Heaven Gilded Zarcroft Hybrid

Thirty Four

The lobby was clear and totally white, just like when we left. I looked around. Nothing. But then I realized we were standing on the trap door. I looked up at the ceiling, where the fountain should've been.

I pulled my glasses from my pocket, only for them to slip from my sweaty hands. They were damp and warm as if I stuck them in a sauna. Then I felt a chill throughout my body. Every part of me was heating up.

"Maybe we have to walk through the front doors for the illusion to work," Cynaline suggested. "I can fly up to see what's going on."

"Maybe we can teleport up there and the gravity thing will come back," I heaved. "When I found the trap door, I could see you guys running around down there. Or up there. Are you guys hot? It's really hot."

"I think it's cool in here," Dorothy said. "Take off your jacket."

It was a windbreaker, but I agreed and wrapped it around my waist. Though it didn't help, I didn't want to give us a reason to go back to the room.

I loaded the saved fountain coordinates and teleported all of us.

⚝⚝⚝

I opened my eyes to a blurry fountain and blueish, fluorescent lights. My hand touched the cold tiles. I shook my head and realized I was sitting on the floor. Blue dust still dissipated around me.

I struggled to my feet.

Dorothy rubbed her forehead, and stumbled back into Mobi's arms. Strangely, Cynaline didn't seem bothered. I put my arm around him for support.

"Maybe we should go back," he said. "The gravity thingy is probably stronger for humans."

Jamie leaned against the fountain. Somehow. There was some invisible wall keeping him from plunging into the water.

"How are you doing that?" I asked.

"Doing what?"

"Leaning on the... you don't see a fountain, do you?"

"This isn't a mast?"

"What's a mast?"

"That's a white cube," Mobi said.

Jamie looked confused and stepped away from the structure. I closed my eyes and opened them. After what felt like a speedy micro-nap, a giant white cube appeared in its place.

"I forgot." I grazed my hand over its cold surface... "Wait. Mobi?"

We all turned to him—just standing there, wearing pajamas and a satchel, with a teleporter in his hand. He walked over to Dorothy.

"You've been auto-sharing your coordinates with your contacts." He handed her the device. "I found this one in the bag of food you teleported back."

"I think this is Cynaline's," she clarified.

I looked around: It wasn't the beautiful mall where I found my old baby shoes; just a white abyss of prisms.

"The bookbag!" Cynaline exclaimed. "I must've left it by accident!"

So many bags to keep track of. It was the one his friend gave us, not his personal one.

He hauled the bag over to me with a huge smile and said I could look inside. Just looking at how much stuff we'd have to wade through made me tired. Dorothy helped me. After a few minutes of rummaging, I couldn't find anything. It wasn't in any pockets or secret folds. I reached in again, rubbing against Dori's hand.

She yanked it away. "Why are your hands burning?!"

"I don't know!" I shook my hands, hoping to cool them off. It didn't work.