THE MOMENT
"You don't belong here."
It was late, and everyone was asleep, so thankfully no one heard the boy's sudden yelp of surprise. He was trying to sleep when the voice spoke in the darkness. He sat up immediately and braced himself on the bed, against the corner of his cell.
"Care to tell me what's going on?" Of all the unexpected sights Deacon had gotten used to, he still found his visitor to be wildly unusual. She was a normal-looking woman in a white house dress with blue stars, wearing pearls and voluminous blonde hair. Her striking blue eyes seemed to glow gold in the dim torchlight. Not only was she human, but she was a looker. Deacon hadn't quite developed an interest in girls yet, but he knew from experience his father's men would have quite a lot to say about her figure.
"Who are you? How'd you get in here?" he asked, but he had a more important question even before she answered those. "Can you get me out?" He was hopeful, but still cowered against the stone walls. He'd already learned what Jonnah was capable of, and it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that he sent the woman in to hurt Deacon in some way, whether it be physically or emotionally.
"I didn't mean to scare you," she winked. "My name's Andie, and I got in like this..." She stepped backward into a black portal that appeared as soon as she made the motion. As she completed the step, the portal closed, and she was suddenly outside the cell. She grabbed onto the handle, and it melted under her touch before the now-unlocked door swung open. She walked in through it normally, but still kept a respectable distance from Deacon's cot.
"I was just taking inventory, and things here aren't running how they're supposed to be. After a quick look around, I identified about two dozen men who aren't from this Earth, and they seem to be the source of the troubles. You're from the same Earth as them, and for some reason they felt it necessary to lock you away underground. I assumed you'd be more informative than any of them, so... care to tell me what's going on?" she asked again.
"How do you know we're from another Earth?" Deacon asked. As much as he wanted to believe her, it was more suspicious that she knew that.
"I can see your auras." Andie smiled and pointed at her eyes; they shone with gold, brightening the cell with more light than the torch could manage. "And I'm from a different Earth too. This is just one of the many we own." Deacon was too distracted by hope to consider that last part.
"I don't know how we got here!" he was happy to tell someone his story. "My father was a mob boss, and during a gang war our home was assaulted. He ordered some men to guard me to safety, and we all ran into a forest together." He was feeling more comfortable as Andie listened attentively, and he moved closer to the edge of the bed with his feet on the floor.
"I don't know what happened... but at some point... the woods changed. The trees looked different..." He shrugged. "When we finally got out of the forest, the sky was different too. Then we met some talking animals..." He sighed and looked down at the black stone floor.
"It didn't take long to realize we were in a new world and discover magic. This wasn't just another city; it was a totally new Earth where my dad probably couldn't find us easily... if he survived at all. Jonnah figured there was no reason to follow any of my orders and took over. They put me here to keep me out of the way, just to use me as a hostage in case my dad ever does show up. I get some gossip down here from a few men. I wouldn't call them loyal to me, but maybe a little bit kinder than the rest. They secretly took over a nearby kingdom, and now Jonnah has a real army."
"Oh, that won't do at all," Andie clicked her tongue with disappointment. "The kingdom they took over was intentionally unstable, and now they've disrupted the careful balance we left. I suppose I should fix that." She spoke to herself, then nodded at Deacon. "What would you like to do? I can send you home." She made a gesture in his direction, and a tall black portal opened by his bed. He looked at it, but shook his head.
"I'm pretty sure my dad's dead, and there's nothing for me to go back to except more violence if anyone recognizes me. I like this Earth... but I don't want to be a prisoner."
"Oh, that helps," Andie nodded. "Do me a favor, and picture Jonnah clearly in your mind. Can you do that?"
"Uhuh!" It was easy to imagine the fat, big-nosed bully who threw him into the cell.
"Okay, keep thinking about him, close your eyes, and put your hand out like this." She extended her arm straight forward as if reaching for something. Deacon did as he was told. With his eyes closed, he couldn't see the small saucer-sized portal that opened in front of his arm and slid forward to engulf it. But he could feel a broad nose and sweaty face under his palm. He could feel hot air being breathed on his hand.
"WHAT THE—OW!" It all happened at once. As soon as Jonnah started yelling, Andie opened the portal completely to bring him there. He'd been lying on his bed and arrived in the cell horizontally a few feet off the ground, then he dropped like a rock. Deacon opened his eyes as soon as he heard the voice and saw the big man hit the ground. He did not notice a second large man arriving beside Andie until he looked up. The second man was more rotund than Jonnah and wore a green Hawaiian print shirt. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" Jonnah rushed to his feet while massaging his backside. He chose to yell at the timid boy instead of the two adult strangers in the room.
"Hello, Mr. Jonnah," Andie smiled. "This is my boss, Mr. Ozone. He owns this Earth, including the kingdom you've taken over. You and he have some business to discuss." She approached the bed and reached out for Deacon's hand. He reached for her, and she grabbed hold to lead him toward the open cell door. "In the meantime, this young man is going to introduce me to all the people who were nice to him."