Aru Shah: Jumanji AU

Chapter 16

We're back!!!  Here's a new chapter - the last chapter before the epilogue.

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Boo felt weight looming on his shoulders, but felt as light as a feather at the same time. His head throbbed, his whole body crying in pain as he tried to move. Boo was surrounded by a black emptiness. The last thing Boo remembered was using the glance on The Sleeper. His heart thumped loudly in his chest, his mouth becoming suddenly parched. He heard distant voices but blocked them out so he could come to his conclusion.

'I don't exist anymore... I'm sorry Aru, Sheela, Nikita, Brynne, Aiden, Mini, and Rudy - my friends. Looks like I won't see the modern world after all', he thought, a few stray rebellious tears prickling the corners of his eyes.

He plopped down in the nothingness, ignoring the flare of pain that traveled up his spine and racked his bruised and battered frame lying on the ground, useless.

~~

The entire gang gazed at Boo's scorched figure on the ground contrasting against the dark of the night sky. He was breathing, and his vitals seemed to be okay, but he still didn't wake up.

Everyone had come together when Aru had let up an emergency flare from her backpack.

"Aru, can you explain what happened again, please?" Mini questioned, shaken by the corpse of the Sleeper, and the beaten figure of Boo.

The others nodded in agreement as Sheela and Aru took turns telling the story of the encounter with The Sleeper.

Nikita grasped her sister's hand, "You can see again?"

Sheela nodded proudly, specifying the details of how Aru brought Boo back to life.

"So... do we all have 1 life now?" Aiden said, wearily staring at his wrist.

Before any of them could answer, a groan brought their attention to Boo. His limbs flailed as his eyes cracked open, immediately shutting closed.

"Mama, please...it is unreasonable to awaken me before the crack of dawn. It would be more gratifying and pleasurable if you could do your son a favor and perhaps restrain from forcing me to exert physical contact with the cows before the sun has risen over the treetops," Boo grumbled, turning away from the incredulous looks on the other's faces.

"Cows?" Brynne whispered. "Just what kind of work did he have to do before dawn, concerning cows?"

Mini sighed, "Considering the time period that Boo came from, he probably lived with farm animals and had to milk the cows for them to drink for the day. Other than that, I have no clue, seeing how he lived during the British reign. I don't really know too much about their lifestyle.

Aru looked at Mini, a little surprised. She raised an eyebrow, "You don't know something? That's a first."

Mini scoffed, "There's a lot I don't know. For instance, what-"

Rudy elbowed her ribs, "Maybe not now, Min."

Mini ignored her oncoming blush and nodded, embarrassed. Aru looked at Aiden, "Do you have any water with you?"

Aiden handed over his water bottle. Aru drank from it before taking some water and splashing Boo in the face. Boo sputtered and sat up, abruptly. He glared at Aru, "No need to splash me."

Aru laughed and knelt down next to her friend, "What do you remember?"

Mini widened her eyes, "Aru, you don't just-"