AFTER THURSDAY’S CLASSES, PAUL WAS mentally drained – with lack of sleep after the rescue of Kitty-mission last night. He dreaded the thought of going home as a latch-key kid, with his inspector-mother OUT THERE, IN THE MIDDLE of the possible danger of Perth’s zombie outbreak ‘attacks’ happening, in various part of the city, mainly after dark…

… but GOING HOME was the safest option for him, to be behind locked doors.

In his wheelchair, he followed Jane and Alicia to the library – where they were to wait until the doctor-mother come-fetch his girlfriend, after her work at the clinic.

Alicia was excited that she was going to a BTS concert – a South Korean boy-band outfit, and the K-pop group were touring Australia. She was going to the mega-show that evening, with her older cousin Lily Wang…

The Chinese girl was an aficionado to the Korean culture…

… in the other-Perth, AS HIS GIRLFRIEND back-then – Alicia had even introduced and ‘influenced’ Paul to watch teen K-drama, which he was hooked-into since.

… it was ‘not’ an Asian phenomenon as Paul realised – where in class just now, he overheard that even Charlotte Thompson and Zoe Williams were big-fans too, and both would be attending the concert, with their clique.

Paul excused himself and told the girls that he was going home because he is exhausted – Jane said that she will call him in the evening from the hotel.

<><>

IN THE LIBRARY, THE BFFs WERE ‘NOT’ STUDYING as the frantic Chinese girl was rambling on-and-on of her ‘ultimate’ favourite K-pop band – who was listed in the Korean stock-market as a billion-dollar brand…

… and she has every album of the mega supergroup – but was sad…

… that the teenagers were ‘not’ be cutting any new album soon – as they would be ‘away,’ serving their South Korean National service – which was mandatory ‘duty’ of youth in the country, with communist North Korea – as its ‘threatening’ neighbour-border country.

Jane’s Samsung ‘alerted’ a miscall – both the girls then left the library to go to the school’s parking lot, where her doctor-mother’s Mazda SUV was stationary…

… they both heard, the toddler Samuel’s voice calling them over, in excitement…

“Jane-Lisheyaa… come… see Lion King!”

The blind girl chuckled, and…

… Jane told her BFF of her baby-brothers ‘new-found’ obsession with the Disney’s movie, ‘forgetting’ his past ‘Jungle Book’ fixation – to which Alicia told, that she had ‘seen’ the latest rendition of Lion King movie – with its National Geography-look of talking animals…

Jane sat at the backseat with Samuel after wishing that her BFF would have a great time tonight at the concert, held at the Blake Tower auditorium. Alicia greeted the stoic-looking Mrs Wilson, who started the car and drove away.

-O-

Through the rear-view-mirror, Shelley looked at her B-girl at the backseat with the jovial baby-brother, who held the electronic tablet and was storytelling in his limited baby-talk vocabulary…

… the doctor-mother was still crossed with the rebellious-natured Jane – after discovering the ‘orange track-pants’ THAT SHE FOUND in her daughter’s bedroom that morning…

… she was concerned if the B-girl ‘would-be’ a bad influence to Samuel – who too would-be frolicking with girls, behind the parents’ back – once he was an adolescent someday…

The doctor-mother wanted Anthony to be in the hotel after his work – and, as the ‘responsible’ parents WOULD ‘CORNER’ JANE and ask about – ‘which’ of the Walker-twin she had been ‘sneaking’ into her hotel suite-room, after dark, behind their back.

<><>

PAUL THANKED GARY NUMEROUS-TIMES, AND THE NISSAN ALMERA drove off. Paul felt bad he had to owe the Uber driver his fare, as Gary Morrison’s income earned was daily-paid, and he was a family-man too – but…

… the circumstance to ‘that’ was, his mom had ‘not’ banked-in his weekly allowance, as she was busy at work lately in her zombie-attack cases.

While approaching the locked front door – he was thinking of his dinner later – as his mom had ‘not’ left money for takeaways too – but he was ‘not’ worried, as he can always slap-up a quick grilled ham-and-cheese sanger, with the leftovers in the fridge.

