One of the men, who wore a red band across his chest, stepped forward and dropped his heavy, dark weapon to the ground.

„Everything under Control. Red alert is over.“

The uniformed men had circled Laelole, who looked like a cornered Animal. She could see him eying the soldiers, probably wondering, what kind of plan she had in mind.

She would have to keep on improvising until she could find a good way to escape.

„Whose Slave is this? Show yourself!“, barked the man with the red stripe, possibly the leader of the others. He cleared his throat and then spoke into a little machine tucked onto his jacket: „The escaped Slave has been captured. The intervention is over.“

Hastily, Jamie walked towards the men and tried to get between them. She´d rather stay in her role as a young teenager, too dumb to realize her situation; that way she could explain her certain lack of Information.

„Don´t hurt him! That is my slave!“

The big, wide shouldered Leader of the team turned around at her and sighed angrily.

„Not again. I told them ten times already to not l let kids bring their slaves here by themselves. That´s like tying a hungry dog to a child and then throwing a cracker.“

„My dog doesn´t like crackers.“, answered Jamie quickly and the man stared at her, raising his eyebrows. Then he shrugged and a tiny smile flickered over his face.

„Looks like your pet got hungry after all. Alright, we´ll sell you a new chain at the Control Centrum, we´ll have a chat with your parents, and then you´re free to go. Just make sure to not trust that creature again. They are animals, after all.“

Jamie was stunned by the ignorance and hatred in his words, when he was able to speak so kindly to her. What exactly was the history between Ghosts and Humans that had made her Race so bitter and cruel? Or – much worse – were humans just like that by nature?

She shook her head and watched the old man snap a few orders.

Luckily, they let her walk out at the Corner, while taking Laelole into their middle, still threatening him with their Weapons. She needed to buy them time, needed to figure out what this Place was, in order to escape it.

She looked around, irritated by the City that looked exactly like hers. The Villagers, who now came back from their Workplaces, looked solid and true, but not one of the others even looked at them. She had to keep all her sanity together and not step aside whenever a familiar face approached, but walk right through them.

Maybe, if she could distract the little army, she would have time to inspect her surroundings more carefully. Find out what this Shadowplay meant.

She built up eye contact with Laelole and then turned her head towards the man, making a smashing sign with her hands. He went blank for a few seconds, then seemingly understood what she wanted him to do. His shoulders relaxed, then he suddenly stopped walking and instead stepped backwards, ramming his arms into two of the men. He then let himself fall down with them, obviously to make himself less threatening and to avoid them using their Guns.

The men were in uproar, confused at what had happened.

At the same time, Jamie pretended to trip. When she hit the ground, a burning pain flashed from her knee, and her pants had ripped, but it was worth it. Finally down at the ground, the Illusions began to flicker and she could see tiny machines around her, blowing gas into the air and producing the Image of her Town.

Nothing of what was around her, was actually here. Jamie swung her head around and looked at one of the complex boxes not far from her. She thought for a second, then got back up again.

„Did you get him? I think he tried to escape!“, she didn´t even have to play her panic. Everything around her numbed her, so strange and absurd was, what was happening.

Laelole starred at her over the back of the man, that had grabbed his arms and pulled him up. But he wasn´t furious or terrified like her. His eyes spoke of an intimacy that her heart replied to, without her knowing, why. She stumbled back, reminded herself of what she had just seen and rammed her feet into the machine closest to her, hidden in the Illusion of a few boxes.

Jamie let herself fall onto it quickly, watching the uniformed man standing around in confusion. Her legs got stuck in Tubes and she struggled, ripping them apart.

A white light flashed before her eyes.

„Help!“, she exclaimed, half to keep playing her role, half because she was getting scared of the machine hurting her with the flames that broke out of them.

Would that distract them? Would they let go of Laelole? Could she -

„Stop moving.“, barked the leader of the team, slowly stepping towards her.

Her heart stopped for a second. Did he – did he know she was on Laelole´s side?