Lister Crowe Read online

  “There are whispers in the ether and they are becoming stronger by the hour now. You need to begin the preparations. The Apostate should be notified.” at the mention of the man Alton bristled.

  “Why notify him? He is a boor and not worthy of such a gift.” Alton had long despised Crabtree, The Apostate and he knew the feeling was mutual.

  “Who is worthy dear brother?”

  “Me of course.” Alton said with as much conviction as he could muster. She paused before she spoke.

  “You my brother need patience and the wisdom to know your place.” he did not know if she meant the words to wound him but they did regardless. Tact was not something Cassie had ever learned as she lived in convalescence.

  “My place?” he stood and fumed into the darkness where his sister regarded him with unseeing eyes. “My place is to be the rightful receiver of this glorious gift. Crabtree is a buffoon!” his anger was high but he knew better than to let his rage rise too high for, as he knew all too well, his sister could cause physical damage without raising a finger.

  “Crabtree has been preparing for this his entire life Alton and he is the one who has been appointed. We do as we are told until we are told otherwise.” she did not raise her voice but spoke to him as though he were a child throwing a tantrum. This irked him even more but he tried not to show it.

  “Careful brother. We share the same blood and I can feel your rage.”

  Alton realized he was standing with clenched fists and a scowl creased his brow. Through clenched teeth he spoke:

  “My apologies Cassie.” his blood was still hot. “I deserve the chance to become all I am destined to be and I am to be greater than any of those fools.”

  “You overstep yourself as always dear brother.” he could feel her words and mind reach out to him as she began to calm his wounded ego. He resisted, wanting to hold on to his anger for most of the time it was all he had. Cassie had her inner world which led to a vast and hidden realm and he had only his world of flesh, blood and dark deeds.

  As he stood raging in his head he could feel her spirit soothing his mind and soul. His heart rate began to slow and his fists relaxed. Her soothing was something Alton was never able to resist for long and though he always tried she would win again and again. Soon he was calm and felt as much peace as he was able.

  “Be ready brother.”

  Alton knew it was his cue to leave as he turned to the door.

  “I was born ready sister.”

  He opened the door and stepped out into the hall. It closed behind him of its own accord. The dim lights again illuminated the floor

  Though she had been born bereft of her eyesight Alton was not sure who needed whom more. Her soul was something far older and wiser than either his parent or himself. As he made his way back to the main house and out of his sisters domain he found himself wondering if he were just another servant to her, another Tinker. Perhaps he was not even her brother but some orphaned child her parents had bought for her as a gift. Did he control himself or was it she who held his reins?

  Chapter Three

  Four hours later Lister had finally finished his programming and had tested in virtual space to make sure it would control his device correctly without human interaction. Things in the virtual world did not always work as was drawn up in the computer so Lister, though hopeful, remained pragmatic.

  With a whispered prayer to whatever God might be listening Lister activated his machine. Power coursed through the ring with a crackle and the smell of ozone. He waited for a moment for the capacitor to charge to full then he activated the speakers. The hum began and though he could not hear the din he knew the canines and felines in the area were feeling the effects most acutely.

  He watched the center of the circle expectantly for the return of the anomaly but it did not materialize. He made a few quick button presses on the keyboard and turned his attention back to the center of the ring. Still there was nothing but it was not Lister’s way to become frustrated easily. He keyed on his laptop again and set it to oscillate through a specific set of frequencies. As it began to do so he could feel a knot grow in his stomach and felt like it was dropping out from his body as though he were on a roller coaster. Up and down it went with the fluctuations of the frequency which he had automated to match what he had been doing manually the night before.

  As he watched, the anomaly began to take shape, if indeed it was a shape. It twisted and morphed in the space before him, the vibrations causing it to buckle and bubble. Then all at once with a hiss, the viscous object spread from the center out to the edges of the ring. Light erupted from it. Lister wanted to look away but he was unable due to his wonder at the moment. As his eyes adjusted to the glare he saw the odd little formation had become something akin to an old fashioned television screen tuned to static which he had much experience in experimenting with. It was projected across the graphene plate covering the entirety of the ring.

  “Holy shit.” Lister said quietly.

  This was it. This was the holy grail. He had not known what to expect but this was beyond anything he had imagined. He had to perform some experiments on it before the capacitor lost it’s boosting power or a circuit breaker popped or a meteor struck the building. Very unscientifically he picked up an empty soda can from his rolling tool table and dropped it into the static pool. With a crackle and a wave on the surface it slipped through and was gone. Lister stood staring at the device with his mouth agape and his eyes wide though partially hidden by his too long bangs.

  Holy shit.” he said again this time much more reverently. Normally he was more well spoken and could have come up with any number of exclamations but the moment was not normal.

  “I have to record this.” he turned quickly and began searching the table for his phone. One thing was needed at this moment and it was proof, for without it, his breakthrough was nothing. What if he could not reproduce it? He was casting his gaze around the living room quickly, looking for his phone, his mind running a mile a minute. He would never be believed without proof. Then he remember his phone was on the table by the door.

