Seriously? I got ten follows, seven favorites, but only two reviews...
Please, I beg all of you: review and let me know how you want the story to go!
By the way, this is the moment you all readers are waiting for...well, I am not going to spoil it. Just read on, and REVIEW please!
On a side note, also check out Amazon Vor!, the story by me and Trex98!
Update: Now, my story has 14 reviews, eight favorites, and seven reviews!
And this chapter has undergone a smallish overhaul, where I decide to change Mason's true age. That way, it is more realistic for my OC. I am not going to reveal his true age, until Chapter 5. Here, it is only implied. So long!
Chapter 3: They are Here
Mason suddenly woke up.
"W-what?" he blinked, trying to shake himself. "What was that dream?"
Ring! Ring!
"Hello?" he groaned, knowing who would call this early.
"Mason!" the familiar voice of Thomas roared out. Mason winced, frowning at his friend calling.
"It's 3:30 AM," mumbled Mason. "And you are still up?"
"I have a great idea!" he called out.
"What is it?" asked Mason halfheartedly.
"I am going to get white!" blurted out Thomas.
Mason rolled his eyes.
"Stop that, please," said Mason. "You know that's dangerous and illegal."
"Not anymore!" he called out, apparently smoking; Mason heard puffs after puffs.
"Drugs are illegal in America, you know," mumbled Mason. "And it's killing your health, too! Try and avoid that co-"
"Shush!" Thomas whispered madly. Mason shook his head; Thomas one time almost got caught with drugs, and he blamed the phone line for that. Since then, he referred to drugs by euphemisms.
"Alright," said Mason. "You don't care, do you?"
"Who cares?" Thomas called over the phone, still smoking audibly. Mason sighed.
"By the way," he said, in order to change the topic. "Are you interested in going to the motel again?"
"Nah," he replied with a little anger. "Nothing there, as expected. And I have another better things to do."
Mason rolled his eyes again. Thomas had a habit of saying euphemisms for many things (not just drugs), and this one basically meant his own "street activities" of sort.
"So be it," Mason shrugged. "Let me get more sleep."
"You're up!' Thomas groaned.
"I am up because of you," he replied. "Now please, let me sleep."
"Hey-"
Click.
"Can't he know that?" Mason asked to himself, getting back into his soft, warm bed. "Ah...That's great!"
He blinked.
"Oh yeah," he remembered. "That dream ...What was that?"
He suddenly forgot.
"Oh well," he said, and went back to sleep, turning back and forth in his bed. "If God wants me to remember, I will remember later."
Ring! Ring!
"Hello?"
"Mason!"
"Mom! How are you doing?" Mason called, flipping an old, black book on his white, wooden desk. The alarm clock on his smartphone read: 5:45 AM.
"You woke up a little late, didn't you?" his mom teased.
"Please, mom," said Mason. "I remember that you wake up so many times early, just to feed me. Good thing you're at the morning prayer meeting today."
"Well," she replied. "It's good that my only son loves to wake up early."
Mason could tell that she was genuine about it. He shrugged, and smiled.
"Well," he called. "School is out today; it's weird to go to a high school for only four days of the week, instead of five, as I am used to."
"Well," she replied. "At least there are plenty of things to do here, such as going to college!"
"Mom!" he groaned. "Stop talking about college! I have enough worries in high school!"
"A junior like you?" she teased. "You sound like a junior!"
"MOM!" he roared. "Stop with those puns!"
"Oh, what a 'pun' day," she answered. "Let's go for a 'fun' day. See ya!"
"Good day, mom," he groaned. "And God bless."
"And God bless!" she said, making a kissing sound over the phone. He gave her a kiss back.
"And God bless," he noted, as he hung up the phone. Stretching, he then looked down at his book.
"Please," he said to himself. "I was about to finish, when mom called. Now, I forgot what I even read!"
He sighed, but stretched again, feeling happy.
"Well," he said to himself. "It's another day of work, friends, and money; let's get through this!"
He tidied himself up, looking into his body mirror. He wore his uniform, which consisted of his own blue short pants and a red shirt with giant, green commas that are supposed to represent the yin-yang. It looked weird, but it was a restaurant, after all.
"Let's go," Mason said, shaking himself. "Ouch, I should have slept in a different posture! What was that dream, still?"
