The Swords of Memory: Second Chances

Chapter 21

Zara opened her eyes to see Warren leaning over her. He was shaking her shoulders. There was a panicked look in his eyes. "Zara, what happened? Did they try to kill you?" She tried moving her hand and felt the pain of the burn. She sat up and found that the burn on her back was healed. She ripped off the bandage and wrapped it around her right hand.

"I burned my hand myself. I needed to come back." Zara said. She jumped out of bed and ran over to her desk, opening her laptop.

"Why would you do that? What is happening in the portal game?"

"I got captured by lava people. One of them burned me but then he fell ill. They said something about the laws of war. I need to know what they are if I'm going to talk my way out of this."

"You got burned? Why didn't you have them burn your hand then so I could have saved you?" Warren demanded. He was acting like she had betrayed him by keeping her danger a secret. She would have been more annoyed by his concern if she hadn't been typing so furiously on her laptop.

"I needed time there to think of plan. I would just go back the next time I went to sleep. I couldn't stay awake forever." Zara muttered as she read from her laptop.

"If you want to know about the laws of war I can just tell you."

"I have it." Zara said. "Declaration of war, lawful conduct, safety of parachuting people in destress, and protection of health professionals."

"So what does that give you? There is no guarantee that our laws of war are there's."

"I've been thinking about that. I think they are. The portal game seems to be largely influenced by our world. Everyone there speaks English, even the nonhumans. They have weapons like swords and bows just like we used to. They have forges, farms, writing, maps. They might not be as technologically advanced there as here, but a lot of things line up. Not everything, but a lot. It's almost like it's a place based off of our world, or maybe even the other way around."

"Zara, do realize how crazy that is? You are trying to say that this imaginary world is connected to our world somehow?"

"That's the thing Warren, the portal game isn't imaginary. You can attest to the burns I got. There is definitely a connection between our worlds or Eli and I wouldn't be there. What I got there affect me here. Its real. If you don't believe that now, then you should probably just leave." Zara was getting frustrated with Warren. How could he still not believe that the portal game was real?

"Maybe I should just leave then." Warren started walking towards the window.

"Warren wait. You don't think the portal game is real?"

"I don't know. I honestly thought you might have burned yourself before I came to prove your story. But then I saw the burns heal, and the new one appear on your hand, I just don't know what to think. I want to believe you Zara, but this whole thing about meeting a boy in another world that you got in a car accident with just sounds so impossible."

"I can't ask you to believe in the portal game if you don't." Zara said. "But I can ask you to believe in me. Please, don't go." Warren led Zara back to her bed.

"Fine, I'll stay. Do you know what you are going to do with the laws of war?"

"I have some ideas. I'm not sure if they will all work, but at least one of them should."

"And you're not going to tell me what your plan is?"

"There just isn't time Warren. It's going to be morning soon. I will have to act fast if I'm going to make it out of the lava caves before I have to wake up."

"Ok. Here, take this." Warren took of his watch and gave it to Zara. "Hopefully this will be able to go with you. That way you will be able to tell how much time you have left. Your parents have been waking you up at eight right? That means you have a little over three hours. Go to sleep. I'll wait here in case you need me to wake you up again." Zara hugged him and climbed into bed. It took her a minute to calm her racing heart but then she started to drift to sleep again.