A journey!

    “I'm done for today, I'm leaving, are you going to stay again?” Antonio asked as he put on his coat.

    “Yeah, I'm not done with this yet.” Andrea responded without looking up from the monitor.

    “Don't stay all night.” When she did not receive a response, she added, “When was the last time you slept at home?” Andrea just remained silent, looking at the keyboard without moving. Antonio shook his head in resignation. “Someday you will have to get out, it is very sad that you stay locked up here every day, I still don't understand why you pushed away that last boyfriend, you were happy.”

    “My private life is my own.”

    “Yes, but don't force me to terminate your fellowship in the laboratory.” Antonio left, leaving Andrea locked in her thoughts.

    After a few minutes of silence and immobility, Andrea shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and continued with her work. She got up and went to make herself her cup of chocolate.

    “They left the heater unplugged again, shit.” Her mood was low after what Antonio told her. She took the cable and when she plugged the plug into the socket she felt a great shock and fell unconscious on the floor.

    "Where I am?" Andrea looked around her without understanding what was happening. “What kind of place is this?” Her nervousness was increasing as she could not recognize the place, she only saw black lines on a white background, she could not find up or down, she felt like she was standing on something, but when she looked at her feet, she only saw black lines on a white background, without being able to see nothing that made sense to him. A tear formed in her eyes as she felt desperate. "WHERE I AM?" She screamed, but she only heard her own breathing.

    Desperate, she began to walk and run, but nothing made sense, she closed her eyes tightly, until they hurt and she felt herself faint in despair as she saw only the black lines again.

    She never knew how long she was in that state, until her exhaustion made her knees weak and she had no tears left to cry. In that state, her breathing slowly began to pause and become more rhythmic. “How am I going to get out of here?”

    “Calming down and observing with open eyes.” The answer came from everywhere and nowhere, it was a sweet and soft voice.

    Andrea looked around without seeing anything. “I don't understand, where are you? Who are you? There are only black and white lines.

    “You're not seeing the whole, just a tiny part.” The entity responded.

    “See the total?” Andrea whispered to herself, “It's stupid, it's something he always told me.” She closed her eyes, inflated her lungs and let the air out slowly, opened her eyes and tried to see how her voice was telling her. At first she continued to see only twisted lines, but slowly she saw how different figures were formed, on the floor, a wall, she took a few steps back and could see a door with bars. “It's as if everything was made with tribals.”

    “Very well Andrea, for a moment I thought you would never be able to see.” Andrea turned her head, since this time her voice came from only one direction, and to her surprise she found someone. A young woman, she looked like she was in her twenties, she was dressed in light jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt, her body was violet and her sleeves were white, her hair was black and changed to a light green towards the ends, her eyes had no pupils and they were an intense light blue.

    "Hello." She told him with a smile.

    “H-hello.” Andrea stammered, not believing what was happening. "Who are you?"

    "Who I am?" She cocked her head to the side and smiled as if she remembered some joke. “I don't have a name, but I do have a task.” She looked at Andrea as if waiting for her to say something, but when she received nothing she continued. “My task is to guide you a little through this world.”

    “Guide me? Guide me where?” Andrea's head was starting to spin again.

    "Well, to start out of here, we'll see later." With a smile and a happy gleam in her eye she approached the door and placed a hand in the center, she turned and asked, “Are you ready for the best trip of your life?” Andrea could only nod her head and watch as the bars disappeared, twisting towards her frame. “Come on, you're not going to just stand there for eternity, are you?”

    Before moving forward, Andrea asked, “What is your name?”

    "My name?" A laugh followed that question, “I already told you I don't have a name, but if you want you can give me one if you feel more comfortable.”

    Andrea thought for a few seconds and said, “Okay, what do you think Analía?”

   "Formidable." She said with a big smile and stood waiting for Andrea to walk. As Andrea crossed the door she felt her heart skip a beat again, more tribal lines to infinity. “Remember you must see the whole, not the points.” Andrea took another deep breath and tried to calm down. As she did so she began to distinguish figures formed by the tribals again. She could see mountains, valleys and rivers and what before seemed like an eternal void began to have a distant horizon. “Very good.” Analía said when she perceived Andrea's sigh.

    “It's incredible, how can it be possible?”

    “How can it be possible?” Analía thought for a few seconds. “I guess in the same way as your world, but different.” Andrea looked at her perplexed, but she was met with an amused and cheerful look. “Where do you want to go now?”

    “I want to go back home,” Andrea said, but inside she was burning with curiosity about that world. “How do I get back home?”

