Substitute Faith for Doubt
by Michael Shimek
It
was the thinnest of veils. A curtain of magic to hide the gateway -- it wasn’t
really magic, but because the human mind could never hope to understand the
true workings, it was the closest word to fit the definition. It took space on
a spectrum of light not visible with the naked eye. Those staring directly at
it would never suspect a thing out of the ordinary, even though it was the most
unordinary thing in the world. Kathy certainly didn’t see anything, and she
stood within a few millimeters of it.
“So,”
she said, gripping her husband’s sweaty and clammy hand, “what exactly am I
supposed to be looking at? All I see is a swing set.”
“You
won’t see anything if you don’t believe.” Joseph Waltz turned from the old and
rundown equipment that held him in a trance and looked at the love of his life,
a sadness staining his eyes. “And you can’t see anything now because we’re not
inside yet. You have to step over this piece of wood.”
Kathy
looked down to where he pointed and saw something that did not belong naturally
in the sparse forest. About as long as one of her arms, the hunk of wood was as
fresh as lumber in a sawmill. Long grass grew as high as her shins, but the
greenery avoided the wood as if it were the plague. Beautiful lines of grain
etched along the surface to form a masterpiece worthy of being hung in the Louvre.
It was gorgeous, and definitely out of place, but other than that she didn’t
see anything special about the piece of wood.
“And
once I step over this, I will magically be transported to a different world?”
“Fine,”
he said bluntly. “If you don’t want to do this, then you can go back to the
car. It’s bad enough that my coworkers and friends think I’m crazy; I don’t
need someone I thought cared about me judging me by my side.”
A
dagger sliced through Kathy’s heart. She did care about him; she cared
about him deeply. At first she thought his ranting and ravings were just a joke
and she played along. Then it became serious, affecting his job and social
life, not to mention putting a wedge in their ten-year marriage. She wanted to
help him, thinking it was probably some repressed memory from his childhood -- he
always talked about traveling to some fantastical place as a kid. And she
desperately wanted to believe him, but it was a little hard when everything he
said made absolutely no sense.
With
tears forming in her eyes, she took hold of Joe and wrapped him in the tightest
hug. “I’m here for you no matter what. Okay? I love you more than anything and
would travel to Hell with you if that’s what it took to be by your side.” She
smiled with relief as he hugged her back just as hard.
“I’m
sorry. I know you’re here for me. I’m sorry. This is just all very hard.”
“It’s
okay. Now, show me what I need to do.”
“I...”
“What
is it?”
“I’m
scared. It’s why I’m here. I’m scared for my friends on the other side, I want
to help them, but I...I don’t know if I can do this. It’s too much for me to
handle. I left them. I told them I would come back, but...it’s been so long.”
Kathy
squeezed Joe’s hand. “I’m sure everything will be fine. Have a little faith in
yourself. And, remember, I’m here.”
Joe
inhaled and exhaled loudly before taking a step forward. “Here it goes,” he
said.
Kathy
followed her husband’s lead, stepping over the piece of wood on the ground. She
felt and saw an immediate change, but it was a change she couldn’t put words
to. Everything looked the same, but everything was also just...off, somehow.
Was everything brighter? Was everything blurred just a tad? Was everything
shifted a hair out of place? She couldn’t tell, but something was
different.
“Do
you see that?” Joe asked.
“Yeah,”
she said in an awed whisper. “What is it?”
“I
call it The Fancy In-between,” he said. “Because even though everything might
look old, it has a fancy quality to it. Don’t you think?”
It
could be called no other name. “I agree,” she said. Before she could continue,
Joe grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the swings.
“Here,
we have to sit on these.”
“They
look old and rusty. Won’t they break?”
“They’ve
always looked like this, and I never had a problem before. All you do is sit
down and swing. After a minute or so…well, you’ll see.”
Joe
sat down on the right swing, leaving the left open for Kathy. She stared at the
wooden seat, reluctant to copy her husband. She never thought anything would
really happen when they had arrived, but after stepping over that piece of
wood, reality was playing a mean trick by messing with her sense of perception.
Anything could happen if she sat on that swing.
“Come
on,” Joe said, already three full swings into his back and forth motion. “It’s
perfectly safe. I promise.”
A
pleasurable vibration greeted Kathy’s fingertips as she traced her hand up and
down the rusty chain. She bent over until her rear found contact. She eased her
weight and lifted her legs. Every memory involving a swing from her childhood
hit her like a happy nostalgic slap to the face, a smile the resulting injury.
