Event Reminder: June 29th, 2024, 11:00 am. Funeral for Jasson Boar. Video call link Below.
Jasson stared at the notification, nearly identical to so many reminders he swiped away. Potlucks, parties, the type of things that intruded like a social flu of guilt. But now his own funeral stared him in the eyes.
It's 10:01, Jasson thought. I don't have to be part of it. But...
"He will be missed."
Jasson flushed with heat thinking about those sappy words at his death. They barely noticed him for years and suddenly they miss him? Yeah, they're his family. They're supposed to. But Jasson couldn't imagine his family saying a single thing beyond the rote platitudes. Except for Madysyn.
Jasson felt a pain of guilt at the thought of his youngest sibling. Surely he could attend his funeral for her alone. And for mom. Dad would make some jokes that he had to hear. Maybe Lillye would cry a bit.
He had to know.
"Excuse me," Jasson stood, "I need to take this."
"Take what?" Petra said, but Jasson didn't respond. Only looked at his phone as he walked away from the twins.
"Do you need any help?" Clara stood and followed Jasson, but Jasson didn't hear her.
"I have two bars right now," Jasson said, "Maybe it will b-"
The signal dropped to one bar. That quickly? Jasson stopped and looked around, wishing he could see these mysterious connection points that he kept walking away from. Why was it that-
Jasson's eyes fell on Petra, sitting in her chair a good thirty feet away. Clara caught up to Jasson but Jasson kept ignoring her. Jasson took a step towards Petra, and the second bar flickered. Two more steps and it stood solid beside the first, a pillar of signal.
It's not based off of Petra. Jasson thought. I've had a good signal without her. Especially in the guild, where I have max bars. But it's never as fast as when I'm with these two...
"Clara, could you stand there for a bit?" Jasson said, walking away from her, "I want to test something."
Jasson walked another thirty feet from Clara and watched as the final bar dropped away only to flicker back with a passing shopper bumping into Jasson.
"It's my connection." Jasson breathed, "My connection to them. To people. The better our connection is the further I can go. What was Kami thinking?!"
Jasson walked back towards Clara and pocketed his phone as soon as the bar of signal came back. What to do? He needed to be with someone, but he couldn't just explain that he needed to attend his funeral. Jasson felt a profound desire not to share this moment with these practical strangers in another world, but he needed someone.
"Clara," Jasson said, "I...need to go somewhere private. With you. Wi-would you be open to coming?"
"With you?" Clara said, "Where?"
"I can't say," Jasson said, "And I can't explain. Just...will you trust me on this? Take me to wherever I can be alone, and stay with me until I'm ready to leave. No questions. No worries. Don't tell Petra. Please."
Clara hesitated, then looked back toward Petra. Jasson's heart sagged like a bridge of hope. She would go running to her sister and Jasson would never get to know what his family said.
"Sure," Clara said, turning back to Jasson, "I'll come with you. Lead the way."
"Really?" Jasson sighed, "Thank you. Umm...I don't actually have anywhere in mind. Do you have any ideas?"
YOU ARE READING
The Smartphone Saga: A Distracted Journey of Spells and Signals
FantasyTruck-kun fell from the sky. It was a terrible accident involving several casualties who found eternal rest. Unfortunately for Jasson Boar, a normal modern teenager, death was just the beginning of his problems. After a brief conversation with Kami...
