The reason to follow

Why do I have to follow this girl?

We had been walking on this grassland for what felt like some minutes. There was no way to tell the time when there was nothing moving in this sky except some thin clouds. I thought of home in that moment, strangely. It would've been the time to make breakfast about now if I had woken up from my bed like usual, and after that. And I wondered if that task was finished properly. I didn't have the chance to test that bug fix; it was three in the morning. But thinking about it wasn't going to help anything now that I'm walking in this dream.

The girl walked in silence before me, her straight hair covered her back, moving slightly with each of her steps forward. The fact that I was following her steps perhaps was so obvious to her she did not bother checking her back.

It was no longer than when I got bored looking at the petite back did I spotted a shiny thing in the edge of my vision. At first sight it was reflective as if it were a piece of glass, but since there was no visible light source from above, it must have generated the light on its own. My curiosity was piqued, and I changed the direction of my feet.

But the moment I made one step toward that little light source, a different thing disappeared: the light footsteps. I looked back to the direction I was walking. The girl was no more, but grass until the edge of the land and clouds beyond that. And the shiny thing, too, was no more.

I took some quick steps forward. The grass did not retain any of her footsteps. I looked backward - and neither it did mine.

"Hey! Anyone!" - I yelled, and not even the echo of my voice came back to me.

I felt trapped, but part of me thought it was all a dream. You know, that kind of dream where you drive a vehicle falling down a cliff, scared you awake. I looked back at where I saw that shiny piece. I did not remember the distance, so I walked for a while but did not spot anything aside from the dense grass.

I touched my neck. It was hot, and my heart was bumping my blood periodically. Is this really a dream? I wondered.

I stopped, and I started thinking.

Which was what I rationally hoped to do. In reality, the panic set in so quick and so sudden the moment I stopped moving. I started walking again, with a quick pace, to nowhere. I came to the edge of the floating landmass and stared at the orb. Then I turned around, continued yelling. But no responses came.

I looked to the other floating lands. Being left alone in a strange world is a scary thing. I desperately looked for another humanoid figure, so I could call for.

No, nothing. All in my field of vision were the green of grass, the brown of the dirt beneath, the blue of the sky, and the whiteness of the mysterious orb.

I ran to where I believed was the center of the grassland, looking for where I woke up. Hopefully it was a dream, a prank, or whatever. It was for naught, as I could not know where was the place I woke among this identical greenness, nor could I backtrack the route that girl had led me on.

That girl? Right, how could she have disappeared like that? It was irrational! I tried to call her once again, hoping for the only human figure I have seen in this place to appear before me again.

"Hey! It's time you come out, girl. This is enough of your prank." - I spoke loudly. But of course, nothing came back to my ears.

"That girl... wait, girl...?" - Before my panic changed its place for anger, I realized I had never asked that girl her name, so all I could address her in my callings were just 'girl.' It was a trivial realization, but it struck me as incredibly odd. I did not ask her name. Was it natural? No, of course not; it was even weirder that I did not shower her with questions the moment she told me to follow her in this strange place.

I struggled to form another cohesive thought. It was as if the language was leaving me. A few words came together in my head to form the start of a sentence, but I could not think out the sentence itself.

I held my head.

"I found you, finally." - A youthful voice rang behind my back, and a hand grabbed my wrist.

It was that girl, looked just like she did a moment before she left. Except for her eye, which did not look at me but were closed while sweat rolled on her forehead. Her ears hung down.

For some reasons unknown to me at the time, her presence reassured me. My breath stabilized, and the dizziness faded. I was made aware in that moment that this is not so idle a dream, but a dangerous place.

"I... looked to a shiny thing among the grass. Then both you and it disappeared." - I spoke slowly, collecting each word in my head. - "How could it happen?"

She did not answer me with directness or explanation but with a look of guilt. She looked to the left, her hands holding my shoulders in place, not wanting me to stand up.

"I'm sorry." - She could not look at me directly. - "I'm sorry I have made an innocent soul suffer my own ordeal."

Who was she talking to?

"I'm sorry." - After the third sorry, she looked in my eyes. - "I was not aware of the effects this floor could have on normal human. I will take it into accou..."

How could I voice my anger at her after she had showered me with apologies? But my desire for an explanation burst out into words.

"Stop it! Answer me, do you have a way to get me back to where I am from?"

The girl was taken aback by my sudden raise of voice.

"N... No." - She hung her head down.

So I could not go back, so what about getting out of what-ever-this-is? Is this place the entirety of this 'other world' she spoke of? Before I could inquire more, she continued.

"But the moment I reach my destination, you will definitely be sent back. And I will compensate you plenty. Please, just some more time, I only need you for some more time." - She spoke. Her words were an attempt to reassure her summonee. But that vagueness in her mention of time did not help.

I stood up, scratched my head. This girl was responsible for dragging me to this hell. I was frustrated but, at the same time, curious.

"I demand explanations." - She had not caused me any harm, but the way she treated me was so much like the way she'd treat a pet that's supposed to follow her feet. - "No point arguing about what could've been. If we are in this together, then I expect your explanations. Because this cannot be the world I know."

She seemed delighted that I did not decide to not cooperate. Well, where could I run to, anyway? I could take my own life, but that was even more uncertain than trusting this mysterious girl.

"But first," - I spoke before she could say anything - "What your name!?"

That came out more harsh than I wanted it to be. She was startled. And then... satisfied? Since she responded with a smile.

"Lora." - She said with one hand on her chest. - "Yours?"

"...Helios" - I responded after some... deliberation.

"Helios? Your name sounds like that light gas."

What? How? Does the periodic table exist in this world? Whatever the case, that was embarrassing. I could seriously make use of a hole right now. And right when I thought it would be a cool name.

"I... No, no... The name is Thell." - I didn't have enough confidence to follow up with the lie, so I hastily corrected her, desperately tried to make it look like a mindless mistake.

She looked at me puzzledly, then:

"I see, I will remember that." - She held out her left hand.

Is this a handshake? I thought. I moved my left hand close to her. Suddenly, her hand thrust upward and grabbed my forearm. I was startled, but on her face was a light smile.

"Grab my forearm, it's a handshake." - Definitely not the kind I knew of.

"I'm sorry." - She spoke while our face was close, caused by that forearm clasp. - "This is my second time going down a chasm with another one. I will definitely be more careful." - She looked me straight in the eye, with her ears pointing upward. Where did she get that much confidence from, I wonder?

She held my arm firmly. - "I owe you a lot to explain. But this is not an ideal place to stop at. Let's talk on the way. And to prevent another accident from happening..." - While her other hand produced a rope out of nowhere.