A Journey Through Time
Chapter 7

It took Tommy and I all of five seconds to realize we had no idea what we were up against. Despite the fact that neither of us had been physically harmed, we couldn’t stop shaking. Before we had a chance to take care of Bailey, the front door opened and Jonathan walked in followed by Sadie. Tommy and I looked at each other with wide eyes before we both jumped into action. I went for Sadie, who was headed towards Bailey, and Tommy went for his dad.

“Sadie, don’t look!” I shouted. Before I could get my arms around her and swing her away, she’d caught sight of Bailey, and screamed. Of course, that brought Matilda out of the kitchen and turned Jonathan’s attention to her. I caught Sadie around her waist and pulled her away from the tank at the same time that Matilda and Jonathan made their way towards it. Them we couldn’t stop. Matilda gasped and covered her mouth while Jonathan turned towards us with a severe look in his eyes.

“What the hell happened to Bailey?” he asked. I held Sadie tightly while she sobbed into my chest and I made sure her view of Bailey was blocked. Tommy looked back at me and I sighed before nodding my head.

“It has to do with where we were for the last two years. It’s a long story and there’s still a lot that we don’t know, but we’ll tell you everything” he said. Jonathan and Matilda looked at each other before they both nodded their heads. Tommy and his dad took care of Bailey, while Matilda and I tried to calm Sadie down. Jonathan and Tommy returned only a few minutes later, while Sadie was still crying against my chest. Tommy sat down beside me and wrapped his arms around both me and his sister. Jonathan sat next to Matilda and they both leaned forward expectantly. I took a deep breath.

“The day we disappeared, Sean decided he wanted to explore the Slateman Mansion………………..” I started.

“This was Sean’s idea!? Why am I not surprised” Jonathan interrupted. I turned to look at him and Matilda put her hand on his knee. He cleared his throat in embarrassment and nodded to me.

“Yes, it was Sean’s idea but nobody knew what we were getting into. We found an alternate dimension, a Black Hollow nothing like the one we live in. These people that are after us are the protectors of that dimension, they call themselves the D.D.S., which stands for Department of Dimensional Security. Sean didn’t just take off again, the D.D.S. caught him while we were there and he’s trapped there. The D.D.S. are still after us, they’re the ones who did that to Bailey” I said. Sadie sobbed at the sound of Bailey’s name and I rubbed her back gently.

“Why are these people after you? What do they want?” Jonathan asked. Tommy took his arms from around us and grabbed my hand instead. I squeezed his fingers and he took a deep breath.

“To silence us. Someone that went into the Slateman Mansion, entered that dimension, and got trapped told us that no one outside that world can know it exists. That’s why anytime someone goes into the Slateman Mansion, they’re never seen again” he said. Jonathan covered his mouth with one hand and sat back against the back of the couch. He looked like he didn’t want to believe us, but he’d seen the proof in the death of his daughter’s cat. Matilda put a reassuring hand on his arm but he just shook his head at her.

“Why did you all still look the same after two years?” she asked. Sadie sniffled once and sat up, but she didn’t say anything. Her face was red and blotchy from crying and she still had tears in her eyes but she looked extremely curious about what we were talking about.

“Because two years didn’t pass for us while we were there. Time slowed down and less than a day had passed before we got out” I said. Matilda looked back at Jonathan and he shook his head again, keeping his mouth covered. Matilda turned back to us, her eyes wide in what was unmistakably fear.

“How many more times can we expect these people to come after you?” she asked. Tommy’s expression fell at seeing the look on his mother’s face and he got on his knees in front of her.

“Mom, this isn’t going to be a one-time thing for them; it’s gonna be more like trial and error. They’re not going to stop until we’re either dead or trapped back there” he said. Matilda shot forward and wrapped her arms around Tommy. She held him tightly for about a minute before pulling back with a look of fierce determination in her eyes.

