Portals

Concerned

Danny gasped awake on the sidewalk outside of the grubby arcade, disoriented. Why was he here? Why wasn't he in ghost form? And why... was he holding a sandwich?

He recognized Howard's voice moan behind him. "He woke up."

"I'm here too, Howard," he heard Randy grumble. He turned toward the lean boy. He was rubbing the back of his head, groaning. Danny winced sympathetically as he noticed the dent in the mailbox above him. Technus had tried to put his head through one of those enough times to know that it hurt.

He helped him up. "Are you okay?"

Randy looked up at him dizzily. "Wait. Were you in the Nomicon with me?"

"Nomicon? Is that what you're calling that thing?" Danny glanced at the book, which had stopped flashing red. Good, because if his ghost sense went off one more time he might be sick.

"Yeah," Randy groaned. "But answer the question."

"In it? Uh, yeah, I think." Danny scratched the back of his head. He was still kind of dizzy, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been a few minutes prior. "Didn't we, uh, die?"

"In the Nomicon? No, you can't die in there." The boy stumbled forward a few steps before turning back to him. "Wait, why am I telling you this? I want to know how you stole a ninja ice ball!"

Danny's brow tightened. "What's a ninja ice ball?"

"You know--" Randy gestured wildly, his hands forming a round shape in midair. "That thing you threw into the swamp that made it freeze like that!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Randy's jaw dropped. "But-- but--"

Danny really wasn't going to question it. Weirder things had happened, especially in the Ghost Zone, which, if he guessed correctly, was where they had just been in. The "Nomicon" had to be a weak portal just strong enough to pull in minds, but nothing else. It explained the drawings, most of everything, and the reason why Randy and him didn't die. Because in the Ghost Zone, humans were the ghosts, and he had been in his human form. But the use of that power was probably too much for the portal to handle, so it brought them back to the dusty street corner. It all made sense, in a roundabout way.

His brain hurt. Oh, crud. Jazz was rubbing off on him.

Randy had stuffed the Ninjanomicon back into his bag and was about to take off when Danny grabbed his shoulder again. "Hey, uh, if it's not too much to ask, do you mind if I stay at one of you guys' houses tonight?"

Randy gave him an odd look. "I thought you had moved here."

Danny chewed on his lower lip. "I never said that. You just assumed it."

"Well, you can stay at my place." Randy hitched the bag higher on his shoulder. "I've got an extra bed. Plus, I want to ask you a few questions."

"Me too," Danny muttered, running a hand through his hair. It was getting too long again, and dangled into his eyes. "Thanks so much, man."

"No problem. Howard, you know how to get home from here, right?"

The redhead squinted at a nearby street sign. "Is Donut Street closer to the middle of the town or the edge of the town?"

Randy groaned. "Howard, that says 'Dome Street.'"

"I'm sorry, I'm hungry!"

"Then go buy food!"

"Can I borrow ten bucks?"

The gritting sound coming from Randy's teeth was audible from where Danny was standing, but the half-ghost was occupied by staring at Howard in utter disbelief. How hopeless was he without Randy at his side? He was worse than Tucker!