Through the Portal

Chapter 9- Jerome

        Jerome opened his eyes groggily. Shapes shifted wildly above him, and he felt nauseous. He closed his eyes and felt better. He did a mental check of his body and decided that his only injury was his head. "Great," he thought. "I probably have a concussion.

        He didn't remember much from the day before. Was it just the day before? Or was it longer? He opened his eyes again, relieved that he could see a bit better. He looked around without moving his head. It seemed to be nighttime, the light was dim, and there were no people moving around. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, a row of cots stretching off to his right and left. He looked up and saw a hewn stone ceiling above him, and the blanket covering him was made of some sort of scratchy fabric.

        Jerome tried to sit up, but his head throbbed violently, and the room swam before his eyes. He fell back onto the prickly mattress and closed his eyes. A small moan of pain escaped his lips. He heard a faint rustle off to his right, and then he could sense a person leaning over him. He opened his eyes slightly and saw a girl's face wavering above him.

        "Shhh. Don't move just stay where you are," she said, laying a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. Jerome couldn't make out her face very well in the dim light and with his headache. He just lay there, not moving, not making any sound until he heard someone else appear at his side. He squinted up and saw the face of a withered old man bending over him, he noticed that the girl was gone. Jerome tried to say something, but his mouth didn't seem to work.

        "Hush my boy, do not try to speak. I am going to ask you some questions. I want you to squeeze my hand to say yes. Do you understand?" Jerome squeezed his hand lightly, it occurred to him how slowly the man was talking, but he didn't object, he could barely make it out anyway. "Does your head hurt badly?" Squeeze. "Are you comfortable?" Squeeze. "Are you hungry?" Hard squeeze. The old man smiled. "Just one more question before I get you something to eat. Do you know where you are?"

        Jerome did not squeeze his hand, he had no idea where he was. He could tell that it was not a hospital, and he knew he wasn't back in the orphanage, he had stared at that ceiling a thousand times in the last, how many months had it been? This thought worried him, he always knew exactly how long it had been.

        "Do you know where you are son?" the doctor, or at least he thought this man was a doctor, asked, somewhat perplexed. Jerome looked him in the eyes, and the man read the expression there. "Well boy, you are in the palace of Planine." At the look of confusion on his face the doctor clarified. "The second of the three kingdoms." At that moment Jerome decided he was dreaming.