The Systems Challenge

Chapter 467 - Side Plans

While Elin didn't know what Frank's presence meant or even what reason Kim had for reading more of that book during times she normally didn't, she actually found Elmo's behavior the most concerning.

She wasn't sure what 'The Twilight Zone' was about, but she could tell that it was really freaking Elmo out. She didn't really follow his explanation, but she didn't really need to in order to understand that he was really shaken by it.

Maybe it would have helped if she had seen this 'show' or whatever, but since she hadn't, she couldn't really see why Elmo was so jumpy about it.

Even the way he looked at the stew he had been eating with suspicion made Elin wonder if he'd actually lost his mind. Not that she'd mention that to Kim, as she was confident that Kim would have a few choice comments about Elmo that wouldn't be complimentary at all.

When Heather and Sonya came over, Elin felt like it was a relief. It at least gave her someone else to talk to that wasn't getting worked up over an issue that she herself felt had other explanations than just something as terrible as Elmo seemed to be imagining.

"Any of you know what's going on with Frank being here?" Heather asked, sounding like she would rather talk about anything else.

"Probably because we've entered The Twilight Zone," Elmo muttered, making Elin roll her eyes.

"Oh yeah, that show," Heather remarked, rolling her eyes as well.

"What? I haven't seen that," Sonya said, sounding a little surprised. "What's it about?"

"Consider yourself lucky you didn't see it," Heather replied dryly. It's a horror show with stories of twisted reality. Though, if Elmo is a fan of the series, I can see why he's getting so involved with his imagination about it."

Elin felt a bit of relief. Heather seemed to understand what Elmo was talking about and had other thoughts about the situation. Maybe Heather would be able to help explain to her what the whole thing with 'The Twilight Zone' was.

"How can you be sure we didn't enter it?" Elmo asked, sounding a little defensive.

"Well, for one, how many of those stories included someone who was already aware of The Twilight Zone?" Heather asked as if that was a point Elmo wouldn't be able to refute.

Elmo opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it without saying anything. Elin wasn't sure if that meant anything in particular, but she at least felt a little relieved that he'd been quieted down from his talking about that 'Zone.'

"Well, whatever it is, it might have something to do with why Kim evicted us from the room," Sonya commented. "I think she wanted quiet to read more of that book she'd been working on. Though, I'm not sure what reason she has for it. As she normally reads that when we stop for the day or when we take a break for lunch."

"Maybe there's a connection to Frank being here?" Heather speculated.

"Maybe, but would Frank be after Blot rather than the book Kim has?" Elmo asked, his tone saying that his theory was the right one and all others were a waste of his time.

Though, Elin also couldn't help but wonder if Elmo was grasping at whatever he could to support his own theory, no matter how much he had to bend over backwards to make it work. As it certainly felt like he was discounting all other possibilities for that one single odd one.

"My guess is that they're trying to give Frank the other book we got so they can keep Blot for a little longer," Sonya remarked, resting her arms on the table, while her chin was resting on her arms.

"Why would they accept the other book?" Elmo asked, clearly trying to hold to his idea that they were in that 'zone' or whatever.

Which made Elin start to speculate that Elmo really wanted to end up in that zone, despite his protestations on the matter. As he certainly seemed rather fixated on that option and wasn't otherwise making much sense to Elin. Especially with his worries about how they'd get 'trapped' in that 'zone' as well.

"What if he doesn't realize we got more than one book?" Sonya suggested, yawning. "I mean, they did start heading back to the entrance before we made the exchange."

Elmo rolled his eyes, as if that wasn't a real possibility, though Elin felt confident that he was finding excuses or reasons why any theory, other than his, was wrong. Which Elin was pretty sure that was only going to wear him out more than anything else.

"Well, while they deal with that, would any of you like to accompany me? I wanted to check on my son to see if he's doing well here," Heather said, surprising Elin. "I mean, it's not like we're likely going to go anywhere today. Not with Frank watching Jonas like a hawk.

It seemed like she would rather leave whatever was going on here to these people. That she had other things in mind to take care of. Although, based on Elmo's expression, Elin was pretty sure that he had a different take on if Frank was 'watching Jonas like a hawk.'

"Oh, yeah. The goblin-child you had," Elin said after a moment of recalling the condition Heather was in when they'd left her and Sonya in this village back when they'd gone to do something about the assassination attempt on the king. "Where would he be?"

"She left him with the other women who were pregnant with a child from the goblins," Sonya answered. "That way her child would be able to have others like him as he grew up, not to mention that it's not like traveling like we are for these challenges is good for raising a child, no matter who or what the child is."

"Or how old the child is," Heather added softly.

Elin nodded, fully understanding what was said. She certainly knew that raising a child was difficult under the best of circumstances. All from seeing servants of her father struggle with their own children. Though, Elin didn't have any first-hand knowledge of that sort of thing.

Besides, she had a feeling that something about that had been mentioned before. She just wasn't sure when, or if that much detail had been shared.

Elin then glanced at Elmo. She wasn't sure if it was safe to leave him alone, but she also didn't want to remain with him while he worried about if he was trapped in that whatever zone. She didn't have the patience to handle him with whatever he would do about it.

Which she decided he'd have to survive on his own somehow if he chose to remain here. She wasn't going to let his paranoia keep her from looking around.

Especially when his paranoia was what was making his seem so crazy.

"I'll go with you," Elin said, hoping that it would at least be more relaxing than recent events had been.

Elmo seemed to perk up at that statement, though Elin had a bad feeling of why. Not because she was starting to think of him as less of a friend, but rather because of how weird he was being right then.

"Mind if I tag along?" Elmo asked, sounding more normal than he had been, which Elin was suspicious of.

"As long as you don't go on about us being in The Twilight Zone," Heather remarked, sounding like she was just being casual with the statement, but her eyes told Elin just how serious she was about it.

Elmo looked offended for a moment. Then, after looking at the others, he sighed. Elin hoped that meant he understood that they didn't agree with him about 'where' they were, even though she was certain that they hadn't changed Elmo's mind about it just yet. If it was possible in the first place.

"I can stop talking about it," Elmo said, though Elin wanted to ask if he really could. Just to be sure.

In the end, Heather was the first to get up and headed towards the door, and Elin brought up the rear, She could only roll her eyes as Elmo gave one last suspicious glance towards Jonas and Frank. As if he thought that they might do something as they left. Maybe to stop them from leaving or something.

All Elin could be certain of at that moment was that Elmo really wasn't likely to let go of this 'Twilight Zone' thing. Or at least not any time soon.

Then the next thing she knew, they were outside on a familiar street. Not familiar because of them entering through this way when they'd arrived at the inn, but rather familiar because she recalled seeing this so often when they'd stayed at this inn the first time they'd arrived in this town.

Somehow, that alone gave her a sense of security. She wasn't sure why or how, just that it did.