Three hours pass by as I move around in bed, slowly waking up from a feverish nightmare. Finally, my fever broke as I spring forward on the bed, panting from the night terror and my heart pounding within my chest. I had a dream that Sligs were chasing me, hearing the sounds of their mechanical pants inching closer towards me with each step they took. A gunshot within the dream had awoken me. I press my palms up to my face trying to gather my thoughts. My body still felt ill and exhausted, but I still managed to force myself to sit up in bed for a moment.
I feel something on the edge of the bed with my foot, realizing it was my backpack. I lean over to grab my bag and unzip the pocket that stored my brush inside. I remove my scrunchy and start brushing my hair while I was still half asleep. Suddenly, I freeze my brushstroke movements, hearing breathing in my room, sounding like a soft snore. I turn my head to the right, seeing Abe cross-legged on the floor. Abe's elbow rested on his knee while his paw held his head up to prevent gravity from straining his neck. The poor guy must have been sleeping like that for a few hours, seeing him slumped over. I finish brushing my hair, putting it back into a ponytail. Then I quietly placed the brush back into the pocket, zipping it back up.
I needed to urinate, but I didn't want to startle Abe awake. As my bladder forced me up off the bed, I sneak my way into the bathroom. Even though darkness surrounded me in the hut, my eyes adjusted very well. Not to mention the moonlight peeked through some of the windows. The bathroom reminded me more of an outhouse: no flushing involved, just a deep hole and toilet. At least they knew about hygiene, supplying soap and toilet paper they created from nature all around and a large bowl of water to wash my hands. I felt so grimy, and I really could use a shower right now. Unfortunately, they didn't have these types of things in their village, only the lake nearby to use.
I slowly open the bathroom door after I was finished and still saw Abe sleeping in the same position as before. I was sweaty after my fever had broken and vertigo set in from being sick as I stumble my way around the hut. I needed some air, and I was close to the exit. I make my way to the door and open it without making it creak. I leave it cracked open and walk out to the path to view the stars from above. It was strange not seeing the Milky Way or the Big Dipper and Small Dipper in the night sky. All I saw were splotches of stars while the two moons lit up the night sky—the moons with a Mudokon's paw and the other with a Gabbit's foot.
Back in the room, Abe woke up abruptly from the tapping of glass. It was his guide inside the amulet waking him up to warn him that I was out of bed. Abe sprung up from his lay as she lit up the room for him. He started to panic until the bug reassured him that I was just outside.
I stared deeply up at the starry night sky as I leaned sluggishly on a tree close to the hut and path. Abe slowly opened the door to peek outside, quietly sighing until he made his way towards me. I heard his footsteps, turning my head to the sound. My first response was, "I'm sorry I'm such a burden...." I look back up at the stars.
Abe shook his head and stood beside me. His reply was truthful, "You're not a burden, but ya do need your rest. The shaman said that ya came down with somethin' from being here on Oddworld so, I was willing to stay in the hut 'til you got better."
"Well, I hope it's not contagious." I laugh with a bit of stress hidden in it, thinking of what I may bring back home with me.
"If ya don't feel better by at least the afternoon, you're free to stay longer."
My head lowered. I needed to get back home, worried that my family could be searching for me if my theory was correct. All I said in return was, "We'll see."
"Come on, let's get back inside." He gestured me to move along, almost in a demanding way. I obliged and followed behind him, looking back one more time at the moons before going inside. The little bug around Abe's neck illuminated the room with her golden glow. Abe pointed towards the bed, almost forcing me back to bed. I huffed out with a half-smile formed on my face as I placed myself back on the bed. Before I could get comfy and go back to sleep, Abe saw the perfect opportunity to approach me about what was on his mind. He sat back down on the floor with his legs crossed. "Can I ask ya a few questions? And I need you to answer them truthfully...."
I freeze in place on the bed for a moment having my hands started to become sweaty, gripping onto the thick wooly blanket around me. I knew what was on Abe's mind, knowing how he had tried to ask the one simple question but was interrupted. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place with us alone in the hut. I wanted to rush so fast out the door right now, but my body couldn't move from the pressure.