    “We will have to go to the Oracle tower.”

    “Where is that tower?” Andrea felt nervous when she saw the mischief in those eyes without pupils.

    “In the center of the desert of eternal night.” She smiled even more, “that's where we should go then, but it will be a long trip, it is beyond the horizon, behind the mountains.” Analía began to walk, “come on, let's go, it will be a fun trip.” Andrea walked behind Analía trying to keep the tribals in shape, every now and then she would see only lines again, and that made her feel terribly nervous. They walked in silence for a long time.

    “Is it always this quiet?”

    “Not always, it depends on your hearing, but you like silence.” Analía said without stopping walking.

    “Yes, I like silence, but this silence makes me nervous.” Andrea said with some embarrassment.

    “Well, to hear the sounds of this world you will have to sharpen your ears, as with your eyes, we are walking next to a stream that sings softly.” Analía pointed to her right and Andrea saw how the tribals changed their shape following the undulating figures of the water. Without realizing it, she watched the hypnotic movement and slowly began to listen to the soft sound of the water as it ran freely along the cause. she. In addition to the water she began to hear other sounds, the singing of birds, the soft murmur of the vegetation being swayed by the breeze. She returned to contemplate what surrounded her, she could see the water, the plants, the clouds in the sky, the birds flying. She felt that what had previously seemed like a dead world was full of life and sounds. "What's that?" She asked Analía pointing to something that was moving floating in the water.

    "A duck." Analía observed Andrea's frown and added, “He looks different from the ones you know, but he's still a duck.” With a new smile she urged her to continue walking. “Come on, there is much more to see yet.” They continued walking, Andrea contemplated the surroundings in wonder, despite the contrast of black and white, it was becoming easier and easier for her to distinguish the differences between each set of lines. After walking for a long time, Andrea realized that she did not feel any fatigue, hunger or thirsty and discussed it with Analía. “That's good, so don't think about food or rest.”

    “Why can't I think about those things?” Andrea asked with a frown. Analía turned around looking at her with her head tilted to the side.

   “Because it is something that could cause you a lot of problems, but I can't tell you more than that, because I don't know either, I just know that it will cause you problems. Come on, let's move on." Andrea was about to continue asking, but she saw something that caught her attention and pointing to it she asked what it was. “That's the tree of friendly spirits, we better continue.”

    “Is that a spider hanging there?” Andrea took a step towards the tree. “There is also a weasel? “And a bear trying to catch a squirrel?”

    “Actually the squirrel is about to catch the bear, there are things here that are different from how you know them, but you better not get close, there is a snake in front of you. ”Andrea stopped and could see it clearly, the snake turned its head and looked at her and winked before disappearing into the grass in the direction of the weasel.

    "What was that?"

    “Nothing, we better move on.” Analía spoke to her from a few meters behind her. Andrea looked up at the top of the tree and saw that it had no leaves, there were many heads, or so it seemed, they all had long hair that swayed as if they were facing a rush of wind, a strange smile beneath a single eye with a vertical pupil, they roamed the treetop in erratic movements. She watched the spectacle for a while longer, but suddenly she saw how two eyes appeared on the same tree, with a hideous nose in the middle and two pointed ears. These eyes were staring at her and she felt panic slowly rise up her spine. towards your brain. She started to move to run out of there, but something inside her told her to calm down, to move slowly and to walk back to where Analía was. With great effort she did it and reached Analía, who seemed worried, but soon a smile appeared on her face.

    “Well done, I thought you would run.”

    “What would have happened if she ran?” Andrea asked without looking at the tree.

    “The spirits would have chased you to take you to the tree and lock you in, where you would be absorbed and become one of the spirits.” She felt very afraid again and wanted to scream, but Analía's smile calmed her and she was able to control herself again. “As long as you don't do anything stupid you will be safe in this world until you return to yours. Come on." They continued walking for a long time, the landscape changed every moment, when they turned around, what was before a mountain was a river or a forest, a desert, nothing seemed to stay still for long, making her nervous all the time. They reached a fork and Andrea followed with her eyes the path that went out to the right, it went down to the valley, following it until she reached a hill, where she zigzagged to end at a door, above the door there was a giant tree. At that distance the base of the gigantic tree looked like a round pot. “That is the hermit's home, he is a very grumpy character, but if you want to visit him I can take you.”

    “Mmno, better not, the path on the left where does it go?”

    "To the tower." Analía waited for Andrea to take her first step.

