Collision by Alyx D. Vacca (e ink ebook reader TXT) 📖

ended up like Tobi's father. He looked around a little. I hoped he was okay. "Tobi?" I asked questioningly. "I'm alright," he answered. "Just a little shocked, lets go." We walked farther in to the mess and turned to the pile. His father was still covered with rubble and household junk but I think think he knew what happened when he saw the beam sticking up from the ground. He shuddered and we continued. I could feel him brace himself for the sight, mentally and physically and I did the same. Seeing it once was bad enough but going back again might make me throw-up. Not to be disrespectful to the dead but seeing a man speared with a piece of his house is very gruesome, and trust me I am not squeamish. As we approached the pile I heard a whimpering noise coming from Tobi. Once again I felt a wave of pity for him and fear for my own parents. Suddenly I felt an intense need to find them. It kept growing and growing until I felt the only way not to explode was to leave Tobi and find them! "Dad!" Tobi yanked away from me and fell with a crash next to his father. "Dad!" He sobbed, he was crying. I stood there for a few moments struggling with the feelings welling up inside of me. I won and they dissipated slowly. I crouched down next to Tobi and put an arm around him. I had no way of knowing what it felt like to lose a parent but I wanted to help him in some way. Surprisingly he did not pull away, but turned to me and cried on me! Now this was a new experience for me. I had never comforted anyone before. My mom comforted my dad and vice versa. My one friend that moved had other friends that she went to for that. I never even had a pet, so, needless to say, it was a little awkward. He cried for a long time and we just sat there. We sat there until the last of the earthquakes passed. Then... I don't know what happened.
I woke up a while later next to a tree with gold and silver leaves and copper bark, it was so beautiful that I just stared at it. Tobi sat up and looked at me a few times with an expression on his face that said that he thought that I was stupid. Finally done staring at the tree and tired of the look that Tobi was giving me I stopped him the next time he came over. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" I demanded.
"Like what?"
"Like I'm stupid."
"Oh. Because you kept looking at that tree like you've never seen one before." His sad eyes seemed to laugh at me. "I haven't. At least not one like that." He started staring at me again, which was starting to get on my nerves. "Never?" I shook my head. "But they are every where." I continued to shake my head. "They are in every city, town, country." Now he shook his head, utterly baffled. "I have never seen one before anywhere." I told him. This seemed to finally strike home. "Whoa! That's weird." I laughed. "It's no more weird than that tree appearing." He laughed a little at that. "What happened anyway? You just fell. Are you sick?" He looked concerned. "No!" I hurried to assure him. "I don't know what happened...What about you? You don't look so good." "Hmm? Oh, I don't know, I'm finding it kind of hard to breathe for some reason. Kind of like standing in smoke." He coughed. At the time it didn't worry me. "Do you need any more help?" I asked. The feeling of urgency was returning. "Not particularly... Just... Where are you going?" I was looking in the other direction, now I turn to him. "I was going to look for some people." I didn't want to say parents right after he lost his own, or at least his dad, I don't know about his mom. "Can I help you?" He looked hopeful. It reminded me of myself, I did not want to be alone either. Not to mention it would be useful to have someone who was used to some of the odd things coming out of the ground. "I would say yes, but both of your legs are broken, if not crushed," I said, matter of fact. I was always blunt and I don't think I am going to learn not to be any time soon. "If you could walk, I'd say yes. I can't carry you across Raytown." He got up and attempted to walk around to show me that he could, and failed. "What is 'Raytown'?" He asked after he fell to the ground his face tight with pain that he was trying to ignore. I looked around before answering. "I think Raytown is where we are, but nothing looks the same." "Oh... I thought we were in Dag," the boy said. He looked around and whistled when he saw the school with the tree through it. "This whole thing does not make any since!" He burst out so suddenly that I jumped. "First the earthquake, when never in the history of Fief Dagrolma has there been one. Then things start coming out of the holes in the ground! What is going on!" He glared at nothing in particular, as if someone or thing would