Exploring Centralia: Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Chapter 7: Welcome to the mindfuck

Description: this is a fart fetish story with sci-fi and other weird elements in it. Also this chapter is a bit psychological horror.

---

"Really, you don't scare me. Tomorrow morning everything bad will be gone and at noon we'll leave this horrible city, and our lives will return to normality. Then I can let Ellie do what I like the most. Forever. I'll be happy forever", I thought, as the Sun was going to set in 30 seconds.

I breathe slowly to calm myself down and then smile. I know it's gonna be a though battle but David knew this Ruzu was going to be long and painful and that he will be traumatized for the rest of his life.

That being said, said, said. An

echo

echoed

Voices in$ide

David's brain disturbed him.

"They disturb me, he thought", he thought.

HE "THOUGHT", he "thought". What the hell is happening? This Ruzu feels very weird, "he thought.

He knew this Ruzu would have been very long and unpleasant, but this is gonna be the last one, right? He started missing the Sunshine Land already, but "whatever, after this Ruzu will be over, I'll go back to the Sunshine Land. Procedural Springs is a

Suddenly, everything was utterly dark and he felt like floating. The month of Ruzumomi is unpleasant even for people who are used to it, but David isn't used to it. This is his first Ruzu, and he's probably going to remember this night for his whole life.

"I have to survive, only for tonight
I'm waiting for the morning light
Ohhh yeah! Rock n' roll forever
Escaping from this prison is okay

Procedural Springs can go to hell
I'm on a highway to Sunshine Land
With my car I'm pushing the engine
Oh yeah baby, won't you fart for me?

Whoah I'm trapped in this Ruzu
Oh baby won't you save me?
Ain't Ruzumomi gonna stop me
My baby, I'm here for you

Driving across multiple realities I'm ascending to the heavens As high as an airplane I'll fly Let's take a trip to the clouds"

David was really high, his trip was going well.

Will

this

turn

into

a

bad

trip

?

David was singing and dancing. The crowd acclaimed. Pure rock n' roll here.

"Thank you everyone, but now I have to survive this Ruzu and finally meet my baby who'll fart on my nose! I know this is gonna be a very long night, but the sooner I leave this disturbing town, the better it will be", he said, proud of his show.

The people in the crowd had a face of a distorted duck and David began sweating.

"Uhm...", said David, with his heart beating fast as the giant duck was looking at him.

"You'll die in a few hours"

David woke up panting heavily, with a guitar in his hand.

"This Ruzu is crazy", he "thought, wanting to

Do I want to perform again? Oh yeah babe.

"I have to survive, only for tonight
I'm waiting for the morning light
Ohhh yeah! Rock n' roll forever
Escaping from this prison is okay

Procedural Springs can go to hell
I'm on a highway to Sunshine Land
With my car I'm pushing the engine
Oh yeah baby, won't you fart for me?

Whoah I'm trapped in this Ruzu Oh baby won't you save me? Ain't Ruzumomi gonna stop me My baby, I'm here for you

Driving across multiple realities
I'm ascending to the heavens
As high as an airplane I'll fly
Let's take a trip to the clouds"

David was really high, his trip was going well.

Will

this

turn

into

a

bad

"Oh wait, hasn't this happened before?", he thought.

trip

"Please stop", he thought.

?

David was singing and dancing. The crowd acclaimed. Pure rock n' roll here.

"HEY! THIS IS NOT TRUE! I'M NOT SINGING NOR DANCING! AND THERE IS NO CROWD", he yelled at the narrator.

Never contradict a narrator.

"Never say never!", he yelled at a microphone and smashing his guitar on the ground. An angry crowd ran towards him and he began flying towards the clouds.

Unfortunately the clouds were toxic and he began falling, which will last forever. Perception of time changes during a Ruzu, so a night can feel like a year.

David began crying. There was no ground to fall on, and a thunderstorm was approaching.

"This is the end for me", he thought, sad.

A lightning struck over him, and then the nothingness came.

---

He woke up crying. Was this a dream? He looked at himself in the mirror and saw he was still a child.

"Were all these years a dream? Or am I still in a Ruzu?", he thought, very confused as he couldn't tell whether he was dreaming all this time, or if he still was in a Ruzu.

"Everytime looks calm... so... that was a dream, Ellie doesn't exist...", he thought, trembling and crying.

"Mom!", he said, crying.

"Did you have a bad dream?", she asked, worried.

"Yes mom, it was horrible!", he said, crying.

"Please tell me what was the dream about", she said, smiling and patting his back to comfort him.

"I dreamed my life kept going until I was an adult, and that I met a cute girl named Ellie. I thought that life was real, and now I wake up and I'm a child again", he said, disappointed.

"Okay, sweetie. You can sleep with me for tonight", she said, smiling.

That dream was deeply disturbing. Does Procedural Springs even exist? He couldn't tell. He loved being with Ellie, but all of this is now gone. It's over. It was a nice dream until it lasted. There's a small chance, however, that he was still in a Ruzu, he thought, but then he understood that was just wishful thinking and that he has to be a child again. Some dreams are hard to forget, but he needed to grow up again and go through his teenage years again. He was disappointed, but then he had an idea. Since he's a child, she can ask the girls to fart on his face and face no consequences. Suddenly he felt very happy, because now he could live his childhood the way exactly he wants to. No more regrets.

"I have to survive, only for tonight
I'm waiting for the morning light
Ohhh yeah! Rock n' roll forever
Escaping from this prison is alright"

He sang happily.

"Time to go to school", his mom said, and today is one of the first days he was happy to go.

"Driving across multiple realities
I'm ascending to the heavens
As high as an airplane I'll fly
Let's take a trip to the clouds"

"Nice song", said his mom.

"Thank you. I dreamed it", David said, smiling.

He entered the school. It was the elementary school, that's for sure, but which grade? He couldn't remember.

He looked at the list of students. 5th grade, okay. "Time to have fun with the girls", he thought.

"Welcome David, you arrived early today", said the teacher, surprised.

David smiled and said:"Today is a great day", happily.

The teacher gave him a weird look. David wasn't usually this cheerful. Something was going on, definitely.

"(Today I'll ask every girl if I can smell their farts, that's for sure. I have my chance. It's now or never)", he thought, with determination.

He waited for the basic lesson of things he already knew to end, so that in the meanwhile, in the hallway, he could ask girls to fart on his face. He was starting to remember things, such as his classmates' names.

The lesson ended, and David was heading to the math class. He only had 5 minutes to do the deed. He went closer to a girl who was in his class, but he felt an emotion that was stopping him. He felt hindered by his own mind. He was feeling embarrassed and shy. He was worried about what the other kids would think about him. He took a deep breath and decided this was his chance, it was "now or never". He tried to calm down, then finally greeted the girl with an informal "hi".

"Hi David", she said, smiling.

"Can I ask you something in private?", David asked.

"Uh... okay", she said.

"(Am I doing it the right way?)", he asked himself, trembling a little.

