Connection Lost

Arc 2

On the other side of the portal is a world she'd never expect to see. She had imagined a fantasy world, much like what Cate had imagined when she was first told of this, or another world that might be devoid of life. The possibility of a futuristic world was also an option. But what stretches out in front of Andrea is an exact copy of her own world, yet for an unknown reason, there's no color. Andrea pokes her head back through the portal, spotting the normal colorations and Cate and Cayda as they stand by the door.

Coming back she observes the mirror world again. The layout is the exact same, the portal behind her and the wall of a building ahead of her. To the left is the other end of the alley, leading to an open street. But to the right, where she'd expect to see the security door, there's nothing. Her friends aren't there, neither is the temporary site set up by those suited men.

Andrea looks down at herself, her body is still in color, she stands out like a sore thumb in this world. Her black and white dolphin shorts and colorful green t-shirt remain the same.

"At least I wasn't affected when I went through" she says to herself.

Andrea steps out of the alley and onto the sidewalk. Unlike her own world, where the streets are busy and active, this world is quieter. It's not empty however and there's the same amount of life that she's used to. Plants, animals, and even an abundance of people can be seen. Though they're not outside. From the street she can see into each home and store, every building in sight, finding the same thing. Either at a desk, or in the beds, or behind a counter or register are the civilians.

Though with the stores open, "why is no one outside?" Andrea asks herself curiously.

With the world being a mirror image of her own, what else could be the same? Andrea walks down the street to find her friends, or her own family if they exist in this world. But even if they do, there's no guarantee they live in the same locations.

After a short walk Andrea finds her home and walks up the front path. Through the windows she can see someone, though it doesn't look like her family. There are a few resemblances but they almost look entirely different. Her mom's hair is a different color, or shade of gray in this world, and her brother has slightly longer hair than he normally would. And through another window she can see herself, or someone that could be her.

Looking down at herself Andrea takes note of her clothing, her appearance. Her long brown hair in a ponytail, a black hair pin on the left, and her pretty brown eyes. Looking at her other self, the one of this other world, is a lot different. Andrea notices her shorter hair, from what she can tell it might be blonde as it looks lighter. Andrea can't make out her eye color though, and she also appears to be the same height as herself.

Taking out her phone she tries calling her friend. "Come on, pick up Cate."

There's no reply, and whoever is on the other end declines the call. Andrea explores a little more of the nearby area, then she walks back to the portal. She pokes her head through, and she doesn't spot her friends by the door. Confused, she steps through to look for them. The security door is open, and the sky is slightly lighter than it was before she entered. Before she can react a pair of hands grab onto her, and a mist is sprayed into her face. Before she can register it all her vision fades and she blacks out.

Cate and Cayda return to their home, unsure of what happened to Andrea. The last they saw of her she had went through the portal. Thoughts of her being harmed come to mind, maybe there's some serious danger on the other side, something deadly. If something did happen to Andrea, they don't want to keep it from her own family. So Cate goes with her sister over to Andrea's home to talk with her parents.

Her mind is fuzzy, her ears ringing and her eyes unable to open fully. She feels as though she's extremely sleepy and her mind's in a daze. Andrea can hardly make out the words around her, a couple voices talking with each other around her.