'phew! now that that's done, better go finish my Deviants run' Ian sighed to himself. Deviant was a rougelike game he recently bought. He liked playing on really hard difficulty and spent hours on replays. currently Ian had at least a hundred and thirty hours of gameplay but it's not just time wasted on a stupid game, he had a ninety seven percent game complete status and unlocked most achievements. Real impressive he'd think to himself, 'cant wait to share online when I beat this game' Ian would think.
Just as he got back to his apartment and was standing in the doorway with his roommate in his vision laying legs up on the couch, the distance between them seemingly started increasing in a stretching unreal manner while he stood still. The room and everything around him began to warp and distort in a way that obeyed no scientific laws.
Suddenly, the daylight from outside shining through their massive windows increased in intensity then completely vanished and was replaced by absolute darkness. Ian could not see anything at all, not even those remnant illusory shapes that dance around your eyes when you switch off a lightbulb or shut your eyes. It was then that Ian realized not only his sight but his senses had completely betrayed him, he could not feel the floor on his feet, the clothes on his skin and even
the air! no that's not it, the action of breathing had stopped like his body had forgotten. His body, that's when Ian again realized he could not even feel the mass of his body.
Ian started panicking but only in his thoughts which seemed to remain the only constant. 'What the f*ck just happened! is happening?' such thoughts were racing in his mind. It was all he could do in the current situation, he could not reach out his hands or shout his voice just him alone. 'Alone' this thought and word rang repetitively in his conscience. "Am I dead? oh god what, no! no it cant- I mean how? No! could death really just take me like that? I was at the door, nothing happened nothing, I know. But what if that's why I can't feel my body? it's left out there sprawled on the floor and I'm here. oh no it's true then I'm dead' if Ian could cry and wail he would have till his body gave in. Terror grew exponentially and at a certain point despair held its hand in his mind till it began replacing it with complete hopelessness at his certainty of his situation.
Just as Ian was about to close he's figurative eyes after different thoughts were clashing in his conscience for an indescribable stretch of time, his senses came back to him like a switch had been turned on. He felt water rushing in his nose, he felt the pressure of the water on his body. He opened his eyes uncomfortably to be met with clear water the bright sun rays shining in from above. Ian would have never thought to open his eyes while submerged in water but he completely couldn't resist the urge.
Luckily he knew how to swim, he's limbs moving in a weak struggling manner were still able to get him to the surface. He came out taking deep breaths, his lungs and eyes feeling sharp burning pain. He was moving around the water, still in place, in an unsettled and chaotic manner making all the splashing noise he could but he still stared up at the bright sun and azure cloudless sky .
He could hear what sounded like an excited shouting somewhere far in the background but he currently paid it no mind. The first thoughts that came to his mind were where he wanted to be, home, not the apartment but home with his dad, mom, his sister and her kids would be there too. It was a strong emotion and thought and now he could cry but he did not wail. He did not know what had happened but it did not matter, even if he was currently in their neighbors pool and could get out and walk a few meters back home for dinner he would have still cried.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
As these emotions slowly calmed down so he could actually assess his situation and be able to go for that dinner is when that mumbling and distant shouting started to become clear. He was not wrong, it was definitely filled with excitement.
He had already been able to tell he was in a river, on the right bank he could hardly make out a man from him splashing chaotically around.
"Nai, you bastard! ... " the man was shouting along with other cursive adjectives.
'What should I do, should I swim to the left bank and try and escape? but I am barely holding on right now, how far would I make it if he gave chase? Besides I do not know where on earth I am. From the looks of it it's a forest, maybe. How far would I make it? He's at the very least another human I'll take the probability of half him helping me or harming me. At the very best I get helped back home, at the worst well ... " Ian thought to himself trying to rationalize a decision. He had always been cautious of others, even his own roommate someone who slept under the same roof as him was always scrutinized at arms reach, a very long arm. Now however, he had no idea where he was or what had happened his choices were very limited so he made the decision he thought best.
He put all of his seemingly remaining strength into swimming towards the bank and man, the shouting from the man subsided. He constantly came and went from vision as Ian swam. When he was closer, the man rushed into the water and helped him out. Immediately he got to the muddy bank he felt like his exhaustion and fatigue had reached a climax, he could not even move his arms. The man was kneeling above his head from dragging him by the armpits from the water. He was also breathing heavily and rapidly, "You are really heavy and I'm old so don't judge me, I mean I knew you could make it ... " The man looked back at the river before looking back at Ian and continued "For the stars boy what were you thinking, you had everyone worried!"
Ian now getting a good look at the man made out his face, he did look old but not that old only like the years had been rough to him. His brows creased a little as he thought about what the man had just said, 'Everyone? worried? why? I do not even know who you are' He did not say this thought out loud partly because he felt he did not even have the strength to speak.
The man stared at him for a couple more seconds before sighing heavily, "Well it's okay, that'll be for later for now at least you are okay ..." he paused before extending his arm and pulling back his jacket from his wrist to reveal a circular devise wrapping around his wrist, he pressed it slightly waited a couple of second before a feminine voice sounded from it, "Yhon, what is it?"
The man sighed again before saying, "I found him, north the river be quick he looks like he's about to die" he finished with an almost slight chuckle.
The feminine voice sounded shocked and delighted responded, "That stupid boy! Make sure he does not die 'for I get there, I'll kill him myself"
"You heard her, looks like you're not safe after all" the man said to Ian chuckling. Ian did not respond, in fact he had closed his eyes processing everything that was currently happening and that had happened. 'More people would assure me more slightly unless they're part of a gang then coming to this man was my best decision. This man acts like he knows me, the feminine voice sounded teasing almost in a friendly voice I'll assume the best for now at the very least' he's thoughts were turning lazy and dreamlike as his exhaustion was finally making his body give in. He heard a loud engine like noise before turning his head lazily his eyes and mind drifting to and fro. In his vision he saw a craft hovering some distance from him and the man, he saw three figures jump from it from that high height and run towards them.
At this point the sounds began to sound muffled and he could barely make them out, his eyes he was struggling to keep them open. The three figures had reached them and were mumbling something, a pair of legs went down to one knee and he could slightly feel the hands on his face but before he could look up to see he completely passed out.