The Guardian of Threshold

by A. A. Volts

  Since I was still lost as what to write, I decided to write the only thing that came to mind. I held the permanent maker and wrote, “MOM.”

  I noticed then that something else was different about my dad’s room: it no longer contained my mother’s pictures. The spot on his desk that was usually reserved for my mother’s wedding ring was bare.

  Did he forget my mother? Did it finally get easier for him to deal with her passing?

  I had mixed feelings. On one hand, it was good that he could move on; but on the other, I didn’t want him to forget about her. I wanted to talk to him about all of these things.

  As hard as it was, I had to put all these worries behind me, because in order to astral project, the book said that my mind had to be free of worries and as empty as possible. It was okay, however, to concentrate on a single thought to help keep myself focused, and I’d already chosen to think about my mother.

  I placed my note right in the center of my dad’s desk and headed to the door, pausing for a moment as I tried to decide if I should leave the light on or shut it off. I finally decided to leave it on, deciding that it would be easier to read from the astral realm.

  I locked the door behind me and placed the key in my pocket as I walked back to the living room, only to find Jonas standing against the basement door gasping for air.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I felt… something… no, someone,” Jonas said, breathing hard. “It was a presence, more like a feeling of being observed, and then suddenly I felt something touch my arm, and I ran upstairs as fast as I could and locked the door.” Jonas looked like he was about to pass out from fear, hyperventilation, or exhaustion.

  But Carla couldn’t contain her laughter.

  “It’s not funny. Astral sex better be worth it for all this trouble,” said Jonas, revealing more than he probably should have. Although it wasn’t a secret, he was going through late puberty.

  “Take it easy Astral Casanova, I’m sure it was nothing,” said Carla.

  “Nothing? You say that because it wasn’t you that… thing, whatever it was, tried to grab,” replied Jonas.

  The basement wasn’t as bad as I made it out to be. It was actually pretty nice. After all, it was a finished basement with a home theater system and a pool table that was rarely used—the surrounding wall-length mirrors always made me feel uneasy and spooked instead of making the room look bigger like they were supposed to.

  Jonas described how he went down the stairs and how the steps creaked as his heart raced out of control, all because of an unknown creature that was hunting him down. Normally, I discarded 90 percent of his stories, but this was different. I knew exactly what he meant; I’d gone through it earlier.

  “I don’t know, man, I’m having second thoughts about this,” said Jonas.

  “It’s fine. If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to,” I said.

  “Nope, you need my help,” said Jonas, trying to look determined, but his body language and worried look betrayed him.

  “Where did you put your note?” asked Carla.

  “It’s on top…” He paused for split second. “Am I supposed to tell you that?”

  “Duh… how else are we going to find it when we’re astral traveling?” replied Carla, shaking her head.

  “Oh… you’re right. I put it on top of the pool table, smack in the middle,” said Jonas proudly, as if that made him brave. “Why don’t you guys believe me? I’m telling you, I saw something down there.”

  “Lately, I have seen a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t, under normal circumstances, believe,” I said. “So yes, I do believe you.”

  “I was looking for the sleeping bag when I saw a shadow in the mirror. Naturally, I froze for a second, but I knew that I had to get that sleeping bag. Otherwise, I would probably have to go back down there, since my note is there and all,” said Jonas. “I saw the green and the blue sleeping bags. I reached down to grab either one when I saw it looking straight at me from the darkest corner of the room.”

  “Don’t over think it,” recommended Carla. She had always been wiser than Jonas and I combined.

  Although they were twins, they were very different. While Carla survived on determination and wisdom, Jonas’s strongest suits were his pride, loyalty, and even his blunt honesty. Carla was selfless and caring, while Jonas was selfish, careless, and stubborn. They were the perfect example that traits weren’t biological in nature.

  I’d learned throughout the years not to take sides, because if I did they would both end up mad at me. There were times I couldn’t believe how smart they were—granted, this happened more often with Carla—and there were times I couldn’t believe how childish they could be.

