A Collection of Short Stories

RE:DIMENSIONS - Alternative Reality II

The indiscernible darkness of night blanketed the village. Haphazardly built houses scattered the flat, rich terrain. Not a flame lit the night: the only lighting came from the stars. A grand moon shined on the grassy plain whilst the wind brushed the ground. Ticks and chirps echoed, interrupted by the soothing sound of running water.

Flames enclosed the huts and a bright searing light scorched the air. Ashes scattered as the screaming and wailing of individuals echoed over the sounds of houses collapsing and fire raging. Heat circulated through the village, scorching women and children alive as a tower toppled over several huts, killing all who stood trapped by the licks of flames. Horses vocalized, leading victims away from the chaos. An ominous group of men calmly traversed the burning village, torches in hand. The ringleader wore a large robe that hid his face: the only feature one could make out was the roughly cut beard and his glistening white smile. The other men who followed all wore similar clothes.

Eio and his father trembled in an underground dugout, waiting for the pandemonium to end. Loud banging and shouting filled the two's ears, signalling the arrival of the men. Somehow Eio's father knew who they were, and he feared them. His father gazed at Eio with tense crazed eyes and without a word, left Eio to confront the men. As Eio peaked from the crack, his father stood strong, questioning why they had arrived to tear down the village. The leader only laughed, and he pulled out an unusual weapon that Eio could not discern. It resembles a gun, instead, with streaks of brightness. After a wave of flashing lights obstructed Eio's view, his father dropped harshly on the ground, letting out a gasp of air. Eio caught himself screaming while the men dragged his father's corpse from the hut. They saw Eio, grimly expressing euphoria with the smiles of devils. The ceiling could not support itself and collapsed, trapping Eio inside the dugout with little to no air. He passed out.

The alarm sounded. Dan felt his soul plunge to the deepest pits of hell. Red hues scattered his sight as Mark shrieked at Dan.

"LET'S GO!" he strained.

Dan could feel the dryness of his throat contrasting with the vast amounts of sweat that spilled from his pores. Mark sprinted through the marble-white hallway, as armoured men appeared with guns. Dan, paralyzed in fear, gaped at the soldiers when Mark clutched his arm and yanked him back. Mark carried a duffle bag over his arm; it contained what he believed to be a government conspiracy. To his credit, it was precisely that.

"STOP OR WE WILL SHOOT" a soldier barked.

Dan turned away from the lined up soldiers, who cocked their weapons. He could hear the static robotic noise of a woman blaring through the speakers. Lockdown. Lockdown. Lockdown. A metal panel slid from the ceiling to the ground, about to block two two men's path to success. Mark switched his grip from Dan's hand to his leg and glided under the panel as it bonked Dan on the forehead. Dan yelped as Mark jerked his arm again. The two men escaped through a fire door and ran out. The sky was pitch black and spotlights littered the fenced-off area. Mark and Dan crawled through a cut up section of a fence and avoided the spotlights. Luckily, they wore camouflage with sticks, leaves, and dirt on their backs. Whenever a spotlight flung over their heads, they ducked and lay still. Soon, Dan would start up their escape vehicle and drive to the warehouse.

The proceeding hours would be full of stillness.

Dan sat in his chair. The room was silent; only the hollow echo of the fan and the hum of the generator were audible. His desk was moldy and rusty, with a deprecated coffee machine and a cup of lukewarm coffee placed off-center. Mark left Dan in the enormous warehouse to search for supplies. The two were hiding from law enforcement, although Dan himself was a police officer. Dan had met Mark at a hospital after a shoot out, and somehow, now he was part of this government conspiracy. This was all too much for Dan to fully internalize, and he followed Mark, hoping he knew what he was doing. He had quite literally stolen the plans and tools for a makeshift portal to other dimensions. The word universe and dimension were used interchangeably, but whatever the word was, there was another world out there. Dan had been caught up in the fray, after he disobeyed his commander in favour of Mark's crazy heist to steal the portal plan.