The Oasis

Thank you God! This gift of water could not have come at a better time. Not only because I’m thirsty like a century-old vegan vampire, but because if a certain cat girl wasn’t calmed down soon, I’m sure her claws would be scratching at my throat.

“Today is your lucky day, June. But don’t expect miracles to always happen.” Azuki lets go of my shoulders with a thud. Ow. Her demeanor sure did change from her usual cheerful mischievousness to survival mode. She jumps out of the wagon before it even comes to a stop, running towards the oasis with a canteen in her hands.

“Are you okay?” Jet asks in a worried tone.

“Yeah I’m fine.” I say as I massage my shoulder. The pain will subside. Eventually. The sucky thing is I know she was holding back. Man, I saw Azuki on her bad side today, but I would hate to see her at her worst.

The boys and I head towards the oasis ourselves with our own bottles. As we get closer, I realize just how beautiful the water is. Framed by a few shady palm trees and bushes, a small pond lays in the center, its color a vivid aquamarine.

I fill up my bottle hurriedly and chug all of its contents before refilling it again to the brim. Although, I suppose there’s no need to rush. The pond isn’t going anywhere.

Jet takes off his armor and jumps into the lagoon with carefree abandon. The splash he creates is so large it manages to get Azuki wet, even though she isn’t too close to the water. She hisses back in frustration.

Oh no. If I recall correctly, didn’t Azuki say she almost drowned before getting isekai’d here? She totally did, although Maddie made me believe she might have been lying. Now I feel horrible. Azuki must hate water! Hopefully she doesn’t retaliate and get mad at Jet.

“Hahahaaaha” Azuki laughs.

What…? That’s not how I expected her to react at all. Did she get replaced by a clone or something??

Just when the thought crosses my mind, Jet lets out a hearty belly laugh of his own. I guess they’re just happy to drink water! I don’t blame them, I’m happy too!!

Soon, we’re all laughing. Jet, Azuki, myself, and even the quiet Spector. They’re big laughs too, full of so much glee it almost hurts your stomach. I start to feel a little dizzy. I… I think I might faint?

Just as my eyes start to open and close in the dreary haze, the landscape around me begins to shift. Suddenly it all disappears. The sand, the water, the palm trees. Everything changes form. Now, it looks like I'm inside somewhere.

I slowly turn about, looking at the walls and furniture morphing into view. As it takes shape, something about this place starts to feel familiar. The blue floral wallpaper and the height markers on the doorframe remind me of childhood. The place is a bit cleaner than I remember, but I'd recognize those cringy anime posters and custom romantasy bookshelves anywhere. I'm in my bedroom. I'm back home.

I'm back! Yes!! So long archaic fantasy world living! Ooooh and welcome back my modern day necessities! I continue to look around my room just to be sure, confirming that all the things I love are still here. Oh and I can't wait to get back to my friends at the book club! Oh, but what about… what about…

…A much sadder thought crosses my mind. I should be thrilled to be back home, but instead I feel empty and wrecked with worry. What about the isekais? What about all the friends I made back in the fictional town Tauwren? Did they make it out? Will I ever see them again??

My head begins to hurt and my vision feels foggy. What's happening? I lay down on my bed hoping the symptoms will eventually subside. Just when I start to feel worse I hear a knock on my bedroom door.

“Hi June. May I come in?”

It's my mom! Usually she doesn't knock. Judging by her voice and how calmly she enters the room, she seems more gentle than her typical self. She slowly opens the door carrying a bowl of soup on a tray. It smells amazing!

“June… are you doing okay?”

What do I say? Surely something has to be amiss. How am I back here? Didn’t I get iseka’d to Tauwren when I fell asleep reading Emperor of the lantern at school? Why would I be back in my bedroom then??

“I’m- uh… I’m doing okay mom.”

“No that can’t be…” my mom’s voice coos. “If you were feeling well, you would have jumped out of bed and attended your first day of school. Instead you’re here in your bedroom with a fever.”

I feel my forehead. I do feel warm… No, that's because I came from the desert! That has to be it! Because otherwise… otherwise…

My mom continues, “You’ve been sleeping for a long time, young lady. You must have had a vivid dream. I came up to check on you earlier. You were talking in your sleep quite a bit.”

She confirms what I was afraid of. This whole world that I came to love. The people I met. The places I saw. All of it. It was just a stupid dream.

Turns out I’m still just a dumb kid with my head in the clouds. All the stories that I try to escape to are just a ruse to cover up the ugly truth of reality. I’m not sure how else to explain the melancholy I feel at this moment.

