately. You need to see other people, spend more time together. Don't be like your old man. You have to have friends... or family.
I looked at him, puzzled. He, noticing my silence, interpreted it as shyness and smiled even more.
Wow, you're calmer than usual today. Well, I'll leave you with the Gems. They're like family, you know. Behave yourself.
With that, he stepped out the back door of the truck, as if waiting for someone.
"Gems?" I thought, raising an eyebrow. It all sounded so unreal. In my head, I silently mocked:
They named me Steven, not Stevon... so suck it, man.
Before I could fully process the situation, the sky opened with a roar. Three figures descended as if gravity had forgotten about them.
The first to land was a woman with pale skin, so white it seemed almost unreal. Her face was coldly calculating, a sharp gaze that shifted disapprovingly toward the man. "Greg?" Her expression unnerved me.
The second landed soon after: she was shorter, purple-skinned, and her presence gave me a pang of familiarity. There was something about her compact figure, the way she carried herself, that stirred vague memories of the TV show Sofia used to watch.
Finally, the third figure appeared. Taller than the others, with square hair and a firm posture, he looked at me with the most serious and dry gaze I had ever seen in my entire life—or in my short new existence.
The three beings stood before me, and my heart pounded. It was impossible not to recognize what I was seeing. Even with my mind in turmoil, the truth began to dawn on me.
I had literally fallen into the world of the Crystal Gems.
Wait... Steven? I'm Steven, I thought, now seeing my situation. Okay, okay... I fell into a fictional world. I thought my name would just be that, a name, but now, seeing this situation, I see that's not the case. It seems that this being brought me to this world... or I've already gone crazy and now my imagination has reached new levels of schizophrenia.
Greg would now say the one I recognized as Pearl, pulling me out of my thoughts.
Why did you call us?
Yeah, man! the other purple gem would say. It's snowing, you know. It's not very fun being here.
Garnet would just look at Greg, saying nothing, without speaking to him.
"Well, girls, I wanted to ask you a favor... if you could watch Steven while I do some work." "Just to cheer him up," Greg would say, his hand on his head.
The Gems would look at him, and then at me. "I don't like that look," I thought to myself.
"Okay," Garnet would say, finally speaking.
"Fine, thanks, girls."
"We're doing this for Rose," Pearl would say dryly.
"Okay," Greg would say, now uncomfortable. I'll leave Stevon to them.
He would approach me and scratch my stomach, making me smile.
"Be good, Stevon. See you later. I'll leave you with your aunts."
They would just stare at him, disapproving of the titles.
"Well, I'm leaving," Greg would say, heading to the laundry room to defrost the machines, which had frozen solid from the cold.
My father—Greg, that was, if I remember correctly, and I hope for my own good I don't forget—left me with the girls, who looked at me. Pearl looked at me disapprovingly.
"Okay," Pearl said, "what's your name?"
I looked at her with as serious a face as possible, although that didn't reflect well because of my age. "I'm 2 years old? Oh my God, and she wants me to talk!"
"Can't you?" Pearl said disdainfully. "You don't even look like her."
What the hell is with these gems? I thought.
Amethyst stood next to me.
So, Rose, how long are you going to keep pretending like this? she said.
I looked at her and, in my thoughts, thought: I'm screwed.
The other gem, Garnet, looked at me silently. Then Pearl repeated, looking toward where Greg had gone:
You know, girls, since Greg's not here, we could do something.
The two gems looked at her expectantly.
"What?" asked the purple gem; I recognized her: Amethyst.
Pearl continued:
"What if we take out the gem? Rose will come back."
I went pale, although that's not good for a little kid. "What the hell?" I thought. "They're going to kill me."
"Let's go in the truck. Pearl drives, we're leaving," said Amethyst. "We're going to get you back. This is for you, Rose."
The four of them got into the truck and drove off. Greg, who was arriving to at least chat a little with the Gems, watched as their truck drove off.
"Huh?" he said, paralyzed. "Are they taking him on a trip? Wait, he's missing his sweater!" he yelled in panic. "Oh my God, girls!" he exclaimed, scared, running after the truck.
The Gems, who were still on the road, didn't say a word. Steven was searching his mind: how to fly at just two years old, the shield, turning pink... those were Steven's thoughts, as he searched for a way to avoid being killed.
"I've just revived and they already want to kill me," he thought.
Unaware of their mental debates, the Gems were talking among themselves.
"Okay," Amethyst said, looking at Steven, who was looking at her with a smile. "Looks like he's talking to us, Rose. This human is laughing."
Garnet looked from behind with the same thought. The car stopped on the side of the road.
"Okay," Pearl said, now anxious and a little sad. Rose approached. "I know you're angry, but come back. Don't hide behind that human; he's weak, he can't even speak."
Steven would look at her, but in his mind he'd be praying to the being who brought him here.
"Oh, almighty God, you bastard and snide... get me out of here, or save me from this. I swear I'll be a Christian, a brother, or whatever you are."
"Okay," Pearl would say, taking off Steven's shirt and looking at his gem, which was shining. "Come on, Rose, give us a sign; don't ignore us," Amethyst would say, looking at me sadly.
Garnet would look at me from behind them, with tears in her eyes.
"Well, if you miss my mother," I would think.
At that, Pearl would place her hand on the gem.
"We'll get you out," she would say with a feverish smile.
"What the hell?" I would think. "Think, think: what would a child do in this situation? I'll remember this humiliation for the rest of my life."
His only thought was to grab Pearl's hand and smile playfully. She would freeze, tears welling in her eyes; she was crying. The other Gems would cry too, for they would know what they were doing was wrong.
"Her decision," Garnet would say, glowing a little.
Two figures would appear, but they would quickly rejoin.
"Forgive me," Pearl would say, not knowing what to say, choking on her saliva.
"We just wanted to see you again. We don't respect your decision, but understand us, you just left us like that... you left me..." Sobs would remain.
Steven would stare at them, speechless, because he couldn't speak: he was a damn child. But then someone would be heard knocking frantically on the door. Garnet would open it and look at Greg, who was tired.
Girls, you should have told me you were going to take Steven for a walk. He's missing his sweater, he could get sick, Greg would say, ignoring the situation they were in.
Ignoring the Gems, I would get into the truck and put the sweater on Steven, who wouldn't know how grateful he was for the gesture. Greg, now sensing the atmosphere, would ask worriedly:
What happened, girls? Are you okay? Do you want water?
The Gems, completely embarrassed, would just shake their heads.
"Okay," Greg would say, used to those kinds of environments. "Let's go to my house. You know, a good hot coffee cheers you up these days."
So, getting into the truck, I would quickly arrive home. There was silence on the way; only Steven would occasionally make a few sounds, but it was because he wanted to move.
Thanks to that encounter, a cup of coffee, and a boy full of energy, a relationship that seemed broken began to heal little by little, giving way to something new. It's not as if it could be fixed overnight, but with work, effort, and, above all, a child in the mix, nothing would stand in the way of moving forward with their lives.
"Thus, the five adults and one child would begin to develop a better relationship.
end of chapter 2.