ROYAL BLOOD

THE PORTAL OPENS

Wisteria cried, "We need to go back."

"And leave him alone?" Lore said.

"Or we should call the cops." Jackson stated.

Suddenly, they heard someone shouting "David! David!"

"Someone's coming." Lore cried.

"Quick let's hide." Urbane ran towards the cabin and went inside followed by the others. They peeked outside a small window and saw a man crying near David's body "OH David! What on earth happened here? Say something!"

"s**t" Lore muttered.

"What just happened there?" Urbane asked.

Jackson replied," I am literally in shock. Are we dreaming? That was so weird."

"Guys" Wisteria called them "Look at this."

They turned towards Wisteria. She was standing in the middle of the empty cabin room looking down at something.

"Wow! What is this?" Lore exclaimed.

There was a planchette on the floor and a few cards scattered nearby. Lore picked up one of the cards. It had a picture of a train but only half; it was taken from the front but only the left side was seen.

Wisteria picked up something and read, "Place a dollar on the planchette and hold one card each. Fortunate ones get a chance to enter this world."

This grabbed everybody's attention and they sat around the planchette.

"Do you think we should try this?" Wisteria asked.

"It's just a scam. Let's go back home." Lore replied.

"What's the harm in trying?" Jackson insisted. "Lore, we're talking about some other worldly thing. How cool is that?"

"Fine." Lore said. He too was intrigued by the game but kept thinking about David's death.

They picked up one card each. Each card had incomplete and half pictures. They looked like puzzle pieces. Urbane took a few dollar bills out of his pocket and placed one on the planchette. As soon as the dollar touched the planchette, a bright golden light came out of it. Everybody exchanged shocked glances and a picture appeared on top of the light.

"Whoa…" Lore exclaimed.

Urbane looked at his card and said, "This picture matches with the one on my card." And he placed it on the floor. Soon after he was pulled inside.

"HELP!!" Urbane cried. Lore, Jackson and Wisteria tried pulling him out but Urbane was pulled completely in.

Lore gasped. Jackson was breathing heavily.

"Whoa" Wisteria exclaimed "This is real."

Lore picked up the dollar bill lying on the floor and placed it on the planchette again. The same light emitted out followed by a picture. "We need to get in and save Urbane."

"But how do we get out?" Jackson asked.

"I don't know. We'll see that. "Lore replied. The next picture matched his card and he placed it below. "I'll wait for you there." He said and was pulled inside with a great force. He felt like sliding through a long vertical tunnel. His shirt was flying and he couldn't move his body. The tunnel came to an end and he landed hard on the ground. He got up and looked around. He had indeed reached a different world but it looked normal. There was no sign of any civilization nearby. The sky was greenish and covered with dark clouds. He turned back and realized that he was standing right in the opening of a forest. Lore was feeling very puzzled but excited as well. He looked here and there. No sign of Urbane. He looked above him and a circular portal opened dropping Wisteria on the ground. She fumbled on the ground and Lore helped her get up.

"Ugh… Thank you" Wisteria exclaimed. She looked around her. She, too was feeling confused and overwhelmed.

"Did anyone see you?" Lore asked Wisteria.

Wisteria nodded her head to say no. The portal opened again and Jackson fell hard on the floor. "Whoa" he exclaimed.

They were looking around them in shock and astonishment. Suddenly, something caught Lore's eyes. He saw a movement in the bush behind him. He looked closely and suddenly, a man jumped out of the bush. Lore was taken aback and he fell on the ground. Jackson and wisteria noticed the man as well and they huddled together not knowing what to do. The man was tall and looked normal. He was like any other normal being. He had a moustache and was wearing a green uniform. He rushed towards them and grabbed their arms pulling them inside the forest.

"Ouch! Let me go! Ugh" Wisteria grunted.

Jackson and Lore tried struggling out but the man's grip was too strong. His moves were firm and steady. He kept looking here and there trying to check if anybody is around. After a few seconds he came to a stop near a small cave. He let go of their arms and looked at them. They and looked at him.

He hurriedly signaled them to get inside the cave. They exchanged glances. Lore got scared. Chills ran down his spine wondering what lay inside the cave and if it was his last day alive. The grumpy man pushed them inside and asked them to sit. He went near the opening of the cave, checked here and there and seeing no one came back to them and sat down in front of them.

"Rufus T. Firefly" he said extending his arms.

Lore gulped and shook his arms. "Lore Augustin."

Rufus stopped and stared at him in his eyes. Rufus was happy to see him once again. He hid his smile behind his cold stare. He wanted to embrace Lore in his arms and talk to him about everything but he couldn't.

Lore was staring at Rufus too. He felt a certain type of connection with him.

"Hello?" Jackson spoke. They broke their stare and Rufus said," Sorry lads. I was distracted. Lore looks like someone I know. And you little girl, must be?"

"Wisteria Joseph." Wisteria smiled.

"Jackson Slander." Said Jackson.

Rufus nodded his head and continued speaking, "I saw you coming from the portal. The three of you are lucky to have been seen by me first had it been someone else, you would've been dead meat by now." He paused and continued. "The portal has been closed for years. How did you find it?"

Jackson replied, "How can we trust you? We don't even know you well."

Rufus was frustrated and said, "I have my people in your side of the world. I couldn't get back so I'm stuck here!"

Seeing their puzzled expressions, he sighed and continued, "I will explain everything later. For now you can trust me because I'm meant to be from your sod. We need to go to my house. Just be careful and do not speak about your sod over here. Got it? Never… Never reveal where you're really from."

They gulped and nodded. Rufus got up and asked them to follow him. They moved out of the cave. Rufus led the way and they followed him. Lore looked around him. Everything seemed normal. He had expected a different and fantasy like world but it seemed normal. He couldn't wait to find answers regarding what this world was and what connection it had with his own world. They kept walking and saw a small civilization in sight. There was a very grim atmosphere around the whole place. The people, their dress up and their houses looked exactly like in the nineties. The people walking around had a cold expression and none of them smiled. A few of the people stared at them as they walked by. Soon enough Rufus led them towards a corner where his house stood. A little far and isolated. Rufus took a key out of his pocket and opened the door. The house was pretty plain and drafty. There was hardly any furniture just a small open living room with a fireplace and small sofas. He asked them to sit down and disappeared in the kitchen.

"Oh my God" Wisteria jumped and looked at the boys "I can't believe we're somewhere else."

Jackson smiled, "yeah this was my idea for the record."

Lore smiled as well and said, "I talked about the forest first so credits to me."

"That game actually worked! But this place looks so dark, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I thought so too. I mean nobody looks happy. I wouldn't be surprised if someone actually tries to kill one of us."

"Think positive, Lore. What if we have to lift up their sorrows and be the hero spreading smiles all over, just like in a game."

"It would be really cool."

Wisteria laughed and said, "Okay but are you sure we can trust this guy? Rufus?"

Rufus was hearing their conversation from the kitchen and he smiled because he knew that he meant no harm to them. Especially when Lore was with them.