  “Sis, you’re taking all of this very casually… how come?” asked Jonas.

  “That’s because I’ve done it before,” said Carla, as though she didn’t want to elaborate further.

  “Really? You never mentioned it,” said Jonas.

  “Well, I didn’t know what you guys were going to think about it. Besides, it only happened a couple times before, and that was when I was overtired. I didn’t mean for it to happen, it just did,” said Carla as she headed toward the front door.

  “Where are you going now?” Jonas asked.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m going home to grab some pajamas and stuff,” said Carla, opening the door.

  “Not that way,” I said. “Use the side door, it’s safer.”

  “I’m not going all the way around in this snow. Besides, it’ll be fine,” said Carla, closing the door behind her as I felt a wave of cold air invade my personal space and the floor rumble from the door as the wind blew it shut.

  “Get my stuff too!” yelled Jonas from inside. “I hope she heard me.”

  “I’m sure she did, and so did the neighbors,” I joked.

  “Has everyone except me experienced this astral stuff before?” inquired Jonas while I was busy wondering if I should use this opportunity to talk to Jonas about Carla or not. I decided against since we were supposed to be having a sleepover and all. It might make things awkward.

  “Maybe tonight is the night,” I replied, trying to get his hopes up because positive thinking was a very important factor in astral projection.

  “Who do you suppose this Phasma really is?” asked Jonas.

  “I don’t have a clue… whomever he is, he’s out to get me, and I’m going to find out why.”

  “I wonder if I’ll see him too? Maybe my ghost will be a hot chick,” said Jonas.

  “In your dreams,” I said.

  “Exactly, we’ll be dreaming so there’s hope.”

  After about five minutes, the door reopened and the cold wind once again rushed inside, and so did Carla, carrying a bright pink duffel bag.

  “About time,” said Jonas, giving Carla a mean look.

  “How’s the weather?” I asked.

  “Believe it or not, it’s even colder now. I had to jump over a huge snow bank to get to my house,” said Carla, displaying snow marks all the way up to her knees.

  “Did you remember to bring my stuff?” asked Jonas.

  “Don’t worry, I got your ugly stuff,” said Carla as she opened her pink duffel bag and tossed a set of hideous pajamas and a worn-out toothbrush his way.

  “What do you say?” asked Carla after a few seconds.

  “Huh? Oh… thanks,” said Jonas, making a funny face by twitching his nose.

  “Can I use the restroom?” asked Carla.

  “Sure,” I replied.

  “You guys are already going to bed?” asked Jonas in disbelief.

  “Ah, yes, it’s almost 11:30 p.m.,” replied Carla, looking at her watch.

  “So? Tomorrow is Sunday. We can sleep in late,” replied Jonas.

  “Actually, we can’t. As soon as the roads are clear, Mom and Dad will be coming home, which means that we’ll have to wake up early and head back home way before they are back. That’s if we don’
t want to get in a load of trouble for not telling them,” said Carla.

  “Bummer, I better get ready for bed then,” said Jonas, closing the laptop screen.

  Before we went upstairs, I made sure that all the doors were locked, including my dad’s office, the basement, and the guest room.

  ***

  “Well, here goes nothing,” I said as I shut off the lights in the living room but left the foyer light on as a night light.

  I followed Carla and Jonas up the stairs, and since Carla was in front of me, I chose to focus all my attention on her as we walked past the Sorrow’s Hallway.

  Jonas slowly walked by the cursed hallway, doing exactly what I couldn’t. He stared attentively at each and every picture on the wall. I didn’t blame him because they did tell a story; unfortunately, it was a story missing a happy ending.

  I was so focused on Carla and trying not to pay attention to the pictures that I didn’t even notice that Jonas had my laptop in one hand and his hideous pajamas, toothbrush, and the blue sleeping bag in the other hand. Jonas must have tripped on the power cord, which caused him to wobble; he struggled to maintain his balance. I reached over just in time to catch the laptop before it fell on the floor with Jonas.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “Ouch, that hurts,” he replied, rubbing his knees.

