The Land Behind the Mirror | ONC 2022

Chapter 16

What proceeded was such a blur of movements and lights that Alba couldn't have followed it even if she wanted. First, there was powerful light, and in the next moment, the mirror started shimmering like water when its surface was ruffled by the wind.

Send in the drone.

Following Julius's words, a small device lifted off the ground under Dereck's control, hovering in the air. It proceeded to slowly immerse into the mirror's surface and disappeared altogether. Only after it was gone did Alba realize what it reminded her of. A UFO.

It was exactly like the images of UFOs she had seen, only much smaller. It made her wonder if, all this time, those people were right. They did see something. But it wasn't a spaceship from another planet but a sophisticated drone from another parallel world.

"Are you okay?" Ana asked, gently putting her hand on Alba's shoulder.

"I am fine. It's just different to see it all happening like this," Alba said, keeping her eyes peeled to the spot where the drone had disappeared. "Also, I wonder if this might have been where all the UFO stories came from."

Ana smiled when she heard that, happy to know that they still had so much in common. It was good to see that they could still be friends, even potentially best friends, if fate allowed them to try.

"What?" Alba asked, noticing the smile on Ana's face.

"I said the same thing when I first saw the process," Ana said with nostalgia. "Julius laughed out loud, thinking that I was exaggerating and that there was no way someone would mislabel his technology as that of alien origin. But I think we are right."

The smile of two co-conspirators passing between them showed them that, although they were different, their sisterly bond was still intact. There was nothing that could change that. It made Alba appreciate being pulled into the mirror in the first place. If she hadn't gotten there, she might have spent the rest of her life believing Ana left without even a goodbye. She was happy that she at least learned the truth and got the chance to reconnect with Ana.

"The drone has successfully reached its destination," Dereck said, using the small tablet on his controller to survey his surroundings. "This is definitely a different place. I mean, look at that furniture and those old-fashioned drapes."

Alba took a look over his shoulders and was stunned to realize he was describing the beauty that was her house. In fact, the very room he was looking at with disgust was the one she had visited the last.

"That's an attic. Of course it will look a bit old-fashioned," Alba said defensively.

Do you know this place?

"Yes, it's where I was when I got pulled to this world. I had just discovered the key and was eager to explore," Alba said, feeling as if all that happened ages ago and not mere days.

Interesting. I was aiming for where Dereck came from. Those are the calculations I used.

"What if that's the same place?" Ana asked with a sudden inspiration. "I mean, maybe that was once Dereck's house, and Alba's family moved in later."

It's possible. Perhaps even time flows differently in the two universes. Well, no matter, let us proceed. Prepare the drone for the return journey.

Dereck typed furiously on his controller, and soon enough, the low buzzing could be heard. After that, the drone emerged from the mirror unscathed. It appeared as if it was functioning normally and showed no signs of explosion or disappearance.

"Does that mean it's safe to go through?" Alba asked excitedly.

Alba was fascinated by this world, but the safety of home called out to her. It was like a siren's song, leading her forward even though she wished she could explore more and meet more of the fascinating dinosaurs.

Not yet. Machines often fare much better than organic matter. We have to conduct a few more experiments before we can hope it's even remotely safe for a person to go through.

Alba tapped her foot impatiently but chose to follow the scientist's instructions. Especially when Ana whispered to her how badly a few transportation incidents went. Especially notable were the inside-out apple incident and the scattered pumpkin debacle.

Seeing that the experiment might turn out successful, Ana decided it was the right time to tell Alba what she had been postponing, hoping that she wouldn't have to say.

"Alba, while they finish up, there is something I need to talk to you about," Ana said.

She led Alba to the side, to a pair of chairs where they could see the experiment, but no one could overhear their conversation.

"What is it?" Alba asked. "You look so serious when all our wishes are coming true. It reminds me of that time you accidentally broke my favorite toy. It took you hours to tell me what happened because you were afraid that I would get mad."

"I guess I never want to disappoint you or make you sad," Ana said, looking at her hands while trying to find the best way to explain things. "You see, although I know that you want nothing more than to go back home, that's not something I've wanted to do for a few years now."

"What do you mean?" Alba asked, confused. "How is that possible? Don't you miss your family?"

"I have been here for such a long time that these people, this community feels more like a family than my parents ever did," Ana said with sadness in her voice. "Although I miss father and mother, I think they have already moved on, and maybe that's for the best. Going back now would only cause them more pain. Also, I like it better here. Everyone is so much nicer, and they care about the environment."

Alba just stared at her friend as if seeing her for the first time. Her mind couldn't understand that someone would choose anything but their biological family. After all, it was ingrained in her mind that blood was thicker than water and that blood family was more important than anything or anyone else.

"But you can also get eaten by those rebel dinosaurs at any moment. Wouldn't you be safer in our world?" Alba asked.

She wanted to ask many, far more personal questions, but not wanting to put Ana on the spot, she chose the practical route. It was, after all, one of the reasons she wanted to escape this world as soon as possible.

"What is safe?" Ana asked musingly. "In our world, it can be as dangerous as anywhere. And I am not only talking about crimes and wars. You can go out and be hit by a car or something. Safety is a relative term. At least here, I can do what I've always wanted. I can connect with nature and all the beings in it."

Alba shook her head, unable to accept her friend's logic. For better or worse, home was home, and she couldn't imagine just leaving it behind just because it wasn't what she wanted it to be. Still, it didn't surprise her that Ana would prefer a world as clean and pure as this one. She always did struggle with pollution and mistreatment of animals.

Before Alba could say anything else, Dereck waved them over.

We have done all the tests I could think of, and everything went perfectly. However, I cannot guarantee that something won't go wrong if you go through. The human body is far more complex than any other biological material.

"That's okay. I am ready to take the risk," Alba said, thinking she preferred those risks to the possibility of being eaten by a T-Rex or becoming manure for carnivorous plants. "Ana, are you sure you won't come with me? I am certain your parents would be happy to see you."

"I am. This is my home now," Ana said confidently. "Still, I am glad I got to see you. You will always stay my best friend."

Ana engulfed Alba in a bone-crushing hug wishing that she could keep the one thing from her old world, her friend. However, she knew that she couldn't ask Alba to stay. She probably had a life of her own back home that she was eager to get back to.

Brushing aside their tears, they broke the hug, and Alba went to stand before the mirror.

Just do what you did the last time.

"Here goes nothing," Alba said, gently touching the mirror's surface.

Oops. We seem to have made a small calculation error.