Chapter 2

Ziv woke up, immediately taking off the helmet part of his hazmat suit. He coughed up everything that was in his stomach. His ribs still hurt from the fall and going through the portal turned that pain all the way up to eleven. He wanted to scream, but he was still expelling everything in his stomach. He couldn't see, but it was blinding white light and his ears were ringing. He felt cold, but he could feel he was sweating. Ziv's stomach wouldn't calm down and the pain didn't stop.

Slowly he came to and all his senses calmed down. The pain subsided. It felt like he was getting used to it, but why. What was going on?

"Kid, did you do this to me?"

Cravem was manhandling Ziv. Shaking him violently out of anger.

"I thought it was some déjà vu, until it happened again. Here again, getting hit in the head by you. I found what I needed and I left. Half an hour later I'm here again. What did you do to me?"

Ziv was confused and feeling nauseous again. It showed on his face as Cravem dropped Ziv as he started coughing whatever was left inside his body.

"Sorry. I just don't understand what is happening."

Cravem started destroying the beakers on the tables and throwing things around the room in anger.

"What's going on!"

A few moments later Buck came rushing in.

"What is… What are you doing?"

"Oh crap."

Buck turns on the lights in the room and sees Ziv on the floor breathing heavily.

"Cravem, you were a good kid. What are you doing here and what is up with that kid there?"

"Hey now that kid just popped up out of nowhere and Buck the world isn't a great place at all. Sometimes bad things need to happen for a good outcome."

"Dressing in all black like some thief? Don't patronize me. You are a good kid, getting good grades while keeping out of trouble and you do this?"

"You don't know anything about me Buck."

"Well that is good because you and I will be talking about this in my office. Now kid, are you ok?"

With the lights on, Buck still used his flashlight to point at Ziv.

---

The three of them were back in Buck's office. Those two were arguing back and forth until Buck looked back at Ziv still clutching his water. At this point he didn't care about his parents or his past. Things were happening around him, so he pushed his feelings down and focused on the situation around him. He met Buck before, he drank water from this same cup, he woke up next to Cravem two times. Well until Cravem started talking to Buck about it being the third time and that helped Ziv remember.

"I know you think I am crazy, but I am stuck in some time loop or whatever. The second time through this I just thought I was crazy, but this is the third time. Either I have lost my mind or something else."

"What am I supposed to think? I see someone destroying the science lab and a kid on the ground next to him, then he tells me that it is in a time loop? Cravem have you been taking anything?"

"No drugs and I ain't drunk. It doesn't matter."

Buck forced out a long sigh.

"Kid what is your name?"

"Ziv."

"Ziv do you know how you got here?"

"Well I went through a portal of some kind."

"So you did do this to me! This is your fault!"

Cravem grabbed Ziv by the neck and forced him against the wall. His back hit the wall with a great amount of force that Ziv started coughing up blood.

"Have you gone made Cravem!?"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do it."

"Call the an ambulance Cravem!"

Cravem started shaking as he dialed on the phone. In the meantime Buck came over to lay Ziv on the ground. Ziv couldn't feel his hands or toes. The force from hitting the wall still hurt his head, but everything was gone: missing. He read stories like this where if you are paralyzed, you lose feeling in your body. Ziv kept coughing up blood. Buck was screaming at Cravem and Ziv, but it was getting hard for Ziv to hear. His sight was turning back.

---

A few moments later when it all calmed down. He looked over towards Cravem. He was curled up with his legs in the corner crying. Ziv was able to hear the pain in his voice, those terrified screams. It didn't take long for Buck to show up.

---

We were moved back to Bucks office. Ziv noticed Cravem couldn't look Buck nor him in the eyes. He kept his head down.

"Cravem you need to talk to me. You're a good kid, but I just need to know what Ziv and you are doing here."

He turned towards Ziv.

"Ziv, what are you doing here? Did Cravem talking you into coming here with him?"

"I don't know what I am doing here."

"I killed them. I got them all killed."

"Cravem what are you talking about. Killed who? Are you in trouble?"

Buck tried to get Cravem to talk more, but he couldn't stop sobbing. So he gave up and made a call, as he started dialing, Cravem jumped at him.

"Stop! You cannot call anyone. They will die. We will all be killed."

"Tell me what's going on. I can't help you if you don't."

"Buck I ain't crazy ok. Believe me. This is my fourth time going through this same hour. If you call someone here, they will be killed and so will you. I watched you die once. Please don't do it!"

"Oh ok. I believe you. Just sit here with Ziv and I will be right back to get you both something warm."

"Thank you Buck. Don't call anyone ok?"

"Of course."

Buck left the room leaving those two in there. Ziv was tired: exhausted. He had been through so much in the past day, including being here in this 'university', even more has happened. He hasn't understood everything, but one thing is for sure. This loop is real and from what Cravem said is that it is lasting an hour at a time.

Buck came back a little bit later with three cups of something warm. It smelled fresh and the warmth from the cup seeped through the hazmat's suit into his hands. He took a sip. It was bitter, but it helped wake him up a bit. Things became a bit clearer for Ziv.

