Granny's Cabin I

Pulling up to the cabin, Damian saw that little had changed since their last visit.

The entrance to the forest was ominous, not really someplace you wanted to cross into willingly. But once through, the tree line revealed a peaceful little field, with an abandoned cabin resting on the flattest spot of the wobbly land. Something about the light on this building was always inviting, no matter the time or weather.

“I love this spot,” Ash pulled up to the front. “Life feels easier here.”

They collected their gear and shut the doors on the car with a satisfying FWOOMP. “Don’t jinx it, Ash. You may as well walk in and announce ‘I’m headed to the basement! Alone! In case any people-eating canyon-cracks want to swallow me whole!’” Damian smiled, pleased with himself.

“Yeah, well jokes on you, Breachbait, because there IS no basement.”

“The Breach’ll just make you one,” Damian’s amusement faded at the idea.

“Yeah, fair.” Ash jostled the doorknob, gave the door a thwudump with her fist and the door creaked open, welcoming them in. “Let’s head to the loft, there’s good light in there.”

They worked their way to the back of the cabin to a small raised room. It was only up a couple of steps, but on their first visit, Ash had said it was “like being in a loft” and the name stuck.

Sunlight streamed in through multiple windows, including through a cleverly integrated skylight that didn’t match the style of the tiny cabin, but somehow worked anyway.

They each dropped into a chair, little poofs of dust poofing their best poofs when they sat.

“Alright,” Damian said after a moment. “Let’s do it.”

As they sat, they each worked their own magic in their minds. Ash had always wondered what Damian’s must look like to him — she imagined his was much more structured than hers. She saw colors weave in circles in her mind. She found purple, and pulled it forward in her imagination until it filled her mental view.

Meanwhile, Damian imagined a color wheel. He located the right shade of purple, and imagined pulling it toward himself, until it filled his mental screen.

They held their hands out as though they were warming them on invisible fires. As each concentrated on their colors, the cabin began to rumble. Damian opened one eye, peeking around room to make sure the only thing rumbling was the furniture, and not a new breach line. So far, so good, and he closed his eye to match the other one.

The rumbling settled into a low hum, as the cabin and field found resonance with each other. With their eyes closed, neither magician saw the violet glow growing above the table between them.

Damian called to Bob in his mind. Hey man, you ready?

Bob squirmed in agreement. He had waited too long already.

Damian pictured Bob in his mind, moving him toward the purple. He directed Bob toward the light in his mind, as he had done with the other Bobs before this one. Meanwhile, Ash imagined her color as support, like she’d been taught, and pushed it in her mind toward Dame.

Damian didn’t know what this process achieved, not exactly. No one did — it was what they were taught. He knew the Bobs would “move along” somehow, and he knew it settled the tremors. But where they went, what was happening, no one seemed to know. He didn’t understand why no one questioned it, including himself. Especially himself.

Bob eagerly raced forward, and the cabin walls growled.

Slow down, Bob. You’ve got to go easy or you’ll blow the connection. Bob slowed his roll and moved toward the bright space in Damian’s mind. He was almost toward the cross-over point (cross-over to where, to where) when a rumble started in the table.

“Dame…” Ash kept her eyes closed. “Damian, I think it’s here.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Suddenly Damian felt like Bob’s careful movements toward his goal were impossibly slow.

The rumbling in the table seemed to transfer to the room, where it met the quaking in the ground outside. Dusty trinkets began slamming to the floor in the tiny cabin, just as they had done in the apartment building miles away. Thankfully already sitting down, Damian and Ash kept their minds on moving Bob through.

“He’s almost there,” Damian said, as Bob entered the light. “He’s—”

Just as Bob crossed into the center of the purple portal that should have sent him safely to (wherever they go) a loud KEEERACK echoed through the forest. Trees split in two, cracking the air as they imploded.

Ash’s eyes flew open. “Damian!”

He looked out the window. A large breach line was ravaging the earth directly toward them. He’d never seen anything like it — it was as if it had followed them here. Like they were being hunted.

“Fuck!”

Just as the Breach was about to hit the side of the cabin, white exploded through the air leaving nothing visible (with everything visible).

The shaking stopped, and the brightness receded. The two magicians stared at the middle of the room.

Bob was floating over the table.