Chapter 2

With officer out of reach rita stood there, frozen in shock. She had just witnessed her friend Jessica being killed, like she was nothing. The suddenness of it all had left her disoriented and confused, and the fact that they were in a completely different world only added to her distress. As she turned towards John, she saw the blood of her friend on her face, and it made her rage boil just underneath the surface.

She didn’t understand how he could just stand there, looking so calm and collected. Didn’t he feel anything at all? Didn’t he care that Jessica was just brutally killed right in front of them? Rita felt her anger rising, and she turned to face John, blaming it all on him.

“This is all your fault!” she shouted. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you! And now look what’s happened! Jessica’s dead, and it’s all because of you!”

John sighed, feeling exasperated. He was scared too, but he knew that Rita wouldn’t listen to reason in her current state. John felt the anger rising inside of him. “You think I wanted this to happen? None of us did! It’s not like I’m some god who can control everything!”

“But you were the one who brought us here! You convinced us to come on this stupid expedition and now look where we are!” Rita yelled, her voice growing louder.

“I didn’t force you to come! And I sure as hell didn’t force Jessica to come either! This was a freak accident that nobody could have predicted!” John shot back.

Rita didn’t want to hear it. “I don’t care! You’re responsible for all of this and I can’t even stand to look at you right now!”

John had had enough. “Fine! You have two options: stay with me and try to survive in this place, or go your own way. But either way, stop blaming me for everything that’s happened!” he shouted before turning away, seething with anger

As they walk along the road, John tries to make amends with Rita. He apologizes for losing his temper and tells her that they need to stick together if they want to survive in this new world. Rita is still upset but she starts to calm down a little and listens to what John has to say.

As they approach the city, they see that it is bustling with activity. As they entered the city, John and Rita couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the sights and sounds around them. The buildings were tall and crowded together, with neon signs flashing in different languages. People rushed past them, their clothing and hairstyles as varied as the buildings around them.

Rita clung to John’s arm, still shaken from the encounter with the officer and the death of Jessica. John tried to comfort her, but he too felt uneasy. This was a world they knew nothing about, and they had no idea what dangers lurked around every corner.

As they walked down the street, they saw street vendors selling all sorts of strange foods and trinkets. They heard music coming from a nearby club, and the sound of traffic and honking horns filled the air.

Rita stopped suddenly, her eyes fixed on a group of people gathered around a street performer. “Let’s go see what’s happening,” she said, pulling John towards the crowd.

John hesitated, but followed her anyway. They pushed their way through the throngs of people until they reached the front of the crowd. The street performer was a young girl, no more than ten years old, juggling balls while riding a unicycle.

The crowd cheered and clapped as the girl performed her tricks, but John couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. He looked around at the people watching the girl, wondering if any of them knew about the strange world they had stumbled into.

Finally, the girl finished her performance and the crowd began to disperse. John and Rita hung back, watching as the girl collected her earnings in a small tin can. As they turned to leave, the girl caught their eye and smiled at them.

John and Rita smiled back, grateful for the momentary distraction from their troubles. But as they continued on their way, John couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding. This was only the beginning of their journey.