  “Nice catch,” said Carla, opening my bedroom door.

  “I’m fine, thanks, Sis,” replied Jonas.

  “Well, who told you to do stupid things?” said Carla.

  “Let’s go inside,” I said, ignoring what I’d learned over the years about getting in the middle because I was in a hurry to get out of the hallway.

  “Sorry about the laptop,” said Jonas as he got up and tossed the sleeping bag inside my room.

  “No problem, no harm done, bud,” I said.

  We walked inside my room. I had a very unusual room for a teenager. It was rather large—originally it had been two separate rooms that were combined into one by the previous owners.

  I picked up Jonas’s sleeping bag from the floor and placed it on the brown couch inside my room.

  Carla headed straight to the bathroom—I’d hoped she would use the one in the hallway so she wouldn’t see the mess in my bathroom.

  I quickly rearranged things in my room while Carla was in the bathroom, careful not to raise any suspicions from Jonas.

  “Where am I going to sleep at?” asked Jonas as I hid some dirty laundry deep inside my closet.

  “Well, there’s the couch, the pullout bed under mine, and the sleeping bag. So it’s your choice,” I said as I looked for a pair of stylish pajamas. The only problem was that I didn’t have any stylish pajamas; I’m not even sure they made stylish pajamas. I would have to settle for something less attractive. My camo pajamas would have to do the trick.

  As I waited for Carla to come out of the bathroom, I pulled the bed out and made sure it had clean sheets and pillows—I knew Carla liked to sleep with two pillows, so that’s how many I put on the bed, hoping she would pick the bed next to mine instead of the couch or the sleeping bag.

  Just as I was about to open my astral projection book, Carla came out of the bathroom looking as gorgeous as ever. She wore satin, bright pink pajamas. She had her hair down, and her eyes were shining like glorious beacons of light in the night sky.

  I placed the astral projection book on the nightstand next to my bed, grabbed my camo pajamas, and went to the bathroom to change and get ready for bed.

  I was brushing my teeth when, suddenly, I heard a huge thud against the bathroom window. I carefully got closer so I could hear better when another loud thud hit the window and sent me fleeing to the other side of the bathroom.

  What’s that? I wondered. I quickly finished brushing my teeth. I finished so quick, in fact, that I think I even forgot to rinse.

  “Did you guys hear that?” I asked after I opened the bathroom door.

  “I think the weather is definitely not in a playing mood tonight,” said Jonas.

  “First snow and now ice? I don’t know how much more that porch can take,” I said.

  “Why do you worry about it so much? I’m sure it’ll be fine,” said Carla.

  “I just don’t want anyone to get hurt. The darn thing just seems ready to fall apart at any moment, it’s even crooked,” I said.

  “I wonder when your dad is going to fix it,” said Jonas bluntly.

  “Probably after it falls down,” I said.

  It brought me comfort to know that I might be only moments away from seeing my mother. I hoped that by the time the night was over, I would at least know for sure if everything had been a dream, simply wishful thinking, or if it was a real possibility.

  “Are you guys scared? What if this thing really works and we leave our bodies?” asked Jonas.

  “Not really scared, more anxious than anything,” I said truthfully. “I have a lot riding on this.”

  “What if I can’t wake up from it?” asked Jonas.

  “The book says that’s impossible. Besides, if I were you, I’d worry about Phasma instead,” I said, realizing that I wasn’t being very encouraging.

  “Actually, you shouldn’t worry about anything, or you’ll never be able to complete the separation process,” said Carla from across the room where she had prepared her bed for the night.

  “I’m a bit scared, but I’m sure it’ll turn out to be just a dream, if anything at all. You know our minds are incredible machines,” replied Jonas, almost like he was trying to convince himself that everything was going to be okay.

