=========================== CHAPTER V ==============================
I was awake. I was me. Wait, no not right. I was whole? My bed was the same, nicely made. My room was quiet, dark. I could see my things sitting immobile on my desk. I didn't feel that sick emptyness. I felt like me, though still sick. I checked my chest. Whole. My face, not there. I ran to the mirror. I was translucent. Clearish brown. My arms were whole, but my feet weren't. I was walking on slippers, but translucent legs. I was wearing the last thing I had when I had disappeared. I was here. Why? I was in the Real World.
No Senna to push me back. Did I choose to be back here? Did I want to be back in the Real World so the divide said, "Hey, lets get Jalil his body half-back." I was here for some reason. Maybe I was back for good. Maybe all of us were. Time to come back to the Real World? Our interactive tour of Everworld was over. Now it was time to com back to life.
I didn't want to be here! I wanted, needed to be there. I didn't want the O.C. I wanted the war. I wanted to lead Odin against the Sennites. I couldn't be here. Messed up dreams. But I could feel the desk. I could feel the smooth cold wood and the waxy finish. I could feel the pages of the Advanced Calculus I open on my desk.
Why was I here. Why? Why? Why? Why! Why here now. Why am I standing over my desk with my real body instead of being some ghostly being. The OC was kicking in. I could feel the need to wash my face and lock my doors. I wanted to change clothes. Not good. Time to go back.
Come on Everworld Jalil, wake up. No waking up. I had just rode across nothingness on an eight-legged horse whom was the son of the Nordic god of trickery and destruction and had a council of the gods to decifer the fate of Everworld. A long sleep was very welcome. I still wanted back. What was so good about the real world? Miyuki maybe? My sisters? My family?
No. It made sound cold, but that was not my source of being. I could do so much better. Maybe some god had thought it better I go back. Or maybe they thought it would do me good to be old double-Jalil, so I could study. I knew little about Nordic gods. I only knew the basics. Creation, Tree of Yggdrasil, Valhalla, Ragnarok. Nothing special. This was my place to learn, might as well go and study.
I opened my window slowly, so not to wake my parents. I lowered my body to eave of the window and tried lowering myself down.
"What am I doing?" I asked aloud. The OC was pulsing now. I needed cleanliness, I needed order. I didn't need to be hanging down a window eave and be running off to the library. Shut up, Jalil! I didn't need to be Asgard conferencing with tempermental gods and goddesses about a coming battle.
I dropped from the eave, maybe a bit too hard. I hit the ground in a crumpled mess. I felt blood running down my cheek from where a rock had dug into it. I felt dirt on my hands and slippers. I was in my pajamas for god's sake. I ran to the door and jiggled the handle. Locked. No, not now. I banged on the door, hoping it would open. Where was the key!
The light in my parents room flicked on. No! Not good. Dirt! Mud. Grass stains. All very real. I needed to get out of there. NOW! Move Jalil. Don't just stand there, waiting for the cops. Stop banging on the door, your not getting in.
Sirens. Sirens in the distance. They called the cops. MOVE! RUN AWAY! I am not whole, I am empty. I don't want to be here. Sirens, lights. Run for the bushes. I dove head first into the bushes.
"Police, stop!" called a deep voice above the now quieted sirens. Lights ran across the bushes. I stood up. Why? Get back down!
"Freeze!" His gun was on me. The light was on me. Attempted breaking and entering. Trespassing. Whatever. They were going to arrest the amazing disappearing man.
A tug pulled from my chest. No more body. Clothes lay rumpled on the dirt. OC. No body for OC. Police walked, confused, just like me. I was an aparition again.
"What the hell! He's gone!" called the officer.
"Jalil!" My mothers voice. She was running from the door. "Jalil! Jalil!"
The officer walked to her. My dad had just followed her. "Calm down ma'am."
"What's going on?" asked another officer.
"That was my Jalil." She was crying. "Oh baby! Jalil!" She seemed hysteric. The officer who had pointed a gun at me was now picking up my clothes, looking at the puzzeled. My mom was still crying. He picked up my clothes with his baton and drapped them on his left arm.
"Ma'am, we found these," called the officer, holding up my clothes. My mom cried harder. Than I was back in Everworld.
