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beyondthenormsMari:
Mari was driving along the highway, on the way to the store. She was running low on groceries. Some of what she had been in the fridge too long, and it was causing a stink in there! That's what she got for being away from her apartment for a bit too long.
Although, it wasn't her fault. Whoever thought it was fun and hilarious to have worldly misplaced her someplace else a little while had serious issues! Yet, she had recovered, and was over it. She no longer had to worry over searching for her home world again, thanks to a certain new friend who happened to help her out of that jam.
A short break of normalcy was what Mari needed, after a rather witnessing a horrific and gruesome scene, two nights ago. She'd have to find the time later on to ask Tigger who thought it was a brilliant idea to for Pooh-bear to have a freaking Keyblade, once she was ready.
She needed to do something normal and harmless today. It mattered so much to her to experience a week without a single chance for a panic attack to occur. Trying to find versions of people she recognized and befriended in her world so close to two years ago in addition in all effort possible to learn general need to know about alternate worlds had proved to be stressful, confusing, and frustrating. Very recently, her second and last visit with Pooh had pushed hard on her limits.
It wasn't at all a good idea to think much on that while on the road. The redhead knew this. So, she had been building a totally ordinary and necessary to-do list in her mind. However, something began to direct her attention away from that. Something reflected sunlight on the side of the road ahead of her; a sword. A very large and heavy looking sword! It was strapped to a man's back.
This wasn't something anyone would usually see on her world, most certainly not the U.S.
Promptly, Mari pressed a foot onto the brake pad to slow down. Already, de`javu came again. She slowed her cherry red compact to nearly a crawl as she pulled up close to the swordsman. She saw the brushed back dark spikes, the armored shoulder pads, and his blue eyes. There were also some very noticeable holes in his shirt.
Oh my god!! Her brown eyes went so wide for a moment as she recognized EXACTLY who the man was! Former First Class SOLDIER. Cloud Strife's best friend. Zack Fair.
Wait. He was back in her world again? Or, was she going to be meeting him all over again? Dread was starting to settle into the pit of her stomach as she prepared a basic idea of what to say.
De`ja-freaking-vu! A bit too much of it... Don't blurt out his name. Don't blurt out anything. Must handle all this gradually.
"Where are you going? You look like you need a new shirt."
She tried to pretend that the shocked expression that had come and gone so fast didn't happen. She managed to speak calmly, despite how nervous and awkward she felt inside.
Zack:
Zack had been keeping to the side of the road. He knew he was nowhere in his own world, Gaia. He could tell because of the atmosphere, the land, some of the wildlife, it was all different.
He felt uncomfortable. The holes in his shirt allowed the cold to touch his skin and the dried blood didn't make it any more pleasant. He had no idea where he was heading. He just walked...
And walked...
And walked some more, hoping to end up somewhere.
That's when she stopped beside him and he looked at her, confused but relieved.
Mari:
Mari noticed the dried blood alright, now that she was seeing him up close. She looked startled again.
"Get in. Please? There's room in the back for that sword of yours."
Zack:
Zack, with a quiet grunt, put his sword in the back of the car, eyeing Mari warily. He walked to the passenger seat and sat.
"Hm. Thanks a lot."
Mari:
She noted the wary glance, and watched as he closed the car door. From his perspective, she wouldn't blame him. A stranger in a car had arrived to help. This, after initially showing up someplace unexpected and attacked prior to that. 'He must have a lot on his mind right now. Looks like he could use a break from it all as well. Not just me.'
Mari understood, as she was already forming a plan on what to do from here. She knew she had to help, and keep them both out of trouble, and away from unwanted attention.
She looked to the passing cars on the highway. "How bad are you hurting right now?" She waited for an opening wide enough to move them back onto the highway. "I'm on the way to the store, so, it's lucky timing that I found you, huh?"
Zack could probably hear it in her tone that she was smiling a little.
Zack:
Zack looked at his wounds which seemed to have not been as bad as they should have been.
"Well, I'm doing good. I was on the verge of death before, but... I'm fine."
He tried saying with an awkward chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I guess I'm just tired, I've been walking for the longest."
He sighed and looked out the window.
"I don't even know where the hell I am."
Mari:
"You sure? You're not sore anywhere? I saw you had been bleeding." She felt like such an idiot. After all the sorts of encounters and situations she'd been through, she couldn't have stopped to put in a first aid kid into the glove box? That would have to start changing, today. Ugh, how does one live any sort of stable life with all this multiple universe stuff?
She frowned as she saw the right opportunity to continue her original course towards the shopping center. She pressed on the gas and speedily moved into the right lane.
"Ever been to Maryland before? First time?"
Well, obviously. I'm meeting him all over again. Only more in person, and unlike... She briefly recalled to herself the first time she had noticed an alternate Zack had showed up in her world. He had made his presence known online.
Zack:
"Maryland? Doesn't ring a bell. I'm from Midgar. I guess it's far from here, considering the fact that I don't recognize anywhere here."
He exhaled lightly as he looked at the radio.
"Tell me. What's today's date?" He asked curiously, tapping his fingers against the door.
Mari:
So, he was in Midgar when he had been shot to death? I see. She couldn't remember if Alternate Zack had been close to death or not...
"Well, I think you're farther away than you could ever imagine. 'Cause there's no Midgar anywhere around here. Not in this world." She felt herself tense up as she kept her eyes on the road.
"As for today's date, it's Feburary twenty-fifth. Year twenty-twenty."
Zack:
"So, it is another world. I could somehow feel it. I thought I was being delusional but the lack of Mako reactors and other things just made it so obvious."
He looked at Mari.
"Even the date is different but not entirely. At least, we have a somewhat similar Calendar system."
"Tell me. I can trust you, right?"
Mari:
She relaxed just a bit. He didn't seem as shocked as she had anticipated. Attentively, she soon realized what Zack meant. Oh, that's right. There's no Lifestream in this world. Alternate Sephiroth had...mentioned that... Uh, yeah; saying anything about any of what happened before was going to have to wait for a little while.
Mari nodded in curt as she kept in mind that she was going to have to make a right hand turn after the next two sets of traffic lights. "Yeah, you can trust me. Because, well, meeting people from other worlds and helping them is something I'm familiar with." She sighed. "Not that I'm used to this..."
Zack:
"That... Yeesh, I'm sorry for you. That has to be rough. My encounter with other-worldly beings is something that's not at all pleasant."
Zack chuckled and turned the radio on.
"I hope you don't mind. I'd just like to lighten up the tension in the air."
He commented, giving her a knowing look.