Mason drove in his sedan to his workplace, the Kimchica Grill. The restaurant had a hard time in the past, but has flourished remarkably when he was around. He did neither the cooking nor the management, but whenever he came...
"Hey!" a deep voice boomed. Mason winced, knowing who it was.
A big, jolly guy with the physical appearance of Santa Claus, minus the white beard and Christmas robe, crashed out of the doors to hug him.
"Uff!" Mason groaned. "Tom, please stop this for once."
"Our dear lucky charm!" his general manager roared. "Welcome home, dear!"
"Stop thinking of this as home," Mason said. "You know that I am no source of luck, you know?"
"But hey!" he declared. "I remember the day when you came, and our business boomed. All because of your charm and nice attitude! It's Friday; let's get through this!"
Mason rolled his eyes, but smiled. That last part was one of his favorite phrases to say; the "let's go through this!" had become rather popular, and a good number of his peers at work now worked more enthusiastically as a result.
"What are you up to, now?" asked Mason.
"You are still at your usual place," Tom boomed. "You are our taster and greeter, as usual! Taste our Korean-ish menu, and hope that it's great enough!"
"I cannot believe that we have to add a lot of salt and soy sauce," moaned Mason. He was tired of so-called Korean food being "Americanized" to cater to the needs of customers, most of whom were not Koreans. This place was no exception, but it was better than most, because he was around.
"Actually," Tom said. "We have."
Mason turned around, and stared with huge eyes.
"Here is our newest menu," Tom said, giving his favorite employee a booklet. "It features our 'authentic-as-possible' Korean menu. Try them!"
Mason gave a weird face, a face of doubt and curiosity. Tom was the general manager; he looked like a jolly man. Despite looking neither Mexican nor Korean, Tom was one of the top leaders of a strange, but very popular, chain of restaurants called the Kimchica Grill. In this chain, managers are encouraged to hire special people, known as "tasters," who knew how authentic Mexican or Korean food tasted like. It was only a part-time job, but Mason himself was responsible for tasting the "Korean" side of the menu.
"Combination of 'kimchi' and 'chica,' Spanish for girl," remarked Mason, as he tasted a sample of barbecued pulled pork. "Mm! This tastes like good barbecue! Just a little too much salt..."
"You thought we had beautiful girls here?" asked Tom jokingly. "I remember you asking that on the first day of work here! You want more salty girls?"
"Not salty!" Mason said, rolling his eyes. "But I am too busy with school to have one."
"Oh please," Tom smirked. "A guy like you looks good enough for a girl!"
"Seriously?" he questioned Tom's words. "But I guess..."
"But you are curious, right?" Tom asked.
"I do," Mason groaned and shrugged, then suddenly remembered that dream.
Mason ended up in front of that motel, the same old building. Suddenly, he saw it transform into a beautiful structure, and a group of very lovely girls were next to it. He found himself walking towards them, his heart pounding by the minute. One of them turned around, her beautiful smile radiating out like the Sun...
"Hello?" a voice boomed. "Hello? HELLO!"
Mason blinked, and shook himself.
"Wha-what?" he replied.
"Let's go, boy!" Tom teased him. "We have a long day ahead! Well, not long for you."
Mason realized that Tom only snapped him out of his trance, but also dragged him to his usual station: the sampling station. Mason only worked at the tasting station, because his mother wanted him to minimize hard labor; she adored her son's elegant hands, and did not want him to ruin them.
"Mom..." Mason remembered her annoying behavior.
"Guess you're her mommy boy?" Tom teased him. "Well, are we ready to go?"
"OK! I am going!" Mason replied, as another worker unlocked the doors, and the first customers streamed in. "Hello! Welcome to Friday! Let's have some fun!"
"Huff! Puff! I am done!"
Mason limped out of his workplace, glad that it was all over.
"Why does that work make me feel like an old man?" he blurted out to himself, as he entered into his car. "I mean, I like the food, but...I don't think it's authentic Korean food. Speaking of that..."
He checked his car mirrors. His brown hair was tidied up, but had that flattened shape due to wearing a hat. His glasses were a little stained from the work; some particles of food and detergent were on his good glasses. His blue eyes, however, still shone with the same level of energy as he did in the morning.
"Brown hair and blue eyes," he said to himself. "Not exactly a very...'Korean' kind of trait. It makes sense, since my father is white American."
He sighed.
"Dad..." he said to himself. "I haven't heard you much. I hope you're doing alright in the military."
