Beyond the Multiverse

Chapter Thirty-Six: Welcome Back!

The elevator glided down, as the rocky stone walls of the shaft peeled away, revealing the stupendously massive cavern that glowed with life from below. Jane leant as far as she could over the railing of the elevator, gripping onto the mesh that encased the cage, gazing over the view with awe.

It was so bizarre. It looked like a fully-functioning town, with streets, stores and homes. It wasn't a conventional town, clearly, as all of the buildings looked cobbled-together and strange. Bigger buildings sprouted smaller ones, with seemingly random windows, balconies, and roofs sprawling across the space.

The buildings all glowed the fantastic amber glow that emitted from the many lightbulbs that not only hung inside homes and stores, but were stringed across streets like banners or fairy lights, lighting up the town with a brilliant brightness.

The cage continued to lower, until it started to sink into a large, concrete building in the centre of the settlement. The building contrasted the hodgepodge of wooden buildings that clustered together around Lower Strattonvale's streets, with its clean, rectangular shape and boring flat roof. Seemed to be just for the elevator.

The cage docked into the building, which seemed to be some sort of concrete warehouse, filled with old wooden boxes and crates. As the cage connected with the floor, Bobby pressed a button on the panel, and the door of the elevator slid open, allowing Jane, Hattie, Cyril and Aurora to step out, and into the well-lit space they now found themselves in.

Slowly, Jane walked towards a set of metal doors out of the warehouse, as Bobby ran to catch up with them.

"Let's go and see the mayor," Bobby said to Jane, who stared ahead at the two metal doors, "I'm sure he's dying to see you again!"

Not even bothering to question Bobby, Jane continued to approach the doors, before pushing them open and revealing the street behind.

The main street of Lower Strattonvale was quite the sight. All of the buildings either side were quite tall and sprouted extra floors and towers seemingly at random. Some of the cobbled together wooden structures seemed to lean concerningly, but were propped up or supported in some way or another.

The buildings were all in traditional English country style, with wooden beams shining from the sides and fronts of the structures, their friendly windows radiating a delightful warm glow. The lightbulbs strung overhead shone down onto the cobblestone road, across which people walked in all manner of ways.

It would be a lie to say that every person Jane could see was happy. Some of them looked quite depressed, while others seemed agitated or distracted. But there were happy people dotted throughout, and in a way, that seemed even better. It felt more earnest and genuine.

"Oh my goodness," Hattie exclaimed, stepping out of the warehouse and into the street of the town after Jane, who just stared at her surroundings with her jaw ajar.

"Let's get to the mayor," Bobby said, "I'm sure he'll be interested to hear how you went!"

"How we went at what?" Jane asked Bobby as they wandered down the centre of the street.

"At fighting against Susan!" Bobby chimed.

"I'm sorry, you what?" Jane asked.

"I don't think that's happened yet," Bobby shrugged.

"I should hope NOT!" Cyril announced, "I know that we've managed to escape the grasp of a teenage tyrant and a mass-murdering television host, but I draw the line at trying to kill a god!"

"Susan's not a god," Bobby told Cyril, "She's just a mean woman who doesn't want people to be happy."

"She's also able to warp reality and stuff," Cyril said to the boy, leaning down to him and waving her arms in his face, "Your point?"