Meet Your New Reality

Section 4 - Christmas, presants, and something... else

I opened my eyes and look at the clock, it was a red blur. I groapped around for my glasses. 7:02, not to early. The Christmas tree was still on from last night. I entered the kitched and poured myself a box of cerial. I sat looking at the lights, eating breakfast and trying not to dose off. "Zack, are you up?" "Yes mother." "Honey, come get me next time." "Sorry I didn't want to wake you." "Thats ok, I want to spend christmas with my favorit guy." "Wouldn't that be dad?" "Yes, but your here and besides," She pulled me into the big chair with her, "you fit here a little better." Ding dong. "Oh, hi Marshall, come on in." Mother went set a pot of water to boil as Marshall removed his winter atire. "Hery Zack, I got ya somethin." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wrapped package. I slid the tape off one end and slid a CD case out. "What is it?" "Well I'm not sure. I found it at a garage sale, they said it was interesting, but now what it was for. I was hoping you could." Mother came back in with cups of hot chocolate. "Thank you, follow me." We entered my toom and I placed the CD in the drive. "What are you goin ta to? And use small words." "Basicly I'm going to run a comparative program to see waht type of coading it uses. Then I can identify what it is for." The scan had just begun, when the screen went black. "Zack, what happened?"

"I don't..."

There was a small point of light inteh middle fot he screen. It began to expand... both to the sides of the screen, and toward us out of the screen.

"Zack, what the hell is going on?"

"I am unable to formulate an explination."

Marshall and I lifted off eh ground and started floating in. I tried to turn around, but I couldn't move. WE were pulled into some kind of vortex. Inside were some wisps of color, but for the most part, the vortes was dark.

All of a suden,we coudl move again. We were able to rotate, but not to move lateraly. I turned to Marshall and notived that he was not wearing the same cloath he occupied in my room. He was in some kind of white robe.

"Marshall, your cloaths changed!"

He looked down at himself, stunned. Then he looked up at me and smiled, "Take a peek at yourself."

I diverted my gaze downward and discovered that I, like Marshall, was not in the same cloaths I had entered in. I has on black looser pants and a black sleavless fighting style robe. My hands and feet had black fabric wrapped around them and were tied with twine.

"That is ecessivly odd, I did not percieve the transition."

"Neither did I man."

We noticed a point of light off in the distance.

"Hey, it looks like th end..."

We emearged fromteh vortex next to a rather tall wooded building. Marshall started to head toward the door.

"What are you doing?"

"Going in."

"I do not bealive that that is a wise decision, we have know knolage of what may reside in there."

"And we don't know whats ou here. We've got no idea where we are, and I'd rather be inside after we magicly apear in some strange place."

"Marshall, there is no such thing as magic... it was how ancient people explained something they did not comprehend."

I was about to protest entering when Marshall pushed his way into the structure. It would not have been a good choice to let him go in there by himself, besides, it was also not a good choice to stay outside by myslef either. The wooden doors were heavy and creaked as I pushed them open.I entered into a rather empty room. On one side there was a large ramp leading up the the next floor. Marshall was standing in the middle of the room, stairing up.

"What are you looking at?"

"There's a hole, all the way up'ta the top."

I aproached his position and dirverted my head upward. Sure enough, there was a square shaft that lead all the way to the top." It looke dto be that there were nine floors. Marshall started to walk up the ramp.

"Stop, we do not know who this building belongs to It would be unwise to continue trespassing."

"Dude, relax."

Marshall does not know when it is the aproapriate time to withdrawl, he never has. Perhaps that is a contributing factor to why he turned out so popular and I did not.

On the way up I observed several people dressed in a simaler manner as Marshall. There were aslo some kind of strange animals. Some looked much like dogs ro birds, but some were humanoid and were conversing with the people. There wa also a large assortment of furnature, from beds to tables and chairs, to cabinets and desks.

As we climbed, people started to stair. It was not a Marshall, he was dressed so simaler to them, he could have passed as one. I however, stood out in my dark garb. We heard some of them wisper to eachother.

"Lesotavath ekat loom."

"What did he say?"

"I have no idea."

We continued all the way up untill we hat a dead end. The wall was covered in strange symbols and there was a metal pannel in the middle. Marshall and I just stood around, not sure what to do. I was preparing to try and communicate with one of the robed people, when we were aproached by and entity.

It was beautiful. His tall figure was slender, but muscular and yet... gental. It was painfull to gaxe upon him ofr an extended period of time, as the purest light radiated, and gentaly pulsated, from his being. On hes back were perched six perfect wings, feathered and colored a white brighter than any star. The apeared soft and downy, but a concealsed strength forbid any straking. They were not a birds wings... but somthing more... angelic.

He turned to us, but didnot speak. I could not see his face, as it appeared as though hwe were silhouette by his own fadiance. He walked over and placed his had upon the door, which pressed back and slid to the side.

"Wow, dude."

"Marshall, this does not make sence. This entire buiding is make out of wood, and by the looks of it, a Renaissance level of technology, and yet, that was a mecanical door."

The angle... yes, that is what he reminded me of... he was standing in the threshold.

"Let's not be rude Zack."

We entered into a large room with many tables holding statues and relics. There were also several banners containg the same strange text that was carved into the wall. There were many robed figures. A rather puggy man aproached us.

"Homavam vostir A heratit? Hoh~e homavat a vagor hoth thidktel miv karawavem. As haf homavat Egert. Voo homavam mivs?"

Marshall and I just gaped at him.

"What did he just say?"

"I am unable to determine what he said. It does not sound like any language I have ever hear before."

The man staired at uts, attempting to comprehend what we were saying.

"Man, when things like this happen, we're soposed to understand them."

"Things like this? I doupt that anyone has ever been in this situation before, and why sould we understand the language? I think it would be quite the oposet."

"I don't know, thats what happens in video games."

"But we are not in a video game."

"Or are we? The sucky thing got us right after ya put the disk in your computer."

"I, uh..." I was at a loss for words, as he had a valid point.

I was about to attempt to find a common point for a base referance of speech when the angle guy walked over.

He held out his and, and Marshall took it. The aura of ligh about him grew and extended around Marshall. The two of them... melted together... in a way. When the light died down, only Marshall was left.

"Marshall?"

He did not respond. Instead, he just closed his eyes, which started to dart around as if he were in REM. After a moment he opened them an bent over. The back of his shirt started to bulge out. There was a loud rip and two wings pushed their way out of