Masenia: Chapter 28: Where Have You Been (Patreon)

Chapter 28

Where Have You Been

Maria was in the lobby of the Emergency Room. It took her a moment to realize where exactly she was, as she had not been here in years. At least that was what her mind told her.

With the time that had passed, she felt like this place should be completely destroyed, or close to a veritable wasteland of broken glass, blood, and monsters. Yet, none of that could be seen. The place was clean.

No monsters were around, though thinking back Maria did remember killing all the monsters as they were spawning. Which if left alone for a long enough period of time would make it so the bodies would disappear, dissolving into motes of mana to be fused into the atmosphere. Even the blood in some cases would also dissolve, this was part of the saturation process for the planet. Similar to the nitrogen cycle, but with mana infused organic objects, rather than just all organic objects.

Still despite everything, this being the beginning of the apocalypse, the emergency room entrance looked relatively clean.

Ding.

Just as Maria began wondering where her family was, the elevator door ding.

“I’m sorry Ms. Alvarez, we have everyone we can looking for your daughter, but it appears she disappeared the moment everyone passed out.” An older nurse said, her tone and demeanor hinted that she had been in this job for quite a while.

“But why are we being kicked out, we haven’t found her yet.” Anita said, and as she spoke Maria felt a pang of pain well up in her heart. It was clear that in the time that she was gone, the expected happened. Monsters that appeared before each person, as a way to test them and introduce them to the system won.

“Unfortunately, as we said earlier, there are a lot of motor accidents that are about to come in, so we need to empty out as many rooms as possible. Given that your daughter was the only one who was injured, now that she seems to have moved on her own, we must free up the room for the people that are coming.” The nurse said, at this point it was clear that tension was mounting in the members of the Alvarez family who were on the elevator.

Seeing them all alive, still after all this time, Maria couldn’t help but feel her chest tighten as she saw them. Almost a complete family portrait, well except for the fact that Maria should be where the nurse was. Other than that, Maria paused, trying to ingrain this memory into her consciousness.

Finally, the tension in Maria’s chest finally released enough so that Maria could speak.

Momma Alvarez, who had been breathing in trying to calm herself before she went off on the nurse who would dare force her to leave, after losing her daughter was about to speak, when she heard the voice of an angel call out to her.

“Momma!”

The word echoed through the open lobby, and suddenly everyone who was in the elevator just stared out at Maria.

There was a long awkward pause, as no one moved.

Ding.

Fortunately, the elevator forced action as the door began automatically closing. With that there was a momentary pause as everyone turned their gaze from Maria to the door that was now closing on them.

With that there was a mad dash as everyone rushed to the door, trying to get out. Everyone but the nurse who could only stare at the odd muscular girl who was wearing thread bare clothing within her lobby, looking more like a spooky ghost than anything.

Ding.

A hand hit the black padding, causing the elevator to both acknowledge the stop and begin opening up.

By this time everyone began getting off the elevator, somehow Momma Alvarez was the first to exit the elevator. Her small frame seeming to demand others move out of her way as she made her way to her precious baby girl.

“Ay Mio bebé, where were you? We missed you so much.” Momma Alvarez said.

Seeing the frightened look on her mother’s face slowly give way to concern, Maria couldn’t help but release a grateful sigh, as she moved in to hug her mother.

Smack.

As Maria got closer, she felt a sharp smack against her cheek. This wasn’t a painful smack, especially not to her heightened Attributes, but it still caused Maria to pause. On a deep level Maria had been aware of the strike, and could have easily dodged out of the way of the strike. Yet, she fought her instincts and let the slap happen. This was her mother’s way of saying she loved her, and never to frighten her like that again.

“I missed you too, momma.” Maria said, a smile on her face, as she stared down, her eyes beaming at her mother.

There was a brief pause, before Momma Alvarez lunged forward and began hugging her Maria. With how worn her clothes had gotten over the years in her dimensional pocket, Maria instantly began feeling light drops of water falling down on her shirt. Droplets that easily bled through the thin fabric and caressed her skin.

