by E. C. Myers
He climbed the steps to the second floor and approached her room. He couldn't see a light under her door. He knocked softly, then more loudly.
He was about to tiptoe back downstairs when the door opened. Zoe had changed into a long T-shirt with a purple unicorn prancing on a rainbow.
“What now?”
Okay, so she was still a little upset.
“I just wanted to say that I'm sorry,” Ephraim said.
“For what?” Zoe asked.
“I was really insensitive. I shouldn't have said…what I said.”
She stared at him for a second then stepped onto the landing in socked feet.
“It's not your fault I reacted that way…” She leaned against the wall and hugged her arms around herself. “I've been thinking the same thing to myself since he left. He didn't even say good-bye.”
Ephraim drew closer to her. “Look, I know I'm not him, but I'm going to finish whatever he was trying to do. You're right—he did know what he was doing. He probably just didn't want you to get hurt. I can relate to that.”
Zoe sniffed a little. She rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand.
Ephraim forged ahead, the words rushing out of his mouth. “His mistake was he trusted the wrong person, then tried to handle the problem himself. I'm going to need your help. If I say or do something completely idiotic, tell me—and make me listen. Even though we just met, I think you know me better than I know myself.”
“Don't worry. I'll definitely let you know when you do something stupid.”
They looked at each other awkwardly.
“You must be really tired,” Ephraim said.
“No, not really. Did you want to do something?”
“Well…I saw your dad has The Twilight Zone on DVD, and I thought it would be fun to watch some. Together.”
Zoe tilted her head to one side. Then she smiled. “You're on.”
She chose the episodes. Ephraim had seen most of them in reruns when he was a kid, but it was different watching them as an adult, especially with Zoe. She knew all sorts of trivia about the show and filled him in as they viewed some of her favorites. She ended the mini-marathon with a special episode, just for him she said, one called “Penny for Your Thoughts,” about a magic quarter that allows a man to read people's minds.
When the show ended, she switched off the television and turned to Ephraim. “Two bits for your thoughts,” she said. “Doesn't have the same ring, does it?”
Ephraim kissed her. He couldn't stop himself. She started to pull away, but then she leaned into him and kissed back.
A moment later, they separated. She frowned.
“Was that stupid?” he asked.
“Now that's a stupid question.” She dropped the remote on the coffee table and stood up. “Time for bed. For real this time. And that isn't an invitation.”
“I didn't think it was,” Ephraim said.
“Good. This doesn't change anything, all right? We shouldn't have done that, but I wanted to see what it was like.” She shook her head. “It was different.”
Different—good?
“Good night, Zoe,” Ephraim said.
“Did she like you too?” Zoe asked softly.
“Who?”
She smiled. “Best answer. Good night, Eph.”
She went up the stairs. Ephraim sat alone on the couch, replaying what had just happened. He'd never dared to try that with Jena. Even though he'd wanted to, those sorts of scenes happened only in his fantasies. But it had been so easy with Zoe, so natural, and she had seemed to want it, too. Like a wish come true.
He was really starting to like Zoe, he thought guiltily. He had criticized Nathan for his casual interest in both of the twins, so how could Ephraim like both Zoe and Jena? On top of that, he was actually jealous of the Ephraim she'd loved so much, the guy who had left her behind for another universe. He couldn't replace his analog in Zoe's life, and even if he could, it wouldn't be right.
He had to stop Nate and get out of this world before he did something really stupid. Like fall in love with Zoe.
Nate and Ephraim went on several trips to parallel universes over the next few days. Despite Ephraim's private apprehension, Nate didn't seem intent on robbing or murdering all the time. Instead, they went to comic book shops and video game stores to pick up things you couldn't get in Nate's universe, the way they used to hang out at the mall. It was ludicrous to imagine this kind of power being used just to buy more stuff, but at least no one was getting hurt. And they were actually getting comfortable with each other.