Any apprehension was lifted and thrown away. She couldn’t remember the last
time she felt so carefree and alive. After a few pumps of her legs she found
her rhythm.
“This
is so fun!” she screamed in delight. “Oh, Joe, I’ve forgotten how fun this is!”
Kathy
almost gasped when she turned to her husband, almost -- there was something
that took away the initial fear and replaced it with pleasure. Joe’s swinging
had become faster than humanly possible. He was nothing but a blur, broken down
to colors of a single curved line from the stroke of a paintbrush. If it had
been any other place, at any other time, Kathy would have gone into shock. Not
here, not now. There wasn’t a single thing that could replace her bliss.
“Joe?
Joe, are you there?”
“I’m
here.” It was only a faint breeze, but it was Joe’s voice. “Just keep swinging,
Kathy. And don’t worry, I’m here.”
Her
swinging became faster and faster. The forest zipped by. The world became on
unfocused green that grew brighter by the second. Soon, everything was awash in
white, and all Kathy could do was close her eyes and keep swinging.
#
“Kathy?
Are you okay?”
She
hadn’t realized she had passed out until she came to and opened her eyes. A man
with thinning hair, striking blue eyes, and a day’s worth of stubble stared
down at her: Joe.
“What
happened?” she asked.
“We’re
here. We made it.”
But
Kathy could see the despair in his face. Something was wrong. He stepped out of
view before she could say anything, revealing the somberness.
A
grey sky with rolling, thunderous clouds threatened to tear apart the atmosphere.
She sat up and saw the bleak land spreading off into the distance. They were on
top of a high hill of dirt and weeds. A dead forest crawled down the right side
of the hill, trailing down until it disappeared into a deep fog. The left side
of the hill was nothing but a cliff of jagged rocks. An old path wound out
before them. Kathy could tell it was once a gorgeous road with intricate designs,
but now, everything was worn away from an old and forgotten history. It led
down into a valley that melted into a desert wasteland of death. Small
mountains loomed far away, covering the entire horizon. Life had vacated this
world and left it a barren mess.
“It’s
all gone,” Joe said, tears streaming down his face. “All of it.”
“Oh,
honey. I’m so sorry.” Kathy was in such awe that she almost forgot about her
husband. She grabbed and hugged him close. “I take it this isn’t how this place
is supposed to look.”
“No,”
he said shaking his bowed head. “No, it’s not. This world was once a place of
magic and charm. Unique and elegant people and creatures roamed the lands. And
now it’s all gone. It’s all...dead.”
Joe
slumped to the ground. He cradled his head in his arms and began to sob. Kathy
sat down next to him and held him for support. She tried her best to soothe and
comfort her husband.
“What
was it like?” she asked.
“What?”
“What
was it like? When you first came here, what did it look like?”
He
took a moment to sniffle and wipe the tears from his eyes before talking. “I
was only eight. One day after school, a group of bullies attacked me. They ran
me off until I got lost in those woods. When I found the swings, all of my
sadness disappeared. I started swinging and soon found myself here. Except it
was so different, so much more magical.
“Vibrant
colors picked from a Claude Monet painting plastered the land. This dead forest
to our right was once a thick jungle of mystery, home to many people and
creatures. The rubble to our left was once just another side to this hill,
leading down to a river that flowed into a large lake to our south. The path
before us was once etched with magic and splendid craftsmanship. It weaved
through villages and towns that sprawled the land. There were so many different
people and cultures. Oh, Kathy, I wish you could have seen it in its prime. It
was such a fantastical place! If you followed the road, it cut deep into the
mountains and eventually brought you to Lootian Kingdom, the main city.”
“It
sounds like a wonderful world,” Kathy said.
“It
was.” Joe sighed. “But it’s all gone. Everything is dead and dried up. There’s
nothing left, Kathy. When I was younger and my father found a job in a
different state, I knew that moving would mean I could never come back. The
last time I visited, there was a dark force threatening those that wanted peace
among the lands. I thought everything had been settled when the evil had been
destroyed. Everyone thought it had been vanquished. I almost stayed,
stayed for good, just to make sure. I should have stayed...”
“Joe,
this isn’t your world. If you had stayed, what would your parents have thought?
You would have ended up on a milk carton. Plus, I would have never met you.
