The Rift

by J.T. Stoll

For the first time in years, Vero considered the reality of Hell. She seemed to be staring down a tunnel leading there.

  The silhouette looked like a man. He stooped in the tunnel, which put him well over six feet. One hand held his stomach, the other a backpack.

  Vero stepped back. She’d have run, but Pieter held her hand. The same quality that compelled him to explore empty fields kept him from doing the sane thing and dashing for his car. In most people, she’d call it bravery. In Pieter, stupidity. Gloria backed slowly toward the street.

  The man emerged into the moonlight. His clothing looked… well, a bit formal. Not quite what she expected for a man—or demon—walking out of Hell. Metal buttons fastened his long-sleeve shirt together down the front, and a dark stain spread where he held his hand. An axe blade peeked over his back. Again, Vero tried to back away. Pieter didn’t budge.

  “We’d take you to our leader, but the Secret Service probably wouldn’t let us get close,” Pieter said. Half a smirk emerged from an otherwise serious face.

  Vero tried to wiggle free of her boyfriend. She considered punching him.

  “I don’t catch your meaning,” the figure said. He spoke perfect English, with no accent.

  He didn’t seem like demon material. He looked too human. And his face seemed kind, though tensed in pain.

  Maybe this was some kind of science experiment or secret technology. But if someone had invented some kind of teleporter, no way it would appear in an empty field in SLO. That left, what… aliens? Magic? Another world?

  Pieter gave a little bow. “Forgive me for not introducing myself. I am Pieter Walters the Third, king of Emptyfield. Here is my queen, Veronica Mendoza. And this is my loyal chambermaid, Neil Matsumoto with his mistress, Gloria Stone.”

  “Chambermaid?” Neil said.

  The figure appeared dumbfounded. “King? Then… you’re aware of this place? How did you know to be here?”

  For just an instant, Pieter’s grin faltered. He waved his hand as though tossing something behind his back. “Your name, first, fair traveler?”

  “James. James Weatherton. Your… Highness.”

  Somehow, it didn’t really surprise Vero that Pieter’s reaction would be humor. Running still seemed like a better idea to her.

  Reality TV. That might explain it. In the dark, maybe they simulated that tunnel with mirrors… or something. She had no idea how to create a tunnel in midair, but if anyone could do it, Hollywood could.

  “Does that tunnel lead to another world?” Neil asked. He sounded almost hopeful. “Or just somewhere else on earth?”

  The man stared at him. “Who are you all, really?”

  “King of this plot,” Pieter replied. “Don’t question me again. We came here in answer to the prophecy.”

  James’s jaw dropped open. “Prophecy?”

  “Of course,” Pieter said. For an instant, Vero believed him. Except for that smirk. “Now, tell us, thou traveler from another world, why hast thou cometh?”

  James stared at Pieter for a moment with a bewildered look. He bowed his head slightly. “I apologize for my appearance, Your… uh… Your Highness.” Half a smile curled on James’s lips. “But I’m here with a warning for your world. I need sanctuary. Will you help me?”

  “No problem,” Pieter said.

  “You’re hurt,” Gloria said. She stepped forward, bolder than Vero had seen her all night. “Do you need me to call an ambulance?”

  “A what?”

  “An, uh… a doctor.”

  James wavered for a moment. “I…”

  A voice echoed from the tunnel in a nasally, singsong voice. Vero heard something like James’s name—it sounded more like “Jamasu”—but she couldn’t understand the other words.

  “We have to go now. Those are enemies,” James said. Under his breath, he muttered, “Dirk…”

  “Into the bushes, shall we?” Pieter asked.

  He let go of Vero’s hand and headed for the dry creek. As soon as he released her, she nearly bolted. But he waved her on, and she followed, unsure what he had planned. He had something planned, right?

  “That man’s really hurt,” Gloria said.

  “You coming with?” Vero asked.

  Gloria glanced across the field. Her voice trembled. “I don’t want to run off by myself. Not if there’s more of them coming through.”

  “Me, neither,” Vero said. “Look, it’s probably some TV show or something. Just… keep your head low. Don’t say anything dumb, yeah?”

  “This is so awesome,” Neil said.

  “You think this is a game?” Vero snapped at Neil, who shrugged.

