"29" :: Chapter-5

The view below had now become noticable, the little strip of road was now surrounded by a full-fledged residential arrangement. The skies were still dark the faint texture of the clouds was illuminated by the timer that was still high in Fabrice's view. The 29th hour was running in its 18th minute. Fabrice's still hadn't gotten his answer about the mysterious scenario he had woken up to, the question itself did not haunt him as he was living the haunting. It was like the circumstances were laughing at an entire life that he had lived, claiming all the years to be unreal.

They glided down, drawing closer to the line of structures in the neighbourhood that moved backwards, a thunder now and then, would expose the greenery, of the trees and the lawns in front of the houses. The houses on both the sides were the same , exactly the same. To Fabrice the structure was familiar, yes another picture he had seen in those photos. A tricycle, a kid which happened to be him, dad and the same house in the background.

Among the line of houses, a house shone in a weird light that came from within it. They landed right in front of it. Fabrice got on his feet as his mother drop them down and flew, disappearing into the skies.

“She saves me and departs, just like before” Fabrice said looking up at the skies. He stared down at the girl, “Tell me now, is this a dream ?! If it is ? End it now! Please!” he cried.

The little girl walked up to him “It's a little more than a dream” she held his hand and began walking, trying to lead him somewhere.

“But how did I get here?”

“Ask yourself?”

Fabrice did ask himself, and there were fragments of thoughts all mixing together forming a weird sense. There was a birthday party, some smuggled whiskey. Yes, the whiskey, they had gone to the suburbs to that Asian man with small eyes. He called the drink “whiskey”, but it was some thing else. It had some herbs which were treated to a pressure of the smoke of some sort of essence sticks. He had warned that the whiskey if consumed excessively could turn your worlds upside down. It all made some sense. 'Upside-down. Upside-down. Upside-down” the words echoed in Fabrice's head.

The little girl had brought in front of the building that was shining under a mysterious, heavenly glow. The skies were suddenly coloured in a dark red colour, so dark that it strained the eyes. As the brightness of the light progressively reduced, Fabrice noticed the clock had struck the 28th hour.

“We have to get you, to your present” the little girl said. “I know a way out” she said suddenly looking up. The skies were dark again but there were little star-like red dots appearing closer and closer. They blinked too, like they were alive. Fabrice looked harder and the dots changed form and he knew he was staring at many pairs of eyes drawing closer. 

“Come now” the little girl pulled him into the house.

They rushed in and quickly shut the door. Fabrice looked around, he knew the place, he had grown up right here in this very two storied house. He was home, maybe in a different place in time.

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Dear imaginary reader,

Still have no idea where we're headed to...