For the first time since I had an acquaintance with driving, I have never driven a vehicle in the manner "She" — that's her name, she told me — drove it...
The speed and recklessness scared me...
I was panting heavily when we alighted Jar, while she was grinning mischievously — It was hurtful and detrimental the way she mocked me... maybe because she was all-knowing.
I said nothing. I just stared with a stoic expression on my face — I was trying hard to keep my thoughts hidden from this being. I feel that it is a faulty effort... "Faulty" may not be the right word, but it best describes how futile it was trying to hide my thoughts from this creature.
"Come with me!", she proclaimed. "Are you scared? Where is the fearless 'you' that I found in your past?"
Wait a minute! Did she just mention my past? How did she know my past? Did she read it from somewhere, or just use my mind again?!!!
"Madam! I don't care who you are! How did you know about my past?!", I barked, visibly agitated.
I can use your mind to view and understand your past... and it takes a millisecond! As you can see also, I can speak into your mind too!
I was by her side at this point. I gripped her because I lost my balance from the shock. God! Which creature is this? How did she manage to speak into my subconscious, my mind... She must be powerful, what abilities does she possess? I need to know more about her!
She chuckled aloud and stopped to buy me time to regain my balance. When I had regained the strength to stand on my feet, she continued walking but held my right hand with her left hand.
I started imagining what thoughts would be going through her mind. I just couldn't fathom what she was thinking at the moment — whom am I to begin with?
"How long will it take me to know your capabilities?", I asked. I was becoming relaxed around her but still scared of her abilities.
"As long as it will take you to visit the sun on a horse!", she answered sarcastically, with a fake smile on her glowing face.
"But what is your name?", I asked. I have certainly asked the same in the vehicle, and felt like her response was a lie. I just made the mistake she warned me about — making her look like a liar.
She stopped abruptly and faced me. Her eyes roamed searchingly across my face. The speed of the scrutiny was scary. I was becoming uncomfortable with it. I wondered what she was looking for, something that certainly wasn't visible on the outside, I guess.
Her eyes finally stopped at my lips, then she smiled and took her eyes off my face and back to the path.
"...", I tried asking her a question, but was surprised that I didn't utter the word. What has she done to my vocal cords — to me? I have suddenly become dumb... just by mere facial scrutiny?!
Well, as far as I know, I still have a mind and could think — which means I can still communicate with her.
"I warned you about tagging me a liar, and you just did, though not intentionally... which means I could best keep us safe from my wrath by making you silent for a while lad!", she spurted the words without emotion. Each word had weight that broke me to pieces.
She could also amplify the weight of a word in one's mind? I started wondering; thinking about these abilities is tearing me apart.
I started feeling stupid for accepting the job in the first place. I allowed a female to impose her presence on me because of some superpowers! I began to think about my past but realized I had no past, to the best of my knowledge.
Where did she get the theory of "past" from?
"Any moment you did not spend in Megagem is apparently erased from your memory, as long as you are here.", she responded.
"How did you manage to fish out my past based on the stated theory?"
That's something for the dust! You just can't fathom it! She responded into my mind. I wish she was doing that telepathically. Strangely, she is not.
I became desperate and determined to figure out who she is. She is belittling me, and that was not going well with me. I began to desire those powers, to express such amazing abilities that couldn't be fathomed, and to speak...
"I promise you that I will find out who you are, no matter what it costs me", I spoke finally. My jaws dropped in amazement — a higher degree of amazement than when I couldn't speak.
She wasn't surprised, or her expression and conduct didn't show she was. She just walked on. Why is she so strange?
"I am very sorry for tricking your brain to believing that you couldn't speak. I would be so happy if you found out who I am, and where I came from... I don't know about that myself, and it worries me. I believe that my existence here is no coincidence though. There is a strong connection between us because those that originated from here cannot leave here, but you have been to Earth. I have also realized that Megagem is a prison for special breeds of... um... creatures, I would say. This place makes them forget about their past outside this world. You are a prisoner, so is the man that was sunbathing (though he's a villain). You are also a pilgrim here. I need your help to find an entrance to the outside universe. We both need each other though. I still have my powers because I still remembered my past, but you don't know your powers because you don't think you have a past.", she spoke soberly and sweetly — the second time I got that impression from her since our first encounter.
"Are you saying that I am not from Megagem?"
"That is exactly right!"
"Where am I from then?", I asked — my pupils became dilated.
"That is for you to find out, I need to find mine also.", she replied. Her expression tells she is worried, really worried. I began to feel for her, knowing the pain of not knowing your home, stuck in a world that is a prison to pilgrims.
"You have a big heart, my first compliment right?", she cut me off from my thoughts.
"Yeap!", I said without thinking.
"You were supposed to be worried about yourself, you are bothered about me."
"I don't understand what this is all about... but I believe you and you know that. I am just confused about the series of happenings within the last 12 hours."
"I know... this has caused a change in your plan. I feel bad that I approached you this way, but that is the only way you would have taken heed. You can be very stubborn at times based on your past."
"Stop defining me based on my past. I can change.",
I insisted vehemently.
"Your past defines your present until you use the present to create a different past for yourself. I can also sense behaviors too."
At this point, we had gotten to the mouth of a cave. I was surprised that such a magnificent cave still existed. It was not tall, assuming it is. There is hardly any characteristic that defines it is a cave, save the rocky walls and absence of a door. It was perfectly carved by nature. I would have loved to describe it, but I was so preoccupied that I failed to pay attention to any details.
The inside of the cave caught my attention, and I considered it...
Don't ask me for a description; I am void of adjectives that best qualify its magnificence. To my sides (right and left) stood flower vases, taller than any humans I have seen, blooming and radiating. They provided light to the dark cave within. I began to wonder if they were nature-bred or manufactured. The floor beneath us was made of precious stones that I can't explicitly define — I do know there are a variety of stones in the design and it was made by creatures, not humans certainly.
