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Chapter 10
P.S.D. has been guiding you to your destination for the most part of the day. While you and Fisher have been following the small duck, you begin to question both your reality and sanity. The first day things seemed strange, but plausible. Now in the second day, the strangeness of the world seemed to overcome rational thinking.
Maybe I’m in some kind of coma, and everything around me is a dream. I have been doing a great deal of falling lately. Also, I can’t recall how exactly I ended up chained to that bed… I kind of just woke up there. Can you wake up to a dream? Or is that only possible inside of another dream? Who’s to say for that matter? The only thing I’m certain about when it comes to the human mind is that its comprehension cannot penetrate itself… if this isn’t a coma, I’ve got to remember to write that down when I wake up. A casual epiphany emerges: This can’t be a coma. In the past week, I’ve only had opportunities to die. Anywhere I could have been knocked into a coma would have eventually led to my death. If this world isn’t real, then maybe I’m in heaven, or at least a bizarre limbo... no, I’m being an idiot. Obviously, I’m still alive in a strange situation, or at most, still suffering from Timur’s tea.
At this point Fisher makes his first stop of the day. He holds up his hand as to tell you to stop. You happily follow suit: after walking for an entire day, your left foot is remarkably sore.
“Are we taking a break?” you ask wearily. Fisher turns toward you and points at P.S.D. The small duck has stopped in front of a stone cliff. Down the cliff, a basin made of perfectly smooth sandstone leads to a large cave at the basin’s center. The mouth of the cave holds a variety of work lights leading down its wide entrance. None of this matters though, because at the far end of the basin is something you haven’t seen in some time: people. Though they’re difficult to see from your distance, you can tell that people are walking into a gray bus—the first functioning vehicle you’ve seen in days. “Fisher, those are people! Look!” You turn to Fisher in glee and see his brow in a furrowed look of thought.
After a second of pensivity, Fisher notices your delight. “I see the bus, Icarus. I’ve seen it many times. The problem is Philip.”
You look at the small duck and notice that while he may be standing at the edge of the basin, he points away from it, in the direction of more yellow fields. It takes you a moment to realize it, but Fisher is considering following the duck instead of the people.
“Fisher, there are people here. People that can help us. Why would you pass that up to follow this idiotic duck?”
“Icarus, he knows the way to The Solstice. If we follow him, we’ll get there before those people. I’m sure of it.”
“Those people can help us! Those people have a bus!” you shout. “Those people are people!” Hearing your argument, Fisher continues to contemplate his action when the two of you hear the bus honk. People are rushing into the gray bus, and you’re becoming anxious. “Fisher, you’re sure that we’ll beat those people to the Solstice with…?” You flap at the duck aggressively.
“Yes, Icarus. Philip’s a duck. He knows all the shortcuts.”
“You really expect me to follow a duck instead of taking a bus?”
“I don’t know,” Fisher replies. “That’s up to you. Where do you want to go? With the people, or with Philip?”
Do you want to follow P.S.D.? (go to Twelve.)
Or do you want to take the bus? (go to Thirteen.)