Paraworld Zero

by Matthew Peterson

  His wife chuckled profusely at the joke.

  Simon and Thorn received their food last. On each of their plates lay what appeared to be a huge, slimy maggot. Its grayish white skin had the appearance of rubber. It had no eyes, and it was easily the length of Simon’s forearm. A small snippet of parsley rested atop the worm. At that moment, Simon wished very badly that he could trade meals with Tonya.

  “Well, dig in!” Mrs. Troodle said.

  Simon felt relieved that she didn’t suggest they pray over the food. Mrs. Trimble, back at the foster home, always insisted on saying grace over all their meals. But in this instance, Simon felt that God himself couldn’t possibly bless the revolting creature before him.

  Staring at the thick worm, he hoped that it too would try to crawl off the table, but luck was not on his side. He looked over at Tonya. She sat in a placid manner, eating her grass. He looked over at Thorn, who was gorging voraciously on the fat worm in front of him. As the little Pud’s fork ripped open the worm’s hide, clear mucus seeped from the torn flesh and ran down onto the table. Simon’s stomach lurched.

  “Simon, you’re not eating. What’s wrong?” asked Mrs. Troodle.

  “I don’t feel very well,” he said. The woman’s eyes widened, and Simon felt nervous that he might have offended her. “I-I-I think it m-m-must be the shock of leaving my w-w-world… and g-g-getting into an accident.” Mrs. Troodle still had a look of disbelief, so Simon continued. “And… just waking up from a c-c-coma… and… and not being able to w-w-walk.”

  “Oh, you poor thing,” she said, as if talking to a little puppy. She turned to her husband. “Honey, I think we should let Simon and Konya stay with us.”

  “YES!” Thorn exclaimed. His dinner slipped off his plate and slid towards Simon. “Sorry.” The Pud grabbed the oversized larva with both hands and placed it back onto his plate.

  “Well, Sweetie, I don’t know. We only have one guest room—”

  “Simon can share my room,” Thorn said eagerly.

  Tonya rolled her eyes. “Oh, Mrs. Troodle, you’re too kind, but I wouldn’t want to—what’s the word?—intrude,” the young girl said carefully in the Pudo language.

  “Nonsense! Konya, you’ve been staying in the hospital ever since you got here. Besides, now that Simon’s awake, I don’t think Nurse Salfree is going to allow you to sleep on that cot anymore.”

  “Come on, Butblacruze,” cried Thorn. “You’ll like it here.”

  The girl crinkled her nose. Simon sensed her inner conflict. If she continued to stay in the hospital, she could convince herself that her visit to Pudo was only temporary. Accepting the Troodles’ invitation to live in a real house meant acknowledging that she was never going to leave this parallel world. But after more prods from Thornapple, she finally gave in.

  “Fine, it’s settled then,” Mrs. Troodle said. “Konya will stay in the guest room, and Simon will bunk with Thornapple.”

  Simon felt strange listening to everyone plot out his future so quickly. All of this was so new to him. He was in another world! In a way, it excited the boy. He could start all over with his life. Perhaps he wouldn’t be such a nerd this time. He would be part of a family—a strange family, but a family, nonetheless. The thought intrigued him.

  “Come on, Simon. I’ll show you my room,” Thorn said, jumping up from the table.

  “Hold on there, son,” Dr. Troodle said. “We haven’t even finished dinner yet.”

  Mrs. Troodle nodded. “At least have some dessert, Simon.” She called for the large boy in the kitchen. “HAR! DESSERT! NOW!”

  Har bounded into the room again, this time with a bowl of yellow custard. At first glance, it didn’t seem too bad, but when Mrs. Troodle started dishing out the dessert, Simon saw what was floating in the mixture.

  “Eyeball custard?” she asked with a smile.

  * * *

  Later that night, Simon, Thornapple, and Tonya decided to get some fresh air before retiring to bed. The Troodles lived next door to the hospital, which was very convenient for Dr. Troodle, since he served as the head physician for the facility. Consequently, their backyard happened to be a large stretch of grass leading to the entrance of the north hospital wing.