Mari:
What he said there had her confused a moment. She was aware Zack must have noticed. Yet, she wasn't even intending to hide that. Well Jenova fell to Gaia from outer-space, way before he, Cloud, and Sephiroth others were born, so...
She could hear Kansas' "Dust in the Wind" playing at a low volume as he turned her car radio on. She immediately recognized exactly when in the song it was playing, for she had heard it several times on both the radio, and on YouTube. "-a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see..."
"Oh, I see. We could compare our experiences a little later. Since it wouldn't be a good idea to do so now, since where we're going is a public place."
Zack:
"I think I'll just hang out in here. Something tells me that if I go out like this, I'm bound to attract some unwanted attention."
He replied quirkily and lightly raised the volume.
"Wouldn't want that now, would we?"
Mari:
"Not at all." She replied just as Zack figured out what she was starting to imply. "Any talking about other worlds, and anything about my crazy-weird experiences of the past around others would also do that."
"Don't hang on," she heard the band member Steve Walsh sing. "Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy..."
Mari could see that right hand turn coming up. "I could get you some new shirts, and some disinfectant wipes. For you to clean yourself up with. I'll do that first."
She wasn't sure about having him wait a while in the car while she shopped for groceries. Not that I'll buy a lot, because it looks like I'll have to move out of my apartment anyway.
Zack:
"That's nice of you. Thanks a lot. I'll try not to be a burden on you."
He was really enjoying the song. He wanted to raise the volume more, but fought the urge.
"Hey, who's singing?"
Mari:
"That's one of the older bands I've known since I was a kid. One of my favorites of the classic rock variety, known as Kansas." She knew she tended to listen to music every now and then. The genre they were both currently listening to was just a third of the variety Mari liked.
Suddenly, there was the amusing thought of eventually having her biggest music playlist on shuffle from her laptop around Zack. Some of what was on there, she knew was funny and weird. No wait. On second thought... Some of what are on the Final Fantasy remix videos! Yeah, gotta be real careful and smart about this.
She found herself smiling a little as she could tell Zack understood on her own situation. "I appreciate that. Though, I don't think you'll be much of a burden. And I'm Mari, by the way."
Zack:
He suddenly felt very embarrassed. Here they were talking, getting to know each other, but he hadn't introduced himself.
Out of all the dumb things he's done, this was new. He shamefully opened his mouth.
"I'm Zack. Nice to meet you, Mari. "
Suddenly, the music changed. The radio host announced, "Now playing 'How To Save A Life', by The Fray."
Mari:
Mari moved to the very right of the paved road, just before making that turn she needed to make. Of course, she turned on the turning single as she did.
If she saw how embarrassed Zack look, then she would have at least snickered. How'd he end up in my world in the first place? Those damn creeps. She felt the tiniest prick of anxiety in her spine just now. Oh shit, is there going to be a REPEAT of what already happened?!
Mari swallowed and hid her nervousness, and let the song distract her a bit. "Oh, I know of this one too. I have one of their CDs. Though, I forget which one."
Zack:
"...Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left, and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life... "
Zack immediately started humming along to the song and tapping his foot.
"I love it." He simply said. "It's amazing. The Fray, eh? They sound awesome."
Mari:
"Yeah, they're not bad. Some bands I like much more than others though." Mari grinned at the thought of getting him hooked on some of her world's music. He's yet to hear some by The Offspring, Linkin Park, Audioslave, Chevelle, Sevendust, Mae, Three Doors Down...
She made the turn, and towards the parking lot. "Okay. What's your shirt size? Large? Extra large? I'll grab some plain long sleeves. It's a bit chilly outside."
Zack:
"I mean, I guess a large would do. Maybe some sweaters too. Don't worry, I'll find a way to pay you back!"
He replied with a bit of eagerness in his voice.
Mari:
"Don't worry about paying me back. I'll be well okay enough with you being safe, and adjusting a-okay to these bizarre circumstances." So bizarre.
She slowed down as she kept in mind to look for a few sweaters. I'll get the first aid kit when I'll buy groceries. Again, she was an IDIOT for not already having one, within easy access.
"Is there anything else I could get for you? Maybe a bottle of water? I'm going to buy groceries, and it might take a little while when I do so."
Zack:
"Hmmm!" He did a thinking gesture, teasingly. "Surprise me!" He said, smiling.
"Don't stress out, but if you really wanna know, I am somewhat of a big eater." He sighed. It's all part of being a superhuman soldier. Gaia is a strange world.
"You just do what's important. Don't worry about me. I'm strong!" He winked and flexed his left arm for her to see.
Mari:
Mari made a "pffff" sound of slight amusement as she happened to see him flex his arm. Good times ahead. I can tell. Well, among the bad and really stressful...
"Alright, but I want to make sure you hydrate yourself. It'll be good, but nothing like a soda. I don't know how much blood you lost." His health mattered to her, just as much as his sanity and safety did.
"I'll get enough food stuffs for the both of us, enough to last us a little while." She found an empty parking space near the front of the clothing and convenience store she wanted to go to.
Zack:
He nodded at her and watched as she got out of the car.
"Don't worry. I'll be right here. I'll protect the car for you."
He gave her a thumbs up and smiled.
"You stay safe in there." He joked.
Mari:
With the engine off, she had unbuckled her seat belt, and reached behind to grab her purse, on the floor in between the front seats.
She saw him nod after she shut the door on the driver's side. Moving over to face him, she assured, "Not that my car would typically be in danger of getting broke into, but I appreciate the offer." She winked, and then smiled. "I'll be fine. It's just a big department store, after all."
She waved goodbye, and then briskly headed toward the Sears.
Zack:
Zack pulled his seat back and relaxed, enjoying the music on the radio and looking at the department store. So, you mean to tell me... I fought about a literal million soldiers and died, just to awaken in some world? I didn't even die because I took my sword with me. What's going on?
Mari:
Well, I got a whole LOT of explaining to do! It's probably going to take some days to cover everything, bit by bit...
Mari entered into the store, feeling a weird mix of confidence and stress. Confidence, for she knew just what to do for Zack right now. Stress, for she wasn't looking forward to certain details of all that explaining.
In no time, she grabbed about five long sleeve shirts in some plain colors she knew he'd look decent enough in. Two of those were sweaters. It took two minutes to locate where the wipes were. She grabbed a container of those.
Last but not least, she picked up a Sobe herbal drink. I think I have enough for this *and* all the other important things. She was sure she had plenty on her debit card for the time being, as she paid for all the items she picked out.
She had all the clothes and container wipes in one bag. She carried the drink separately to give to him first as she had returned. She then held out the plastic bag.
"Okay. Go on and clean up. I'll be back again in a while."