“I just got you back, I’m not losing you again. What can we do to help?” she asked. Tommy looked back at me with a small hopeful smile on his face and I nodded my head. Sadie looked up at me quizzically.

“There is a symbol you can help us watch out for. It will signal when somebody from that dimension is close” he said. Tommy pulled a pad of scratch paper out of the drawer in the side table and I tossed him a pen. He took his time drawing out the symbol so it would be perfect and then turned the paper around to show his parents. Jonathan sat forward again to study the drawing and lowered his hand so he could speak.

“How much danger are we in by being close to you?” he asked. Tommy handed his mom the pad of paper so he could sit back down on the couch beside me.

“Well you know about the dimension now so if they replace out, they won’t just be coming after us. But right now, I don’t think you have anything to worry about” I said. Both Jonathan and Matilda let out sighs of relief. I found it strange that they accepted it just like that, like the way everybody had been following me blindly while we were in the mansion. I shook that thought away when Sadie looked up at me with wide bloodshot eyes.

“Why did they kill Bailey?” she asked. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, fresh tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. Tommy took her face in his hands, wiping away her tears as he cupped her cheeks.

“Sadie, as much as I hate to say it, I think Bailey’s death was intentional. I think it was a warning to us” he said before turning to look at me. Sadie broke down again, burying her face in my shirt and bursting into tears. I ran my hand over her hair a few times, trying to soothe her.

“If it was just a warning, then I don’t think it’s the only one we’re gonna see” I said. Tommy sighed and nodded in agreement. We both turned back to his parents, who were studying the drawing of the symbol very closely.

“What do we do if we see this mark on something?” Jonathan asked. He seemed convinced now that what we were saying was true and more importantly, he seemed eager to help. Tommy opened his mouth to answer him, but I got to it before he did.

“Whatever you do, don’t touch it. That mark is something special to that dimension, if you touch it or let it touch you; you’ll get sucked through and trapped there.” The answer spilled from me before I could think through my response but I knew everything I’d said was true. Tommy leaned towards me and lowered his voice so his parents wouldn’t hear.

“Nessa, how do you know that?” he asked. I turned my head to look into his eyes and found him frowning in confusion. I raised my eyebrows an inch and shrugged my shoulders slightly. Tommy’s frown deepened.

“I don’t know, but I know what I said is true” I murmured. His confusion didn’t fade, it just changed. He was only confused about something else now.

“So Sean is still trapped in this other dimension? Good, serves him right for getting you guys into this kind of trouble” Jonathan said. I let out a sigh and shook my head while both Tommy and Matilda looked at him sharply.

“Dad!”

“Jonathan!” He just shrugged his shoulders at them, not looking the least bit guilty about what he’d said. In any other circumstance, I would’ve agreed with him, but knowing that Sean was trapped there just screamed dangerous. I shook my head again.

“Normally I’d agree with you but the more time Sean spends there, the more danger we’re in” I said. Tommy looked away from his dad and faced me with another look of confusion.

“How do you figure that?” he asked. My eyes had been trained on the coffee table while I thought through what I knew but now I looked up and caught Tommy’s eyes.

“Think about it Tommy, you know Sean. What’s the one thing he does when he’s scared? He never shuts his mouth. The D.D.S. probably know everything about us and how we got in there. I’m not surprised we’re already seeing signs of them so soon after getting out” I said. Tommy got a faraway look in his eyes while he took in what I’d said. Then he clenched his eyes shut tightly and cursed loudly. Jonathan and Matilda looked at him with wide eyes and I blinked a few times in shock. Tommy didn’t cuss very much and he was always careful not to slip up in front of his parents.

“Sean isn’t the type of person to protect his friends when he’s in trouble either, he’ll be telling them it was all our idea. Nessa, we’re screwed, Sean will have sold us out by now” he said. I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder to calm him.