He was ‘not’ hungry for lunch either – after the meatball pasta, he had earlier at that canteen, with his girlfriend. What he needed ‘most’ was a restful-nap…

… took off his black leather shoes, he levitated over and plopped-down on his single mattress-bed, in his windowless bedroom – to-be instantly in slumber-mode…

… while his aura then drifted – into the DREAM-IN-DREAM world…

<><>

THE 3 OF THEM STEPPED OUT OFF THE HOTEL ELEVATOR to their 23rd floor. Shelley waited until her blind daughter used her key-card, to access-and-enter her hotel bedroom.

The doctor-mother stepped into her own room – she was pleased while at work, that housekeeping had ‘made-up’ the room as prim-and-proper to her satisfaction. She saw Samuel going to the couch, to continue his repeated-viewing of Lion King.

Shelley dropped her car key at the writing-table – she instantly thought ‘what’ her B-girl was up to in the next room…

‘… probably, on her Samsung talking to her ‘boyfriend’ – BUT-TO ‘which’ boyfriend…?’

She walked up to her luggage bag where she left the ORANGE TRACK-PANTS – but it was ‘gone’…

… she searched for the missing clothing – and wondered ‘where’ housekeeping had ‘misplaced’ it…

… she further panicked, AFTER RUMINATING her own luggage bag twice…

… her ‘EVIDENCE’ AGAINST her B-girl had ‘puzzlingly’ disappeared…

‘… did housekeeping take it…? … had it been ‘sent’ for laundry…? I did ‘not’ send that ‘stinky’ pants to be washed…?’

Shelley wanted to call the front desk – to ask about the misplaced orange-pants…

‘… is it in lost-and-found…?’

… and ‘who’ in the housekeeping – had ‘done’ the room, just now?

… what-if a ‘dishonest’ employee – had ‘taken’ it?

… then ‘hotel-security’ would come over and ask – ‘whose’ pants was it?’

‘… is it your husband’s pants? … we have to put that in the ‘missing-item’ paperwork,’ they would-say…’

Shelley Wilson gave a short pitched-cry of frustration – as her EVIDENCE TO ‘ACCUSE’ her B-girl was mysteriously missing.

-O-

Hours earlier, ‘that’ morning…

… while Shelley was in the shower to go to work…

… Samuel sneezed a snot on his tablet screen – he used the orange track-pants to wipe his mess – and threw the pants into the wastepaper basket, near the writing-table.

His mother DID ‘NOT’ NOTICE THAT – as she hurried to go to work – bringing her son along to the clinic.

Hours later…

… housekeeping ‘threw’ away the pants, as ‘trash’…

-O-

The very tired, Jane entered her room – where she had been out on her Kitty rescue-mission last night with Paul. She removed her green uniform blazer, kicked off her shoes and got into the King-sized bed. The blind-girl wanted to take a nap, before dinner – her body shut-down the moment, her head rested on the soft-comfy goose-feathered pillow…

… while her aura ‘too’ then drifted like Paul – into the dream-in-dream world…

<><>

PAUL’S AURA FLOATED AERIAL IN A ‘NEW’ REALM – which was the Reversed-Perth of post-nuclear catastrophic. The red-sun was setting at the horizon – that silhouetted a familiar monument in Perth-city that was THE TALLEST BUILDING…

… called the Blake Tower…

… which looked ‘similar’ to the Dark-tower of the desert, in Egypt.

Gliding slow into the dusty clouds, Paul saw below – ruins of buildings and debris all-over in the familiar streets – but no human life forms visible in the midst. The radiation emitted made him weak to drift towards the 5 kilometres where the tall-structure was…

… Paul decided to come down to the street-level…

He descended over a cluster of pigeons and frightened them – Paul levitated and was amazed that the birds were wingless and ran away with their scampered feet. He was horrified when he saw a group of domestic cats with 6 legs were darting and chasing the helpless pigeons – and they caught some of the slow-moving birds, for survival nutriment…

… a score of cats was ripping 6 wingless birds, with their claws-and-fangs – and were then feasting. Until…

… Paul heard dog barks from his rear – and then was shocked to see a pack of 2 headed-dogs approaching fast towards the feeding cats. The felines fast escaped to the threatening barking canines, as they too were hunting for survival – ripping 2 unfortunate sluggish moving cats.

One of the ferocious dogs saw Paul, and the 2-headed canine chased him – he was levitating fast for his life in the street road, but the dog caught-up fast – one of the dog-head bit on his orange tracky-daks that he wore, ripping his garment at the shin of his crippled left leg…

… before he fell down – Paul electrocuted the mutt, and it dropped unconscious. Then 2 other dogs saw him sprawl dazed on the road – and they ran over swiftly at highspeed …

… before the 4-heads attacked him – Paul escaped by circling up-above – leaving the dogs roaring barks of disappointment.

