Dimensioners

Chapter 1

They've moved again, to Georgia this time. Still carefully tracking them, though. This time, I will assume my regular form- a teenage boy- and attend school with her. The mother is slowly becoming wary of the impending Crisis. She knows something, sir, I'm sure she does.
•&•
I've moved 7 times in the past 7 years. From the time I was 7, my family has been practically nomadic. My mom jokes that we're seasonal movers, but I don't find it very funny.

7 moves. Michigan to New York. New York to Oregon. Oregon to California. California to Virginia. Virginia to Florida. Florida to South Carolina. South Carolina to Georgia. The east coast, the west coast, but never in between.

Excluding Michigan, I had lived the longest in South Carolina. I loved it there, but I love Georgia, too. The warm weather, closeness to the beach, and of course, the southerness.

Except I'm practically in Nowheresville, USA. This town doesn't even have a freestanding Starbucks! But 7 weeks in, and I'm having a really good time here.

My name is Vilah Marsh, and I'm 14 years old. I've lived in 8 states and I'm in eighth grade. My story starts on the day the Crisis began.

It sounds cliché, I know. But call me Harry Potter and label me The Chosen One, because they came for me, and they'll come for you, too- no matter what dimension you're in.

Yeah, there's more than one.

It was a normal enough day, I remember. Sometimes I think about normal days in an odd state of melancholy. He was there of course, and my best friends, Peggy and Kara, were too. It was the Friday of exams week, and our history teacher, Mrs. Rhinehart, was playing us the local news on the projector.

I remember that gut- wrenching feeling I had when the anchor finished talking.

"...And the President has declared a national state of emergency for an unknown Crisis."

The anchor paused, visibly distraught. "We've not yet received word on what kind of Crisis."

A buzz erupted throughout the room. Nathan, the most outspoken, rude- and countriest- boy you will ever meet piped up. "What a load of bullcrap! The President should just go to"-

Mrs. Rhinehart and Kara cut him off at the same time.

"That's enough, Nathan!

"For God's sake, shut up!"

I grinned at my friend, and then faced my teacher who had started to speak.

"Look, y'all," she said in her twangy southern accent. "A national state of emergency is serious. In fact"- she was cut off by the loudspeaker.

"Good afternoon, Raymond Middle School Stingrays. This is Principal Johnston."

I watched Mrs. Rhinehart wind her short blond hair around her finger anxiously has the principal continued to speak.

"As of 2:23 p.m. today, America is under a national state of emergency. Some of my former military buddies have informed me that we are in a Class 4 emergency. That indicates a severe man made emergency, people! Therefore, commencing on Monday, all schools, offices, stores- any and every business- will be closed. We recommend avoiding the roads"-

Nobody heard what he was trying to say because nearly the whole school erupted in cheers. Elated, I sent a quick, under-the-desk text to my mom asking if Kara and Peggy could sleep over. My phone buzzed crazily in my hand as a couple hundred posts flooded my feed. I sorted through my notifications to see that my mom had replied a simple 'yes' and I informed my BFFs excitedly.

"See y'all at four?" They nodded happily, and I smiled.

As they stood and grabbed their bags, I slipped my pens and notebooks into my sunflower patterned backpack and hiked it onto my shoulder.