The soldiers began to move while the missing gates started to open.
The sound of gunshots and voices also stopped.
“Oh, it seems like it finally ended” Anna mentioned.
“It was fast… it only lasted about thirty minutes…” Zak commented.
“They always arrive fast.
That’s why I’m loaded with work and risk.
But thanks to that there aren’t many casualties” she replied.
“That sounds… unreal…” Zak whispered.
If the day his father died the military had arrived quickly, he wouldn’t have died.
That day they took about two hours; by then, his father had already lost a lot of blood from not being treated in time.
Both walked again toward the main room where Zak was registered.
“Hey, by the way, where did you get that medallion?
It looks nice” Anna commented.
“Huh?
Oh, my mother gave it to me…” Zak replied while holding his medallion between his hands, as if remembering.
What happened to my mother?
Is she still waiting for me?
Or with the relatives of those unfortunate people who died?
I don’t know.
But my only objective now is to get back home.
“You’re thinking again, Zak” Anna spoke.
“Huh?
Did I miss something?” he asked, confused.
“I’m telling you that we already arrived.” Zak looked around and he was back in his assigned room.
“You think too much.
You should be careful with that.
Sometimes it works, but other times it doesn’t…” Anna commented while typing something on the panel.
“Now go rest so your arm recovers faster” she ordered.
“Sure” Zak murmured.
Zak lay down on the stretcher while Anna approached and connected the three cables to nerve points.
She approached the panel once again, typed something and then turned to Zak again: “You’re going to relax and you’ll fall asleep, because you’re very tense.” “Yes… it’s normal, who wouldn’t be?” “Who wouldn’t be?
That hurts you.
You know what?
Better sleep” she finally said.
Zak began to close his eyes while feeling his body relax, as if everything he had lived through didn’t matter now.
If only he had left one day earlier, he wouldn’t be going through all this… What would have happened if he had left earlier?
That didn’t matter anymore.
The rays of dawn hit Zak directly in the face while in the background the singing of birds announcing the day sounded.
Zak opened his eyes while feeling the warm rays of the sun, as if they hugged him after everything.
Zak sighed.
The sound of the door opening was heard and Anna entered.
“Good morning” “Hi..” Zak sighed before speaking.
“Well… I guess I can leave now, right?” “No, not yet.
And it’s not because I want to, but because, even though your arm is already completely closed, the idea of you going out there and who knows what you do and hurt yourself could cause your arm to open again.” “I understand… But wouldn’t that be my responsibility?” “Yes, but the country also has a code and a law that says we must support the affected individual even if they are already recovered.
That is, I have to make sure you don’t do any nonsense that could affect your arm” Anna explained.
“I understand, it makes sense…” Originally in the hospitals of my city they barely saw that the patient was already recovered and used it as an excuse to throw him out.
But from what I see here that doesn’t apply, they’re even capable of assigning you a caretaker.
Honestly, very interesting… “Well, then can I go out?” “Yes.
But I have to accompany you and make sure you don’t do any nonsense, because from the way they found you… it’s safer if you do something stupid.” “Ha, I understand.
Now I’m a kid who has to be taken care of.” “I don’t know, take it however you think is best.” A while later, Zak left the room with his dark clothes and carrying a gray gown this time, because he wanted to hide the loss of his arm.
Outside, Anna was already waiting for him.
“Are you ready?
And where do you plan to go?” she asked.
Zak shifted his gaze toward her, who was standing next to the outside door.
This time she wore different clothes: a white t-shirt, dark orange coat and gray pants.
“Mmm, I want to see the place… I want to get to know it.
I’m a foreigner” he made up a cheap excuse.
The idea of going out to investigate and see the state of everything, and if it was happening like in his world, was good.
Maybe he could collect information discreetly, like the one he obtained at the bar in his world.
“Okay… a foreigner comes and they almost end up killing him?” “Uh… well, yes… you know how these descents are” Zak explained.
“Right… I’ll see what I can do.
Besides, you’ll have to wear a hat because I don’t want them staring at us because of… your ears.” “Huh?” Anna didn’t give Zak time to accept.
She took a hat out of her pocket that she already had ready and put it on him.
“Now yes” Anna said.
A while later both were already walking down the street while Zak looked everywhere, making sure there was suspicious activity.
His plan was simple: see if anything on the street reacted the same as at the bar.
According to me, that day at the bar, seeing how the microchip fused with the wall, it must have been because the microchip was activated.
And if it activated in my arm that time, it means it was because exactly that thing, when it ripped my arm off, activated it, damaging a circuit or something similar.
“Watch where you’re going and what you step on.” “Huh?” Zak stopped dead, lowered his head and noticed that he stepped on dog poop.
“That I told you to look ahead and focus on where you want to go, not that you planned to see the city like a psychopath analyzing everything.” “What?” Zak was in shock.
The girl, without needing to tell her his intentions, deduced his behavior at a glance.
Well, almost.
“Simply… I’m hungry” Zak said.
