Thirty Nights with the Alpha King

Chapter 10: The Portal

It’s almost midnight, and I’m watching TV on low volume in my grandparents’ living room. I’m curled up on a blanket on the sofa, unable to sleep.

I wish Nick was here, I think wistfully. Maybe he could help me fall asleep…

It’s hard not to think about taking things to the next level with him. My body feels a magnetic attraction to his, almost as if it’s painful to be apart. In this moment, I really wish he had a cell phone so that I could communicate with him. Heck, I’d even be happy with just a smiley face emoji!

I stand up to walk toward the window, my body muscles protesting with each step I take. I’m far too young for muscle aches, but CFS has other plans for me.

It’s a full moon tonight, and she’s casting a soft glow around the ranch. She’s completely unobstructed by a single cloud on this clear night, illuminating the earth beneath her. I wonder for a moment if Nick is awake, looking at the same moon as I am.

A teal, bright glow along the ridge suddenly catches my eye, growing brighter and fuller above. They’re the same lights that seem to appear at night here on the ranch, and that same feeling of fear grips me again.

Except that this time, I also feel drawn to it.

In the same way I’m drawn to Nick, says a small voice in the back of my head.

I shake the thought from my head. What a weird thing to think!

I have to figure out what’s causing those teal lights to appear. Without another second of hesitation, I grab my grandfather’s car keys off the hook by the door and barrel outside. I ignore the pain in my muscles and joints as I hobble stiffly to the car as quickly as I can push my legs to carry me. As the truck comes roaring to life, I immediately slam on the gas pedal to take me to my destination.

You have to promise me that you won’t go up there by yourself, especially not at night. It’s very dark and treacherous up there…

Nick’s words come to mind, and I feel a sudden pang of guilt as I drive as fast as I can across the ranch. He doesn’t need to find out, does he? I’ll just head up, check things out, and head back to the farmhouse before he’s even awake.

The truck shakes and rattles on the steep path up to the ridge, slowing my progress. But I’m encouraged to see that the lights are still there. I just hope that they don’t disappear before I have the chance to investigate.

Finally, the path smooths out and the truck levels out, and I realize I’ve reached the top. I pull over and turn off the truck, killing the ignition and the headlights.

I turn my head to find the source of the teal glow that’s illuminating the mesa, but there are far more trees up here to obstruct my view. However, it doesn’t take me long to find the source, and my jaw practically drops to the floormats at the sight out the driver’s side window.

Its shape is so simple, and yet the view is so incredible! It appears to be a rectangular shape of teal, neon light, almost like a doorway in the middle of the trees. It’s too bright to see what is through the portal, but small, white orbs of light are bursting forth.

What are these mysterious specters? Ghosts? Aliens? Angels? My mind is racing a million miles a minute as I sit in the dark truck, a voyeur to this otherworldly, unexplainable event.

The orbs of light bounce around delicately for a moment, circling and dancing around one another slowly in the air, before they descend toward the ground. As soon as they touch the grass, they begin to take form, slowly growing into the size of people. I quickly count five beings with long, white hair and the palest, silvery skin I’ve ever seen. I’m in complete awe, pressing my nose to the windowpane to try to make out what they are.

One of them suddenly turns to look behind him, giving me a clear view of his eyes. They are the color of blood, and they are glowing brightly in the dark night.

As he narrows his eyes, I realize he’s glaring directly at me, and my blood runs cold as the others around him whip around to face me as well.

Oh. My. God.

My heart is pounding in my chest, and I’m frozen in place as the creatures stare at me. How could they possibly see me in the dark? I’m at least fifty yards away – how could they possibly make out a person in a dark vehicle? I begin to shiver in fear, hoping that they are just curious about the truck.

They look like some sort of human-sized elves, with pointed ears that peek through their long, silky hair. Their black outfits look like they are straight from the Dark Ages, like demonic Vikings that have appeared to pillage our world from another dimension.

Wait, are these the creatures behind the cattle mutilations?

Suddenly, the five of them dart forward, running like bullets across the grass, and they are heading straight toward me.

I leap backwards, trying to scramble into the backseat of the truck. All I want to do is put as much space between me and these evil demons, but my back slams against the seat.

This is how I’m going to die! Will they find my body mutilated like the cows? Drained of blood, with the muscles picked clean from my bones?

My last thought is of Nick, and I see his face in my mind, smiling gently at me. I wish we had more time together, so I could tell him that l–

A loud roar rips through the quiet night, the sheer force of it shaking the truck around me. A large, hairy beast leaps across my view, knocking down the beings like bowling pins to the ground. It takes one of the demon creatures in its mouth and shakes it like a rag doll, clamping down and ripping it into two.

Holy f*****g s**t!