Those three sat there in silence for a little bit and during that time, Ziv looked around. Buck was an older man. Older than his father and he could see that his beard was starting to grey out. He was fit and strong, not skinny like Ziv. Cravem was slim, but he did seem to have strength. His black hair was short and he had no facial hair. Though the orange eyes were new to Ziv. His whole family had brown eyes like Buck, but Cravem's eyes were orange. It was cool.

That was until he realized that he was paralyzed by Cravem. He wasn't happy knowing that at all. He was frustrated, but perhaps this time loop thing was really his fault. Going through that portal could have easily done this. The scientist never said what they thought it did, let alone he didn't find out what they were making it for. So if this really was his fault, Cravem's angry was in the right.

Ziv saw on the screen on the computer that the same vehicle as the first time, the one with flashing lights, was out there. There was an extra one there, just smaller. An ambulance and police car?

Buck noticed that they arrived, but kept his focus on Cravem. He was worried about Cravem ,as he mentioned a few times earlier, so that was probably why he kept on staring at him.

Ziv kept watching the screen. He saw some people wearing the same clothing as Cravem walk over towards the vehicles and the people. Ziv didn't understand why, but he knew what he saw wasn't good. He dropped his cup and Buck turned to him.

"Ziv, let me get… Oh no."

Cravem woke from his dazed state looking at the screen Buck was staring at.

"Why? Why did you have to call them? I warned you? Why didn't you listen to me?"

"Ok, just barricade the door with me and we'll turn off the lights. Ziv please come over here and please don't move, ok?"

Both of them barricaded the door and turned off the lights. Cravem sat under the desk with Ziv, while Buck tried making another call.

"It won't go through."

"They must be preventing us from getting calls out."

"If we wait them out until the morning, we will be safe."

"No we just need to survive for the next half out at most. By that time the loop will reset and we will be safe."

"Sure…"

"I don't care if you believe me or not, I will make sure to keep you both alive. I got you killed… I killed you once, but I won't let it happen again."

"This isn't the time.."

"Both of you be quiet, I can hear them."

Ziv calmed both of them down. Just some moonlight coming through the blinder over the window the rest was dark. The computer was unplugged so it wouldn't make any light or hum and the door was locked and barricaded with the chairs and desk they were using.

Everyone kept their mouths shut. Ziv kept his breathing steady unlike the others who held their breath in. The three of them could hear the footsteps outside. The footsteps passed the door and continued onward. They both took a deep breath from holding it in for so long. They started whispering as they bickered.

"They could come back."

"Yes, but we just need to last a little longer."

"Didn't you see, they had guns. Vests with ammo. They had to be something like the military."

"I think you are right. When you were… uh… killed last time they had machine guns or whatever."

"Stop that right now. This is real, not some fantasy crap. Stop talking about that crazy stuff."

"Buck this is real. They are as real as the loop."

"Both of you be quiet, they're coming back."

Thankfully Ziv was still focused on the bad guys outside. They came over to the door and started bashing it in. Buck was trying to think of something as he and Cravem were pushing the desk against the door to keep the bad guys from getting in.

"They're breaking it down, we need to jump out the window now. Cravem carry Ziv out. I'm going to hold them back for as long as I can."

"You'll die if you stay."

"Maybe I will just have to believe in this loop you talk about then. I'm getting old, I just needed to have something to believe in right?"

"You're not that old and you don't believe that one bit. Just come with us."

"Cravem, just leave with Ziv. Go now!"

Cravem picked Ziv up and grit his teeth in frustration. He opened the window having Ziv slide out, then climbing out on his own. They were in a courtyard. To the left was the hallway that led to the security office. The windows can still see the courtyard, and if they can stay in the shadows it will be tougher for them to be seen. So they went to the right, past the fountain.

Ziv followed Cravem as they started running towards the building across the campus. Ziv was too slow, so Cravem doubled back, picked Ziv up and carried him. He started running as fast as he could, until a gunshot sounded behind him. Even though they were silenced, the sound still carried loudly alerting the two individuals to take cover behind a tree.

Ziv started thinking quickly about what he could. They were believed to be military or something like that. They were trained. So how were they communicating with each other? Ziv started messing with his techpad.

"Ziv what are you doing?"

"In the stories I read, people with guns, like in wars, contact each other. Radio? Phone? Quantum Frequency? Doesn't matter. All we know is that they probably are talking with each other to stay in contact."

After that, Ziv sent out a signal. It was short range, but it worked on everything that the techpad was able to interact with. Cravem and Ziv heard the feedback coming from the shooter's direction, letting them know it worked. Still carrying Ziv, he ran away from them.

Cravem was panting heavily and probably more due to being shot at. There was a small area outside the building they were running towards. They hid behind the tree and benches.

"That was brilliant Ziv!"

"Th…Thank you."

"I'm sorry for hurting you."

"It's ok. You helped me now right?"

"Wait you remember that?"

"Being pushed against the wall?"

"Yea. I thought it was just me who was in the loop. So it's just the two of us?"

"I don't know."

"Ok once this loop ends we are going to talk about this."

Before Ziv could answer a blinding white-blue light covered the entire area they were in.

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