This book is dedicated to all of Gavin's cats. (Emmie, Milly, & Spicy)

Copyright

This edition was first published by www.storyjumper.com 850 E Greenwich PL Alto, CA 94303

Copyright 2014 www.storyjumper.com

Authors: Jacob Hazelhoff, Wahu Cordero, & Gavin Van Pelt

Editor: Desiree Schell

Cover Design:

Photo and editing done by Wahu Cordero

Virtual Heck / First Edition

Printed in USA

We all have a feeling that this world is fake. The truth is not too far hidden from our eyes. We all know the truth.

Humans by default search for answers. This case would apply to most worlds, but in our world, it’s different. Why would anybody look for change if their life is already at maximum satisfaction? We humans don’t venture far beyond the horizon if our homeland isn't in distress. We don’t do anything.

Step 1

I woke up with a ringing in both ears. I tried to concentrate on what was happening, but I was in too much of a shock to process any information. My head was throbbing, but I didn’t know why. I didn’t feel like I was in place. Before I could even say a word, I fell back into slumber.    

There I was, lying on a bed. There was a large dress encompassing my body. It was made of fine jewels and looked like it was made for a queen. On second thought, everything was fancy. The room stretched for miles, littered with antiques, paintings, and everything of value. It was in an array, all waiting for me. No, it was made for me.  

I had no idea where I was, I was clueless. I searched my brain for anything. In that long voyage, I realized that I didn’t even know my name. There was nothing that labeled me. My overall curiosity led me to explore my surroundings for a chance of discovery.  

I stood up and explored the room which stretched on like a palace. I went down a winding hallway and went into every room I passed.

At first, I thought I was in heaven, I was looking for anything that could give me a clue of where I am. I opened the door at the end of the hallway and looked outside. There were more than 1000 doors labeled with a sign over it. I took a careful step outside and looked at the door I came from. “Room 132” was the only thing that attached to the door. I looked around the door, but all I saw were even more doors. The doors didn’t lead to any visible rooms.  

I made a mental note of my room number and made sure to remember that it was room 132. I rushed to the next door, it was labeled “lobby”.  

My hand quivered before the door handle. I didn’t know what lies beyond this door and I didn’t want to make needless experiments. My overall curiosity overwhelmed my precaution as I flung the door open, almost hitting myself.

The bright lights of the room blasted into my eyes, catching me off guard. I saw an enormous room with a towering balcony that looked over what seemed like hundreds of miles. This vast view looked over hundreds of different environments. Its spanned from jungles to oceans to deserts to glaciers. I was so engulfed in the view that I almost didn’t see the 20 or so people that were staring at me. They were all older than me. I had thought that my dress would surely have outshone any apparel of anybody else, but I realized that I couldn’t be more wrong. Everybody looked like billionaires. Their outfits sparked, magnified by the panels of glass that encompassed the room.    

“Oh, so is this the new girl in which we’ve been talking about,” said one man who was looking down on me over the balcony.  

“Well she certainly does look confused,” laughed a woman, “I bet you that she doesn’t remember a thing, poor dear.”  

“Now, can you even recall something so simple as your name?” exclaimed the same woman.

I had no clue what my name was. I wanted to know so badly but I didn’t want to look dumb in front of people who could help me. I tried to evaluate the situation and think of a way to not be immediately hated by the only people I know. I stood this clueless, trying to look subservient to not upset the bipolar woman in the crowd. I was scared and had no clue what to do. I was frustrated that I ever even left the room that I came from. It was at that moment that an old man, well into his 80s came from behind me and configured himself almost in a shield like way.  

“Her name is Percilla, and I know that you know nothing less than me. Now stop messing with her, man. And go on and keep indulging your selves in your stupid gossip picnic,” said the old man.

Percilla, Percilla, Percilla, my brain thought. I couldn’t put my finger on it,

but that name made so much sense to me. I had just realized that my name was in fact Percilla. I thought “How do they know my name but not me. Why don’t I remember anything?”