During this time everyone got off the elevator and began surrounding Maria. Maria felt her mother gracefully grip her shirt and then use it to wipe her face before moving away so she could lock gazes with her daughter.

“You had me so worried. First you go into a coma, then you all but disappear.” Momma Alvarez stated.

“Sorry, I meant to come back yesterday, but with the apocalypse going, I couldn’t make it back in time.” Maria said, speaking the lie she worked on while in her seclusion.

“Yesterday?” Juan, her older brother spoke.

“Yes, I meant to come back yesterday, on Friday, but I got distracted.” Maria said, not wanting others to know where she went to, as that would likely make them targets for future assassinations of bounty hunters, especially as she not only owns, but also uses her own internal dimensional nexus. A nexus that is so helpful that even now, while in the real world, she can feel her cultivation rising.

Spirit +5.

Apparently, she would get a tally of how much her Spirit Attribute had risen while she was outside in the real world. She could tell that she was gradually getting more and more powerful as time went on, but she would only gain a full amount once she looked at it.

“Oy, Maria, today is Friday.” Anita said, coming over and placing her hand on Maria’s shoulder. Seeing the hand, Maria looked at it, and in her mind went through at least seven different fighting attacks she could do with a grip like that on an opponent’s shoulder. She also counted at least twelve counters for all seven types of attacks. Then she had the thought, then instantly dismissed them. These are your family, and you need to be calm. Only after that, did Maria fully realize the words that Anita had said.

“Today is Friday?” Maria asked.

“Yes, you have been out for almost three days. How do you feel?” Anita asked.

“I feel,” Maria began, but then realized telling the truth would be a lot better. “Honestly, I feel great.”

With that Maria, even went so far as to give a pose of her muscular arms.

“Maria, why would you wear such rags?” Their father said, suddenly taking in the manner of dress that Maria was now sporting.

Maria was a bit confused, especially with the way father immediately turned to momma and asked, “I though you brought nice clothing for her to leave in?”

“I did. They were…” Momma Alvarez trailed off as she took in her daughter’s appearance. She looked simultaneously extremely healthy, while also looking like she had come straight from a haunted mansion.

“Can we just go home?” Maria asked, wanting to draw attention away from her strange appearance.

“Before you go, could I get a few vitals from your daughter?” The elder nurse said, butting into the family reunion that was taking place.

***

An hour later and ten more spirit Attribute points later, Maria was finally set free. Her time was cut short when a number of vehicular accident victims came in. Most were the typical fender bender issues you would expect, while others looked like they had been gnawed upon for a bit.

As they left, they could hear a young policeman speaking to the orderly trying to give out details to the older nurse that felt that Maria’s vitals were more than satisfactory for her to leave.

“Yeah, there were giant walking dogs. Then this giant rabbit came through destroying everything.” The police officer said.

“Sir, are you sure you are okay? Did you hit your head?” The nurse said, instantly going to the officer who had apparently drive a few patients in his police car, to help with the ambulance drivers.

“I’m telling you; I have dash-cam-photage to prove this.” The officer said, pointing to his chest first and then to the front of his car, where a mounted camera was clearly placed.

Hearing the cop, get more agitated, Maria and her family wisely gave the officer and the nurse a wide berth, as they tried to leave the hospital for the first time in days. Well days for the Alvarez family, who found themselves on rotational shifts.

“There were a lot of crash victims.” Anita said, recalling the number of patients that did in fact flood the emergency room waiting area.

“Yeah, apparently the power went out for a while.” Juan said, then holding up his phone he angrily clicked away at the screen. “It appears that the internet is still down of course. Stupid Zeus network.”

“I told you that would happen if you went with one of those off brands.” Anita teased.

Hearing them bicker, Maria couldn’t help but have a smile fill her face. Walking to the car, she realized that her family instinctively created a protective shield around her. Her parents in the front, her brother and twin sister in the back. The act was somewhat funny to her, given that she knew for a fact that she was the most powerful member of their family, and counted herself as one of the most powerful humans on the planet.

