Tobifa led us to the long building a few ways off to the left of the hut. Inside, veronica, Mizuki and Tyler occupied their own rooms. Jordan and Tammy, theirs and Kap and I ours.

The room was sparse, the basic definition I thought. It was small and squat, the ceiling closer to the plain concrete floor than comfortable. Kap threw on the floor and looked up at me.

"Why didn't you tell me you smoked" she said

"I didn't think it was a big deal"

I stretched my arms and sat down cross legged in front of her. I placed my hands on her shoulders. She pulled back and crossed her arms, looking at the window instead.

"My mom was a heavy smoker" she said in a low voice, "Every time I see, in fact every time I smell tobacco it reminds me of her"

Honestly, I hadn't made that link. My heart sank after she said that, I felt terrible.

"Are you addicted?"

"No"

She looked me in the eyes. I laughed and stood up.

"Are you lying to me?"

"I cant believe that this is what you're worried about right now" I said as I produced the map from my back pocket,

"I just got us the map to the Boss for this floor, we should be celebrating"

"Are you addicted?"

"Jesus Christ," I sighed and walked over to the window, "I can quit whenever I want"

"You're lying, I saw the way you looked at that stuff"

"And how did I look at it"

"The way you look at me"

The chorus of cicada's and crickets filled the awkward silence.

Kap removed her jacket and folded it into a makeshift pillow. She turned her back to me and lay herself down. I approached her, knelt down and touched the bare portion of her back.

"Nothing is worth losing you" I said,

"Yes, I'm addicted. But I can drop it"

"For me or for your own health"

"Both"

She shifted a little. I ran my hand into her hair. When she didn't stop me, I slept beside her.

"Someone is mad"

"Furious"

"Well I got a remedy for that,"

I ran my hand down her back and squeezed her ass. It happened so fast that I didn't comprehend it at first, but Kap turned around at lightning speed and gave me a powerful full palmed slap.

She stood up, looking down at me like I had tried to kill her or something. I put my hand on my right cheek to try and ease the burning.

"How dare you" she spat.

Her eyes were wide open in anger and aggression. It made her scar more prominent in the dull candle light.

"What?"

"What? You just touched me. Do I look like a fucking prostitute to you"

"Kap..."

I rose from the ground. She moved away, her back hitting the wall and fists cocked. I raised my hands and she twitched.

"Whoa," I said, "Kap come on, that's not what this is"

"Then what is it John?"

"I was just trying to get romantic with my girlfriend?"

"I'm not your girlfriend"

I distanced myself away from her, placing myself at the center of the room. The candle light flickered, turning Kap's shadow into a shapeless thing for a moment.

"But you said you love me"

She scoffed, "There's no way I could love a perverted addict"

From the next room, Jordan and Tammy's room, I heard the indistinct sounds of a pleasureful moan.

I walked to the opposite end of the room, removed my cap and lay my head down on it.

"Could you blow out the candle please" I said

The room was soon engulfed in an abysmal darkness, and so was my mind.

***

"You look very beautiful today"

The woman, the one from the church, she blushed as the lanky copper colored boy complimented her. I looked at my hands and forearms, they were tiny again.

It was hot, the sun merciless, a heat that reminded me of the SimuDate stadium. The boy, he was wearing a thin cotton shirt, a short brown short, a handwoven cowboy hat and slippers.

The girl had on the same dress she had in the church. I analyzed my own clothing. On my small frame was an old shirt with a pink sparrow with black wings. Below the faded picture were the words 'Little Birdie'.

"I cant see you for long," said the girl,

"We have to get back before curfew"

The boy brushed a stray strand of the girls her from her face and placed it behind her ear.

"Stay my love"

Behind me was a partially tarred road. In one of the potholes I noticed an oasis of murky water. I walked over to the pool of water. Staring back at me was a young face, probably that of a six-year-old.

The boy looked like a younger, male version of the girl. To my left came a deafening horn. It belonged to a rickety truck that looked like it was assembled in a backyard.

"Wesly!" shouted the girl

I felt a soft hand grip my arm and yank me away from the road.

From the truck which I realized was brimming with cabbages, a head popped out.

It was off a fat man with a weather-beaten face. Ridges and craters flecked with salt and pepper hair and moles looked at the girl and I in turn.

"Wesly, Elaine, What are you two doing outside church grounds at his hour"

To our right, probably a couple of kilometers, was a large wrought iron gate and a seemingly endless fence around a scarce litter of white buildings.

