Author's Notes: Hi again. I've been working everyday to get chapter two done. Writing this is very fun, and I hope you like this next chapter.
Enjoy chapter two!
As Mae entered the Ol' Pickaxe the store's jingle filled her ears. Honestly, she never liked the jingle, but hearing it now made her feel serene. Although, she felt even happier to see Bea. "Hey Bea!" the feline said.
"Hi Mae," Bea said dully. She seemed bored and as if she wanted to burn down the entire world. Or it could just be the usual Bea. Well she looks the same either way. Mae leaned against the counter and stared at the ceiling.
"I feel like something strange is happening. My mom was acting weird this morning. It felt like half the town was empty. Did you notice anything strange?" Mae waited a minute before turning her gaze towards Bea. Her friend just stared back in silence. "Um, ok… Last night, I've been thinking. The car ride back home got pretty emotional. We almost crashed into a truck. And… wait. Bea are you ok?" Bea continued to stare at Mae in silence. Mae waved her hand in Bea's face before continuing, "Why are you so silent? Say something!" However, Bea kept staring at her in silence. All Mae could hear was the store's jingle, looping over and over. Once into twice into thrice. Looping, never ending as Mae stood there waiting for Bea to respond. "Bea!" Mae shouted in an annoyed tone. She couldn't stand the complete silence. It wasn't long before she raised her hand, and slapped Bea's face as hard as she could. Mae thought Bea would get mad and say something, that she would say anything, however, Bea didn't get angry, she just stood there silent. Mae, now infuriated with tears, shouted, "WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS TOWN!?" Then not expecting Bea to say anything else, she turned around and ran out the store's door.
Gregg! He must be normal right? Mae hoped. She looked down the street, towards the Snack Falcon. The lights are on; Gregg must be working, Mae assumed, unless he left with the lights on. Mae ran quickly. Once she arrived to the Snack Falcon, she slammed open the door. A different jingle played. Compared to the Ol' Pickaxe, Mae liked this one, but the jingle was not her focus. "Gregg!" Mae shouted as she ran up to him, "Say anything! Please!"
"What's up?" he asked. Mae took a sigh of relief, glad to see Gregg wasn't as quiet as Bea was.
"Something strange is happening. I need to figure out what."
"What's up?" Gregg replied nervously.
"We should go see if Angus is ok."
"What's up?" Gregg replied, again, now in a serious tone.
"Why do you keep asking me that?"
"What's up?" Gregg replied. Mae was content that Gregg was saying something, but he would not stop repeating the same phrase. He was acting just as strange as everyone else today.
"Stop! I don't want you to act weird too!"
Going with Mae's expectations, he repeated, "What's up?"
"AAAAH!" Mae screamed in anger as she kicked the counter. Then she clenched her foot in pain. "Ow! Bad Idea!" She could hear a snicker, but when she turned to check Gregg, he wasn't there. "I gotta go see if Angus is normal," Mae told herself in desperation. She rushed out of the building's doors, however quickly halted. It was happening again. Mae didn't think it would happen again. All around her everything was… was… shapes. The Snack Falcon was constructed of rectangles. Any car that drove by was made of different circles. Squares, circles, triangles, rectangles is all she saw. Mae was the only irregular shape in a town full of perfect polygons. What's the point in checking on Angus? He'll just be like everyone else. Fake. Mae thought as despair surrounded her. She curled up into a ball against the rectangle that was the Snack Falcon. Crying, unleashing tears as she thought, Am I insane? Is everybody else acting normal, and I'm the strange one? Why do I have to experience this again?
Minutes passed, maybe even an hour, before-
"MAE!" shouted a voice from the direction of the Ol' Pickaxe, down the street. She didn't hear the voice at first, but when it repeated, "Mae!" again she instantly looked up. Shaken out of her thoughts she shouted in her mind, Angus! Mae ran over to the bear in glasses; she hugged him tightly. Angus accepted, and he hugged back.
"Everyone has been acting weirdly. Angus are you normal?" Mae questioned sobbing into his shirt.