“Come on, relax old man,” joked one of the braindead members of the group, “Gluttony isn't a sin if your meal is infinite. I think it's about time you have some fun. You know, in this world...”

“It's obvious that someone like you will never convince a man of reason,” reasoned the man in the front of the group. "If we stay for much longer, I’ll die from boredom. It would be best if we resume our talk in another place.”  

Their exit was painfully slow. They left a mess of the place, but I was just happy that they were gone. It was just me and the old man. He turned to me.

"Good to meet you, name is Indigo," said the man.

“Okay, nice to meet you." I said nervously.

“I’m going to guess that you have no clue on where you be, so I'm gonna fill you in as much as all those other pleasure-seekers. This is not like the ordinary world. It is a world without fear, hunger or sadness. The only thing in this world is happiness, nothing else. You can be free to succumb to your primal instincts of searching for a meaningless joy. Unfortunately, newcomers are always the same, selfish, and indulgent. This rule then must apply to you too, only a handful of people here have learned to seek pleasure in helping others,” explained Indigo.

“How dare you put me into such a low and ungracious group as those people. I don’t know much but I can still realize that i'm not as unsophisticated as them,” I screamed at him.

“You all are pretty smart , but at the same time, you are all selfish. This is the one truth that this world shows. As I said earlier, there is nothing but happiness. There is no real truth in this world. I am one of the few in which knows the truth.”

“If you are so all-knowing why don’t you share some of the facts with me. This is unless you are also selfish like the rest of us,” I teased.  

The old man wrote something down on a note and crumpled it into a ball and then threw it at me. Then he started to walk away.

“The truth doesn't bring happiness to the person who possesses it. This world may be happy, but the true world isn't. If you are different from the others and want to help others, come to my house and I'll tell you the truth. Personally, I'd recommend living your like in ignorance like the others. It is after all why you came here.”  The old man explained to me

I was left puzzled at what to do. I uncrumpled the note and read what was inside. Room 1. 

Step 2

I then went to explore this new world. Every door leads to another place, environment, the monument, and so on. To name a few, I have been on the top of mountains, next to the ocean, in a golden temple and even in a submarine at the bottom of the ocean. The best thing is that all these attractions are only a few doors away. I sometimes run into people, but I try to avoid them for because 90% of them are even more annoying than the ones I ran into when I met Indigo. There seemed to only be around 100 or more people that live here. This is not counting people who only hang out in the more popular places. These popular places include the Lobby and the Kitchen. Although they are the most beautiful of all the places, they are polluted with the worst people.    

There were thousands of animals that I had found. Every animals' beauty was magnified by the lush environment that surrounded it. Even the most dangerous

of animals could be found, but pacified. Most animals traveled in packs with one exception. Throughout my weeks of exploration, I had never seen a swarm of bees. It was as if all of them were abandoned by their queen. They all try to survive by themselves, but they all know that it's impossible.

Weeks passed, and I was growing bored of the same sight-seeing routine. I tried to spend some time with those drama groups, but I am just not the same as them. I find them annoying. Sadly, the only people I've run into, excluding Indigo are all part of those them. With boredom on the rise, I started to think about everything Indigo said, to pass the time. It was there where I found the hidden message. They hid it carefully as to not bring notice. “This world may be happy, but the true world isn’t.” This one line kept me up for several nights. I didn’t know what to do, I was there, walking down the rows of doors. There it was, “Room 1”. What is there to expect. I wanted the truth.

Step 3

I opened the door. It was a dark cozy room with one lonely fireplace providing the only light. Everything was peaceful, and time seemed to stand still. Indigo was sitting on his chair facing the door. He looked as if he was waiting for me.  

“So, you did come. I guess you aren’t like the rest.” Said Indigo  

He pulled out a watch, out of his back pocket. It was old and rusty but still had the look of care.  

“1 month, 6 days and 3 hours. That truly shows that you cannot be truly content by simple things. I don’t know if it is the truth or the happiness of the other world that you seek, but both show that you have a purpose. You have earned my respect.” explained Indigo.  