  “Maybe. Could be LARPers. But either way, we’re neutral. James is the one they’re after, not us. But man, if this is real, this is the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  Turned out Neil was mildly insane. Or else… No. He was in on it. He and Pieter. A practical joke. That made as much sense as anything else. Only, Pieter didn’t seem smart enough to engineer that tunnel… thing. Maybe Neil had.

  The others jumped into the dense bushes. Vero paused outside.

  “Come on, pretty girl,” Pieter said.

  “But there’s ticks in there,” Vero replied.

  James groaned.

  The voice again called from inside the tunnel, and hiding in the bushes suddenly didn’t sound like a bad idea. The crackly branches scratched her on the way in.

  “Having fun yet?” Pieter whispered.

  “This some practical joke?” Vero asked.

  “Nah,” Pieter replied. “You think I could make something that sophisticated?”

  “Then how? What? Prophecy?”

  James stood near enough to hear their conversation, but he gave no reaction.

  “Thanks. I thought the prophecy was a nice touch, don’t you think? Anyways, this is way more interesting than some bike trail, yeah? But if it gets sketchy, we bail.”

  He didn’t consider this sketchy? Vero nestled against a tree branch and stared at his silhouette. Unbelievable.

  Though, given what Vero knew of him, this reaction seemed about right. The only thing she’d seen him serious about—sometimes—was their relationship. Usually, she loved that humor. It’s how he first stuck out from everyone else at school. But right now, she wanted to strangle him.

  “This is actually dangerous,” Vero whispered.

  “Come on, you think something that dangerous could really happen in SLO? And wouldn’t you rather face it with a laugh anyways?”

  Two men stepped out of the portal and into the moonlight. A tall one, pale skinned like James, held a sword. The other, short and dark skinned, walked with a slight slouch. He held some kind of metal club.

  “That’s Jed. This is bad,” James whispered. He glanced at the four of them and sighed. “I should have jumped for it before they came through.”

  The tall one, Jed, called out something incomprehensible in his nasally voice. Again, he mentioned James’s name.

  James gave Pieter a desperate look. “Are you sure you’ll help me?”

  “For sure,” Pieter whispered.

  James opened a button on his backpack and muttered to himself, nearly too faint to hear, “This is a bad idea.”

  Without a word, the little guy leaped straight up. Vero lost sight of him through the trees. She gasped.

  “Ignore them,” James whispered. He removed a metal band of some kind from his backpack—it looked like an enormous bracelet—and handed it to Pieter. “Don’t let these fall into their hands, whatever happens. Put this on.”

  “What’s it do?” Pieter asked.

  “It’s a soul armor,” James said, pulling a metal rod out of the pack.

  The short one landed, about where he’d jumped from. He said something to Jed in a low voice.

  “Soul armor, great,” Pieter said. “That totally explains it.”

  James pulled on the rod, flipped it over, and pulled again. It grew with each tug. It had to be some kind of
telescoping rod. When he’d finished, it looked like a sword. That’s all that could explain that. Yet with every weird occurrence—the tunnel, the jump, now some expanding sword—the sinking fear in Vero’s stomach got worse and worse.

  James handed the sword to Pieter.

  He handed a bigger band to Neil—a leather belt with a large metal buckle—and told him to put it around his waist. Neil eagerly did so. With a quivering hand, Gloria took a thin band and strapped it around her chest, just above her breasts. James pulled out another rod and spent about fifteen seconds pulling it out into some kind of club with a circle of wings at the top. The two men searched the perimeter of the field.

  “It that a mace?” Neil asked.

  James nodded. “The soul armor will give you unimaginable strength once activated. That’s what makes them so strong, able to jump so high. Concentrate on the band—but not yet.” As he spoke, he pulled on another small rod and extended it into a long stick. “They’ll see you as soon as you turn it on. The weapon and band work together.”

  He handed the stick to Gloria.

  “Gloria,” James whispered. “That band has to touch your skin, to press against your heart. You need it under your clothing.”

  Gloria looked around at them, then held up her hand. “Eww, creepy. No.”

  “That’s important.”

  She backed into the bushes a little. “Look, no, I’m not taking off my shirt…”

  James ignored her and faced out toward the field. Jed was stomping toward them, whacking bushes with his sword. “Listen,” James said. “Once I go to fight, focus on those bands. Feel the energy flow inside you. Then help me. I don’t think I can beat them alone. Your world… it’s in danger.”

