Thus I time, I expected it, and let my body be relaxed-and you know what? I didn' feel numb, but capable of moving while floating in space after the giant suck-up. I actually felt like an astronaut, though I never know how they really feel like-something like this, anyway.
I saw June linked safely to me by the hand. She seemed to be frozen and uncomfortable. "Relax, June," I said, and she seemed surprised to find me safely next to her. She took deep breathes, and I watched as she moved, limb by limb. "Where are we?" She asked, looking around. I looked below expectantly and saw them. "The codes," I answered.
The white letter were still there, and I read one word quickly-'command'. It was a computer program for sure.
We floated like that peacefully-i counted the seconds before the next spew-up. But suddnely, I heard something.
Foot steps.
Then a voice, too recognizable.
"Jesus, Eric Hunter! You were right!" It crowed with delight.
June turned to look at me, startled.
I could only grin back at her, my smile blooming slowly.
"You were also right-Jake's not dead," I said.
I was just seeing the happy realization dawn on her when we were spewed out.
The force was just as striking as before, like getting squeezed and everything. June actually yelped, and it was drowned in the sound of wind and the 'sound of the sucking' in my ears.
Then we were out, the next second.
I had to let June go for now, and just hoped that she wouldn't fall on her front like Jake.
Well, actually, I was the one who got that sentence.
I groaned as the air was forced out of my lungs, ribs aching and heart beating like in a marathon, an old trend that was now unpopular and rare in New York. I still flipped over and took deep breathes, then felt different. My body.
I scrambled instantly onto my feet and pulled out my phone-it had a cracked screen because of my terrible fall-but I didn't care too much. I looked at my refleciton, and grinned automatically. So far, so good(not exaclty true, but you get what I mean, right?) . My old self grinned back at me, and I felt a tiny bit smaller. No beard, especially.

I found June on the floor, gasping. I helped her up, examining her face carefully, a tiny bit worried when she had dustied herself.

She looked just the same, though smaller with shorter hair reaching to her shoulders. She truned to me, excited-and practically grinned at me.

"Wow, you look so much younger, Rick," I liked the way she used my nickname so causally. I grinned, and took the first procedures after going under the Shack and its Window by showing her her own reflection-she gasped at her younger self and the location and year.
"Jesus on a stick," She said.
It was when I noticed that the Window was gone-for now-that we had little time, actually. The SSC surely must know the Shack and get through it to get us.
"June, let's go," I urged. Afterwe silently got out of the Shack, I took in a deep breathe of New york 2035 air. "Wait, Rick!" June suddenly hollered as I was looking for Sandra's home, delighted more than possible. "Huh?" I asked, turning back to June. It still surprised me that she seemed so young, while being much the same.
"Remember Jake? He was in reality, while we were in the computer system. He actually exited out of virtuality when he was killed," I thought about it. "I got your point. Wait-then does it mean that-?!" I narrowed my eyebrows. This was the most insanest words I could have ever come up with.
"That we can only exit virtuality by getting killed? Right," June said for me.
My jaw, opened mid-sentence, wouldn't shut close.
"Then what can we do? I have my 'dad' here, and I just came-he's only a few miles away. I have to see him, though we need to run and exit the world," "Maybe, Eric, everyone needs to do that, don't you think? They have the right to know the truth, thouagh we don't even know ourselves if we somehow came into this fake world forced under the gov.or by our own will," "Yeah, I guess you're right. Even if they came here according to their own wills, yes," I said. I had never considered that the people, these people who never knew that they'd been living a huge portion of their lives in a fake world, the real world they had been actually born in just going around without them, ought to know the truth-we, Jake, me, and June, couldn't exit here only cause we had gotten into exceptional trouble and found out the truth.
"I agree. But how?" I rubbed my smooth chin. "Then we'd need some mega-bombs to kill these people-" I winced. "And that only makes it unethical," June bit her lip. "We heard Jake out there. Maybe, we can get out ourselves and then try to 'unplug' the others- this is a program on a comp. We should be able to exit them from outside," She suggested. Always the one who came up with ideas, June was like a prodigy to me. "Yeah, I guess. Then we should hurry. The helper didn't seem to have sealed the guards in real life too successfully, and some virtual SSC are after us right now. We should-" I was saying when we heard noise from inside the Shack right behind us.
