World of Unknown Consequence

Doubt and Revelation

       "I'm sorry, but I'm having a hard time believing your story, Sir," Kyle spoke aloud, voicing everyone else's thoughts. It was hard to take in, especially when none of the weapons the man said he used existed in weapon records. If weapons like this were on full display in a city like this, why hadn't the military come to commandeer everything for research and development? Not to mention that the entire ordeal on these so-called "Nightmares" was something that I had never seen or heard of before in myths and history books. It sounded completely made-up, and even when I wanted to believe Eins' story for the sake of his family, I couldn't bring myself to accept his words as truth. Maya, on the other hand, remained at the man's side. She remained silent and only waited for the man to explain himself. He stared at us, long and hard. And then, he gave a heavy sigh. 

        "Aye, why'd I think someone would understand right away if I didn't explain it proper," Eins mumbled loud enough for us to hear. He cleared his throat, took his rifle from its rack and placed it next to his leg like he did in his family picture.

         "When I say I fought from elsewhere, I meant it in a whole different light. I'm talking different world altogether," he began to speak again, "In the world I'm from, I was born here where me shop stands. It's a farmland, where I'm from, and over there is where all this technology, weapons, and clothing come from. I came here after a failed final mission in an attempt to protect my home from the Nightmares that terrorized my homelands. As a result, my wife and daughter are dead, the military pities me, deems me psychologically unstable, and throws me into a warper that takes me here. Hence why me shops stands now."

        "Wait, wait, wait. Hold up a second here," Kyle interrupts. Mattie and I both turn towards him to smack him but Anna beats us to it. She gives him a swift slap to the face before he can say another word, leaving a bright red hand mark with his pride slowly being chipped away as he turns to face her in shock. "I was gonna ask a question! What the hell?!"

        "Why would you interrupt a person who has a potentially still-functional plasma rifle leaning against them?!" she seethes angrily, "Do you WANT him to think we are ungrateful and just outright kill all of us?!" 

        "Have you ever thought of asking whether or not this guy is just telling a story that's part fantasy and part truth because he could be a soldier with PTSD from our military?" Kyle said back mockingly, "Look, I have no way of knowing whether he's got a few screws loose so lemme ask my question and then we can continue the story. Sound fair enough, sir?" I grimaced at Kyle's words; there was definitely better ways to phrase what he was trying to get across. Sure enough, as I thought, the man's expression turned from stoic to fiery with anger as he glared daggers towards Kyle. 

         "Look here runt," he growled lowly, hand tightening around his rifle, "You best not get on me nerves with that sass. I may be a vet but I am damn sure in me right mind. Now shut it and listen; I'll explain the rest if ya let me." That was enough to scare Kyle to shirking behind me and keep his mouth shut, so Maya motioned for him to continue. 

         "Anyway, the warper is a device my world uses to transport people from place to place. Granted, this should be reason for me to return home, but I was asked to cut off power to make sure no rogue Nightmares come wandering to where I get sent to. After all, they still call me crazy for losing so much and apparently don't want me recklessly killing them so I can't just head back," Eins finally concluded. We went silent for a bit. It was hard to really believe without any proof, and he was aware of that too. He took us towards the back of his store to a door leading to a long hallway. We followed him until he reached some flights of stairs leading down. The stairs began to emit a mysterious white light from down below that we all wondered about until we reached the bottom. The light came from a locked room that required access from his blood. We exchanged nervous looks as we watched him cut his hand to force a drop of blood onto a small hole that was presumably the authentication device. The door slid upwards, revealing a bright white room illuminated by multiple lights. At the center was a small metal-like frame at the center that kept on glowing white. We just stood at the door in awe as he stepped into the room, as if he had come down here many times before.