They went to a more private place. David's heartbeats were so fast. His blood rushing through his veins and his hyperventilation were making things difficult to explain.

"Are you okay, David?", she asked, worried.

"Yes... just... I need to tell you something", he said, breathing heavily like he ran for a mile.

"David. I can guess what you want to tell me. You're in love with me. That's okay, please calm down. Want a hug?", she said, worried.

"That's not what I wanted to tell you", he said, strangely a bit calmer.

"Hurry up, we should be in class in two minutes", she said, smiling.

"I like to smell girls' farts", he finally said.

After saying that sentence, he felt like he could see his whole life in a blink of an eye. "(Is this the end?)", he asked himself. Strangely, life was going on. It was not the end, but he felt like everything was in slow motion. The girl he was talking to was about to reply. "(This is the end, yes)", he thought.

"That's cool", she said, smiling.

Suddenly, David's perception of time was back to normal. He was happy and calm, and his heartbeat rate was average again.

"You think that's cool, really?", he asked, surprised.

"Yeah", she said.

"Can I smell your farts?", he asked.

"Yes. Come to my house tomorrow", she said, smiling.

"Thank you", he said.

She hugged him.

"Let's go to class now", she said, smiling.

\(V_V)/

They both went to class, but David was getting nervous. He was really hyped for what will happen tomorrow. For the first time ever he'll smell a girl's farts. He was so excited he couldn't focus on the lesson. He looked at the girl and smiled. She smiled back. Everything was awesome and happy, a revolution waiting to happen. Finally, for the first time ever, David will make his dream come true.

Unfortunately for David, the lessons seemed to pass very slowly, and time wasn't flying, indeed, so he decided to think and daydream instead of focusing on the lesson. He somehow already knew the content of the lessons, he dreamed his entire adulthood and somehow he knows everything that is taught in primary school. All he had to do was wait for this hellishly long and seemingly never-ending boring moment to end. He seriously wanted to smell that girl's farts and literally couldn't wait for it as he was getting both hyped and nervous. His dream will finally come true tomorrow, but he couldn't wait for it, he wanted it now.

He already knew everything about math, how could that even be possible? Was that really a dream? David started doubting it, but reality now seems much more vivid than the dream he had, which appeared to be confused and dreamy. Is this reality? Was that a dream? Was Ellie just the product of his own imagination? It seemed real until he woke up, but seriously, a place like Procedural Springs cannot exist in real life! It's just way too dreamy to be real. David is glad he now lives in real life, even though everything seems really weird. How can he know math so well? Is it possible to dream about something you didn't know about? David kept thinking about Ellie. He felt a bit sad that she went away, but at the same time he was glad he learned the truth. What a vivid dream, he never had anything like that before. He still remembers the song he dreamed, and probably will always remember it. It sounded like a catchy rock n' roll song, he was a little sad he couldn't hear it ever again though, it sounded like it was composed by angels. He couldn't physically listen to it again, but he'll never forget the catchy rhythm and lyrics. He played the song in his mind and wanted to cry. He really started to miss Ellie and her stinky farts.

"I have to survive, only for tonight
I'm waiting for the morning light
Ohhh yeah! Rock n' roll forever
Escaping from this prison is okay

Procedural Springs can go to hell
I'm on a highway to Sunshine Land
With my car I'm pushing the engine
Oh yeah baby, won't you fart for me?

Whoah I'm trapped in this Ruzu
Oh baby won't you save me?
Ain't Ruzumomi gonna stop me
My baby, I'm here for you

Driving across multiple realities I'm ascending to the heavens As high as an airplane I'll fly Let's take a trip to the clouds"

Even though the Ruzumomi was hell, he wanted to kept living in that dream forever. He wanted to live a happy life with Ellie, but now everything is gone. He now has to accept being a child in a very boring world, and there's nothing left to do now. Even though he asked that little girl to fart in his face tomorrow, he wasn't sure about what the outcome will be. Everything is back to when he was a child, albeit now he can make very different choices and fix all the wrong things he did in the past.

[I just met a girl named Ellie, she seems to be a lovely person, just like every person here in the Sunshine Land. We walk around the streets and begin to chat. The sky is overcast and it's pretty cold, with the temperature hovering around 280 Kelvin.]

David had a flashback of his dream and wanted to cry. Ellie not only doesn't exist, she never existed.

[I'm sorry Ellie, I broke your console]

David wanted to cry really hard, but he didn't, because he was in class and the other kids would see him crying. His eyes and face were becoming red though, it was plain obvious he was about to cry. Everything he did with Ellie was just a dream, and that is a tough pill to swallow. Ellie wasn't good just because she farted on David's face, she was good also because of her very sweet and caring personality. David remembers very well how Ellie comforted him when he was sad, but that was just a very vivid dream. Now he's living in a much harsher reality.

[FATAL ERROR]

David began crying, and the teacher was worried.

"What's wrong, David?", she asked, worried.

"I had a beautiful dream, but now I'm sad real life is not as good as that dream", said David, crying.

"It's okay David", said the teacher, smiling, "what was the dream about?", she asked.

"It's pretty long, I would interrupt the lesson", said David, worried.

"Don't worry, David, you can tell us if it makes you feel better", said the teacher, smiling kindly.

David was feeling loved and understood for the first time in his "new" life (i.e. since this morning), he stopped crying, smiled a bit and decided to tell his dream, because he thought that would have made him feel better. He certainly couldn't tell his teacher about certain particulars, though, especially considering he was a child again. He needed to filter out some information, but for the most part, telling his dream to his teacher would be okay, nothing too explicit. He wondered if he would have felt better but he decided to tell it anyway.

"I dreamed my life kept going until I became an adult, then one day I met a beautiful and kind girl... Ellie... and we went to a city called Procedural Springs...", David began saying while starting to cry again, "then the Ruzumomi started, and I lost her... forever...", he said, crying.

"Oh, David", said the teacher, worried, "What is Procedural Springs? What is Ruzumomi?", she asked, confused but interested in knowing about David's dream.

"Procedural Springs is the worst city I've ever dreamed, and Ruzumomi is a month in Procedural Springs where every night you get crazy hallucinations. It's terrible...", said David, crying again.

"So, you're sad because you lost Ellie?", said the teacher, worried.

"Yeah, Ellie was the best girl I've ever met", said David.

{Maybe she'll kill you tonight}, said the teacher, with her head upside down and her eyes spinning around.

David screamed in fear.

"What's wrong, David?", said the teacher, shocked.

David opened his eyes and everything was back to normal.

"Oh, nothing, I just remembered a scary thing about that dream", said David, obviously lying as he previously screamed because of his hallucination {or was it?}.

"What part?", she asked.

"The Ruzumomi", he said, scared about his last Ruzu.

"I understand, {this Ruzu is not over yet}", said the teacher, with blood falling from her eyes for a few seconds, before everything came back to normal.

David guessed it was a hallucination again, but why? David was afraid he was going crazy, but decided to ignore that, maybe he didn't sleep enough and that's why he started hallucinating.