Mason remembered that families normally moved around when one of them is in the military. However, his mother somehow managed to get a special permit or something, allowing her family to stay in one city, while his father could focus on the military. He heard that it was rare for a family to request a special permit like that, but it somehow worked out. Now, he and his mother lived together in a single house, in the city of Acta.
"Oh yeah!" he realized. "Today is Friday! Need to get going..."
He revved up his engine, and drove to his destination.
"Mason!" a few people yelled, waving their hands. He waved back, grinning. If there was one place that made him relieve a lot of stress, it was that market.
The farmer's market. Four of them every week.
Starting in late spring and lasting until early autumn, Acta hosted four farmer's markets. The city of Acta previously won numerous awards for being the "best city for farmer's markets." Individual farmers also hosted their own street vendors here and there, hoping to catch the attention of the occasional tourist. However, the city of Acta officially set aside four days of the week for farmers and independent vendors, hoping to make good money. It also helped that Acta had a very diverse population, and the local government was very generous with the markets; recently, the mayor removed a major tax, so that farmers are more encouraged to sell.
"And I can save more money," mumbled Mason to himself, counting his cash. "Great! I have enough to spend about $10 for each market! $40 for great food? Yum!"
"Wait!" he suddenly remembered. "I remember that I also want to check out that place! But...there wasn't anything of interest...But something tells me..."
"Mason?" asked a local vendor.
He turned to face a couple. A middle-aged woman and her older-looking husband watched him with caring eyes.
"Oh, hi there!" he greeted them.
"Hey there, my friend!" the husband greeted him, shaking hands. "How are you doing today?"
"Great!" Mason replied. "It's just that...I am not sure whether I have time for the market today."
"How come?" the woman asked.
"Miss Pat," Mason said. "I want to be here, but there is somewhere I want to go..."
"Well, of course!" Pat replied. "We are still here next week and beyond! If there is somewhere you want to go, do it before you forget!"
"Thank you!" he said.
"Oh wait!" Pat called out.
"Oh no no!" Mason tried to argue. "I did not pay you!"
"Just take it," Pat said, giving him a free sandwich. The chunk of pulled pork erupted with delicious barbecue sauce.
"You win again," Mason grumbled. "See you later!"
"See ya!" the couple called.
"Where is he going?" asked Pat to her husband. "I don't see him looking a little...dreamy."
"Maybe he's looking for a girlfriend?" Pat's husband joked.
"Oh shush, John!" Pat punched him lightly. "He's young, but he has his own business to mind."
"Maybe he will," John shrugged. "Well, it looks like he IS looking for someone..."
Mason drove his sedan towards the motel again. Although still a long way off, he was still thinking about that dream.
Mason ended up in front of that motel, the same old building. Suddenly, he saw it transform into a beautiful structure. Now that he remembered more, it looked like the older version, but cleaner and more like a house than a motel. Once again, a group of very lovely girls were next to it, chatting among themselves like girls normally would. He found himself walking towards them, his heart pounding by the minute. He remembered one of them pointing at him, and the others turned around to look. One of them gave a very warm smile...
"Oh wha?" he blinked. "Wait, I am in the wrong road! Eek, I could have been in an accident!"
Mason stopped his car in a private road, using it to turn around. He drove back in the opposite direction, realizing that he "zoned out" and sped past the original destination.
"Why am I thinking about them?" he loudly said to himself. "It's not like I can have a girlfriend or something..."
He drove into that same road, the old, weedy road that was rather hard to see. However, he stopped his car.
"Wait," he said. "Wasn't there a road here?"
The road was there, but he did not remember the weeds being so dense. Now, dandelions, amaranths, and even young trees tall enough to annoy cars covered the road.
"How did they grow so fast?" he wondered. "Oh well, it looks like I have to...just get through this!"
Without thinking much, he went out to check his front bumper, then the plants. Although trees started to grow, they were still green and flexible, so Mason reasoned that they could be "bulldozed" over without damaging his car.
"Alright," Mason said, revving up the engine. "Sorry, old car. You are going to be my makeshift bulldozer. Let's go!"
He revved up the engine, and drove his car into the dense foliage. He winced with each crack and crunch, hoping that it was just the plants being crushed, not his front bumper being damaged.
"My poor car," he mumbled. After a while, he entered a less dense area of the road, and went out to check the front.