  The three children found a nice spot to lie down and gaze up at the stars. Simon lay in the middle with Tonya to his right and Thorn to his left. A cool, night breeze caressed their faces. The stars illuminated the sky to form a sea of tiny flickering dots.

  “It’s amazing,” Tonya said in awe.

  “What is?” asked Thorn.

  “That no matter what paraworld you’re on, there’s always one constant: the stars.”

  “Oh, wow!” Simon said, pointing at the sky. “There’s the Big Dipper! I didn’t realize the stars would be the same as they are back home.”

  “Yep,” Tonya said. “With each paraworld, the solar system changes, but everything else in the universe stays the same. That’s one of the biggest indications that we’re not actually traveling across the universe but into another parallel universe. I wish I had my paratransmitter. I’m sure it could give you a better definition than I could.”

  “That’s all right. I think I understand,” Simon said. “You know, that kinda makes sense.”

  “What do you mean by Big Dipper?” Thorn asked. “All I see is a poorly designed quadrilateral.”

  “Just imagine that it’s a cup, and those stars over there are the handle,” Simon said.

  Thorn looked again in frustration. “I see an obtuse triangle.”

  “Look harder.”

  “I suppose it looks somewhat like an isosceles trapezoid.” The small boy squinted for a while and then shouted with joy as if he’d just discovered the world was round and not flat. “I see it! You’re right! It does look like a big dipper! Why didn’t I ever see that before?”

  Tonya answered, “Because you’ve been trained your whole life to think a certain way. You’ve been taught to not be imaginative, so it’s no wonder the only thing you could see was geometric shapes.”

  “Oh, I can’t believe it,” Thorn exclaimed again. “I found another one!”

  “That’s the Little Dipper,” Simon said. “You know, Thorn, if you want to be a painter some day, you’re going to have to learn to see things in a different way.”

  “That’ll be the day,” Tonya snorted. “I haven’t seen a Pud yet with one ounce of artistic creativity.”

  Simon swatted at a large fly buzzing around his face, but the insect kept dodging his hand. Suddenly, Tonya lashed out her long tongue and snatched the bug out of the air. She quickly brought it into her mouth.

  “Tonya!” Simon cried, shocked.

  “You don’t get many dates, do you?” Thorn said sarcastically.

  “Sorry. I’m not allowed to do that on Chamel. It was just too tempting.”

  “You weren’t kidding when you said you had lizard DNA in you,” Simon remarked. He realized there was still a lot about Tonya he didn’t know about.

  “What do you call that bright star over there?” Thorn asked.

  “Where I’m from, we call that the North Star,” Simon answered.

  Tonya answered as well. “On Chamel, we call it the Fulcrum of Life.”

  “Why do you call it that?” Simon asked.

  “Because it’s one of the most prominent stars, and it points the direction we should navigate our lives towards.”

  “Which is?” Thorn pressed.

  “Heaven. The Elders of Chamel teach that if we live our lives so that we are continually climbing upward in our personal progression, then some day we will reach the Fulcrum of Life.”

  “Sounds silly,” Thorn said. “You do know that stars are just giant balls of burning gas, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do,” Tonya said, annoyed.

  Simon noted, “On Earth, people traveling on the sea sometimes use the North Star to help them find their bearings.”

  “Yeah, we also use the North Star, as you call it, to help us
find our way,” Tonya said. “I remember one time, when my parents were still together, we were going to this big party where my dad was the guest of honor. We had to walk to the party because I was too young to use magic to travel. The street was very busy, and my parents were in a hurry, and, somehow or another, I got separated from them. I remember it was pretty dark outside, and the Fulcrum of Life was shining especially bright that night. I had this feeling inside that if I just walked in the direction of that star, I’d be okay. Well, by the time I found the party, it was over. My parents were talking to some people, and when I walked up to them…” Tonya paused for a moment and reflected on the memory, “…they didn’t even realize I had been missing.”

  “I’m sorry,” Simon said. “That’s terrible.”