"Lesson is over! Go home and have fun!", said the teacher, smiling.

David went outside and saw the teacher talking to his mom.

{I think David is developing some early signs of schizofrenia}, said the teacher, before morphing into a duck and starting to fly in the sky along with David's mom.

"What are you looking at?", said the little girl, touching David's shoulder

which startled

him

. "Oh... nothing, I was looking at the sky. Let's go to your house, remember what I asked you

?", asked David.

"Sure! Let's go!", said the girl, happily.

David was wondering what was happening, was he actually developing some early signs of a mental disorder, or was that just a hallucination? He decided to ignore all that and kept living his life happily. He was about to smell a girl's farts for the first time in his real life. Finally, it won't be just a dream!

He was kinda feeling happy, but why was he having hallucinations? He was kinda worried about his mental health, but again, better ignore it.

Now it's his chance to smell a girl's fart, it's now or never, he really can't miss this chance! They were both walking to the girl's house and David's heart was beating fast. He was overwhelmed by happiness, everything looked so bright and dreamy. He was feeling warm and loved, probably for the first time in his real life. Will this girl be a good alternative to Ellie?

"Here we are in my room", said the girl, smiling happily.

"When will you fart on my face?", asked David.

"When I'll have one coming, I'll tell you!", she said, smiling cheerfully.

David was feeling loved and understood, he never wanted this moment to end. Everything was so beautiful and the best part hasn't come yet.

"(So, this is what love feels like in real life. It feels as wonderful as it was when Ellie loved me in my dream)", thought David, really happy.

David thought nothing could go wrong now, he was about to smell a girl's fart in real life, what could go wrong? This is definitely the best moment in David's life, or at least that's what David thought. David smiled and looked at the little girl's face.

"We'll have a lot of fun together!", said the girl.

David was about to cry from the overwhelming joy, but in the end he just smiled. They were both sitting down on her bed in an awkward but strangely pleasant silence.

"(Is this love?)", he wondered, happily and feeling light, until

he looked at the little girl and saw that her face was the face of a scary distorted duck and he heard glitchy dissonant music

for a few seconds, before everything came to normal

\(OwO)/

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is something wrong?", asked the little girl, confused.

"N-nothing", said David, shaking his head, "when will you fart on my face?", he asked.

"I think I have one now", she said, smiling happily

, but

her face was like the face of a distorted duck again, and she was holding a knife in her hand.

David was really scared, and this moment seemed to last far more than a few seconds. David was in the corner of the girl's room while the duck was getting closer with the knife in her hand.

"Please don't hurt me!", said David, screaming in fear.

"You asked me something inappropriate. Duck you, David! I'll kill you!", the duck said, with a demonic voice, slowly getting closer to David, who was thinking about his life, which is now almost over.

The duck suddenly got much faster and David screamed in fear as his death was imminent.

"Are you okay, David?", said a teenage girl around 15 years old, worried.

"Who are you? What happened? Am I dead? Is this heaven?", asked David, fast and confused.

"Hey David... it's okay, it's me, Amisha. You took a tablet of LSD and started hallucinating. The effect is over now, it's okay buddy", she said, hugging him tight.

"So... what I felt so far wasn't real?", asked David, crying.

"Yeah, it was the LSD", she said, caressing his back.

David kept crying hard... he lost everything to do. All hope is gone now.

"I need time to think about what happened", said David, confused.

"You just took some LSD, everything you saw was not real. I know you're confused, but welcome back to real life!", said Amisha, happy.

"It feels so unreal", said David, confused.

"Yeah, that's what LSD is like", she explained.

David wanted to smile, but he was just too confused. Is this actually real life?

"I need time to think about this", said David.

"It's okay, David", said Amisha, smiling.

Everything was really weird, but at the same time, this reality doesn't feel as dreamy and surreal like the one before that. It actually felt like real life for the first time. David was convinced that this was real life. (At last), he thought, (I'm back to reality... even though this means Ellie... and that little girl... they're forever lost). David wanted to cry, but he didn't have the strength to do that again. He cried so much in his own imagination, he wanted to be strong in this one. (I shouldn't cry now), he thought, determined.

"Yeah, this is real life, I'm sure. I guess I need to be happy from now on, and forget the sadness I felt for so long", he said, smiling.

Amisha smiled and hugged him again.

"Everything will be okay", she said, caressing his back.

David calmed down because of Amisha's hug.

"How are you feeling now?", she asked, smiling.

"Confused, but tomorrow everything will be okay", he said, smiling but a bit tired of himself continuously realizing the previous realities were false. He's hoping this won't happen again, but he's sure this reality is the real one. LSD is a really bad drug after all.

"I dreamed a really beautiful song", said David, happy.

"I have to survive, only for tonight
I'm waiting for the morning light
Ohhh yeah! Rock n' roll forever
Escaping from this prison is okay

Procedural Springs can go to hell
I'm on a highway to Sunshine Land
With my car I'm pushing the engine
Oh yeah baby, won't you save me?

Whoah I'm trapped in this Ruzu
Oh baby won't you save me?
Ain't Ruzumomi gonna stop me
My baby, I'm here for you

Driving across multiple realities
I'm ascending to the heavens
As high as an airplane I'll fly
Let's take a trip to the clouds"

He sang the song, but it was nowhere as catchy as he previously thought. Amisha smiled and touched David's shoulder in sign of affection.

"Nice song", she said, smiling.

"Thank you", said David, happy but unsatisfied with the song. It sounded angelic while he was hallucinating, but now... not anymore. Is real life this sober?

He gave up at the thought of smelling a girl's fart in real life. It simply can't happen outside of his hallucinations. Does it matter, though? He thought that getting hugs was much better than smelling girls' farts, so he was strangely happy. He didn't care about farts anymore. After the effect of the LSD ended, he was ready to live a new, real life. Perhaps there's no girl in real life that has farts as stinky as Ellie's, or at least that's what David thought. He thought smelling a girl's farts in real life wouldn't feel as good as smelling them inside hallucinations. Everything in real life felt emotionally bland, at the point he kinda wants to live in a hallucination forever, but he knows that this wouldn't be healthy. Real life, as sober as it is, is much better than living in a pleasant hallucination.

"What do you want to do now?", said Amisha, cheerful.

"Let's just walk around in the park and chat. You're a good friend, I want to stay with you", said David, feeling warmth in his soul.

"Thank you! Can I hug you again?", said Amisha, happy of the compliments.

"Sure!", said David, happy.

Amisha hugged David and stayed for like one full minute. As pleasant as it was feeling, it felt real, not dreamy like the LSD trip was. David understood this was real life, also because he wasn't having any hallucination anymore. Everything he saw before was a product of the drug, nothing else. David was now ready to live a real, happy life with Amisha and probably with other friends (or only Amisha?), he promised to himself not to take psychedelic drugs anymore, because he didn't want to repeat such a crazy experience. Amisha is now the only thing David cares about but, wait, is this love? David was confused about his own feelings towards her.

