Anomaly

by Scott Prussing

  Something about his appearance—beyond the unnatural chalkiness of his complexion—pricks at the back of my mind, but I can’t put my finger on what it is.

  The smell of cooked meat that invaded my dreams is explained by the wooden spit he’s holding in his left hand: skewered upon the stick is the roasted carcass of what looks like a rabbit.

  He smiles and holds the spit out toward me. “You hungry?”

  I’m famished, of course, and the aroma of roasted meat has my mouth watering. I hesitate for a moment, but realize that if he meant me any harm, he could have done so in my sleep. Besides, he saved my life yesterday. He wouldn’t have done that just to hurt me now, I don’t think.

  “Yeah,” I reply. “I’m pretty hungry.”

  He lifts the rabbit even closer to me. “Go ahead, take it. I’ve already eaten.”

  He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I grab the stick at both ends and bite hungrily into the meat. I’ve never eaten rabbit before, but given the circumstances, this one tastes as good as the best steak I’ve ever dined on.

  I take three or four bites before I look up again at my new companion. He’s still sitting quietly, watching me eat with what looks like a half-smile on his face. I lower the rabbit from in front of my face.

  “What’s your name?” I ask.

  “Kai.”

  I smile and extend a hand toward him. “Hi, Kai. I’m Leah. Thanks for making me breakfast. It’s delicious.”

  Kai smiles back and takes my hand. His teeth are white and even, and his hand is calloused.

  “You are most welcome, Leah.” He lets go of my hand.

  “And thanks for saving me from that cyclops,” I say. “That was quite a shot. Where’s your friend?”

  He looks at me with a puzzled expression. “My friend?”

  “Yeah, the guy who shot the second arrow.”

  Kai smiles again. “There is no one else. I fired both arrows.”

  I can’t hide my surprise. “You’re kidding,” I blurt, remembering how quickly the second arrow followed the first.

  His smile widens. He really is very good-looking—sexy, even.

  “Why would I kid?” He reaches one hand over his shoulder and rubs the end of his bow. “I’m pretty good with this.”

  “You’re more than pretty good,” I reply. “One shot to the eye from that distance was amazing. Two in such rapid succession is almost unbelievable.”

  He shrugs, seeming a bit uncomfortable with my praise. “Like I said, I’m pretty good.”

  Suddenly, I realize what’s been bothering me about his appearance—it’s his age. He looks like he’s in his early twenties, but that’s impossible, of course. As far as I know, there’s no one in their early twenties in this world. I glance down at my machete through the corners of my eyes and draw my knees up in front of me.

  “Uh, Kai?” I ask softly, “where are you from?”

  He hesitates for just a moment. “I think you have probably guessed that by now,” he says.

  “You’re from There?” I ask, wanting to hear him say it. “From the other world?”

  He nods. “Yes. We saw you were in some trouble, so I was sent to help you.”

  My head feels like it’s spinning. The spit and the rabbit drop to my lap, but I scarcely notice. Kai’s simple statement has raised so many questions that I can’t wrap my brain around them all. Beings in the other world can see into ours? Someone was watching me, specifically? Who else besides Kai was watching? Who sent him here? Could it have been the same one who sent the mermaids? Will Kai be staying here with me, or going back?”

  I need to slow my thoughts down, to tackle these questions one at a time. I take a deep breath and ask what I think might be the most important question first.

  “Who sent you to save me?”

  Kai’s eyes fasten onto mine. “I’m sorry. I’m not permitted to tell you that.”

  I breathe out a frustrated sigh. That’s the same answer Selene gave me when I asked who sent the mermaids. It makes my next question easier, though.

  “Was it the same person who sent the mermaids through?”

  Kai nods. “Yes. She sent the mermaids, too.”

  So it was a she. I wonder if Kai was permitted to tell me that, or if he slipped up. Of course, I don’t know if “she” means a human woman, a witch, a sorceress or even a female dragon. I’d like to know more, but I doubt Kai will tell me. So I choose a different question.

