Rachael stood in the hallway of twelve doors with her hands drawn tightly to her chest. The pain of the sacrifice continued to linger without any alleviation to be had. Carrying these endless agonizing injuries would not make finding her brother any easier. But the feeling was not the most worrisome thing on her mind. She felt more concerned about how she would find him. She did not even know which realm beyond which door was the correct one.
That was when Rachael remembered something so arbitrary. Back when Andy first disappeared, when she and the others called him using the black phone, she had asked him to describe where he was. He said, ‘It’s a city. A massive city that seems to go on forever. And everything is covered in ash.’ That would be enough to know where to begin.
Rachael went to the first door that was nearest. Pushing it opened into a tundra of ice and wind. Not the right place. The next was also wrong, being a desert land. As was the ocean world. Door by door was checked and dismissed. It was the fifth to the last where she found what she sought.
The realm beyond was the incomprehensible city where everything was in ruin. Godlike structures scaled into the sky beyond perception. Streets were widened for the passage of giants. An uncountable number of vehicles were crushed and piled. And there was so much ash. It first appeared like snow in the indigo light of night. But the particles did not fall from the sky, but instead, drifting up from the ground to create what was like a fog.
Even though a detail differed, the sun being silver and not black, Rachael believed this was the right place. More than that, she knew it to be the right place. She could sense her brother somewhere in this Otherworld.
She entered, seeming to have exited out of one of the massive buildings. The frigid temperature instantly enveloped her. Being frozen might have been bad for most people. For her, the numbing sensation of her entire body was pleasant. Not feeling anything meant the pain was taken away as well.
Before walking further into the city, she first placed a large block of concrete between the door and frame to keep it propped open. That was because she had no confidence the realm on the other side would still be there if the door closed. She did not want to take that risk and trap herself here along with her brother after coming this far. Hopefully, the Goddess would not mind.
Without another delay, Rachael began her search. Quickly, she discovered that accompanying the cold was an eerie sensation that permeated the very air. The feeling came from the darkness that concealed reality and the silence that made no logical sense. The mind was tricked into seeing uncertain fictions all around. But there was definitely something in the shadows. As she stood in the middle of the street, she could make out shapes in the absurdity.
There was a sharp click right behind her. She spun on her heel to face the opposite direction and face what was there. No more than a few inches from her was a hand, one with fingers that had many, many knuckles. She did not cry out. She did not stumble back. She did not fear. Instead, she thought to fight back and batted the extended arm. Arm whipped back with a hundred clicks. The creature itself retreated away, sliding soundlessly.
That was all Rachael needed to see to know that this was just a mindless scavenger. It would not challenge something that it perceived as more dangerous. She quickly looked over the ground to find and pick up a metal pole that was taller than herself. A hard, downward swing struck the concrete with a loud, threatening clang. It would not dare bother her now. Nor would any of the other things that were watching in wait.
She continued the search for her brother in this massive world. Though, if the question had honestly been posed, she should have expected that she might not ever find him. Where she arrived might have been nowhere near where he did. And even if they somehow were near each other, years might still be needed just to search this area.
Street by street. She looked for lights in any window. She looked through the windows into every building. Building by building. Maybe an hour passed, possibly two, or even three. She had gotten lost in the time.
Rachael eventually came upon an open area and how odd the situation felt. So much so, she did not first believe it to be true. There was no grand fight. There was no labyrinthian puzzle to solve. There was no challenge at all. Andy was just standing there to be found in the simplest manner. She slowly approached with both caution and disbelief.
Andy heard the footsteps approaching from the darkness and saw a shadowy shape getting closer. In alarm, he aimed his staff, but then his arms slumped in surprise. There was his sister standing before him.
Seeing his face up close, Rachael now knew without a doubt he was her brother and embraced him. He pulled her in tighter as he began to feel an immense shock followed quickly by relief.
“How did you get here?” Andy asked while still holding her.
“A door,” Rachael answered, pulling apart to look at him, “which you’ll be going back through.” She turned to lead the way. “Come on.”
“But …” he looked off in the direction where The Crone had disappeared. She had instructed him to wait. He wondered if this was what he had been waiting for. Though, that made little sense to him since this was his sister, not a younger version of The Crone. That was when there was a click in his mind. He looked in the direction that The Crone had left as he began to realize. When he turned his head back to tell his sister his thoughts, he found she had already walked quite a ways away. She must have expected him to be following without reservation. He was able to catch up quickly and stopped her as he let her know, “There’s someone else here.”
Rachael began walking again with no more than a stutter to her steps as she pressured him to “Let’s go.”
Andy did follow while following up with, “Shouldn’t we try to bring her back with us?”
“No,” Rachael immediately shot down the idea. “They’re either from here meaning we leave them because bringing them back might cause problems in our own world, or they came here which means they don’t intend to leave.”
“What if it’s neither of those?” He considered. “What if they got pulled into this world just like me?”
“Well, did they?” Rachael questioned since he had spent time with them and would be the one to most likely know.
He admitted, “I … don’t know. I never thought to ask. But I think that she is y—”
“Andy,” she interrupted him and gave a stern stare. Then she exhaled any frustrations. Solemnly, “I’ll say that I’m grateful to this stranger. I thank them since I assume you’re alive because of them. But you’re the one I’m concerned about, not them. I need to get you home. Your empathy is amazing that you care so much for someone you must have only known for a few hours, but there are people who are worrying about you right now. All our friends. Olivia. So much has happened, and it won’t feel like it’s over until you’re back.”
