For the second time in thirty years, the entire world has fallen asleep...
Thirty years after the Greymen caused the decimation of her people, high school drop out Rain Collins spends her days learning to pickpocket and hold her booze. Yet she long...
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We rushed toward the small building. It sat on the horizon, unmoving.
"Why aren't we getting closer?" I asked, straining the muscles in my legs to push me forward faster.
"Ah." My father stopped running and the rest of us followed suit. "It's dimensional," he said. "We can't reach it this way, I'll have to carry you."
I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to understand what he had just said as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling Billy and Kayle in, too, so that we were in a sort of group hug with my father on the outside.
"Hold on," he said.
And the world disappeared, shifting into darkness. As my vision failed me, my stomach lurched as if I had missed a step taking the stairs in the dark. I felt as if I was falling. Or flying. Being pushed and pulled at the same time, from all sides, I felt scrambled, as if I was falling apart.
Then it stopped. My limbs shook for a second, then felt whole again. My vision returned and I saw that we stood in front of a convenience store's front door, it's sign blinking our welcome.
"Wow," I muttered, rubbing my temples to relieve the headache the sudden shift had given me.
"Little Dreamcaller trick," my father said. "Somewhere between flying and teleporting, but it doesn't attract Greymen because it's between the dimensions. Plus, it's perfect for situations like this, when Greymen manipulate the planes. See, they only exist on the outer layers—" he stopped, looking at me. "You know what? Nevermind. Let's get your sister."
I nodded, taking a step toward the store.
Kayle stepped in front of me and held up a hand. "Let me scout it out first," she said, her face distorting as she shifted into mouse form and skittered away before my father could stop her.
I smiled. She was so clever. When we used to break-into the local stores around town, Kayle always went in first to scope out the security. Now that she was two inches tall, she'd make an even better scout.
After a few moments, we heard a loud crash and a scream of terror. Thinking of Kayle, thinking of Beth, I rushed through the door and was greeted by an overwhelming smell of decay. There were definitely Greymen here. Frantic, I searched for any sign of Kayle or Beth.
Then I found her. Kayle lay on the ground, behind a display of batteries, with a gaping hole in her chest. I collapsed on the ground, sobbing.
"No, no, no. Kayle, please, no," I whispered, shaking her by her shoulders. Her body was still warm. I lifted her off the ground and into my arms, hugging her tightly. "Someone help. Kayle's hurt. Dad?" I called into the store, expecting that the others had entered shortly after I did. No answer. "Hello?" I called out to no one.
Gently placing Kayle back on the floor, I stood up and surveyed the store. It looked like any other corner store, except that it had fallen into disrepair. Most of the shelves were stocked, if dusty. Even the lights were on. I quickly walked the length of the store to the front door and tried to push it open. It didn't budge. Something's wrong.