They are both having so much fun, and David this moment to never end. For the first time in his real life he was actually feeling happy. You don't need a lot to be happy, just one friend that likes you and accepts you for who you are. When David looks at Amisha, he feels a warm and pleasant emotion. He forgot what sadness, fear and other negative emotions felt like, now he feels almost like in heaven, just one thing, should he ask Amisha to fart on him? That would make him happiest, but even if that doesn't happen, it doesn't matter, because (David thought that) Amisha's pure heart can bring happiness to the saddest person in the world. Which world by the way? He has been living in a false one so far. So much time seems to have passed in that hallucination, it felt like a decade or even longer, but it's also true that LSD alters your perception of time, and that's why a bad trip can seem to never end.

"I love it when you hug me", said David, blushing a bit.

"Do you want another hug?", asked Amisha, happy.

"Yes, please", said David, ready for the hug.

Amisha hugged David again, he was feeling so happy, this life was definitely better than the previous one, and perhaps even better than the one with Ellie, but... is Amisha really better than Ellie? Of course! At least she's real, no? That should be enough for her to be better than Ellie but... David kinda wished Ellie was real. "Nevermind", he thought, happy. He thought he would stay with Amisha forever and that he'll never feel sad again for the rest of his life. Amisha's hugs heal David's emotional wounds, but that's to be expected. If you like being hugged and you like the person hugging you, it feels really comforting. He decided to live his life without wasting his precious time and have plenty of fun activities to do in his free time. He felt like nothing could go wrong now, as long as Amisha will stay with him, nothing can go wrong. But what if, for any reason, David will stay alone? He didn't want to think about that, so he smiled and looked at Amisha. She smiled back.

"I want to stay with you forever", said David, feeling warm butterflies in his stomach. Amisha smiled.

"You're so cute. I'll never leave you alone, David", she said, smiling happily.

David was feeling like ecstasy and heaven. He wanted to cry but he couldn't, not because he couldn't physically do that, but because he didn't want to cry in front of Amisha. Amisha took his hand and walked in the park with him hand in hand. The pleasure was intense, and things started to feel dreamy again. David then understood real life could be as dreamy as tripping in certain situations. He was almost overwhelmed by happiness, but that felt really nice. "No more pain", he thought, happy. Everything bad is finally over, and this made him felt in trance, almost like in a psychedelic condition. Real life can feel as good as a hallucination, it turns out.

David was on the verge of crying.

He started crying without any warning, and Amisha was worried. She hugged him tight.

"What's wrong, buddy?", she asked, worried.

"It's the first time ever I'm feeling so happy", he said, crying.

She hugged him tighter.

"It's okay... shhh... it's okay", she said, smiling and caressing his back slowly.

David calmed down a bit and he smiled. He wasn't used to feel loved this way, except with Ellie.

Amisha put her face closer to David's face, and David did the same. Their lips got closer until they touched each other.

(Am I really kissing a girl?), thought David, pleasantly surprised. It felt really good and dreamy, almost too much for it to be real.

The kiss went on for 10 seconds but they were probably the best 10 seconds of David's life so far.

"Thank you, Amisha. I love you so much", said David, happy.

"I love you too, David", said Amisha, smiling.

Two ducks suddenly appeared from the bushes and David was really scared.

"What's wrong David? Are you afraid of ducks?", asked Amisha in a non-judgemental tone.

"N-no, it's fine", said David, sweating.

"Let's feed them, then", said Amisha, smiling.

"WHAT!!!", shouted David, thinking Amisha wanted the ducks to eat him.

"I have some bread in my pockets", said Amisha, confused.

"Oh okay", said David, relieved.

They fed the ducks, but then it started to get dark.

"I need to go now, see you tomorrow", said Amisha, hugging him tight.

"Thank you for everything", said David, really happy.

"You're welcome. I love making you happy", said Amisha, very kind and altruistic.

David smiled and Amisha smiled back.

David went home and thought about how happy he was. He even kissed a girl! He went to sleep and was comforted by gentle thoughts of how bright the future will be. The pain in his life has completely gone away, maybe forever? These happy thoughts made him feel so dreamy and surreal. Life is so good, it would be a shame to waste it doing nothing. Time is precious. After all these happy thoughts, David finally felt asleep.

He woke up (or is he dreaming?) in the main street of Procedural Springs. The Sun has not rose yet

not rose

which smells good

DUCK!!!, "he thought±¿

And suddenly, a guy in his early 20's with short green hair appeared in front of him.

(Wait, why doesn't he look like a hallucination?), thought David, finding him suspicious.

"Who are you?", David asked, trying his best to appear friendly.

"Hi David. My name is Duckle", he said, smiling in a creepy way.

"How do you know my name?", asked David, a bit confused, (maybe he's a hallucination, but I'm not totally sure), he thought.

"I don't need to explain", said Duckle, smiling in an unfriendly way.

"Well, this Ruzu is going to end soon. After that, I'll leave this horrible place", said David, wishing for this Ruzu to end.

"You'll die before that", said Duckle, in a threatening tone.

"What?", asked David, confused and in fear.

"DUCK", shouted Duckle, and a duck appeared in front of him.

"Yeah, this is a hallucination", said David, trying to not be scared.

"Are you sure?", said Duckle, smiling in an evil way, "DUCK CANNON", he shouted.

The duck started opening its mouth and a ray of light came out. Luckily, David managed to duck it. The ray destroyed a building and caused the ground to shake.

"What the hell...", thought David aloud, shocked. He only saw things like these in videogames!

"Do you still think this is a hallucination?", said Duckle, with an evil smirk.

David looked at him with an angry face and started running towards him to punch him.

"Don't be so naive, you'll never defeat me", said Duckle, serious.

"DUCK SHIELD", said Duckle, and David could sense a powerful defensive aura around him. David gave up.

"DUCK", shouted Duckle, and a second duck appeared in front of him.

(If he uses the Duck Cannon now, it's the end), thought David, scared.

"You're ducked now", said Duckle, proud.

"GO", shouted Duckle, and the two ducks started running angrily towards David, but luckily, the Sun rose, the ducks disappeared immediately and I was safe.

"I guess you've just been really ducky. This doesn't end here though. We'll meet again", said Duckle, in a threatening tone and with an evil smirk, before disappearing.

"This Ruzu is over, David. Let's go", said Ellie, smiling prudly.

I'm feeling confused again. I don't know if this is a dream or reality, I'm constantly trapped in uncertainty. I guess I'll just seize the day and live my life fully from now on, because I'll never know if I'm living in my imagination or not, and I'll never know when I'll be thrown in another reality. I'm just happy I can see Ellie again, doesn't matter if this is just a dream, doesn't matter if it's not gonna last long. I'll take advantage of this moment to be happy, as long as it lasts. I'm going to tell Ellie I love her, and if she consents, I'll kiss her just like I did with Amisha. Yes, I'm ready to live this new crazy life, where I often get teleported into other realities and discover everything I lived before was either a dream, a hallucination, or the effect of some strange psychedelic drug. I'm ready, life, you don't scare me anymore.