“Look Tommy, they would have come after us without Sean’s help. We know about something that on one in our world should know exists, they’ll do whatever it takes to protect it” I said. Tommy looked over at his parents and then down at his sister before locking eyes with me again. I read the look of fear and panic on his face and I grabbed his hands.

“What do we do?” he whispered. There was an undertone to his voice that alerted me to just how scared he really was. I squeezed his fingers tightly and stared hard into his eyes until the stiff set of his shoulders relaxed.

“I don’t know that there is anything we can do, they’ll be coming after us one way or another. But whatever happens, we’ll get through it. We always do” I said. Tommy looked down at our hands and he laced his right with my left.

“As long as we’re together” he murmured. I smiled slightly and nodded my head. It was as if everyone else in the room had disappeared, it was just me and Tommy. It didn’t even register that his parents and sister were still watching us, so when he leaned forward to kiss me, I didn’t stop him. There was a sense of urgency to his kiss, brought on by fear I was sure, but I didn’t let it spoil the moment. It wasn’t until Tommy pulled away and rested his forehead against mine that I noticed his parents smiling at us. My entire face lit up and I buried it in Tommy’s shoulder. He laughed lightly and wrapped his arms around me.

“I’d better get dinner started” Matilda said. I heard her footsteps head into the kitchen and then cabinet doors opening and closing. I dared a glance over Tommy’s shoulder and watched Jonathan and Sadie made their way up stairs.

“That was embarrassing” I muttered as I pulled my face out of Tommy’s shoulder. He laughed lightly and I kept my eyes trained on my hands, which were holding his again. It didn’t help the embarrassment much.

“Why did you let me kiss you while they were watching if you knew it was gonna embarrass you?” he asked. His question was punctuated with small laughs but at least it didn’t bother him to kiss me in front of his parents. I felt better knowing that.

“I kinda forgot they were there” I muttered. Tommy laughed again and I felt another wave of warmth flood my cheeks. To distract myself, I twisted the ring on his left index finger. After three turns, Tommy pulled his hands from mine and cupped my cheeks instead. I was forced to look straight at him. He had a small smile on his face, one that almost wasn’t noticeable, but I’d seen it enough to know it was his happy smile.

“Vanessa Jennifer Murphy, you are the most amazing girl I have ever known. I feel so lucky that I get to call you mine. I love absolutely everything about you, please don’t ever change” Tommy whispered. A feeling of weightlessness overcame me and I felt my heart swell. Tommy could barely touch me in front of somebody and I was blushing like mad. I was extremely shy and easily embarrassed, I would rarely speak my mind because I hated being the center of attention. And Tommy knew all of it. The smile that stretched across my face strained every muscle in my cheeks but I couldn’t stop it. I fell into Tommy’s arms and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. Tommy pulled me towards him until I was in his lap and then I felt him bury his face in my hair.

After dinner that night, Tommy and Jonathan started rearranging Tommy’s room. Since there was no spare bedroom in their house, Tommy and I were forced to share a bedroom, but that didn’t bother either of us. Tommy’s room wasn’t small but it wasn’t huge either. He slept on a queen size bed, had a full size eight drawer dresser, and a twenty inch flat screen. He also had a desk in the corner of the room. It was made of solid oak and it weighed about eighty pounds. Tommy didn’t even really use it anymore, so they were going to move it down to the living room to make room for a second dresser. While Tommy and his dad wrestled the desk down the stairs, Matilda and I stripped Tommy’s bed and remade it. My dresser was small, only four drawers, but it was perfect for what I had. Once it was set up in Tommy’s room, Jonathan and Matilda left us to ourselves. I unpacked my suitcases while Tommy cleared space in his closet for my shoes and the nice clothes that had to be hung up. When I finished filling the dresser, I sat down on Tommy’s bed and he pulled me into his arms.

“It’s almost official that you’re moved in” he murmured in my ear. His voice sent a shiver down my spine but his words confused me enough to slightly overpower that. I turned my head to look back at him and he rested his chin on my shoulder.