Just as she had finished handing Zack all of what she bought, she heard her cell phone's custom ringtone. She pulled it out of her pocket, and saw that it was her mother that was calling. She promptly answered it. "Hey, Mom."
Been a while, since I've last been able to call her.
Zack:
Zack took the wipes and started cleaning himself up. He dabbed and rubbed at the dried blood on his arms, chest, neck, and face. The wounds just closed on their own...
He finished and made a generic waste bag with one of the plastic bags for the wipes.
"Thanks a lot for all of this. You're a real angel, you know that?"
Mari:
"Are you feeling alright today?" Mom sounded concerned on the phone.
Then, she heard Zack say his thanks. She smiled a bit to him, as she replied to Mom. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've been out and about." Her smile dimmed, as she knew it wasn't at all a good idea to hide Zack from her.. "Also, this is going to sound really strange, and, um, familiar. I found an other-worlder on the side of a highway on my way to go shopping."
Zack:
Zack gave her a look of concern that basically spelled out: "Are you sure you want to tell her about this? You could always make something up."
He let out a quiet sigh as she talked to her mother on the phone and started thinking about his own parents. How long had it been since he last saw them? Eight, nine years?
Mari:
"She's already been exposed to this before. My dad, too, and some of my friends around the country," she informed.
"This other-worlder person is with you right now? Could this all be happening all over again? With the Mind Wraiths?" She could easily detect that Mom was starting to worry more.
"I don't know if that's it, and I really don't want to think that this is anything close to a repeat." Mari was feeling the stress over this possibility. "As much de`javu as this seems, it's too soon to really tell. It could be something else." Her brows furrowed as she was quick to ask Mom something. "Did Lia already tell you about what happened, on my return the other night?"
Zack:
He just watched as she talked, barely understanding what had been going on. Whatever it was, it seemed pretty big and they perhaps knew how or why he ended up in thia strange world.
Or, perhaps he was just looking too deep into it. Who knows? He'd been really tired at that point so lots of things seemed logical to him.
Mari:
Mari's gaze flicked to Zack, who was watching and listening to her side of the conversation very attentively.
"She did," Mom replied. "That's why I called... I'm having a hard time believing it, but I won't doubt you over seeing Pooh like that."
"Thanks, but I can't really talk about those certain details." Mari said this for especially Zack to hear. "I'm sticking around on our world for a week, at least. I'm glad Lia was able to tell you, when I couldn't. I'm better off just not, for a while. I'd freak out." She couldn't hide how troubled she looked. "To think whatever's causing the current crazy and bizarre, I think it got turned up a notch. I haven't been outside our world before this current week. I mean, Zack didn't know, and neither did you. Until now."
"Who's Zack," Mom asked.
"He's the person I'm helping out now. He's super strong to be carrying a massive sword on his own."
If that rings any bells, Mom. If you can understand that hint...
Zack:
Zack suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head and his eyes widened. His breathing accelerated as it looked like he was being tortured somehow.
He held onto his head for dear life, groaning in pain...
Then, he stopped. He just exhaled and looked around with visible confusion plastered on his face.
Mari:
She hadn't clearly heard what her mom said next, because she had seen Zack gripping both sides of his head, groaning and looking distressed.
Her heart might have stopped a moment as she quickly came close to him as soon it seemed to pass. Her newfound friend looked so confused.
"Zack?" She heard how her voice came out; a little high pitched. She touched his shoulder with her free hand. "W-What-? Are you okay?"
"Mari? Is everything alright? What's going on with Zack?" Mom was quick to hear the distress in her voice.
"I-I'm not sure. He looked like he was having a seriously bad headache a second ago."
Zack:
"I was just... I was seeing things. I'm not crazy, but like images were flooding into my head and now they're gone. It's like... I can't even remember what I saw but it frightened me..." He replied, panting heavily.
"That's the second time this has happened to me since I arrived here. I don't know if it's connected or it's some type of trauma from nearly dying."
Mari:
Mari felt her eyes widen in alarm. "Second time?" Then she asked on the phone, "Did you get that, Mom?"
"I did... What is going on? Where are you?"
"At a shopping center, further up in St. Mary's County. Look, I'm going to put my phone on speaker--b-but before I do. Mom, if Zack reminds you of anyone from another world you heard of, or who I told you about, please keep that to yourself for now. Please. There's a time and place to go over that later."
"Alright." Her mother sounded both concerned and a little reluctant, but said no objections.
Zack:
He squinted at her as he heard what she said. "What do you mean by that? I'm so confused. What's happening here? This world is really driving me insane."
Mari:
Mari's expression towards Zack was concerned and apologetic. "I don't want at all for you to be seriously overwhelmed when it comes to the other worlds that exist, and the people who come from them... I understand that it seems everything is going on around you is really weird and difficult for you to take in right now. And it will make sense when everything gets broken down into smaller servings of information."
"Ohhh, I thought you already explained," Mom said.
"No," she replied to her. "I was helping him out with other important stuff. He had been badly injured."
Zack:
"I'll trust what you say, Mari. It might not be the smartest thing to do, but I'm in a foreign world and you're all I have here." He smiled melancholy.
"I'll trust you and if it bites me in the ass, I'll face the consequences like a man!" He raised his voice slightly and his expression became one of determination and understanding.
Mari:
Damn, I feel so bad for him right now.
"Zack, I intend to do all I can to not let you down. We've got to help each other out."
"Weren't you going to turn on speaker mode?" Mom reminded her.
She had forgotten she said that earlier. "Right. I'll do that now."
After a moment of finger tapping on her phone screen, Mari turned around to lean against her car, next to where Zack sat in the passenger side. She held out her phone in front of them. "Zack, this is my mom, Linda. Mom, meet Zack."
Zack:
Zack leaned in closer to the phone. "Hello, Mrs. Linda. Nice to meet you." He said politely.
"Your daughter has been a real help to me in the past hour. Thank you very much."
Mari:
"Well, we all do what we can to help anyone who needs help," Mom admitted. "And you know, you don't have many options right now... The police aren't trustworthy. And I remember, when the army had tried to capture some of the other-worlders."
"Yeah, and some of them had to go and rescue one from being an, um, unwilling test subject." Mari inwardly tensed up as she finished that sentence. She of course knew that Zack had been through his share of that.
Zack:
"That's no easy thing to handle. I've learned to be careful with military organizations. I've had my fair share of problems with them. They seem like heroes but not all of them are good."
He looked down.
"A den of monsters. That's the best way to describe it..." His voice faltered.
Mari:
"You must have been through so much. At least you'd figure out what to do if the government finds out about you being in our world. I hope..." Mom paused. "Mari, what are you going to do? Are you still shopping?"
