Chapter 2: New friend

The girl brought along was dazed and confused. Rei saw life brought back into her eyes.

Girl: "Where are we?!"

Rei: "Oh, it's about time you woke up. I spent the last hour catching 4 fishes. Also, I think we're lost in the middle of the sea."

Rei pulls out his map.

Rei: "I thought Akiba city was this way but..."

Girl: "Give me that!" She snatches the map out of Rei's hands. "You idiot! You've been reading the map upside down!

Rei: "Oh...Well, we have fish so we'll be straight until we find Akiba!"

Girl: "You can't make a fire in the small boat!"

Rei: "Geez, you're a big downer. By the way, what's your name? You still never told me yet."

Girl: "My name's Mina Kuroki."

Rei reaches in his backpack and grabs bottled water for them both.

Rei: "Mine eh? Well since you're here now, how about helping me get to Akiba?"

Mina: "Why do you want to go to Akiba?"

Rei: "There's something going on in the world. I want to visit a friend who lives in Akiba."

Mina: "A friend huh..?"

Rei: "Yeah, he's pretty smart. Do you have any friends anywhere?"

Mina: "No...I was always alone."

Rei: "Don't feel down about it. Tell you what, I'll be your first ever friend!"

Rei picks up two wooden paddles and begins to row.

Rei: "Mina, read to me the directions to Akiba!"

Mina: "The way to Akiba is Northeast from where we are now."

Rei: "Really?"

Mina: "Yeam um...you can actually see the city from here." She points to the city.

Rei: "Oh...right, I knew that! We need to sneak into the city and find my friend's house."

Mina: "But there's a dock over there."

Rei: "Mina. The world is not as it seems. We need to avoid being seen."

Mina: "What do you mean?"

Rei: "That's why we're headed to my friend Shun's house. He should know what's going on."

Rei and Mina park their boat on a seaside where Rei led Mina through more woods and eventually outside a part in the outskirts of Akiba. The park was populated with families, as if everything was normal.

Rei: "Don't be fooled, Mina. There people act normal but when you go near them, it's like everything about them changes. It's really weird."

The both survey the park, looking for a way to sneak by everyone.

Mina: "How about we pretend to be like them?"

Rei: "How?"

Mina: "Notice their eyes look lifeless. Maybe we should develop a look like them."

Rei: "That might work. Okay, let's do it!"

*One minute later...*

Mina and Rei run from the park as a mob of people chased them down.

Mina: "Why did I know tis wouldn't work?!"

Rei: "Why on Earth did I let you come up with that?!"

Mina: "You're the one who agreed!"

The mob grew larger as they ran through Akiba city and near Shun's house.

Rei: "Shun's house is around this corner, but we need to cut around twice."

Mina: "Whatever will get us out of this situation!"

As Rei stated, they cut around the corner to the street Shun lived on and cut again through a small alley between Shun's house and another building. The mob ran past them and they emerged from the alley.

Rei: "This is Shun's home. Quick, let's see if he's here."

Rei and Mina approached the door. Rei rung the doorbell and all of a sudden, the large mat they stood on opens like a trap floor and they both fall through.

To be continued in Chapter 3: Shun's room