“Almost official?” I repeated. He grinned and waggled his eyebrows suggestively. My face instantly began to burn and I turned away from him. I closed my eyes in mortification but I couldn’t stop the small smile that spread across my lips. Tommy pressed a quick kiss to the back of my neck.

“I was joking Ness, I just meant that we have to get the rest of your stuff over here first” he said. I laughed lightly and covered my face with both hands until the blush faded. When my face returned to its normal color, I turned around and climbed into Tommy’s lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Tommy, I know you said that having me move in here was your mom’s idea but how much of you wanted me here too?” I asked. Tommy grinned again and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. Then apparently one wasn’t enough and he stole two more. Finally, he answered me.

“Honestly, when she first brought it up after your parents’ funeral, all I felt was horror. The thought of having my crush living in the same house as me was kind of frightening” he said. I giggled lightly and a smile lit up Tommy’s face. I threw my arms around his neck and threaded my fingers into his hair. He tipped his head back slightly.

“Just how long have you had a crush on me, Tommy?” I asked. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, I saw regret flash in his irises for just a second before a look of shame overpowered it.

“Going on about six years now. I really didn’t notice it until I saw the way you looked at me; just the look in your eyes and the timid little smile you always wore.” I groaned in humiliation and hid my face in the crock of his neck. Tommy laughed lightly and leaned his head on mine.

“It was always the cutest when I’d catch you staring at me, you’d turn all shades of red and hide your face. If I had known how much I’d love being able to call you my girlfriend, I would have done something about it a lot sooner” he finished. His hands slid up my back and I felt him gently grip the back of my neck. I sucked in a breath to steady myself and then pulled back to look at him. He gave me a brief smile before gently pushing his lips against mine.

Just like the first time I’d kissed him, I marveled at the silk-like softness of his lips and the tenderness he used when he kissed me. For a minute, all I felt was the warm pressure of his lips on mine and then he parted his lips and I felt his tongue tickle my bottom lip. Instinct took over and I instantly opened my mouth for him. Tommy must have been startled by the action because a few seconds passed before I felt his tongue slide across my bottom lip. I slowly reached out with my tongue and as soon as the tip of my tongue found his, I saw fireworks. Even with my eyes squeezed shut tightly; I could see the explosions of red, blue, gold, silver, purple, yellow, and white light perfectly.

There was a sweet tang in his kiss, like the taste of blue raspberry candy, and then the underlying tastes of cherry, watermelon, green apple, and grape. Then the warm, earthy aroma that tasted strangely like hazelnut coffee, except Tommy didn’t care much for coffee. Again, I reacted instinctively and I wasn’t sure who was more surprised by my actions. I pushed firmly against his shoulders, knocking him on his back with me still straddling his hips. Tommy made a low strangled sound in his throat and his hands went back to my waist. I was equally surprised by my reaction but for some reason, I couldn’t replace the desire to stop. The kiss intensified until we were both breathing hard and I felt Tommy’s fingers dig into my sides. Tommy’s reaction shocked me even more than my own did; he got a firm hold on my hips and flipped us so I was underneath him. The movement made me gasp and my lips disconnected from Tommy’s. He didn’t seem bothered by that though, he just moved his lips down to my chin and trailed a line of tender kisses down my jaw to my neck. I wrapped my arms around his neck, threading my fingers through his hair and grasping handfuls of his curls in tight fists. At the same time that his lips touched the side of my neck, I felt his fingers slip under my shirt. I gasped again and I felt Tommy’s teeth graze the side of my neck. I turned my head just slightly, to give him more room, and I felt him bite down just hard enough that I was sure there would be a mark. He was brave with his hands, but he never ventured above my belly button. His fingers pressed lightly into my stomach, massaging the skin softly, until he moved his hands down to my hips. I turned my head again and he captured my lips in another scorching kiss. It was only when I felt Tommy’s hand close around the button on my pants that I pulled away sharply. I put my hand over his and squeezed his fingers gently but firmly. All his movements froze.