“What is it that you want? Why do you need to have me?” I screamed at him, “What can I do to help anyone? Is there any other way of helping others?  

"There are ways of being free of this world. You can help other people. But first you-”    

“Please just tell me the truth, I hate living like this.” said Percilla, “Living in an endless loop of meaninglessness is tragic.”  

Indigo stood up and took a remote from the counter. He turned on the TV that was above the fireplace. He then pulled out a flash drive and plugged it into the TV. The TV buffered for what seemed to be an eternity. Throughout the entire process, he never said a word. The TV started playing images of people that were in agony and poverty. They worked all day to get enough food to survive, but their ruler didn't care. They all looked gaunt and hopeless. They were abandoned bees.  

“This is the real world. It is hidden behind our eyes. We were all from that place. We may have been in a better shape than them, but we are still suffering. Everybody here was brave and wanted to change the place where we were born.

This was until we became corrupt. We took an undercover deal to give up. This contract was to live in this world,” Indigo explained. 

"I don't understand. Why is everything covered up? If that technology exists, why would it be for nobody  but  us?” I said confusedly.

“There is a man named Albert Augustine. He was a beloved scientist how had a voracious appetite for knowledge. On one monumental day, he created this universe in which we belong to. He had just created a place of immeasurable pleasure, but Albert had too big goals to be satisfied with anything but achievement. The goal in which he seeks is power. As a ruler of a country, would you give up your power for a lifetime's worth of enjoyment? Sadly, most rulers would do anything for this world, even if it meant auctioning off your people to some Tyrant. Through these shady business deals, Albert Augustine has almost completely conquered the world and is the one and only ruler of everybody." said Indigo. 

His words seemed tragic and gloomy, and my brained seemed to almost relax as I had finally gotten a grasp on the situation. His feeling of relaxation was short lived because the next thing I thought of stopping this Albert guy.  

“How must I stop this man,” I asked hesitantly, trying to hold back my anger and cluttered sympathy. "Is there a way for me to travel back to this world in which you speak of? Can you tell me how to get there? Who am I? Please tell me the rest of your possessed knowledge about the other world.”  

“I am not willing to tell you everything, but I do know that you were a leading governmental official, just like most of us. You can go back, but I know that in the state you are in now, you would be weak and would succumb to the offers made by Albert Augustine. You must first learn to care,” said Indigo. 

 * * *

Over the next few weeks, I gradually came to achieve new understands of

others. I had started to learn and care for others. I had changed, to become a better person. I would give up my life of luxury, to help the common good.    

“I can hardly recognize you from the day you got here, Percilla," said Indigo, "I don't know much about the current state of the real world, but I do know it's in desperate need of good helping. I would fix it myself, but I doubt this old body would have a chance of escaping from the lab. This is why you need to -”  

“A lab?” I asked, “I am here to make a change or am I on some suicide mission.”  

“Oops, seems I said too much,” laughed Indigo, “Let's just say that you will probably not have the smoothest of times in the other world.    

“So, are you saying that I'm ready to go back to the other world now?” I asked.

“I guess you are. I'll miss you and I hope that your journey is successful,” said Indigo,” Unfortunately, the only way to get there is by dying in this world. You won't die, but the machine which is keeping you here will. I guess this is goodbye.  

Indigo slapped me in the face, like really hard, like, very, very, hard. Then I instantly died.    

 Step 4

I woke up in a bright, cold building. My view was limited as I was contained in a small cubical-like structure. I was lying on a bed with a full-face mask over my head and ears. I hesitated for a bit but then took on the mask. Immediately, I was greeted with a loud alarm ringing from above me. I fell out of the bed and struggled to get up. I was in the real world.

I decided to run. I busted through my door and looked at my surroundings. My eye caught a glimpse of the sign hanging above my door, Room 132. I ran through the halls like a maniac. I was extremely dizzy,  and light headed but I knew I didn’t have time to rest. I finally escaped from the hallway to be confronted with 2 guards. They were dressed in pricey clothing despite taking the job as a menial guard.    