  “Why did she send you alone? That cyclops was pretty dangerous. Couldn’t she have sent more than one person to save me? After all, she was able to send three mermaids.”

  Kai smiles. “I suppose she thought I would be enough. It’s not that easy to send people through.”

  Once again, I picture the two arrows plunging into the monster’s eyes. He handled that situation pretty easily, for sure. But there could be other evils around to deal with.

  “What if we run into some kind of danger here in the woods, where it will be more difficult to use your bow?” I ask.

  Kai shrugs. “I have other abilities,” he says matter-of-factly.

  I can’t let it go at that. I need to know as much as possible about my new protector.

  “Such as?” I ask.

  Kai slips down off the fallen trunk and lands lightly on his feet. With little effort, he bends his knees and leaps upward, higher than I would have dreamed possible for anyone who was not a vampire or something similarly powerful. He alights upon a thick branch fifteen feet above me, balancing there as easily if he was still standing on the ground. Reaching out with both hands, he grabs another branch. This one is at least three inches thick. He snaps it off like it’s a twig and tosses it away. It lands with a thud far back in the woods.

  I’m sure my astonishment must be showing on my face. He looks like an ordinary guy, but clearly he’s not. Far from it.

  He smiles down at me for a moment, then jumps back down, landing in front of me with scarcely a sound.

  “Okay, I’m impressed,” I say. And I really am. For the first time in more than two days, I’m feeling pretty safe. I still want to learn more about whoever it was that sent Kai here, though, so I return to my original line of questioning.

  “Can she send people here anytime she wants? Or does she have to wait for a portal to open?”

  Kai seems to measure his answer. “She can create an opening when she wishes, just not too often.”

  That’s interesting. It means there are limits to her powers. But I knew that already, or else she would have taken care of whatever problem is coming on the twenty-first by herself, without having to send the Miracles to try to stop it.

  I continue my questioning in the same vein. “We can’t see into your world, even when there’s a portal. We never imagined you could see into ours, but obviously you can, since you saw I was in danger.”

  Kai nods again. “Yes, but as far as I know, she alone has that ability. Anyone who is with her can see into your world as well, if she so wishes.”

  I file away this new information. Whoever “she” is, she obviously has at least two Powers: the skill to open portals, and the ability to see into our world. I’m struck by a sudden, hopeful thought.

  “I get why she’s watching me, since I’m supposed to be important for some reason, though none of you will—or can—tell me why. The mermaids indicated that all the Miracles are important, though. Does that mean you’ve been watching them as well?”

  “We have, yes,” Kai replies. “You were the only one in danger, so you’re the one I was sent to help.”

  The only one in danger? That doesn’t make sense. The Star of India was being destroyed by the kraken. I saw Plush and Lights being pulled down into the water with my own eyes. Everyone was in danger, especially those two, though it was probably too late to save them.

  “Are you sure?” I ask. “I saw two of my friends being taken by the kraken.”

  “The one you call Rerun reversed time and saved them. All the Miracles made it s
afely to shore, along with a number of your escort.”

  I breathe a sigh of relief. I had thought Plush and Lights gone for sure, and was worried about all the others. Good ol’ Rerun. He’s a handy guy to have around. Too bad he couldn’t have reversed time when I got plunked on the head. These last two days could have been avoided completely, which would have been just fine with me.

  “What about my father?” I ask. “Did you see him as well?”

  “He’s fine. Last I saw, he was leading your company northward by the same road you followed. They are many miles behind, though. The other Miracles can travel no faster than you. They have a lot of ground to make up.”

  I push myself up to my feet. The roasted rabbit falls off my lap to the ground, forgotten.

  “We should head south, then. To meet up with them as soon as we can.”

  Kai holds up his hand. “Settle down, Leah. Finish your breakfast. There’s no hurry.”

  “Huh? I don’t understand,” I stammer. “How can there be no hurry? I need to get back to my friends as soon as possible.”

  “Your father dispatched a small group to overtake you. When I entered your world yesterday, they were less than half a day behind. I’m guessing they’ll reach the bridge in less than an hour.”

