this.”
“You should feel stupid for dating Beatrice ,” Breccan snapped.
“Not now,” Calloway snapped. “Save your comments for later.” He knew dating Beatrice would be an issue with his friends, but he didn’t realize how insistent their comments would be. The possibility of them hanging out together, with Beatrice, was never going to happen—they hated her. “I don’t know what to do.” He played with the orb in his fingers and squeezed the surface, making it shine brilliantly in the dim library. The glowing light was a comfort to him when he couldn’t sleep at night. He used to caress it as a child until he finally fell into his dreams, assuaged by the sight of the burning light keeping away his nightmares and fears.
There was an almost inaudible hum, lightly ringing in his ears, and Calloway stiffened at the sound, aware of the unusual noise. He turned to his two friends. “Do you hear that?”
Easton’s eyes were wide. “Yes.”
Breccan nodded but didn’t speak.
Calloway extinguished the orb and the sound disappeared.
Easton looked at him. “Turn it back on.”
Calloway squeezed the orb and the sound continued, humming just as it did a moment before, and he concentrated on the sound, trying to decipher its meaning. He stepped closer to his friends, and together, they gazed at the walls—they still appeared lifeless. The humming grew louder as Calloway moved to the opposite wall and it blared in his ears. The sound of his beating heart was mute in comparison to the noise, which took over every thought and sense. When the hum was clear and audible, louder than anywhere else, he stopped and stared at the wall. He didn’t touch the surface because he didn’t need to—he knew it was the portal entra nce.
R evelations
Aunt Grace and Uncle Scott were both working that morning, so Easton drove them to school in her classic car, which received gawking stares from passing drivers for the entire ride. Easton smiled happily as she watched them appraise her vintage vehicle. The powerful engine roared as they drove to the campus, and Calloway felt sleepy in the backseat despite the loud noise. The heater was thawing his extremities, leaving him lethargic and comfortable, and he felt relaxed as he leaned against the leather seat. The music was playing on the radio, an indie rock song, and it subdued his mind.
They had discovered the entrance to one of the portals and he couldn’t understand— fathom— the achievement. It had been there, hidden in plain sight the entire time, and they never recognized it—they didn’t have a clue. Now they understood why the Hara-Kirs were drawn to the location. Calloway felt stupid for not realizing it before—it was obvious.
His father purchased the Grandiose Historian Library then marked it as abandoned to keep the humans safe—Calloway was certain. If innocent bystanders were reading in the library they would be killed, slaughtered before they realized they were attacked, and their essence would be taken, used to fuel the end of their world as well as the Anti-Life. Calloway was proud of his father, and he hoped he would be as courageous when he entered the portal, crossing over to the plane of the unknown. Even with his friends beside him, he was still frightened of traveling to the other side. He didn’t know what to expect. What was this other world like? What if he didn’t come back? His family would mourn for him until their deaths, wishing they knew what happened to their adopted son. Beatrice would be absent from his life, finding love in someone else. Weston would never know about his true feelings, that he thought the world of her. When his thoughts turned to Weston, he shut off the feelings, knowing they were completely inappropriate—he was with Beatrice now. To think of someone else in that light was morally wrong and deceitful.
Beatrice was beautiful and perfect, like a summer flower that defied the thaw of winter, and she continued to
“You should feel stupid for dating Beatrice ,” Breccan snapped.
“Not now,” Calloway snapped. “Save your comments for later.” He knew dating Beatrice would be an issue with his friends, but he didn’t realize how insistent their comments would be. The possibility of them hanging out together, with Beatrice, was never going to happen—they hated her. “I don’t know what to do.” He played with the orb in his fingers and squeezed the surface, making it shine brilliantly in the dim library. The glowing light was a comfort to him when he couldn’t sleep at night. He used to caress it as a child until he finally fell into his dreams, assuaged by the sight of the burning light keeping away his nightmares and fears.
There was an almost inaudible hum, lightly ringing in his ears, and Calloway stiffened at the sound, aware of the unusual noise. He turned to his two friends. “Do you hear that?”
Easton’s eyes were wide. “Yes.”
Breccan nodded but didn’t speak.
Calloway extinguished the orb and the sound disappeared.
Easton looked at him. “Turn it back on.”
Calloway squeezed the orb and the sound continued, humming just as it did a moment before, and he concentrated on the sound, trying to decipher its meaning. He stepped closer to his friends, and together, they gazed at the walls—they still appeared lifeless. The humming grew louder as Calloway moved to the opposite wall and it blared in his ears. The sound of his beating heart was mute in comparison to the noise, which took over every thought and sense. When the hum was clear and audible, louder than anywhere else, he stopped and stared at the wall. He didn’t touch the surface because he didn’t need to—he knew it was the portal entra nce.
R evelations
Aunt Grace and Uncle Scott were both working that morning, so Easton drove them to school in her classic car, which received gawking stares from passing drivers for the entire ride. Easton smiled happily as she watched them appraise her vintage vehicle. The powerful engine roared as they drove to the campus, and Calloway felt sleepy in the backseat despite the loud noise. The heater was thawing his extremities, leaving him lethargic and comfortable, and he felt relaxed as he leaned against the leather seat. The music was playing on the radio, an indie rock song, and it subdued his mind.
They had discovered the entrance to one of the portals and he couldn’t understand— fathom— the achievement. It had been there, hidden in plain sight the entire time, and they never recognized it—they didn’t have a clue. Now they understood why the Hara-Kirs were drawn to the location. Calloway felt stupid for not realizing it before—it was obvious.
His father purchased the Grandiose Historian Library then marked it as abandoned to keep the humans safe—Calloway was certain. If innocent bystanders were reading in the library they would be killed, slaughtered before they realized they were attacked, and their essence would be taken, used to fuel the end of their world as well as the Anti-Life. Calloway was proud of his father, and he hoped he would be as courageous when he entered the portal, crossing over to the plane of the unknown. Even with his friends beside him, he was still frightened of traveling to the other side. He didn’t know what to expect. What was this other world like? What if he didn’t come back? His family would mourn for him until their deaths, wishing they knew what happened to their adopted son. Beatrice would be absent from his life, finding love in someone else. Weston would never know about his true feelings, that he thought the world of her. When his thoughts turned to Weston, he shut off the feelings, knowing they were completely inappropriate—he was with Beatrice now. To think of someone else in that light was morally wrong and deceitful.
Beatrice was beautiful and perfect, like a summer flower that defied the thaw of winter, and she continued to
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