"I'm about to pick up groceries sometime soon..." Mari frowned, and considered breaking the hard news to her parents about world traveling, and what she had decided to do ever since she had been worldly misplaced early on in the current week.
"Would it be alright if Zack and I came over for dinner later? There are important matters I have to talk to you and Dad about, in person."
Mom easily picked up how serious she sounded, for she replied, "I'm guessing it has to do with you being outside this world."
"Yeah, and decisions I've given thought on. It would just be better if we went over this together."
Zack:
Zack just listened. He didn't need to answer. He figured that he'd let the professionals handle everything.
It was just so crazy to him. Of course, he'd never heard of such things really happening before, but this was crazy.
To top it all off, it seems like his situation is the cause of something sinister and it's so bad that Mari is afraid to say it.
He could sense the fear in her. It was strong no matter how much she tried pushing it down.
Mari:
Mom sighed. "I don't know what it is you've been through this time, so I'm glad you're going to tell us about it."
"It's going to be hard for all of us to go over, but I know I should say something, before anything else crazy happens," Mari said. Before I end up getting worldly misplaced again, or something else happening to me that I get no say in.
Mari felt like everything was weighing so heavily on her shoulders. She knew she was going to need that break of normalcy real soon, with Zack joining her. It wouldn't surprise her if he could sense how stressed she was.
"How does pot roast sound? I already have it cooking," Mom said.
"Sounds good. Make sure there's plenty for everyone. Zack's got a big appetite." Mari allowed herself to smile. "He said so himself."
Zack:
He chuckled at her remark and pat her shoulder.
"Take it easy. Don't stress yourself. You know better than anyone that finding yourself in another world is crazy. Am I right? Let's just head over to your parents and clear the air."
He flashed her a bright smile as his eyes seemed to shine in dimly lit parking lot.
"Well, finish your grocery shopping first."
Mari:
Mari smiled softly in return as she noticed his bright smile. "Yeah. We gotta go, Mom. I have to fill my fridge with stuff, and grab something important before we come over."
"I'll see you both tonight. Mari, I agree with Zack. Please take care of yourself."
I'll do what I can. "Alright. Love you Mom." She didn't hang up just yet, in case Zack wanted to tell her goodbye.
Zack:
"Yeah! 'Love you, Mom'." He said, teasingly. "Ahem. Sorry, uh. See you later, Mrs."
He hoped he didn't creep them out with that. Ah, Zack. When will he learn?
"Hehe. Ahem, we'll be there shortly."
Mari:
What he said there caused her to laugh, and poke him in the shoulder. She was a little surprised that she could actually laugh right now. That was just how Zack was! From all she remembered, he was just that likable, and bright. She hoped so badly that his brightness wouldn't go out...
"If you want to be adopted into my family, you should ask first," she teased back. Then she laughed again.
Mom was also laughing, and easily put in her own joke. "I don't think we have the right kind of papers for that!"
"Oh, fair point. But we could work around it, I'm sure!" Mari laughed once more, before saying a final goodbye to her mother.
She looked over to Zack, her own bright smile of amusement remaining. "Hurry up, and put on a new shirt on. There's scissors in the glove box. You can cut off the tags with that."
Zack:
Zack gave her a funny look. He needed to lighten the mood.
"Jeez. Are you that eager to see my muscular body? I know I'm attractive but still- Patience."
He laughed as he finished his sentence.
He removed the top of his outfit and pulled a dark shirt out of the bag.
"Nice. I look amazing black, how'd you know?"
Mari:
Mari snickered at his funny look before turning around. She actually didn't care much about how muscular he looked, or how good looking he was. She tended to be drawn in more by personalities that interested her.
"I don't know. Lucky guess!" She waited patiently as he changed shirts. "I also picked dark blues and greens."
Zack:
"Well, I guess you're really lucky! Thanks! Oh, and you can turn back around, haha!" He said, wearing the black shirt.
It fitted his body perfectly, tracing his arms out and the perfect hold around his frame.
Mari:
She turned to face him, and asked, "How's your head feeling? I think we'll have to get you some aspirin too." She stepped back a bit, to give him room to open up the car door, and step out.
Zack:
He stretched his legs out of the vehicle and jumped out, landing with a perfectly executed squat.
"It's better now. I don't want to feel that again... It's too frightening."
Mari:
Mari looked and felt calm, and relieved. "I honestly wouldn't want that for you either. It was a bit scary for me to have seen you like that." She pocketed her phone.
Zack:
"Heh. What's even scarier is that i don't even remember what I saw... All I know is that it terrified me... Who knows? Maybe it's for the best?" He chuckled sadly.
"There's no use being all gloomy, Mari. One thing is for certain: Your family seems to understand what's happening and it makes the greater scheme of things better. Don't fret. I trust you."
But did they really understand?
Mari:
She smiled, and felt like she could definitely relate with Zack about having it better off not remembering some scary things. She had experienced her own share of that. After all, she wanted to not really say or even think about her recent horrifying experience around the alternate Pooh-bear. At least, not for a long while.
"They do understand, for the most part. I haven't said anything about the most current of events to them yet; the new, additional level of crazy. But as I said to Mom, that's for when we go see them..." She was looking forward to doing something totally normal and harmless with him. She knew they both really needed that.
"For now, we'll go by what's said in this movie I like; enjoy the little things!" She pointed to the Shoppers, at the other end of a line of stores from the Sears. "We'll be going over there next."
Zack:
"Want me to come in with you? I don't mind keeping you company. It'll do you some good!" He said as he got down from his seat.
"Come on, Mari. Let's go. Shopping with me can be really fun." He laughed.
Mari:
She laughed with him as she watched him close the passenger car door. "That's the plan, for us to both go in and enjoy ourselves a little."
She got out her car keys, and pressed the button on the round black part on top of it. With a noticable sound of multiple clicks at once, the car was locked up.
"I don't think any group's going to try to take your sword. But better do that, just in case."
Zack:
"If they try, I don't think they'll be able to carry it. It's pretty heavy." Zack chuckled.
"I'm pretty sure I'd be able to catch them if they dare tried."
Mari:
"Yeah, no doubt about it," Mari agreed with a smile as they walked across the parking lot.
She went over in her mind on what she needed for her apartment's fridge. "I've had to toss out a bit of stuff this morning... The left over milk was starting to smell, so yeah, gonna need a new carton of that. Some more bread, a new box of cereal maybe, and some fresh deli meat." It wasn't a lot. If there was anything else she remembered she needed, she'd just say so.
The scene is not complete yet. I'll eventually start summarizing for Part 5 of Mari's Story So Far as this further develops.
