The Hollow-Harper's Journey

Part 7

"What is this?" Vanessa asked, flipping through her file.

"It looks like this is how they got all our information." Adam said. "Or, al least, saved them."

"Looks like it." I said, being my visible self. "Did you guys find anything."

"Nothing." Mira said.

"Looks like we need to climb that hill after all." Kai sighed.

"Three hills." Vanessa corrected, leading Kai to groan.

I turned to Reeve, who was quiet for a long time. "Reeve?" I asked. "You okay?"

"Yeah." he said, putting down his file. "It's nothing." He stared at his file in shock. "I'm just surprised that they have all this information about me."

"You and me both." Vanessa said.

"That doesn't matter right now." Adam said. "We need to go and break the barrier."

"And get out of here before we have another run-in with those drones." Kai said, heading for the door. When he opened it, there were multiple drones waiting for us.

Kai sighed. "So much for that plan."

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We ran down the hall and toward the window that we broke open. The drones were right behind us, shooting lasers like crazy. "Go go go!" Adam yelled, pushing Mira out the window.

"Kai!" Vanessa said. "Burn them!"

Kai stopped, and let fire fly out of his hands, but the drones either dodged it, or called in other drones that replaced the ones that were burned.

"Reeve!" Vanessa yelled. "Freeze them!"

Reeve used his telekinesis to freeze them in place, along with the lasers. We all got out of the window, and blocked it, before Reeve set the drones free.

"Let's get out of here before the security guard finds us." Adam said.

"Not likely." Mira chuckled, pointing to the security guard who was still yelling to Steve on the phone.

"Let's go to my place." Kai said. "We'll be able to talk without anyone overhearing."

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After walking for a few minutes, we stopped in front of a FREAKIN' MANSION!

"What?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. Kai is crazy rich." Mira said causally.

"Of course the dumb friend has the mansion." Reeve mumbled.

"Hey!" Kai yelled from a structure in the middle of the garden. "I heard that!"

We all sat down and, for the first time, I noticed a headless statue in the garden. "What-?" I asked, pointing to the statue.

"Giant nightmare chicken." Kai said.

"Sure." I said. "Sounds normal."

"Is anything normal in The Hollow?" Mira asked, taking a cup of tea from a tray that a butler was holding.

"Good point."

As the butler served everyone, I couldn't help but feel out of place here. I was used to a small, old, dirty building, but here was big buildings, and spacious gardens.

I never felt more like an orphan in my life.

"What do we need to go through the barrier?" Adam asked.

"I was thinking to just walk up the hills and hope for the best." Vanessa said.

"Maybe pack water?" Mira suggested.

"Snacks too!" Kai exclaimed.

"I don't see why we need a meeting point for this." Reeve said. I agree with him, but didn't say anything.

"Davis knows a lot about hiking." Kai said. "We could ask him."

I could only imagine that conversation. "Hi. We're going to find out why I remembered that we live in a virtual world by breaking open a barrier. Oh, you didn't know that everything is fake. Sorry, spoiler alert!"

"Make sure to be subtle." Vanessa said. Her phone pinged, and she checked it, saying "My mom wants me home."

"Meet here in the morning." Adam said as we all got up. "Pack as much water and snacks as you can, and we'll hike tomorrow."

We all went our separate ways, and I headed back to the orphanage. "I didn't tell them." a voice behind me said. I turned around to see Reeve.

"What?" I asked.

"I didn't tell them that you're an orphan." he said. 

"Thanks." I said, smiling. "Is that's why you were so quiet today?"

Reeve coughed. "Maybe." He turned to me. "You're going have to tell them soon. Otherwise, they'll find out eventually, and bug you about it. Trust me, I know."

"Thanks Reeve." I said. "I'll tell them soon."

I walked away, rubbing my arm the way I usually do whenever I lie.