We have seen so many worlds in a short amount of time. Coming to think of it, we might be luckier than most other people because honestly and really, not everyone gets to see and experience another world beyond their own in their lifetime. All my friends are awfully tired thoughfrom constant wandering through a stream of endless worlds and the only exit and entrance to them is the way we came which leads us back to this mysterious hallway, but along the way, some gates we haven't been able to enter through, they've literally repelled us.
I want to stay in this hallway forever if I can and only a small part of me wishes to return home and I know what I've done is incredible selfish. I've trapped three other people here. We don't belong here too and then I see my friends look exhausted, sinking down to sit against a wall.
Come to think of it, I'm tired too. We've not come across much food or water along our travels so we are all at a level of starvation nearly. Day by day, we've all been dropping weight, but I've lost the most. Are we going to die here if we don't find resources or find a way home?
All of a sudden I feel a arm cup my shoulder blade and I turn around wearily. "Valerie, are you okay?"
It's Louis. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, Louis, Angel's honour and promise..." I tell him, making a sphere with both my hands.
"You don't look fine, Valerie... You look worse off than all of us, combined. You're deathly pale. Do you feel nauseous, sick or anything?"
"I'm fine Luis, really. I can keep going, we haven't all given up yet so let's continue onwards."
"Really? Cause I feel like giving up and by the way, it's your fault were stuck in this situation." Kelsey wines, crossing her arms, but her complaining goes ignored by Cloud and Luis.
"Valerie, I'm inclined to agree with Luis here. You do indeed look unwell."
Great, now Cloud starting too."Friends, Team, Family, I'm fine... Really-" but I don't get to finish my sentence as I feel the world start to tilt and I feel a slight pressure on the side of my head like someone's hand is resting on it.
"That was the last of our water."
"It was?"
"Yeah."
"What are we all going to drink now? What am I going to drink?!"
"Woah, woah, woah! Don't be selfish, Kelsey. Valerie fainted, she needs it most right now, more so than you and me."
"That last sip of water may be what just saves her life. Question now is how do we restock our water supply, let alone food reserves?"
"We could go through another gate?"
"Yeah, we could Cloud, but the thing is if we go through another gate that's not habitable to say then we have used energy and it's not expendable at this point, but our efforts would also mean we have come back here with nothing, no food, no water."
"You're right, I shouldn't be hasty. The last portal I led us into resulted in... Nevermind, to unspeakable."
"Oh, don't bring that up ever again as long as we live, I beg you please!" Louis smirks, clinging to Cloud's sleeve and kneeling because his holding me in his arms, hand on my head, propped up on his knee.
"It was guys, it was." Kelsey says snarkily.
I feel a pressure throbbing in my head and let out a raspy breath and use the last of my strength to bring my hand to my head to try and rub my temples, but shortly after my arm drops, a slight thud alerting my friends that I'm awake.
"Oh, shit!"
"Don't sware, Cloud!" Kelsey lectures him.
"Ah, you're right, sorry!"
"Valerie, are you with us?"
It's Luis, but I'm too weak to open my eyes. "Luis... I-I can't open my eyes."
I don't want to tell them about my eating disorder...
"You can't?"
"No..."
"I think two of us should go through a gate while someone stays here with Valerie."
"That's your plan?"
"Well it's not like we have another, Kelsey. Valerie's going to die if we don't do something."
"Can-can you..."
"Valerie, don't try to speak. Conserve your energy." Cloud tells me and then he pulls me up to lean against him more. "Ugh! Come on, fine! Which gate do YOU want to go through, Louis?!" I hear Kelsey grumbling.
"Ummm, let's see... we need to smart about this as we only get one shot at this now and we have to make it count."
"Wait."
"Valerie, do not speak." I hear Cloud lecture me. "My robe..."
"Your robe?" I hear Luis question me. "Get it off." I beg. "She must be too hot in it, these robes are rather thermal." I hear Kelsey say when it dawns on her. "Should I remove it?" I hear Cloud ask. "Just do it, we don't have time for this!" I hear Luis snap say. He's getting really heated now and losing his cool.
