The Rip

The air rippled, blue-green, with each little shockwave. They brushed Mero’s hair back, blonde locks lifting and falling. They felt solid to the touch, like a barrier of air, yet they passed straight through his body. And of course, he ignored it, labeling it as just another phenomenon of the rip.

            The rip was as solid as the shockwaves, obviously, since it was the source. Mero’s fingers danced along the sides of the jagged gap, a tear in the fabric of reality. A portal to another world. Occasionally, his fingertips would slip through the liquid air within the rip, and he could feel chill air breezing across his hands.

            “Mero?” The call came out of nowhere, and he lunged forward, his whole arm disappearing into the frigid world. He drew back quickly, knowing that spending too long halfway could cause injury �" like losing his arm. His face was serene when he turned, but it broke into a surprised smile when he saw who it was.

            “Ah, Khepri! What might you be doing here, m’dear?” he asked coolly, whilst trying to still his racing heart. Khepri gazed past him into the rip, the shockwaves disturbing the raven black curtain of hair that hung around her rather petite face. Her eyes sparkled yellow despite their relative distance.

            “I wanted to see the rip before it closed,” she murmured, her voice quiet but carrying. “And you being here makes it just so much better.”

            Mero chuckled slightly. “I know you, Khepri. You wouldn’t come here without a good reason; you’re far too busy.”

            Khepri sighed, moving forward till they were just a foot apart. “You’re right, Mero. Of course you are. I did have something I wanted to do here.” And with that, she stepped forward, and shoved Mero back. He stumbled, arms windmilling �" once, twice, and then he fell, plunging through the liquid curtain into the world beyond.

            Khepri watched with a twisted smile as the shockwaves faded and the rip closed once more, rippling fabric knitting itself together with invisible stitches. “You got what you deserved, Mero,” she breathed triumphantly. “Finally… revenge!”