  “Umm, what?” Neil said.

  “Wait a few moments, then activate the armors. Come, Sir Matsumoto. You seem a noble man just waiting for some kind of real challenge in this life.”

  The taller man, Jed, moved close enough to hear them. Neil shut up.

  James took a deep breath. As he did, a slight gust came from him and hit Vero’s legs. He seemed more alert, standing straighter, less focused on the cut in his gut. He gripped his axe and charged toward Jed, his body shaking the bushes on the way out.

  Jed brought his sword around and deflected the axe. A loud metallic screech echoed into the night. The two danced back and forth, but James was on the offensive, Jed stepping back with every clash.

  “They’re really fighting,” Vero said. “Pieter… what do we do?”

  “Rush in and save the day,” he replied holding his sword high.

  “Cut your stupid act,” she said. “That’s real.”

  “Haven’t you tried what James said?” Neil asked. “Don’t you feel this thing? It’s incredible.”

  Neil didn’t look any different.

  Another gust hit Vero from Pieter’s direction.

  “Whoa, no way.” Pieter sounded genuinely shocked.

  Neil nodded to Pieter. “You’re glowing.”

  Vero didn’t see the glow.

  She looked out through the bushes. Jed stumbled backward after another clash of weapons. The short guy charged at James from across the field and swung a mace at his back.. James dodged, barely, and aimed a wobbling axe at the short guy.

  Jed seized the opening and stabbed. His sword sliced into James. The short guy connected his weapon with James’s chest and launched him in an arc across the field.

  “This thing’s… mad,” Neil said. “It wants to get involved, wants to fight. Come on, Pieter!”

  “I… I don’t know,” Pieter said. His sword drooped, and the tip touched the ground. “I…”

  Jed and the short guy cautiously walked over to James, who lay still. Jed said something in that gibberish language; he sounded sarcastic.

  “Idiot, the man said our world’s in danger. And he’s about to get killed by some thugs,” Neil said.

  “You’re quick to believe,” Pieter said.

  “He walked out of an interdimensional portal,” Neil replied. “What’s not to believe?”

  “Running seems safer.”

  “You idiot, just follow me!”

  With that, he dashed out of the bushes toward the two men, both hands gripping the mace. Pieter hesitated for a moment, then followed.

  A little insane? No, Neil was completely insane. Gloria was the only other one who still had any sense.

  “You?” Vero asked her.

  “I’m… I’m strong. I can feel it in this thing. But… I’m not a fighter.”

  Neil swung the mace like a baseball bat toward the short guy. His enemy stepped back casually, and the blow missed. He didn’t seem worried. Rather, curious.

  Pieter slashed at Jed, who swiped his sword to the side. Jed shouted, “The Shadowlanders? You gave armors to the Shadowlanders?”

  Vero jumped to hear him speak perfect English. Why’d he switched languages? Was it because Pieter and Neil had come out? It couldn’t be a good sign that he had so much spare breath for speaking while fighting Pieter.

  Jed nodded to the short one. “Dek, take care of little mace-boy, there.”

  “This looks bad,” Gloria said. “What do we do?”

  Vero glanced at James. He beckoned her with his finger, then pointed to his axe.

  Oh, no. He wanted her to take it. He wanted her to fight.

  “Vero?” Gloria asked.

  She might be able to scramble through the bushes, cross the dry creek, and get to the strip mall. Then call her family and get a ride out of here. Better yet, call the police.

  Except that by the time they got there, her boyfriend—her stupid, impulsive boyfriend—would get killed.

  Vero shoved aside the bushes and dashed across the field. She knelt next to James.

  “Take it,” he whispered. “The band on my arm. The axe. Diotein, axe of fire. Take it; kill them.” He turned his head to the axe. “Serve her well, old friend. She’s your new master…”

  Vero found the metal band on his upper arm, opened a little clip to widen it, and slid it off. His body slumped. She slid it up her own arm, then picked up the axe. She concentrated on the feeling of the metal against her skin. It felt warm—no, hot.

  Something flared to life.

  An inferno roared inside her. A burning, passionate something exploded. She felt James’s anger, his rage. This thing, Diotein, screamed for the blood of those two enemies. Her body felt lighter, and the axe, it felt like part of her. She had some kind of link with the weapon.