“It seems another one woke up,” said one of the guards, “I swear, we don’t get paid enough to look over these guys”  

“Chasing them down isn't a problem, but it's tranquilizing them, that's the problem" Complained the other guard.

Despite being their job, they were yet to even acknowledge my existence.  

“Now let's get to work,” said the guard, “You know we don't get paid by the hour. Now, why don't you start off and get the person to chill out."    

“Hello there,” said the man, finally talking to me, “As long as you work with us, you can go back to that place you so much love, okay? Just go back to your room and we’ll get this all settled out.”

My eyes were finally  straightening  out and I could think properly.  The  dizziness that once surmounted me was gone. I saw how distracted they were and decided it was my time to strike. Their stance was too relaxed and arrogant. They thought of me as a weak child who needs the care of their mother to survive.

I lunged at them and wrestled the tranquilizer out of the guard’s hands. Both guards were shocked and unprepared. The other guard tried to shoot me with the tranquilizer but missed, as if he had never shot the thing at a moving target. I immediately shot him in the arm and he fell asleep within seconds.  

The other guard started running. I tried to shoot the guard but I soon  realized  that there was only one tranquilizer dart in the gun. Apparently, their  arrogance  saved them.

After that encounter I ran. I tripped as I clumsily tried to keep balance while simultaneously staying fast. I saw a portrait on the wall: a man was standing on a stool, above the peasants that surrounded him. In the bottom corner in dark ink was the name that caught me off guard. Albert Augestine was stained into the canvas, impossible to get out. His named seemed as if it would stay for history. This palace that I was in; it was Albert Augestine's. I knew that I needed to run.

I had counted 4 escape doors while running around the house. I found it strange that such a powerful person would have to be so precocious of raiders. I  peeked my head out of the hallway and waited until  everybody  cleared  the area. I  took my opportunity and bolted through one of the escape doors that I found. I ran through a dark tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, I saw a hatch attached to the ceiling. I carefully opened the hatch to be flooded with a down pour of dirt and then the bright lights of outside. I climbed out of the tunnel and quickly hid in the corn stocks. 

I spotted a village on the horizon. I began my journey in hope to make the world better. The closer I got to the village the more bees I found. Starving, abandoned bees swarmed around is hopeless paths, constricted to the boundaries of the village.  

After a walk of which seemed like centuries, I found the village. Everybody was

walking aimlessly, like the bees I saw before. They had no purpose in what seemed to be a dead world. Nothing to fight for, absolutely nothing. They could only do as much to survive, there were little luxuries in which they could afford.  

There were a few guards surrounding the village. I guessed that the only duty in which they broke a sweat to accomplish was keeping the people inside the village. I could spot several cameras on my way to the village. I know I kept hidden, but I know that everybody is looking for me. Every camera in the district is probably swerving around voraciously, trying to capture a glimpse of me.

Hours passed, with my chance of being caught rising, I knew I had to do something fast. Old loudspeakers spread the news of an escaped “subject.” They said that they placed a bounty on me with a reward of lifelong pleasure which I could only guess of like the other world. I could tell that Albert didn't want his bees to know the truth. I decided my only chance of escaping was trying to get the

villagers to help. I waved at several villagers until one of them noticed me. It was a little boy who spotted me in the cornfield. He looked at me in disbelief, and then kept walking. My heart pounded as I worried about what the kid was going to do. I wondered if he just thought as me as an illusion or if he was going to turn me in or what.  

The night passed with little hope of being saved. It seemed that it was time for the farmers to begin harvesting the crops. I saw the little boy come out from the crowd of plebeians and head over to the crops. He had a large backpack which I assumed was used for carrying the corn. After an hour or so, the boy had made his way over to the place where I was. He hid from everybody else and went over to greet me. 

“So, I'm guessing that you’re the escaped person they’ve been talking about,” said the boy, “My name is Tony.”  

Tony shook my hand. I was confused at what he wanted to do. I thought my