by Lee Magnus
“I suppose,” he replied watching Rafiq walk away. “Why are you here again?”
“I’m just checking up on you. You know. Making sure you’re ok after the past few days.”
“You heard about what happened today?”
“Yeah. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. How’s Donald?”
“He was shaken up, but I think he’ll be ok. He’s a tough kid.”
“I hate that he was thrown into it like this.”
“It was bound to happen sooner or later considering his father is back.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Anything else going on with you since our little adventure?”
“Uh, No. Nothing new with me,” he said as he thought about the dreams and the key discovery. “I’m still concerned something will jump from out of nowhere to get me and my mom. What about my friends? What if they try to use my friends against me?”
“Don’t worry. As you’ve seen, there are many protective eyes on you and your family as well as Marcus.”
“Dang! What don’t you know about me?”
“You don’t have anything to worry about. Commerand is only after the eye.”
“Have you found it yet?”
“No. Clievan is still MIA so the eye should be safe.”
“What about that creeper today? Why’d it attack us? How did it know where I was?”
“I don’t know. We’re still looking into it.”
“Ok. I guess I have to trust you on that one. By the way, this disk, I can’t seem to lose it. I leave it somewhere and it appears later in my pocket. What’s the deal?”
“I’m not familiar with the disk. All I know is that it’s a magical artifact created by Master Olerand. Khaitu only used it for destruction. Maybe one day you can find more peaceful uses for it. But let’s just keep it undercover for now. Magic is unbiased. It doesn’t know the difference between good and bad. It just is what it is and does what it does. The user is the differentiator. Do you understand? You don’t want anything to happen to you or anyone else because of a tragic accident.”
“I understand.”
“You coming, Trey?” Phillipe shouted from his mom’s van.
“Go on and celebrate with your friends. I know where to find you.”
“Thanks, Lyza. I’ll see ya later.”
The team celebrated the win with a boisterous pizza celebration.
Disk Play
Later that evening, Trey sat in his room staring at the disk on the dresser waiting for it to move. Thirty seconds. Two minutes. Nothing happened. He placed it in a sock in the sock drawer, then began counting.
“One, two, three,…” he counted until he reached twenty.
He felt something in his pocket. He reached in, then pulled out the disk.
“This doesn’t make any sense.”
He put it back in the drawer inside the sock.
“One, two,...” then pulled the disk from his pocket again once he reached the count of twenty.
He put it on the bed and watched.
“One, two,..”
He counted to one hundred and thirty. It remained on the bed.
“I don’t get it,” he said to himself, then left to get some water.
Pouring the water, he felt the disk fill his pocket.
“What the heck?”
He set the disk on the counter, then turned around and began counting.
The disk appeared into his pocket after twenty seconds.
So, if I watch it, it stays but if I take my eyes off of it, it comes back to me after twenty seconds.
He went to his room, placed the disk into his empty backpack on the floor then counted. After twenty seconds the disk was in his pocket. He replaced the disk into the backpack, but this time put the backpack on. The disk remained in the backpack after twenty seconds.
“That’s good. I don’t have to keep it in my pocket forever.”
He then changed into pocketless shorts. He removed the backpack and placed it on the bed. After twenty seconds, he found his hand clutching the disk.
This is going to be a big problem come summertime.
He had a brilliant thought. He set the disk on the bed and on top of the disk he placed the gold coin Karim gave him. He turned around and after twenty seconds he looked in his hand to find the disk and the golden coin.
“Unbelievable.” His excitement nearly overwhelmed him.
He set it back on the bed, then laid a large encyclopedia on the disk. After twenty seconds, BAM! The book fell to the floor next to him while the disk occupied his hand.
He then placed the disk, encyclopedia and the coin in his backpack on the bed. After twenty seconds the disk and coin were in his hand while the book rested at his side.
Even more excited now, he went out to the garage. He set the disk on the ground, then on top of it he placed the edge of a fifty-pound weight. He ran to the front yard counting down from twenty. Seconds later the disk was in his hand and the weight instantly appeared at his feet.
As a final test, he took the disk to the back yard, then set it on the trampoline. He ran to the far side of the back yard, leaving plenty of space for the trampoline. After twenty seconds the disk was in his hand, but the trampoline remained where it was. Confused, he ran back to the trampoline. Looking for a moment, he remembered the disk on the bed and in the drawer. The disk in the drawer was inside a sock but didn’t bring the sock. It was inside the drawer and backpack but not under it. It was also on the bed.
So maybe it only transports items if the thing is on top but not under or if the items are inside something like a backpack?
He placed a leg of the trampoline on top of the disk, then ran to the front yard, for good measure. Seconds passed, then Trey found the disk in his hand and the trampoline at his side.
“This is so awesome!”
He returned the trampoline and weight to their original places – using the disk of course.
He fell asleep that night with the disk in his hand.
