by Lee Magnus
They entered a clean and quiet moderately occupied northbound car. Trey and Lyza sat a few seats down from Overcoat Man who sat in a handicap-only bench next to an elderly man who followed them in. The elderly man wore long thick forehead wrinkles and regarded them with a blank expression. His stocky stature and light skin suggested he was of North Asian descent. Trey nervously shifted his legs repeatedly under the man’s glare.
Trey looked away and focused his attention on the city outside the window. The Shanghai Tower with colorful orbs and striking spire rising high into the skyline came into view across the Huangpu River. After it passed, he turned to find the man’s eyes locked on his. He remained focused on Trey over several stops.
Overcoat Man began watching loud obnoxious videos on his phone.
Trey glanced at Lyza, noticing her concerned expression toward the aged onlooker.
“Why is he staring at us?” Trey whispered to Lyza.
She quickly broke her attention from the man as if she were embarrassed he caught her looking. “He is of the old day. He doesn’t believe foreigners belong here. Just pay him no mind,” she said as she regarded the man once more with her head down and eyes up. Her hair fell lightly over the front of her shoulders.
Overcoat man laughed audibly at his phone briefly drawing Trey’s attention from the elderly man. The elderly man continued his unwavering stare.
The train slowed to a stop. Several people temporarily broke the elderly man’s line of sight as they exited the smoothly opening doors. Trey’s eyes shifted rapidly from the floor to the window to the cold grey eyes of the man’s piercing gaze. He noticed Lyza shift slightly, bringing her fisted hands to her lap. She was looking at the floor, but not entirely.
“HA! HA! HA!” Overcoat man again laughed aloud.
The car smoothly resumed the prescribed route.
“We get off in two stops,” she murmured.
He nodded then forced himself to look out the window.
The train again slowed to a stop. No one entered the cabin while two exited – only a dozen remained, most of whom were studying small electronic devices or staring out the clear windows – unaware of the stress Trey was currently under. Overcoat Man continued scrolling through videos.
The elderly man’s gaze continued.
Trey could feel Lyza tense as the train resumed.
Overcoat Man laughed, “Ha Ha Heeey!”
Trey quickly glanced in the elderly man’s direction, he pushed back in the seat, flooded with fear.
The elderly Asian man’s eyes slowly clouded as he stood – never removing his stare from Trey. The skin of his face shriveled. Ooze erupted from open slits. He produced a six-inch jagged blade then took in a raspy breath releasing it with soggy popping sounds. Small blobs of yellow phlegm flew at them.
Before the shifting rogglet took a step, Lyza launched. She avoided a swift stomach-level jab of the blade. She swept its feet then shoved the airborne rogglet into a pole by its shoulder. Its flailing legs slapped Overcoat Man out of his seat. The blaring phone skipped along the metal floor.
On the ground, the rogglet took sight of Trey. It scrambled on all fours towards him at a lightning pace.
Lyza ax-kicked it in the back, smashing it onto the floor. It released an ear-piercing howl. Trey scrambled over the seats to avoid the calamity. Lyza jumped back in preparation for its retaliation.
The rogglet pressed up with its hands into a standing position seemingly unaffected by Lyza’s initial success. It hissed loudly then slashed at Lyza with the knife, of which she countered with a kick sending the knife bouncing off the window. It reached behind its back revealing another. It slashed again but this time followed with a left maul which caught Lyza off guard, sending her stumbling backward. It quickly advanced with the sharp blade raised above its head. She thwarted the attack with a rising block then grasped its outstretched wrist with one hand then placed her other hand on the blunt edge of the knife and with a quick twist took possession of the weapon.
It blocked an immediate neck jab with two hands, dislodged the knife from her hands and twisted her away from Trey.
A woman shrieked in the back.
Trey reached for the knife. Just as he grasped the handle, the rogglet stomped the blade with a thick soled boot. Its haunted eyes tugged at Trey’s soul as if it intended to rip if from his body. Trey scrambled backwards next to Overcoat man who cried profusely.
