1 : Brown Out

The lights went off. I was wondering what happened, due to the fact we were just shopping a while ago and the mall suddenly turned off the lights that's why I got separated with my friends. Maybe we were having a brown out here. I keep on walking and walking until I see a light. I thought it was the exit but I guess I was wrong. It lead me to another place which isn't the parking lot nor the entrance of the mall.

"Miss" a teenage boy called me in a weird language. I wonder how I understand him when in fact his words aren't the language I learned. In fact, I don't know what language he is using.

"Hi! Can you tell me where am I and where is the exit here?" I asked him.

"You are here at The Capital of Amiatole, Alliban" after answering me he just run around and I noticed now that a lot of people is looking at me. They are all wearing dresses and the guys are wearing suit and ties. Wait, what is happening here? Am I suddenly in a cosplay? is that why there is a power shortage at the mall since they used it here? and What about Alliban? I was in a Mall a while ago. What is that kid talking about?

I keep on walking while having these thoughts. Maybe I'll find the answer once I walk through this town or I'll find the parking lot where the car of my friend is parked.

But while I was walking, I keep on seeing trees and more of the people wearing huge dresses and suits. Did I travel back in time?

"Excuse me coming thr-"

"Ahhhh!" A guy bumped on me and then hold my hand and we went on running wherever he may go. Then we hide within the trees.

"Hey!" He then proceeds to cover my mouth and then talked to me.

"Shhh! Please be quiet" he whispered to me that and I looked at him from head to toe. He is also dressed like me. He wears modern clothes too. A white t-shirt and blue jeans. While I am wearing a purple dress and stilletos. Maybe he was also finding out what happen and he suddenly found a modern person like him and then he-

"At last. We lost them" He sighed as he look around and finding out the guards aren't there anymore.

"Who are they?" I asked him.

"The palace guards. I went to the mall today and suddenly there is a brown out. I was just buying my new eyeglasses and then the brown out happened. I keep on walking until I saw a light and then the next thing I knew, I am inside the palace! That's when the guards thought that I was a tresspasser since they don't know me and I wear clothes like these that aren't accurate for this timeline" Wow. He is a talker. At least now I know I am not alone in this. I wonder how many people got back in time due to the black out.

"Well, as for me, I was shopping and our phones aren't working when the brown out happened. So I decided to just walk until I found a light too. I thought it was the exit but then I saw people wearing those clothes and The next thing I knew, you were running towards me and I got dragged here with you" I told him.

"I'm sorry about that. I'm Arthur by the way. You can call me Art" after introducing himself, he hand out his right hand to me.

"I'm Maivy" and I hand out my left hand to him and we shake hands.

"Maivy. what an unusual name" He smiled and that's when I noticed the dimples in those cheeks and the whiteness of his teeth. His eyes are like an emerald crystal shining through the lights even if his glasses are present there within his face.

"I would take that as a compliment" I smiled as I said it.

"What should we do now?"

"Try to find a shelter I guess? Since It's gonna be night later. We should find a room where we could stay for the night and sleep. Then tomorrow we could find a way where we can go back in our respective time"

We walk around until we find an abandoned house. It feels eerie but I guess it will have to do.

I know it isn't right but I wanted to be with someone I'm familiar with. He seems pretty decent so I guess he wouldn't do something bad.

We looked around the house and saw that there is only one room. How convenient for our present circumstances!

He then looked at me and started talking. "So, I'll be sleeping in the couch while you sleep..."

"Oh actually I don't think I can sleep so you can just sleep on the bed" I told him before he finish what he is saying. I went to the kitchen to find out if we can cook something for our dinner. He followed me.

"But it isn't-"

"Appropriate? Don't you worry! I'm a night owl. I can manage. And besides, I want to think of a plan where we can go back to our own time" I couldn't find anything. Maybe I can go outside or buy something. Then I remember...

I don't even have their money here!

"Then I should help you"

"Help me with what?"

"That plan of yours. I think if we got back in time, there will be a switch or a door where it triggers the universe to go back to the way it was before"

He said.

"So how about we come up with theories?" I suggested.

"What about we gather some information rather than theories?"

"That's a great idea! But where would we start?" I asked him.

"Where to start than the bar! I saw it before we enter here. Maybe we could gather up clues and find a lot of information" He said as his eyes sparkle as if he find a solution to our problems.

"There's a bar here? Then what are we waiting for?"

"Let's Go!"

"Wait! We should change clothes! They would look at us if we continue looking like modern freaks"

He looked startled. Did I say something wrong?

"Modern Freaks? What a term you coined there huh? We should find something here in the closet" Then he went to the room and find the clothes.

He gave me a dress and I went to the room and change. Then when I got dressed, I went out and then found him wearing a black suit with his white shirt underneath.

"What?" He asked me. Then I realize that I was staring at him. It was weird because I didn't notice how handsome he was. Maybe I wasn't really looking so much in his face when we first met a while ago.

I look away.

"Nothing. We looked like them now" I told him.

"Yeah"

He then proceed to walk out the house and I followed him.