Delirium By Lidia Rebollos If you have already read the first part in our newspaper, go directly to page 3.
Year 3248. Over a century ago, the overpopulation of the Earth caused us to find other planets where we can live, so we repopulate exoplanets such as Gea, Altaris or Dolio, which is my native planet and the farthest from Earth. This, together with the weather conditions, make that the older people of our planet fall ill. That is why I have a mission, to travel to Earth and return with the seeds of an extinct tree in Dolio: white raoi, the only known cure. - Are you sure you want me to go? - My mother asks for the twentieth time. My father scratches the back of his neck, exasperated, as he always does when his patience runs out. -Kayla is already sufficiently responsible to travel to Earth and complete her mission - my father replies. - Dolio is five light years from Earth. It's a long trip! In that time many things can happen - My mother adds. I cross my arms without understanding why I have to go to Earth. My life is in Dolio, I was born here, nothing joins me to that planet. - Let's see, Kayla! - My mother starts to say as she takes a deep breath to relax. - Your father is so old for that long journey, and we need those seeds as soon as possible. - We can not wait or the situation will get worse in a few years. They can not know that you are in search of the tree. Seed smuggling is illegal, and our powers do not make us welcome. If they discover you by contraband, they will imprison you and will not hesitate to kill you. You have to be cautious and go unnoticed. - Prepare your suitcase, they will come to get you in less than an hour. After the long trip to Earth, I am finally aware of the importance of this mission for our planet. I can not waste time. Walking the immense streets of the city starts to drive me crazy. I'm not used to being surrounded
by so many people. After several hour wandering around the city decided to ask a brown boy for the address that I wrote down. He stands in front of me, looks at me strangely, and extending his arm points the direction to where I should go. I thank him and I follow the path as I drag my pink suitcase. Several minutes later, I see the sign that indicates the street, I look for the portal and I press the bell. -Welcome, Kayla! - says a very elegant woman, inviting me to enter. I follow her to my room.
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Once there, I thank her, I close the door and I open the suitcase. I search the false bottom until I find my gun and check if it is loaded. I smile to me when I see that everything is in perfect condition and I keep it in my back in case there is an emergency. On Earth we are not welcome since access to Dolio was limited due to security reasons. My father told me that I should flee from the Altarios guards, the enemy town of Dolio for several decades when we won a space war, and they will try, or kill me or, to know that we are trying to do. This kind of monsters are not visible to the human eye, even if they lived in the city, no one would notice its presence. I look at the balcony and see that there is no one watching the house. I go outside, accompanied only by my gun and a map of the city. I decide to make the trip by bus to the Museum of Natural Sciences instead of risking walking. I sit in the back, a strategic place to watch who goes up. The streets advance and the next stop is three or four blocks from mine. Doors open and enter several people with large and heavy backpacks, probably passing tourists. Before the doors close, a huge being, just entering the bus, appears in my field of vision, I know him, I know what it is, I have already fought a few of them. The monster slowly advances towards me as he knows that I am not human and that I can see him. The next stop is near and I get up so I can leave as quickly as possible. Just before he can grab me, I jump off the bus and run to a closer street. There I take refuge in the darkness. I'm waiting for the monster to hunt. I walk slowly to the end of the dead end street. I hit the wall waiting for my enemy.
