Through Darkened Glass

Down the Rabbit Hole

There was a slight resistence as he crossed the portal's threshold.  Then Keplar was stepping out of another quicksilver door and onto a street that was nearly hidden by a dense fog.  A hand fell onto his holstered weapon as he peered through the gloom, searching every shadow he could see.

Then he was sighing and letting his hand fall off his weapon.  The street was pretty ordinary looking, with trees, fenced in yards and houses stretching out on either side as they marched into the swirling gray and out of sight.  There a garbage bin sat on a curb, waiting for the collector to come by and gather it in.  And beyond that the characteristic shape of a fire hydrant was just visible on the fringe of the fog bank.  Ordinary indeed, almost pastoral in its urban mundaniety.

"You look lost, friend."  An elderly male voice said behind him and Keplar spun around to find himself looking at an old man, his face lined and worn and his hair a sparse halo, smiling as he was about to leave his own garbage bin on the curb.

Then he was nearly going for his gun when he saw the old man was a giant lizard from the waist down.  Fighting off the urge, he pasted a smile on his face.

"Got a bit turned around in the fog.  Mind pointing me to the nearest public transportation hub?"  Keplar asked

Before the old mirror could say anything, a motion above his head caught Keplar's attention.  And he had to once again fight off the impulse to go for his gun as he watched not one or two celestials descending out of the fog-filled air towards them, wings sweeping majestically through the cool air.  But nearly a dozen of them, every one of them dressed in crisp dark blue uniforms of some sort.

A female one with her luxurious red hair pulled into a high pony tail landed on one side of him, and a muscular African-American celestial landed on the other.

"This human bothering you, citizen?"  The red headed celestial asked, her voice clear and melodious.  The old man chuckled and shook his head.

"No, no, not at all, officer.  The young fella just got turned around is all.  Needs the nearest bus stop."

The big male nodded.

"You exhibit excellent restraint, citizen.  You are to be commended."  Then he was taking Keplar by the arm, the female grabbing the other.  "We'll make sure the human finds his way to the bus stop."

Then, with smooth strokes of their wings, they were lifting him into the air.  Keplar had to fight the urge to sigh as he looked back at the rapidly shrinking image of the old man and his garbage can, the silver door he had stepped in nowhere to be seen.  'Grabbed.  Without even getting off a damn shot.'  He mused darkly.

With a burst of sunlight they broke out of the fog and the squadron of celestials turned towards the spires and towers of a distant city.  Hoping the mirror world would be a place even more devastated than the world he had left behind, Keplar felt disappointment's keen sting at seeing this place was almost pristine.  Flawless towers of graceful glass and steel pierced the clouds above them, passing through crystal clear air to do so. 

And, as the fog beneath them began to give way before the sun's bright light, he could see a sprawling city that was liberally sprinkled with walking paths, lush, green forest land and several branching rivers passing through to give it an almost park-like feel.  There were no bombed out buildings, heaps of trash and wrecked vehicles or flashes of weapon fire as rogue mirrors fought desperate battles against grim soldiers.

He didn't have long to ponder his discoveries.  As they passed into the city's heart, the pair of celestials carrying him began to swiftly descend to a broad courtyard set between a quartet of skyscraping towers.  Keplar grunted as they touched down none too gently and the two kept their hands on his shoulders as they began marching him towards the nearest building.