“Jude! Jude! What’s that thing in the sky!? Wow, the building we were in was so tall! Why are there so many carriages!? What’s that block everyone puts next to their ears!? What’s that smell, it smells delicious!?”

Fifi’s eyes were shining as she looked at all of the things she’s never seen before. Her wings were flapping in joy as she flew around me.

I knew it. Her excitement over everything was priceless.

“Are you sure it’s fine to fly around?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

It still doesn’t feel real to me that two days ago I was fighting for my life. I’m walking down familiar sidewalks and passing by familiar buildings. It’s like my everyday life is back to normal, but it wasn’t. Flying next to me was a fairy that you would only see in fiction, and I needed to see if my friend Mako was safe.

If those men in black were observing me because of the prison incident, then they must have done something to Mako too. She’s a friend who has been through life and death with me so I want her to be safe.

It is June 7, 2019, and classes were still going on for our college. Unlike other colleges, our college, Colorfornia State University of Ostempal, wasn’t on summer break yet. Finals are during the next two weeks and summer break would come after that.

These last two weeks would be the busiest time for our college so many students should be on campus doing last-minute studying.

I’m just assuming, but Mako seems like a person who would stay after class and study in the library with her friends. She has a charismatic aura that attracts people and she is also an honest person.

I plan to wait at my usual bus stop to meet Mako. I usually see her on the bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and since today is Friday I hope to see her there.

That was my initial plan but considering what happened to the bus, I’m not sure they found a replacement yet. For now, this plan is going to be plan B.

Plan A is to go back home and change my clothes before going to the university to look for Mako. While I was in the hospital I was wearing a hospital gown but now I’m wearing my clothes from two days ago. My gray sweater and jeans were ripped and smelled like blood so I want to change my clothes first.

If I walk onto campus looking like this then someone would report me to the security because I look like a homeless person. The homeless people around this area are pretty dangerous because a lot of them are on drugs so I would be thrown out of campus.

Changing my clothes shouldn’t be too hard. From the hospital to my apartment it is only about 20 minutes on foot but the hard part would be getting to the campus from my apartment. A bus ride from my place to campus usually takes 30 to 40 minutes so walking would take over an hour.

Even though my apartment is quite far from campus, I don’t mind. My place was a one-bedroom and one-bathroom place inside of a 3 story apartment building. It’s enough for a single person but the only problem was that the rent was pretty high. The area I live in is in downtown Ostempal so the rent is higher than normal but since there weren’t any other places near the hospital I had to get this apartment.

The location of the apartment was convenient because I can just walk to the hospital to get my check-ups for my heart problem. It was also safer for me in case my heart problem suddenly flares out of control.

Ever since I was struck by lightning in middle school, I’ve always had heart problems. If a situation was too stressful or I got too emotional then I would get heart pains. The worst outcome is having a heart attack which has only happened once in my life.

I’m still surprised that I didn’t have a heart attack when I was up against the prison monster. My heart was racing and hurting, but I never felt that I would have a heart attack. Maybe it’s because Fifi was there to help me deal with the monster’s attack that I wasn’t worried about it.

“Fifi, you’re going the wrong way!”

There was another woman walking on the sidewalk so when I called out to Fifi, she looked behind her. She was checking if I was talking to her or not, and since Fifi was invisible to others, this woman just stared at me. She was staring at me like I was crazy. Considering my outfit and me talking to thin air, she probably thought I was on drugs.

I’m not crazy, I swear!!! Don’t look at me like that!!!

I hurried my steps so I could get away from that woman’s gaze. Fifi was sitting on a branch intently staring at a shop. I recognize this shop, it’s a place called Jimmy’s Donut Shop. It’s not a well-known spot but their donuts are pretty good. On display through the window were several colorful donuts which Fifi was staring at.

“Do you want one?”

“You can eat it!? Is that not art?”

“No, it’s food. Do you want one?”

“Yeah!!”

Her eyes were shining and her mouth salivating. Jimmy’s Donut Shop is known for there fresh donuts so you can smell the sweetness in the air. She’ll be even more shock when she takes a bite out of it.