“Okay,” he conceded, and his theory slipped away. For a few minutes, they just walked in silent acceptance. But he felt the need to avoid awkwardness by having a conversation. He asked in a more upbeat skepticism, “What could have possibly happened while I was away?”
Rachael started smiling at the sheer insanity that was the truth. “You wouldn’t even believe it. But, how about you tell me what happened to you, first? Like how you got such a cool staff? Then I’ll tell you what happened. We’ve got a long way to go. We should have the time.”
In those hours, each side of their story was told.
Rachael began the sharing as she had been asked to. She started with the downtown explosion, then Marcy escaping the hospital was mentioned, followed by the Witch Hunters, Olivia’s kidnap and rescue, the attack at Emily’s home that left Mark in a coma, and the final confrontation with the Witch Hunters. That information worried Andy, and he understood why Rachael wanted to get him back quickly, himself now very motivated to return. The last experience that she talked about was her meeting with the Goddess, though, she kept many of the details to herself, mainly the severing of fingers, so as not to worry her brother.
Then it was Andy’s turn and he started where she started, talking about what happened at his office space and how he was aware, or at least felt, that the ritual he conducted was the cause. Rachael confirmed that to be the case. Then he spoke of his first night here, how he was chased by the monsters and almost killed. The last thing he brought up but what he talked the most about was The Crone who found him, who started teaching him the basics of magic, who had given him the staff, and who had asked him to wait right where Rachael found him. He was still concerned that they left without seeing her one last time, and he still had his suspicions about who she really was. Rachael, however, was left wondering. However, his speculation and her curiosity were put aside as they finally reached what would bring them home.
The still open door assured that this place, which looked no different than the rest, was the building Rachael entered this world from. Beyond would be the hallway of twelve doors. Then only one more Gateway would need to be crossed to reach their world. She led the way back through.
By the time Andy entered, he was not given much time to process the change of environment as a key was being placed in his hand. He looked at the thing he held with curious confusion.
“Here,” Rachael directed. “Now, go through the Gateway,” she pointed down the hall. He looked in that direction feeling just as curious and confused as he stared at the wall made of pure blackness. But before he made sense of it. Or even had the chance to ask a question, she told him, “They’ll be waiting in the parking lot.” Then she began shoving him.
“Wait—”
“Go home, Andy,” she interrupted with the demand as she continued to push.
He was too uncertain to just let this happen, so he took a few steps forward. That caused her to stumble, giving him the chance to turn around. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “What’s with you?”
“That’s it,” Rachael declared as she pointed again. “That’s the end. We’re so close.”
He looked at the Gateway, then looked back at his sister. He guessed that her impatience must be from desperation after what she had told him happened. Concerns were put aside as he agreed blindly, “Then let’s go.” He began to make his way over on his own until he was right before it.
Rachael was beside him, looking at him, urging him to go.
He understood and reached his hand forward without knowing what to expect, but he trusted his sister completely. In an instant, he found himself elsewhere, but here was not anywhere that he recognized. Though, he was certain this was his world. The feel of reality was familiar which only made sense now that he had experience Otherworlds.
However, there seemed no time for Andy to settle as someone was waiting in this hallway to usher him along even more.
A silver fox of a man stood right outside the door. A most impressive pencil mustache and quality suit further made the moniker far truer. He spoke like a dignified businessman, “So, you’re the reason for the commotion outside.”
“Commotion?” Andy was not aware of what happened.
“This way,” the man ordered, snapping his fingers as he began toward the stairwell.
“Where am I?” Andy asked instead of following.
“You’re in my hotel,” the man answered with reserved irritation in his voice. “But not for much longer. Now, this is the last time I ask you to come along. If you don’t, then I’ll have you thrown out.”
“Sorry,” Andy blindly apologized as he quickly stepped in line.
They reached the first floor in what felt like less than a minute, made their way through the lobby and out the front doors, and Andy was walked across the cold parking lot. Yet, he began to feel warm with anticipation as he approached a lone car that could only be waiting for him. It was just like he had been told.
The passenger door popped open. Olivia stepped out and stood firm with the widest eyes. Her face began to squeeze as tears started to form, and her whole body scrunched beneath the gravity. She huffed once right before her happy sorrow was put away as she rushed to Andy. Arms embraced him, blubbering in his chest. He pulled her tight in return. The two were back together, safe from the nightmares they had faced.
They were soon intruded upon by the man who demanded, “He is returned to you now, so get off my property.”
Olivia pulled away from Andy to accommodate the impatience of the man. Everything was good again and all ruinous rudeness was given the utmost consideration where there should have been a head shake and sneer. But then she noticed something off as she looked around, “Where’s Rachael?”
It was only then Andy realized Rachael was not there. He first slowly glanced back and forth to make sure that she was just not out of sight. But she never came into view. That was when he turned sharply to face the man and asked, “Where’s my sister? She was just with me.”
“There was no woman with you,” the man said otherwise.
“Wait, that means she’s still inside,” Andy was in a sudden panic. “I need to go get her.”
“That won’t be possible,” the man objected.
“Let me back inside,” Andy demanded.
“I told you—”
“Dude,” the word, so casual, quaked like a great threat that was followed by an actual one, “don’t make me hit you. Just get out of my way.”
“It won’t be possible to get her,” the man explained. “The door is already closed. Even if it was not, only the one with the key can pass through safely.”
Andy stared at the man before then staring at the key held in his hand. Rachael had given it to him quickly and pushed him to go before he ever got the chance to ask why. That was because she knew that if he knew, then he would never have taken it. This was, after all, the last thing he would have ever wanted. But she did this anyway because she loved him. Now, she was the one trapped in an Otherworld with no way back. Fingers closed around the key.