Protogenesis: Before the Beginning

by Alysia Helming

  It’s clear now that I can’t confide in Janus about anything. He’s been lying to me, feeding me only bits and pieces of information when it suits his needs. I can’t trust him.

  I shudder when I think of what he will do to me if he finds me down here. My heart thumps hard in my chest as I recall the overzealous fire that so totally consumed Janus when he told me that his shop was off limits. It was as if he was possessed. I have to get out of here!

  Thump…pause….thump…pause… My whole body tenses up.

  The sound stops. I’m afraid to move, paralyzed in fear, but the next sound is much further away, like it’s the croaking floorboards of the room upstairs. Bastet’s expression tells me that all is okay. Her ears and face completely relax, and she starts to lick her paws. I sigh in relief as I realize that no one is coming.

  Now what? It’s obvious that someone is walking around in the room above us. Somehow, I’ve got to get out of here undetected. Slowly but surely, Bastet and I creep up the steps, careful not to make any noise.

  When we reach the top, I push on the door, and it starts to crack open. To my horror, it starts to groan…but then it stops, like it’s stuck. There must be something wedged behind the door. As I reach inside to figure out what is causing the jam, I try shoving the door open further and am greeted with a loud grunt.

  As I try to peek through the crack, I can’t see much, but I can hear. From where I stand, it sounds like a hundred voices are harmonizing in unison. “Ommmm….”

  It sounds like there’s choir practice going on. The door starts to slowly crack open, but only an inch more. I think I can see a shock of red hair on the floor. Then as the door opens all the way, the owner of the red hair becomes visible. It’s a man. He grimaces slightly as he rubs his head, so I’m pretty sure that I hit him with the door. I would feel sorry about this, but I’m totally distracted by a prolific variety of nose hairs that peek out of his bulbous nose.

  No sign of Janus. Inside the shop, almost every possible square inch is filled with people from all walks of life suspended in a wide variety of outrageous poses. The room is so packed that I can’t see a way through to get up to the apartment.

  I didn’t think it was possible for anything to surprise me anymore here, but this…well, it’s bizarre. Up on the counter, a wrinkled old woman with wiry gray hair balances the whole weight of her body on her forearms with her body and legs suspended overhead, contorted into a strange alien shape. The man with the nose hairs is now twisted into a wacked-out position that looks as if maybe he’s trying to do the splits, but one leg is bent in the wrong direction.

  I close the bookcase/basement door. As I turn the corner, there, front and center and on a raised platform, is Janus, sitting upright with his legs crossed, eyes closed, and facing away from me. I expel a sigh of relief when I realize that he can’t see me. I should be able to easily sneak past without his knowing.

  This must be some sort of séance or yoga. Janus continues chanting in Greek, and the room is perfectly still. No one is moving, which makes me think that this must be something else, like meditation. They chant again, but much longer this time. “Oooooouuuummmm…”

  All of a sudden, Janus grows quiet, and his eyes snap open. He speaks in a very slow, melodic, sing-song voice. “Ah, Helene.” He closes his eyes again as if to continue his practice. His voice is now almost a whisper. “Please, come join us.”

  I’m terrified. How does he know that I’m here? I have no idea, but I can’t allow him to notice the changes in me, or he will know that I’ve been up to something.

  No one looks up at me. I’m overwhelmed by the pungent stench of sweaty bodies. Someone here has some pretty serious body odor. Time for me to get out of here. I tiptoe across the various bodies, trying not to hit anyone on my way. In some places, there isn’t even room for the width of the toe of my shoe, so I have to leap over people for a few feet here and there just to get to the next open space.

  I’ve almost made it to the stairway leading up to our apartment when Janus whips around and resumes his serene whispering, now addressing the whole room in English. “Children of the ancient peoples of Greece, thank you for your time today.” He bends in a dramatic bow. “Namaste.” Heads bob in silent thanks as he continues. “I will be performing energy work in the Tranquility Room of the villa now. In case anyone is interested, please join me.” What? I had no idea that we have a “Tranquility Room” here or that this building is called a “villa.”