Lyza grabbed the rogglet by a back leg then whirled it into the door on the other side of the car. Her face was blood red. Anger poured from fierce blue eyes. Trey thought they were glowing but was too frightened and too fascinated by her immense strength to be sure. Afterward, he would question how she could man-handle the creature with such ease.
She pried the doors open and with a swift kick, the rogglet rocketed out of the car, slammed into the wall and disappeared from sight.
She turned to notice the remainder of the passengers, all of Asian descent, huddled against the far end of the car. Overcoat Man laid dumbstruck and whimpering on the floor. The phone continued to blare in the background.
She released a breath, smiled and gave them a respectful bow. She and Trey returned to their original seats.
“What was that? I didn’t know those things could change shapes!”
“Me either, Trey. I knew something was up with that guy, but I didn’t know it was a rogglet. Commerand must have changed that one to blend in and he now knows we’re here. Those things could be anywhere and anyone. We have to be extra vigilant.”
“How does he know we’re here?”
“He controls them – he is their mind. What they see, he sees.”
“Oh. That’s bad.”
“Tell me about it.”
They got off at the next stop then walked toward the exit of the station – scrutinizing every wayward look they received from passerby’s.
A chubby Asian man in a tight-fitting black T-shirt and jeans stepped from a white sedan parked in the pickup area of the station. He casually approached them with a wide smile.
“Nǐ jiào shén me?” she cautiously asked the driver for his name.
“Xhau Pingjin, lèyì xiàoláo. Karim sòng wǒ,” he replied politely indicating Karim sent him.
Lyza reviewed a text from Karim on a smartphone she removed from her back pocket and said “Xhau Pingjin,” under her breath. She nodded at the man then turned to Trey, “This is Xhau, he will take us to Don’s office.”
Xhau bowed to Trey then turned toward the car. They both took a back seat. Trey appreciated the cool, soft leather compared to the hard train seat.
Lyza communicated directions to Xhau in Mandarin before they sped away in a manner indicating she must have specified they were in a hurry.
They drove several miles along the expressway before exiting onto a four-lane street then turned left down a one-way road. Xhau parked street side of a plain white office building located between two larger buildings. There were no signs indicating a business name or description. A small sliver of grass lined with trees separated the three structures. Xhau remained in the car as Lyza led Trey across a smooth concrete walkway. She picked the locked beige colored metal door then entered into an unlit area scattered with papers, toppled desks and random holes in the walls.
“What? He didn’t leave a key under the rug?”
She ignored his sarcastic comment as she moved through the disheveled office. “What did you get yourself into Don?”
“This place is trashed. What do you think they were looking for?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t look like anyone’s been here in a while.”
“Yeah. It’s so dusty.” He swiped his hand across the only upright desk in the room leaving four lines on the surface. He sneezed.
“Keep a look out for anything out of the ordinary?”
“Out of the ordinary? Like a portal that takes you across the world? Oh, never mind. That’s completely ordinary to you.”
She looked at h
im sternly then softened her expression into a weary smile.
“Who was this guy?”
“He worked with us. He was a brilliant man. Strange, but brilliant. He and the Phoenix developed an information system to track and locate the artifacts and Commerand’s activities. He disappeared four years ago. Just vanished. We never heard from him again.”
“This Phoenix guy seems more important than what Karim led me to believe.”
“He’s been integral in our mission. Karim doesn’t trust anyone.”
“And you? Who do you trust?”
“I’m cautious. I’ve been around guys like Karim and the Phoenix for a long time. I stay vigilant and it usually suits me well.”
“Why’s he called the Phoenix?”
“I’m not sure. No one seems to know his real name. I was introduced to him several years ago when looking for information regarding an artifact. He knew where it was, so I connected him with Don who became our liaison. I didn’t have significant personal contact with him afterward – I mostly know what was relayed through Don.”