He feared that wouldn't last. Ephraim figured he was under probation while Nate tried to figure out if his friendship was sincere. Eventually, Ephraim would have to prove himself by helping Nate hurt someone. He had to figure out how to get the controller before that happened.
But Ephraim had to admit, using the coin could be fun. It was easy to convince Nate that he was enjoying himself, because he was. Though he'd begun to recognize the attraction of it—there were countless universes out there to explore—he was actually disappointed that so many of them were similar to his own, aside from a few subtle and not-so-subtle differences.
There were worlds where everyone drove hybrid electric cars; Ephraim didn't spot a single SUV on the road, and all the parking meters were equipped with sleek charging stations for car batteries.
They visited a version of Summerside where everyone bizarrely had a Boston accent. Ephraim and Nate drew stares whenever they spoke—apparently they sounded like they didn't come from anywhere in particular.
One universe was completely devoid of franchise fast food, the first McDonald's restaurant having apparently failed, barely a footnote in history. The absence was striking on Central Avenue, where mom-and-pop businesses that had shut down long ago still thrived, and the Starbucks coffee shops and chain stores that had slowly crept in to replace them had disappeared entirely.
Ephraim began to pick up on little details he'd noticed in his first experiments with the coin, things he'd discounted at first but which he now saw as slight variations that implied more significant differences. But he was still getting bored of all the sameness. There were no parallel universes where people had superpowers, or the laws of physics were wildly different, or there were two suns. Perhaps there were earths with dinosaurs out there, Nate suggested, but it seemed that the most inventive realities remained in the realm of comic books and movies. Or maybe the device couldn't or wouldn't allow them to visit those worlds.
“How can you be bored? We're traveling to parallel universes! No one else can do that,” Nate said. “Every trip we take is amazing.”
“I just want to see something…new. That's all,” Ephraim said.
Nate nodded. “That's the spirit. Let's see what this thing's got.”
They set the controller on random and each time the coin stopped spinning, Nate checked the coordinates. He shook his head, then set it spinning again three times before he was satisfied.
“I feel good about these numbers. Let's try it,” Nate said. He put a hand on Ephraim's shoulder, and Ephraim took the coin.
The first thing Ephraim noticed was a change in light from the warmth of noon to a cooler pre-dawn brightness, though it was still hotter than it should be in July. The sky was gray but not overcast. He couldn't see any clouds, but heavy pollution in the air muted the sun somehow, and the back of his throat tickled. Nate sneezed a couple of times beside him.
The next thing he noticed was how much nothing there was. The park across the street was gone, and the ground was barren as far as he could see, dry and pitted with a scraggly dead tree jutting out of the ground here and there. They were surrounded by miles of black chain link fence topped by coils of barbed wire.
“This world doesn't look very friendly,” Ephraim said. “Where are we?”
Nate grabbed his arm and spun him around to face the library. The building had been replaced by a squat concrete structure, a large bunker or some kind of military
facility. They trudged toward the large steel doors slowly, passing a couple of muddy green Jeeps parked in front. Nate stopped and picked up a flyer from a pile on the dashboard of one of the vehicles. His face paled.
“What is it?” Ephraim asked.
Nate handed him the flyer and pulled out the controller.
“Get the coin ready, Ephraim. We're leaving,” Nate said.
Ephraim read the flyer. It showed a picture of Uncle Sam in a top hat and red, white, and blue. He was pointing, like in the old war posters Ephraim had seen in Social Studies class. But the bold red letters along the bottom read, “I Own You.” The words at the bottom announced that all men and women age 16 and older were being drafted for the US Army to fight in the war against the Soviets, as of June 1.
“Ephraim, the coin,” Nate said. “Now.” He was punching some numbers into the controller.
Ephraim dropped the flyer to retrieve the coin from his pocket. The paper was swept up by a sudden gust of warm, gritty wind and shot away from him. It caught briefly on the barbed wire along the fence, then ripped free and fluttered across the parched land.