  I study Janus for a minute. Who the heck is this guy? There is such a vast difference in Janus’s persona in front of these people compared to his crazy outburst yesterday. Today, he seems so Oprah…so calm…so oddly pleasant that I don’t even recognize him.

  Before he shifts his attention over to the energy work in the mysterious Tranquility Room, Janus nods at me, trying to get my attention. “Ummm, Helene?”

  I’m just about to reach the stairs but stop short. I won’t turn around. “Yeah?”

  “Where are your glasses?” All traces of Oprah seem to vanish for the moment.

  I panic, then blurt out, “Contacts,” and rush up the stairs and into the apartment.

  Fast as can be, I throw on some clothes, grab my backpack, and head out and down the spiral stairway to the street below. Through the dingy windows, I see Janus looking around for me as people approach him inside his shop.

  On my way to school, one thing is abundantly apparent to me. The mirror has affected me, and somehow, I know that my life will never be the same. But what if it wasn’t a dream? What if it was real? Just as I hop onto the school bus at Syntagma Square, I pinch myself. Ouch! The sharp pain tells my mind that I am not dreaming.

  ***

  Something big is brewing at the Academy today. Several girls whisper in hushed tones, stifling giggles as I pass by them in the hallway, outside on the school grounds, and even in the classrooms. What on Earth could they be talking about? I know that the spring dance was just announced, which is like the prom here, but how can a silly dance be the source of so much drama?

  Ever and his buddies are striding down the hall in my direction, and amazingly, Samantha’s not hanging on his arm as usual. Today it’s just him surrounded by his friends, who I’m sure are all popular super-athletes. Right now, Ever’s friends razz him about something, all laughing hysterically, but he looks only slightly peeved.

  I wonder what happened to Samantha? I conjure scenarios that must have led to her ultimate demise, each more outrageous and ghastly than the last, so much so that I’m not paying attention to where I’m going.

  I snap out of my daydream just in time to see that I am headed straight for Ever. Just as I’m about to collide with him, I gasp in embarrassment when at the last second, I shift to the side, barely avoiding him, but my hand swings and unintentionally grazes his. I feel my whole arm tingle as his eyes open wide in surprise. I want to crawl into a small hole and stay there, but he doesn’t even look up as he continues down the hall in the opposite direction.

  Of course, curiosity gets the better of me, so I stop and whip around. Ever and all his friends stand there, leaning against the lockers. He’s staring directly at me. It appears that he’s listening to his friends, but his sparkling blue eyes bore into mine, and I know that he’s thinking about me…but this time, I feel something new. He’s not studying me in the usual way, but rather, there’s a perplexed look on his face as if he’s confused about something. Heat rushes up my neck and into my face, so I turn back around and practically run down the hallway into my next class.

  Vani waits for me inside but does a double take when she sees me. “Holy sweet Jesus, Helene, what happened?” She takes my arm to spin me around. “Because…oh…wow…you look fabulous.”

  I pause for a moment, t
rying to think of what to say as I suddenly remember the change in my appearance. “Juice fast,” I say quickly, hoping to change the subject.

  Still scrutinizing me, she says, “So Janus must have finally splurged to get you some contacts. It’s about time.” Then she scrunches up her face. “Oh no.”

  “What?” I ask, worried.

  “Looks like we need to go shopping. You need new clothes.” She points at my legs. “Your jeans are too short.” Then she laughs. “Weren’t you just wearing them on Friday?”

  I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. “Oh yeah, I washed them in hot water. I hate it when they shrink like that.”

  Vani gives me a knowing look. “Of course. It’s the worst!”