  The sounds of the night became sharper. And everyone except James lit up. Pieter glowed a faint silver around his arm, Neil around his waist. Jed had gold around his thigh, and the other one, Dek, had silver on his arm. And the tunnel, it shone like a floodlight. Brilliant, golden lines twisted and moved inside it.

  “Go,” James moaned. “They need you.”

  She stood and turned to the fight. Neil faced Dek, but after his initial burst of action, the overweight gamer seemed afraid to swing again. Pieter faced Jed, sword wobbling in his hands.

  Vero ran for Pieter and Jed. Her feet flew beneath her, the fastest sprint of her life. She chopped for Jed. He blocked—barely—but she swung again, again, again. The fury, the power, she felt an echo of James in it somehow. As though some memory of him remained in the armor. None of the blows landed, but Jed lost his amused look.

  He jumped. Like earlier, straight up. Vero craned her neck to see; he made it twenty or thirty feet up, then came down, sword slicing for her.

  She leaped to the side and he cut into the dirt. Pieter slashed, missed.

  “Stay off my girl,” Pieter said.

  “Oh, you’ll end up telling her to stay off,” Jed replied.

  Pieter grinned. “I like you. Too bad I have to kill you.”

  Vero whipped her head around to check on Neil. His mace had stuck itself in the dirt after an overdone swing. Gloria stood at his side, shaking, holding her stick like a baseball bat. So she’d decided to come help after
all. Her glow was really, really faint. Their opponent still didn’t look worried.

  A light went out to Vero’s left. Where the tunnel had been, a faint afterglow remained.

  Jed’s mouth dropped open. “What happened?” he shouted.

  James’s faint voice drifted over the field. “The portal’s closed, Jed. Enjoy the Shadowlands.”

  A look of contempt washed across Jed’s face. Vero and Pieter both rushed forward. Jed slapped Pieter’s sword to the side, but Vero dug her axe into his flank. Warm blood sprayed onto her.

  He leaped back a few feet and put a hand against the cut, the other still holding his sword forward. “Shadowlanders… your deaths will entertain me,” he said. “Until my king opens that portal, I have nothing to do but to kill each and every one of you. Slowly.” He shouted to his companion, “Dek, jump!”

  Full of the strength and fire, Vero charged. Jed jumped; her swing barely missed his feet.

  “Let’s get ‘em!” Vero shouted. She crouched.

  “Vero, wait,” Pieter said.

  She pushed against the ground with all her strength and launched skyward. She gasped as she cleared the trees, the sparkling lights of the town spreading in every direction. The glowing silver and gold of Jed and Dek were just ahead.

  Only, they kept going up. Vero reached the top of her jump and plummeted. She fell into a bunch of trees and bushes and landed on her side, the wind knocked out of her.

  She stayed still, wondering what she’d just done to her body. The pain wasn’t that bad. Maybe some light bruises, by the feel. She pushed dark branches aside and tromped back to the pale light of the field. She looked over her body, expecting to find her skirt and top torn to shreds. They weren’t. Apparently, the armor strengthened even her clothing.

  Pieter thrust his arms around her and held her tight. His lips pressed hers, and…

  That was the first time he’d kissed her. He was passionate. And not a bad kisser.

  “Hey, lovers, you got a minute for the rest of us?” Neil asked.

  Pieter pulled back. “You’re hot.”

  “Thanks,” Vero replied.

  He pushed her back. “No, I mean, your skin is like lava. I think my lips are burned…”

  “Maybe the armor?” Vero asked.

  “But totally worth it.”

  They walked back toward James. His chest rose and fell in an uneven, labored motion. Blood oozed out of his chest. Vero gagged.

  Gloria knelt next to him. She ran both hands across her scalp a few times. “Oh, this is… I’m calling an ambulance.”

  “Wait,” James said, breathing heavily. “Not yet. I need to talk to you. You need… need to know.”

  “Can this save you?” Vero asked, holding her axe forward.

  “Not… not now. Too late. I’m too exhausted. And I won’t chance dying with it on. It’ll… kill the armor. Gloria, your staff is a healer, once you learn to use it. Better than any in this world. Now, listen, you kids are…”

  “Kids?” Pieter asked. “What happened to ‘Your Highness?’”

  “I needed you to play along, so I played along.” James gave a slight grin then his face spasmed in pain. “You’re my resistance.”

  “Resistance?” Pieter asked.