    “Let's go to the tower.” He said as he took the path to the left, they turned a bend and another large valley appeared, where on a hill he could see the profile of an animal, it looked like a giant dog, it looked at them for a moment and raising its head it howled so loudly that the Andrea's body seemed to vibrate from the sound wave.

    "Don't worry, she's welcoming us, this is her territory, but she won't hurt us, here we just have to take care of her."

   "Who is she?" Andrea looked scared at the gigantic wolf.

    "She also has no name, she usually wanders through the valleys looking for food, she feeds mainly on blood, sometimes, when food is scarce she ventures to catch a spirit." Andrea looked at the valley in horror.

    "A vampire? Is there a real vampire in this world?

    “One, actually, but there's no need to fear, if she were close to her, we wouldn't see so many animals. When they feel her presence they hide or migrate to other safer places.”

    “You don't seem afraid of this vampire.” Andrea was taken aback by the simplicity with which Analía told her things.

    “No, I'm not afraid of him, because he can't catch me, until he says otherwise I'm protected from her.”

    "He? Who is he?"

    “The one who lives in the tower, towards which we are heading. Come on, come on, let's keep going." They continued advancing for a long time, from the valley they passed into a forest, where the mobility of things made Andrea feel on the verge of constant dizziness, but she discovered that if she concentrated on the road, the only space without changing lines and the sounds of birds, the journey became easier. Suddenly there were no more sounds. Andrea thought she had lost her hearing again, but Analía turned around and told her with urgency in her voice.

    “Run, she's coming here.” She felt her fear paralyze her legs, a lump in her throat did not allow her to breathe. She was on the verge of despair. Calm down, don't forget to breathe. She said a soft voice in the depths of her mind. Nothing will hurt you, I will protect you with my life. Now run. Andrea felt perplexed, she knew that voice and those words, she had heard them with joy in the past, but she had destroyed them.

She thought she heard a flapping of wings among the trees and Analía urged her to run. “Quickly, run before I catch your scent and identify you.” Andrea began to run, following the path until she left the forest, in the distance she could see a wall with a large gate. “That is the entrance to the desert, run before she comes.” Analía told her, but a few meters later she felt a shadow fly over them. This made him stop and he saw her figure. She looked like a girl of about 12 years old at most, delicate, totally naked, her long hair fell from her shoulders to her stomach, but upon seeing her better he realized that it was just appearance, her fingers ended in long, sharp spikes, two wings that They floated like a veil from her back. She approached them slowly. Andrea was paralyzed by the panic of the girl approaching, innocent and deadly at the same time. In the blink of an eye he lunged at her, but something happened that the attack never came. Andrea felt something emerge from the depths of her mind, with a terrible roar she intervened to attack and engaged in mortal combat with the vampire. Andrea watched the tribal figures as they changed their shape according to the combat without being able to identify any of them, but she felt safe. When she saw Analía she saw surprise in her eyes.

    “Impossible, I have never seen anything like this in my entire existence.” At a moment when the two opponents separated, the defender told Andrea to go to the door without looking back. Andrea ran for the door, but a scream of pain and terror stopped her in her tracks. “Come on, she's running away back to the forest, it's your chance.” Analía urged him. They reached the entrance, it looked like the entrance to a fortress. Before opening the door, Analía turned around and with a huge smile said, “I can go this far, you will have to do the rest of the way alone, but I warn you, no matter what happens, no matter what you hear, no matter what you feel, “Never abandon the path.”

    “What will happen to me if I leave the path?” Andrea felt a little afraid of the response she imagined.

    “You will wander lost forever in the desert.” Without further ado she opened the door and let Andrea walk through it. From one step to the next, the landscape changed drastically, now they were no longer black lines on a white background, they were white lines on a black background.

   “I think it is logical, if it is night that the background is all black.” Before him stretched the road. A zigzagging black strip, on both sides the white tribals seemed to form a flat and desert terrain, some clouds appeared in contrast with the absolute blackness of the sky. She walked and walked for a long time, the horizon was all the same, nothing appeared. She thought she heard something to the side, when she turned her head, she only saw more and more desert, she felt tempted to explore what that sound was, what seemed to her familiar, but he remembered the words, eternally lost, and stopped himself. “This seems to have no end, have I gone totally crazy?” She continued walking and saw something appear on the horizon, it looked like the peak of a hill, she began to jog, the road made several turns making her lose sight of the peak, but after one more turn she clearly saw that it was not a hill, it was the tower. He ran until he reached the entrance, there were many other paths that joined his before reaching the door.

