The Secrets in Magnolia

Chapter 3: Exposition

A/N prepare for exposition. Ill make this chapter fairly short but it's world building so please don't skip it.

The person sighs, grunting as he gets up from the floor. I'm starting to wonder if he even has a soul himself.

"You really have no clue?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope. No idea. No explain please," I almost demand, though in reality I'm ready to leave at any given chance. He gives an exasperated "ugh" before gesturing me to one of several benches lining a patch of fantasia-esq flowers, and I shake my head. Who knows what he has planned for me.

The answer is him and probably some other kidnapper. Not me. Even though I he's technically giving me every chance to run away, as he just stands there giving me a brooding snarl, or at least, I imagine it would be a snarl if there wasn't a suspicious scarf up to his nose.

"Whatever you say. Basically," he starts. "This is the same spot we were in before, but on the inside of the planet. Look up," he says, and when I do, my stomach turns. There is no horizon. and I can see in the far distance lights climbing up the sky. The edge of my view is in a U shape, and the clouds seem to be formed into a giant ball, rather than fluffy splotches. I see through all of the clouds, the faintest look of a giant flaming ball in the middle. What I thought was the moon, was in fact just the flaming white center of the world.

"How has it not burnt this whole place into shreds? why hasn't the Earth caved in on itself yet?" I ask, my voice rising as I begin to feel dizzy from fear. I don't understand this.

You can never go back now. You'll go missing and no one will care. You'll be erased from the outside world. You're going crazy and there is nothing to do that will stop it.

I feel my vision blur, in a haze of pink and orange. Spots block my vision as I try my hardest to push my thoughts into the back of my head. I feel my breaths get caught in my throat, and I try to scream, but all I hear is ringing in my ears and my pulsating heart. I keep trying to scream, to let out as much energy as I can. My thoughts become a mix of me cursing at myself and wallowing in self loathing, while at the same time I try to think reassuringly as I cling to every happy thought I've had. I'm not used to this, but it's happened enough times in my life to where I've found a way to deal with it.

I start frantically wobbling, like a tree branch pulled back and let go of, making it violently shake back and forth. I feel something pulling at my arms, and my feet seem to leave the ground. I know I'm hallucinating, but the thoughts keep overwhelming my senses, until I lose the last shreds of my optimism. I want to sleep. I want to black out, anything to make everything go quiet for just a few seconds.

Count to ten. Count to ten. Count. Count

1, 2, 3...

I feel a voice shout so far away, and though I can't hear it, I know what it is telling me to do.

4, 5, 6... Breath, count.

I feel my body touch the ground again, the surface smoother, and I start to think clearly. I take in silent gasps, as all I can hear is my own conscience and the ringing that pulses in my head.

7, 8, 9... 10.

I can barely hear myself mumbling the numbers as I feel the world come into view, swaying violently. I feel my legs dangling and my curled body, my fingernails digging in as deep as they can into my shoulders, locked into place.

You can't do anything. Your lost. You will die hear and no one will hear your last words.

Though the thoughts certainly aren't pleasing, they're clear again. I feel myself frantically breathing as I comfort myself in my head, saying I'll be fine. This is crazy but I lived and I'll keep living. Come on, you're you, and you are strong. It's crazy, but just calm down, and find a solution. I feel empty, and tired. I feel shaky. But after I blink away drying tears, I look up.
          The guy who half-kidnapped me is squeezing my shoulders. His eyes are wide and he looks confused in a scared sort of way. I realize I've been sat down on a bench.
"Are you okay? Just breath, count to ten again and back down and-" he says, talking in a more doctor-ish manner than before. Something seems to click in my head, and my doubts of him lessen. Any kidnapper probably wouldn't put much effort into calming down their "victim". I sigh and nod my head, and the throbbing headache I have fades slowly along with the ringing.
I still feel jittery, as left over adrenaline keeps me in fight or flight mode and I take a second before speaking. I nod and wave my hand as a signal that I'm not dying, and he slowly stops trying to coddle me.
          He looks a little worried when I laugh.
          "-wait, what,"
          "I'm sorry. It's just funny how scared I can make myself. I never would've expected my captor to be the one comforting me,"
          "Well, your free to leave now. I was ordered to try bringing you back. Never said it had to work,"
          ... oh.