Knowing you, I’m sure you did the best you could.” She kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank
you,” he said.
“I
know it looks hopeless, but maybe it’s not all lost.”
“It
sure all looks gone to me. There’s nothing living for--"
Joe
stopped abruptly as he stared ahead with wide eyes. Kathy followed his gaze and
came upon a faint pink light in the distance. It was a striking contrast to the
drab environment, and it was getting bigger and closer. She gripped him in
fear. Joe held her. She saw excitement his face -- something not seen in months
-- as the light approached them. It was so bright that the floating source
could not be seen beneath the brilliant glow.
An
angelic voice spoke. “Joseph of Earth, you have returned.”
“Brynrial?
Is that you?”
“It
is. You have been gone a long time.”
Joe
bowed his head in shame. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Have
no worries. Now that you have returned, we will claim victory against the evil
one and gain back what was once ours.”
“Are
you the only one left?” he asked with a worried look.
“Of
course not,” Brynrial said. “We have all survived. Nature and the land has been
the only casualty, but it will thrive once again. Come, I will show you our new
home, and quite a home it is, I might add. Follow me.”
The
light began to move but then stopped.
“What
is it?” Joe asked.
“You
are not alone,” the light said. “You have brought a friend.”
Still
frightened to the bone, Kathy hadn’t even noticed she had been forgotten. She
made sure to never lose her hold on Joe.
“Oh,
how rude of me,” Joe said. “Kathy, this is Brynrial, an old friend of mine when
I was younger. Brynrial, this is my wife, Kathy.”
“Ah.
Kathy is your Equal. I am very happy for you, Joseph of Earth. Now, follow me
before we are seen. Dark Destroyer will not like that you are back amongst us.”
The
light began to drift away, and Joe pulled Kathy along to follow. She was
reluctant to move, but Joe tried his best to reassure her.
“Don’t
worry,” he said. “Brynrial is a good friend. If what she says is correct, then
you’ll get to meet everyone else, too.”
She
could see the excitement in him, but there was something the light alluded to.
“Joe? Who is the Dark Destroyer?”
“He’s
the one who’s done all of this.” He gestured to the broken lands. “He’s a
plague. He’s evil. There was a plan set up to defeat him…but it must not have worked.”
“Unfortunately,
you are right,” the light from ahead said. “The Dark Destroyer had been one
step ahead of us. The plan would have worked, but there was an unforeseen
element no one was prepared for. There was nothing you could have done, Joseph
of Earth. He had us all fooled.”
Silence
hung above them like a child’s mobile made with dangerous, sharp knives. It was
only after several minutes of walking did Brynrial finally break the
awkwardness.
“We
are here.”
After
passing the ruins of once a thriving village, the light had beckoned them to a
very large boulder about the size of a two-story home. A sweet, soft song vibrated
from Brynrial -- the sound waves
impossibly visible -- and the large rock shook. Slow at first, the motion sped
until the boulder was no more and a single door rose from the ground in its
place. Framed in a sparkling purple, the black, wooden door opened.
“Oh,
wow.” The words escaped Kathy’s lips without any thought.
On
the other side of the door was a whole new world. The pink Brynrial drifted
through, followed by Joe, and finally by a weary, but an excited and
open-minded, Kathy.
There
was no sky, for as far as the eye could see rocks of all colors encased the
world. They were in the largest cave Kathy or Joe had ever seen. Pillars higher
than the tallest skyscrapers connected the rocky floor to the rocky ceiling, a
ceiling that was so high it was almost impossible to see. Chasms deeper than
the Grand Canyon etched along the ground. Vegetation grew everywhere, lining
the ground, walls, and pillars. Houses were carved into the stone, and huts
were propped up in the flatter areas. Small villages and large towns spanned
out in every direction, with a vast city glinting in the distance. People walked
along made roads and paths, and creatures snaked along the ground and soared
through the air. Everything was full of life, a much needed change from the dead
world they had just left behind.
Brynrial
pulsed her light in a rippling rhythm, drawing the attention of those near the
portal between worlds. Kathy gasped at those rushing to greet them.
Many
looked human, and many did not. Some had horns, and some had fur. Some had
extra appendages, and some downright didn’t have any appendages at all. Those
were the ones who most resembled humans. Those like Brynrial came in all
different shapes, sizes, and forms. Things with wings fluttered from the sky.