“Tommy.” My voice was a whisper but he automatically knew why I was cautioning him. He sighed deeply and rested his forehead against my collar bone. I combed my fingers through his hair a few times before he finally sat up, pulling his hand away from my pants.

“I’m sorry Nessa, raging teenage hormones and all that. God, I feel like an idiot, I’m so sorry.” I grabbed his face in my hands and pulled him down for a kiss just to shut him up. When I pulled away again, he had a somewhat startled look in his eyes.

“Relax Tommy; I’m not mad at you. Why don’t we just get some sleep, it’s been a long day” I said. Tommy sighed again and nodded his head. He climbed off the bed and I sat up to look at him. He smiled slightly and leaned down to kiss me softly.

“I’m gonna get a shower really quick. If you want, you can use the bathroom down the hall” he said. I nodded and he helped me off the bed. The shower helped relax me so by the time I ventured back into Tommy’s room, I felt like I was sleep walking. My legs were like jelly and my mouth split into a huge yawn just as I sat down on the edge of the bed. Tommy came out of his bathroom holding a towel to his hair. He took one look at me sitting half-asleep on his bed and laughed. He didn’t look much better though; his eyes were half closed as he toweled his hair dry and he stumbled slightly making his way to the bed.

“Apparently we’re both tired” he muttered as he climbed onto the bed beside me. I managed a half-hearted giggle before crawling under the blankets with him. Tommy wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back against him. I put my hands over his and he grasped the fingers of one hand.

“Goodnight Nessa” he whispered. His mouth was right next to my ear so I heard him loud and clear but I was so tired, all I could manage was a small smile. I shifted back against him and sighed happily. If Tommy said anything else after that, I didn’t hear him as I was asleep almost instantly. For a while all I could see were flashes of green and brown against a black background until a picture formed in my head. I was surprised at how clear it was; Ruth, Dale, and Cameron huddled in a small semi-dark room filled with boxes. A gas lantern was hung in one corner of the room but it barely gave off enough light to see. Cameron sat in front of Ruth, wincing as she dabbed something on a wide cut over his nose. Dale sat right in front of me, playing with the knobs on an old radio.

“It’s not working Ruthie, I can’t replace the right frequency” he whispered. Ruth looked up from her son’s face, a look of worry and defeat on her face. Her worry automatically transferred to me. What were they hiding from and why was Cameron hurt?

“Keep trying honey, we need to be able to hear them” Ruth said. She pressed a cloth against the wound across Cameron’s nose and he whimpered slightly before shoving his fist in his mouth. Dale cast a concerned look in his direction. Ruth gritted her teeth and kept dabbing at it until Cameron sighed lightly.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have helped them, we never would have had to go into hiding” Cameron said. I frowned in confusion but kept my mouth shut. It was just a dream, this wasn’t real. Dale shook the radio lightly, making it rattle, and set it on the ground.

“No Cam, we did the right thing helping those kids get out. None of us would have felt right if we’d turned them over to the D.D.S.” he said. His words made something inside me snap together and my mouth fell open.

“We did this to you?” I asked in horror. I was stunned by their reaction. Dale scrambled backwards away from me, kicking the radio across the room as he did, and Cameron took a protective stance in front of his mother. Only Ruth remained calm, although her eyes were wide in alarm. My terror filled expression changed to one of confusion again. Ruth pushed her way out from behind Cameron and stood up so she could take a few hesitant steps in my direction.

“How did they catch you? We were sure you guys would make it out” she said. Once I got over the shock that for some reason, they could see and hear me, I tried to comprehend what Ruth had just asked me.

“They didn’t catch us, we did get out. All except for our friend Sean; the D.D.S. still have him” I said. Ruth and Dale shared a look of disbelief and Cameron crossed his arms over his chest. He looked somewhat confused but there was no concern in his expression. He really did blame us for what they were going through.