Paul realised the nuclear holocaust had mutated domesticated animals – to have ‘extra’ heads and limbs…

… it was a dog-eat-cat world of survival too.

He then continued soaring his 5-kilometre journey, towards the tall tower.

<><>

AT THE RESTAURANT TABLE, PETER WAS BORED – he rather be home, watching some Netflix than hearing Bella and Kirk talking about rescuing strays in the streets – but he could ‘not’ find a reasonable excuse to leave McDonald's.

Kirk’s cellphone rang, and he was talking to a mate at the other-end – he then told…

“Hey-Bella, Ross the Horse is celebrating his belated birthday – he asked if you care to join ‘them’…?”

“… of course, I would – ask him to buy another bottle, and we meet at the motel.”

Bella turned to the one-armed tween…

“Pete, are you coming? You have to MEET THESE 2 GUYS – they are super-cool… they work for Kirk at the ‘rescue’ farm…”

… it was an opportunity for Peter to say ‘no’ and get away from the animal activist crowd – but…

‘… what is this 14-year-old girl going drinking with these 20-something guys at the motel – WHAT IF they gangbang her…? They ‘would’ so – when one of them was ‘called’ Horse…’

Peter wanted to ‘protect’ his future tennis doubles-partner – from these ‘exploitive’ blokes…

“Okay – I’m game!”

The trio left the table…

-O-

Outside Maccas…

… Peter whistled and got Jimbo’s attention, from across the street – the homeless-man came running to him…

“Jimbo, I’m going for ‘another’ business meeting – take care of my bike – and don’t ‘lose’ it!”

“No-worries, Boss-man – your DeLorean is in ‘SAFE-HANDS’…”

The grinning hobo put up both his hands-up – then made a ‘joke’ by showing only-one-hand – as Peter-himself has ‘only’ one…

Bella gave Peter a spare helmet – and the 2 motorcycles left.

<><>

“Jane, what is happening to you? Are you alright, you have rapid heartbeats…? There is also an abnormality to your REM pattern – it is fluctuating like crazy…”

The dazed Jane was speechless – and did ‘not’ have answers to her AI Boyyo’s inquiries – as she ‘drifted’ helplessly, into the cosmic Out-of-Body-Experience tube…

… then at the mouth end of the celestial duct – the tween was expectorated and expelled-out into another alternate-dimension…

“Yikes! WHERE ARE we…?”

“… you tell me ‘where,’ Boyyo – I’m blind…”

Boyyo was gobsmacked as it ‘processed’ what it ‘saw’… through the girl’s dark-glasses – everything visible was fuzzy and smoky – as Jane drifted in the dirty radioactive clouds of the post-nuclear realm…

“… the GPS mapping is of Perth – ‘now-how’ what I’m ‘processing’ is possible – has there been a war here…?”

“What war, Boyyo – details please?”

The confused and astounded artificial-intelligence described that the destructed Perth-city was in ruins from a ‘possible’ holocaust – as Jane listened…

… she had in the past – travelled into several ‘other’ realms like her Mother Venus’ Garden-of-Eden and …

… even had another out-of-body-experience when she was on her solo-mission – to rescue Peter’s soul in Asmodeus’ Underworld…

‘… so, this ‘must’ BE ONE OF THOSE supernatural worlds – in the eery dream-in-a-dream world…’

… remembering as SIMY too ‘had’ once said – there were no scientific ‘explanations’ to the paranormal and mystical world, where…

… her former-AI ‘herself’ too was trapped-in ‘one’ – since the ‘tragedy’ in Treeton…

“I detect clusters of human activity below, Jane…”

“… guide me to them…”

There was a tribal war ‘happening’ in the streets – where 2 factions fought…

… these were the savage children of the post-nuclear – and, they were fighting each other for their street territory dominance and food survival…

… they wore tattered dirty clothes, some were naked – and they were primitively armed with home-made spears and sharp out of modern-day objects… or just simple threw rocks at the enemy.

The larger faction were kids below 10-years of age – who had ambushed 3 teenagers – who fought for their lives, as they being cornered.

In the midst of the war-cries, Jane descended to the street at a safe distance, then hearing her AI exclaiming…

“What madness is this…? Why are they fighting?”