Mari was driving along the highway, on the way to the store. She was running low on groceries. Some of what she had been in the fridge too long, and it was causing a stink in there! That's what she got for being away from her apartment for a bit too long.
Although, it wasn't her fault. Whoever thought it was fun and hilarious to have worldly misplaced her someplace else a little while had serious issues! Yet, she had recovered, and was over it. She no longer had to worry over searching for her home world again, thanks to a certain new friend who happened to help her out of that jam.
A short break of normalcy was what Mari needed, after a rather witnessing a horrific and gruesome scene, two nights ago. She'd have to find the time later on to ask Tigger who thought it was a brilliant idea to for Pooh-bear to have a freaking Keyblade, once she was ready.
She needed to do something normal and harmless today. It mattered so much to her to experience a week without a single chance for a panic attack to occur. Trying to find versions of people she recognized and befriended in her world so close to two years ago in addition in all effort possible to learn general need to know about alternate worlds had proved to be stressful, confusing, and frustrating. Very recently, her second and last visit with Pooh had pushed hard on her limits.
It wasn't at all a good idea to think much on that while on the road. The redhead knew this. So, she had been building a totally ordinary and necessary to-do list in her mind. However, something began to direct her attention away from that. Something reflected sunlight on the side of the road ahead of her; a sword. A very large and heavy looking sword! It was strapped to a man's back.
This wasn't something anyone would usually see on her world, most certainly not the U.S.
Promptly, Mari pressed a foot onto the brake pad to slow down. Already, de`javu came again. She slowed her cherry red compact to nearly a crawl as she pulled up close to the swordsman. She saw the brushed back dark spikes, the armored shoulder pads, and his blue eyes. There were also some very noticeable holes in his shirt.
Oh my god!! Her brown eyes went so wide for a moment as she recognized EXACTLY who the man was! Former First Class SOLDIER. Cloud Strife's best friend. Zack Fair.
Wait. He was back in her world again? Or, was she going to be meeting him all over again? Dread was starting to settle into the pit of her stomach as she prepared a basic idea of what to say.
De`ja-freaking-vu! A bit too much of it... Don't blurt out his name. Don't blurt out anything. Must handle all this gradually.
"Where are you going? You look like you need a new shirt."
She tried to pretend that the shocked expression that had come and gone so fast didn't happen. She managed to speak calmly, despite how nervous and awkward she felt inside.
Zack:
Zack had been keeping to the side of the road. He knew he was nowhere in his own world, Gaia. He could tell because of the atmosphere, the land, some of the wildlife, it was all different.
He felt uncomfortable. The holes in his shirt allowed the cold to touch his skin and the dried blood didn't make it any more pleasant. He had no idea where he was heading. He just walked...
And walked...
And walked some more, hoping to end up somewhere.
That's when she stopped beside him and he looked at her, confused but relieved.
Mari:
Mari noticed the dried blood alright, now that she was seeing him up close. She looked startled again.
"Get in. Please? There's room in the back for that sword of yours."
Zack:
Zack, with a quiet grunt, put his sword in the back of the car, eyeing Mari warily. He walked to the passenger seat and sat.
"Hm. Thanks a lot."
Mari:
She noted the wary glance, and watched as he closed the car door. From his perspective, she wouldn't blame him. A stranger in a car had arrived to help. This, after initially showing up someplace unexpected and attacked prior to that. 'He must have a lot on his mind right now. Looks like he could use a break from it all as well. Not just me.'
Mari understood, as she was already forming a plan on what to do from here. She knew she had to help, and keep them both out of trouble, and away from unwanted attention.
She looked to the passing cars on the highway. "How bad are you hurting right now?" She waited for an opening wide enough to move them back onto the highway. "I'm on the way to the store, so, it's lucky timing that I found you, huh?"
Zack could probably hear it in her tone that she was smiling a little.
Zack:
Zack looked at his wounds which seemed to have not been as bad as they should have been.
"Well, I'm doing good. I was on the verge of death before, but... I'm fine."
He tried saying with an awkward chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head.
"I guess I'm just tired, I've been walking for the longest."
He sighed and looked out the window.
"I don't even know where the hell I am."
Mari:
"You sure? You're not sore anywhere? I saw you had been bleeding." She felt like such an idiot. After all the sorts of encounters and situations she'd been through, she couldn't have stopped to put in a first aid kid into the glove box? That would have to start changing, today. Ugh, how does one live any sort of stable life with all this multiple universe stuff?
She frowned as she saw the right opportunity to continue her original course towards the shopping center. She pressed on the gas and speedily moved into the right lane.
"Ever been to Maryland before? First time?"
Well, obviously. I'm meeting him all over again. Only more in person, and unlike... She briefly recalled to herself the first time she had noticed an alternate Zack had showed up in her world. He had made his presence known online.
Zack:
"Maryland? Doesn't ring a bell. I'm from Midgar. I guess it's far from here, considering the fact that I don't recognize anywhere here."
He exhaled lightly as he looked at the radio.
"Tell me. What's today's date?" He asked curiously, tapping his fingers against the door.
Mari:
So, he was in Midgar when he had been shot to death? I see. She couldn't remember if Alternate Zack had been close to death or not...
"Well, I think you're farther away than you could ever imagine. 'Cause there's no Midgar anywhere around here. Not in this world." She felt herself tense up as she kept her eyes on the road.
"As for today's date, it's Feburary twenty-fifth. Year twenty-twenty."
Zack:
"So, it is another world. I could somehow feel it. I thought I was being delusional but the lack of Mako reactors and other things just made it so obvious."
He looked at Mari.
"Even the date is different but not entirely. At least, we have a somewhat similar Calendar system."
"Tell me. I can trust you, right?"
Mari:
She relaxed just a bit. He didn't seem as shocked as she had anticipated. Attentively, she soon realized what Zack meant. Oh, that's right. There's no Lifestream in this world. Alternate Sephiroth had...mentioned that... Uh, yeah; saying anything about any of what happened before was going to have to wait for a little while.
Mari nodded in curt as she kept in mind that she was going to have to make a right hand turn after the next two sets of traffic lights. "Yeah, you can trust me. Because, well, meeting people from other worlds and helping them is something I'm familiar with." She sighed. "Not that I'm used to this..."
Zack:
"That... Yeesh, I'm sorry for you. That has to be rough. My encounter with other-worldly beings is something that's not at all pleasant."
Zack chuckled and turned the radio on.
"I hope you don't mind. I'd just like to lighten up the tension in the air."
He commented, giving her a knowing look.