"Yeah, let's go", I said, smiling back at her.

She was not alone, though, there were about 10 other people with her. I wonder if they'll be nice to me. I kinda want to be their friend.

"We're leaving this place, David, but we're not going back to home. We'll be exploring places. Maybe forever", said Ellie, smiling.

"Wait what?", I asked, confused.

"I'll explain later. We must leave this place now, as we only have 7 hours and 50 minutes before the next Ruzu starts. The sooner we leave, the better", said Ellie.

"Okay, I understand", I said, following her into a big strange vehicle.

"What is this thing?", I asked.

"This is my multiship. We're leaving this scary place now", said a guy, probably traumatized by the Ruzu.

"What's your name? I'm David", I said.

"My name is Kxem", he said, smiling a bit.

We all sat down, and Kxem then said:"Let's introduce ourselves to David, who starts?"

"My name is Ellie, but David already knows me so let's skip", she said, cheerfully.

"I'll introduce myself. I'm Samantha and I come from Gaia, which is a strange reality in some ways. In Gaia, anything sexual is considered taboo, so much that sexually explicit fiction, such as stories and movies... is banned in most situations. Unfortunately there are some wars in Gaia, and some evil governments who jail their citizens for silly reasons. Well David I don't want you to feel sad, so let's talk about the positive stuff... I think I'll be a good friend of yours but beware, I'm really gassy, and my farts are certified stinky! But apart from that I'm a nice person eheheh~~~", she said.

"Nice to meet you Samantha and... I don't mind farts to be honest", I said, blushing.

"Nice to know~", she said, biting her lips and smiling, which made me feel kinda aroused. I wonder how stinky her farts actually are.

"Anything more you can tell me about Gaia?", I asked.

"I'll tell you something, David. If you live in a reality and you don't know about the other ones, your reality will appear to be normal to you. Only once you visit other realities you realize that maybe it was your reality to be the strange one. For example, I never understood why people in Gaia consider sex to be taboo, only to discover it's just part of our culture. Uli told me there is a country called Hedonistan, where sex is accepted to be a normal part of life, something that would be unthinkable in Gaia", she said.

"I see. Anything else that is taboo in Gaia?", I asked.

"Sex, fetishes, nudity, homosexuality, menstruations, politics, religion, suicide, mental health... lots of stuff, really. I'm not saying everywhere in Pan is better, in fact some places are much, much worse, but there are really good places out there, so with the help of Anna we're going to find them. We're going to be really happy~", she said, happy.

"I see. Well I'm sorry you lived in such a reality. Hope you're happy now", I said, smiling.

"I am~eheheh", she said, giggling.

"Now it's my turn!!!", said a girl, maybe a little bit too excited, "My name is Miyoko, and I actually have no memories of my past. I don't know where I was born... first thing I remember is that me and my family moved to Centralia because our city had been attacked by the AIU, the Artificial Intelligence Utopia. Maybe it was them who erased my memories. We managed to escape from them and we lived a calm, sometimes even boring but pleasant life in Centralia. Then I met Kxem and the others and we're like a good group of friends now", she said, happy.

"Cool", I said, interested.

"My name is Uli", said a guy, serious, "I come from Eproctophiliophobistan, which is a country that jails or even executes people who have a fart fetish and also people who support them. Worst parts were that I have a fart fetish, and I lived in a region that executes fart fetishists. I managed to escape from that hell, but it was not easy, they almost caught me. I had to travel through the Republic of Murdakia, a country where yellow T-Shirts are illegal, and reach Centralia. I was so lonely in Centralia at first, but then I met Kxem and Samantha, who are really good friends, and we started exploring other places. Then we slowly met the others and we're having fun being travellers", he said.

"Eprocto what?", I said, shocked, "What a horrible place who doesn't respect people's sexuality!", I said, glad I wasn't born there.

"Actually, Gaia, where Samantha lived, is like that too", said Uli, "some governments in Gaia persecute gays and lesbians, some even execute them", he said, looking sad.

"That would be unthinkable in the Sunshine Land, where I lived!", I said, wanting for things to change.

"Well, Pan has everything in it. Some people are lucky to be born in nice, cozy realities. Some others, though, are unlucky to be born in horrible realities. I'd say Gaia is in-between, but certainly better than Eproctophiliophobistan", said Uli.

"I was an unlucky one, for example", said a girl, "My name is Â̜, and I was born in a horrible reality that probably has no name. Hell, I didn't even have a name nor a gender before. I called myself Â̜ and doctors performed a surgery on me to make me become a girl. I am infinite years old, just like everyone in that reality. Basically, in that reality, life has no beginning, but it has an end. Infinite people stand in a line and walk towards a person that kills them. Every minute, a new person is executed. We weren't allowed to talk there. Somehow I got incredibly lucky and managed to escape. I had about 1,500 years left before they would had killed me", she said.

"I'm so sorry", I said, wanting to cry.

"It's over now. I'm happy to be here", she said, smiling.

"What I want to tell you is, just feel your emotions as they happen, and don't try to reject them. There will always be people who have it worse than you. I mean, there are also people who get tortured forever, but that doesn't mean you should reject your sadness when it happens. If sadness happens, just feel it, emotions are genuine, don't try to tell yourself your emotions are wrong and that you shouldn't be allowed to feel them", she said, smiling.

"Thank you", I said, happy and grateful.

"My name is Ezeg", said a guy, "I come from a really cold place in Centralia. One day I met Â̜. She was hungry, thirsty and sleepy, and she couldn't understand why, because in her previous reality, such things didn't happen. I explained her the basics of human life and needs and now she's like every other human", he said, smiling.

"I see", I said, interested.

"The happiest thing that happened to me is that now I have an identity. I had no name, no gender, no dignity before reaching Centralia", she said, looking a bit sad about her past but happy about her present at the same time.

"I'm glad you're happy now", I said, smiling.

"My name is Kxem", said Kxem, "I also come from Centralia, but I have had a bad experience. I chose a school where physical punishments were allowed, and I regretted that decision so much. I moved to another city as a teenager and it was much better. I also visited Gaia in incognito, my name there was John. There I met Samantha, and I convinced her to come to Centralia. We then decided to explore many places in Centralia and now we're going to explore Pan, looking for heaven. I'm sure eternal happiness exists somewhere, we just need to find it", he said, smiling and hopeful.

"My name is Frefa", said a girl, "I come from the same town as Miyoko, in Centralia, except I was born there, and Miyoko was born somewhere else. I saw Miyoko on the streets sometimes but I never talked to her. Now it's like we're a big family and I'm really happy", she said, happy.

"I see", I said, smiling.

"My name is Anna Purna, but just call me Anna", said another girl, "just like Â̜, I was never born, so I'm infinite years old. I spent my life gathering knowledge about the nature of Pan. I'm at a good point now", she said, "People think I'm a goddess or something", she said, giggling a bit, "but the truth is that I'm not perfect. I can fail, too", she added, serious.

