Chapter 9: Locked in

Back in Netherrealm, it's not much of a time but dinner time with family and friends is much needed. 

The calm before the storm...I cannot wait to see my friends. 

Got my fit that makes me feel the cutest and now I am ready to rock. 

Waiting, and waiting...I can feel the grumble. 

Once it's time I can see the haste that will make it. Hah, I cannot feel how good the food tastes. 

Ah, I already know it's going to be delightful!

Michelle's in her own mind waiting for someone to come. You already know that it will be sorry from him but it'll be a bye. I cannot wait!

Hmm maybe they won't come...

"ROOF!" 

"AH! I CAME INSIDE?!" Michelle yelped.

Garvin laughed and sat comfortably on her side, "What's up cuzzzzzzzzz, what ya doing?" reaching out for pinch, his hands thrown away by Michelle. 

"I good, work, took time off and now I'm here going back next week." Michelle responded, eye contact on good, tracked away with work.

"That's good, I'm happy for you." Garvin responds scrolling through his phone. 

Michelle looked down really happy. It's feel kind of little icy without Nants. 

"When Nants finishing work?" Garvin said in record time. Michelle always appreciated how he would read the room. 

"Not so sure, he working..." she glanced at the table. Not the time but the table. 

"So, what you doing with stuff?"

Garvin, engaged, posture showing active.

"I took a week off since I was dealing with stuff with the recent shooting, going back" she sighs,  "next week". 

Perfect pause, "Yea, I'm glad. You know how to reclaim your time. It's good." Garvin. 

What are you talking about? Oh, he's back online. Nice. 

"Thank you" Michelle smiles. 

It was from there. Nauticaor made it too! Now it's a party for Michelle. "I am so happy to see you!"

"Where's Nants?...oh, hi" 

"At work..."

What's taking him so long?

The scamming is less likely what it seems to our 21st century folk. It's much more than that. 

If you know, you know. If you don't know. That's why. 

Michelle knows this and her heart flips.

Its getting tricky but it'll get there. I'm just happy for the abundance. It's everywhere and I am so happy. Knowing that this day is much needed, waited, and lifting. 

Moves into the kitchen. Oh my, was it a feast! Michelle almost ate a second plate and it was nothing like we had before. The sweet crunch meaty plant was the kicker. Toppled upon was buttery seasoned basmati and sweetened red onion steak. 

"Oh yea, this is so good" Michelle says munching. I cannot wait to eat that sandwich. You know when you can make like a really good fig sandwich you know you're living life. 

"Yea, this food's smacking slacking" Michelle's Garvin said, smelling his plate. 

He knows that gone too much and he gon fart. 

Michelle and Garvin been friends since before memories can be formed, or at least hazingly remembered. They are always two, that just seems natural to be around. He makes her feel like she can "do". 

"Yea, it's so good" Michelle goes for another bite, its sweeter than the last. "Ou!" She chefs kiss. 

Garvin chuckles and snaps a picture of his plate. 

I rel like this lifestyle. All of us safe. 

Nants finally comes in.  "Ayo, cuzz!" Nants cheeringly greets. 

"Nice seeing ya bruh" Gavin cheeringly responds.

I love this.

"Now, I cannot wait to see the rest of this corny movie." Michelle says without words. 

They all fell into it and the entertainment was alright. 

author notes:

Now, the "literal motherfuckers" from chapter 6 are actually a type of chocolate chasers that furthers the deprocascination of us. They are nothing more literally unworthy than this kind. That's why we did the hard work in dismantling it. It was for the freedoms of connection and feeling lonelinesslessness. Once we deconstructed Michelle now see that there is everything...absolutely everything and more right in front of us, around us, beneath us, by our right, our left, by our backs, and above us. And it's from here when she realizes that at the end, it doesn't even matter. 

Now, we are in Garsnew. The title was a typo and the subsequent mentions in chapter 4. My goodness. But, it is by far the best experience. So far. There were unexpected situations but it all landed the same way. 

Michelle was not having this place. I need something new. 

"There is someplace I can go. Hmm. It is uncharted land is it not?" Michelle proposes, without words. Millisecond pause from the crew made it clear that their next destination awaits. Much speculation. Is it going to be a car? A new crib? Probably an off-shoot faecation (friends and bae vacation) without fulling out documents, i.e. roadtrip. Maybe it'll be a fulfillment of that one dream to see what's on the floating land. 

author notes: The map is below for your reference. 

[End of author notes]

"We'll have to find a way through that portal" Michelle engages Nants, Garvin, and Nauticaor.

"Can't we just go through it?" Nants says, with words. 

"Yea, we did it." Nauticaor dots her watch and a projection comes on. "Look, the future footage shows that we just walk through."

Garvin tilts towards Michelle. 

"Well, there has to be something done before. The portal was created by an agreement amongst the Tree Trunks. I found that the portal gets them equal access to ingredients for their foods." Michelle challenged. 

"Proof?" Garvin demanded. 

"Here, the dream journal from the one we saved" Michelle rebuttals. 

Garvin looks through and the nature of the accounts are authentic. Garvin has the ability to discern and fact check sources. Once it's reliable then it can be trusted. 

"Okay let's go" Michelle says, feigning rest. The dish took the wind out of her. Now it's time to dreamscape.