Mari:
What he said there had her confused a moment. She was aware Zack must have noticed. Yet, she wasn't even intending to hide that. Well Jenova fell to Gaia from outer-space, way before he, Cloud, and Sephiroth others were born, so...
She could hear Kansas' "Dust in the Wind" playing at a low volume as he turned her car radio on. She immediately recognized exactly when in the song it was playing, for she had heard it several times on both the radio, and on YouTube. "-a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see..."
"Oh, I see. We could compare our experiences a little later. Since it wouldn't be a good idea to do so now, since where we're going is a public place."
Zack:
"I think I'll just hang out in here. Something tells me that if I go out like this, I'm bound to attract some unwanted attention."
He replied quirkily and lightly raised the volume.
"Wouldn't want that now, would we?"
Mari:
"Not at all." She replied just as Zack figured out what she was starting to imply. "Any talking about other worlds, and anything about my crazy-weird experiences of the past around others would also do that."
"Don't hang on," she heard the band member Steve Walsh sing. "Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy..."
Mari could see that right hand turn coming up. "I could get you some new shirts, and some disinfectant wipes. For you to clean yourself up with. I'll do that first."
She wasn't sure about having him wait a while in the car while she shopped for groceries. Not that I'll buy a lot, because it looks like I'll have to move out of my apartment anyway.
Zack:
"That's nice of you. Thanks a lot. I'll try not to be a burden on you."
He was really enjoying the song. He wanted to raise the volume more, but fought the urge.
"Hey, who's singing?"
Mari:
"That's one of the older bands I've known since I was a kid. One of my favorites of the classic rock variety, known as Kansas." She knew she tended to listen to music every now and then. The genre they were both currently listening to was just a third of the variety Mari liked.
Suddenly, there was the amusing thought of eventually having her biggest music playlist on shuffle from her laptop around Zack. Some of what was on there, she knew was funny and weird. No wait. On second thought... Some of what are on the Final Fantasy remix videos! Yeah, gotta be real careful and smart about this.
She found herself smiling a little as she could tell Zack understood on her own situation. "I appreciate that. Though, I don't think you'll be much of a burden. And I'm Mari, by the way."
Zack:
He suddenly felt very embarrassed. Here they were talking, getting to know each other, but he hadn't introduced himself.
Out of all the dumb things he's done, this was new. He shamefully opened his mouth.
"I'm Zack. Nice to meet you, Mari. "
Suddenly, the music changed. The radio host announced, "Now playing 'How To Save A Life', by The Fray."
Mari:
Mari moved to the very right of the paved road, just before making that turn she needed to make. Of course, she turned on the turning single as she did.
If she saw how embarrassed Zack look, then she would have at least snickered. How'd he end up in my world in the first place? Those damn creeps. She felt the tiniest prick of anxiety in her spine just now. Oh shit, is there going to be a REPEAT of what already happened?!
Mari swallowed and hid her nervousness, and let the song distract her a bit. "Oh, I know of this one too. I have one of their CDs. Though, I forget which one."
Zack:
"...Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left, and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life... "
Zack immediately started humming along to the song and tapping his foot.
"I love it." He simply said. "It's amazing. The Fray, eh? They sound awesome."
Mari:
"Yeah, they're not bad. Some bands I like much more than others though." Mari grinned at the thought of getting him hooked on some of her world's music. He's yet to hear some by The Offspring, Linkin Park, Audioslave, Chevelle, Sevendust, Mae, Three Doors Down...
She made the turn, and towards the parking lot. "Okay. What's your shirt size? Large? Extra large? I'll grab some plain long sleeves. It's a bit chilly outside."
Zack:
"I mean, I guess a large would do. Maybe some sweaters too. Don't worry, I'll find a way to pay you back!"
He replied with a bit of eagerness in his voice.
Mari:
"Don't worry about paying me back. I'll be well okay enough with you being safe, and adjusting a-okay to these bizarre circumstances." So bizarre.
She slowed down as she kept in mind to look for a few sweaters. I'll get the first aid kit when I'll buy groceries. Again, she was an IDIOT for not already having one, within easy access.
"Is there anything else I could get for you? Maybe a bottle of water? I'm going to buy groceries, and it might take a little while when I do so."
Zack:
"Hmmm!" He did a thinking gesture, teasingly. "Surprise me!" He said, smiling.
"Don't stress out, but if you really wanna know, I am somewhat of a big eater." He sighed. It's all part of being a superhuman soldier. Gaia is a strange world.
"You just do what's important. Don't worry about me. I'm strong!" He winked and flexed his left arm for her to see.
Mari:
Mari made a "pffff" sound of slight amusement as she happened to see him flex his arm. Good times ahead. I can tell. Well, among the bad and really stressful...
"Alright, but I want to make sure you hydrate yourself. It'll be good, but nothing like a soda. I don't know how much blood you lost." His health mattered to her, just as much as his sanity and safety did.
"I'll get enough food stuffs for the both of us, enough to last us a little while." She found an empty parking space near the front of the clothing and convenience store she wanted to go to.
Zack:
He nodded at her and watched as she got out of the car.
"Don't worry. I'll be right here. I'll protect the car for you."
He gave her a thumbs up and smiled.
"You stay safe in there." He joked.
Mari:
With the engine off, she had unbuckled her seat belt, and reached behind to grab her purse, on the floor in between the front seats.
She saw him nod after she shut the door on the driver's side. Moving over to face him, she assured, "Not that my car would typically be in danger of getting broke into, but I appreciate the offer." She winked, and then smiled. "I'll be fine. It's just a big department store, after all."
She waved goodbye, and then briskly headed toward the Sears.
Zack:
Zack pulled his seat back and relaxed, enjoying the music on the radio and looking at the department store. So, you mean to tell me... I fought about a literal million soldiers and died, just to awaken in some world? I didn't even die because I took my sword with me. What's going on?
Mari:
Well, I got a whole LOT of explaining to do! It's probably going to take some days to cover everything, bit by bit...
Mari entered into the store, feeling a weird mix of confidence and stress. Confidence, for she knew just what to do for Zack right now. Stress, for she wasn't looking forward to certain details of all that explaining.
In no time, she grabbed about five long sleeve shirts in some plain colors she knew he'd look decent enough in. Two of those were sweaters. It took two minutes to locate where the wipes were. She grabbed a container of those.
Last but not least, she picked up a Sobe herbal drink. I think I have enough for this *and* all the other important things. She was sure she had plenty on her debit card for the time being, as she paid for all the items she picked out.
She had all the clothes and container wipes in one bag. She carried the drink separately to give to him first as she had returned. She then held out the plastic bag.
"Okay. Go on and clean up. I'll be back again in a while."
