"Hey man, are you okay?" Winston waved his hands across the one's face and he did nothing. Julianna immediately tensed up and looked towards Joe, River, and Al for guidance. River ran into the darkness in search for something that would help. Joe walked over to the one and started feeling his forehead to see how his skin felt. Al finally sighed.
"It was what I had suspected. He'd been tampered with in the evening, like you had Jules. He can't hear our stories without going into a trance. I had hoped Coco would find him first...but I guess she didn't." Al got a quizzical look on his face and then his face lit up. "River! Get him some coffee."
"Already on it Pa!" she said as she brought over a small, warm cup of coffee. She brought the cup to his lips and slowly poured the coffee down his throat. Within a few minutes he began to reach consciousness.
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I looked around as the warm yet bitter liquid gradually settled inside of me. There was something about that drink...that coffee...that had brought me to my senses. I looked around and saw that I was still in this mysterious wooded home, surrounded by strangers who seemed fascinated with this bean that a mysterious woman gave me.
"What happened?" I asked as I began to stretch. It felt like I had been asleep for hours.
"You have been tampered with...by those who are against us and all things coffee." Al explained as River offered me another cup of this interesting brew.
"Tampered with!?" I explained as I accepted the cup and held it towards me for warmth.
"Yes...it's a very invasive procedure they do on their prisoners. One where once it has been done to you certain topics will put you into a daze...it was discovered during the Great War to prevent prisoners of war from being persuaded to join other forces. They must not want you to know how important you are." River explained
Important I am? Invasive procedure? The Great War? What is happening...Wait how did I even get here? I remember the bean...and needing to find Oliver...but why am I here with Al, River, Joe, Julianna, and Winston...How do I know their names? As I was trying to collect my thoughts Julianna came over and put her hand on my back. "I know it's pretty frightening not knowing how you got places and what you are supposed to do...each time you go into a daze it affects your memory even more. But we will overcome this. In time. If I can overcome it and rescue Winston before they operated on him, then I think you can too." She tried to reassure me, but the more people talked about the situation we were in the more confused I got.
As I was trying to make sense of everything a cat, bird, and mouse all trotted into the room. What is this world coming too...they immediately went over to Al. The cat curled up on his lap, the bird perched on his shoulder, and the mouse jumped up to his hand, spit something into it, and then cuddled down by his feet. Al analyzed the gift from this peculiar trio and discovered it was a letter.
"It's from Box Manor! They wrote to us because they have found Oliver and Coco. Jimmy says something unusual could happen, but since they are both there we should come out of hiding and go see them." Al explained
"Do you think it's really them? So soon...I mean we haven't even contacted them to let them know we have the bean...do you think it could be a spy?" Joe asked
"Could be Joe, but we'll never know unless we go right Pa?" River responded.
"Unfortunately you are right. If Jimmy felt he should send the trio then they must have found Oliver and Coco. We'll leave first thing in the morning! Winston, why don't you try and explain to our confused friend where we are going." Al directed his attention to Winston and myself. So Winston took me aside and began to tell me all the complexities of Box Manor, the crew that lived there, and how he couldn't explain why but it was very important that I meet Coco and Oliver.
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