Tap, tap, tap.
Our footsteps echoed as we walked into what seemed like an empty hall.
"Where are we?" I questioned feeling very disoriented after the swiftly un-swift journey in a god portal. Ashley had described it as a portal that allowed people to jump through time, apparently it is some technology we don't have yet in my time.
"Home!"
"This place doesn't look like a place anyone can live in." I muttered not joking at all.
"Oh Ayra there's a lot you don't know." She sighed patting my back, "Come along, I want you to meet some people."
"Meet who? Can't you see we are currently at a dead end?" I pointed out, staring incredulously at the creepy wall we'd just stopped in front of.
She let out a loud laugh.
"What is funny?" I questioned. I could already feel my blood starting to boil, at that moment I didn't mind beating up the so-called future representation of me.
"Calm down." She wheezed giving me a thumb's up, right before she walked into the huge wall.
"Uuhhhh…" I gasped.
I wasn't exactly caught off guard – considering the fact that I am a battle angel and I'd been trained for any situation including one like this – more like exasperated with a dose of shock at the way things were moving weirdly fast.
"Come on now we don't want to keep anyone waiting." Her voice came from the other side of the wall.
"Fine." I gritted my teeth, walking straight into the wall which became soft on contact. It suddenly felt like I was traveling in another portal for the second time in one day.
"Oh wait," I reminded myself, "It's not a feeling. I am currently traveling through another portal. Gosh, I really am not ready for all this."
I know I had always wished to have a crazy birthday adventure, but this? This was just too much. I thought to myself as I traveled through the portal. I could make out different colours of light as they flashed into my eyes violently till the journey ended.
"We are here." She said turning back to watch me as I rubbed my eyes with my hands. She then came to realize what was going on with me.
"Ayra I am so sorry!" She apologised, "I forgot to tell you to close your eyes!"
"How could I have done this to me?" She groaned.
"I'm so sorry. What you witnessed is our portal's security measure. It's only meant to attack foreigners. Gosh, as a matter of fact, you're only still here because we traveled together, if it had been just you, you would be toast by now. I'll change the settings to accommodate you once we get in."
I nodded, still rubbing my eyes.
"You should be able to open your eyes now, the effects should have died down."
"Gosh, I thought you said this place was a safe haven." I lamented trying to open my eyes and failing.
"Yes I did, but sometimes we have some unwanted visitors like pests, spies from Cyprus and Niem… really the list is endless. And the portal does the job of clearing them all out for us. And anyone that it doesn't, no need to worry, I'm sure we'd be able to take them down." Ashley assured me.
"Wow…" I exclaimed as my sight finally cleared. "It… it's beautiful."
"I know right." Ashely smiled.
"What do you call this place?" I asked a bit absent-mindedly.
"Home." Ashley spoke quietly as she gave a slow sweep of her surroundings with her eyes.
"Now that your sight is cleared let's get moving," Ashley said coming out of her reverie and ruining what was a perfect moment to me.
"Get moving." she yelled over her back when I still stood transfixed. "I want to introduce you to the crew."
She pushed open the iron wire gate in the middle of the iron fence that was barely visible as it was covered in beautifully intricate vines. The gate squeaked prettily as we walked in. The one storey castle-like duplex was even more beautiful from the inside. The scents of the flowers were nearly intoxicating.
"Kay!" She called out.
In a flash, a light-skinned muscular man in shorts and a tank top appeared, he had grease all over his hands like he had been working on a gear by hand.
Damn, he's hot. I thought to myself. Okay no Ayra, focus! Resist! Even though those abs looked like they need my hands to caress them badly– Gosh Ayra NO!
"Hi, I'm Kay." He greeted slapping me back to reality.
"Hi, I'm Ayra." I stuttered, feeling embarrassed that I had just daydreamed about his body seconds ago.
"Yeah, I figured." His smile was dazzling. "Thank goodness, she changed her name to Ashley. Things might have been a bit catastrophic trying to tell you apart." Kay teased.
"Give me a break," Ashley muttered as she pushed Kay aside and stormed inside through what looked like a back door.
"Do you know how hot you look when you get all worked up? Seeing you like this gives me a spark of joy." Kay teased once again.
"Hurry along Ayra, ignore this bag of a hot mess over there. I want you to meet someone else."
"I'll take that as a compliment!" Kay shouted after us.
I might not have any idea of what was going on here but what I could definitely sense was that there was something going on between Ashley and Kay.
Let's call it intuition.
As I glanced back I noticed that he'd disappeared – literally – back to wherever he'd come from.
"Ayra this is Michael." Ashley motioned me forward. We'd turned a corner and were in some sort of alcove.
"He's the brains around here." She whispered as she reached forward and ran her fingers through his hair.
"Ashley you are back?" he whispered, turning around, his voice was a bit raspy, like someone who hadn't spoken in a while. He scrambled around for something then got up and sort of dropped something in his eyes then he hugged her.
They stayed that way for a while and I heard Ashley muttering something about him forgetting to take care of his eyes.
I cleared my throat.
"Okay, Michael, I want you to meet someone." She leaned away from him, "This is me from the past. I already briefed you before I left so there is no need to act surprised." She giggled at Micheal's tilted head.
"I'm not surprised… she just looks too real," Michael whispered in awe.
"Of course she is." Ashley replied looking up at him, her smile still very much in place.
"EH eh em, I'm still here." I pointed out.
Micheal suddenly jumped away from Ashley – most likely the way Thomas Edison jumped up when he invented the light bulb.
"This means my plan worked out perfectly!" Michael cheered.
Ashley gave a little laugh, "Of course, you're a genius."
"Yes, I'm a genius." Michael ululated while doing a little dance of victory.
"Okay before you get all excited," Ashley cut in, still laughing, "Did you get the file I asked you to?"
Micheal stopped dancing immediately. A mock frown on his baby face.
"I am offended, don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do. And I will take that as a yes!" Ashley went around him to sit in his rolley chair.
"Okay, I forgive you." Michael conceded and leaned over her towards the virtual monitor on the console.
"Ayra, I need you to see this." Ashley called for me.
"O..kayyy." I replied shuffling forward, feeling a little fatigued.
"Come over here!" Ashley reached behind her and dragged me over to her side.
"This is the video representation of what happened to the clone that we sent out."
I watched what would seem to the people of Cyprus as my death… What horrible monster would go through such an extreme length just because they want me dead?
I gasped at the realization of what I had just watched. I could have died today…
My eyes couldn't take any more of it.
"Ayra? Ayra what's wrong you don't look so good." Ashley pointed out.
"I... don't feel so good." I managed to get out before dropping forcefully to the ground.