Just as she had finished handing Zack all of what she bought, she heard her cell phone's custom ringtone. She pulled it out of her pocket, and saw that it was her mother that was calling. She promptly answered it. "Hey, Mom."
Been a while, since I've last been able to call her.
Zack:
Zack took the wipes and started cleaning himself up. He dabbed and rubbed at the dried blood on his arms, chest, neck, and face. The wounds just closed on their own...
He finished and made a generic waste bag with one of the plastic bags for the wipes.
"Thanks a lot for all of this. You're a real angel, you know that?"
Mari:
"Are you feeling alright today?" Mom sounded concerned on the phone.
Then, she heard Zack say his thanks. She smiled a bit to him, as she replied to Mom. "Yeah, I'm fine. I've been out and about." Her smile dimmed, as she knew it wasn't at all a good idea to hide Zack from her.. "Also, this is going to sound really strange, and, um, familiar. I found an other-worlder on the side of a highway on my way to go shopping."
Zack:
Zack gave her a look of concern that basically spelled out: "Are you sure you want to tell her about this? You could always make something up."
He let out a quiet sigh as she talked to her mother on the phone and started thinking about his own parents. How long had it been since he last saw them? Eight, nine years?
Mari:
"She's already been exposed to this before. My dad, too, and some of my friends around the country," she informed.
"This other-worlder person is with you right now? Could this all be happening all over again? With the Mind Wraiths?" She could easily detect that Mom was starting to worry more.
"I don't know if that's it, and I really don't want to think that this is anything close to a repeat." Mari was feeling the stress over this possibility. "As much de`javu as this seems, it's too soon to really tell. It could be something else." Her brows furrowed as she was quick to ask Mom something. "Did Lia already tell you about what happened, on my return the other night?"
Zack:
He just watched as she talked, barely understanding what had been going on. Whatever it was, it seemed pretty big and they perhaps knew how or why he ended up in thia strange world.
Or, perhaps he was just looking too deep into it. Who knows? He'd been really tired at that point so lots of things seemed logical to him.
Mari:
Mari's gaze flicked to Zack, who was watching and listening to her side of the conversation very attentively.
"She did," Mom replied. "That's why I called... I'm having a hard time believing it, but I won't doubt you over seeing Pooh like that."
"Thanks, but I can't really talk about those certain details." Mari said this for especially Zack to hear. "I'm sticking around on our world for a week, at least. I'm glad Lia was able to tell you, when I couldn't. I'm better off just not, for a while. I'd freak out." She couldn't hide how troubled she looked. "To think whatever's causing the current crazy and bizarre, I think it got turned up a notch. I haven't been outside our world before this current week. I mean, Zack didn't know, and neither did you. Until now."
"Who's Zack," Mom asked.
"He's the person I'm helping out now. He's super strong to be carrying a massive sword on his own."
If that rings any bells, Mom. If you can understand that hint...
Zack:
Zack suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head and his eyes widened. His breathing accelerated as it looked like he was being tortured somehow.
He held onto his head for dear life, groaning in pain...
Then, he stopped. He just exhaled and looked around with visible confusion plastered on his face.
Mari:
She hadn't clearly heard what her mom said next, because she had seen Zack gripping both sides of his head, groaning and looking distressed.
Her heart might have stopped a moment as she quickly came close to him as soon it seemed to pass. Her newfound friend looked so confused.
"Zack?" She heard how her voice came out; a little high pitched. She touched his shoulder with her free hand. "W-What-? Are you okay?"
"Mari? Is everything alright? What's going on with Zack?" Mom was quick to hear the distress in her voice.
"I-I'm not sure. He looked like he was having a seriously bad headache a second ago."
Zack:
"I was just... I was seeing things. I'm not crazy, but like images were flooding into my head and now they're gone. It's like... I can't even remember what I saw but it frightened me..." He replied, panting heavily.
"That's the second time this has happened to me since I arrived here. I don't know if it's connected or it's some type of trauma from nearly dying."
Mari:
Mari felt her eyes widen in alarm. "Second time?" Then she asked on the phone, "Did you get that, Mom?"
"I did... What is going on? Where are you?"
"At a shopping center, further up in St. Mary's County. Look, I'm going to put my phone on speaker--b-but before I do. Mom, if Zack reminds you of anyone from another world you heard of, or who I told you about, please keep that to yourself for now. Please. There's a time and place to go over that later."
"Alright." Her mother sounded both concerned and a little reluctant, but said no objections.
Zack:
He squinted at her as he heard what she said. "What do you mean by that? I'm so confused. What's happening here? This world is really driving me insane."
Mari:
Mari's expression towards Zack was concerned and apologetic. "I don't want at all for you to be seriously overwhelmed when it comes to the other worlds that exist, and the people who come from them... I understand that it seems everything is going on around you is really weird and difficult for you to take in right now. And it will make sense when everything gets broken down into smaller servings of information."
"Ohhh, I thought you already explained," Mom said.
"No," she replied to her. "I was helping him out with other important stuff. He had been badly injured."
Zack:
"I'll trust what you say, Mari. It might not be the smartest thing to do, but I'm in a foreign world and you're all I have here." He smiled melancholy.
"I'll trust you and if it bites me in the ass, I'll face the consequences like a man!" He raised his voice slightly and his expression became one of determination and understanding.
Mari:
Damn, I feel so bad for him right now.
"Zack, I intend to do all I can to not let you down. We've got to help each other out."
"Weren't you going to turn on speaker mode?" Mom reminded her.
She had forgotten she said that earlier. "Right. I'll do that now."
After a moment of finger tapping on her phone screen, Mari turned around to lean against her car, next to where Zack sat in the passenger side. She held out her phone in front of them. "Zack, this is my mom, Linda. Mom, meet Zack."
Zack:
Zack leaned in closer to the phone. "Hello, Mrs. Linda. Nice to meet you." He said politely.
"Your daughter has been a real help to me in the past hour. Thank you very much."
Mari:
"Well, we all do what we can to help anyone who needs help," Mom admitted. "And you know, you don't have many options right now... The police aren't trustworthy. And I remember, when the army had tried to capture some of the other-worlders."
"Yeah, and some of them had to go and rescue one from being an, um, unwilling test subject." Mari inwardly tensed up as she finished that sentence. She of course knew that Zack had been through his share of that.
Zack:
"That's no easy thing to handle. I've learned to be careful with military organizations. I've had my fair share of problems with them. They seem like heroes but not all of them are good."
He looked down.
"A den of monsters. That's the best way to describe it..." His voice faltered.
Mari:
"You must have been through so much. At least you'd figure out what to do if the government finds out about you being in our world. I hope..." Mom paused. "Mari, what are you going to do? Are you still shopping?"
