The Small World

The small world: Introduction

On a very cool, bright summer morning daylight streams through the window of a small room brightening the small room. The room has a small closet, a bed, and an expensive-looking computer. Clothes were scattered all over the place the closet was messy but the computer desk was clean.

On the bed was a 15-year-old boy with messy black hair half asleep checking his small phone and exploring through the messages even though he didn't have any "real" friends.

The door opens and a 17-year-old girl with dark black curly hair wearing a crop top walks in. "Wake up, Tom. It's morning. I made your favorite pancakes. let's have breakfast together" Alyssa says.

"Okay, I'll come down soon, Alyssa." Tom said, He gently rubs his droopy eyes, barely awake. Alyssa heads down to prepare the dining table. Tom goes to the bathroom, freshens up, goes down the stairs past the creaky basement door. The dining room is filled with the sweet scent of pancakes and syrup. Oh!!.... The pancakes look tasty.

"It's delicious like always." Tom praises taking a mouthful and savoring it.

Alyssa's smile widens. "Well, It's your favorite so I made a lot of them. Eat as much as you like." Alyssa says as she begins to eat.

" When will my mom return?" Tom asks. Looking at the front door.

"She is the smartest woman in the world, so it's obvious that she will have much to do and I am here for you if you need anything," Alyssa says. Tom looks at his childhood friend with a calm and thankful look and finishes his meal. He does feel more lonely after his dad's death.

"It's been so long since I've been in his lab. I wanna check out the basement, Call me if you need anything" Tom says while leaving. Alyssa nods in agreement and starts to clean up.

Tom opens the creaky metal door and descends the short flight of stairs into the darkness, flicks the light switch nearby, and finds lots of boxes, a large table, and a generator of some sort. Tom looks around and stumbles upon various weird things like metal junk, electronic chips, hard drives, and other junk he can't define, then he spots a small rectangular metal box at the end of the large table. He carefully approaches the small metal box mindful that he doesn't stumble.

"This looks expensive." Tom exclaims.

He picks up the box with care and inspects it from all sides. There are the words "SRM" inscribed on the side of the box, he blows on the box to remove dust and gently removes the lid.

"Ha! It's just a pen" Tom smirks. Tom picks up the device and starts to fidget with it while looking at other stuff. Wish I could find some good RGB lights for my desktop setup.

The device suddenly starts to vibrate and it emits a bright light illuminating the half-lit basement. Tom loses consciousness and falls to the ground.

Alyssa's POV

Alyssa wakes up from her daily mid-day nap feeling irritated due to the power cut.

Really? A power cut... now. She did not have proper sleep as she was studying the whole night. Alyssa picks up her phone and tries to call electric services but her phone does not get any reception. She calls for Tom but does not get any response, Tom... Where is Tom? Oh.. he was in the basement. She picks up a flashlight and strides toward the basement.

Stepping through the basement door, this place is dusty as ever... is he still down there? What is he doing there during a power cut?

"Tom? Tom, are you down here, answer me" Alyssa says as she moves down into the basement.

"Oww" Alyssa groans. She stepped on a pen-like object and it broke into two.

She notices a small thing shining softly just near her foot; she shines the flashlight on it and finds a 2-inch tall Tom. Oh my god, Tom what happened to him?

Tom was breathing but still unconscious. She carefully picks him up with her fingers and takes him to her room. The power springs back on as they reach her room. Thank God... but.. what should I do now?