During The Blackout

Ch. 5

I stare at Alastier, before I double over, holding my sides and gasping for breath. This has to be the funniest thing that I've heard all day. There is no possible way that he's telling the truth. I look up from my huddled position, looking at his face to see if he cracked a smile. No smile.

Alastier stares at me, and as more time goes on, the more serious this becomes. I straighten up and look down at my hands and the mirror. My image reflects back, the person staring back looks familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. She is me, but at the same time, she isn't.

"Can you explain this then?"

Alastier approaches me and gently takes the mirror away. He puts it at eye level and all I can see are my eyes. I stare them, a hazel on the right and a blue one on the right.

"I'll do the best of my abilities."

Alastier gently takes my elbow and leads me down a nearby path. As we walk, Alastier explains slowly.

"Pheoaxus is, as you will call it, a parallel universe. And at the same time, it's not. Technically it is galaxies apart from Earth. There are elements and people that are here and not here. For example, take this forest. There are creatures that live here that you may recognize from your place and there are creatures that are not in both places. With me so far?"

I look around and try to spot the things that might be different, but it appeared that the forest was void of any living thing besides the two of us. "I guess, but what about us? Is there another version or not?"

Alastier stopped, pointing up to a nearby branch that was feet above us. "There are some things that cannot be seen, due to its already existing in one realm or another."

To say I was confused was a small fraction of what I was. "Let's say that a person exists in my realm. They won't be here then?" I question.

Alastier shakes his head. "Sometimes. There are cases where it is that way, but it all depends on the creature."

"Think of it as this. One person, but in two different realms. A major event happens and one version takes the first path while the other takes the second. The event happens to kill the version who took the first path, so the version that took path two is still alive. This can happen anytime throughout the lifespan until the creature dies." Alastier explains, continuing to stroll through the forest.

"So, do both versions make the opposite choices then?" Getting a hum in response, I continued. "So it's like polar opposites. One is light, the other dark."

"Something like that. However the creature is similar in personality, but circumstances can alter the version. But overall, it is the same creature. And to say light and dark isn't fully correct. More like yin and yang."

I looked down to my feet, wondering about my other version that was from this realm. "How about me? Where is my other version?" I question.

I look over to Alastier, seeing him turn away and attempting to hide his pained expression. The worst swirled through my thoughts, and it was horrible knowing that it could potentially have happened.

Did my version die in one of my previous experiences? Did it die because I chose walnuts over blueberries and the other version got the short end of the stick? Did it die because of the car-

My train of thought halted, staying on one single thing.

The car accident.

I turn to Alastier, wanting to ask him about it, but he had quickened his pace and I had to run after him to catch up.

I tried to ask him, but he would avert his eyes and press his lips together tightly then he had it before.

It wasn't helping that I knew that it might be the case, my other version dead because of a car accident.

But after trying to ask, I start to wonder and look at our surroundings.

We were surrounded by nature and no signs of any types of civilizations or even roads.

So how could my other version have died in a car accident?

As I thought about it, Alastier stopped and reached out to me, grabbing my shirt sleeve and stopping me from going any farther.

I looked up and was about to yell at him, but seeing the steep slope just inches away stopped me from saying anything.

"You now know why I was avoiding the topic."

I look up and nodded. It was confusing, but I wanted to know.

"Your version here didn't die exactly and how it happens isn't the same. The version here was close to being murdered, but thankfully a fateful encounter stopped that from happening."

"What fateful encounter?" My curiosity was picked, like an itch wanting to be scratched and the moment you lightly scrape it, it pulsates and tempts you to scratch it more.

"Well as your other version was about to die, you happened to be in the hospital. Am I not mistaken that you have seen another version of me there?"

That moment crossed my mind. I remember that there was indeed another person there, but due to everything happening so fast, I couldn't exactly remember the details. All I could think of was that I was stabbed by said stranger.

"Well as your version was about to die, there was a tear in reality and both were bound together for a short amount of time. Your version was you, and you were your version. When your version died, it fully developed into you."

The information swirled in my head, taking my breath away at such of a thing even happening. But, there was still one thing that bothered me.

"Well after the car accident, one of my eyes changed. What happened there?"

Alastier chuckled lightly before he bent down and stared right into my eyes. "Isnt' it obvious, you almost died and you merged together with your version. You just happened to take an eye with you when you both separated."