I reach into the left pocket of my jeans where my wallet usually was but I don’t feel anything. I forgot I lost everything in the crash. My phone and wallet were in my pockets and I was wearing my backpack during the dispute with the old man, but I lost all of it during the crash. I can’t believe I lost my laptop and my notebooks, how am I going to study for finals!? My grades aren’t bad but failing my finals will destroy my grades.

“Sorry Fifi, I don’t have any money on me right now.”

“It’s fine, you can just buy me some next time.”

I don’t know if she realized I was feeling sad but she landed on my head and patted my head. It made me feel a little bit happier. But I still wanted to cry, the hospital bill was expensive and now I have to replace everything I lost in the crash.

Wait, I should see if the police station recovered my items. They must have taken everything at the bus crash as evidence, right? If my stuff is there then I only have to worry about my hospital bills.

While I was happy that my stuff could still be alive, there’s still a chance that they aren’t there. Since I didn’t want to think of that possibility, I began to humor Fifi. She continued to sit on my head and ask questions about everything she sees. Fifi was really intrigued about the new sites and items she’s never seen before so I began to teach her what these things were.

“Jude, how do those carriage work? I don’t see any horses or magic coming off of it.”

“Those carriages are called cars. Cars are used to transport people from place to place but they are a lot faster than carriages. Cars can move because every one of them has an engine inside of them.”

“What’s an engine?”

I don’t know much about cars, so I can’t tell her how engines work. I don’t want to give her false information so I’ll just tell her the truth.

“Sorry Fifi, I actually don’t know much about cars but they are very similar to horses. Horses eat hay and that gives them the energy to move. Cars eat a substance call gasoline that causes it to move.”

“I see, so it’s not that different from carriages. What is gasoline, Jude?”

She’s asking another hard question. I only have a superficial knowledge of what gasoline was from researching it online.

“Don’t take my word for it but gasoline is a substance that is extracted from petroleum which can be found within the ground. Petroleum is a type of liquid that is created far beneath the Earth’s surface after millions of years. Over many years, the dead animals and plants will be turned in petroleum.”

“I see. I see.”

Did she really understand me? I don’t even understand what I just said. Everything I just said was random information I got from the internet so I’m not sure if it’s correct. Besides, I don’t even have a car to pump gasoline into. How would I know how they work?

“Jude what’s this university place you were talking about earlier. I know that it’s a place you can go too but what is it?”

Fifi was asking a question I know how to answer. I’ve been going to school for ten plus years, so I can be considered an expert. Well, most people could be considered experts then.

“University is a place for people to learn.”

“Oh, so you and Mako are scholars?”

“Hm, not quite. University is a place where people can learn and choose what they want to do in the future. Some people could choose to be scholars and pursue more education, while others can choose to work with what they have learned.”

“I see, so are Mako and you nobles then?”

“Hmm, do I act like one? I don’t particularly think I've dressed the part.”

“Hahaha, you’re correct, you look more like a beggar than anything. Back in my days only nobles and wealthy families could get an education.”

“I’m not rich but I wouldn’t say I’m dirt poor. Financially I’m closer to being poor than rich.”

“Ok, I don’t mind if you’re rich or you’re poor, I’ll stick with you until one of us dies.”

“Don’t say ominous things like that Fifi. I’m not planning on letting you die before me. Didn’t you want to get married?”

“Hehe, ok, I won’t say things like that anymore.”

I could feel her twirling my hair. I wonder if she doesn’t mind my stench. I haven’t showered in two days so my hair is probably oily and stinky. I’ll shower when I get back home since we were only about 5 minutes away from my apartment.

Fifi continues to ask me more and more questions but it was becoming hard to answer her. She wants to know every single minute detail on certain things. She asked me how airplanes fly and I told her that it’s because the engine produces enough energy to carry its weight, but she wanted to know more. She wanted to know how much weight it could hold, how the engines were made, why it’s shaped that way, who made the first airplane, and even about who created the science that would allow an airplane to fly. I couldn't answer all of her questions, if only I had my phone I could have searched all of these things up.