step forward and present to him the answer since it was clear that I had no more of an idea than he did.. "That happened where you come from too!" I asked him, puzzled. I had kind of expected that he would have seen things falling from the sky, not coming out of the ground. Like it did for me. He glared at me. "Yeah." "When things were coming out earlier, what was coming up?" He shrugged. "I don't know, Really big buildings with lots of windows. Either that or they were spread all over the place. People. Why" I was thinking deeply. It was hard to get my head around it. Neither world (for that was exactly what they were) was either below or above and they could not be side by side. So was the only explanation I could come up with, was that they must be in the same place. But that did not make since either, for if they were in the same place then everyone would or should know about the other. If they were in the same place then two people would or could stand in the same place at the same time! It must be like a alternate universe or something! My musings were interrupted by loud and sickly coughs from Tobi. "Are you sure you are okay?" I asked. He did not look good. He shook his head and laid on the ground. "The air feels heavy, I can't breathe," he whispered, his voice was hoarse. "Should I get help?" Even as I said it I had no idea where I would get it. He nodded. "The Wizard. Please get the Wizard." Wizard! "What wizard?" I burst out, forgetting that there might actually be Wizards in his world. "There are no such things!" He nodded. "East in the Tower. He is the village Wizard. He will help." I looked at him in disbelief than started to run, East. Surprisingly enough (or not, considering the circumstances) there was indeed a tower. Contrary to Tobi though, The air felt lighter than ever and I was breathing it in. Which is NOT stupid. What's stupid is holding your breath while you run. You'd pass out if you did that.
When I got there I started running around the base looking for a way in. I must have circled it twice before I realized there was not a door. "Tobi must have forgotten to tell me to tap the third stone to the left next to the one on the right or some other such nonsense." I muttered to my self. I do that quiet often. I gave up and decided to yell and hope the mighty Wizard hears. "HEY! IS ANYONE THERE? GREAT WIZARD MAN?" I jumped in fright when I got an answer. I thought that the stone walls would be too thick for him to actually hear me. "WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU IMPERTINENT LITTLE CHIT!" A thundering voice rang out from the tower. Something about the disembodied voice unnerved me, but I also knew that Tobi needed him. "PLEASE COME! MY FRIEND NEEDS YOUR HELP! God that sounded cheesy. "WHY SHOULD I HELP YOU? YOU INSULTED ME! CALLED ME A 'GREAT WIZARD MAN'. SUCH BEHAVIOR WAS NEVER TOLERATED IN MY DAY!" Great now we both sound cheesy, he sounds like an old geezer telling his grandchildren off and I sound like one of those story book characters who ride on big white horses and slay dragons. "YOU WONT BE HELPING ME! YOU WILL BE HELPING SOMEONE WHO DOES RESPECT YOU HOWEVER! NOW COME DOWN SO I DON'T HAVE TO KEEP YELLING!" I stopped, my throat hurt, and I hadn't had time to catch my breath after running all the way there. I didn't hear anything. I thought maybe he was just ignoring me when suddenly there was an explosion in the stone wall and when the smoke cleared there was a door. The door then opened and a voice from somewhere proclaimed, "The Great and Magical Wizard, MORON!" "It's MORAN you idiot piece of worthless spellerey! Moran!" Came the wizards voice from the halls behind the door. "What ever," the door spell said. "Stupid spell," the Wizard muttered as he came into view. He was every thing that could be associated with wizards. Tall with a long flowing white beard and a dark blue cloak covered in silver symbols. However, even though he had a white beard, he wasn't all that old. Maybe thirty or so. Maybe working with magic turned your hair white? "Now then, what do you want?" "Uh..." I said not sure exactly what to say. He smiled. "Ah yes, now I see why you were so disrespectful before. You have never seen me or my magnificent. I understand." He grinned some more. "Um... so...will you help me?" I said. "Please?" I added hurriedly at his disapproving look. "Maybe," he said. "It depends." "On what?" I asked. "On what you need me for and how much you pay me," he said with a greedy smile. I stared at him. "How much do you want?" He smiled even wider. "Ten Dagas." And I was to know what that was, how? "We'll talk about the price later," I said. "Tobi said tha-" "TOBI! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY HE NEEDED HELP EARLIER!" The Great Wizard boomed.