Max was trembling in fear. He was absolutely scared of ghosts! Even when he was a kid, he was always terrified of films that involved ghosts. He didn't touch horror games too. His brothers, especially his younger brother, used to bully him and prank him with ghost-related stuff. And somehow, despite being 12 years old at that time, Lonnie, was very good at horror games and it didn't faze him at all.
But seeing a horror film and literally being in one were two different things. Lonnie was great at zombie games. But it didn't mean he would survive a zombie apocalypse. And Max knew, that if the ghosts didn't get him, he would still die of sheer terror.
Max looked at the people behind the trees, comprised of all age groups. There were about twenty to forty people around the forest in front of him.
Max: Hehe....you guys...you happen to be normal people right..???
Max asked the stupidest question mankind has ever known, while laughing nervously. But as soon as he asked the question, the people immediately went back into the trees, completely invisible from Max's eyes.
Slowly walking forward to where they were, Max checked again, even though he knew the result. As he had guessed and witnessed a little while ago, the people were gone, and didn't seem to be hiding.
As if feeling deja vu, Max turned again to see the people on the opposite side looking at him, the same way as before, with half their bodies hidden behind the trees.
Max wondered if this was an illusion. But he wasn't planning on sticking around to know the answer to the question. Max immediately turned and started running as fast as he could, away from the forest. After coming out of the trees he started running around the lake.
He had even shut his eyes in fear, somewhere along the way. He kept running until he stumbled on something and fell down. He landed on his head, and cursing himself he got back up.
With one hand on his temple, the source of his pain, Max opened his eyes, to look at what he fell from. In front of him, was uncovered dirt, revealing a human skull, sticking out!
Max: Whattttt??
Max let out a scream, and started running again. This lake was bad news, he realised. So he started trying to formulate a plan to get away from this place. But now he was unsure of the direction he came from. He knew that he had to follow the Tower to reach his destination, or go opposite it to go back to the Dome. But now it had completely vanished from his eyesight, due to the tall trees, and his only compass, was unavailable.
Max kept running around the lake, and decided to go in the forest abruptly. He didn't know where it would take him, but he decided he needed to go. He didn't know which direction he was going in, but he knew that it was far away from the area with the ghosts. He had made sure of it. This was the opposite direction of the way they were, so technically he was going towards the Tower.
Max turned back to see how far he had come. He realised that he had made it pretty far away from the place he was in before. But when he turned back to look ahead, his heart skipped a beat. The same people, including the butler-like guy, were in front of him, the usual way. Half hidden behind the trees.
Max took a sudden brake, and immediately turned to his right. Totally avoiding them. Did the water he drank have hallucinogens?? Max didn't know the answer to that, just like many other questions he had asked himself since waking up.
Max kept running for five minutes. And immediately took a quick scan of the surrounding area. He was surrounded by trees from all sides, but thankfully the people or rather "spirits" were not there. Max gave out a sigh of relief, and being out of breath, he panted while bending down.
???: Hey...you...!!
Max was startled the moment he heard a voice. It terrified him so much that he let out a girly shriek, and he covered himself, and turned back. In front of him, was the same boy who gave directions, back in the Dome. He was wearing the same exact rags he was wearing back then. He had freckles all over his face, and had brown hair. He was a little boy. But the silence after seeing Max's girl-like scream, was purely embarrassing.
Max: It's you!! The boy with the freckles I met in the Dome!!
Max pointed at him, while the boy looked unamused.
???: Is that really what you call me?
Max: I mean...I don't know your name anyway.
???: My name is Chuck. Just Chuck.
Max: I'm Max. Maximus Augilleris Steefan.
The boy named Chuck looked at him in a confused expression, after listening to his name.
Max: Ya don't worry about it. My dad had a really bad taste in naming. As far as you are concerned, my name is Max.
Chuck: Okay, Max bro. Got it!!
Chuck raise his hand and lifted his thumbs, to show he had got it. Finally after a long time, this kid was doing kid stuff, instead of behaving like a harbinger of doom.
Max's stomach growled immediately, as it had been a while since he let his guard down. After this, another moment of silence followed. This quiet moment was finally undone when Chuck started laughing.
Chuck: Hahhahahahahah....you really are hungry!!
Max laughed along nervously. It was awkward for him, but he guessed that this was how kids behaved at their age. His brother, Lonnie also behaved that way, but was sometimes so profound.
The very next second Chuck put his arms into his pocket and took out an apple. He then threw it at Max, who caught it easily.
Max: What? Why are you giving it to me?
Chuck: I think we need to eat when we are hungry. Also, giving someone food makes our future meals tastier!!
Chuck had a huge smile on his face, after saying that. Max didn't totally understand what he meant, but he took a bite of the apple. He almost cried due to it being the first bite of food he had here.
Chuck: You know, my village is right around the corner. I can take you there...
Max: Really?????
Max was teary eyed. Something about this boy made Max trust him. For some reason, he didn't look like the bad guy. Max started walking with him.
Max: So, how old are you..?
Chuck: I'm 11. I'll turn 12 this year.
Max: And what year is it exactly?
Chuck: It's 1807 C.X. Why are you talking as if you don't know that??
Max: Well, you see, from where I come, it was 2021 A.D.!
Chuck stopped in his tracks for a second.
Chuck: A.D.?? That was the previous Age though? You are telling me that you lived through about 2000 years???
Max: What previous age???
Chuck: Yeah. That's the Age of Advancement. It was destroyed anyway when the Children of Creation brought their Towers anyway...
Max: What do you mean by-...
But before Max could finish his sentence, they heard a noise. They both turned back to see a huge ghostly figure. It was as if black smoke had taken form, and only its huge head and arms, looked like a cracked bone. There was a huge eye hole like thing on that skeletal mask, and his arms literally looked like bones. But it didn't have legs as it was floating in the air, and its bottom was literally smoke, as if it were a Genie...and it was towering over them...