"I am. Today has been weird for me too. Is everything around us shapes to you too?"
"Yes! Yes it is!" Mae exclaimed, so happy that she wasn't the only one.
"It seems to be only this part of town. My apartment building and beyond is all normal. I think we should head over to Gregg's and my place, or, um, it's completely my place now." Angus said, frowning as he told the last sentence.
"Did something happen between you and Gregg?"
"Yeah, I'll tell you after we head to my place."
"Ok." Mae replied as she let go of Angus, and they went off.
Mae instantly slouched on the couch as they both entered into Angus's home. "Do you want anything? I have water, or coffee if you'd like that. It's still technically morning. Eleven forty-five." At the thought of liquid Mae realized she was parched.
"Could I have some water? I feel thirsty."
"Of course," Angus responded. He went into the kitchen, leaving Mae to collect her thoughts. Are Angus and I the only two here? The only two normal people in this strange Possum Springs? How did this even happen? Hopefully Angus knows something about this situation. Angus came back with two glasses of water. Mae sat up as he handed her one. "You go first. What happened with you?" Angus asked.
Mae told Angus the events from this morning to the present. She did not need to explain the part where he showed up. When Angus started speaking Mae listened intently. "Interesting. My day was similar. I woke up on the kitchen floor with a huge headache. I had no idea how I ended up in the kitchen, but that's where I awoke. I was going to see if Gregg was ok, however I remembered our breakup, and-"
"Wait! You and Gregg… broke up? How?" Mae interrupted.
"I'll get to that later."
"Sorry, please continue," Mae said eagerly.
"So I knew he was probably at work. He probably was not in the mood to see me. I decided to get ready and go to work. Time later I arrived at Video Outpost Too. My co-worker, who works when I'm not there, was in. She said 'Hi Angus,' and I said hello back. I then told her that I'll take the next shift, but she responded with 'Hi Angus' again. No matter what I said to her she always responded with 'Hi Angus.' It was very peculiar. so I left thinking she was fine with watching the shop. As I left I felt this weird sensation that wasn't right. I thought I might be sick, so I started towards home. On my way back I saw that everything near the Snack Falcon was shapes. Then I saw you. Now we're here."
"What happened between you and Gregg?" Mae asked, the suspense of not knowing bothering her.
"We..." Angus sighed as he spoke, "We were arguing. I asked Gregg about our future, and he said that we would stay in Possum Springs. I told him, 'We should think about getting better jobs. Somewhere better,' but he complained about not seeing you and Bea. We argued some more. He eventually said, 'Eff you Angus!' which made me furious. 'Stop being so immature for once!' I shouted at him. 'You know what Angus? I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back.' Thinking back, I believe he was trying to see my answer. Now, I don't think he meant it at first, but I was infuriated, and I told him, 'Go! I don't want to see you anymore either!' Gregg instantly saddened. 'Fine Angus. I'm going and never coming back.' and that was yesterday."
After hearing the depressing tale of their breakup, Mae sank back in the couch. "Woah Angus. I always thought you two would be a forever couple. I guess Bea was right."
"What?" Angus inquired not quite believing what Mae said.
"Bea thought you two wouldn't last forever. She was right." They sat there on the couch for awhile. Mae took the last sip of her water before Angus started bawling.
"I miss him so much! It's been less than a day, and it feels like it's been months without him."
Mae was surprised by the sudden outburst. She took her left arm, and she patted his back. "Don't worry you big bear. We'll escape this false world."
Angus slowly ceased crying. "That's what we should call this place."
"False world?"
"Yeah! False world, or Fake Possum Springs. Both sound good." Mae thought about it for a second before continuing to talk.
"Ok, False World it is," Mae said happily. Angus yawned, then got up off the couch.
"I think I'll take a nap. We can investigate later how to escape. If you're tired just sleep on the couch." He stretched.
"Ok. I do feel tired too." Angus walked into the bedroom as Mae laid on the couch. She felt sleepy, and she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep. Thinking about how to escape before going into slumber.
End Notes: It appears Mae isn't alone in this False World.
