The Laws of Paxia

6. Is that a bad thing?

 Chapter Six

Is that a bad thing?

  It takes a few seconds before my brain registers that something isn’t right. I feel dry dirt underneath my hands and I slowly open my eyes to find out what’s wrong with me. My eyes are blinded for a little while as I look around at the grey fog surrounding me. The whole world seems to be spinning and I grip the ground to get it to stop turning.

  It’s not raining and it doesn’t look like it has been raining here for a while either. My soaked body is covered in dirt from the dusty ground. There are massive blocks of flat black stone spread all over the area. My wheelchair is nowhere to be seen and I wonder how I will be able to get anywhere without it.

  The fog doesn’t let me see more than twenty meters ahead and I slowly get up to sitting position with a moan. It is hard and my body is aching all over. It doesn’t help that the air around me is trying to twist me in different directions.

  It is hot here and I can already feel the rain drying on my skin. It’s like electricity is surrounding me and I am trying to think about what just happened and where I am, but the headache is slowly killing me. I feel the plastic bag in my arms and I laugh loudly just to have it turn into hysteric giggles.

  This must be Paxia. The place looks like Jake described it. Hot tears are running down my cheeks. How do I get home from here? Will I be stuck here forever?

  I try to remember everything I’ve heard about Paxia. I will be picked up in a tribe if I’m lucky, but they can just choose to kill me instead. The fear starts to bubble inside of me and it is a lot worse than the fear I had to leave the house. I am all alone in this world. Is this how Jake felt when he got here?

  I close my eyes with a sigh and focus on the weird sensations in the air. They feel like spider webs, so thin and they are moving fast. I focus my mind to untangle them and suddenly everything stops spinning around me. I open my eyes with surprise. Is it that easy?

  I can still sense the webs in the air, but they are leaving me alone. The headache slowly leaves me and I glance around worried. I have no idea what I just did and what strange things these webs are. Somehow my senses knew and I’m glad about that at least.

  Mom will not get milk for dinner after all. I am really hungry so I eat a whole chocolate bar, it tastes wonderful but it isn’t food. I am about to open the milk when I hear someone walking towards me. It’s the tiniest sound and I see a figure in the fog.

  It’s a guy, around twenty years old and he watches me carefully. He is wearing a stick as a weapon with two sharp edges made out of the black stone that is covering the ground. He is covered in dirt, wearing jeans that are ripped by the knees and a black t-shirt that must have been pretty once. His boots are sturdy and well kept. He is very handsome and his black hair is tousled in the wind.

  His eyes are grey and the whole appearance of him shows that I’m not anywhere close to home. He looks tired but on edge and definitely hungry. The tattoo on his arm shows two arms arm wrestling. Great, I must make an ally fast or I’ll be killed!

  “Do you want some milk?” I ask him when he’s standing right in front of me, not knowing what else to offer as a peace gift. It must be the hungry look in his eyes; I decide to lift the milk towards him. I hope it’s enough to save my life. “It’s still cold but not for long.”

  He doesn’t change his facial expression while he is studying me. He is looking at my arm and suddenly I’m happy I forgot to bring my jacket.

  “Yeah, I’m new. I just got here like ten minutes ago,” I try to ease the tension, his quietness makes me nervous.

  “The milk will get ruined within the hour here,” he finally says with a deep voice.