“Look at yourself Vanessa, only outsiders who have been trapped and branded by the D.D.S. look like that” Dale said. I stared at him in puzzlement for a few seconds before looking down at myself. I was standing in an oval of soft white light and thin tendrils of grey mist circled my arms and legs. It only took a split second before I realized why all of this looked familiar. The woman that had told us how to get back to our own world had been shrouded in a light just like this. A sudden memory hit me and I stuck my fingers outside the oval of light. I heard the sizzling sound and sat the faint smoke drift off my hand, but I felt no pain. There was a curious cool sensation, like being hit by a mister in a greenhouse, but it didn’t hurt. I only pulled my hand back into the circle of light when I saw the looks on Ruth and Dale’s faces.

“I don’t know why I look like this, but I promise you we did get out. I’m dreaming right now, I’m asleep in Tommy’s arms!” I said. Ruth rushed forward and I felt her arms around my shoulders. The second she touched me, I realized I could still feel Tommy’s arms around me and his warm breath on my neck. That more than anything else, was what calmed me down. Dale approached his wife and put his hand on her shoulder.

“The only way you can appear to us like this from outside The Hidden is if you have some connection to the dimension itself. That’s very rare for someone born outside it” he said. I frowned at his choice of words. What was the hidden? What did that mean? And how could I have a connection to a dimension I’d only been to once? I asked the one question I knew they could answer.

“What is the hidden? What does that mean?” I asked. Both Ruth and Dale shook their heads patiently but Cameron scoffed and walked up behind his parents. There was a look of anger in his eyes that I’d never seen on anyone before.

“The Hidden is the true name of this dimension, which was my home until you and your friends showed up” he snapped. Dale turned around and put a hand on Cameron’s chest. He’d just started pushing him back when I spoke up.

“I really am sorry about that Cameron, we didn’t mean any harm. We were just exploring an old mansion in the middle of town, we didn’t know what we were gonna replace. The last thing I wanted was for you guys to get into trouble for helping us!” I cried. Ruth put her hand against my cheek to soothe me while Dale pushed Cameron back a few steps.

“Yes dear and Cameron knows that too. You’ll have to forgive him, he’s a little upset at the moment” Ruth said. I nodded and took a deep breath. I could afford to waste this opportunity, I could get any information I needed right now. I tried to ignore Dale and Cameron arguing and turned my full attention to Ruth.

“We were told that eve once we left, the D.D.S. were going to keep coming after us. They killed Sadie’s cat yesterday. How long can we expect them to chase us?” I asked. Ruth sighed sadly and grabbed hold of my hands. I felt Tommy’s hand twitch in mine like he’d felt something cold brush his hand. It was extremely odd to be able to feel both his and Ruth’s touch.

“Until you’re drawn back to the Hidden or until you’re killed. No one outside this world can know it exists and the D.D.S. will do anything it takes to keep it a secret” she said. There was a deep sadness to her voice, like she hated having to tell me that, but it didn’t surprise me. I’d already guessed as much.

“How did they know we were there anyway, we didn’t even know we’d………………………………….entered another dimension?” I asked. Ruth took a deep breath and pulled an old milk crate over so she could sit on it. I folded myself down in front of her, being careful to keep inside my oval of light.

“Every portal into the Hidden is equipped with a sensor; each time a portal is used, whether by someone coming in or going out, the sensor is tripped and the D.D.S. are notified” she said. I let my eyes wander around the room as I took in what she’d said. So I’d been right, what we’d come through was a portal and we’d tripped something ourselves that alerted them to us being there. Nobody had turned us in, that was slightly comforting.

“What about the people born there that escape? Do they survive?” I asked. Ruth grimaced lightly, like she wasn’t looking forward to telling me what she knew. Ah, must be more bad news then. I squeezed her hand encouragingly and I felt my sleeping fingers tighten around Tommy’s at the same time. Could this experience get any stranger?