Of course, none of her strength could compare to what she and her family were going to have to face here in the future. Maria could only imagine the power level of the ancient being of fate, the one who had seemingly sent her back in time. At least that is what Maria thought had happened, that she had been given a second chance to make this day meaningful by the powerful sister of fate.

What she didn’t realize was that no such act had happened, that she was granted a blessing beyond comprehension to help prevent her planet from falling completely to evil invaders.

Vroom.

The family van started up without even a hitch to its name. The father began driving into traffic, though this time driving home too a bit longer than usual.

The roads looked like what one might expect of a flood coming through, washing away the vehicles and then suddenly having all the water get evaporated. There was trash everywhere, broken windows, torn up plants and bushes. Everywhere you looked, the signs of a micro-apocalypse were present.

“What happened?” Anita asked.

“I told you, the power goes out for five minutes, and then suddenly everyone suddenly turns from being an upstanding citizen to a looter.” Momma Alvarez stated.

Hearing that, Maria wanted to protest that this destruction around them was likely minimal compared to what had happened in the rest of the world.

Maria remembered her own trip home, only to find that part of the southern strip leading away from the school was burned down. Looking back, Maria realized that was due to the animal that had taken over the node being a fire elemental user. For a time, the burnt down houses and area surrounding the school served as a DMZ, where only the most foolish would go.

That had all changed.

“I think I see where all the accidents happened.” Anita said, pointing to what was clearly monsters that had been killed and run over by panicked drivers.

Click.

Father Alvarez turned on the radio, trying to get something to distract him from all the grim and gruesome sights that were around them.

“AHHH! Save me. The monsters are invading!” A female voice shouted out over the radio.

“What is that?” Juan asked.

Click.

Hearing the screams, father Alvarez turned off the radio. “Likely a broadcast of War of the Worlds.”

“On 109.7 Brittany Rocks?”

Father Alvarez just shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe their programming got reset from the power outage.”

And like that, the Alvarez family made their way home, safe and sound, but only a little tired from the day.

“Do you want anything to eat?” Momma Alvarez asked.

“No momma, I’m fine. I think I’m just going to go to sleep for a bit.” Maria said.

“Okay, Anita and I will be right outside if you need anything.” Momma said.

Anita looked like she wanted to complain, but then saw something in her mother’s eyes that made her realize this was not an argument she would win.

“Right, we will be outside.” Anita said.

“Thank you.” Maria said, with that Momma Alvarez began closing the door. Then before the moment was gone, Maria blurted out what was on her mind, “love you.”

Hearing that Momma Alvarez paused in her closing of the door. Then smiled brightly, “love you too. Now get some sleep.”

“Right.” Maria said, going over to her bed, and then relaxing slightly at its softness. It had been a lifetime since she had this sensation, the moment of being able to sleep in her own bed.

Tap, tap.

The moment was short lived of course, as her bunny familiar could be heard tapping at her window. Going over to the window, she saw that the beast was now tall enough to easily stand itself up on the siding and tap at her window on the second floor of her house.

Squeak?

“Yes, lets go try to save the world.” Maria said, as she climbed down onto her rabbit’s back. Despite how astronomically huge the rabbit now was, compared to where it started, Maria felt right at home on the massive beast. Easily able to sit comfortably between its two shoulder blades that served as minor seat cushions. Grabbing onto two fistfuls of fur, the moment she did, the rabbit lowered itself and began sprinting off into the distance, towards the next nearest major node.

By coincidence, this new node that the two were racing towards happened to be on a direct path past the hospital.

There at the entrance of the hospital was a defeated cop, who could only shamble towards his dented police cruiser.

Thud, thud.

As he did, he heard the pounding of feet that reminded him of how he was taught that Tyrannosauruses sounded as they stomped through the forests.

Though when he looked, he was shocked to see what appeared to be a teenage girl riding a giant white and brown colored rabbit.

Seeing the rabbit, the very creature he had been arguing about actually existing for hours, he wanted to go back and yell at the bull headed nurse. But turning back he saw that she was now too far away. For a moment he thought about telling her anyways, but then decided against it.

"If she didn't believe me before, I doubt she would believe me when I say that the bunny was now the size of a small house."