You sure? I'm REALLY in another world? (Zack)

Second by second, Tomiko was growing more irritated. Made worse by the so-called Super Hero following her, not to mention the stupid bee. “Hey, leave me alone. I don’t want your gibber-gabber anymore. I don’t believe in it and eventually, I’ll wake up or I’ll find my way outta this stupid Narnia...”

Also, that odd, boneless, multi-colored creature was silently following behind the group. Looking as brainless as ever. Tongue lulling from one side of the mouth. Eyes looking blank without any thought behind them.

After a few minutes of walking, Tomiko turned to face the pair, who had been talking quietly among themselves. Tomiko simply waved a hand in a nonchalant sort of way, as if to sweep them away, frowned nastily, and said, “Buzz off, bee boy.”

With this said, she turned her back on all three of them and broke into a run. Fortunately for Tomiko, and perhaps less so for the pair who followed – her greatest skill through out school was her athletic ability, specifically running. She was gonna leave ‘em in the dust.

Without any pause, she ran as fast as she could, leaving that thicket of ancient forest behind her. Every now and again, she’d take a few bends. A left then a right, and then another right, just to make perfectly sure that she was not in any danger of being followed by any unwanted guests. Of course, she had no idea where she was going nor where she might end up by doing this. But, it’d be better than what she was leaving behind.

After around ten minutes, Tomiko paused, and with the utmost care, slid down into a ditch carved deeply through the ground. It must have happened recently, because a log had been placed over the wide gap as a temporary bridge of sorts. Using the bridge to shade herself, she wiped away the growing sweat that was beading on her forehead.

“Dammit,” she muttered. “How the hell am I going to get out of this dump...”

Placing a hand into the pocket of her skirt. She pulled everything in there and held it out in the palm of her hand. But, the only things of note were the odd device that had appeared of its own volition, the state-of-the-art smartphone, and the airpods. That weird, broken and ancient-looking device glimmered for a second, but otherwise did nothing of interest. She threw it away into the ditch without looking at it any further.

Not to mention, they had been correct about at least one thing. The Digivice or whatever it was called, had vanished from where Tomiko had thrown it. Reaching into her other skirt pocket, she felt it pressing against her fingertips. This just annoyed her more and her face definitely showed it.

If this world was somehow real after all, although, she was still doubting that to be anything less than fiction, and she was, as they said, walking right into a 'Tyrants, whatever', or going the exact opposite way for civilization or whatever. She could die, starve to death, or any other form of trouble she could fall into. For a second, Tomiko considered both of these so-called heroes.

“You know what, fine,” Tomiko said, simply. “Clearly I can’t get rid of you two. You’re far too persistent and heroic for that. You watched too many super hero movies.” Annoyed but less likely to argue or to run away, she crouched down, against the wall. Grumbled to herself in a clearly aggressive manner and said, “I need you to prove to me, this is real.”

Frowning so hard, it looked like she had been sucking on a super sour sweet for some time. Tomiko leaned back against the cool wall of the deep root-filled crevice; they were still crowded in. “Say, I believe you now,” Tomiko said in a way that made it sound like it was all up in the air still. “Not that I do. Nothing about this place screams logic, to me. It’s kinda like something out of a dopey kids book.”

As she said it, Marigold moved forward and reached out. Pressing a spike that protruded from one of the insect’s legs into her forearm. She panicked and lost balance, almost slipping on the vine-strewn floor. A sensation of pain had run up her arm and then faded. It was like she had been stabbed with a very tiny but very real knife. “Pass,” she muttered, moving away from the bee. Unwilling to be prodded by anymore spikes. “Why am I sure you enjoyed that...”

“Dame da?” The strange creature of pastel colors, splatted all over the body spoke for the first time in a while. His blank white eyes had once more focused on Tomiko. She looked back at him, a look of annoyance crossing her face. “What, you find it funny or something?”

Tomiko then turned to Zack, who had what she would call a face like a wounded bear. Her lip curled into a smirk. Oh, ho ho. Finally got to you, huh. He was going on and on about what he should call the dumb bee thing. Like she really cared.

“Alright, alright. Chill out. I got it. No more calling that bee, dumb or whatever,” Tomiko said, shrugging in an uninterested sort of way. Just because he was a foot taller than she was, and well built and muscular. Just because he got to this stupid world first, if it really was real. Although, that was still a hard sell. He was acting like a big, annoying jock.

After a minute of brutal silence and annoyed stares. Tomiko spoke up once again. “So, let’s pretend, I believe, for the sake of the argument. Where is the nearest town? I think you did mention one earlier?”

It only took a single second of thought, until an answer reached Tomiko’s lips. “I want to go to the nearest town. Nothing more, nothing less.” It was such a simple answer. For once, there was no arrogance behind it. All that she wanted was to go home now. Rosewood might have been able to deliver on that if she was lucky. Looking out over the hills, which stretched out for miles beyond the direction that Zack pointed.

Zack had offered to take her to his ‘shelter’ or something. Tomiko considered this proposal for a second, but then shook her head. “I’ve already decided. I’m outta this dump as soon as possible.”

Despite the fact that she was extremely tired and winded. She just didn't want to admit it, especially in front of the so-called ‘Super Hero’. Tomiko rose back to her feet and took several steps forward. Her eyes flashed with focus as she concentrated all her remaining energy on the destination.

Her eyes then moved over to her supposed partner as Marigold spoke. The annoying creature that wouldn’t leave her alone. Its dopey grin, stupid color-scheme and inability to talk, filled her with fresh wrath. “Hmm... well, I guess so.” Silently thinking, that she’d try to get rid of it, as soon as she found a way too.

“I don’t suppose I can get rid of any of you for the time being, huh?” She looked from Sukasimon that Zack was trying to hand to her, to the muscular hero boy, and finally to the oversized bee monster. A fresh look of irritation coursing through her.

Zack and Marigold’s persistent need to watch over every move she made had painfully reminded her of her father. A utterly ruthless businessman with too much money and no morals for anyone else. He had wished that his only child, Tomiko, would learn the ways of business. So much so, he had forced his way into every single decision over her entire life.