  He jumped off of the stool nearly spilling the contents of his tool table on the floor. He paused for a moment and made sure it was stable. The static was more agitated now and though he did not know what it was doing he did not want to miss his chance to document this historic event. He turned quickly and made for the door. The static crackle sounded again as he picked up his phone and began to get his camera ready. He pressed record and panned the camera up quick. She was sitting on the edge of the table staring at him.

  Lister released a high pitched squeal which must have sounded like a little girl. His too long nose crumpled and his hair fell into his eyes as he recoiled against the archway to the living room. His shock was so complete he was frozen as a paralyzing fear gripped him and would not let go. His heart began pounding so hard he thought it was going to explode. Though his interior was turned up to eleven he was frozen against the wall, staring at the intruder. She started laughing then, a full throated sound which spoke of true merriment at his terror.

  It was a demon in the biblical sense was all Lister could describe her as, though he had only gotten a glimpse before his hair had thankfully covered his eyes. Through the thin strands he saw two white, shiny horns protruding from the back of her head and through her black hair which hung to her chin in the front and continued around her head at the same length. His own hair was shielding him from her as he cowered behind it. Her laughter was out of control and Lister began to feel a bit confused. With no small amount of trepidation he parted his locks with a shaking hand. The demon was doubled over in her laughing fit.

  “You look like you are about to burst.” she spoke as her laughter began to subside.

  Lister pushed his hair further from his face and behind his ear. A small weak smile appeared twitching from his face. His brows so skewed it looked like two faces pressed into one conglomeration of a being. The demon looked at his very
uncomfortable expression and her laughter burst from her again in earnest.

  Lister started to straighten up and realized it was not some maniacal laughter but genuine mirth. Lister chuckled a bit but it was an odd sound which came croaking from his throat. Upon closer examination she was not so terrifying. She was thin and appeared to be in her teens almost innocent in her appearance. Lister suddenly felt a little silly for having been so afraid.

  The girl/demon was dressed in what appeared to be a sleeveless leather shirt and leather pants. Her feet were covered with, what appeared to Lister, to be heavy hiking boots. On her side was a sheath with a blade handle visible. His thoughts came fast and furious, questions rising and fleeing through his unsettled mind. Finally, as she began to calm herself again he asked:

  “Who are you?”

  With a final chuckle and a shake of her head the demon hopped off the table with a casual but graceful flourish, causing Lister to jump a bit. She was much shorter than he was, indeed more diminutive than most people. She was a good five inches shorter than his 5‘11 and was lithe in frame. Her hair was not black as he had initially thought but rather a dark inky blue which matched her complexion which was pale with the lightest of blue undertones around her cheeks and eye sockets.

  “My name is Vita” she replied with a low bow. Lister grimaced at this for he could not wrap his brain around what was going on and it distressed him horribly.

  “What are you doing in my house?”

  “Well,” the demon girl began casting her glance about the room with curious eyes. “I was walking through the forest, minding my own business,” from her tone of voice Lister felt a joke was soon in the offing so he steeled himself to be frightened again. “when a doorway opened above me and this fell out.” with a quick motion she held up the can. “I thought you might want it back.” she stepped forward and held the can out to him.

  “No, that’s alright, you keep it.” he was trying to force his body into the wall so as not to get too close to the creature.

  “There is no need to be frightened. I am not going to hurt you.” she said taking on a different tone which sounded like she was talking to a stray dog in a convenience store parking lot.

  “I am glad to hear it.” Lister’s words did not match his posture as he was still on guard.

  “Where am I and who are you if I might ask?” Vita questioned looking around the room. The portal was still open and casting a light which wreathed her in gleaming white. Lister thought for a moment.

  “You are on Earth and I am Lister Crowe.” at the sound of his own name he remembered who and what he was. He was a scientist and this was a historic moment, perhaps the most historic moment in the history of mankind. He remembered the phone in his hand and raised it in front of his face, centering Vita on the screen.

  “You must be a sorcerer then?”

  “A sorcerer?” Lister said dismissing the thought immediately. Magic was not something his rigid mind entertained. “No, no, just a scientist.” Lister said keeping her in frame as she began to wander around his apartment.

  “Well I have never known any but one trained in mysticism to be able to open such a portal.” Lister froze at the thought. He was not sure who this small demon was and her appearance was odd but he knew beyond all doubt magic was not real and he was the first to make this leap in scientific discovery.

  “You have seen things like that before?” he asked indicating his machine.

  “No. My Pappy has shown me pictures of them though. They are not like this one. This one is…” she paused looking for the right word.”ugly?” she finished. Lister chuckled then and approached his greatest invention, his worry seeping away and his fear gone with the mention of his great work.

  “Yeah I guess it is.” he put his hand out and stroked one of his speakers lovingly. Neither of them spoke for a moment and before long the silence became awkward.

  “I guess I should be heading back now.” Vita said breaking the odd silence. Lister then realized this was the opportunity of a lifetime and he should not squander it.

