Stairway to Another World: Bevin and Alene

"Strange, isn't it?" Alene spoke, oddly calm as she stared at the swirling blues and purples.

"And it just showed up?" Bevin turned to her.

"It is the first time I've ever seen it here. It's just like my dream."

Bevin and Alene stood in front of the tall gateway; they had to crane their necks just to see the top of it. The sky swirled around them in a beautiful whirlwind of light.

Used to the polluted sky of the Lower World, they had to squint their eyes before they got used to the brilliant shine.

"So..." Bevin spoke.

"So..." Alene repeated, before adding, "Should we enter?"

"Enter the Lightly World? I heard it's extremely dangerous-" Bevin countered.

"But only because of its beauty."

"I suppose. It is your choice, Alene."

"What?" Alene gave him the evil-eye. "Why is it my choice?"

"You are the one who found the gateway."

Alene thought for a moment. "We must go in." she decided. "It wouldn't have shown up here for no reason."

"And to you that reason is because it wishes us to travel to the Lightly World?" Bevin raised an eyebrow.

"You told me it was my choice and so this is what I choose, now come on before I change my mind."

Wanderlust and curiosity filled Bevin's mind, yet he found himself nervous. He followed Alene up the mossy stairway that sat in front of them. One hundred steps until they would reach the gateway, he told himself - he had counted. One hundred steps for Alene to turn back and change her mind, just like Bevin hoped.

Yes, Alene was his best friend in the entire universe, but the bigger part of him was selfish and wished she would turn around so he wouldn't have to go back to his First home. Alene did not know about his First home, and he wanted to keep it that way. There was a reason he ran away sixteen moons ago. Silently, they padded up the steps swiftly but carefully, for if they did not they would risk falling from the great height.

They reached the top of the staircase and Bevin glanced at Alene. Alene looked away, instead surveying the thousands of small platforms around them, each another gate.

Another place.

Another universe.

"Alene-" Bevin started.

"Bevin, it is here for a reason." she did not look at him.

"See, you keep saying that but you don't seem to have an actual reason."

Alene didn't say a word, only studied the portal. "Come on, Bevin! It is called the Lightly World for a reason. Light has always been promoted to us as good, right?"

Bevin sighed. "I suppose."

Alene smiled. "Come on then! We must go, it'll be an adventure!" She grabbed Bevin's hand and urged him to take a step with her.

Alene thought of all the blissful things that must happen in the Lightly World, all the great differences from the Lower World. Yes, the Lower World was fine, but compared to the Lightly World she thought the Lower World must be a version of trash.

She gingerly placed her hand at the center of the portal. A pulse of happiness seemed to surge around her. She smiled at Bevin before taking a step. The world seemed to bend around her. Bevin, against his mind's will, followed Alene. He took one last look at the white birds that fluttered high in the sky before tiptoeing in suit.

Alene breathed in the fresh air. A brilliant light that must have been the Lightly World's sun shone above her and Bevin. They were on a glorious, warm mountain. She felt a tug on her left hand, and there was Bevin, looking sick to his stomach.

"Bevin, are you alright?"

Bevin swallowed. "Fine, Alene. I am perfectly fine. It is probably just motion sickness."

Alene threw her head back laughing. "How can you feel sick at a time like this? Look at the beauty of this world?" She stepped down from the stone platform they had been standing on and skipped on the soft green grass.

Bevin couldn't help but smile at her innocence. He stepped gingerly off the platform and surveyed the all too familiar surroundings. Yes, the Lightly World seemed perfect when simply looking at the it, but Bevin could still recall all the horrid things he had witnessed.

He flashed back to the night before he ran away. Remembered his mother's face when he said he was leaving. She only looked slightly disappointed with his choice, although a tear did escape. His father didn't even make a face. If anything he had looked pleased.

Alene obviously did not know this about him - and he wished to keep it that way. But... his friendship with Alene was more important than his fears.

"Bevin! Come on!" Bevin's thoughts were interrupted.

Alene was completely giddy, laughing and grinning from ear to ear.

"Alright, alright!" he began to laugh as well, not realizing the woman that had come up behind him as he ran towards Alene.

Alene's eyes turned dark and scared. "Bevin!" she shouted.

Bevin spun around to see his mother holding up a flat, steel frisby-looking object. His eyes opened wide and he held up a hand.

"Mother..." he spoke.

"I am so sorry, Bevin. But your father has told me if you do come back I must banish you."

"Banish you? Come back?" Alene questioned. She was still clueless to his secret.

She was ignored by both Bevin and his mother.

"Mother, please." Bevin begged. He knew the banishing procedure, and he wasn't very fond of it. Being pushed into the Portal of Exile wasn't really his cup of tea.

"I am so sorry, Bevin." his mother spoke, tears in her eyes.

Bevin could only silently stare as his mother took the frisby and clanged him over the head. He couldn't even fight.

Alene could only watch as Bevin's mother carried him across the mountain to the somber gateway that faced diagonal of her.

Bevin's mother took his body and tossed him in the portal, she then looked at Alene, as if to do the same thing.

Alene attempted to run from Bevin's mother, but his mother was much too fast for her.

Bevin's mother clanged her over the head and Alene's vision went dark. Bevin's mother carried her to the Portal of Exile and threw her in, regretting it instantly.

There was no going back, though...

Bevin and Alene never managed to leave Exile, and Bevin's mother regretted her choice forever, but at least Bevin and Alene were together.