I put my hand in the back of my pants, I pull the pistol before the monster can attack me, I shoot and I hurt him on the shoulder. I failed the first try and maybe the opportunity did not come out. My next shot is a success, I hit the forehead, it falls to the ground and it vanishes like smoke. I've been struggling with such beings ever since I've used reason. As a guardian's daughter, from a very young age I have been educated for this type of battles. This one, in particular, has been very easy, the difficulty will come when fighting with several and I will be alone. I have many memories and experience, but who knows? There are times I left my skin, literally, and figuratively. I leave the street, I look on both sides looking for someone who could have seen me struggling and shooting, curiously, an invisible being. As I have not caught the attention of anyone, I continue my way to the Museum of Natural Sciences. The future of Dolio is enclosed in the botanical park of the Museum; The much desired white raoi is guarded under high security measures. I have to find a way to get a little tree branch. The next day, the sun comes full in the window and so much clarity wakes me up. Annoyingly, I turn around with the intention of continuing to sleep, but the shrill sound of the alarm clock causes me to rise from paradise, also know as, my bed. I sit on the edge of it, and my right foot tapping against the floor makes me aware of the time. I get up and put on some fat socks, my feet are starting to stay cold, and I'm going down to the kitchen. Rubbing my eyes, I enter the room. I know that today is the day of the final battle when I realize where I am and what I am doing here, on Earth. I remember what a great tree I look for. Tall, stout and leafy, with deciduous leaves, as green as an emerald, and as important to Dolio's life as it is to me. I spread the map of the enclosure that I took yesterday and begin to devise a plan to jump all that security. Then the door opens suddenly and enters a Bira, a huge being of almost two meters, burly and imposing. Anyone who was not accustomed would get scared and run, how I every time I see a dog; They are sons of the devil, Dolio does not have that. At first I ignore it, doing so, to think that I can not see, but it is slowly approaching me, and I get on alert. i get mi Liria, a spice of wand I can turn into any weapon and this time, what I need is a sword. I rose quickly from my place and thrust the sword to the hilt. The Bira starts to fade when I feel a buzz in my ear. I turn and encounter another monster as big as the last one. When I try to nail the sword, he dodges an impressive jump
back. I turn 180 degrees and cut it in two. The latter releases a little bron, the blood of these bugs, and stains the soil in a tiny way. I do not give it more importance, since only the Dolians can see it, and now the most important thing that I have is to finish the mission. I return to my room, I keep the map of the room and my Liria, my indispensable weapon, in the belt of my uniform. I run out and head for a secluded street. It's time to use my powers! With my finger I draw a rectangle on one of the walls and suddenly a strong light emerges opening a passage to the Museum of Natural Sciences. On the other side of the portal, a monster leaps at me before I can react. He tries to bite me with his long teeth, but I stop him by punching him in the jaw, losing his sense for a few seconds. I take that little time to get my Liria and turn it into a dagger. I nail him to the neck, cutting off his head. As before, its body fades. I take advantage of my invisibility power to slip between the guards at the entrance. I begin to climb the four-meter-high fence that separates me from the tree. When I get to the middle of the height, I fall and hit my head. It hurts, but now I can not give up, Dolio's future depends on me. I walk up to the tree and with my Liria I cut one of the small branches and put it in the backpack. I already saved Dolio! Beep-beep, I have to get to the exit as soon as I can. I close my eyes and breathe deeply. When I open them, a sense of strangeness invades me. I’m not in the Museum. I’m in a hospital bed, surrounded by machines and tubes. Surrounded by my family too, and I do not understand what I'm doing here. I hear that beep and memories of Dolio come to my mind. The tree. Where I am? -What happened? - I ask, trying to get someone to explain and get me out of this mess. My mother holds my hand. She has watery eyes. My father is standing, staring at me, unable to believe what is happening. - Are you awake. You're out of the coma! I look at my astonished parents, trying to explain something else.
- You do not know what I'm talking about? - says my father, and shake my head - do not you remember? You had an accident. You've been in a coma for four weeks. - But Dolio? Have I saved Dolio? - What is that? - My planet, our planet - my parents look at me in surprise and continue talking.- You know ... The tree. For God's sake, - I say, as a token of astonishment draws in my face. It is impossible that they do not know what I am talking about. They were there, with me. - We are in 3248. The tree, Dolio, the healing powers for the grandfather ... - they don’t understand me. - Honey, we're in 2017. And we do not need any trees to live. I'm sorry to say that you did not get to meet your grandparents, no one. I do not understand what are you talking about. Sometimes, - I hear a nurse say as she walks over to the bed - While you're in a coma, your brain is looking for a way to stay active, try to find something to hold on to for the body to go on living. Thanks to Dolio you got out of the coma.
THE END