I was awake. I was me. Wait, no not right. I was whole? My bed was the same, nicely made. My room was quiet, dark. I could see my things sitting immobile on my desk. I didn't feel that sick emptyness. I felt like me, though still sick. I checked my chest. Whole. My face, not there. I ran to the mirror. I was translucent. Clearish brown. My arms were whole, but my feet weren't. I was walking on slippers, but translucent legs. I was wearing the last thing I had when I had disappeared. I was here. Why? I was in the Real World.
No Senna to push me back. Did I choose to be back here? Did I want to be back in the Real World so the divide said, "Hey, lets get Jalil his body half-back." I was here for some reason. Maybe I was back for good. Maybe all of us were. Time to come back to the Real World? Our interactive tour of Everworld was over. Now it was time to com back to life.
I didn't want to be here! I wanted, needed to be there. I didn't want the O.C. I wanted the war. I wanted to lead Odin against the Sennites. I couldn't be here. Messed up dreams. But I could feel the desk. I could feel the smooth cold wood and the waxy finish. I could feel the pages of the Advanced Calculus I open on my desk.
Why was I here. Why? Why? Why? Why! Why here now. Why am I standing over my desk with my real body instead of being some ghostly being. The OC was kicking in. I could feel the need to wash my face and lock my doors. I wanted to change clothes. Not good. Time to go back.
Come on Everworld Jalil, wake up. No waking up. I had just rode across nothingness on an eight-legged horse whom was the son of the Nordic god of trickery and destruction and had a council of the gods to decifer the fate of Everworld. A long sleep was very welcome. I still wanted back. What was so good about the real world? Miyuki maybe? My sisters? My family?
No. It made sound cold, but that was not my source of being. I could do so much better. Maybe some god had thought it better I go back. Or maybe they thought it would do me good to be old double-Jalil, so I could study. I knew little about Nordic gods. I only knew the basics. Creation, Tree of Yggdrasil, Valhalla, Ragnarok. Nothing special. This was my place to learn, might as well go and study.
I opened my window slowly, so not to wake my parents. I lowered my body to eave of the window and tried lowering myself down.
"What am I doing?" I asked aloud. The OC was pulsing now. I needed cleanliness, I needed order. I didn't need to be hanging down a window eave and be running off to the library. Shut up, Jalil! I didn't need to be Asgard conferencing with tempermental gods and goddesses about a coming battle.
I dropped from the eave, maybe a bit too hard. I hit the ground in a crumpled mess. I felt blood running down my cheek from where a rock had dug into it. I felt dirt on my hands and slippers. I was in my pajamas for god's sake. I ran to the door and jiggled the handle. Locked. No, not now. I banged on the door, hoping it would open. Where was the key!
The light in my parents room flicked on. No! Not good. Dirt! Mud. Grass stains. All very real. I needed to get out of there. NOW! Move Jalil. Don't just stand there, waiting for the cops. Stop banging on the door, your not getting in.
Sirens. Sirens in the distance. They called the cops. MOVE! RUN AWAY! I am not whole, I am empty. I don't want to be here. Sirens, lights. Run for the bushes. I dove head first into the bushes.
"Police, stop!" called a deep voice above the now quieted sirens. Lights ran across the bushes. I stood up. Why? Get back down!
"Freeze!" His gun was on me. The light was on me. Attempted breaking and entering. Trespassing. Whatever. They were going to arrest the amazing disappearing man.
A tug pulled from my chest. No more body. Clothes lay rumpled on the dirt. OC. No body for OC. Police walked, confused, just like me. I was an aparition again.
"What the hell! He's gone!" called the officer.
"Jalil!" My mothers voice. She was running from the door. "Jalil! Jalil!"
The officer walked to her. My dad had just followed her. "Calm down ma'am."
"What's going on?" asked another officer.
"That was my Jalil." She was crying. "Oh baby! Jalil!" She seemed hysteric. The officer who had pointed a gun at me was now picking up my clothes, looking at the puzzeled. My mom was still crying. He picked up my clothes with his baton and drapped them on his left arm.
"Ma'am, we found these," called the officer, holding up my clothes. My mom cried harder. Than I was back in Everworld.