  “What do you guys say we start? I’m getting tired,” said Carla, yawning.

  “Don’t forget, my note is on top of the pool table,” offered Jonas.

  “Mine is on top of the desk,” said Carla.

  “And mine is on top of my dad’s desk,” I replied, feeling in sync with Carla like we belonged together.

  “Why did you bring the laptop, Jonas?” I asked.

  “Just in case we need it for research or something,” replied Jonas, looking like he was hiding something.

  “I don’t buy it,” said Carla from the pullout bed across the room.

  “Neither do I,” I added.

  “Come on, what’s the real reason?” asked Carla.

  “Okay fine, I’ll tell you, but don’t laugh,” replied Jonas. “I don’t like to be in the dark, so if the power goes out in the middle of the night, it works great as a night light. Besides, I figure it would be best to set an alarm on the computer in case we have any difficulties waking up.”

  “That makes sense,” I said as I looked at Carla, and we both laughed discreetly behind his back.

  “Sure, make fun of me now. You’ll both thank me later,” mumbled Jonas, lying on the couch and covering himself with a sheet, comforter, and the sleeping bag.

  We wished each other good night and covered ourselves, which was the best thing to do, according to the book.

  The room grew quiet. After a while, all I could hear was the relentless ice hitting the roof and windows of the house and the occasional snore from Jonas.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  BEYOND PHYSICALITY

  I think I was the second to fall asleep. Lately, I could sleep anywhere; it was like my body had been hard-wired to sleep, perhaps because I hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a while.

  Just when I was about to completely fall asleep, I saw formless shadows moving randomly. I had the same symptoms as before, which I quickly recognized as the beginning of the astral travel process.

  Behind my closed eyelids, I enjoyed a colorful light show. Suddenly, my body started to feel like it had been filled with liquid lead. The sight of my room quickly replaced the lights, although it had a greenish tint, as if I was wearing glasses with dark-green lenses.

  I seemed more alert than in previous experiences, more alert than I’d ever been in my life. I paid meticulous attention to all the details of my surroundings, taking full advantage of my in
creased focus.

  I was busy looking around the room when I noticed an exquisite and luminous light being cast on the wall and ceiling. I traced its source with my eyes. That’s when I saw her. She was even more beautiful and charming in the astral realm. Her hair, which was already beautiful, radiated an intense and colorful aura, almost like the sun and its corona, except more vibrant. Her face was diffused and white like snow, making her appear almost angelic and goddess-like. Her eyes captivated me even though she hadn’t seen me yet.

  One quick look was enough for me to become eternally addicted to her serenity and sweetness. All my worries dissipated in that single look into her soul, a soul so perfect that she seemed like a dream within a dream.

  I stood there in amazement as Carla’s body floated gently just a couple feet above her physical body. She still seemed unaware of her surroundings. I figured I’d give her some time; after all, her physical body was still tossing and turning in bed.

  I decided to look at Jonas and see what was happening to him. He appeared to be slowly lifting out of his body as well. He hovered only a few inches, and then went back down again. He was stuck; his legs and arms didn’t move an inch, only his head and torso.

  I wanted to help him, but I didn’t know how. When I finally decided to try, I grabbed him by his right arm and pulled upward with all my strength. However, I was pulled down as if a giant magnet had been activated.

  I started to pull his arm again, and when I seemed to be having some success, I thought: If I don’t have a body, why don’t I sink into the ground?

  No sooner had I finished that thought then my feet started to sink into the wooden floor, like it had turned into quicksand.

  It took me only a couple seconds to figure out what had happened. My thoughts had influenced my surroundings. I thought about floating up, and almost immediately I stopped sinking and slowly started to move up again. Next I thought about the ground becoming solid, and sure enough, the floor turned solid once more.

  Pulling Jonas’s astral body out of his physical body proved to be more work and more nerve-racking than I had anticipated. Since I was afraid of doing something wrong, I decided to stop and explore some more.