Every little wonderment that confronts us, or me, in the cave added a bit of colorful illumination to it. The ceiling high above us was made of stones, and yes, precious stones whose mixture was completely different from the ones beneath our feet! The cave was high on the inside, but so low on the outside that we had to cower to get in.
She threw me a glance, and I shot her a smile in return. I knew she knew what I was thinking at the moment, and to confirm that she replied to me thus:
"It is funny what you hear people think at times...", she let out a guffaw that got me amazed. Could She be so fascinated to this extent? I thought she was somewhat a... er... masochist — sorry — sadist some hours ago. She has suddenly become someone whose reactions were dazzling and unpredictable in a tripping moment.
"Well, I guess you will get to know more about me. I am also very curious about knowing who you really are. From the research I have done (yes, the research was on you), you must be someone of high caliber, a leader of a military group whose mission was to stop democracy. You hated democracy because, in the wrong hands, it was a deadly tool... and it was almost always in the wrong hands on Earth. Your group was not humans, and your group is strong, organized, extraordinarily powerful...", she narrated with what looks like a trinket of a smile on her lovely, sparkling face.
"Wow! You are really good! How did you manage to gather such information within a short span and just from going through my ...em... invisible past?!", I exclaimed with an obnoxious cackle that sounded like lightning hitting the dry and crunchy fruits of a lively short tree having many long branches.
"You had an aura I can't explain. Something that shows you are more than ordinary, that shows that your powers cannot be fathomed. Also, I am yet to know what country you came from, but I do know where some members of your group were kept, and that is where we are now!", from the look of things, she ignored my question. How painful! Why is her mood a bolt from the blue?
She stopped abruptly, after she had ended her historical talk that I was not interested in — though I must confess that I was interested in knowing who my group was; Not bad for a guy of... sorry, I don't even remember my age!
We were standing in the midst of a tunnel. The tunnel was designed to make the passers-by comfortable and relaxed. I should tell you why, right? Forget it!
I wondered if anyone was in the tunnel; I couldn't see any prison anywhere close. I searched through the tunnel with my eyes, but couldn't find a sign of life. How could anyone be here now? Is there another hidden passage that led to a prison?
"Come out from your hiding place, thou friends of Brenton Brew! I can sense and smell you and your location brethren. Remember that you have little time.", she barked, to, in my opinion, space. I can't find anyone in close range.
I noticed movements. My jaw came open when five men and two women ensued after her command. They weren't the kind of creatures I had imagined. I expected to see huge, rogue-like, and ugly men. I didn't even include a woman in my imagination! But it turned out my imagination was not well-tuned. These were young, handsome or beautiful, innocent-looking, and war-oblivious individuals. I scanned them each carefully, memorizing every detail about their looks, physique, and features.
"Where is Carol Halmen?", She asked, an expression of concern and worry was written on her face and it made me surprised that she could be caring.
"She is dead.", the taller of the two women, or maybe ladies, replied. Her voice was extremely loud with just a whisper and piercing, but sweet.
"That lady who spoke is called Wendy Wendy. You were her crush, but you don't have time for anything of such then. Carol Halmen was the closest to you. She was your personal assistance and has fought many wars side by side with you. She is dead now.", She explained without invitation, though I was very happy she did.
"You were also my crush then, but I hid it from you because I was very timid when it comes to feelings.", the other lady replied with a smile.
"Yeah, he noticed it too but he also wasn't ready for a relationship outside friendship with anyone then. That is Vanessa Butterland, a wonderful friend that was almost every guy's crush, but she was and is still so obsessed over you, though she is naturally very caring, even to enemies. She has a big heart.", She was doing a good job explaining to me and I love the tone she was using.
"I wish I had reciprocated the love ma'am but I guess I had a mission that I wasn't willing to let emotions ruin. You must have been a wonderful darling lady.", I spoke for the first time since I met this group.
"Don't think of it!", Wendy blurted out with envy, I guess.
"Yes!", the five men exclaimed in unison, nodding in agreement to Wendy's words.
"Vanessa was my crush!", they said again in unison. The remark surprised everyone, including She, though she quickly got over it.
"I did not come here to talk about crushes! You better organize yourselves because I knew you to be an organized group.", she rebuked in her booming tone, this time I appreciated it.
*"From right to left, names of these men are Stone Marson, Robinson Clark, Bosworth Chenghun, Queen Thomson, Chuck Chase. They were very loyal to you, ready to sacrifice their lives for yours. Now fate has defined us a new mission — to find who did this to us and for
what. Any question?"*, she continued, but with a softer tone.
"You are beautiful...", Bosworth spat out.
"...and you are mad for saying it!", I replied, interrupting him.
Everyone laughed, though She's was the loudest, a mock it was. All I could do was snarl.
Top secret: My name is Brenton Brew, aliased BB — that is in case you didn't notice when She introduced — and I just remembered my past! It obviously meant my powers are back.
Well at present, no one — including She — knew this. I was happy they didn't, which meant that I have a surprise for them!
"What is bad in saying his mind?", She asked.
"He is saying it to the wrong person. No one should eye...", I suddenly stopped. I lost the courage to say what I wanted to say. I am bad at expressing feelings. "Never mind!", I said, with a tone that was not convincing.
She sniggered. She could read my mind, and that really pisses me off, because I can't think freely anymore.
"Before we can start working on this new mission, mistress, how do we get out of here?", I changed the topic.
I am trying to understand a bug, She, but I am seeing more bugs unfolding... which is not good. Also, I am becoming a bug, and the thought of it is not funny. I derived comfort from a derived quote...
To understand a bug, you have to think like a bug!, I hoped the quote was true.