All I responded was a, "Yes?"
And he didn't even pause after I said that one word, "How do ya know about Oddworld?!" The words shot out like a bullet, almost making me fall back. But, before I could answer, he added, "And don't say ya don't know anything and then change the topic on me. You haven't questioned any of us about our world or of my guide here." He showed her off at me. "I know the shamans and the Almighty Raisin hadn't caught you up on the journey my friends and I've been on, and you're taking this all in WAAAY too well....Why?" He ended his vent waiting for my answer, inching closer to my bedside.
I struggle to speak at first. My thoughts scrambled in my mind, thinking if I refused to answer, Abe would end up possessing me to get the answer out. Could he even do that? Possess me to view my memories and to dig deep into my mind to pull out the truth? I started to panic, looking franticly around the room until I look at the little bug inside the rock, seeing her smile at me. Finally, I open my mouth, hoping not to say anything I'll regret later on. "You promise not to let ANYONE know of what I'm about to tell you?"
Abe leaned in closer with his eyes locked onto mine. "I promise...." He suddenly presented his paw out to me as I firmly shook it with the tightest grip I could give him before letting go to answer his one question.
"Well.... You are correct. I know all about the world you live in."
"I knew it!" He interrupted, soon zipping it to listen more of what I had to say.
"I know that you Mudokons evolved from birds with your beautiful arrange of feathers on the top of your head, Of the Glukkons trying to turn you all into Mudokon pops, and then you saved the last can of gabbiar for Munch. I know of the brew you tainted with the antidote to heal your followers, right down to knowing that your mother, the mother of all Mudokons, gave you those stitches over your mouth." I pointed at his stitched-up lips.
Abe stumbled back a few inches. He touched his stitches and looked very dazed at how much I knew about him and the rest. "But...but how?! Are ya some kinda Keeper, like the one down in the catacombs?" He asked, wanting to know more.
I think about it for a moment and then weasel my way out of telling him he was just a silly game on my planet. "Let's just say I am a "Watcher" from another world, and there are a lot of other Watchers too," I explain. "I have this large screen, you see," I explain how large my flat-screen television was the best I could with my arms. "And in there, I watch and guide you and your buddies throughout your adventures." I tried to keep my mouth from slipping out anything that could cause harm to him or his universe.
"That's....just....mind-blowing!" He leaned forward again, waiting to hear more.
"You have no idea...." I laugh out, scratching the back of my head. I felt a little more at ease until Abe asked another question.
"What else do ya know about me that I haven't talked to you about?" He rested his arms on the bed, causing the mattress to sink slightly.
I was thankful that he didn't ask for more details about the "guiding" part of the story. "Hmm, let's see...." I begin to think with my hand rubbing my chin. I then snap my fingers, taking a quick look at his hands on the bed. "Those tattoos on your hands?" I pointed, "You got them from Big Face. And that chest tattoo, you got that one down in the catacombs, thanks to the Keeper. With those markings, you can summon Skrykull, the Ancient Demigod of your world."
"Woah...." Abe was at a loss for words.
"But please....don't mention this to your friends or anyone else for that matter. The shamans and the Almighty Raisin know of my world but warned me not to tell a soul or else they would take matters into their own hands. For all we know, they can hear through these walls, and the ratz could be listening in on our conversation as we speak!" I cried out in a huff as my heart began to flutter once more.
"Don't worry. I will not speak a word of this. My guide and I will keep your secret safe. I just needed ta know the truth. It was buggin' me all day after we talked about the scrabs back on the blimp."
My lips form a smile only to change into a frown from the sudden wave of dizziness of talking. Abe sighed out and pressed his four-fingered paws on the bed to pull himself up off the floor. "You, my friend, need to eat and drink." He made his way over to the table where the food and beverages are. He mixed the medicine into my drink and brought over the plate with soup and tea at my bedside. "This is the same antidote I added in the brew back in Soulstorm. It should heal ya up by mornin'."