"Jesus, they're coming," I whispered. We nodded at each other, then started to make a run for it again. I remembered my Ford, but knew there was a higher possibility of it confiscated or stolen. I had also lost my car keys somewhere. I led her (once more) around my town, and had to beam. My old neighborhood. Dad, your son is back!
"Where should we go?" June asked. I thought for a moment. "I just have to warn my dad-then we're gonna lure them to the edges of town to cause little harm to the town itself," I said my plan quickly. "Ok-but don't let your dad be told of everything yet, just show yourself-what of me?" June asked. "Come with
me, it's ok," We had already checked that it was a Sunday-dad had to be home if usual. I hoped for it.
I finally ran to my street, and felt a strange lunp at my throat. "It;s the 3rd house," I told her.
We finally reached the house panting. I opened the door quietly and swallowed. June grabbed my hand, and I felt better.
We walked in, into the livingroom.
The house was the same as the life-changing day. My room, the livingroom neat...
But different. Neater, and I saw my own photo from my desk on a cabinet.
"Eric?" A voice asked hopefully.
My dad.
I stepped further and saw him sitted at the dinner table, a comp. in front of him, dark circles beneath his eyes. His hair wasn't gelled and a bit messy, as if he was
right out of bed-or had survived 48 hours of no sleep.
"Hey, dad," I grinned.
He stared at me unbelievingly.
Then the next second, he was out of the seat and was hugging me.
"You're back-" He sobbed. I was actually surprised. Yes, I had seen dad crack up in the bad, watery way like this before, but not like this.
"Course I'm back, dad," I murmured-I slapped myself inside my head-that was a bit stupid thing to say... 
"Where were you?" It wasn't a scolding, but soft tone. I swallowed, then opened my suddenly watery eyes. I saw June standing awkwardly to the side, and wanted more than ever to pull her into a hug, too. Then I remembered the task at hand.
Dad noticed my movement to pull back, and I saw the hurt look in his eyes. "Dad, you gotta listen to me. Me, Jake, and June here-" I waved at her. "We found something very crucial, very strange. You might never believe me-about the world,"
Dad wasn't June, and the complete opposite, in fact, only into logic, not considering logic as a part of his identity.
"Jesus, pardon, son?"
"You just have to stay inside the house. Some mad guys chased us here, and I'll come back a few hours later, I promise, dad, I swear," I made my last lie in this world. This would become true in the reality.
"I can help you... Eric, what's going on?" Dad was a thousand miles behind me and June.
"Sorry, dad. I swear I'll come back. Thanks for worrying about me, and alerting the police," I actually felt tears of sadness and respect at he words. "How did you know?" Dad asked. Jesus on a stick-I wasn't supposed to know. "I heard from the people here. Dad, we really need to go, I swear I'll be safe," I pulled dad into a tigh hug, and I even felt dad's breathe get out of him. I bet I'd grown a tiny bit...
"Ok. Just come back," I grinned at dad. "Thank you, dad. I know I can trust you, I'll tell you everything possible when I come back home again," That was a lie-this was a home in the Vrituality. It was just air sand simulation, I bet, in the Reality.
I gave dad one more squeeze, then turned to the door.
June silently stuck to my side, and we walked down the hallway, trying not to run since that wou;d make dad worry.
"See you on the other side," I murmured to my dad, too softly for dad to hear-but loud enough for the computer program and June to hear.
She reached out and just squeezed my hand.

The race started right when we exited my house.
"Now what-?" June was asking when the sound came.
Running boots, metal, and orders.
Goddamit, they were after us again.
I grabbed her hand right away and we ran down the street. I heard ear splitting bullet shots in the air right behind us, and I tried to zigzag during the run-but that's hard when you haven someone with you.
We reached Jake's alley. I didn't bother to see his parents, but then an idea occurred to me. "June, you have to hide and get away-I'll corner them away," I said as quick as possible. "But you'll get in trouble-you might be killed!!" "I won't die in Reality. Plus, they are confusing everybody in this town. Someone else might be killed." Before she could protest, I led her to the steel garage of Jake's house. Only the cement wall separated us from the SSC. I pressed her against it and pulled her deeper into the dark. "Just stay here, ok? I'll come to you as soon as possible," I whispered, and I could see her glowing eyes and face nod. "Thanks. I'll be right back," I squeezed her shoulder one last time and spun around. I really didn't want to leave her, but she needed safety for now.