Nate grabbed the coin from his hand.
“Hey!” Ephraim said.
The coin was orienting itself above the controller now.
“We don't have time for this. Ephraim, this is a recruitment center. And they want us.” Nate pointed at Ephraim like Uncle Sam in the poster. No, he was pointing behind Ephraim.
Ephraim turned and saw a Jeep rumbling toward them. Someone shouted at them. A camouflaged soldier climbed out with an assault rifle at his elbow and sauntered toward them, his combat boots kicking up plumes of dirt.
“How'd you get in here?” the soldier called. “What's your unit? Why aren't you in uniform?”
“Shit. Take the coin,” Nate hissed.
The soldier was leveling his weapon at them now. He said something that sounded like a question in Russian. His expression was all business, just like the gun, but Ephraim abruptly recognized him. It was Michael Gupal, who was only a year older than him and Nate.
Nate grabbed onto Ephraim's arm with a vise-like grip, and Ephraim reached for the coin. He nearly dropped it, but as soon as his hand made contact, they were away. He imagined the shocked look on Michael's face as they disappeared.
The universe they were in was the complete opposite of the one they'd left behind. The land around them was covered in lush wilderness. Not only were the buildings gone, but dense trees and a small lake occupied the site of Greystone Park, a stark contrast to the artificially created woodland Ephraim was used to.
“Thank God,” Nate said. “That was too close. Good thing I had these coordinates memorized.” He spat into the long grass. Ephraim could taste the last universe in the grit in his mouth too, but it felt wrong to taint the unspoiled land they were standing on.
“This area has never been settled,” Nate said in a low tone. Ephraim was surprised at the wistfulness he heard in his voice. He expected Nate to say that it was the perfect place to bury a body, not treat the land with the surprising reverence he obviously had for it.
Nate turned around slowly, his arms spread wide. He tilted his head back and drew in a deep breath.
Ephraim had never smelled fresher air. He was aware of the sounds of life all around them. Birds chattered in the trees, and he heard rustling in the foliage. It was warm but pleasant for a day in July, unlike the record heat wave hitting Nate's universe and the almost unbearable temperatures in the militaristic universe they'd stumbled into.
“Eph and I came here a lot,” Nate said. “We hiked all through this forest. It goes on forever. We've never seen anyone else here, but we found signs of American Indians here and there. There's a burial mound three miles north. Eph was collecting arrowheads and old stuff like that. We think they all must have died or moved on.” He sighed. “This is one of my favorite places, in any universe.”
“Thanks for sharing it,” Ephraim said. He agreed that the place had appeal, but he was unnerved at the idea that in this universe, he'd never even existed. Everything he knew, everyone he loved, was missing—and the world seemed better for it.
Ephraim ignored his scenic surroundings and focused on Nate. The other boy rested with his back against a tree, one hand tucked into the pocket of his sweatshirt where he carried the controller. No chance of getting it away from Nate while he dozed off, but Ephraim might be able to take the gun from the other pocket or prevent Nate from reaching it first.
Through all their travels, Ephraim had never allowed himself to relax, always waiting for a moment to steal the controller without getting injured or killed in the process. But he almost felt that they had a real friendship now. That scared him as much as he hoped that Nate believed it, too.
He couldn't let Nate's resemblance to his best friend prevent him from acting. There was a large rock nearby. If Ephraim could grab that—
Nate opened his eyes and yawned. He checked his cell phone for the time and got to his feet. He dusted off his pants and approached Ephraim.
“I'd love to stay longer, but we have one more stop to make,” Nate said. “It's just about lunchtime.”
“I think I've had enough excitement for one day.” One lifetime, even. “Where are we going now?” Ephraim asked.
He hid his disappointment at another missed opportunity. He pulled out the coin and slid it into the controller; they had done this together so many times, they each knew their roles automatically. Nate seemed to pay careful attention to the coordinates this time, as though he were looking for a specific one that he didn't use often.