  “I come from another realm, another world, Ruach,” James said. “Those men are soldiers of Prince Terian. He tried to kill his younger brother, Justin, and now he’s rebelled against his father, the good king Rolland. Terian wants the throne.”

  “Isn’t it his, as elder?” Neil asked. “Though, maybe in your world…”

  “He lost it for trying to kill his brother,” James said. “And now he’s looking to your world to strengthen his side.”

  “How are we supposed to do that?” Vero asked.

  “Resources,” James said. “He needs precious metals and gems to make soul armors. They’re our ultimate weapons. He’s uniting the wildians. Dek, that one who worked with Jed, was wildian. They’re primitive, but numerous. More than my people, the highlanders, at least. Terian outnumbers us, but he needs arms to win the war.”

  “How do you even know we have the resources you need?” Neil asked.

  “We’ve watched you for a century, but we’ve never been able to come here. I’m the first. This place, the rift, is a weak place in the veil between our worlds. King Rolland made a spell to open it and create a tunnel to your world. But the rift is in Terian’s territory. I don’t think we’ll be able to reach it again. And once Terian finds a way to open it, he’ll have free access to you. He’ll come to conquer.

  “I came with four companions to start a resistance. One stayed in Ruach. Three died on the journey. You hold their weapons.”

  Resistance. More like guerilla army. Vero trembled a bit at the thought.

  “We can’t fight an army,” Neil said.

  “No,” James said. “Annoy them. Slow them down. The war’s fierce; Terian can’t spare too many men. He’ll lose eventually, as long as he doesn’t reinforce himself from here. Please…” He coughed then paused for a moment.

  Vero didn’t speak. This seemed strange, unbelievable, but she’d just felt the armor’s power flowing through her; she’d just jumped fifty feet into the air. That made things a lot more believable.

  “Your weapons… some of the strongest soul armors ever forged. Duncan made them.”

  “Who?” Vero asked.

  “Sorry, my… mind, mind is… Duncan. Duncan. Created the first soul armor. The royal smith. Pieter, that’s Croga, the sword of resolve. Neil, your mace, Reitach… means bravery. Gloria, Gloria. Kind and fair. But so hurt. You deserve better than your life has given you. For you, the strongest, Nadur, the staff of nature. Those weapons…”

  James coughed. Then coughed again. And again. Vero watched uncomfortably, unsure what to do. The fit lasted a while. After, he spoke slower.

  “Jed… kill him, for my sake. He’ll show you no mercy for humiliating him tonight.”

  “I’m calling an ambulance,” Gloria said.

  She tried to stand, but James took her hand. “Thank you… sweet Gloria. You remind me so much of… of Julia. If you ever meet, give her my farewell.” With a shaking hand, he took a small piece of paper from his pants pocket and handed it to her.

  He stared into the distance as he spoke. “There’s so much more. Sight. Yes, you’ll begin to see…” He gasped a few times. “Empyrean, can my soul find its way to you from this world? Can I…”

  He coughed again, then fell still.

  Gloria dialed 911 and started talking to the operator.

  “This is bad,” Pieter said. “Look, we need to ditch those weapons. Vero, you need to get the blood off yours. If the cops show up, they’re going to think we did this.”

  “What?” Vero asked.

  “This guy got killed by a medieval weapon,” Pieter said. “What do you think this’ll look like?”

  Sirens echoed in the distance.

  “Why do the SLO police have to be so quick?” Pieter asked. “Neil, can you cook up a good story?”

  “Uh, that’s always been your job,” Neil said.

  Pieter looked at him. “You two don’t have blood on you, right? Look, you and Gloria heard noise and decided to check it out. James was injured when you got here. You saw the attackers—Jed and that short guy—but they ran away. Got it?”

  “Got it,” Neil said.

  “And we were never here. Now, gimme your weapons. Vero and I need to be gone.”

  Pieter and Vero ran for the bushes, holding two weapons each. They grabbed James’s pack, forded the empty stream, and came up in the back of the parking lot. Red-and-blue lights flashed by on the street. Vero watched the gear for a minute while Pieter brought the car into a shady corner of the strip mall. She tossed everything in the backseat, and he drove off.

  Exhaustion hit Vero hard. She felt like she should be wide awake and terrified, but her body began to shut down. She vaguely remembered arriving at home and falling into her warm b
ed.

  3. Santa Maria Steaks