“Don is the same guy that had this office?”
“Yes. Don Smith. He was American.”
“Oh, God. Don’t say that name. He haunts me even from the other side of the world!”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing,” he said while avoiding her eyes.
She stopped looking for clues and focused her attention on Trey.
He looked up and said, “There’s just this kid at school that picks on me. His name is Donald Smith.”
“Really? Don had a son that would be around your age.”
“I’m sure it’s a coincidence. Donald said he’d never known his father so it can’t be him.”
“Must be a coincidence, because Don couldn’t stop talking about his son which he always called little Don. I’m sorry you get bullied at school.”
“It’s ok. I’m not scared of him. I just wish he’d be nicer.”
“Some kids don’t understand that it’s easier to be nice.”
“Hey Look at this. She said handing him a torn piece of paper.
“It’s some sort of hand drawn diagram, but most of it’s missing.”
“You’re right. It’s a piece of a diagram to build a portal.”
“You can build portals? I thought they were magical rocks in the ground.”
“Yes. They can be built with a special kind of rock. This symbol at the bottom means spirit kingdom or Etherios as we now call it. This other one is the Eye of Kartho.”
“The Eye of what?”
“Kartho. It’s a multi-dimensional geode. I think this is a piece of a diagram to build a portal to the Etherios.”
“Multi-dimensional geode? Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Like as in alternate realities and multiple universes?”
“Yep.”
Trey looked down at his hands as if they held the answers to the myriad of questions blistering his mind.
“So the portals, they also take you to a parallel universe?”
“That’s right.”
“So, what you are saying is that the portals aren’t just teleporting us to physical places on Earth. They open a dimension that connects time and space, a dimension that allows us to instantly move from universe to universe?”
“That’s it, Trey.”
“I don’t believe it. It can’t be. But how?”
“There are things about your reality you will probably never understand. But we don’t have time to figure out how much you can grasp at this moment.”
“Okay. But why would someone want to go to the spirit world?”
She furrowed her eyebrows and her voice became intensely sincere. “I don’t know, Trey. Let’s try to find out.”
He put the diagram paper in a zipped pocket and continued to look around. He shifted a few papers around on the floor near a desk. He uncovered a 5x7 metal framed picture. He gasped when he turned it over.
“That’s Donald! Donald is his son! Holy Crap! Donald’s his son! He’s younger and skinnier – and happier in this picture but it’s definitely him.”
“What are you saying over there?” Lyza shouted from the other side of the room.
“The kid I was telling you about, Donald. It’s him. The guy that worked with you and disappeared is Donald’s dad. Holy crap I can’t believe this?”
She walked to see.
He turned to her still looking at the frame as she approached.
“Wait! Are you the woman his mom thinks he ran away with?” he said as he looked up at her.
“What? What are you talking about, Trey?”
“The rumor of Donald’s dad’s disappearance was that he ran off with another woman. Was that woman you?”
“No.” She looked away and said no again. “Donald and I were close but not romantic. We often met at various places within the D.C. Metro area, but we shouldn’t have been noticed.”
“But maybe you were. Maybe someone saw you or maybe his mom hired someone to spy on him?”
“I suppose that’s possible, but none of our concern right now. Maybe Don told Little Don something or left something behind that can help us. You will have to talk to him.”
“I don’t think so. His mom went crazy and moved about three years ago. And like I said before, Donald said he’d never met his father, but this picture says otherwise. I wonder why he would lie about something like that? Plus, he hates me. I don’t think he’d tell me anything.”
She placed a hand on his shoulder, looked him in the eyes and said, “We really need to find out more about what happened here.”
“Arggg! Fine. I’ll try to talk to Donald. I’m sure it’ll be a waste of time. But you have to get me home to do that.”
“I know. I’m working on it.”
He removed the photo from the frame, placed it in the pocket with the diagram and resumed the search. Lyza drifted off to search a different room.
Something shuffled in the far corner.