Flying high above a vast desert, Trey watched as if at the cinema. Quick looks, left, right down as wind rushed past revealing little of consequence. Higher and higher he flew in a swooping gait. Terrain, so far away, was displayed in the clearest detail. Three camels with riders traveling west came and went with a rapid glance. Smaller movement – a desert fox. Banking ever so slightly to the right, he darted through a wispy cloud revealing a small village several miles in the distance. Constant changes in view brought the landscape into perspective. To the west of the small village was the desert. To the southeast lay a larger village. To the East, a thriving metropolis bordering an immense river that had no end. He sailed toward the destination at a constant altitude. His view turned down when he approached the western perimeter. Rapidly falling, gaining speed, hurtling from the sky at a blistering pace toward a tiny wooded area to the west of the small village. Trees and ground grow closer and larger and closer until….
He stood at the edge of the thicket looking upon the town as if he were there all day. He turned toward a high-pitched call in the tree above. A grand brown and white eagle rested on a low limb. The eagle leapt from the branch transforming into a small grey and black wolf the size of a border collie. It trotted up to Trey, stopped to take a look then scurried off toward the town. The bright afternoon sun fell behind him at a nine O-Clock position to his left – the temperature mild.
The town thrived with activity. The wolf led him past shoeless brown skinned children kicking a craggy ball. They wore only a single wrap around their waist. Trey resisted the urge to play with them. He followed the guide around a corner, then down a street through a bazaar where people of various shapes, sizes and genders sold vegetables on a wooden rack, live chickens, and various clothing items that were different shades of brown. A man laughed to his right. A woman engaged in an argument over the price of a bag of grains to his left.
The wolf paused next to an old woman selling three pieces of po
ttery intricately engraved with a symbol of a sun separated by three thin lines. The furry guide looked toward Trey before it turned left continuing the tour. It turned, then sat next to a sitting woman singing a disturbing lullaby to an infant with dark black hair wrapped in a soft brown cloth.
Beyond the river you will see
Miles of heaven past the tree
The sun has set on you my dear
The time has come for all to fear
On this day the beast alights
On our doorsteps with flames of fright
We must await for one in prayer
For he alone is our true sav-ior.
Urgency laced the wolf’s demeanor, tail alert, mouth opened and closed quickly as if attempting to whine. When Trey approached, the wolf scurried toward the eastern boarder of the town, barking furiously. As Trey passed the woman, the infant focused a concentrated stare on Trey leaving him disconcerted. Trey ran to the dog, but before he could reach it, a blinding light engulfed him.
Trey woke with his arms crossed protectively over his face.
He caught his breath and said to himself, “What does it mean?”
After breakfast, Trey practiced with the sword for an hour then continued experiments with the disk. He concluded he could keep it in something like his backpack as long as he was wearing it. Otherwise, it would appear in his pocket or his hand along with all the other stuff in the pack. It would also transport anything he placed on top of it but not anything under or the thing it is inside. It always took twenty seconds to happen.
He decided he needed more information on the disk and hopefully, his father. He tossed the disk into a buttoned pocket then rode his bike to Donald’s apartment, contrary to his mom’s permission. The complex looked much less scary in the daytime. He recognized a man standing on the corner sidewalk. It was Lamar, the guy Nick befriended when they brought Don home.
“What’s up, Cool Dude!” he said to Trey while holding out a hand.
Trey stopped to greet the man with a few quick hand slaps.
“Good to see you again, Lamar.”
“Right on! You remembered my name!” He leaned closer and said in a friendly voice, “You ever need anything, you know where to find me, aight?”
Trey was confused by the offer but agreed anyway, “Sure. Thanks.” He then rode off wondering what he could possibly need from Lamar. There’s something strange about that guy, Trey thought. I wish I could read his mind to find out.
The man in the car following Trey tipped his hat to Lamar as he drove by. The scrawny black man responded with an affirmative head nod and a serious face much different from the jovial one presented to the young boy.
Trey dropped his bike by the steps of Don’s building. A passing thought occurred of whether it would be there when he returned.
Donald’s mom, Clara, greeted him at the door. “You must be Trey,” she said.
“Yes, Mrs. Smith.”
“Please come in. Donald will be happy to see you.”
She walked him into the tiny apartment that smelled of mold and cigarettes.
“Donald was shaken up yesterday after the attempted mugging. You two were lucky to have police nearby.”
“Mugging?” Trey responded.
“Yeah,” Don interrupted. “The officer that brought Little Don home explained it all,” he said with an inconspicuous wink.
Trey caught on quickly that Clara was not in on the truth.
“Yeah. It was, er, very scary,” Trey added nervously. Trey hated lying about anything but understood the nature of this truth necessitated some discretion.
“You know,” she said embarrassingly, “we’re used to that sort of thing in this neighborhood.” She looked around at her shabby apartment. “But we didn’t expect it on your side of town.”
“I’m sure it can happen anywhere, Mrs. Smith. Mr. Smith, will you join me in Donald’s room? I have some, uh, guy questions to ask you.”
“Sure, Trey. I’ll be right there.” He leaned toward Clara and whispered, “His dad left him years ago. I better go see what’s going on.”