"My name is hÒllÓween", said a guy, seemingly shy, "I come from Racistan, a country where ethnicity plays an important role in determining what your rights are. 'Interracial friendships', as they call them, are forbidden in most of the country, and even where they're legal, they don't happen, because they're taboo. Even in Racistan, I was secretly not a racist. I thought people should be judged by the content of their character, not by the color their skin, and I also thought it was okay to be white, but I couldn't say that, because people would have got very angry at me, so I had to pretend I was a racist just like everyone else", he explained.

"I understand. I'm sorry for that", I said.

So, we're like: me, Ellie, Samantha, Miyoko, Frefa, Uli, Kxem, Â̜, Ezeg, Anna and hÒllÓween. We're eleven people. I see.

"What do we do now?", I asked.

"We chat a bit and get comfortable around each other, then with the help of Anna we'll reach a safe destination", explained Kxem.

"Are we still in Procedural Springs, though?", I asked.

"No, we're in the middle of nothing. An infinite void. Procedural Springs is too dangerous at night. I feared for my life during that Ruzu, ugh...", he explained.

"What did you see during the Ruzu?", I asked.

"When we landed in Procedural Springs tonight, we never expected it to give us hallucinations. Even Anna was unaware of that! Everyone got very different hallucinations. For example once I got out of my multiship, I felt really weird, like someone was controlling my thoughts. I felt like I could see myself in third person, and I was disconnected from reality in general. I saw weird animals everywhere that lasted for less than a second before they morphed into other things like cars for example. I also felt like I was floating sometimes, but that feeling lasted for like half a second each time. Well, we saw a lot of scary stuff, but we're glad it's finally over", said Kxem.

"We're safe now", I said, hoping it's true.

"Indeed", said Kxem.

I was thinking about what's happening now. Everything's happening so fast. I'm just glad Ellie is back in my life and that I can smell her farts again. I hope I'll be good friend with these people though. Just like everybody else, I want to be happy and loved. Procedural Springs was hell, I curse that city. Now I wonder where we'll be going next, but Kxem and Anna said we're going to heaven if I remember correctly. I wonder if that's true, but at the same time I'm excited to travel and discover new places and cultures. Will I be happy? I really hope so. Things are looking pretty chill right now, I'm feeling fine. Samantha is pretty cool, though, but I'm not sure how jealous Ellie is, so better not risk. Instead, I'll smell Ellie's farts, that's enough for me.

"What are other places in Pan like?", I asked.

"There is literally everything out there, trust me. Sunshine Land is pretty good, people are so kind there, but it's not heaven. Diseases, earthquakes and death are still there. We need to find heaven", said Kxem.

"Do you want to be immortal?", I asked.

"I think that would be good. I don't want to die", he said.

"Are you sure that's what you really want? Please think about it carefully", I said.

I don't think being immortal would be a good thing. He probably knows what he wants, though, so I won't object much.

"I... I don't know, but I feel like human lifespan won't allow me to explore Pan as I would like. I know there's a drink of immortality somewhere in Pan. I'll find it with Anna's help, drink from it, become immortal, and be happy forever", said Kxem.

"I don't think being immortal would be a good thing. You will probably get tired of living eventually", I said.

"It depends on what kind of person you are", said Anna, "see, I'm biologically immortal. I can be killed, in theory, but I'll never die because of old age. Â̜ used to be immortal, too, but now she's a human like any other, and she will die eventually as well. What I want to point out is that if you have a lot of patience, don't get bored easily, and are curious like me, immortality is for you. I think immortality is fit for Kxem as well", she explained.

"I understand", I said.

"Do you want to remain a mortal?", asked Kxem, in a creepy tone.

"Uh... y-yeah. I think having a limited life will make me enjoy it more", I said with a cold sweat. What if he's right?

"Once you're dead, there's no turning back. Remember my words", he said, serious.

I was sweating cold like crazy. I never thought about death deeply like now. I surely don't want to die, but until now I thought death was just a natural part of life.

"So, you wouldn't drink the water of immortality. Am I right?", he asked, serious.

"I... I don't know honestly. I need to think about it", I said, confused. What are the benefits and the negative sides of being immortal? I might ask Anna later.

"Yeah, think about it, because one day we'll go to where the water of immortality is located. The sooner, the better", said Kxem, smiling.

"What about you, Samantha? Do you want to become immortal?", I ask.

She blushed.

"I don't know... I'll think about that", she said, perhaps worried about something?

"Trust me, Kxem, immortality is not something for everyone. It might be for you, but I doubt Samantha and David are interested in it. Or do you fear something, Kxem?", said Anna.

"I just want to be happy forever", explained Kxem, maybe sad.

"Is that the only reason you want to be immortal? Trust me, it can feel bad sometimes, knowing you'll never die... billions of years after billions of years. You'll get tired of life pretty quickly. The only reason I like being immortal is because I want to spread my immense knowledge to other people and help them live a better life, even though I know very well that somewhere in Pan there is an opposite of me that will mislead people and make their life horrible", she said.

"Can't you meet the opposite of yourself?", I asked.

"In my infinite years spent here in Pan, I met a lot of my Doppelgängers and of my opposites, but they are infinite, so even if I make a thousand of them turn into the good side, there will still be infinite of them that do bad stuff. Yeah, infinity is a difficult concept to grasp", she explained.

"So... Pan contains everything?", I asked. What a dumb question, but I need to chat to become her friend.

"It does. Pan also has a reality where the exactly same things happened to us, except that hÒllÓween is not with us because we never met him. Pan has every slightest possible variation of our lives. There is also a reality where Uli never managed to escape from Eproctophiliophobistan, and has been executed. Everytime we make a choice, Pan splits, and new realities for every possible choice are created. That's how it works", explained Anna.

"I see... so, Uli, you have a fart fetish, right?", I ask.

"Yes", he said.

"Me too", I admitted.

"You have Ellie, I have Samantha", he said. I don't know what he's trying to imply. Does that mean I can't smell Samantha's farts?

"That's true. I'm curious as to what Samantha's farts smell like", I said.

"You can smell them yourself, if Samantha is okay with that", Uli said.

"It's okay for me. Hey Ellie, let's have a fart competition~David will be the judge as to which farts smell worse. Mine or yours. Eheheh~", said Samantha.

"Not sure, he might be emotionally biased", said Ellie.

"True, that's why Uli's gonna judge us too!~", said Samantha, "Uli's gonna smell your farts, Ellie. And David's gonna smell mine~", she said, proud of herself.

"Okay", I said.

"Just a warning, David. My farts are obscenely smelly~eheheh", said Samantha, revealing why she's so proud of herself. I'm a bit scared now but it's okay, this will be a challenge.

"Okay, we'll do that soon. Let's keep chatting for a bit now", I said, preparing myself psychologically for this challenge.

"When you want it~", said Samantha.