The torso and the legs fall to the ground in a bloody pile at the beast’s feet, the eyes of its head completely devoid of any remaining life.

I’m too frightened to scream. My body is completely immobilized as the beast turns its eyes onto me. And this time, I know it’s staring through the window, into my eyes, because I feel it deep inside my soul.

Its eyes are glowing like golden orbs in the dark night. I can see its silhouette beneath the full moon, and I realize it is the largest wolf I have ever seen. The creature is nearly the size of the truck as he steps a giant paw closer to me, landing on the ground with a loud thud.

I have no doubt in my mind that this is a skinwalker.

However, I don’t feel any evil intention from this wolf as he takes another slow, cautious step closer. Its fur glows a soft shade of dark brown, illuminated by the light of the portal behind it. I’m unable to tear my eyes away from his gaze, which looks so familiar somehow…

The remaining demons begin to stand slowly from the ground around him, forcing the wolf to whip its head around and emit a low, guttural growl.

I hear another deep howl nearby, forcing me to tear my gaze from the scene. Two other skinwalkers appear in wolf form, although they seem just slightly smaller than the first. It’s three wolves against four demons, and I am glued to the battle that ensues between them.

They’re protecting me, I realize, watching their paws swat at their agile enemies and baring their sharp teeth threateningly. I have no idea why I believe this so fiercely, but I feel like they’re protecting me, and they’re protecting the ranch. The skinwalkers aren’t the cause of all the bad things that are happening on the ranch, but rather they are trying to stop them from happening.

I press my fingertips to the cool window. I’m completely on edge watching the battle in front of me, and the wolves seem to be evenly matched against their enemies.

“How could I be so stupid?” I mutter to myself, realizing that I have a weapon nearby. I resist the urge to slap my own forehead as I dig around in the glove compartment looking for the handgun that my grandfather keeps in there.

While the wolves battle one-on-one with each demon, the fourth turns its sights on me again. I freeze in place as my hand stops feeling around aimlessly for the gun. It starts darting toward me like a bullet train. That’s the moment I lose it and begin to scream in terror, my hands rising to my face as I turn away from the danger barreling toward me.

A loud rip tears through the night like a lighting strike. I open my eyes to see the largest wolf ripping the demon in two, rescuing me from my death. With blood still dripping from its maw, it turns its eyes toward me once again.

Why does he seem so familiar? I feel a sense of calm wash over me when he gazes at me, like he’s making a promise to protect me.

A movement behind him catches my eye, and I realize that the last two demons are stalking toward my protector, leaving the other two wolves lying in the grass, breathing hard and completely spent of their energy.

I have to save him!

Without a second thought, I leap from the truck, thrusting open the door with all my might.

“LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!” I scream at the top of my lungs, pointing at the impending threat behind him.

With a snarl, the wolf turns around, only to be knocked down by the two demons. One of the attackers raises its hand, revealing long claws that are growing longer out of its fingertips. While the one demon holds the wolf down, the other strikes him across the head, causing him to become still.

“No!” I sob, as tears prick my vision. I take a few steps forward, without any care for the imminent danger as the desire to save him overwhelms me.

As the wolf’s form begins to shrink, I realize that he’s transforming into a human being. The rich, brown fur gives way to honey-toned skin as a the naked form of a man is left in its wake.

I let out a loud gasp as I realize it’s Nick, lying motionless in the grasp of the two demons.

My mind goes blank, utterly confused as to what just happened.

Someone pinch me. This has to be a nightmare.

It takes a moment for the shock to wear off before I realize that the demons are pulling Nick closer to the glowing portal behind them, dragging his heavy, muscular form across the grass by the arms.

My feet feel like they’re attached to weights as I struggle to take a step forward. I have to get to Nick, before he disappears through the mysterious portal to God knows where.

Wait, grab the gun!

I hurl myself back into the truck, lying across the front seats as I fling everything out of the glove compartment onto the floor.

There!

It takes a few steps, but finally my body gives way to momentum as I sprint forward as fast as I’ve ever run in my life toward Nick. I can’t let him be taken away.

I know how to use a gun, because my grandfather used to have me practice with a BB gun on tin cans as a kid every summer. I click the safety off, but I can’t begin shooting yet until I’m close enough to know I won’t hit Nick.

I see the demons reach the portal, and as they begin to step through the teal, neon outline, the portal begins to shrink. I’m so close; I can’t let it close up before I can get Nick. But I push forward, and I realize I’m able to catch up. I’m not dragged down by Nick’s dead weight the way the demons are.

The portal is shrinking into a circle, and in order to make it, I leap forward, diving headfirst into the abyss. It’s complete darkness around us, but I see the glowing red eyes of the demons right below me as I fall, and I fire three shots before the darkness consumes me.