Nate looked up and walked five paces to the large rock Ephraim had spotted. He gestured Ephraim over and directed him to stand in a certain place beside him on the other side of the rock. He grabbed onto Ephraim's arm with one hand and held the controller out with the other. Ephraim took the coin, and in an instant they were standing inside the bus shelter across from the Summerside Public Library, shaded from the hot noon sun. The library was open, which told him they weren't back in Nate's universe or one of its close approximations.
“Where are we?” Ephraim asked. He turned around and saw Greystone Park behind them, looking the same as usual.
“Does anything look familiar?” Nate said.
Ephraim laughed. “Everything does,” he said. “I'm kind of getting used to that.”
Nate grinned. “You're home, Eph.”
Ephraim looked around, but there was no easy way to tell this universe apart from many of the others he'd been to.
“I'm home?” Ephraim said. He felt a sudden thrill of happiness, before it was tempered by suspicion. “Why?”
“I thought you wanted to come back here,” Nate said.
“I did. I do. But I'm confused. Do you want to get rid of me?” He eyed the pocket where Nate always kept his gun.
“It's time to make a decision, Eph,” Nate said. “We can continue to be a team. I'd like to. Or if you think you still want out of our arrangement, you can stay here, where you belong.”
“That's it? No strings?”
“Just one,” Nate said. He pointed at the library.
Ephraim saw another Ephraim walk out and sit next to the big stone lion to the right of the stairs. This was the first time he'd actually seen one of his analogs, aside from the picture of the dead Ephraim. Somehow that made this all more real, even though he'd already been to so many different universes.
“How is that possible? If this is my universe, then I'm the Ephraim that belongs here. Who the hell is that?”
“When you made that first wish, he's the Ephraim you exchanged with. I saw it happen. He took your place.”
The library doors slid open. Jena appeared. Ephraim's jaw clenched. He hadn't considered the fact that she was still alive in this universe, but it made sense—he'd only seen one of her analogs die, after all, several universes away. This was a different Jena entirely—not as different as Zoe, but not the same girl Nathan had killed, either. This Jena st
ill didn't know anything about the coin or how Ephraim had tried to use it to make her interested in him.
“Looks like he got your girl, Eph.” Nate sat on the bus bench and stretched out his legs. He laid the controller beside him then folded his hands in his lap.
“How do I know this is really my home reality?” Ephraim said.
“You can look around some more if you want. Go home and talk to your mom. She's probably out of the hospital by now, steadily drinking herself back into a stupor. I wonder how this Ephraim handled that whole mess in your place.”
Ephraim's confusion turned to anger. The Ephraim across the street had been living his life all this time. There was no telling what he'd done in the last month since Ephraim had accidentally left it. His analog and Jena laughed, and she leaned against his arm.
Ephraim sat down. He suddenly felt conspicuous. What if one of them glanced over and saw him at the bus stop? But it didn't look like those two had eyes for anyone but each other.
“If there are two of me here, how can I stay here?” Ephraim said. “How can I get my old life back?”
Nathan looked at him. “We'd have to get rid of him,” he said.
“How do you mean?” Ephraim said.
“That's the deal, Eph. The way I see it, you have two options. You can try to talk to him, convince him to take the coin and leave this universe with me. Then you can step in and enjoy the fruits of his labor with Jena. It looks like he's already gotten farther than you ever did. But hopefully not too far yet, eh? Maybe you can learn something.”
So here was Nate's test of loyalty, sooner than he'd thought it would come. Ephraim was tempted—he could just pass the responsibility to someone else. It would be easy to tell himself that it wasn't his problem, but he didn't believe that anymore. There was no distinction between him and them. All the Ephraims in all the universes, good and bad, were him. But he was the only one with the coin.
“And the other option?” Ephraim asked. He already knew what it would be.