Orbs and mists hovered into view. Living flora crawled from the ground while
large, tree-like beings stomped up with their thick, trunk legs. It was an
eclectic crowd, one to draw a gasp from anyone.
Looking
at Joe, Kathy could see a joy she had never seen before in those watery eyes of
her husband. He looked at home.
The
growing crowd parted. People and creatures cleared a path as a commanding character
marched forward. Humanoid in shape, the list of human resemblances stopped
there. As hefty as a gorilla and as tall as a giraffe, skin of blue leaves and
golden fur waved with every movement. Like a shaggy dog, no further details
could be seen through the thick coat that acted as clothing.
“Joseph
of Earth, you have returned.” As the deep voice boomed, whiskers and foliage
rustled on the head. “It is good to see you.”
The
large figure and Joe met in an embrace that completely enveloped Kathy’s
husband. All she could do was stand in shock and a surprisingly comforting awe.
Confused but curious, she let everything play out without interference.
“I’ve
missed all of you so much,” Joe said. “It’s been way too long.”
“It has
been quite some time,” the furry and leafy beast said. “We have fared well and
prospered in your absence, even through dark times. As you can see, we have a
whole new world!” A large arm gestured to the thriving underground society. “The
portal opened during a time in need, much like when you had first arrived at
your young age. The life here was scarce, welcoming us to keep it thriving.
Together, everyone shares the abundant space this world has to offer.”
“I’m
so glad you all are well. I got worried when I arrived and found everything
destroyed.”
“The
Dark Destroyer gained his title for a reason.” A mop of fur and leaves patted
Joe on the back. “And now that you are back, we can rid the evil presence from
all universes for good!”
A
cheer erupted from the surrounding crowd. Kathy couldn’t help but smile as she
saw the sheer joy in Joe’s face. There was no more fear; there was nothing to
be frightened of.
Or
so she thought.
Then
it dawned on her. Joe had been called back for a reason. They needed his help.
Somehow, Joe was supposed to vanquish a dangerous and evil being capable of
destroying a whole world. She feared for her husband.
Before
the loud whoops could die down, Kathy stole Joe from the crowd.
“Joe,
what is going on?”
“This
is amazing! Kathy, all of my friends are still here! You’ll meet every one.
There’s -- "
“Joe,
stop for a second. That’s all great. I really mean it. But that thing -- "
“Grandinfu.
His name is Grandinfu.”
“Okay.
Grandinfu mention destroying the Dark Destroyer ‘now that you are back.’ What’s
that supposed to mean?”
“They
probably have a new plan to defeat him. And, like last time, I will help.”
“Joseph!
Are you serious? This is dangerous!”
“I’ve
done this before and no one was hurt.”
“You
were a child! That was all…”
“What?
Fake? You can see now that it isn’t. Have faith, Kathy, like you had faith in
me. Yes, the Dark Destroyer is dangerous and strong, but my friends are
stronger. There are forces of magic and power here you haven’t even begun
to see. Not only are there spells and incantations that work like magic, feelings
and emotions have power as well.”
Kathy
was hoisted in the air by an invisible force. Joe did the same and together
they hovered while lights of white and orange flickered around them like a
swarm of fireflies. They kissed passionately before landing softly back on the
ground.
“Wow,”
Kathy said. “What was that?”
“That
was love, my dear.” Joe lightly kissed her again. “It is a powerful tool that
will help us in our noble cause. Evil can never triumph.”
Kathy
had never seen such courage and confidence exerted from her husband. Usually a
more cautious man, Joe’s personality shifted to a side only hinted at during
their marriage. It was exhilarating, and it made her very proud to be his wife.
“Joe,
this is all too real and moving way too fast.”
“I
know, Kathy. But I have to help. I understand if you don’t want to stay here. I
understand if you want to go back, and I will be back, too; I promise. You have
to trust me on this, though. Have a little faith in my friends and me.
Everything will be fine.”
He
spoke the truth. She could feel it. With him around, she would always be safe.
“I’ll
stay,” she said. “I’ll help you in any way I can.”
“Then
it’s settled,” Grandinfu said, budding into the conversation. “You will both
help us in our cause.” He turned to the still growing crowd and boomed: “Joseph
of Earth has returned! He and his Equal will join us in reclaiming our land!”
Kathy
smiled as Joe hugged and kissed her passionately in front of a bunch of
strangers. She didn’t care. All worry was lost. She had no doubt that her
future adventures would end up favorably on the good and righteous side.
###