The youngling mob of boys-and-girls were winning – as they had killed 2 of the teens – with one fled for his life, but pursued by 6 chasing grunting angry kids.

The children were continuedly stabbing and hacking the dead teenagers sprawled on the road – cutting-up their flesh…

“Yikes! This is inhuman…”

“Boyyo, what is happening…?”

“Jane, THEY ARE CANNIBALS – they are eating the dead victims…”

“Oh-No!” Blind-Jane cried aloud…

… the feral progenies who were gathered while feeding – HEARD JANE’S VOICE – some with the spears ran over…

“Jane, quick-run – or fly, or whatever – they are coming for you!!!”

The terrified blind-Jane ran on foot, for her life…

-O-

Paul who flew towards the post-apocalyptic Blake Tower – saw 2 anomalies below in the streets of people running in the ruined streets…

… a teenager being pursued by a group of wild broods…

… another was a girl – too was chased by armed youngsters…

He ‘RECOGNIZED’ THE GIRL – and was shocked…

‘Jane is in trouble…’

From ariel, the cripple boy dropped down in front of Blind-Jane…

“Jane, GET BEHIND me!”

Levitating on the ground, Paul shot electrical snaking-bolts to ‘stun’ the children assailants – knocking them down unconscious.

… Jane’s 3rd-eye ‘opened,’ IN THE PRESENCE of her blue-beacon…

She hugged him crying, still trembling all over…

“Pauly, what is happening – why is there this chaos here…?”

“… I’m not sure – I reckon this is what’s left of the ‘future’ Perth… I think…”

“What do we ‘DO’ TO STOP IT from happening…?”

“… eer, I guess – we should go-find out – but I think the answer lies in the Dark Tower…”

Paul held her arm, as they both ascended from the street road…

… as they flew to the direction – of the post-nuclear Blake Tower.

<><>

AT THE MOTEL, PETER SAT QUIET AT THE COUCH. He was observing both of the 20-something youths named Charlie ‘Horse’ Ross and Daniel Bennett joining them. They were drunk, boisterous and jovial, all in one – when they chatted with Bella and Kirk. They brought along a bottle of vodka and 2 bottles of orange juice and were fixing screwdriver-cocktails.

… Peter don’t trust them – as they were adults…

… especially, the birthday-boy called Horse, as his nickname – with one with the most body piercings and tattoos – and bore the ink ‘the Man Called Horse’ in his left arm.

The one-armed tween noticed they BOTH WERE RESPECTFUL to the 14-year-old Bella – and even called her Miss Wilford…

‘… why wouldn’t you – she is the millionaire’s niece – who pays for all of your ‘expenses’ around here…?’

Daniel Bennett offered Peter a glass of the cocktail – reluctantly, he accepted…

… after the nasty hangover, he had after drinking the horrible Chinese rice-wine yesterday, and the aftermath in today in the classroom – in the first periods, all-nauseating and sickening inside-out.

Peter listened to the room of the 4 animal activists talking away of their noble-deed of rescuing strays, abandoned in the streets…

… he learned that Kirk Kiperman was housing-and-feeding the strays on vacant land, where he made a makeshift ‘shelter’ – and his buddies Daniel and Charlie were employed in the day-to-day maintenance. And, Bella…

… was ‘writing the cheques’ and bearing the financial cost of her pet-project.

Soon, the 3 adults were doing drugs…

… Kirk was smoking meth in his crackpipe – while Daniel and Charlie smoked weed…

… Peter swore to himself to ‘not’ to do drugs in the post-Treeton realm – and focus in attaining his tennis-dream comeback – because when he did drugs in the ‘other’ realms…

… he ‘lost’ his focus – and MADE ‘BAD’ decisions and choices – as dangerous drugs like meth-and-opioids-and-Gochi – back-then – ‘had’ distorted his perceptions and reality…

He whispered into Bella’s ears…

“… look, Kirk is smoking meth…”

Bella only chuckled, sipping her screwdriver, and replying…

“… I too smoke cigarettes and booze – and, I don’t ‘judge’ other people’s ‘choices’ of their ‘poisons’…’

Peter was then back sitting quietly into his thoughts – while the animal-activists talked shop…

… he was back ruminating of ‘what’ Kirk Kiperman had said at-Maccas just now – that his father had built a secret elevator in one of the rooms – that led to a mysterious bunker in the ‘unknown-of’ basement…

… that he himself had ‘not’ known and discover in the House-of-Walker…

‘… that elevator is in dad’s music-room – but his super-cop wife ‘locked’ it up…’

-O-

Peter enjoyed his glass of the vodka cocktail – it was sweet and tangy – soon, from one glass became to 3 – and, he was less ‘judgemental’ towards Bella’s friends.