“Hungry?
Well, I understand you.
The hospital food is horrible.
Okay, let’s go.” Zak followed Anna while she stayed alert the whole way in case something happened.
“Hello!
Welcome to Bumble Burgers” a girl with black hair in a uniform and an orange apron introduced herself, probably from the place.
“Hello.
Well, this time I’ll just order two salads.” Zak upon hearing immediately looked back at her while watching Anna.
“Salad…?” Anna finished paying and turned to Zak: “You’re sick and you must eat healthy, Zak.” “Mmph, I understand…” he reluctantly accepted.
Both sat at a table while Anna checked her phone, waiting for the salads.
Zak kept looking everywhere while every now and then someone looked at him because his behavior was strange.
“From what I see you’re paranoid” Anna commented without taking her eyes off her phone.
“I’m not” he tried to deny.
“Yes you are.
You look everywhere as if something was going to happen” she turned her gaze toward him.
“I’m simply alert.” “Alert about what?” “Well…” he paused.
“If another descent happens, you know… nothing is safe.” “I told you to calm down, the military act fast” she added.
“Yes… like not being alert and paranoid with everything I’ve lived through” Zak thought.
Their salads arrived and both started to eat, but Zak without taking his eyes off the whole restaurant.
Anna immediately noticed and with an angry tone said: “Not even to eat are you calm, you seem sick.” “Hey, that’s offensive!” Zak commented, offended.
“Calm down then if you don’t want me to call you sick.” Without more, Zak had to eat.
Although he disliked the idea of eating salad, it was what there was and besides she was treating him.
It wasn’t like he had paid.
While they ate, the sound of tanks passing and military mobilizing caught Zak’s attention.
“They’re just doing patrol, nothing else” Anna clarified.
“Really?
Because I don’t think a patrol includes tanks” Zak mentioned.
“Mmm, I don’t know, but they know what they’re doing.” “I doubt it” Zak sighed.
Anna checked her phone and then finished her salad to speak: “We’re going to pick something up, hopefully you don’t mind.” “I’m in!” Zak exclaimed.
“You really are weird” Anna mentioned.
Finally they left the restaurant and walked toward where Anna had mentioned.
On the way everything was normal, it seemed like just another day.
While they crossed a street, Zak noticed that one of the signs said: “Av.
Wistrep 3rd street” Zak froze for a moment before turning to Anna: “Hey!
Isn’t this the street they said on the news we should avoid?” Zak exclaimed “Yes, but nothing will happen.
There’s a lot of military activity.
Besides, my order is across the street, so… if there’s no other way” she kept walking calmly.
“Okay…” Now that Zak knew he was on that street, he stayed alert in case something happened.
They passed the streets and nothing happened.
It seems he was wrong after all.
They picked up the package and went back the same way, talking about unimportant things.
Zak had to lie about his origin and more.
He wasn’t going to say he came from another dimension and that he saw nightmare monsters.
Clearly, if he said that, he could already imagine Anna taking him to an asylum.
“Yes, I’m bringing this crazy guy who supposedly thinks he’s already lost his mind!” Anna said.
“Nooo, wait!
It’s true!” Zak contradicted while they carried him tied to a stretcher.
Zak just thinking about it felt a shiver down his spine.
As they advanced, they passed again through the avenue that apparently had already been evacuated and the military decreased, because there weren’t as many civilians anymore.
“Wow, if it were that easy to make people understand in my dimension, it wouldn’t be so far-fetched that even I wouldn’t have ended up here” Zak thought.
But before they could celebrate, almost leaving, a barrier began to expand, which stopped them.
“What?” Anna looked at the barrier confused.
A tremor began to rumble the area while the helicopters on the perimeter shook violently.
Zak began to panic while many things and memories passed through his head.
“Shit, shit, shit…” Zak thought, grabbing his head knowing what was coming, while feeling a shake.
“Zak!” Anna shouted, bringing him back to reality.
“Huh?” Zak saw Anna, who stopped shaking him.
“Let’s go!
They’re evacuating over there, run!” Anna said while pulling Zak by his right arm, because he seemed paralyzed.
“Yes…!” Both began to run in the opposite direction, where the barrier hadn’t reached yet.
A few civilians from the area were also running, managing to escape.
They were almost there.
“Help!” a group sounded.
A young man who was trying to help his friend trapped in rubble.
“Wait for me” Anna ordered while leaving Zak and running toward helping the young men.
Zak was still in shock, but he saw the worst: A portal began to expand at full speed while threatening to reach Anna and the young men.
An impulse made Zak run to help… he couldn’t leave them in that area.
They would die.
It was a stupid idea, since he didn’t even know exactly how he got out and he was missing an arm, but despite the fear, he couldn’t leave them.
When he arrived, he could only grab the young man’s hand so he could get out, because after all he was missing an arm.
Once the young man was freed, the four of them began to run, but… the portal was faster, sucking everyone in while Zak felt that weird sensation again.
The ugly part was coming…