"I'm about to pick up groceries sometime soon..." Mari frowned, and considered breaking the hard news to her parents about world traveling, and what she had decided to do ever since she had been worldly misplaced early on in the current week.
"Would it be alright if Zack and I came over for dinner later? There are important matters I have to talk to you and Dad about, in person."
Mom easily picked up how serious she sounded, for she replied, "I'm guessing it has to do with you being outside this world."
"Yeah, and decisions I've given thought on. It would just be better if we went over this together."
Zack:
Zack just listened. He didn't need to answer. He figured that he'd let the professionals handle everything.
It was just so crazy to him. Of course, he'd never heard of such things really happening before, but this was crazy.
To top it all off, it seems like his situation is the cause of something sinister and it's so bad that Mari is afraid to say it.
He could sense the fear in her. It was strong no matter how much she tried pushing it down.
Mari:
Mom sighed. "I don't know what it is you've been through this time, so I'm glad you're going to tell us about it."
"It's going to be hard for all of us to go over, but I know I should say something, before anything else crazy happens," Mari said. Before I end up getting worldly misplaced again, or something else happening to me that I get no say in.
Mari felt like everything was weighing so heavily on her shoulders. She knew she was going to need that break of normalcy real soon, with Zack joining her. It wouldn't surprise her if he could sense how stressed she was.
"How does pot roast sound? I already have it cooking," Mom said.
"Sounds good. Make sure there's plenty for everyone. Zack's got a big appetite." Mari allowed herself to smile. "He said so himself."
Zack:
He chuckled at her remark and pat her shoulder.
"Take it easy. Don't stress yourself. You know better than anyone that finding yourself in another world is crazy. Am I right? Let's just head over to your parents and clear the air."
He flashed her a bright smile as his eyes seemed to shine in dimly lit parking lot.
"Well, finish your grocery shopping first."
Mari:
Mari smiled softly in return as she noticed his bright smile. "Yeah. We gotta go, Mom. I have to fill my fridge with stuff, and grab something important before we come over."
"I'll see you both tonight. Mari, I agree with Zack. Please take care of yourself."
I'll do what I can. "Alright. Love you Mom." She didn't hang up just yet, in case Zack wanted to tell her goodbye.
Zack:
"Yeah! 'Love you, Mom'." He said, teasingly. "Ahem. Sorry, uh. See you later, Mrs."
He hoped he didn't creep them out with that. Ah, Zack. When will he learn?
"Hehe. Ahem, we'll be there shortly."
Mari:
What he said there caused her to laugh, and poke him in the shoulder. She was a little surprised that she could actually laugh right now. That was just how Zack was! From all she remembered, he was just that likable, and bright. She hoped so badly that his brightness wouldn't go out...
"If you want to be adopted into my family, you should ask first," she teased back. Then she laughed again.
Mom was also laughing, and easily put in her own joke. "I don't think we have the right kind of papers for that!"
"Oh, fair point. But we could work around it, I'm sure!" Mari laughed once more, before saying a final goodbye to her mother.
She looked over to Zack, her own bright smile of amusement remaining. "Hurry up, and put on a new shirt on. There's scissors in the glove box. You can cut off the tags with that."
Zack:
Zack gave her a funny look. He needed to lighten the mood.
"Jeez. Are you that eager to see my muscular body? I know I'm attractive but still- Patience."
He laughed as he finished his sentence.
He removed the top of his outfit and pulled a dark shirt out of the bag.
"Nice. I look amazing black, how'd you know?"
Mari:
Mari snickered at his funny look before turning around. She actually didn't care much about how muscular he looked, or how good looking he was. She tended to be drawn in more by personalities that interested her.
"I don't know. Lucky guess!" She waited patiently as he changed shirts. "I also picked dark blues and greens."
Zack:
"Well, I guess you're really lucky! Thanks! Oh, and you can turn back around, haha!" He said, wearing the black shirt.
It fitted his body perfectly, tracing his arms out and the perfect hold around his frame.
Mari:
She turned to face him, and asked, "How's your head feeling? I think we'll have to get you some aspirin too." She stepped back a bit, to give him room to open up the car door, and step out.
Zack:
He stretched his legs out of the vehicle and jumped out, landing with a perfectly executed squat.
"It's better now. I don't want to feel that again... It's too frightening."
Mari:
Mari looked and felt calm, and relieved. "I honestly wouldn't want that for you either. It was a bit scary for me to have seen you like that." She pocketed her phone.
Zack:
"Heh. What's even scarier is that i don't even remember what I saw... All I know is that it terrified me... Who knows? Maybe it's for the best?" He chuckled sadly.
"There's no use being all gloomy, Mari. One thing is for certain: Your family seems to understand what's happening and it makes the greater scheme of things better. Don't fret. I trust you."
But did they really understand?
Mari:
She smiled, and felt like she could definitely relate with Zack about having it better off not remembering some scary things. She had experienced her own share of that. After all, she wanted to not really say or even think about her recent horrifying experience around the alternate Pooh-bear. At least, not for a long while.
"They do understand, for the most part. I haven't said anything about the most current of events to them yet; the new, additional level of crazy. But as I said to Mom, that's for when we go see them..." She was looking forward to doing something totally normal and harmless with him. She knew they both really needed that.
"For now, we'll go by what's said in this movie I like; enjoy the little things!" She pointed to the Shoppers, at the other end of a line of stores from the Sears. "We'll be going over there next."
Zack:
"Want me to come in with you? I don't mind keeping you company. It'll do you some good!" He said as he got down from his seat.
"Come on, Mari. Let's go. Shopping with me can be really fun." He laughed.
Mari:
She laughed with him as she watched him close the passenger car door. "That's the plan, for us to both go in and enjoy ourselves a little."
She got out her car keys, and pressed the button on the round black part on top of it. With a noticable sound of multiple clicks at once, the car was locked up.
"I don't think any group's going to try to take your sword. But better do that, just in case."
Zack:
"If they try, I don't think they'll be able to carry it. It's pretty heavy." Zack chuckled.
"I'm pretty sure I'd be able to catch them if they dare tried."
Mari:
"Yeah, no doubt about it," Mari agreed with a smile as they walked across the parking lot.
She went over in her mind on what she needed for her apartment's fridge. "I've had to toss out a bit of stuff this morning... The left over milk was starting to smell, so yeah, gonna need a new carton of that. Some more bread, a new box of cereal maybe, and some fresh deli meat." It wasn't a lot. If there was anything else she remembered she needed, she'd just say so.
The scene is not complete yet. I'll eventually start summarizing for Part 5 of Mari's Story So Far as this further develops.