He became close with Daniel, who shared by showing his GoPro videos in his cellphone – as a novice parkour stuntman, where he agile climbed-on abandon buildings-tops without ropes and ladders…

… the fascinated one-armed Peter, wished he was ‘not’ a handicap – so that Daniel would teach him parkour.

-O-

After his 5th glass of screwdriver, the drunk Peter begin showing off his ‘new’ AI-toy that interacted in voice command. Bella and friends had a hilarious fun time with Pete2.0’s answers to their ‘weird-drunkard’ inquiries…

The sloshed Charlie made an inebriated request as his belated birthday-gift challenge – that Peter to come up with a ‘perfect’ masterplan to ‘free’ the monkeys in the South Perth Zoo using his AI device.

… Peter recalled that the animal activists blotched attempt AND GOT ‘CAUGHT,’ – was the SAME TIME, when he ‘rescued’ the ‘kidnapped’ Samuel Jaheem Wilson at the zoo.

The drunk one-armed tween POINTED AT CHARLIE ROSS, and accused…

“… so, it’s you – you are the one who posted your ‘photos’ and ‘bragged’ on Instagram, after spring-out the monkeys in their bloody cages!”

Charlie was confused…

“What’s he talking about?”

Kirk Kiperman stepped-in and explained that ‘Peter’ CLAIMED THAT HE ‘WAS’ from the future… where the Hateful-8 WOULD BE CAUGHT ‘LATER’ – after their monkey ‘rescue’ mission. All the 3 older youth laughed.

Laughing, Charlie the Horse neighed the loudest, saying…

“What is this – Spielberg’s Minority Report!!? This boy has been watching way-too-much Netflix, hahaha!”

“So… y’all don’t ‘believe’ me – the truth of the matter ‘was’ – that’s ‘what that happened,’ and my Inspector mother arrested y’all…”

“Prove us then, fan-boy…”

The 20-something trio still laughed to the ridiculous accusations – until Bella spoke-out…

“Stop laughing at him, Horse – this breaking-in into the zoo, should be ‘our-secret’ only – and, ‘not’ a self-glorified personal attempt – and leak the news online, okay y’all…!!?”

All the 3 adult youth were quiet to their ‘employer’ – Bella turned to Peter…

“What if we were all ‘CAUTIOUS’ IN our mission – and, ‘not’ get involved online – Peter, can you devise us an airtight plan…?”

“Listen, Bella, if y’all get caught – I’ll get caught too – my mom is a good meticulous policewoman in Perth, who gets almost all of her cases solved…”

“Okay, with that said – WE WOULD BE-CAREFUL – so, can you help us then…?”

“But I don’t trust these drunkard 3 Stooges fools – and, I don’t want a criminal record hanging over my head – and that would ruin in my tennis comeback dreams…”

“No worries – these are my ‘boys’ – they work for me, and would ‘obey’ my given orders. Peter, you have the AI-tech – YOU COME-UP WITH the foolproof plan – I give that to them for them to successfully implement, to ‘beat’ the system – and, everyone ‘walks-away’ scotts-free, …” the 14-year-old girl said confidently of the possible positive-outcome…

… Peter was in a quagmire situation – IF HE DOESN’T AGREE – he would lose Bella as his tennis mixed-double partner.

Peter gave a command to Pete2.0…

“… give me a layout of every CCTV cameras in the South Perth Zoo ‘now’!”

“Yes, Master…”

Everyone saw a blueprint of the zoo’s milieu in the electronic notebook screen…

… the 3 youth were ‘studying’ the ground layout, while Peter proceeded…

“Pete2.0, WHEN IS the safe-hour for a ‘break-in’ into the zoo premise?”

“Master, there would be a change of security guards at 11:30 PM – with a 15-minute ‘window’ when – the guards have their work-briefing.”

Bella looked at her watch, and assembled her team…

“That’s 2 hours from now – boys, stop drinking and fooling around – and get seriously into ‘planning’ for our zoo-mission…”