Tears start to roll down my face as my head throbs from heartache. What I don’t expect is how my mother responds, gently pulling me into her arms and hugging me like her precious little girl. A warm embrace I have long since forgotten.

“June it’s alright…”

I know she’s trying to comfort me, which is all I have ever wanted, but it hurts. I can’t understand why. I need to apologize. At least then I’d feel worthy enough to be held by her. Worthy enough to be a good daughter.

“I’m so sorry mom. I have these stupid dreams, but I don’t try hard enough to make them true. I’ll do better though, I promise. I have to. I’m sorry I don’t know what’s wrong with me…”

My voice trails off. While I expected to sit in silence for a while like we usually do in times like this, something felt different. Something felt wrong. My mom quickly perks up and says words that I’ve been longing to hear. Just not like this.

“I love you June and I am so proud of you!”

“What?” My voice drops in disbelief.

“You heard me June, I am so proud of you...”

That's when I realized the devastating truth. This isn't real. My real mother would never say those words. Not to me.

My arms fall limp to my sides as I let go of my hug. I mutter to her quietly. “I… I know you’re not real.”

“What ever do you mean June?”

I’m not sure what to say. I do need to explain myself though. I look around my bedroom as if I’m searching for the answer somewhere on the walls. Or maybe on the floor perhaps? This inspection helps me notice a few odd details.

“For one, my room usually isn’t this clean. There should be piles of clothes and bags of potato chips littering the floor.”

“June I told you about this…”

“I know, I’ll work on it. Genuinely. I’ll get better at taking care of myself.”

While this person is trying to sound realistic with their concerned mild reprimands, this isn’t my mom. I know it. I need more evidence to let her know.

“Second, you haven’t made me this soup in ages. It’s nice, but you don’t make stuff like this anymore.”

“Well can’t a mother cook something for her daughter when she’s sick?”

That sounds reasonable enough, sure. But I know better.

“Fair. Final point. You’re wearing something I’ve never seen before.”

She glances down at her clothes trying to find some sort of flaw, but the expression she makes says it all. She’s unsure of what to look for. This confirms everything I need to know. Though I didn’t have any doubts.

“Look at your hand.”

The imposter looks down at her hands with uncertainty.

“It’s your wedding ring. I’ve never seen you wear it. Not since your divorce. You’re… you’re not my mom.”

“What do you mean June? Why… why are you doing this?! You’re my little girl! I love you!!” She cries out, her voice echoing in the room.

Hearing her shout is almost unbearable. It still hurts to see her upset, even when I know it’s not the real her. I just want her to be happy. That’s when it hits me. Everything I’m imagining now, are the things that would make me feel content. A clean bedroom, good home cooked food, my mom’s happiness. It’s all wish fulfillment. It’s all lies.

“Mom, if you love me and want to see me happy, you’ll bring me back.”

“June, I don’t understand. You’re already back home.”

And for the first time since coming here, my desire changes. Being home with my videogames and books is great, but there’s something bigger than that right now. Something important that I have to do. No more doubts June. You’ve finally made your decision.

“No. This isn’t home mom. Not really. If you truly love me then please. Bring me back to my friends in the Syla Desert. They need me.”

I stand firm in the immeasurably long silence. I have to get out of this place no matter what it takes. Seeing my resolve, the figure resembling my mother starts to growl in defiance. Her form changes to something monstrous, from the works of a sweet lullaby to the depths of a terrible nightmare.

“You UnGraTeFuL BrAt!” She screams.

My fake mother lunges forward to attack. I brace myself for the inevitable. In a panic, my eyes jolt awake. I clutch my chest, breathing rapidly. Wait, I’m awake now? But I’m not in my bedroom anymore. Where am I??

My eyes feel heavy, so I rub them as best I can. The landscape slowly begins to come into view. This time, I’m back. Back to the familiar dunes of the Syla Desert. Only this time, there is no oasis in sight. There’s no water anywhere to be seen. Just miles of sand. Wait, where is everybody else?

I turn around to try and locate the others only to find a rather strange sight to behold. All of them are busy, wrapped up in their own delusions happily playing with lumps of sand. What’s going on here?

There's something magical about this spot for sure. This “oasis” tricked us into feeling comfortable. First with the promise of water in the fake pond to fill our basic needs. Then for me, seeing my mother at her best. This warped illusion magic is incredibly powerful.

So, this desert “oasis” went through all this effort to make us feel so content that we'd never want to leave, but why? There has to be some sort of reason. Maybe an enemy. That's when I realized the ground was moving beneath us. Amidst the shaking and shifting of the sand a booming screech below, from what sounds like to be a massive creature, let out its cry for blood. Crap, it's a giant sand wyrm.