  “It’s okay. I guess they had a lot on their minds, and I was so young at the time. Maybe if I wasn’t such a—”

  At that very moment, something large and green jumped over them and scurried away. Then, one by one, three huge men leapt over the children and chased after the giant reptile.

  The body of the lizard stretched about seven feet long, and its spiny tail extended another six feet. It had a long forked tongue and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. The large, husky men stood at least eight feet tall, and each of them held a wooden club.

  One of the giants grabbed the lizard by the tail, but the reptile snapped at him, so he quickly let go. As the men circled about, the creature opened its large mouth and hissed like a cobra. The blood-curdling noise sent shivers down everyone’s spine.

  Abruptly, the lizard reared on its hind legs and sprang towards one of the men. Falling back with the ferocious reptile on top of him, the man put his arms around the lizard and held on tightly. The two rolled on the ground until they stopped right in front of Tonya, who by this time was sitting up. The giant man squeezed with all his might until the lizard’s body went limp.

  Tonya was so petrified with fear that her hair turned completely white. The man looked up from his bear hug and said in a barbaric voice, “It OK—no be scared.”

  He loosened his viselike grip, and the lizard fell to the ground, lifeless. The other two giants helped the injured man stand up. Still unable to move, Tonya stared at the huge lizard. Suddenly, its small eyes opened quickly and made contact with her. Then it leapt into the air towards the helpless girl, but just before it reached her, a club crashed down upon the reptile with bone-shattering force. The horrible creature fell with a thud—this time, truly dead.

  Before the children could say a word, the three men walked away into the shadows, carrying their prize on their broad shoulders.

  When Simon, Thorn, and Tonya got back to the house, they told the adults about what had just happened. Furious, Thorn’s father called the police and yelled at the person on the other end.

  He said things like: “This is an outrage!” and “What are you idiots going to do about this epidemic?” and “This is the third time this month!”

  Mrs. Troodle could see that her husband was going to be a while, so she sent the children to bed. Tonya didn’t say a word as she left the room. Her hair was still white.

  In Thorn’s bedroom, Simon rolled out of his hover chair and landed on the soft mattress below. His feet reached the end of the makeshift bed that Thornapple had made for him. The only light in the room came from the moon, which shone brightly from the open window.

  Before Thorn got too comfortable, Simon asked, “What was that monster back there?”

  “That was a draguno. Every once in a while they climb up the mountain and get into the city, but lately, they’ve been showing up more and more.”

  “And who were those men that were chasing after it?”

  “Those were big Puds. Normally, they’re not allowed in the city after dark, but I bet the mayor let them in so they could track down that draguno. Personally, I don’t know which one is the fouler of the two: the draguno or the big Puds.”

  “Is Har a big Pud?” Simon asked.

  “Yeah, but he’s only twelve years old. When they’re young, they make good house servants, but when they get older, they’re just too big to keep in the house. Usually, they’re put to work outside of the city.”

  “Oh.” Simon thought it odd that Thorn referred to the big Puds as servants.

  Thornapple yawned. “Hey, do you think I could ride your hover chair tomorrow?”

  “Sure.”

  The tiny boy smiled in response and closed his eyes. Everything remained quiet for a while, but then Thornapple broke the silence. “It’s good to have you here, Simon. Good night.”

  “Good night.”

  Simon turned over in his bed and stared at the milky white moon. For a moment, he almost forgot he wasn’t on Earth anymore. Am I ever going to make it back home? he wondered as he drifted off to sleep. Probably not.

  Chapter 9

  Guardians of the Crown

  Councilor Bromwell, Lady Cassandra, and her younger brother, Lord Theobolt Vaylen, were discussing serious matters of state when Tabatha burst into the room.

  “Sorry, my lady,” cried a guard, attempting to restrain the catlike woman, “but this Enforcer insisted on seeing you immediately. I told her you were not to be disturbed, but—”

  Cassandra raised her hand. “It’s all right. Let her pass.” The stately woman wore a white gown with pearls and gold trim. A white tiara graced her forehead, and colorful jewels sparkled in her hair.