The door didn't look like much, she opened the handle and entered, inside it she found a spiral staircase that went up without apparent end. “Well, that's to be expected, all that's left is for a rabbit to appear with a watch.” He said with contempt and went up the stairs, after a while he reached another door, the one that was open and when he entered it was hard, it was a round room, the ceiling was a semisphere, everything was empty, only the edge of the floor was clear. . "What is this?" She asked.

    “This is my home, child.” She said a voice, which came from everywhere, it was clear and deep. “You won't find any rabbits racing against the clock here.” A muffled laugh, “but it would be interesting to see, don't you think?”

    "Why I am here?"

    "Why? That's a question that's always deeper than its own answer, child."

    "I'm not a child." Andrea said, somewhat annoyed.

    “Maybe yes, maybe not, but here you are, since everything has been existing here longer than you, but you haven't come alone, no.”

    “How not?” Andrea felt her head spinning again. “There is no one here with me, there never is anyone.”

    “That's not true, someone came with you, otherwise She would have caught you on the plain.” During the pause the memory of the vampire attacking her filled her with terror again. “I thought I would never see a Gargoyle alive again, humans took it upon themselves to extinct them many centuries ago.” Another thoughtful pause, “did you even know one?”

   “I don't know what you're talking about, gargoyles don't exist.” Andrea felt dizzy again.

    “Neither are vampires, but one almost caught you, maybe you met this gargoyle without knowing it was a gargoyle, I wonder what would happen if…” Andrea felt a great oppression in her chest and saw a sphere of black energy form in front of her and advance towards her, "as soon as the sphere touches you you will be destroyed to the last molecule," said her voice cold as the steel. The sphere was a few centimeters away from her when the terrible roar was heard approaching her. In the blink of an eye he appeared between her and the sphere, his wings curled to protect Andrea, while her powerful claws pushed the sphere away. “A Gargoyle, one hundred percent, incredible, but why do you protect the human?” There was no response, the voice repeated the question addressing Andrea, “what is the reason for a Gargoyle to protect you?”

    “I don't know” Andrea sobbed as the memory of her last partner hit her as if she had received a slap. “He had promised to protect me, but I always thought it was an empty promise.”

    “Did he promise to protect you?” The voice materialized in front of them, it was an entity of light, nothing more, “no, this type of protection is not fulfilling a promise, the last time a Gargoyle stood in front of me it was for love, and for love you have this protection, it is the only protection that exceeds all boundaries of space and time.” A smile could be seen on the entity, “You are very lucky child.”

    "Love? Love does not exist, it is just something that runs out, it can never be eternal, there is no such thing as love for life.” Andrea was crying.

    "No?" The entity seemed amused, “I see that you had an intense love, but you killed him…” Andrea grabbed her head with both hands and screamed in despair.

    “NOOO, I got out of my head, stop digging into my memories, they are painful…” Crying made her hurt, but when she reached a certain point the entity could not continue, a shield of energy surrounded Andrea.

The Entity looked at the Gargoyle and with an ironic laugh said. “You deny love, but you take advantage of it, child, you are somewhat sadistic, but I have not survived so many eons because I did not recognize a mortal opponent. Your protector could destroy me if he tried to attack you. Hahaha. "I haven't felt this in a long time." A pause until Andrea could control her crying. “Let me show you that he is protecting your Gargoyle.” Andrea felt like something else emerged from the depths of her being, it was something warm and tender. She saw a Fairy appear from her chest and fly around the Gargoyle. After a couple of turns, they both hugged each other and an intense fire enveloped them. Andrea watched the scene astonished.

   "How is it possible?"

    “Child,” said the voice, “you still have a lot to live, what the Gargoyle protects is something as simple as a child's enjoyment of a closed box. Your non-belief in love has also destroyed the little heart that enjoys fantastic stories, and imagines the most extraordinary worlds from the most ordinary things.” Andrea was perplexed and she couldn't articulate any words. “Child, your protector not only reaches this world, a Dragon approaches to take you back to yours, nothing keeps you in this place anymore, come back and live as happily as your brain allows.” Andrea turned to respond to the Entity, but found herself on an empty platform. In the distance she saw a winged being approaching. The Dragon stopped next to the platform and waited for Andrea to sit on its back to take a fast flight. .

    Andrea woke up lying on the kitchen floor, her fingers hurt and burned, the cable plug was singed. She got up and tended to her injured fingers. When she looked in the mirror she thought. “It must have been a dream.” She returned to her work table and when she saw the time, her tiredness invaded her body. “I better go home before I miss the last train.”