  I’m still not convinced. “Why don’t we go back around the gorge ourselves and meet them on the other side, then?”

  “We could do that,” Kai acknowledges, “but I don’t think we need to. I think it’s better if we just wait for them over here.”

  There’s a look on his face that makes me think he’s not telling me everything, but it doesn’t seem deceptive.

  “Are you sure?”

  Kai smiles. “Yes. Trust me.”

  Somehow, I do trust him, even though I’ve only known him for a few minutes. Maybe it’s because he saved my life. Maybe it’s just his easy, confident manner. Heck, maybe it’s because he brought me fresh meat for breakfast.

  Bending down, I pick up the rabbit. Bits of leaves cling to the meat, but I brush them away with my fingers. I’m not about to let a little bit of dirt keep me from enjoying the first fresh meat I’ve had in days. Kai watches me in silence as I resume eating. I can tell he is also watching and listening for any signs of approaching danger.

  Feeling secure about the ability of my new bodyguard to keep me safe, I concentrate on enjoying the remainder of my breakfast.

  CHAPTER 22

  LESS THAN AN HOUR LATER, Kai slips down off the log he’s been sitting on.

  “Your friends have arrived,” he tells me.

  I climb down from the same log, where I’d been sitting next to him. My descent is slightly less graceful. We can’t see the bridge from this far back in the trees, and I haven’t heard anything. I guess Kai did, though.

  “Really?” I say, as excited as I’ve been in a long time. “Awesome!”

  I hurry down out of the woods with Kai close behind me. Sure enough, when I step out of the trees, I see six Marines on the highway, maybe a hundred yards from the beginning of the bridge. I recognize Lieutenant Gregerson immediately

  I wave both my arms over my head. I didn’t really need to draw their attention, because at least one of the soldiers has already spotted me, but I’m so happy to see them I don’t care. The squad is now trotting toward me.

  Kai and I move out onto our section of the bridge. The Marines stop a few feet from their end of the broken span.

  “Leah, thank God you’re okay,” Lieutenant Gregerson calls from across the gap.

  “I’m pretty happy to see you guys, too,” I reply.

  Lieutenant Gregerson’s eyes fall upon Kai. I’m pretty sure the bow and arrows, if not the bare feet, have caught the lieutenant’s attention.

  “Who’s that with you?” he asks.

  “My new friend. His name is Kai. He’s been looking out for me for the past day or so.”

  Gregerson treads carefully to the edge of the broken bridge and looks down into the chasm, then turns and gazes up the ravine.

  “I guess we’ll have to go around,” he says. “Is that what you did?”

  “Yeah,” I say. “It’s a long walk, but it’s the only way.”

  “Maybe not,” Kai says. He looks over to the Marines. “Do you have rope?”

  The lieutenant turns to his men. One of them slips his pack off his shoulders and pulls out a coil of blue nylon rope. He hands it to Lieutenant Gregerson.

  “It’s a fifty foot length,” Gregerson tells us. “Should be long enough, I think.”

  Kai looks at me. “Wait here.”

  Wait here? Just where does he think I’m going? More importantly, where is he going?

  Kai backs up fifteen or twenty feet. He sprints toward the gap and leaps across, landing next to Lieutenant Gregerson.

  “Holy shit!” one of the men exclaims.

  Holy shit, indeed. This jump far outdoes the one up into the tree he showed me earlier.

  The lieutenant is studying Kai in amazement. I’m guessing Kai’s leap has Lieutenant Gregerson way more startled than Kai’s pale complexion.

  “You know, we might have been able to toss the rope across,” he says.

  “Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?” I hear Kai reply.

  I can’t see his face from here, but I’m pretty sure he’s smiling.

  One of the Marines ties the end of the rope around the guardrail near the edge of the gap and hands the other end to Kai. He takes another running start and jumps back across to my side.

  “Showoff,” I say when he lands beside me. I smile to show him I’m only teasing.

