Insomnia Wake #Wattys2016

Chapter 3 - Tea Is More Universally Acceptable Than Coffee

"I see... so that's how it is..."

The world around me was clearly my new reality, I could tell that because my senses were as perceptive as ever. I couldn't bring myself to believe that this was merely a dream--it felt so real, so overwhelming. I stood up and headed for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

I looked back. Ariel seemed like she was going to blow a fuse.

"Well, I only have to die to get back to the real world right?"

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if she was about to froth at the mouth by the look she was giving me. She lunged at me, grabbed my collar, and sent us both to the ground.

"SUICIDE IS NEVER THE ANSWER!!! Do you not understand?! Some people would give anything to go on an adventure like this!"

"I'm not 'some people' then."

"Clearly you are! Why do you think you're here?! You're here because, deep down inside, you wanted an adventure. Right? Right?!"

Well, I mean, college was kind of getting boring, but I didn't want to leave it just because of it. "That doesn't mean I wanted to just get up and abandon everything! Do you know how much I've struggled to get where I am?!"

"I-DI-OT!!! You haven't told me anything about yourself! But even if you did, that's beside the point! Were you even listening to me?! The world will be just the same as when it was when you left it when you get back!"

"But what's the point?! I'm going to forget it all anyways right?!"

"You need to live in the present!" She stood up, and shrugged her shoulders, still with my collar in her grasp. "Well, if you're going to be like that, then I've got no choice. Time to show you something you won't be able to walk out on!" She dragged me over to the door, opened it, and threw me out. I braced to hit the ground, but I didn't need to. I felt my body collide with a rather squishy object, and I was reflected upwards at an angle. My body caught a little bit of spin, and I caught a glimpse of what I hit.

A... bubble?

It popped and before I hit the ground I was once again sent upwards by what I expect to be another bubble. Ariel made a bubble, jumped on it, and sent herself in a similar trajectory. I was in for a long ride.

-----

"Are we there yet?" I was getting rather tired of forcibly bouncing around. If this was Earth I would have certainly gotten sick by now.

"What are you, seven?"

"Seventeen."

"All I heard was 'seven'."

"Selective hearing much?"

"But yes, we are here."

I hit the ground. "Ouch! Give me a softer landing next time!"

"Come on! Or I'll drag you here!"

She's not even listening... I reluctantly followed her. We walked through a few trees and into a clearing. There, right before me, was an amazing sight indeed. People of all races, sitting around, chatting, sharing their culture. It looked like they were simply having a good time. I felt that this sight, though more normal than anything I had seen thus far, was outlandish in its own right. I couldn't imagine such a diverse population getting along so well in reality, though that word was starting to take on new meaning here.

"What are you doing just standing there with your mouth wide open? Go talk to someone!" She pushed me forward.

I decided to walk over to a nice looking Arab. "...Hello."