Fighting in Almost-Eden

“I wish we could stay here forever.”

Jamil turned to Katie, “Yeah, so do I. But if we do, we have to work for…” 

She trailed off. She gritted her teeth, looking like her vocal cords weren't allowing her to elaborate.

“...him!” she finished. Since Jamil and Katie, two childhood best friends, were abducted by their supposed friend, Sarah, they didn’t know what they wanted. They had been stuffed into a crate for who knows how long, and then they were in this beautiful world that seemed too food to be true. Sarah said they could stay, if they agreed to work for her boss.

He called himself The Governor, and he said his plan was to become the most invulnerable and powerful human to ever exist. He wore a cloak at all times. Dozens upon dozens of pouches overcrowded his clothes. Bottles of poisons and dangerous weeds and roots were inside the pouches, which were worn. 

The Governor also could say something, and it would happen. It could be magic, but he calls it his will. He believes that he deserves to rule. 

This place that Jamil and Katie were at, is called Almost-Eden. Jamil and Katie sat on the beach, their hair blowing simultaneously to the wind. The waves crashed on the shore and the seagulls squawked. 

“We have to leave. We have no choice.” said Jamil. “He… is a monster. He says he deserves to rule, but he doesn’t. We need to esca—”

“Now, now. Don’t think too bad about me.” 

The Governor, with his pouches clanking together and his multiple sheaths, for swords and knives and daggers dipped in poison, walked up and squatted down. Jamil immediately stood up and looked down on him, trying to be intimidating.

“We don’t accept your offer! We will not help you take over our home! It’s not going to happen! Right, Katie?”

Katie looked nervously from Jamil to The Governor. Jamil knew he made her nervous.

“Uh, y-yes. Sure. I-I… guess. No dice.” Katie stuttered nervously. She chuckled forcefully and then cleared her throat.

“Well.” said The Governor, unclasping one of his pouches. “Then you’re no use to me.” He brought out a spray bottle with brown liquid.

“Do you know what this does?” he said, brandishing the spray bottle. Jamil and Katie shook their heads, and he waited for a wave, scooped up a sandbar, along with some wet sand, and he proceeded to spray the sandbar with the liquid. 

Bright red warts popped up all around the sandbar until the sandbar looked unrecognizable. Then it exploded in a shower of blood and pus. Katie opened her mouth in a silent scream of horror. Jamil stared daggers at The Governor.

“Would you like to be next?” he asked Katie, fake-enthusiastically.

She quickly shook her head and scrambled back. Jamil stood her ground. Jamil was always the brave one. One time she and Katie went hiking with Sarah.

Sarah. That traitor

Next time I see her, she’ll wish she’d never been born, Jamil thought.

They had gone to a cliff. Sarah jumped off and told Katie to follow. Katie was scared out of her wits, but Jamil had jumped, to prove that Katie had nothing to worry about. Katie, reluctantly, followed suit. That night, Jamil had been yelled at by her parents. Katie’s single dad thought I was a bad influence, but I made it up to him. 

“So. Who’s first?”

Jamil was jogged back to reality, and she realized The Governor was still holding the deadly spray bottle. She walked up and plugged the sprayer with her thumb.

“This isn’t fair. Duel. Me and you. Swords only. No extra weapons.”

The Governor laughed, “You think you can beat me!?” How funny! OK, Jamil, but prepare to be beaten.” 

Katie grabbed my shoulder and spun me to face her. “No, Jamil. He will kill you. No doubt about that. What are you thinking!?”

Jamil smiled. “Maybe I’ll win. You never know. Tables can turn.”

Jamil walked away.

“I think my friend has officially lost it.” Katie mumbled.

Jamil and The Governor met in the middle of a circle drawn by The Governor. They shook hands, walked to the edges, and then started the taunts.

“Hey, T.G! You ready to get slammed!?” Jamil shouted.

“Did you call me T.G? Slammed? You know what, I think you’ve lost it, sweetheart!” T.G yelled back.

“You just noticed?” Katie commented from the ‘Spectating’ stand.

“Did you call me Sweetheart!?” Jamil asked, her octave lowering to a threatening level. 

Jamil bounded into T.G’s end and that began the fight. 

The tables kept turning in Jamil’s and T.G’s favor as they parried and blocked and did weird made-up karate moves to probably just prove that they could do karate. Katie's gaze flicked back and forth. At one moment, she would worry, then the next, she would cheer. 

In the midst of fighting, Jamil and T.G made up the worst insults and taunts:

“Come on, weakling. Get over here and stop cowering in your corner.”

“Chicken! Bak-Bak! Fight harder, yellow-belly!”

“Have you not been working out!? Be stronger, weak much!”

This went back-and-forth until the swords were gone and it was now hand-to-hand combat. Katie was covering her eyes, embarrassed for them. Finally, they had their swords back. Jamil swung for the neck but the sword got caught in the cloak and it ripped off T.G’s face. A microphone was attached to it. Jamil looked at it, confused. Then she looked up.

The face under the cloak was Sarah.

Katie gasped, and Jamil looked from the severed cloak, back to Sarah, and then back to the cloak.

“Sarah… You’re The Governor!?” Jamil whispered, bewildered. 

“Uh… yes.” Sarah/T.G said. 

Then she quickly spoke into a hidden radio. 

“Operation Reveal! Operation Reveal!”

Suddenly, Almost-Eden disappeared. In its place was a chamber. A plaque beside the automated door said VR CHAMBER. Me and Katie looked at each other, shocked into silence.

“Almost-Eden was… a simulation!?” Jamil asked.

“Well, you catch on quickly.”

Sarah stood in the corner with a keyboard in her hand and a hologram monitor floating in front of her. She turned to us.

“Welcome to the Air Governor. Our amazing plane, which comes along with its own state-of-the-art VR Chamber, municipal swimming pool, and relaxing spa, is headed for Washington D.C today.” Sarah said in her best tour guide voice.

“And, yes. I know what you’re thinking: you are going to help me take over the world, no matter what. If you don’t, I might just throw you out the window. Enjoy your flight!”