"Anywhere in the Worlds!?" I repeat skeptically and add, "Lin, the app name itself is grammatically incorrect!"

Lin, my best friend, snatches my phone and clicks the 'Install' button without giving it a second thought.

"Girrrrl!" I protest; the download starts. Lin holds the phone out of reach, "Lucy, it's a great. After installing it, it will decide a location that best suits your temperament by going through your phone. Cool, isn't it?"

I continue to feel apprehensive, and she adds, "It gives great discounts if you decide to go with its suggestions. Come on, love, it's your birthday, after all. It will be fun."

Unconvinced, I almost press 'cancel', but before I can do so, she adds, "It's the last time we can do something like this before..." she pauses and purses her lips before adding dejectedly, "before you guys start planning for a child."

I stop; she is not wrong, I realize, and nod, giving in.

A moment later, my phone beeps, and the room plunges into darkness; I close my eyes.

When I open them, I find Lin staring at me; her eyes: swollen and bloodshot.

"What happened?" I enquire, and Lin grabs my collar, "Give it back!" she bites out.

"Lin! What's wrong with you! You are hurting me!" I struggle to get out of her grip.

Lin's eyes narrow, "My treasure. Give it back!"

This close, I see the differences I had missed at first glance:

Wasn't the mole on the left side of her brow?

Wasn't she wearing a pale-blue, floral dress!?

Does Lin even own a black leather jacket!?

Something wasn't right; I take a deep breath and wrap my fingers over hers. "Lin, whatever it is, you are looking... "

"Don't touch me, bitch!" She growls, pushing me away, and I notice other things. Like, even though it's my home, the layout is different from what I remember.

'It's inverted!' my mind supplies, and my heart starts pounding. I close my eyes, feeling disoriented, and my phone starts ringing.

Lin lets go, walks back a few steps, and stills.

"Lin?" I call walking closer and poke her shoulder.

She remains still, like a mannequin; the phone continues to ring.

What he hell is going on!?

I turn to pick it up, but it stops; a hologram appears over it.

It's a man's face; he is smiling. Dressed in an expensive-looking, well-fitted royal blue suit, the man informs, "Welcome to anywhere in the worlds. I am your virtual assistant. If you have any doubts, feel free to ask."

I blink, 'What is happening!?' I wonder.

"Oh, by the way, you can call me whenever you want." The virtual man smirks.

It only manages to infuriate me further. "What is this? Where am I? Where are my friends?"

"Oh," The 'hologram' quirks his brows, "did you not read the summary before installing the product?"

Of course, I hadn't. I shake my head.

"Oh, I see. A rookie mistake. It happens." He nods before continuing, "Don't worry, I will get you through this." He smiles again and steps out of the hologram. Literally!

What the hell!?

He puts his hand out, and as a force of habit, I accept it, regretting it instantly; his smile brightens, "Thank you for accepting the terms and conditions," he adds, letting go of my hand.

"Wait! When did I do that!?"

"Just now, when you shook my hand, Lucy."

"But I didn't mean to!" I protest; something occurs to me then, "How do you know my name?"

"Lucy, I know much more than that. After all, you agreed to the terms and conditions and gave us access to everything on your phone. But don't worry, we are completely open about the way we operate. Your bank details are completely safe with us." He reassures, and I panic.

"Details?" I enquire, but he ignores me, "Let's not waste time. Time is precious. Shall we start?"

"I want to uninstall it!" I retort, and he shakes his head, "That's why one must read the fine print, you see," he pauses and pours himself a glass of wine, "Lucy, today is your birthday, isn't it?" he enquires; I remain silent.

"Well, that was a rhetorical question. Since it's your birthday, I will offer you a deal. A way out, so to speak."

That piques my interest, "I am listening."

"As you may have noticed, this place is a little different. You are in a parallel world: A virtual world. To get out, you need to play. If you win, you can go back, and if you lose, well, trust me, you don't want to lose." He chuckles.

I signal him to continue, and he walks over to Lin, "Lin has lost her treasure. She thinks you have it. You have three options:

1. Guess correctly: you win. The treasure appears. You get an option to uninstall the app and return to your world.

2. You can't guess/ guess wrong: she kills you. You lose.

3. You can't guess, but you kill her before she kills you. In which case, you will return to your world, but lose everything that you have worked so hard to achieve. After all, we have everything needed to do that." He concludes, pointing at my phone.

"She won't kill me. She is my best friend." I reply confidently; the man smiles again, "Not in this world. In this world, you are her worst enemy."

"What happens if she kills me?"

"You will be dead." He replies, matter-of-factly; I gulp.

That's not an option.

He corks his head, "Any more questions?"

"How much time do I have to find the treasure?"

"A minute, maybe two. It all depends on how you play the game." He replies, nods, snaps his fingers and disappears.

"You bitch!" Lin jumps at my throat again, and I lose my balance; we fall.
Thank heavens for the couch which breaks our fall.

"Lin! Listen. Stop this. We are friends." I remind her, trying to grab her wrists, and she punches my nose.

"Ah!" I wince and use all my strength to push her off of me. "Stop it!" I yell, losing my temper. She lunges at me, but misses me by an inch as I duck and run towards my kitchen island.

'I need to buy time to think about what 'the treasure' is.' I reason and immediately open a drawer only to find knives. I pick one up, just in case. Meanwhile, Lin stands and runs towards me.

"Stop right there, Lin," I command, brandishing the knife in her face, but it doesn't have the desired effect.

"Give me back my treasure!" She screams and closes in. We run around the kitchen island. I realize that under normal circumstances, this would have been funny. Maybe we should do this when I go back; if I can go back.

That is when I realize that the cutlery drawer was not where it should be: right corner drawer; I had grabbed the knife from the left corner drawer where I store ropes and other hardwares.

Everything is inverted. Opposite of what it should be!

My mind races. 'What could it be? Only the most precious thing can be treasured, right? So all I have to do, is guess what Lin hates most, for that would be her most treasured thing in this world, right!'

I start thinking of all things my best friend dislikes. Meanwhile, my sweet Lin, the most polite and friendly woman I have ever come across, runs behind me, fuming, abusing me using words I had never expected to hear from her lips.

'What do you hate, Lin?' I wonder, and then it hits me. Children!

Lin had had a terrible childhood. For her, the reason she had suffered was because she was a child then: small, defenseless. She had thus vowed to remain childless. Even my innumerable attempts at changing her mind had failed.

"Your treasure, " I blurt out, and she stops dead in her tracks; I continue, "is your child. She is here."

Instantly, the hologram pops up again, and out walks a child of about five, with blond curls adorning her forehead; she looks like Lin.

The child smiles and runs towards her mother. They embrace and freeze on the spot.

"Congratulations, Lucy. You have won your first challenge." The man from before informs, "To become a premium member," he starts, but I shake my head, "I want out." I demand, and he nods, "I understand. Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

He nods, clicks a couple of keys on my phone, and hands it to me, "I hope you had fun. Remember, we are just a click away!" He chirps merrily and disappears, taking the light with him.

Darkness surrounds me once again, and I close my eyes, hoping that when I open them next, I am where I belong: in my home, in my world.