  He grins, then kneels down and ties the rope to the guardrail. The blue rope is now stretched taut across the gap. I’ve watched enough Marine training to have a pretty good idea what’s going to happen next.

  Lieutenant Gregerson crosses first, hauling himself hand over hand on the rope, seemingly oblivious to the long drop beneath him. With his heavy backpack and weapon slung over his shoulder, it looks amazingly difficult. It’s certainly not anything I would ever want to try, but I’ve seen the Marines do this plenty of times, though not usually so high up. I guess as long you don’t let go, it doesn’t really matter how long the fall might be.

  When Lieutenant Gregerson makes it to our side, Kai reaches down and grabs his wrist. Kai pulls the lieutenant up onto the bridge like he’s a small child, rather than a full-grown man weighted down by a pack and rifle.

  I give Lieutenant Gregerson a moment to catch his balance before wrapping my arms around him.

  “Have I mentioned how happy I am to see you?” I say, squeezing him tightly.

  He returns my hug. “I think you have, yes. Your father and your friends are okay, too.”

  I let go of him and back up a step. “I know. Kai told me.”

  He looks at Kai, who is busy hauling a second Marine up from the rope.

  “He did, huh? He’s seems to be a pretty useful guy to have around. What do you know about him?”

  “Not much,” I admit. “He was sent through a portal to help me. He saved me from a giant cyclops. Two arrows, one smack in the middle of each eye. I’ve never seen shooting like that.”

  Lieutenant Gregerson looks at me with a puzzled expression. “Two eyes? I thought you said it was a cyclops?”

  I grin. “Oh…did I forget to mention that the monster had two heads? It had a single eye in each one.”

  The lieutenant laughs. “Yeah, I think you did forget. So tell me, how did Kai know your dad was okay?”

  “The story is a little confusing, but basically, they were watching me and the rest of the Miracles from the other side. I’m not really sure how they do it. Maybe through some kind of portal.”

  “Who’s ‘they’?”

  I shake my head. “Beats me. Kai said ‘she’ sent him—the same one who sent the mermaids. I don’t know if she’s a person like Kai, or a female creature of some other kind. Neither Kai nor the mermaids were permitted to tell me.”

  Greger
son mulls that over. Meanwhile, the last of the Marines has reached our side.

  “Should we leave the rope in place for the colonel when he arrives?” one of them asks.

  “Might as well,” says one of the others. “We can’t unfasten the other end anyhow.”

  “I could,” Kai offers. He turns to Lieutenant Gregerson. “Would you like me to?”

  The lieutenant thinks about it for a moment. “Go ahead,” he says. “The colonel won’t be able to use it, not with the Miracles in tow. We might have use for it down the road.”

  “Wait a minute,” I say. “Kai, could you make that jump with me on your back?”

  Kai looks from me to the gap in the bridge, as if measuring the task. I’m sure he has no idea where I’m going with this.

  “Maybe,” he says. “But I’d rather not try it. It would be too risky.”

  “What about on the rope? Could you carry me across hand over hand like the Marines just crossed?”

  Kai still looks puzzled. “Sure, no problem. But why would you want to go back across? Your friends just worked hard to get over here with us.”

  “I don’t want to go back. But if could carry me, you can carry my friends. That way, they won’t have to go all the way around when they get here. The Marines can cross the same way these guys did, but the Miracles will need your help.”

  I see a light of understanding blossom in his dark eyes. “Sure, I can do that,” he says.

  “Great.” I turn to Lieutenant Gregerson. “I guess all we can do now is get comfortable and wait.”

  CHAPTER 23

  WE SETTLE IN TO WAIT back among the trees, just to be safe. Lieutenant Gregerson tells me about the runner he sent back to inform my dad that they had discovered the remains of my fire. He thinks the main group of Marines with the Miracles might reach us by the end of the day. If not, he’s certain they’ll be here sometime tomorrow morning, unless something delayed them. I hope nothing has, but in this wild place, there are plenty of things that could slow them down, or even stop them. I don’t let my thoughts go down that road, though.