"We are to return soon Brother Maxi," said my sister,

"We ran into this heathen on our way back from the river, claims to be looking for directions"

The boy looked at my sister, his face scrounged up.

"The river hey," said Brother Maxi, "I don't see any water with you, or laundry, what were you doing at the river then"

"Sight seeing Brother," said Elaine, "It is a beautiful sight, especially in the afternoon"

Brother Maxi laughed, clearly not believing a word of it. He continued on his way, leaving behind a thick cloud of dust.

"Heathen huh" said the boy,

"Jonah, we can't keep doing this"

"That's what I've been saying this whole time," said Jonah as he grabbed Elaine's hands,

"Lets escape, tonight"

"No," she said as she ripped away her hands,

"We have to do things the proper way. We have to save everyone"

***

I was woken up by the sound of a cock. I hadn't heeded I had on Oshin, but now there's no way I could ignore it.

My first assumption was that it was part of Metaldo's mind games. But the dreams actually felt like memories. But not my memories, Wesly Frost's memories about his childhood.

Deduction brought me to the conclusion that Elaine was Wesly's older sister. I also figured that they were very religious pair, growing up in some solitary church or mist likely cult cut off from the rest of the world. I wasn't sure at the time if I was going to keep on having the visions, but so far, I was perplexed by them.

I picked up my cap and fastened it on my head. I noticed that Kaprice had already left the room. I rolled up my sleeping bag and tied it up with a simple not.

It pixelated out of existence, calling for my panel to notify me that it had been added to my inventory. At that moment I remembered how Tammy had barbequed a Blood Fox with some magic fire.

I played games here and there, and I was well aware that Metaldo had based his Playground on a fantasy game. MP could only stand for Magic Points. The gills of the Oshinite and Soul Manipulation were categorized as magical abilities.

Knowing the former but still ignorant about the latter made me stomp out the room, forcing my panel to go wherever it went when it wasn't telling me how to risk my life.

Outside, everyone was standing outside Tobifa's kitchen listening to the village chief.

"Ah! You have awoken"

"Thank you for the room Tobifa," I said, "And of course the map"

"Oh please, it truly is the least I can do after you saved my villagers and I"

He reached into his suspender pocket and handed me a fat pouch,

"Some tea for your journey," he said,
"And of course a little something special for you"

THREE NEW ITEMS ADDED TO INVENTORY!
POWER TEA BAGS *15
NATURAL TOBACCO LEAVES *1000
TOASTED ROLLING PAPERS *500

"Thanks" I said grudgingly

I hadn't been confronted about my smoking habit the way Kap did the night before. I always knew that I smoked too much and I was too young for it. But I had started when I was seventeen and it had been downhill since then. Each end of year it was a resolution. Each prayer for something, passing my exams, getting a job at the factory, quitting was a bargaining point with good. But, well...

"Its okay dear map making warrior"

Tobifa placed his sausage fingered hand on my shoulder,

"Goodluck on your journey"

The 'journey' was chopped up like a scratched CD. I noticed that he also glitched and shifted into the kitchen door then returned to normal.
Tobifa walked away, headed to the village.

"Okay" said Jordan as he clasped his hands, "Let's make the groups"

He looked at Tammy, a silent command for her to stand behind him that she heeded instantly.

I looked at Kap, but unlike Tammy, she stayed put. She didn't even meet my gaze.

Tyler placed himself next to Jordan and Tammy. Mizuki approached me, and so did Veronica.

"I guess its gonna be four against three" I said

As I walked up to Jordan
Kap remained in her position between my group and Jordans.

"Kap come on," I finally said, "Let's go, I know the way and they don't. getting out of here is more important remember?"

"Actually," began Tyler, "I kind of peeped over your shoulder when you were reading the map so...yeah"

At that moment time stopped. Kap walked over to Jordan's group, arms crossed and gaze averted.

"Well, well, well" said Jordan, "I guess it is gonna be four against three"

I stared at Kap, heart in shards but yet still pounding in pain.

"Old man, Veronica"

"Yes?" said Mizuki

I summoned by blade and stabbed Jordan in his stomach.

"Run!"

"Jordan no!"

As we ran away in the direction of Arktus's mountain, I heard Tammy weep behind us. I looked back and saw him pixelate back into existence. I didn't want to kill him, but I didn't mind reducing his five lives to four.

"You're dead John, I'm going to fucking kill you you son of a bitch"

I looked at Kap, she was looking back at me with tears streaming down her scar.

END OF PART 2