I feel my heavy robe removed to reveal my uniform and it's folded up next to my body. "Better?" Cloud asks. I nod weakly, no longer over-heating. "Good, good." I hear Luis say. "Come on, let's just go already!" I hear Kelsey grump and I hear Louis protest, but Kelsey snags his arm and starts dragging him towards a gate.
Some time passes and Cloud places my robe under my head as a pillow, laying me on the ground gently and suggests that maybe I should try and get some rest and he'll watch over me. After a little while, I open my eyes to see him still patiently sitting with me.
Cloud looks down and sees I'm awake. "Valerie, you're awake?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"We haven't got any more water for you yet. I'm so-so sorry!"
"It's okay... ah!" I whimper, feeling a gnawing in my stomach.
"Don't try to move! I don't want you to accidentally hurt yourself..."
I go to speak, but I don't get a chance as two voices interrupt me and Cloud. "Valerie, Cloud!"
It's Louis and Kelsey shouting. I hear Cloud stand up. "Have we got water?"
"Better!" Kelsey shouts. "Just pick Valerie up! We have to go... now!" I hear Luis add on. I feel Cloud bend down and lift me up bridle style to carry me. I manage to open my eyes and see we are walking along the hallway and come to a entrance, but it's a solid wall just a little inwards.
"Where does this go?" I hear Cloud question. "People!" Louis responds.
"How do you know?" Cloud questions again. "We heard voices and we ducked behind to see a woman with long white hair with aqua blue and light green streaks phase through the wall. That was about 15 minutes ago. We did so we weren't spotted. Let's see if we can break through, we have our powers!" Kelsey tells us.
"It's better than no plan. Surely they would have a doctor or water they can spare for us?" I hear Louis suggest "Alright, let's go then." Cloud responds. Kelsey and Luis take the lead and combine their powers, managing to break the wall instantly that it collapses into pieces we can step over and Cloud follows slowly after them, still carrying me as I weakly clutch my robe.
"We'll get you help, Valerie, don't worry." is the last thing I hear Cloud say before it all goes black again. After some time I open my eyes again to see we are walking along a bridge suspended in the air and there is colours of a sunset all around us. How can the sky be in here with us? Well, whatever this place is... It's beautiful.
The sky is a gentle orange and I see white fluffy clouds float by. It seems to stretch for miles the room. If we can even call it that?
"It's really something huh, Luis?" Kelsey smiles, entwining arms with him.
"Yes. Yes, it is Kelsey."
I can hear them making small talk up ahead. I look to see Cloud is still carrying me. He looks to me. "Are you still doing okay, Valerie?"
"Just... you?"
"Fine!"
"Guys, were here!" I hear my friends scream from up ahead. Cloud hurries up while carrying me and runs a bit faster. He stops behind them and we see a star-gate like the one we have back home, but rather than it lying upright, it's lying flat, suspended in mid-air on it's own and we can't see through it.
"This isn't a normal star-gate..." I hear Louis state.
"Well, are we jumping through, or?" Cloud grumbles. Am I becoming too heavy for him to carry?
My friends take a deep breath in and grasp hands and step forward towards the gate, the tips of their shoes stepping on the edge and we see it light up brightly. White light spills out, blinding us all. I have no choice, but to squeeze my eyes shut while I hear Cloud groan and Kelsey alongside Louis gasp. I wonder what it is they see?
"You four should not be here. You have made a very daft mistake coming here." I hear a female unknown voice say, but whoever she is, sounds only a few years older than us.
"H-hey! What are you doing?!" I hear Louis scream and the next thing I can hear are the screams of Luis and Kelsey together. It sounds like they are getting further away from us.
"And now for you two."
"W-wait! We can talk about this. You see this girl here she's weak and I'm carrying her because-"
"He won't care for your plight, I'm sorry in advance. Although, you do have my sympathies."
And I feel Cloud shift, but he still is holding me. I open my eyes to see a young woman, 25 maybe with dark brown skin covered in freckle with hair a light purple colour in two plaits and she's clutching a head-scarf in her hands and then she shoves Cloud and he slips into the Star-gate with me and the world around us dissolves into light grey with black and white particles and our hair is whipping around, wind running through as we fall and I see the young woman jump in, after us.
"This is not how I planned my week on going, Valerie! I was meant to be taking you upstairs, not downstairs!" I hear Cloud yell right in my ear that my ear rings slightly from it.
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