Chapter 3: Ep. 1 — Awaking, II

[What are you shouting about?] I heard the alien creature ask while sounding very perplexed.

I’m the one who should be feeling perplexed right now.

This isn’t something that should be normal—

Normal?

I slowly looked over at the alien and noticed that the tentacles I saw were gone.

Did I imagine them? It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.

Before asking anything about that, maybe I should know what he is in the first place.

As I slowly crouched down to his level, I asked—

“What are you?”

[We have already been over this?]

[Did you, by chance, hit your head?] He asked in a very slow and somewhat nervous tone.

“What? No! I don’t even know what’s going on right now….”

[Maybe you did… you are acting very weird]

Me?? WEIRD!?!

“IT’S NOT MY FAULT I WOKE UP IN SOMEONE ELSE’S BODY NEXT TO A TALKING CHEW TOY!”

[…]

After seeing his face, I realized I said that out loud, and my face immediately became flushed.

“I’m so so so sorry I-I didn’t mean to say that out loud!” I shoved my face into my hands in embarrassment…

Getting so heated over being called weird… maybe I am weird.

[Well, to answer your question, I am what you humans call a—] He paused while trying to think of the term.

[a zero eight zero]

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“What?” I looked at him even more confused than before.

[Sorry, I do not know the English term for it]

“You do realize you just said three numbers?”

“That has nothing to do with English—”

Wait, he said English…

Let me just see something…

“Are we in America—or maybe Lonndon” I said with a giggle as it reminded me of an old friend from London who always did that.

[Lonndon? America?]

“Maybe Australia—” I paused before finishing my sentence…

Why did he say it like that?

“You know, America? The USA?”

[I do not know of any place called that]

Silly me, English is a pretty popular language, we could be anywhere.

As I lightly bonked my head with my hand, I asked—

“Then where are we?”

I slowly looked down…

Thinking about it, wouldn’t you at least know what America was? I get London as that’s a city, but America?

[We are currently in the USC—]

“Where’s that—”

[Which I believe means The United States of Columbia]

I gave him the blankest face I’ve probably ever made in my life.

[Is everything okay?]

I don’t think a country was every called that in my world…

Though I do think I remember something from my history class a long time ago…

My professor talked about something along the lines of America, before it was called The United States of America, was often referred to as Columbia. Which originated from Christopher Columbus’ name.

I don’t know how right I got that as it’s been years since I last heard that…

After thinking about that though, it’s crazy how much time I put into studying and I barely remember anything from that time. I felt like a mindless robot just trying to remember everything I was told.

[Hello? You have been staring at the floor for some time now]

I jolted my head up.

“Sorry, I just was thinking…”

“If were in Columbia right now, then where did the Pilgrims come from?”

[Sorry?]

“The Pilgrims? The Mayflower?”

[If this is a history question, then sorry I do not know… I am not from here]

“Oh…” I have no clew why I even thought he’d know that…

“Then where are you from?”

[I originally came from Rusland, with you Lydia, when you travelled back here from work]

Rusland- lets not question it.

If he’s from Rus-… there, does that mean this world has creatures like him, just walking around—normally?

If so… then me calling him an alien was very rude of me…

“I’m sorry… me calling you an alien was really unnecessary.”

[I do not believe you ever called me that? Whatever it means…]

“Oh thank goodness—”

[Instead you called me a chew toy]

…

I could feel a flush red slowly cover my face…

“I’M SO SORRY” I screamed as I turned around and buried my face into my arms.

How many times am I going to embarrass myself today?

[Anyway… If you do not know anything—]

[does that mean you do not know the company you work for?]

What part of not knowing ‘anything’ do you not understand?

I turned myself around as he was right… I don’t know anything, and I can’t just waste time being embarrassed—

[Also, your shirt is open, or possibly ripped]

I looked down and saw a hole in my shirt… my face turning red again.

“AHHHHH” I screamed as I jumped up and ran into the bathroom slamming the door.

I really can’t catch a break.

I looked in the mirror and realized the hole, which looked more like a rip, in my shirt was pretty small…

I really overreacted again…

I took a closer look and saw that it was located on my chest—around the jugular notch…

Yeah, I’m a nerd…

Anyhow, the rip and the surround parts of the shirt, vest, and tie were all covered in blood and the area on my skin around my neck and chest were also scarred.

I quickly opened the door and saw him sitting there waiting.

“Did I die?” I asked him while vaguely pointing to the blood on my shirt.

[Did you not just scream when I told you about that hole?]

I cringed as I remembered how much I overreacted.

“Ignore that, where did the blood come from?”

[From you]

“Wow, I couldn’t have ever guessed that.” I said sarcastically as I rolled my eyes.

“Obviously it’s from me…”

“I’m asking how though, as you were here when I woke up.”

[How though what?]

“How though- huh?” at this point it felt like he was intentionally being stupid.

“The blood! You were here—” I paused before finishing my sentence.

Wait… He was here when I woke up in that puddle of blood, while also being extremely close to my face—or my neck…

This whole time I’ve been conversing with him… Not a thought in the world on how I died... but now, something was for sure…

I was right in from of my killer.