“It’s seldom that anyone born here wants to escape, most don’t know there is an outside world. Those of us that do know, well…………………………………………………………..we kinda agree that the freedom isn’t worth the years of hiding from the D.D.S. They never forget and they’ll never give up” she said. ‘Tommy was right, we’re screwed’ I thought. Nice to know. There was one last thing I wanted to know about.

“Ruth, there was a symbol stamped into the treat that killed Sadie’s cat. Do you know anything about it?” I asked. Ruth released my hands to pull her hair off the back of her neck. There in clear view on the back of her neck, easily hidden by her hair, was the same brand I’d seen on the photographer’s chest and on Bailey’s treat. I reached out, ignoring the sizzling of my hand, and ran my fingers over the mark.

“What is it?” I whispered. Ruth flipped her hair back over her shoulders and I pulled my hand back inside the halo of light. I noticed that Dale had the radio in his lap again, twisting knobs, and Cameron pouted on his other side.

“It’s the birthmark of the Hidden; everyone who was born here has one. It’s called a Symtrix; it will also tell you when someone from the Hidden is close to you. Whatever you do, don’t touch it; this symbol works as a beacon, if you touch it you’ll alert every D.D.S. officer to your exact location” she explained. That made sense but I didn’t know why I automatically knew not to touch the symbol before she told me. But for some reason, I’d felt like it would pull us through and trap us there. Dale scooted over to us, the radio still in his hands.

“There’s a certain kind of magic within the Symtrix though, it will do different things depending on how the D.D.S. programmed it. Every symbol will send up a beacon to your location, but some will do other things as well” he said. My breath caught in my throat and I coughed once into my hand.

“Can it suck us through to the Hidden and trap us there?” I asked. Ruth and Dale looked at each other, their eyebrows furrowed. Even Cameron looked startled. Immediately, my heart started to race and I knew without them saying so, that I was right. If I hadn’t already been sitting down, I would have collapsed. Dale finally cleared his throat.

“That’s the most common action the Symtrix is programmed to do. How did you know that?” he whispered. There was a note of fear so noticeable in his voice that it made me drop my face into my hands. What the hell was going on with me? Why did I know so much about this world before ever being told about it?

“I just knew, there are things about the Hidden that I instantly know. I knew not to touch the symbol before you told me and I knew that if I did, I’d get dragged back………………….” I fell silent and peeked through my fingers to see their expressions. Dale and Ruth were staring intently at each other and Cameron had actually kneeled in between his parents. I took a deep breath and lifted my head.

“What is it that you know? Just tell me” I said. Dale opened his mouth to say something but Ruth quickly smacked him on the arm and shook her head. There was a brief non-verbal conversation, which Cameron seemed to follow just fine, and then Ruth let out a breath that was unmistakably defeat. Dale turned to me again.

“Only people born in the Hidden can know those sorts of things, someone with direct line to a member of the D.D.S. Vanessa, where were you born?” he asked. As much as this conversation should have been terrifying me, all I felt was frustration. I didn’t have any kind of connection to the Hidden, except that people there wanted me dead. I buried my face in my hands again.

“I was born in Black Hollow and I don’t have that mark on me. I’ve never been to that dimension before, how can I have a connection to it?” I cried. Ruth reached out and put her arms around me but that did little to console me. In fact, it made it a little worse. How was I able to feel her touch if I was dreaming?

“I don’t know sweetheart, but the fact that you’re here with us when it feels like a dream to you, is proof. There is an intense connection to the Hidden deep within you. I’ve never heard of anyone else being able to do this” Dale said. He flipped a switch on the radio in his lap and the sound of static filled the room. My head snapped up and I watched Ruth and Cameron twist to face him too. His concentration was completely focused on the radio now that he’d gotten it on, but I had more questions.