“Oh. Ok. I understand. No girls allowed,” she said charmingly.
Don kissed her cheek lightly then led Trey to Donald’s room where he was playing a game on his phone.
“Trey! I’m glad to see you.” Donald rushed to hug him. “Yesterday was so crazy!” He looked at his dad in a loving way, “Dad explained to me what that thing was.” His face then became white. “Do you think they’ll try to get me again?”
“No. I think you’re ok. I don’t think they were after you.”
“That’s what dad said, but I felt it was after me, like it was calling me toward it.” He looked down, his face flushed, “I was so scared. That’s why I froze. I’m so weak. I’ve never been so scared.” He turned as Don stepped close to comfort him.
“Called to you? Did you really hear something? I didn’t hear anything.”
“I don’t remember it actually saying anything, it was more like a pull, like I knew it wanted me.” Donald sniffed a bit then continued, “I knew it wanted to eat me and I, uh, think I, umm, wanted it to.”
“What?” Trey said hoping he didn’t say what he thought he said.
Donald continued to whimper, “I wanted it to eat me. It seemed like the most important thing to do at the time. It seemed wonderful. I can still feel the euphoria of the possibility.”
Trey looked at Don. “Have you ever….”
“No. I’ve never heard of them having any mind control or powers of any nature. This new breed is advanced and unstudied.”
“Or maybe Commerand just has more control over them than before and he can use them in ways previously unheard of?”
“That’s a good hypothesis,” Don replied. “This isn’t why you came today, is it Trey?”
“No, Sir. Will you tell me what you know about my dad?”
“Ah yes. Wallace Roberts, Jr. You have his name as well as your grandfather. You are the third, right? That’s why we call you Trey?”
“Yes, Sir. But my grandfather uses our middle name, Patrick”
“Not to be morbid but you mean used, right?”
Trey looked away but wasn’t upset, “Uh, yeah. I guess he’s not really around anymore.”
“I miss Patrick so much. He was such a character – and sharp. He was always quick witted and never ceased to find solutions to difficult problems.” He looked away while he waited for his eyes to dry. When he returned his attention to Trey, he continued on the topic of his dad. “Wally is a brilliant physicist. He was able to quickly solve several mysteries surrounding the portals. In our studies at the physics lab in Atlanta, he discovered and created a device that would render the portals useless.”
“What do you mean useless?”
“When we placed the device on the Atlanta portal, Lyza was unable to access any of the other portals around the world.”
“Rendering it useless, as you said,” Trey added.
“Not just it. All of them. We think all of the portals became depowered. Aside from the amazingness that there are actual teleportation portals around the world, developing a device that makes them useless is equally amazing,” Don remarked.
Trey thought about the information Don just shared. He was concentrating so hard his face shrugged like a pug dog. It then softened then frowned.
Don knew the next question by reading Trey’s emotional expression. “Trey. Your dad, he had to do what he did. Commerand found out about the device. Wally had to secure it. It may be our only weapon against Khaitu if he were to escape.”
“He left to protect us.” Trey said in a slow low voice.
“Yes.”
“And why you two disappeared around the same time?”
“I believe so.”
“Where’s he today?”
“Trey, I’ve been out of the picture for a long time. His intention was to disappear. Someone close to him informed Commerand about the device.”
“Wh
o would have told Commerand?”
“Someone with the information and would benefit from the disclosure. I have my suspicions who that might be and will dig into it deeper but won’t divulge that information to you at this time.”
“I understand, Mr. Smith. Please let me know when you find out.”
“I will. Your father said he couldn’t trust anyone, then just disappeared without a trace. Shortly after, I was sent to the Etherios. Your father is smart and very cunning. I’m sure when he decided to disappear, it was forever and no one will be able to find him, especially Commerand and his goons.”
“That’s why I could never call him back.”
“What’s that?” Don asked.
“He used to call mom – always from different numbers. Every time I tried to call back, of course without my mom knowing, I would always get a disconnected number message.”
“Like I said, he will remain gone until he chooses to reveal himself. I’m very surprised he risked calling your mom.”
“He hasn’t called in nearly three years. I think he might be in trouble, like you were.”
Don sighed. “I’m sure he’s just fine.”
Trey was quiet for nearly a minute then said, “I’m going to find him.”
“Whoa now, Trey. I know you want him back, but he doesn’t want to be found. Besides, if Commerand can’t find him, the likelihood of you succeeding is exponentially small.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to find him, eventually,” Trey said faintly.
Don took that as an indication Trey wasn’t about to set out today on the quest.
Trey looked at his watch which brought him from his concentration. “I have to go. Thank you for talking with me about my father. Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“Nothing that will help you find him, I’m afraid.”
“Ok. I appreciate your help. I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” he said holding out a hand to Donald of which Donald slapped in a friendly manner.
“Yeah. See you tomorrow,” Donald replied with a smile.
Trey paused at the door turned and said, “Do you know Lamar? I think he lives in the complex. He’s really skinny and wears baggy pants that hang low.”