“Lyza. Was that you?” he said peering in the area of the disturbance.
“What, Trey? You need something?” she replied from the other direction.
He ignored her.
A piece of drywall that leaned against the wall fell as something moved behind it. Trey saw something furry scurry under loose rubble.
“Was that a rat? Are rats blue in China?” he said out loud to himself.
He inched closer, careful not to disturb anything along his path.
The mound of light rubble shifted when he approached. He stopped then started again. He slowly approached the debris.
Trey crouched next to the small pile. A piece of paper trembled against a torn box surrounded by bits of drywall. Trey slowly reached for the paper and said, “I’m gonna totally freak if a giant rat jumps out.”
As he lifted the paper, a sharp spark of electricity stung the underside of his arm. He jumped back, mainly out of surprise rather than pain.
He looked down where the paper was to find an oblong furry blue object about the size of a woman’s hand. Four-inch-long hair wrapped around the front and tapered together in what Trey assumed was the back. He inched closer to get a better look. As he slowly approached, he noticed the fur straighten into millions of needle-like spikes. The spherical object looked a little larger than a softball.
“What in the world? I have to get a closer look.”
As he did so, the spikes waved in pulses. Miniscule white and blue electric tentacles travelled all along and throughout the spikes of the ball.
He stopped his progress to catch a thought. He pulled back to look around the room for something to touch it with. When he did so, he noticed the electricity stopped and the spikes softened back to long relaxed fur.
“Interesting.”
He grabbed a toppled over lamp from the floor. He once again approached the furball. The spikes and electricity returned. Trey gradually dangled the metal end of the cord above it – careful
to keep himself as far away as possible. When it reached about a foot from touching the blue ball the electric spikes aimed toward the metal plug and shot out a bolt of electricity that traveled through the cord, exploding the bulb in the lamp. He shielded his eyes as tiny shards of glass rained down.
Trey jumped back and dropped the lamp onto the floor with a crash.
“Trey! Are you ok?” Lyza asked from another room.
“Yeah! I’m fine! I just, uh, I dropped a lamp! I’m ok!”
“What are you,” he said looking closer at the furball.
He crouched to where his face was nearly on the floor.
He looked closely and barely inched forward as a tiny pair of eyes peeked from under a tuft of fur, just above the floor. They disappeared when they met Trey’s.
“Oh my god it’s a tiny electric furball – and it’s alive!”
He looked again and waited until the tightly wrapped fur lifted just enough to expose the eyes again.
“Hey little guy,” Trey said with a very soft voice.
It hid its eyes again and spiked its fur. Electricity rolled across its tense surface.
“Easy. Easy. It’s okay. No one’s gonna hurt you.”
It showed its eyes again to reveal big black pupils with a sliver of gold iris.
“I know you’re scared little guy. It’s ok. I’m scared too.”
The electricity died but the spikes remained.
“There. There. That’s it.”
Trey reached a hand toward the creature. It instantly hid its eyes and electricity returned.
Trey withdrew the hand to his side then laid his head on the floor facing the furball. It retracted the spikes and showed dilated pupils again.
Trey closed his eyes and remained completely motionless. After about a minute he reopened them slowly to find the little guy’s eyes less dilated which showcased splendid gold irises. He also revealed a kitten-like nose and mouth with wispy whiskers.
“That’s it, little guy. I won’t hurt you,” Trey continued softly.
Trey closed his eyes again. When he reopened them, he found the blue ball still looking at him but several inches closer. He closed them again. After a few seconds he felt his hair stand like he had been rolling around on a trampoline. He heard a diminutive tick-tick-tick as it approached but kept his eyes closed. His hair stood full on end when he felt something soft press against his forehead. He held his eyes closed for just a few more seconds. When he opened them, he looked upward to meet the golden eyes of a tiny blue creature that was crouched against his head staring back. From this distance, Trey could see thin vertical streaks of electric blue mixed within golden eyes.