Chapter 21: The Ride

The world that greeted them on the other side of the portal was brimming with colors.

Haru recognized some of the rides he saw – Splash Ride, Drop Tower, Haunted House, Jungle Cruise, Extreme Roller Coaster, Twister, Round Carousel, Car Bumpers, and more.

But the most striking one that caught their attention was the Grand Ferris Wheel at the center of it all.

The whole world is an amusement park.

It doesn't just consist of fun rides. There are booths for games and food.

They were ripped with shock when their head suddenly ached and images infiltrated their minds like an unwelcome guest.

It flashed off so fast, they weren't able to understand anything.

There was no storytelling or slow-paced sequenced tale.

Just a clashing of both pleasant and painful images.

A smiling child, a struggle, someone sobbing, a hopeful recovery, a class filled with mocking jeers, and a bottle of pills.

They couldn't make anything out of it.

But when it all stopped, they somehow knew who it was from.

Haru, Camille, Ali, and Mr. Wang looked back at Alicia whose face became pale as white sheet, staring at the color-filled place.

"Alicia…" Haru reached out to her. "Are you alright? That was from you, wasn't that?"

Alicia ran away as fast as she could, thinking she could run away from her past.

While Haru lost Alicia, failing to chase her, he felt a sting in his head.

There was a child – a little boy.

He was smiling from ear to ear, pointing at the rides behind him.

"Mom! Let's go try that one too!"

Alicia looked up, staring at the extreme roller coaster, twisting sideways. "Isn't that dangerous? That's scary!"

"Oh, come on, Mom! I really looked forward to coming here to the amusement park with you! Let's ride everything and make the most out of it! The entrance fee was pricey too."

Alicia sighed, as if to give up. "Alright, fine! Let's go and do it!"

They could see from her memory how the mother and son enjoyed their stay at the amusement park. They tried all the rides, braved the haunted house, ate popcorn and hotdogs from the stands, and played in the game booths.

The flashback ended there.

Haru continued his search.

A few minutes later, he heard the water running from the comfort room in the female section.

Slowly trudging towards it, he heard Alicia groaning from there.

"Alicia?" He called out. "You're… not okay, aren't you? I'll try looking for a place so that you could stay in while we figure this out."

There was silence.

And then, Alicia finally spoke, "You're quick to catch on, huh? That's right, I can't stand this kind of place for now. He loved this the most. We spent his 8th birthday in an amusement park. It wasn't as grand as this one, but it feels pretty familiar."

"Can I ask… what his name is?"