  “Wait, I have so many questions.”

  “Portals are tricky things, you never know when they might just wink out.” Vita turned and looked at the portal with a bit of worry on her face. “I would not want to get stuck… here.” the tone of her voice indicated she was not very fond of Lister’s home. “Besides I have things to do.”

  “Where? What? Are there others?” the small barrage left Lister’s mouth rapidly and without concern for civility.

  “If you would like to find out we can go there. I will show you?” she seemed excited at the prospect but the invitation left Lister speechless.

  “Ummm…” was all that Lister could muster as his mind began racing. This was very unexpected. The situation felt as though it was some strange dream and he would wake at any moment in his bed, this diminutive yet quite impressive figure of a demon gone. The thought made him sad in a way as this was something he had always dreamed of. His mother had read many books to him when he was a child about just this sort of thing and the idea of stepping into one was quite the prospect.

  Just then the portal dissipated with a static hiss. The sound made Lister jump and Vita turned, her head cocked to one side. A silence reigned in the room and it seemed like forever before the demon girl spoke.

  “You are able to open it again?” she looked at him and it was then he noticed her eyes as they locked onto his with a threat held within their depths. Upon closer examination Lister saw the orange and red were not just colors like fire but flame lived within them. In their depths the flame roiled around the black of her pupil and called attention to her iris in which the fire lived.

  “Yeah, no problem.” Lister lied, not sure he could but hoping the demon girl would not draw the blade sheathed at her left thigh. The lie seemed to soothe her as she went back to looking around the apartment. She picked up a few objects as Lister primed his system again. A remote control and a snow globe he had gotten as a present from Jackie at Christmas caused him a moment of shame.

  “Is everyone like you there?” Lister asked as he worked.

  “No. I am adopted. My people are more like you.”

  Lister’s mind was spinning at the thought of what wonders might be on the other side of his portal. Could he go through?

  “Is it dangerous there?”

  “A little… but if you come with me I can protect you.” she said confidently.

  Lister was not happy with the answer and judging by her stature he was not sure her claim was exactly true. She seemed like a kid, what kind of protection could she provide? As if she were reading his mind her eyes locked with his:

  “I have dealt with danger before.”

  “And you would show me around?” much to Lister’s surprise the idea was becoming more of a real thought in his mind.

  “Of course.”

  Lister continued to reboot the system and before long the gateway opened with it’s static hiss, Lister was able to breathe again. He had seen the concern in her eyes and it was frightening enough. He did not want to see her angry. When she heard the sound Vita turned quickly and clapped her hands together excitedly looking more a child.

  “So, are you ready?” her eyes held him in place, the question hanging between the two of them.

  Lister cocked his head to the side. He did a quick calculation of his feelings. On the one hand he was scientist and it was his duty to go if only for an hour or so. On the other hand he was afraid, what if he could not get back? A simple timer was all it would take.

  He looked up at the wall where his mother visage hung staring at him with a gentle smile on her face. He missed her face and knew what she would be likely to do in this most ridiculous of situations. He stared at the photo for a moment then realized perhaps this was what he had been trying to accomplish all of these years. Could he see her again? Might she be there? He chewed his lower lip for a moment. It was worth the risk.

  “Let’s do it!” he
said quickly turning to look at Vita. His face was full of excitement and his eyes were wild with the gleam of wanting to understand the unknown which Vita knew all too well.

  “Alright!” Vita exclaimed.

  “Let me grab a few things and we can do this.” Lister began looking around for items to bring.

  He had his cell phone in his pocket but what else? He picked up his Ultra-Bright flashlight, then his resonator. He went down the short hallway to his room. He had a small tool kit on his dresser he grabbed along with a few other items, soon his hands were full.

  “My backpack!” Lister spat and returned to the dining room.

  Lister stuffed all of the things he was going to bring in his backpack. Suddenly, as if something had struck him, he looked up and snapped his fingers at Vita. He disappeared quickly into the other room and a moment later reappeared with a big beach towel in hand.

  “Don’t forget your towel.” he said with a big grin on his face. Lister did not know why he had expected her to get the joke but he shook his head and stuffed the towel in his backpack.

  “Are you ready?” Vita asked him, she had caught the emotional excitement from Lister and it came through in her voice. She could see a conflict enter his eyes but as soon as it appeared he banished it.

  “I am.” he was feeling a little light headed and knew he was on a time limit before his nerve ran out. He set to the task of programming the portal to open again after a set time.

  “I am setting it to close in five minutes and open again in one hour. Do you think that’s enough?” he looked at Vita. She shrugged as Lister pondered for a moment.

  “Let’s make it three. That should give me enough time to see what I need to see.” he finished typing in the commands. His fingers flew over the keyboard finishing the program which would restart the process of opening the gateway.

  “There it is. Lead the way.” Lister said and was rewarded as Vita smiled big. Her teeth were all very white and seemed like they were chiseled from the palest of marble.