Chapter XVI

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MACKENZIE

Music: Even the Patience of a Pierrot Has Limits from Parodius Da! Arcade

I have been on the road for roughly two hours, and I need a break. Badly. Unfortunately, there's nowhere for me to stop and rest that isn't right in plain sight. Plus, I kinda have to keep moving. There's no way Mrs. Smith hasn't heard of my disappearance by now, and she's certainly sent out a warrant for my return. Or better yet, she's looking for me herself. Wouldn't that be fun?

So, I'm pretty thankful when I see the sights of a city just ahead of me after climbing through some hills. I'll have PLENTY of places to hide in that city, and if my friends think to use the hovercraft's "human GPS" function, we'll be reunited in no time. Then I'll have to put up with Mia... y'know what, I'm not going to worry about that right now.

"Jackpot," I say to myself, grinning as I pick up the pace and run towards the bright, bumbling city. I spot a bridge suspended over a large river of some sort, and that's the only noteworthy thing I can point out about this city so far. I spend a few minutes just walking through the streets, trying to see if I can spot a sign or something that'll tell me where I am. For a while, all I can find are the typical office buildings, restaurants, strip joints, shopping centers, and everything you'd expect to find in a large city. I do notice a building that resembles a capital building, meaning that wherever I am is the capital of some state. There is something familiar about this town that resonates with me, yet I just can't think of its name.

And hey, at least there's no sign of the illuminati having gotten here yet. That's something to feel good about.

I spot an elegantly-dressed couple walking their dog across the sidewalk, stop them, and ask, "Excuse me, do you know where I am?"

The man looks at me like I'm crazy, but the woman smiles at me and says, "You're in Sacramento, the capital of California."

THAT'S why this place looks familiar. Last summer, Sean and Shanna's family took Mia and I on a vacation trip here. A smile comes to my face as memories of that trip rush through my head. I sure do miss those fellas... I hope they're doing fine without me...

"Excuse me, are you okay, honey?" The woman's voice and the snapping of her fingers bring me back to the real world.

"Yeah, sorry... I must've zoned out," I say.

"How did you not know where you were? You got short-term memory loss or something?" the man asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Jerry!" the woman hisses, whacking Jerry in the back of the head. "Don't ask that to a child!"

"No, it's fine," I laugh. Not wanting them to know why I'm REALLY here, I come up with a story on the spot. "I've been on a road trip and my car broke down yesterday. I spent the night in an alleyway and just woke up a few minutes ago. I'm a little out of it, as you saw earlier."

"Do you want us to call somebody?" the woman asks, getting out her phone.

"No thank you. I can call somebody on my own if I need to," I reply, already starting to walk away from the couple. Both of them don't seem to buy this from me (I guess because I don't have a purse on me, so they probably know I don't even have a phone on me at the moment), but I've walked far away from them before either of them can push me further.

I walk past a few small clothes stores, and although I have no money or interest in shopping, I take a look inside anyways to see what they have. Nothing that I wouldn't be able to buy at home, really. But there is a figure in there that catches my attention in a store labeled "Button-Up Boutique". He's wearing a light and dark-tan jacket with tan pants and a black cowboy-hat, and when I walk past the store window, he turns in my direction and spots me. I'm about to just look away and keep walking before I notice that his facial features look... off.

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