  “Guardians of the Crown,” Tabatha addressed them, “I have grave news concerning the Raiders.”

  “Tabatha, my dear, we haven’t heard from you in almost two months. We were beginning to worry,” Lord Vaylen said in a kind voice. Tabatha scowled at the man. He had always insisted on being addressed by his last name so that whenever somebody referred to the royal family, he, Theobolt Vaylen, would be foremost in everyone’s mind. She disliked his political and psychological tactics. He continued, “I see you are tired and hurt. We shall hear your report when your wounds have been attended to.”

  “My welfare is of no concern,” she responded shortly. “I must speak now, for what I have to say concerns us all.”

  “Speak then, child,” urged Councilor Bromwell.

  The ancient man’s voice was soothing yet wielded a strange power that only an ultramage could possess. Many had said that Ezra Bromwell was the greatest sorcerer of all save the king himself. His long white hair fell down from his gray, pointy hat—now drooping from age—and his thin glasses seemed poised to fall off the end of his prominent nose. To an outsider, he might have easily been mistaken as merely a feeble old man.

  “The Raiders have gathered their forces and are planning an attack,” Tabatha said. “I don’t know where, and I don’t know when—”

  “What good is this information, then?” asked Lady Cassandra.

  “My lady, I lived with the Raiders for over eight months, and from that dreary experience, I learned one important thing: The Raiders are willing to lay waste to the entire paraverse in order to fulfill their evil cause.”

  “And what exactly is their cause?” asked Lord Vaylen.

  “Genocide,” Tabatha said. A moment of silence passed, but the Guardians of the Crown remained speechless. “As you know, the Raiders feel that science should be the governing factor in the paraverse, not magic, but their twisted views have become increasingly strong. They now feel it is their destiny to kill everyone who uses the E.M. waves for magic. They want to conserve the electro-magical energy for themselves and for their scientific endeavors.”

  “This is grave news indeed,” said Councilor Bromwell. “There is more than enough E.M. energy for both parties… Hmm, why do they need so much electro-magical power? I wonder…”

  “That, I do not know,” Tabatha responded. “However, we now have another foe to face. While on the space carrier, I stole a datachip from General Mayham that may have contained the answers we are looking for. I faced an ultramage whose powers rival even yours, Councilor Bromwell. He took
the datachip from me and disappeared.”

  The old man raised his bushy eyebrows and scratched the stubble on his chin. “How do you know he was an ultramage?”

  “The electro-magical waves were very thin above the planet, yet he was able to call upon them as if he were sitting inside an E.M. reactor… and on top of that, he cast the Valamure curse.”

  “He did?” cried Lord Vaylen in shock, upsetting the image of his normally strong composure. “Are you sure it was the Valamure curse and not just an illusion?”

  “I saw the wraith with my own eyes. I barely made it out of there alive!”

  “What did this ultramage look like?” asked Lady Cassandra.

  “Well, I really didn’t get to see his face because he hid under a cloak, not unlike yours, Lord Vaylen,” Tabatha said, a hint of suspicion in her voice. She continued, “He was very fast and powerful, but the strangest thing of all was that he used a wand to cast his spells—two wands, in fact.”

  “Ahhh,” Lord Vaylen scoffed. “He’s just an apprentice who probably got lost from his master—nothing more.”

  “No!” Tabatha fought back. “I tell you. He was an ultramage.”

  “Ms. Burke,” Lord Vaylen said in a patronizing tone, “it is common knowledge that an ultramage does not require the aid of inanimate objects to cast spells. If your wizard friend truly was an ultramage, he would not have to depend on a little stick to channel his powers.”

  “Theobolt,” Councilor Bromwell intervened on the woman’s behalf, “may I remind you that not all ultramages are pigheaded enough to rely wholly on their own strengths. I, for one, have been known to use sticks to aid me from time to time.” At that, he knocked on the hard floor two times with his wooden cane. A plume of pink butterflies rose from the ground like smoke and formed into a pretty flower that gently rested itself in Tabatha’s white hair.