I found Jake's bike standing a few feet away. I was in luck that it was unfaulty and I was a good cyclist. I rolled it out and dashed out into the light, back to the street. I turned to see the army just make the turn. I swung my legs onver the metal setup and my feet found the pedals. The bullets launched themselves in my direction-and I could tell that they were still hesitant to kill me. I used the pause to pedal as heard as possible and the bike shot forward.
I raced over red lights, eliciting honking-I didn't care and flew on a bridge. I had one destination in mind...
I saw my school in view and pedaled like mad.
It had been aroun 7 in Francisco. So it was 5 here-long after school ended if today wasn't a weekend.
I gave the bike pin last push, then let its momentum carry me. I swung my legs over and jumped off, making the bike crash. I raced into the cool hallway, breathing in the familiar smell of the school. I didn't pause and raced up the stairs, 3 at a time. I heard their boots on the cool cement of the stairs, gaining.
I burst onto the rooftop.
Somehow, in this moment, all I could think of was Jake and June. My best friends who helped me figure out the authenticity of this wolrd we had all believed so hardly in...
"Hunter! I'll spare you in the Reality if you stop this now," A voice boomed from the door. I turned to see a bulky man in his black uniform shouting at me, the rest of his pack edging slowly with guns at my face towards me. I didn't flinch. "It's too late. I know this world is fake-Jake was killed and he's now awake in the real world. And we'll fight," I said. The man shook his head sadly. "This virtual world is better than the reality. If you're really determined to get away from us and the virtuality, do it-but remember my words. You'll regret your choice forever, number 45," "Number 45?" I asked, confused. He just smirked. "You're the 45th and last person to be admitted into the program, 45. Actually, you weren't exactly a volunteer. You were forced," Bewildered, I statred at the man. "And why are you telling me?" I asked the words leaving my lips slowly. The man chuckled. "I developed the New York system, and I personally think you deserve the truth. But you have to belive me that the wolrd out there is rough-though you managed to survive before underground. Good luck, 45. Well, thanks to you, this round of Virtuality seems rot have ended. I'm not very angry, since we can round more up next year. Since it's a failure, I'll end the program here-it'll appear as a nuclear explosion of some sort in this virtual town," He smirked, and then, walked closer to me. He pulled out something from his uniform-two guns. I thought for a panicked second that he'd kill me with countless buyllets, but he didn't seem to  be threatening. He waved me over, then clutched my hand with force around the guns. "You know what to do-you have the honor to die with honor," He said and turned away to admire the view from the virtual rooftop of my virtual school, at the virtual town and virtual scenery. I just stared. Speechless.
A moment later, the whole group dissipated into the air, slowly at first, then with a click, they were gone.
I was 45, a forced kid into the program that was about to end with a virtual explosion, killing everyone out of the program...
Jesus, June. I had promised to meet her. My body finally found sense and I jogged down the path, empty footsteps echoing around the virtual space, the gun pressed firmly to my hands. All these stuff, all fake, and even some people had volunteered to live in this for years and let he forget-that meant the reality was terrible, but it didn't' matter.
I preferred authenticity to false happiness.
I raced down my town to back to where I had left June on Jake's bike, now gun in my waistband, gaingin speed as I realized that I didn't have much time. The guns didn't feel heavy nor a burden-I rather enjoyed its weight at my waistband.
I hopped off the bike and left it propped up at the side of the shack and approached carefully. I heard nothing in the shack and for a second, worried of June.
"June? It's me, Eric," I said softly when I got in deep into the shack. I heard a pause, then saw her slender form rise form behind a big toolbox. Her eyes gleamed in the shadows. "What happened?" She asked. "They just let me go. They said the Reality is harsh, but they honor us for finding out and dating to get back to the harsh conditions. They're gonna blow this place up since the Virtuality failed, and they said they would try again next year. I'm not too sure what they mean, but-" I slowly pulled out the guns and gave here one of them. She took a surprised intake of breathe, then her breathing slowed down as she understood.
I nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. Then said the words which I thought I wouldn't be able to put out of my lips ever in my life.
"Where should we die?"