The Crystal Bridge

Chapter 13 - A New World

Kaden looked down at the girl he’d just stepped on. Her scream had been short lived before she’d closed her eyes and gone limp.

“Aren? But…how…?”

She looked worse than pale, like when she’d had the seizure. He bent down and touched her neck, checking her pulse as he’d seen on tv. He didn’t find it right away, and his own heart did a flip-flop before he noticed her chest moving up and down. Alive, but cold.

“Aren. Aren, you have to wake up. I don’t know how safe we are here. Bad things happen within minutes. Aren, wake up!” He tried tapping her face. He couldn’t bring himself to slap her. Her eyelids fluttered. “Oh, thank heaven! Aren, are you okay, Aren?”

She opened her eyes and focused those gray storms on Kaden. She blinked several times before she spoke. “Kaden? What happened? Where am I?” Her eyes darted around, taking in the forest, the grass, the desk that sat in the middle of the clearing and then her eyes re­turned to his.

A frown formed and creases appeared on her forehead as memories flooded back into her. “What did you do to me? Where am I?” Anger mixed with fear in her voice.

She sat up and scrambled backward away from him. She made it about two or three feet before she stopped moving, groaned, and put her hands on the sides of her head as if to hold her skull together.

Kaden knelt by her with his mouth open, but nothing came out. He’d imagined sharing his secret with someone a thousand times, but now he couldn’t dream what to say. Say something, anything!

“Um…okay…this is going to sound more than a little crazy. We, um, traveled through a wormhole to another dimension. You and I are no longer on Earth.”

Aren groaned again and pushed against him with a weak hand. “So loud.”

Kaden smiled with pity. “The headache is normal, I think. I’ve only done this a few times and never for very long. It should go away soon…” He tried to sound confident and comforting, but felt awkward, nerdy, and more afraid than he’d been since the accident. Gotta get her out of here.

She peeked out at him from behind squinted eyelids. “Yeah…sure…wormhole. What did you do? Drug me or something? And, seriously, where are we? Behind the school?” She tried to look around again, but closed her eyes again within seconds.

He sighed.“Drug you? Of course not. I know it’s crazy, but you have to believe me. Just look at the sky. I swear we’re not on Earth anymore.” He pointed up at the deep blue sky where a very normal yellow sun hung beside what appeared to be a soft red scar that ran from one horizon to the other. It was beautiful, and Kaden couldn’t help but think that it must be breathtaking at night.

Her eyes followed his gesture and she gasped. “What is that?”

He shrugged. “My guess, a nebula, close enough to be seen, but far enough away not to engulf us in superhot gasses. Yes, I’m a nerd. It doesn’t matter really. We’re not staying. We need to get you home before too much happens. I don’t even know how you managed to follow me in the first place.”

He moved closer to her. “How you feeling? It’s a bit of a shock the first time, I know.” He glanced around. “But at least there aren’t any tigers, bloodthirsty shadows, or scorpion things…yet.”

She shook her head, and then doubled over as the motion appeared to set off new fireworks in her brain and stomach. She groaned again, louder. “What tigers?”

“Long story, one I’ll share when we get back home.” Kaden put his hand on hers. The touch sent shivers up his arm as he felt her cool, soft skin beneath his warm hand. She smelled like blackberries. He could almost taste the sweet, purple fruit as he breathed. She’s so close and real. Still very glad to have clothes.