she’d be spending money on therapy for the rest of her life.
“Let’s go. We’re here to eat lunch, and we’re here to see Liam. I don’t actually care if we eat lunch or not, but I’m not going to get to see him by sitting here.” I got out and walked to the corner of the Avenue. I couldn’t actually see the Gates of Kingdom, but I knew they were there.
Beth came along behind me, still wondering what we were doing on the wrong end of the city, at a street corner that looked like every other. I pulled her toward me. “Each time I take a step, you do.” Again I got the “Holy crap she’s crazy” look. I got it a lot.
One step forward down the Avenue. Nothing changed. I glanced over to Beth as the crowds shuffled past and gave her a smile. Crazy, said her face. Two steps in, nothing different, and she looked like she was deciding if I was off my meds or on too many. Three steps farther and the magic kicked in. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I got goose bumps all over my arms. The smug look ran off Beth’s face like a hot dog vendor slapped with a health inspection.
“Get ready.” I took one more step, and as I did the crowd around me faded like ghosts while a new set emerged, becoming more solid. To the normal folks, I’d look like I stepped in front of someone, or someone pushed their way in front of me. I glanced around. “Beth? Beth Crowley, you there?”
Her voice sounded like it came from a thousand yards away. “Marissa? I can’t see you.”
“Don’t move at all!” I yelled. I shivered as I realized what had happened, fear, not excitement, this time. So you might have figured out that the Gates of Kingdom acted as a kind of exit or overpass for the Avenue. Folks with magic passed through them, and instead of walking down the Avenue they took the bridge to High Kingdom, which overlapped the city like a ghost dimension.
Another possibility lurked here as well.
An underpass of sorts, a tunnel a person could accidentally fall into if they had enough sorrow, despair, or evil to make the trip. The gates could take you to Low Kingdom, where trolls played “Bad Cop, Bad Cop” with unfortunate passersby, and the streetlamps were lit with pixies being burned to death.
“Beth, I want you to step backwards very slowly.” If she had gone too far, she wouldn’t be able to. There was a day when I chose to walk into Low Kingdom. A day when I had enough pain and sadness to hide any hope or happiness. These days, I couldn’t enter if I wanted to. Having a boyfriend, a best friend, and a boss who actually respected me made getting into Low Kingdom damn near impossible.
I stepped backwards, and Beth flickered back into view right beside me. Grabbing her hand, I dragged her one step forward. My contact with her would force her to come with me into High Kingdom. The air exploded with color as we passed the barrier and the gates activated, tearing the real world away. I took a few more steps to be sure.
“I saw . . .” She fixed me with a look of horror, but the words wouldn’t come. I knew what she saw. I’d been there. Then her eyes caught the glint of gold on the streets, and the shimmering facade of magical store fronts. Trumpets blared as a procession of ogres marched past, displaying Kingdom’s military and magical might.
A squirrel ran up to us, ignoring me and tugging at Beth’s leg. “Please? Take me with you. I’ll be your lifelong friend.”
“Go away.” Once it latched on to her, it would never leave Beth alone.
Beth knelt, tickling the squirrel’s chin. “You’re a cute little guy.”
“Leave her alone and find someone else to pester.” I let my tone imply that I’d eaten squirrel dumplings before and would probably do so again.
“You’re my friend!” The squirrel began to dance around Beth, the bonding ritual.
I snagged it by the tail and shoved it headfirst into the post-office box on the corner. With any luck, the postal gnomes would ship it to
“Let’s go. We’re here to eat lunch, and we’re here to see Liam. I don’t actually care if we eat lunch or not, but I’m not going to get to see him by sitting here.” I got out and walked to the corner of the Avenue. I couldn’t actually see the Gates of Kingdom, but I knew they were there.
Beth came along behind me, still wondering what we were doing on the wrong end of the city, at a street corner that looked like every other. I pulled her toward me. “Each time I take a step, you do.” Again I got the “Holy crap she’s crazy” look. I got it a lot.
One step forward down the Avenue. Nothing changed. I glanced over to Beth as the crowds shuffled past and gave her a smile. Crazy, said her face. Two steps in, nothing different, and she looked like she was deciding if I was off my meds or on too many. Three steps farther and the magic kicked in. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I got goose bumps all over my arms. The smug look ran off Beth’s face like a hot dog vendor slapped with a health inspection.
“Get ready.” I took one more step, and as I did the crowd around me faded like ghosts while a new set emerged, becoming more solid. To the normal folks, I’d look like I stepped in front of someone, or someone pushed their way in front of me. I glanced around. “Beth? Beth Crowley, you there?”
Her voice sounded like it came from a thousand yards away. “Marissa? I can’t see you.”
“Don’t move at all!” I yelled. I shivered as I realized what had happened, fear, not excitement, this time. So you might have figured out that the Gates of Kingdom acted as a kind of exit or overpass for the Avenue. Folks with magic passed through them, and instead of walking down the Avenue they took the bridge to High Kingdom, which overlapped the city like a ghost dimension.
Another possibility lurked here as well.
An underpass of sorts, a tunnel a person could accidentally fall into if they had enough sorrow, despair, or evil to make the trip. The gates could take you to Low Kingdom, where trolls played “Bad Cop, Bad Cop” with unfortunate passersby, and the streetlamps were lit with pixies being burned to death.
“Beth, I want you to step backwards very slowly.” If she had gone too far, she wouldn’t be able to. There was a day when I chose to walk into Low Kingdom. A day when I had enough pain and sadness to hide any hope or happiness. These days, I couldn’t enter if I wanted to. Having a boyfriend, a best friend, and a boss who actually respected me made getting into Low Kingdom damn near impossible.
I stepped backwards, and Beth flickered back into view right beside me. Grabbing her hand, I dragged her one step forward. My contact with her would force her to come with me into High Kingdom. The air exploded with color as we passed the barrier and the gates activated, tearing the real world away. I took a few more steps to be sure.
“I saw . . .” She fixed me with a look of horror, but the words wouldn’t come. I knew what she saw. I’d been there. Then her eyes caught the glint of gold on the streets, and the shimmering facade of magical store fronts. Trumpets blared as a procession of ogres marched past, displaying Kingdom’s military and magical might.
A squirrel ran up to us, ignoring me and tugging at Beth’s leg. “Please? Take me with you. I’ll be your lifelong friend.”
“Go away.” Once it latched on to her, it would never leave Beth alone.
Beth knelt, tickling the squirrel’s chin. “You’re a cute little guy.”
“Leave her alone and find someone else to pester.” I let my tone imply that I’d eaten squirrel dumplings before and would probably do so again.
“You’re my friend!” The squirrel began to dance around Beth, the bonding ritual.
I snagged it by the tail and shoved it headfirst into the post-office box on the corner. With any luck, the postal gnomes would ship it to
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