Will you be mine?

15

When I got back home, Valeria was there, hugging Irene. They let go and both of them were looking at me. Valeria looked guilty of something. "Hi." I smiled at her, and greeted her back. "Get ready, we're going to the undercity." I looked at her, confused. What? I thought that she wasn't going to help me. What caused the change of hearts?

Confusion was drawn on my face and Valeria was able to read it. "Look, I'm so sorry that I was rude to you yesterday. I- I shouldn't have said what I said. I will help you." My eyes widen happily. "Thanks!" I then gave her a hug and she hugged me back. When I let go of her, I looked at Irene and she was smiling at Valeria. Did she convince her?

"But before we go, can I see the drawing of the machine you used to get here?" She asked. "Of course. It looked oddly familiar yet I couldn't tell what it was." Valeria just nodded her head. Irene gave the drawing to her. She squinted her eyes, trying to make sense of everything she can see in my drawing. Her eyes then widened, indicating that she might know what this is. "Damn" she said.  "What is it?" Irene asked, curious to know.

"This is the map of elpis. Not only that, but the holes are the mines and evaporite deposits, where they get the quartz from. It is used as a form of energy." Wait, in my world quartz is a crystal. I liked to collect crystals before just to have a collection because I thought that they looked beautiful, while my friend Ella used to believe that the crystals help in healing and luck. I never believed in this though. (I'm not an expert in stones, crystals, or even chemistry so I don't know a lot about them, and this might not be true anyway.)

"Wait, so y'all use the quartz as fuel?" I asked. "No, it's too strong so we melt it then keep it in containers where we can put some of it in the machines for them to work." Valeria explained. "But how didn't I notice this earlier?!" Irene began blaming herself. "It's alright, I knew it because Sylvia has a map of elpis and she explained everything about the formation of the liquid that we use" so if this machine is the map of elpis, this means that this machine was brought by someone to my universe!!

"You spend so much time with Sylvia these days." Irene said, with some jealousy in her voice. Valeria shook her head. "She needed someone by her side. I had to be there for her." She told her. Irene looked at her in disbelief. "When you need someone by your side, is any of these people by your side?"

"No but because they don't know almost everything about me so they can't help me when they don't even know the real me. And second, I don't really like being with many people when I'm not feeling well so I can't blame any of them." Irene shook her head. "Do as you wish. Just tell me, how is your relationship exactly with Sylvia?" She asked. "Complicated" Valeria said.

"Anyways, This machine is from elpis then." Valeria said, thinking of the same thing I was "Is the machine with you now?" She asked. I shook my head. "It was nowhere near me when I got here." I told her. "Yes, and when I found her at my balcony, she wasn't with anything." Irene said. Valeria then began thinking. "This means that there are 2 or more of this machine, and someone is using them to travel between universes." Irene said. "True, but who could it be?" Valeria answered.

We thought for some time. "I think the one we're going to see might know something." Valeria said. "But you know, last time you both met, she-" she cut Irene off. "I know, but we need to help Juliane. This is the only way to help her. Maybe she can lead us to someone else. After all she used to be a scientist, she wasn't always a prostitute" She then wore her coat. "C'mon, let's go." We then walked outside and went to a dark ally. It looked like we reached a dead end. Irene then pressed on a tile from the bricks and the wall opened like a door. We then walked in there to a dark place. Valeria then pressed on a tile again and it closed. There was a small lamp and stairs. We walked downstairs

"This is a secret pathway that the people here don't know about. Only us from the underground do." We then walked into a clothes shop. It looked too old and rusty. The clothes looked super old as well. We got ourselves clothes. I bought a white and blue dress that reached to my knees. It's sleeves were puffed. Valeria got herself a short-sleeved cream white t-shirt and mint green shorts that also reached her knees. She wore her hair in a low bun. The clothes looked old, yet she looked good in them. This woman can really pull any outfit. Irene got black pants and a blue t-shirt with a sleeveless jacket. Irene being Irene was checking Valeria out while Valeria had no expression on her face.

"Are you alright? We can go back if you want." I told her. She shook her head. "I'm fine." She said while clearly isn't.

The place was filled with beggars, thieves, and people that looked like gang members. We honestly blended well with the people here. "We'll check her place, if she's there, we don't have to go to the brothel." Valeria said. I was curious to know who she is. " who are we exactly looking for?" I asked her. "A woman you would never want to meet." She said. Interesting introduction.

We stood in front of an old looking house. It looked like a haunted house to be accurate. The only difference is that this one is too small, it was one level with a small garden. It seemed like it only had 3 bedrooms. Valeria took out a key and walked in. Me and Irene followed after.

"Old hag. Are you here?" She screamed. Nobody answered. "If you brought some guy over then you don't have to be shy to just say it. I know that you're a fucking whore" she opened several doors but nobody answered. "She's not here. I guess we'll have to go to the brothel to find her" We then went there. On the way, we saw a thief running and a man chasing him, many beggars, and a mother with her child that seemed like they haven't eaten in so long.

"These two kids remind me of back when we were 11." Irene said. She looked at them and smiled. "Remember when we stole miss Anderson's fresh baked bread and she ran after us with a wooden stick." Irene chuckled. "That woman cussed me even more than my own father and your mother ever did." Valeria laughed. She then looked at me.

"You see, we never had the ideal childhood where our parents got us everything. In fact, they didn't give us the bare minimum. So we stole bread from her for breakfast and she used to hold a stick, and chased us while shouting 'you can't just take the bread and run away like it's some kind of charity you little shits!!' and 'get your ass back here you fucking ugly kids and pay for the food. Don't just run like a cn and come back here otherwise imma beat the shit out of you fucking bastards!!" Valeria was imitating her while Irene was laughing. I just felt bad for them because they had to live a life like that.

We then reached the brothel. The place was filled with rooms. It was huger than any casinos you'll ever go to back in Toronto. There were sounds of  giggles, moans, and people talking in the place. I was quite uncomfortable in the place whereas Valeria and Irene were okay with it as if they've been here before.

"What are we exactly supposed to do here?" I asked. "Get information?" Irene said. She also looked tensed up, just like Valeria. "Y'all, find someone you can get information from. I'll go look for the whore." She then left us. "How am I supposed to get information?" I asked Irene. She was staring at Valeria, while looking extremely worried. "You'll have to find someone. Seduce them, sleep with them, and when you're done, just ask them for information." She said. I won't seduce anyone. Cheating on Rikki once is enough for me.

Irene then went after Valeria and I went with her. She was scared something'll happen to her. Valeria opened the door and we saw a woman that was talking to a man while he was laying in her lap. The woman looked like the older version of Valeria. Is she her mother?