When Fate Plots and Portals Glitches

Homeless 101

Danny ran a hand feverishly through his slightly Earth dusted hair that was now straw-like because of the dirt, anxious to finally get all of it out. Much to his disappointment and assumption, it didn't change much. With a vexed scowl, he crossed his arms and gave up for the night.

Oh, what he would give for a shower. He had half the mind to break in someone's house to do so.

He was so tired of smelling like dirt and always feeling soil-coated stiff fabric rub against his skin. He was sure he had rashes in places best not mentioned. He already had irritated blurry red marks on his arms and legs with mysterious nicks and scars. He long ago drew the line at socks. Which, after three days of shoes was more than enough to made him decide that he was better off walking around barefooted.

In the malodorous rot-smelling, ally way where it's rotten scent so strong he could almost taste it, he sat cross legged. He looked up to the night sky. And gazed at the stars. For reasons, he could not explain, he didn't need as much sleep as he should've. At first, he thought he was suffering from insomnia. But with well done research (Google at the library). And the fact how his eyes didn't grow heavy with sleep as quickly as it should've. He found that he just didn't need to sleep for eight hours. In fact, If the giant clock on the tower at the town hall was correct, he only needed five.

Finally, Danny decided that he couldn't sleep, he might as well go for a walk. Where was all this pent-up energy coming from anyways?! Noting that he was practically vibrating from siting there for not very long, he must've been extremely active in his past life.

Burgess, at this ungodly hour, was like a ghost town. No pedestrians walked on the sidewalks, no cars came up and down the streets. For the most part, the entire place was deserted.

And it was perfect.

Deserted meant that nobody would be giving him concerned and pitiful sideway glances and scowls of disgust and disapproval. He could peacefully explore without any trouble or judgment. And certainly, without people scrunching up their noses at Danny's admittedly more than unpleasant smell.

Despite these unfortunate conditions of his 'life style'. He was very curious about this town, and rightfully so. As His thoughts and expectations about this place constantly fluctuate by the nychthemeron.

One's expectations of a place depends a lot on their first arrival. And since Danny's 'arrival' involved him popping out of the ground like a potato, his expectations were very diversified.

Which made it more surprising on how normal this town was.

At least, by day.

Danny had a damn near heart attack when he first saw the golden dust swirling and taking various hypnotic forms in the dead of night. His thoughts were along the line of "oh my god, I'm going to really be buried alive. And this time, it's gonna be by magical glitter."

Danny remembered a sigh of relief that the "magical glitter" didn't go amok and attempted to murder the town and himself in his sleep. And enjoyed the strange paranormal sightings ever since.

For something so strange and bizarre. It was surprisingly gentle. It held no malice, and what Danny later discovered as sand, held a subtle warmth to it. It held a soft almost childish glow that lit up the empty streets. Like a thousand shooting stars they flew through the sky twisting and turning, innocently exploring new forms. It also had a nice smell to it that he couldn't quite name. A sent akin to flowers and sweets. Even though it was sand without a doubt, it felt strangely smooth between his fingertips the few times he was brave enough to touch it.

Seeing the golden sand slowly appear once again into the crisp late autumn night soothed his worry's. For a short amount of time, he didn't worry about his next meal, about why he was put here at this place, why he was inhumanly immune to the cold, or even where he's from.

For this small window of time, he was just a kid enjoying the night sky.

"Um, hello?"

Danny's eyes widen at the unfamiliar voice. When he turned his head to the source, he saw that only a few yards before him was a woman in a Doctors uniform.

She tucked in a stand of brown hair that fell out of her messy pony tail "Are you lost?" As she stepped closer, as if approaching a wild animal, her eyes slightly widen as she could see with the weak lamp-post and dim crescent moon how filthy the dark-haired boy was. As she looked up and down she saw how the edges of his clothes were torn and was more than concern over the fact that that he had nether socks nor shoes on his person. 

Danny, however, took a step back.

The woman put her hands up, and halted to a stop. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself, did I? My name is Dr. Bennet but, you can call me Jossy." She cautiously tried to take another step to him. "Do... do you need any help?"

Danny shook his head and grinned, sheepishly scratching his cheek on the left side of his face. He wiggled his toes to get small concrete pebbles and dirt out without drawing too much attention from her "Naw, I'm fine. Thanks."

"You don't look fine."

Danny bet whatever valuables has in his past life that this woman's a mom.

"It wont be much trouble, If that's what you're worrying about." Thanks to the golden illumines of the sand, and how she was now only a few feet away, Danny could see that she had maternal warm brown eyes.  She also smelled like a hospital, but Danny was in absolutely no possession to judge. She shifted the plain blue bag on her right shoulder "Who are your parents? Do they know you're here?"

He began to take another step back. Even though it was a mystery, even to him whom his parents or even his care takers could be. He wasn't despite enough to dump his dump his problems on some stranger.  Besides, he still didn't trust this place. Danny was here for a reason, he couldn't forget that no-matter what.  And he still didn't know what the intensions of those reasons could be. He couldn't even figure out his middle name, or if he even had one. Let alone the town.

Its not like she would believe him anyway. People aren't just thrown into portals, people don't dig themselves out of enclosed holes in the earth, and kids like him don't trust doctors appearing out of no-where, coming home from the grave yard shift.

And that's why he ran.

"Wait!"

But it was too late. The night had already swallowed him up before she could follow.