Although he managed to plow through, the car's front was not broken, but was a mess. Parts of trees and weeds stuck to his front bumper like an ugly tattoo.
"At least they did not crack my front," he noted. "OK, now the road looks normal, so how did that happen?"
He frowned, thinking hard. He remembered Thomas telling him about the motel being supposed to be a center of "mysterious dimensional energy." He also remembered something else from another person...
"That motel?" asked Serena, one of the people working at the market.
"Yes?" Mason replied. "You overheard our conversation with Miss Pat?"
"Do you know about that place?" Pat asked Serena. "I do not quite remember; I think it's a recent legend here."
"Actually," she replied. "I do."
"Do you know about that place?" asked Mason.
"I heard rumors about it," she answered. "Some weird dimension of sort. It's said that someone with a pure heart can unlock its greatest secret. I heard that your wish gets granted."
"Who came up with that legend?" asked Mason. "If that is so, then everybody would be up there by now."
"Well," Serena said. "To be honest, I don't think there are that many good-hearted people these days."
"What about you all?" Mason asked his fellow vendors.
"Actually," Serena said. "I heard that the Portal Motel has strange requirements."
"Strange requirements?" asked Mason. "What do you mean?"
"Well," Serena frowned, trying to think. "I-I heard that only a pure-hearted man who never had a girlfriend in his life could open up its secret or something."
"What?" Mason asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who would come up with that legend?"
"I think you should try it!" Pat told him. "You're quite a nice guy! And you're the type of person whom I can tell has never had a girlfriend in his life!"
"Oh no no no!" Mason waved off her suggestion, blushing really bad. "I am not really that handsome; I do not have the face of a Hollywood celebrity or someone that handsome! And I have college to worry about in the future!"
"Oh please!" Pat smiled. "Your face is fluffy enough to get girls to squeal with joy!"
"S-stop it, please!" Mason said, blushing! "There is no way someone with a normal face of mine could ever get a girlfriend that easily!"
"That easily, I said," Mason remembered, as he jumped back in a drove up the hill. His car mowed down the weeds as usual, the plants screeching in pain. Mason shrugged, and just climbed up the hill.
"I think I want a girl," Mason said to himself. "Maybe more? Oh, I am almost up and now I...I..."
His jaw dropped, while putting his car on brakes in shock. The old motel suddenly changed. Although it looked like the older version, it was definitely renovated so that someone well-off could live there. The old sign also was gone, and the whole area around the motel looked more like a school ground than a parking lot.
"What the..." Mason said. He parked his car, on the edge of the building's lot. Going out, he forgot to take out his key, and locked himself out! However, he was too stunned to realize; the sight made him confused.
"Is this magic?" he said to himself. "Or a miracle? God, what did you do here?"
He then craned around, and decided to circle the place again. It really looked like a fancy motel, the kind that someone richer than he could afford. Whoever renovated it apparently did it with the precision of someone who worked for the millionaires; every bit of the motel was painted incredibly well. All of the walls were bright white, and the sliding doors were shiny, looking as if made of quality wood and paper.
"Did some professional Japanese come here?" he asked himself. "What's up with this? And the road was hidden too!"
He kept circling the motel. He noticed that it looked even less like a motel, and more like a private residence fit for a Japanese of higher status and wealth.
"Wait a minute," he realized. "It sort of looks like the Nishizumi's household from the movie, but white and blue, instead of blackish. Definitely friendlier-looking than Miho's old home."
He then walked around, and stopped.
"Are you kidding me..."
He faced a group of girls in front of him. The purplish-red line behind them rapidly shrunk and disappeared from view.
"Are you kidding me..." he continued.
One of the girls pointed at him. The others turned around. The leader of them gave a smile, a big, warm smile.
"Are you kidding me..." he suddenly forgot what happened afterwards.
Well, well. Mason Paine. You sure got your wish, didn't you? Now, the girls are here, and now you will go through all kinds of crazy stuff. Now, you have to help them survive in your world, after all. But that is the least of your worries, because more are coming in, and this is not even the end of your "adventure." So long, Mason! Rest well...I hope you're not stunned too much.
And please review, every chapter if possible. Especially PM me if you need some explanation from me. I appreciate any continuity error or strange detail that needs to be fixed; it is not always easy to ensure that all facts match up from Chapter 1 to Chapter 4. Thank you!