Once he placed the tray on my lap, I picked up the tea filled with medicine and drank it. It went down thick as I coughed soon after, "It seems medicine tastes the same in both worlds...." I chuckle.
He started walking towards the door, ready to leave me to rest, "Eat and get some rest. I'll check up on ya in the mornin'." Abe gave me a thumbs-up before leaving the hut.
The light from his guide diminished within the room as the darkness surrounds me. I throw myself back onto the pillow, almost having a panic attack only to pull myself together in the end. What if I told him the truth, that all he was, was just a hero in a video game the humans play just for fun, having to resurrect him as we restart the level due to a bullet that shot out from a Slig's gun? What would that have done to their world or my world? I was lucky to be quick-witted when I gave him an answer. I'm usually not. But I never knew how determined Abe truly was. I mean, I get it; with everything he went through up until this point in time, I would be too. I raised myself back upright on the bed and finished off the rest of the soup Abe gave me and Alf's homemade tea with the antidote. After the meal, I could already feel the effects of the cure kicking in as it started to get rid of the sickness I had within my body.
I placed the tray on the ground beside my bed only to freeze in my tracks. I saw glowing green eyes on the floor staring up at me. It was one of the Raisin's ratz. I gulp and slowly raise myself back up to the bed. I knew those ears heard everything that I said. I started to get defensive as I spoke to the critter, "Look, I know I was supposed to keep my mouth shut, but Abe's so stubborn! I just sugar-coated the story a little bit. You can at least give me credit for that...." The ratz twitched its ears and laid down after I explained myself. It looked like it was content and understood the reasoning. I sighed out and lay back down on the bed again, forcing myself to close my eyelids, eager for daylight to approach to go back home.
Birds started to chirp softly as they slowly wake up for the morning. They suddenly get louder as the morning gave light to the Mudokon village. It was 5:40 in the morning as I was half asleep in the room. With me sleeping in a strange place, my ears kept me alert of the sounds from all around as my internal clock started to wake me up. I stretch my legs and arms from under the covers and slowly sit up and yawn. I looked disheveled, scratching my messy long brown hair. I had removed my scrunchy from my hair last night before bed as I wore it around my left wrist. I felt like I could run a marathon now, thanks to Abe's medicine.
Before getting out of bed, I look around the empty room seeing the ratz had vanished. I then head into the bathroom. The Mudokons didn't have a mirror in the bathroom, so I got creative and used the camera on my phone to view how I looked. Thank god I wasn't trying to impress anyone; I was a mess. I washed my face down, and I wetted my hair down, brushing it back into a ponytail. I still wished I could've brushed my teeth and taken a shower, though, but I had to make due to what was around me. Walking back into the main room, with my phone in my hand, I got curious. Would I get reception? I look and, of course, no bars. My phone was also acting up, not knowing my location or the date or time. It was also low on battery; only 10% left of battery life. I shut the phone down just in case I needed to call someone when I get back home. Walking over to the table, I ate some of the fruit in the basket. While taking a moment to eat the strange-looking fruit, I glanced down on the chair, seeing my hoodie draped over it. After finishing my quick meal, I pick up the hoodie, whip it over my shoulder, and start to clean up the room, picking up the tray with the empty bowl and cup on the floor. I was even courteous to dress the bed until I heard a soft knock on the door.
I didn't hesitate as I shout out, "Come in!"
The first one to check up on me was Abe, seeing him open the door. His stitched face forms a grin, knowing I was feeling better, watching me finish making the bed. "You didn't have to do that, ya know."
"I don't mind." I turned to face him.
Abe saw that I had a spring in my step, full of energy. "Looks like you're feeling better?"
"Yeah, a lot better, thanks." I smile.
"Just in case, the Shaman Healer would like to see you and wants to make sure you're healthy enough to go home. After that, Munch was wondering if you'd like to see the baby gabbits he's takin' care of, you know, from the canned gabbiar?"
