Chapter One (Old writing)

The Portal



Chapter One

It was a regular day…at least until my sister and I found out about a new planet and it’s inhabitants. Caoilainn and I were riding our bikes down to my best friend’s house. We arrived there and he welcomed us with a big grin on his face.

“Hey Kyranee!” Memphis said. Then when he saw Caoilainn, he said hi to her also. We walked into his house and sat down on the big leather couch in the living room. “So what brings you two to this part of town?” He asked us. I shrugged, “We just thought it would be nice to see our best friend after he had been at summer camp for 3 months.”

He groaned. “Camp was awful. The food was even worse than it is at our school.” “Ew.” Caoilainn and I said in unison. 

Caoilainn and I were twins. Well…sort of. My parents had wanted twins since the day my mom got pregnant. When they found out that my mom was only carrying one, Caoilainn, they went and found my birth mother, who had just gotten pregnant with me. Strange as it is, Caoilainn and I were due on the same day, so my parents adopted me…and nobody knows that Caoilainn and I aren’t birth twins.

We were eating some pumpkin pie when Memphis’s dad came in through the door. He was so flustered that he didn’t even shut it. “Oh good, Caoilainn and Kyranee are here. I have some big and bad news.” 

A confused look spread out on my face, which turned to a shocked expression when he began to explain. “We-meaning your dad and I” He said, gesturing towards us, “Found a portal to a new planet.” Memphis’s, Caoilainn’s, and my mouth dropped.

Our dad was a scientist, always trying to figure stuff out about things from other planets. His dad carried on. “We also found some inhabitants on that planet.” 

“What planet?” Memphis asked. His dad paused for a second. His eyes tightened and then he said, “Earth.” “WHAT?” I screeched. 

Earth was a folktale in our world. At least, at that time it was. It was always just a little bedtime story. And then, when you got older, they were stories you would talk about by a campfire, about the aliens on that planet. Everybody always said that they were green and slimy, with 3 eyes.

“So what’s the bad part?” Caoilainn asked, eager to learn more about these strange creatures and their planet. “The bad part is that your dad went into that portal last night, and he hasn’t returned.”

My body went rigid with fear. I knew I couldn’t say it in front of Mr. Collis, but my sister and I had to find that portal and go after our father. I met eyes with Caoilainn, and I could tell from that one small look that she knew what we had to do also.

Memphis bit his lip. “What do we do?” He asked. “I want you three to stay put, I only thought it was best if the girls knew why their father might not be home for a while. In the mean time, I’m going to tell Mrs. Egan about it and maybe she can help us.

Mrs. Egan was my mother, Maerica. I knew my mother could handle it, but I was still worried. “How about we go home and tell her about it? It would probably be easier to hear it from us.” I said calmly. Mr. Collis nodded, “Good idea.”

So off we went, across town to our small humble abode at the corner of Sheeth and Venture. “You realize what we have to do?” Caoilainn asked me. I just nodded and kept on walking, 

We arrived home at approximately 8:20 p.m., and Caoilainn and I both sulked at the fact that it was possible that was the last time we would ever arrive home again. “Hi girls!” Our mother said cheerfully. She hugged us both and gave us each a kiss on the cheek. Our mother had been a strong warrior when she was younger, but she still had more love than the rest of the universe did combined.

When she met our father she settled down and they have been together for the past 20 years. Caoilainn and I were 16, so it took four years for them to have Caoilainn, and then adopt me.

She saw the sad looks on our faces. “What’s wrong?” She asked us. Caoilainn explained to her about dad, and mom burst into tears. We hugged her and comforted her for a few minutes. 

That night was one of sorrow, but it was nothing like the nights to come. At 3:00 a.m. with our bags packed full we snuck out of the hall bathroom window and left our home. With one last look, I watched as my moms bedroom light flicked on and she peeked out at us, and her mouth fell open.

“Run!” I whisper yelled to Caoilainn. We ran through the forest that was across from our house and bumped into somebody…Memphis. His bags were also packed. “I figured you girls would need a strong man like me to protect you.” He said with a cheesy grin. 

Normally I would have protested, but we were in a hurry. I could already hear my mother’s voice through the thick trees. “Girls! Please, don’t go!” She screamed through the trees, sobbing. I winced at the hysterical tone in her voice. I hated to cause my mother pain. “Maybe we should-”I started to say, but Memphis cut me off. “No. We have to save your father. My father told me more about these strange creatures on Earth-humans-and he said that many of them were bad, robbing, murdering, and raping are not uncommon there. It is not like Zimphi, we must go.”

I nodded. I loved my mom, but I also loved my dad, and she was safer than he was. So we walked on, Caoilainn and I blinking back tears the whole time. 

We reached the laboratory a while later and Memphis used his key to unlock the door. Then we went into the office our fathers shared. There was a key on our father’s desk, and a piece of paper with directions on how to use the key in the drawer next to it.

Caoilainn snorted. “They really need better hiding places for this stuff.” “Shh!” I said. She stuck her tongue out at me. Memphis went to a wall that had a bunch of certificates for scientific discoveries on it, saying the names Salmhore Egan and Liobhan Collis. He turned the key(in the air, not in a lock), and then a colorful portal opened. 

Our eyes widened as we stepped in it.

The ride was the most awful thing I have ever experienced. It went through your brain as you fell, probably searching for why you went into the portal. While it searched your brain, it gave you the most excruciating headache in history. And to make matters worse, it went through all your memories, even the painful ones, and it was like you were experiencing them over again. For example, when I was 14 I fell out of a tree and got a compound fracture, and I got to relive that painful memory.

I suppose Memphis and Caoilainn had to relive the memory of where they both got food poisoning and spent 2 days at our house, puking their guts out. 

Then, once it had gone through all my memories, it dropped me on top of something. Then Caoilainn, and then Memphis, since he was the oldest and therefore had the most memories. 

We looked around us, and realized we were on top of something. Not that we knew what it was then, but we had just landed on the top of the Library of Congress.