  Just then, Dimitris – I mean Mr. Paxinos – clears his throat, which means it’s time to quiet down and start class. Almost immediately, my mind is swept away into reflecting on the fantastical place on the other side of the mirror. Part of me still does not believe that it could have been real, that it was nothing more than a spectacular dream. As I glance down at my tanned arm and flawless skin, I know better.

  I snap out of it when some of his words catch my attention… “Renowned Princeton philosopher David K. Lewis postulated that the Greek gods were real in another dimension.”

  I listen intently as Dimitris continues, “Lewis postulated the theory of modal realism, which is the idea that alternate dimensions, or universes, exist that are similar to ours but experience a different reality. Critics don’t take this theory too seriously, though, because the rules of quantum mechanics as we know them would not allow passage between different dimensions, so it’s impossible to prove.”

  My mother was completely obsessed with anything ‘quantum’. Not that I understood most of it, but I remember her telling me about this place in Switzerland that had something to do with other dimensions.

  What was the name of that place? Curiosity is killing me! I have to know. To my left, I see Vani’s phone sitting out on her desk.

  “I need your phone,” I whisper to her.

  She raises an eyebrow at me, but then passes the phone over to me under the desk. Dimitris continues his talk at the front of the room, oblivious to this. Under the desk, I type in the words: “Switzerland alternate universe.”

  A long list pops up regarding an organization called CERN. They specialize in nuclear research and invented a machine called a particle accelerator that is used to detect and possibly create mini black holes. One headline reads: “CERN’s Large Hadron Collider could prove parallel universes exist, say researchers…”

  This is significant. I need to find out more. Now.

  “Dimi…oh, I mean Mr. Paxinos!” I say out loud.

  All eyes in the room shift to me.

  “Helene, yes?” Dimitris asks. He seems surprised at my sudden outburst.

  “Are you talking about parallel universes?” I ask, looking around. For a moment, the room is completely silent. Time and space seem to halt.

  A look of whimsical delight fills Dimitris expression, while he gathers his thoughts.

  I glance down again at Vani’s phone, where I see the words: “hidden doorways…portals…bridge to multiple universes…” The eerie blue light of the mirror in my godfather’s basement comes to mind. Could it be so?

  “What about a portal?” I ask.

  Dimitris’s eyes grow wide. He breaks the silence with a slight shuffle of his shoe. “How very astute, Helene. Yes, but portals theoretically can exist only where all realties are identical in both content and kind, meaning they must share the same physical properties and space-time continuum. Lewis was talking about universes where the realities are different in content but not kind.” A sparkle fills his eyes. “Keep in mind that all of this is just theory until proven or disproven.”

  The bell rings. As everyone gathers up their stuff, Dimitris catches my arm. “Helene, where did you hear about parallel universes and portals?”

  I sigh. I can’t exactly tell him I was using Vani’s phone during class. “Uh, I read it somewhere. My mom is really into this kind of stuff.”

  Dimitris grins, his whole face lighting up in interest. “Yes, of course. Impressive.” As I turn to leave, his next words stop me in my tracks. “You know, the great Greek philosopher Plato also wrote of the existence of a parallel world.”

  The squeaking sign with the worn-away word OLYMPUS on its face flashes through my mind. A chill runs up my spine as I turn around to respond. But Dimitris is gone. That’s weird. He was just right here. There was nowhere for him to go.

  Out in the hallway, I realize with dread that my next class is my least favorite – P.E. The dread turns to outright anguish when I hear the obnoxious sound of Samantha’s laugh behind me. Just as I’m about to dash away, I hear her grating voice. “Oh, okay. Now, this is funny. What the hell happened to you, Helene?”

  This time she has no trouble getting my name right. My usual fear of Samantha seems to have disappeared after my recent visit to a supposed parallel universe. In fact, I’m eager to confront her, to have some fun with her so I make up the most outrageous thing I can think of.

  “Lipo,” I say with a mischievous smirk.

