The Swords of Memory: Second Chances

Chapter 17

Zara got into Warren's truck for the second time that day. He had driven her home from the rock fort when she woke up and then went home and showered while Zara got ready to visit Eli's mom in the hospital. "So you promised that you would tell me what happened in the portal game. What happened?"

"We continued traveling to the bubble people. They live in a giant red pyramid that is made out of spider webs thick as rope. We climbed the pyramid and then found the power core there. The power core is the energy source for almost everything in the portal game. I waited until I felt myself disappearing and then grabbed it so it would disappear with me. That way Eli and Hayden can use it as leverage to get the sword for us."

"Does this Hayden guy seem trustworthy? I don't think it's very safe if he is only helping you because you are useful to him. He could betray you at any second. And he knows that you disappear from the portal game at regular times. He will choose a time that will leave you and Eli vulnerable if he is going to turn on you. He could wait for you to disappear, take out Eli and then surprise you when you reappear."

"All that could happen but we don't really have a choice. It's not safe to be there alone and I disappear every morning, leaving Eli behind for the entire day. I might not fully trust Hayden but he is another person there to help out if something goes wrong. He knows how things work in the portal game and is educated in dealing with all the other species. He is also the only one who knows which species live in which regions. The map tells us the name of places but not who lives there. We can assume giants live in the giant village but there was nothing on the map that indicated bubble people lived at the red pyramid."

"Yeah." Warren said, driving in silence for a few minutes. "Zara, what do you think about me trying to get to the portal game? That way I could help you more than just being a sound board for all of your thoughts about what to do there." Zara was caught off guard by the suggestion. She had never even thought about trying to bring someone else to the portal game. As far as she knew she and Eli were the only people from there world who had ever been there.

"I guess it might be worth a try. It would definitely make things easier. How do you think I could bring you there?"

"I don't know; you go there when you sleep. Maybe if I was sleeping close to you I would get taken there too."

"I don't think so. Veronica's room is right next to mine and she hasn't been to the portal game."

"What if I was asleep before you though? You have always been the first one to go to sleep in your house. What if I was asleep by you and then you fell asleep. What if it's like an all in the moment thing? Anyone asleep when you fall asleep gets taken to the portal game but only at that moment. Maybe that's how Eli got there to begin with. He passed out before you and then when you passed out he got taken to the portal game too."

"If that's true then I trapped him there. I put him in a comma and the same thing would happen to you if we tried." Zara doubted that it was the case but she wasn't going to risk trapping her closest friend in some magical world just so he could help her out a bit with finding some swords.

"I doubt it. He probably got taken there when he passed out and then couldn't come back because of the comma. I think the comma is causing him to be trapped, not the fact that he is in the portal game."

"Are you willing to take that risk? Because I'm not." They arrived at the hospital and went in to visit Mrs. Johnson. She was happy to see them and they spent most of the day talking to her. By the time they left it was starting to get dark.

"Zara, I won't force you to try and take me to the portal game, but just know that I want to help you through this. If things start getting too hard, know that I'm willing to try and help." She nodded in acknowledgement of the offer and stepped out of the car.

"Oh yeah, to prove that the portal game is real, Eli's favorite pet was a golden retriever named Spike." He smiled back at her and she waved as he pulled out of her driveway. She went inside and went about her routine until it was time for bed. She climbed into bed and closed her eyes, willing sleep to come.