"We'll do this in like 30 minutes. I need to prepare my nose", I said, giggling.

"You better are~", said Samantha, teasing me.

"But... anyway, yeah. I'm having fun here", I said.

"And the best has yet to come! You haven't travelled with us yet!", said Uli, smiling.

"Yeah. I wonder where we're going next", I said.

"Anna talked about we're going to a beautiful place where everyone is nice and happy. I think we're still going somewhere in the Sunshine Land, but far from your city", said Uli.

"I understand, and I hope we'll have fun and meet new people there, even though... you guys and girls are like a family to me", I said, emotionally.

"We'll be like one. Well, consider we won't see our actual families again", said Uli.

"You are strong, Uli. You managed to escape from a place where you didn't belong", I said.

"I had to, otherwise I would have been killed, probably. Or even if I managed to hide my fart fetish, I would never been able to live a happy life", he said.

"I'm sorry. In the Sunshine Land, fart fetish is well accepted, although not widely practiced", I told to Uli, "How is fart fetish seen in Gaia?", I asked to Samantha.

"It depends on the person, I guess, but I think it's disgusting for most Gaians", said Samantha.

"I see, what about Centralia?", I asked.

"Centralia is infinite, so it entirely depends on which city you're talking about. Surely, near the border with Eproctophiliophobistan, it's not accepted at all by the population", said Uli.

"But this is Pan, there is certainly a country where everyone has a fart fetish!", I said. Of course there is, duh. I say obvious things sometimes.

"That country's called Eproctophilistan, but not everywhere in that country is good. Human nature is unpredictable. There are some really tyrannical governments in Eproctophilistan, too", said Uli, probably ashamed.

"I understand. Is Pan a deity, too?", I ask.

"If you want to worship Pan, you're free to do that in most places, except in places like Islamistan, Catholistan, Abrahamistan, Communistan, Marxistan, Antitheistan... well you got it. But in most places you're free to decide whether to worship Pan or not", explained Uli.

"Why do the names of those countries sound so familiar?~", teased Samantha.

"Well, to be fair, Samantha... in your reality, Gaia, a lot of anti-pantheistic philosophies appeared throughout history. Giordano Bruno has been burned alive by the Catholic Church because of his pantheistic beliefs. Only now Pantheism is starting to be more accepted in Gaia", explained Uli.

"That's sad. I think everyone should be free to worship the deity they want to worship", I said.

"Pantheismophobistan is especially bad for Pantheists. Pantheists there get harshly persecuted. Unfortunately, Pan has really bad places, too, and cannot be otherwise", Uli explained.

"I see. Well I think now it's time to do the fart experiment. Are you gassy now, Ellie and Samantha?", I asked.

"I'm always gassy~", said Samantha, teasing.

"I... I can try", said Ellie, blushing shy.

"Can Uli put his nose near your ass?", I asked to Ellie.

"He can, sure!", she said.

Uli put his nose near Ellie's ass, and I put mine near Samantha's.

"Ready to smell some reaaally smelly gas~? Eheheh", said Samantha, giggling.

"I am...", I said, and immediately after pronouncing that sentence...

*ppprrrbbbuuurrrttt*

An intense wave of putrid stench assaulted my nostrils, and tears were falling from my eyes. This smell is so disgusting, but I can't give up now. This is like, worse than Ellie's worst farts. I want to turn my head away, but I don't want to be seen as weak.

"You like it? Aww~", said Samantha, like she was talking to a baby.

"Not that bad", I say, trying not to gag, but in reality it was like breathing the fumes of burning garbage and toxic sewers. Every breath I took was painful.

"Take your time, don't worry", I hear Uli saying to Ellie, who hasn't farted yet.

I'm about to throw up, but I need to be strong. It's just a fart, after all, it can't smell that bad! Puh, this smell is assaulting my senses though.

"Let's do it like this", I say, "The one who can stand more farts wins", I say.

"It's fine", said Samantha.

"Yeah", said Uli.

"I think Uli's gonna win though. He has better tolerance, plus Ellie's farts are most likely not as stinky as mine~", said Samantha.

"Don't underestimate me!", said Ellie, a bit annoyed, "nnnggghhh", she was trying to fart, but didn't fart.

Samantha giggled.

"Sounds like my farts are superior~", she said, proud of herself.

"Samantha, trust me, Ellie can do really stinky farts, too!", I said.

"Answer honestly. My last fart was stinkier than anything you ever smelled from Ellie, am I right?~", Samantha asked, proud of herself.

"It's really hard to admit but... it was, ugh... and it still is. It lingers", I said, complaining about the lingering smell.

"I think I'm gonna win~I see you're shaking, you can't stand the smell of my farts for much longer~eheheh~and I have another one soon~", Samantha said, giggling proud of herself. I'm scared.

"NNNGGGHHH", Ellie was trying to fart again.

*pppbbbrrrfffttt*
*ppbbrrfftt*
*pbtft*

"UGH", shouted Uli, gagging a bit, maybe he was underestimating Ellie?

"WAIT A MOMENT THOUGH!", I shouted, "that was just one fart!", I said, worried.

"What are you talking about? Those were three farts, it's obvious~", said Samantha, with a cheating tone.

"N-no! T-they are, but we'll count them as one fart!", I said.

"Nope~eheheh", she said, giggling.

"It's unfair!", I said, complaining.

"This is life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose~", said Samantha.

"Doesn't matter. I'll do my best to win this game, even if you cheat!", I said, proud of myself.

"I'd love to see you try and suffer from the stench of my nasty gas~", said Samantha.

"I'm gonna win!", I said, hoping for the best.

"Ellie, your gas smells pretty bad, but not as bad as Samantha's. Victory is mine!", said Uli, confident.

I need to do my best, especially considering that with these unfair rules, he has three points and I just have one, and that while Ellie's farts are indeed toxic, Samantha's are deadly. I never smelt farts so stinky in my whole life. It hurts my nostrils and spoils my lungs everytime I breathe these noxious fumes in. But somehow, even though it's painful, I enjoy suffering like this. What's wrong with me? Yeah, this is what having a fart fetish is like, and I can't change who I am. And even if I lose, this is just a game, there will be no consequences of losing this game. At least, I hope this.

"I think you're about to lose, David, you could just stand one fart of mine so far, while Uli could stand three of Ellie's farts. Furthermore, I feel like the next one is going to be pretty stinky~eheheh", said Samantha, giggling.

"Show me what you got!", I said, confident.

"Okay~", said Samantha.

*pppbbbrrruuurrrfffttt*

This one was pure stench, everytime I took a whiff I regretted it and wanted to throw up everything I ate in the last week. Even a small whiff was a rush of adrenaline in my veins.

"I give up!", I said, not being able to stand this disgusting miasma anymore.

"Sounds like we have a winner here! The winner is Uli!", said Samantha, happy.

Ellie was a bit angry, and she managed to fart again.

"Let's see if you like this!!!", said Ellie.

*pppbbbrrrfffaattt* (Ellie farted)

Uli started crying and gasping for air.

