Page 49 of Orange Town
I looked at the other table. There’s this group of manasties, similar looking except for their bluish hair. One is about to eat while the other is drinking from his mug. Even the liquid is frozen. Is this a dream? Or is something bad going to happen?
I looked at the bar counter. The waiter who had been busy stealing glances at me since I arrived, is caught looking at me even if his body is turned toward the bar. He is holding a tray of food. The only thing moving is the steam coming from the hot soup.
I stood up and started to walk away from the table. Whatever caught these people is something bad.
Zirc blinked. Or was that my imagination? I backed away further until my back reached the wall and hoped I don’t get caught with whatever they are stricken with. I could see some slight tremors coursing through Zirc’s body. I think whatever caught them, he is fighting with it tooth and nail. I wanted to help him but instincts told me to get out of ground zero. I never felt helpless. I am lost on this planet and no matter how many times I try to wake myself up, meditate, try to transport myself into the impossible, nothing is happening. I am still stuck here when I open my eyes after I sleep.
Aside from Zirc, I do not see anyone moving at all. Roqs is still, his mouth hanging open. I looked to my right, through the glass window and saw that people are motionless. Even the small horse-like creatures that seem to be the normal transportation in this town.
Gathering my fear, I knew from reading and watching too much Netflix that stranger things are about to happen! And why am I not caught? Is it because I’m from Earth? I don't even know their race except that they have feline eyes and their skin is made of small stripes of fur with a rainbow colored theme. God, I’m going crazy. Rainbows? Really?
I think I drank too much of their mead.
I took calming breaths because I felt an onset of panic attack. After calming myself, I tried to walk my stiff legs back to our table. Back to Zirc. Because I can see a slight change in his eyes that he looks furious. He even looks mad. Maybe if I touched him he could be free to move? That is normally what happened in the movies. Everything here is like from a movie. Maybe it will work.
How can a simple night out turn into a nightmare so fast?
Each table is made of wood that is cut haphazardly. Each has a unique design. Wooden tables like these are expensive and durable. Even if they are worn out, someone took great care to smooth the rough edges and the platform. It should be durable, because I can sense, even from a foot away from Zirc, that he is vibrating with so much anger. He is still looking straight ahead to where I was a while ago. But now I am standing to his right, my back to the door. I can check that if he is free, he can easily chop this wood into two with his bare hands.
My fear is an all time high for me to observe minute details of what’s happening right now in my surroundings. It’s too quiet.
Tentatively, I touched Zirc’s shoulder. More like shoved him a bit with my palm. Of course, nothing happened. I touched him again, making the contact longer. I can only detect slight tremors along his body. So using both hands, I tried to move his shoulder but it’s like moving a boulder. I should be thankful that he did not crush me when he was on top of me. Now is not the time to think of those things Brynn!
“Why are you all frozen?” I asked in exasperation. “How long is this going to last?”
Talking to the side of his face is not helping. I could not see his eyes, which is probably the only thing moving right now.
“Snap out of it!” My voice seemed to echo within the saloon.
It was stupid but I was running out of options. I moved slightly so I could slap his face. Hard.
“Ow, ow, ow.”
My pain is probably showing in my face. I looked at Zirc’s face. His eyes are now frozen. Oh shit, what did I do now?
“Look, I”m sorry. But from where I come from, that usually works.” I was rambling and I was not even sure he could hear me. Though I wanted to laugh hysterically because seconds later, I saw the clear fine print of my hand on his left cheek.
Argh!
Then I noticed that there were no tremors in his body. But I can see that he can move his tail. His cute fluffy tail. The end that normally looks sleek like a watercolor brush is now fluffy. All of his fur at the end of his tail is standing up. I looked at his face as if asking for permission to touch it.
I saw that his eyes went from frozen, to incredulous, then mellowed a little. If he can talk, I’m sure he’s amused. So even in this state I can amuse him. I am usually a straight laced person. People find me boring. It takes years for people to understand my funny side.
Just then, I heard a loud noise from outside. It was ten times louder than Roqs’ car-like engine when we first entered this town. It seems to be coming nearer and nearer. As it came near, the vehicle felt bigger and there seemed to be more than one. I found myself walking towards the windows near the door to see. I do not want to go outside. Instincts tell me bad things will happen if I go out. Or maybe I’m clinging to Zirc by being this way. He’s the only person that I first met here and had been intimate at first sight! And I’m expecting him to save the day!
I looked outside the huge windows. There’s a cloud of dust from afar. But when the vehicles came near the town, they slowed down. When they started mowing down the people along their path (those poor people!), I found myself turning to Zirc. This time, I exerted all my effort to somehow make him move.
“Get up, get up! People are dying out there!” I cried out to him.
I shook him, even kicked his right thigh.
“Move!”
But he wasn’t moving. Whatever caught them in a grip is stronger. I looked at Roqs and though his mouth was open, his eyes had that crazy glint when he mentioned about a group of bandits on our way here. His eyes say time is running out for me to escape.
Abandoning Zirc, I looked around for a hidey hole. I do not want to go to the counter because they might be robbers or worse, the gangs they told me about. Where can I hide myself?
There’s a staircase. Maybe there are more rooms upstairs where I can hide. As I was about to walk away, something grabbed my left calf. It was Zirc’s tail.
