Chapter 2 – Where am I?
*blinks*
What...? One moment a flying construction vehicle was on the verge of flattening me into a pancake and the next I was in a rural village. Small houses sprouted from the ground in an erratic pattern, with little to no pattern in the way each house was situated. Well, calling them houses would be too generous; they looked more like shacks that would fall at a slight breeze.
urgh, why the fuck is the smell so bad!? I gagged as I covered my mouth with the palm of my hand. I knew that rural places smelled bad but this? This is outrageously bad!
It was only then that I saw a small group of surprisingly tall people huddling to my far right. First things first, information. "Uh, hi, is there any chance you could tell me-"
"SHUT UP YOU, POSSESSED FIEND" A man shouted at me, "DON'T MAKE ME FORCE YOU TO LEAVE". I could hear his voice shaking, he was obviously in fear of something but was forcibly raising his voice. Raising his fist as a threat, he took a step towards me.
The rest of the group quickly pulled him back, arguing in with him in hushed voices; their faces pale. "Erm, hello? Is there a pro-" *THWACK* A kick emerged from the group of peasants, striking me straight in the chest and knocking all the air out of my lungs.
I fell two meters back, my backside facing the ground as I hit the ground with a loud *THUD*.
*gasp* *gasp* *gasp*
I flailed uncontrollably as I tried to replace the air that had been forced out of me. I grasped my chest with my dirt-covered hand, my thoughts running haphazardly in my mind; which could be translated to something like "FUCK IT HURTS SO MUCH WHAT WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT YOU FUCKING ARGGHH".
Feeling the pain gradually dissipate, I realized something odd. Was my hand… always this small? My hands had been reduced to a small and frail look. It was almost entirely skin and bones and could have been mistaken as a zombie's.
I had fair -almost pale- skin with no blemishes. Looking down, I see my legs that looked similar to my hands and arms; frail and white.
I didn't know what had happened to my body but this one definitely wasn't mine.
First I almost got crushed by a flying construction vehicle, next, I was attacked by some crazy people then my body suddenly changed!?!?
I grunted in pain, I watched the man who kicked me slowly back away, blending in with the crows of people that had gathered.
The crowd was silent, a deafening quiet spread across the village. Hearing the commotion that had happened, more and more people started gathering.
I locked gazes with them, it was like a stare-off; whoever broke eye contact would lose. Of course, that's just something I made up to cope with the situation.
I mean, If somebody started beating you up and YOU'RE the victim, wouldn't most witnesses side with you? No, apparently not. The people present told newcomers what had happened, considering they were looking and pointing at me non-stop.
And not long after they started, the newcomer would gasp in surprise and look at me with newfound vengeance in their eyes… Seriously though, what the fuck did I do wrong?
Suddenly, a figure wriggled out of the increasing crowd; it was a woman. She looked as though she was in her thirties and had the same rags I had. She had wavy auburn hair that flowed down her back, brown eyes, and fair skin.
Smash. I tried to distract myself from the seriousness of the current issue. unexpectedly, the woman broke into the encirclement and raced towards me.
She suddenly opened her arms and hugged me, tears welling in her eyes. "Are you okay, Aer?" She said, struggling to form the words as she hugged me even tighter.
"LINIA GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM THAT DEVIL"
A voice resounded from the crowd - It was the same man that kicked me -
"THAT'S NOT YOUR SON ANYMORE"
"No! He's fine, don't you see? Nothing's happened, his mind is completely fine! MY BOY IS FINE"
Her heart-wrenching voice echoed through the village, breaking the silence. Villagers looked at each other with a mix of confusion, worry, and anger.
And then there was me: completely fucking lost.