"I'd be happy to see them. I bet they're adorable." I put away my hairbrush and phone back in its compartment and stuffed my hoddie into the bag, whipping my backpack on my back, ready to go. Abe opened the door for me as I stepped outside, seeing Alf, Munch, and Toby waiting. "What a welcoming party." I grip onto the straps of my bag, feeling the weight from the camera and the other items inside.
"We were worried about ya." Toby was the first to reply.
Munch added, "Yeah, thank the Odds Abe found ya just in time."
"It's good ta see you're feeling better." Alf's face formed a smile soon after.
"Sorry if I made you all worry. I feel guilty, though, knowing it was my fault, after all." It felt welcoming, knowing that they were extremely worried about my well-being. "But I feel much better thanks to your tea, Alf, and Abe's antidote." I wink at Alf. "The tea was delicious. The medicine....not so much." I look towards Abe. "Maybe work on that flavor?" I lighten up the conversation as I chuckle out, getting the three boys to laugh as well.
Alf then suggested, "I could send you home with some of my tea if ya like?"
I would give anything to have something special from Oddworld, but my gut instincts were giving me a strong warning. So, I had to decline, "I would take that offer, but it may cause some issues between our worlds if I brought anything back with me."
Alf understood my reasoning. "Fair enough."
Abe gestured for me to press on towards the temple to the Healer. "We'll be right back, guys. And after Tree sees the Healer again, we all can head over to the lake." He smiles down at Munch.
I gripped the straps of my backpack tightly as Abe and I walked to the temple. I grew nervous, wondering if I was healthy enough to go home. The thought of bringing any type of new virus into my world frightened me. I would hate to cause more trouble for us humans. If I weren't fit to go home yet, I would have to stay longer. Which I wouldn't mind at all, but I was starting to get a little homesick.
Abe saw my face troubled, and he gave me a concerning look only to reassure me. "It's okay, Tree, it won't be as painful like last time."
I shook my head, explaining why I worry, "I'm just a little homesick, is all. I just hope I'm in good health for this trip back."
"Ya seem to be in good health now. You just have to promise me that you'll stay healthy back in your world."
Abe started to sound like my dad before he passed away from lung cancer. He would lecture me to always take care of myself before thinking of others. But I always forced myself to work hard to make other people happy, even if I had no lunch breaks to ensure the dog's haircuts got finished on time for my clients. Instead of giving him an ear full, my only response to Abe's lecture was, "Yes, sir." I snicker out. Abe nudges my shoulder playfully.
After a minute of silence, he suddenly frowns with his head low, fiddling with the amulet around his neck, looking at the path we took. He was in deep thought. My eyes catch his sudden sadness. "What's the matter?"
"Well...." He paused and stopped moving along the path to look at me. I stopped and waited for his stitched mouth to spill out his words. Abe didn't want to sound selfish, so he tried his best to word it correctly, "Do ya really have to leave? The shamans told me about your world. What you said....about your planet that's slowly dyin'."
It was sweet of him to worry. I mean, we've only just met, even though I've known him for years. I grinned at Abe as I move him along as we talked, staring forward, seeing the temple in the distance. "I have to go back. My world may be in shambles, Abe, but it's due to my race. Humans are no better than the Glukkons that you all are trying to rise up against. As I told the shamans, we pollute our land, air, and oceans, destroying the wildlife because of our crude ways. I may not be the perfect person, but we all make mistakes and learn from them. So, I try my best to have good quarma in this lifetime by trying to help Mother Earth any way I can." I ended my speech, stopping at the temple. I turn my head to see Abe's expression. I could tell he was in deep thought again.
"Ya know what?" Abe looked up at me with wide eyes. "That got me thinkin' that maybe there are some good Glukkons and Sligs out there. Hearin' your story made me think outside of the box a little."
I agreed, nodding my head as my lips form a grin. "You never know, Abe." I turned to face the temple and didn't hesitate this time to step inside.