"WOW ELLIE! You can let out toxic stink bombs from your body, indeed! I give up!", said Uli.

Both of us were gagging, crying and gasping for air. We left this stinky room and went to the passenger's room, which was not stinky.

"Hey guys! I heard you were smelling farts earlier! Do you want to smell mine?", asked Miyoko.

"NO PLEASE!", I and Uli said at the same time.

"Too bad. I'm going to fart anyway", said Miyoko, smiling.

*pppbbbrrriiiooouuurrrfffttt*

"This one sounds like it's gonna be nasty~", said Samantha.

"Wow, the smell... THE SMELL!!! HELP!!! KXEM, PLEASE LAND SOMEWHERE IMMEDIATELY!!! PUH, I CAN'T BREATHE!!!", I shouted, in panic.

"But I don't know whether that place is going to be safe or dangerous. We might die", said Kxem.

"I'D RATHER DIE THAN TO SMELL THIS THING, PLEASE LAND NOW", I yelled in olfactive pain, while Miyoko was laughing her ass off.

"We landed. It says air outside is breathable, but temperature outside is -27.3 °C... -17.14 °F for you, Samantha. Trust me, it's really cold outside", Kxem said, but I didn't care and exited the multiship.

The sky was purple, the grass was red, and there were huge green diamonds on the ground. My hands are becoming numb quickly, though, it's really cold. Kxem was right.

I see Samantha exiting the multiship, she's wearing multiple layers of thermal clothing, and I should too.

"Come back inside! We have the right clothing!", said Samantha.

I came back inside.

"Your hands are purple, and you literally were only 86.4 seconds outside. I told you it was cold!", said Kxem, giving me the clothing. I went into my room, dressed appropriately, warmed my hands with warm but not hot water and went outside with the others.

"Looks like this strange place is uninhabited", said Uli, with heavy "smoke" coming out from his mouth because the air is so incredibly cold and it burns your face intensely. It's so cold, it even feels painful to breathe deeply.

"I don't know, Uli. I feel an evil presence, it's really weak, so I could be wrong, but let's be careful anyway", said Anna.

"What should we do now? Should we stay here doing nothing?", said Uli.

"It's so cold, but there's no snow, only green diamonds! I wanted to play with the snow!", said Miyoko, with a childish tone.

"Maybe these diamonds are precious", said Kxem, perhaps wondering about something.

"The economy in Pan is weird. Not everywhere has the same currency or the same concept of 'precious', anyway Uli had a point. What should we do now?", asked Anna.

"Hey guys and girls... we're travellers! Let's chat and explore this place! Maybe there's someone in this place!", said Kxem.

"Okay, let's explore", said Anna, rolling her eyes sarcastically on the word "explore".

This place looked the same everywhere. Purple sky, red grass, and huge green diamonds on the ground. But hey, if Kxem enjoys "exploring", let's make him happy. What is life about anyway? I might enjoy exploring as well, so why not? We're like a family now, and I'm feeling happy. No matter where we'll go, if we'll stay together, I'll be happy. I feel like I should thank Pan for giving me this beautiful, and forgive It for having made me experience hell during the Ruzu. Well, we're far away from Procedural Springs now, so it's okay. Everything will be okay. Now I should only think about living my new happy life and travelling until the day I die, well, unless I'll drink from the water of immortality, sure.

"I wonder what's the point of travelling though. Is it really that fun? After you saw, like, 10 places, you've seen them all", I said.

"What's the point in staying in the same place forever? I want to explore and travel forever!", said Kxem.

"I guess you're right. Doesn't matter where we are, the important thing is we stay together!", I said, confident.

"I want a necklace with these diamonds! Hey, do you think if I fart in this really cold place, you can see my fart?", asked Miyoko

"Try it", said Anna, rolling her eyes.

*pppbbbrrrffftttfffttt*

Nothing was seen, but something was smelt.

"Disgusting", I said, playfully.

"I'm disappointed now", said Miyoko, crossing her arms.

"Okay", I said.

Everything feels pretty interesting now, but how long we'll keep exploring this frigid place for? I'm freezing. I guess this is what it feels to be a traveller, though. I never went this far before, and there will be nowhere I'll call my home again, but... could it be? Could it be that Pan is my home? I hope Pan's gonna protect us. I want to die of old age, not killed by some weird creature of person.

"I love you all, guys and girls. You're like a family to me!", I said, smiling.

Â̜ smiled.

"Can I hug you?", Â̜ asked, smiling.

"Of course", I said, smiling happily.

We hugged each other for like 15 seconds and it felt really good. I didn't know her that much before, but judging by the way she hugged me, I think she felt a lot of pain in her life, far worse than anything I can imagine.

"Thank you", she said, smiling. I smiled back.

"We're going to be happy forever", I said. Nothing can go wrong if we're all together. United we stand. And by the way even if this place is really cold, my heart is warmed up by these people's love. I still have Ellie near me, but everyone else is also nice.

"These clothes are made by Ezeg!", said Â̜, happy, "Ezeg is a really nice guy. He taught me how to be a real human", she said.

"I see. Please don't mind this question but are your farts stinky?", I asked her, but I instantly regretted asking it. I feel like a monster now.

"Unfortunately for you, they aren't. Most of the times they are odorless, and when they smell, the smell is very thin, almost unnoticeable", she explained.

"I see. Sorry for asking", I said, ashamed of myself.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't harm me", she said, smiling.

"Y-yeah, I guess", I said, smiling and sweating in relief.

She smiled and patted my shoulder in sign of affection.

"I'm surrounded by people who love me. This is crazy. Good feelings!", I said, happy.

"We'll play a lot together!", said Miyoko, happy.

"Thank you everyone. Can we please go back inside? Even my eyelashes are freezing now!", I said.

"Sure, let's warm ourselves. We'll go back outside tomorrow. Let's have some sleep, too", said Kxem.

We went back inside and it was warm and cozy.

"Temperature inside: 22.2 °C... 71.96 °F", said Kxem, happy.

We removed our heavy layers and everyone went into their room, but not before saying "good night" to each other. It was a hug party and I hugged everyone, including hÒllÓween, who hasn't talked much, but I still like him. He will be a good friend, I'm pretty sure about it.

I'm in my room now, and I slept in the multiship for the first time ever. I'm so happy to be a traveller. Kxem was right, I wouldn't want to stay in the same place forever. Travelling feels really nice, especially with the right people.

Next morning:

Everyone woke up, ready to explore this freezing place again.

"Listen to me, guys and girls. It looks like this planet is tidally locked, that means it's going to be daytime forever and it's never gonna get dark. It's a good thing, this means we'll be able to always be outside, even though only for like 15 or 20 minutes at a time before the cold becomes overwhelming. The temperature never seems to change either, it's still -27.3 °C", explained Kxem.

The purple sky feels weird, the cold is intense, but it doesn't matter, because if people love you, you can live in the gloomiest place ever, it won't matter.

Chapter 8