She pestered me with more and more questions, and I was starting to get a headache but after a while, she turned silent. I was going to ask her what’s wrong but she interrupted me before I could ask.

“Jude, run!!!”

Fifi comes down and hides within my sweater. I’m sure she would be able to hear my heart beating.

I don’t know why Fifi told me to run but I didn’t hesitate. I begin to run at full sprint, I trust Fifi. If it wasn’t for her I would have been slapped to death by the prison monster’s tentacle.

“Aliens are coming!!! They’re coming!!!”

I heard something familiar from behind me but I keep running. My apartment was only a block away so it shouldn’t take long for me to get there. The building was up ahead and I quickly run into the 3 story apartment building. I was met with the reception area and standing behind the counter was the old man who owned this building.

“Where have you been Jude? Why are you out of breath?”

“I-I was on a slight jog.”

I calm my breath down and begin explaining to Mr.Jerry why I hadn’t come back home the past two days. We regularly talk when I get home from university so he knows my schedule. We have been on good terms ever since I moved here because the two of us bonded over our heart problems. I had an illness while Mr.Jerry was getting old.

“Sorry to hear that you lost all of your stuff. I’ll go and see if I can find the spare key to your room.”

“Thanks, Mr.Jerry.”

Mr.Jerry went to the room behind the counter and began looking for the spare key.

My heart was still racing but the pain wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. If I run at full sprint, then my heart should have felt like it was trying to rip open my chest but it didn’t.

While I wait for Mr.Jerry, I was worried. Fifi still hadn’t said anything or gotten out of my sweater yet. This means that the situation was still not safe, was the monster still after us? I was standing still but my foot was tapping on the ground rapidly out of nervousness. It was when I heard keys jingling that my nervousness was appeased a little.

“Here you are, Jude. During the weekend I’ll make another copy of your key for you.”

“I appreciate it Mr.Jerry. I’m going to go and rest in my room.”

“Alright, take care not to overdo your runs. You don’t want to have a heart attack in the middle of the street.”

We said our farewells and I rushed up the stairs. My room was on the 2nd floor farthest room on the right. I unlock my door and enter my room.

It feels like it has been ages since I have been here but I am finally home. Feeling that we were safe, Fifi comes out of my sweater.

I could see the sweat dripping on her face, or was that my sweat? Her face was pale like she had seen a demon. I don’t know what she saw but it must have been something bad.

“What happened Fifi?”

“I-I sensed a demon.”

“A demon?”

Like the one on the bus. Was it the same one? I think I heard it say something about aliens.

“What did it look like Fifi? Was it a short old man that looks around 80 years old.”

“Y-yea, how did you know? I didn’t see you look back at him.”

I never did tell Fifi about my encounter with the angel and the demon on the bus. I tell her the story of how I saw the angel and the demon on the bus.

“An angel with a golden whip and a pitch-black demon. I’m surprised you survived.”

“Was I in that much danger?”

“Battles between angels and demons wasn’t rare in my time, but back then people had mages to protect towns so the damage wasn’t too great. If an angel and a demon were to fight now, then a chunk of this city would definitely disappear.”

I can’t believe I was trying to hold down such a dangerous thing at that time. I guess it’s true when they say ignorance is bliss.

“If you were to fight them would you win, Fifi?”

“Nope, not in my current state at least. The angel with a whip could kill me in one hit with that whip. The demon, on the other hand, I might be able to escape from him but I wouldn’t be able to damage its tough skin.”

“I see.”

“Don’t take it the wrong way though. Those two aren’t particularly strong at all. Out of all the demons and angels I’ve seen, they’re closer to the bottom of the list. At full power, I could slap them out of existence.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I’m telling the truth!”

Fifi began protesting but until I see it, I can’t really believe that this weak little fairy can slap a demon out of existence. Haahh, is it me or are monsters just popping up all around me. I step out of the hospital for a few minutes and I already meet another monster. Is this going to keep happening from now on?