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I watched the portal open and close over and over as Brian and his mom argued.
This could be my only chance.
I pushed Brian out of the way, sick of their bickering and jumped off the roof into the round, light blue shape that glimpsed into a house that I recognised the style of, like every suburban home in the eighties.
Sshzoom. And the portal closed again behind me.
I fell a few feet into a lit pool, glowing in contrast to the dark night.
I heard weight shifting in the house the pool was behind. I saw the shadow of the same creatures that ate my mom, then dad. I heard their screams. I scrambled out of the pool, moving my hair out of the way from my eyes, and ran.
I hid behind a wooden fence right next to a bush. In the dark night, I held my breath, counting in my head to ease my anxiety. I pulled out the pistol I had tucked into my jeans, keeping the safety on. A warm tear fell down my face when I remembered how my dad taught me how to use a gun. The cold rain hit the top of my head. I waited, or rather, I was frozen. I whipped my head, looking around, as to not let my guard down.
Deep breaths, deep breaths, in and out.
What happened to Audrey and her brother and her mom? And– oh god her dad’s dead! He and my mom and my dad. Fuck fuck fuck fuck.
I quietly wept behind the bush, trying to not make too much noise. I kept my eyes open in case the animal in the house came out. I almost began to pray, but he can’t be real, not when I’ve lost my mom and my dad.
Fuck.
I reached my left hand up to wipe the tears off my face that mixed with the rain. I couldn’t help but sob.
I’m alone.
But instead of a loud roar or heavy steps or screams, I heard several loud splashes into the pool only thirty feet away.
“Who are you!?” A woman screamed.
“Where are we?!” A second woman shouted back.
“You’re in my backyard, obviously.”
“No, but what- what year is it?” The second woman’s voice sounded familiar.
At that I stood, starting to walk towards the house, while staying out of sight.
“It’s 1982! What kinda question is that? Now get out of my yard!” The older woman yelled at the woman in the pool.
“Have you seen any dinosaurs?”
“What? Y’all must be crazy.”
“Answer the question! Have you seen any dinosaurs?” I recognized that voice, Audrey.
“Crazy folk in my yard.” The woman mumbled to herself, “Go home!” She yelled at the group who had started to climb out of the pool.
I hid behind a bush until I saw the woman go back inside. I walked slowly to check if it really was, and- Oh god! Audrey!
“Jeanette!” Audrey shouted when she saw me.
“Audrey!” I ran and hugged her.
Could a girl be any prettier?
A giggle slipped through my lips. My face warmed up even more when I pulled away to see her face. I swear, I hadn’t seen a girl more beautiful in my older brother’s Playboy magazines he had forgotten when he went to college.
Audrey’s mom held my shoulders before hugging me herself, “Jeanette, I’m so glad we found you again.” Audrey’s mom smiled weakly at me, holding my hand.
Ms. Platt walked away for a moment to help Brian, Audrey’s brother, back up, simultaneously holding a dog's leash.
“C’mon!” Audrey’s mom said to all of us, leading us out of the woman’s yard, into the street where the hard, cold rain continued.
I wiggled my arm towards Audrey’s side and she grabbed my hand after the first touch. Audrey interlocked our fingers and smiled, my face felt like it was burning.
She really is beautiful.
We walked a bit up the road and Audrey dropped my hand to check someone’s mailbox, grabbing a newspaper covered in plastic.
She looked at it intensely for a moment, before declaring, “July 11th!”
“That’s the night it all happened.” Her mom looked around, seeing a sign with the time on it above a phone booth, “10:45”
“The neighborhood went through the portal at 11:05! Twenty minutes before it happened…”
Audrey had done the math so quickly I couldn’t help being slightly impressed. I watched as she shuffled back towards me to hold my hand again.
“If you don’t mind.” She whispered in my ear, sending a chill up my spine and my face flooded with the warmth of blood rushing to my face.
Our fingers carefully intertwined again. Audrey’s mom handed Brian over to Audrey, and ran to a phone booth to call various numbers, sliding coins in the slot repeatedly.
Brian groaned trying to keep his balance, I hesitated before letting go of Audrey’s hand to help her brother.
“Thanks, Jeanette.” He mumbled, toward my general vicinity, his words quiet, surprising after how much and how loud he had talked the rest of the time I had known him.
“Of course.” I responded. I allowed my eyes to wander down towards his ankle, it looked like shit, completely mangled.
What happened?!
His ankle was probably why it took the three of them so long to come through the portal.
Audrey’s mom ordered us again to follow her, taking up me and Audrey’s spot in supporting Brian.
“Who’d you call?” Audrey asked her mom.
“Just trust me.” Ms. Platt responded softly, barely heard against the storm around us.
Brian stayed silent, as did I. I watched Audrey until she looked back towards me and my heart stopped for a second, embarrassed at the eye contact.
Then, reaching for my hand, “If I may?” She said in a deep voice, again, right next to my ear.
“Y-yes you may.” I stuttered and she giggled. She smiled sweetly as our hands found each other. Our faces were so close, I wondered if she’d kiss me, then she turned red blinking for a moment. She moved her face away.
“Ah. I’m sorry!” She said quietly, uncharacteristically embarrassed.
“No, it’s uhm…It’s okay.” I whispered.
As we walked further from the pool we had all fallen in, our hands swung a little and the heat I felt on my face barely cooled down.
Audrey’s mom had us sit at a bus stop, to give us all a break from walking.
“Mom, where are we?” Brian asked, regaining his voice.
“Shh- just wait. Trust me.” Audrey’s mom commanded.
I moved closer to Audrey, leaning on her shoulder.
At least if god isn’t real, then this wouldn’t be a sin anymore… I thought quietly to myself. If only…If only I could kiss h-
Then a car I didn’t recognize slowed down across the street, with a glowing triangular pizza sign on top. A man stood, getting of the car, holding a pizza in one hand. Audrey’s dad?
Holy fucking shit, Audrey’s dad.
Even though he wasn’t my dad, I ran toward him alongside Audrey, Brian, and Mrs. Platt.
At the sight of Audrey’s dad I panicked, realizing that both of my parents may still be alive. I twisted my torso to run towards my house, but before I could even begin to go down the hill towards the house we had only moved into a couple weeks ago. Before I could finish shouting that I was going to find my parents, before I could accomplish anything at all, a glow covered all or Oak Street, a light beginning in the very center…And it was gone, replaced with small islands and light blue water, large animals roaming about… No!
I fell to the ground, ignoring my knees. I sobbed, I screamed. Tears covered each side of my face.
“Oh gods.” Audrey said, before walking towards me.
“Jeanette, I- I’m so fucking sorry.” She dropped her head onto my shoulder, holding my waist with her arm. Audrey shifted her body so our sides touched with little space in between us. I leaned my head onto hers and let the rest of my tears fall, blubbering nonsense.
She moved, shifting her body again, to be in front of me. She held my face, moving my hair behind my ear. She moved closer, touching her lips against mine, her chapstick transferred to my lips.
I closed my eyes. I tasted some mix of fruit flavoring, blushing hard. She pecked me on my lips one more time, then fully hugged me. My arms fell to my sides and cold rain continued to hit my clothes and hair. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter and listened to the plip plip plip of the rain hitting the pavement ever more aggressively.