𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐒, 𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐑

xv. The Flea and the Acrobat

I stand off to the side just watching everyone till I see Mike walk over to me.

He doesn't even say hello he just hugs me. I hug him back. This is what I needed. I needed him.

He soon lets go of the hug and looks at me.

"Are you alright?" He questions me.

"I'm at a funeral for my brother who isn't even dead, i'm fine" I say to him, It came off a bit harsh so I tone down a little. "I'm sorry, just with Lonnie being here it puts me on edge, you know" I say to him.

"Yeah, I know, it's alright, it's a tuff day today" He says as he hugs me again. I hug him back and look over to the crowd. Dustin and Lucas and their families were talking to Lonnie while Mom is standing there with her arms crossed not saying a word. I just want this day over and done with.

Within an hour we are all inside and everyone is chatting away to each other, getting food. Mom again is sitting by herself not doing anything. Jonathan is no where in sight and Lonnie is doing whatever, I don't really care. Mike and I met up with Lucas and Dustin as we plan on talking to Mr Clarke about the Vale of shadows. We spot him over by the food and we all walk up to him.

"Mr Clarke?" Mike tries to get his attention, he turns around and sees us. 

"Oh hey there" He says back to us. I look over to Dustin who was getting something to eat, I tap his arm to make him stop, we are meant to be sad. 

"How you kids holding up?" He questions us. In the background we can hear Dustin eating something but we try and pass it off.

"We're...In...Mourning" Lucas says and I nod my head.

"Man, these aren't real Nilla Wafers" Dustin says and we just look at him.

"Are you serious?" I whisper to him, he just looks annoyed he didn't get his snack.

"We were wondering if you had time to talk?" Mike questioned him trying to move the conversation along.

"We have some questions" Lucas says

"A lot of questions" Mike adds on. Mr Clarke says sure and we all find a table to sit at. I sit down next to Mike and Dustin as Mr Clarke sits down next to Mike and Lucas.

"So, you know how in Cosmos, Carl Sagan talks about other Dimensions? Like, beyond our world?" Mike questions him.

"Yeah, sure. Theoretically" Mr Clarke says back to us.

"Yeah Theoretically" I say to him.

"So, theoretically, how do we travel there?" Lucas questions him.

"You guys have been thinking about Hugh Everett's Many-Worlds Interpretation, haven't you?"Mr Clarke questions us. We all look at each other really confused.

"Well basically, there are parallel universes. Just like our world, but just infinite variations of it. Which means there's a world out there where none of this tragic stuff ever happened." He says

"Yeah, that's not what we're talking about" Lucas says a bit to bluntly but it doesn't really matter.

"Oh" Mr Clarke says getting confused.

"We were thinking of anymore evil dimension like the Vale of Shadows" Dustin says to him.

"You know the Vale of Shadows?" I question him.

"An echo of the Material plane, where necrotic and shadow magic-" Mr Clarke starts but Mike cuts him off

"Yeah, exactly. If that did exist, a place like the Vale of Shadows, how would we travel there?" Mike questions him. 

"Theoretically" Lucas adds. Mr Clarke should be finding this very odd, but I guess he's not questioning on the part that he thinks we're sad and we are trying to get out mind off stuff.

"Well..." He says as he reaches for his paper plates and grabs a clean one under his dirty one. Then grabs a pen out of his jacket.

"Picture... an acrobat... Standing on a tightrope" He says as he draws two lines on the plate and a stick figure onto of the lines. I guess symboling the Acrobat and tightrope.

"Now, the tightrope is our dimension. And our dimension has rules. We can move forwards, or backwards" He says as he draws on arrows.

"But, what if... right next to our acrobat, there is a flea?" He says as he draws a little circle next to the acrobat.

"Now the flea can also travel back and forth, just like the acrobat. Right?" Mr Clarke questions us as he draws little arrows for the flea.

"Right" We all say back to him.

"Here's where things get really interesting. The flea can also travel this way... along the side of the rope" He says as he draws arrows on the side of the rope.

"He can even go... underneath the rope" He says as he draws a arrow pointing under it.

"The Upside down" We all say it once, it hitting us. Will is really in this Upside down. In another dimension.

"Exactly"

"But we're not the flea, we're the acrobat." Mike questions him.

"In this metaphor, yes, we're the acrobat." Mr Clarke says to us, we all get a little disappointed, that's when I remember that I can see into the upside down. Would that make me a flea?

"So we can't go upside down?" Lucas questions him.

"No"

"Well, is there any way for the acrobat to get to the Upside down?" Dustin questions him hoping for a good answer.

"Well... you'd have to create a massive amount of energy. More than humans are currently capable of creating mind you, to open up some kind of tear in time and space, and then..." He picks up the plate and folds it in half and punches his pen throw the plate. Freaking us out a little.

"You create a doorway" He says to us.

"Like a gate?" Dustin questions.

"Sure, like a gate" He says thinking it through "But again, this is all-"

"Theoretical" I say to him

"But... but what if this gate already existed?" Mike questioned.

"Well, if it did, i... I think we'd know. It would disrupt gravity, the magnetic field, our environment. Heck, it might even swallow us up whole" He says which freaks me out a little, being that I have been there.

"Science is neat. But I'm afraid it's not very forgiving." He finishes off. We all sit there and it let all sink in. We all thank Mr Clarke as he leaves the table leaving us alone.

"We have to tell this to eleven, maybe it will help her find the gate" Mike says to the group.

"What is she going to do Mike?" Lucas questions Mike.

"Let's not fight yeah, let's just save it till we get back to Mike's house" I say to them, they nod their heads and sit back in their chairs.

Hope you enjoyed this part, I actually love Mr Clarke so much, I'm praying he's in season 3.

Not that much of a very exciting chapter, but I promise you don't want to miss the next one, it's up right now so go read it! It is actually one of my favourites I've written.