“How do you know so much about all of this?” I asked. It was a minute or so before anyone even looked up at me because they were so focused on Dale and the radio. Finally, Cameron turned his eyes to me, an oddly sympathetic look in his irises. I raised my eyebrows at him, hoping I wouldn’t have to repeat myself. He frowned slightly in concentration.

“Um……………………………………………..dad used to work for the D.D.S. but he didn’t agree with what they were doing so he quit” he replied. I was surprised that someone like Dale had ever worked for the D.D.S., he honestly didn’t seem the type. But it also explained why he knew so much. If I had any shot at all of rescuing Sean, I needed information from Dale.

“What do they do to the portals once they get a signal that it had been used?” I asked. Maybe we could just go back in the same way and replace Sean that way. Dale’s head snapped up and I raised my eyebrows when I saw the look in his eyes. Something told me it wasn’t going to be that easy. He abandoned the radio in his lap, which was quiet once again, and reached for my hands.

“They’ll be monitoring the portal you and your friends used Vanessa, you can’t use it again. They’ll have you trapped here the instant you step foot out of your world” he said. I sighed in defeat at the same time that Dale’s radio squawked loudly. He quickly fumbled for the volume knob and turned it down before holding it up so we all could hear it.

“Daryl, I got some kind of interference from the basement storage room, can you check it out?” There was a look of panic in Dale and Ruth’s eyes when they looked at each other. Cameron immediately jumped up and rushed around the room gathering duffel bags. I assumed it was their stuff. The sound of static came over the radio, distracting me from Cameron’s panicky movements.

“Copy that Barry, on my way.” That was all it took for Dale and Ruth to jump up too and start tossing bags over their shoulders. I jumped to my feet, forcing myself to stay in the oval of light. One hand might not have hurt, but I didn’t want to experiment with my whole body. I didn’t know what was happening but it wasn’t hard to guess.

“Wait, what about Sean?! Is there any way I can rescue him?! I called after them. Dale looked back at me as he fastened a pack to his back. Cameron was helping his mom with a huge black suitcase. Dale finished fastening the straps around his waist and came back over to me.

“If you want to keep yourself and your friends safe, you’ll forget about that boy. Trying to help him will only cause more trouble for you. If we can get close, we’ll try to help him, but you need to look after yourself” he said. A loud bang made me jump and Dale spun to face where the sound had come from. He waved for Ruth and Cameron to go and they disappeared into the darkness. Dale turned back to me.

“If you can ever figure out how you came to us tonight, do it again tomorrow and we’ll tell you all you want to know. Don’t worry about us, we’ll be alright” he said before kissing me gently on the forehead and racing after his wife and son. Just a few seconds after he’d disappeared, a door on the other side of the room burst open, flooding the small space with light. I looked frantically for Dale and Ruth but they were gone. I saw the shadow of who had broken the door in before he walked in himself. It was the D.D.S. officer Tommy, Cayla, and I had slammed into the wall when we were trying to get out. He walked to the center of the room and looked around before pulling out his walkie talkie. As he was raising the device to his mouth, he spotted me in my oval of light. His eyes widened to the size of ping pong balls and I saw him reach for the gun on his hip.

“You!” he snarled. I squeezed my eyes closed tightly and when I opened them again, I was back in Tommy’s bed. I was lying on my back with Tommy beside me, his head resting on his hand. He had a small smile on his face from watching me sleep and when he saw my eyes open, his smile grew. I felt his hand squeeze mine gently.

“Hey” he whispered. As much as I wanted to bury my face in Tommy’s chest and forget everything I’d just seen, I knew I couldn’t. He needed to know everything I’d found out………………….they all did. Tommy’s smile faded the longer he studied my face until he was staring down at me with a look of concern on his face.

“Ness, what’s wrong?” he asked. I finally locked eyes with him and he must have seen something there because his expression fell even more. He pulled his hand out of mine and cupped my face tightly. I put my hands over his. The look on his face was one of just absolute worry now.

“Tommy, we’re in trouble” I murmured.