  From across the hall, I hear a laugh. Someone else is listening. It’s Ever. He’s trying very hard not to crack up. He seems to know that I’m completely making this up, like he’s in on my little joke. Not surprising, really. I mean, it’s not like I was overweight before, but now I’m more toned. Besides, how would a poor girl from Metaxourgeio like me suddenly afford an expensive cosmetic procedure like liposuction?

  A look of recognition floods Samantha’s face. “Yes, of course. My mom had it done last year. Where did you go to get it done? Dr. Sampros is the best in Athens. But wait…” She stops with a finger on her chin. “That doesn’t explain your eyes.”

  I’m on a roll. I go with it and say, “LASIK.”

  Ever can’t hold it in any longer and laughs out loud.

  “Well, you sure had a busy weekend.” Samantha studies me appraisingly, totally ignoring Ever. “But you really should have planned the post-op better. Those clothes look totally ridiculous on you.”

  “Yeah, well maybe I should hire you to be my personal shopper,” I say boldly. I don’t care anymore what she thinks.

  She’s dumbfounded, like no one has ever dared to make her the butt of a joke before. Ever laughs again. Not a normal laugh. A loud, bellowing laugh.

  This is clearly too much for her. “Enough, Ever! Now you’re laughing at me?” Infuriated, she runs into the gym, scowling. While I’m glad, I’m also pleasantly surprised that Ever was taking my side with her. What was that about?

  I relish my moment of triumph until it dawns on me that it’s time for PE class. Samantha will be there, surrounded by her friends. A hostile environment for me, especially since I know we’re supposed to be fencing. I’m not super-excited to suffer through the expected humiliation that is sure to ensue here yet again today.

  When I get to class, of course, I am picked first…and once again, I must face Samantha. As I stare out at her from across the mat, I should be shaking with fear, but I’m not. When I pick up the sword, it feels light in my hands, as if it weighs nothing.

  As soon as the joust starts, we go a round or two – stab, swing, and lunge – back and forth several times. Fear of the humiliation that I felt with Samantha hits me, making my legs seize up, so I stumble. I hear Samantha snicker as she turns towards her obnoxious friends, as if she’s taking a bow for the crowd. Big mistake.

  I experience a surge of immense strength as the vision of me as a powerful and seasoned warrior consumes my mind. I’m perfectly calm, almost Zen, as if nothing can faze
me. Where is this coming from? I don’t know, but I let it engulf me. With a single flick of my sword, I fling aside Samantha’s with ease, then thrust mine towards her with all my weight, causing her to stumble, back up, trip, and fall to the floor, painfully knocking the wind out of her.

  Only slightly winded, I stand over her body splayed on the floor with my sword pointed at her neck. Suddenly, it hits me what I’ve just done, and I’m stunned. I almost tear up and cry in gratitude.

  As Samantha recovers, she is outraged, huffing and cursing under her breath. “Get off me! It doesn’t matter what you change. You’ll always be a loser!”

  I don’t care what she says now. I know who the winner is, and so does everyone else. Finally, I remove my sword and let her stand.

  But she’s not finished with me yet. She calls out to the surrounding crowd, “I think this was a fluke win. I think Helene should fight someone else, like…” – her eyes are alive with vengeance as she nods toward the boys across the gym – “…like a boy!”

  The girls, mostly her obnoxious friends, cheer all around me.

  Samantha flips her blond hair, looking at me with a malicious grin. “Helene, I dare you to fight Ever Sarantos!”

  Silence falls across the crowd as they stand staring at me with their mouths hanging open. Samantha slinks back into the crowd of girls.

  Before I have any chance to react, the teacher’s assistant calls over to Mr. Mburu, who is busy with the boys across the gym. “Mburu! Can you send Ever Sarantos over here? We need a more ‘worthy’ opponent for Helene Crawford.”

  A look of admiration comes over Mr. Mburu’s face. This must be quite surprising given my total lack of skills before. He yells over to the boys, “Sarantos. Come over here.”