Cold sweat covered her skin and soaked her clothes. Lynn’s eyes fluttered open, her vision still hazy. Her wounded leg still throbbed, but fortunately, the bleeding had nearly stopped. She sat up slowly and surveyed her surroundings, trying to fight off her daze.
The events that had taken place earlier began to replay in her memory. The mouth full of razor teeth, the grotesque skin, and gangling limbs flashed through her mind as the encounter replayed over and over. The dead creature was still there causing her to shiver.
Lynn became more aware of her physical state. Her clothing and skin were soaked in sweat like she’d just climbed out of a pool and pain continued to radiate through her body. She looked at the ground mumbling.
”What the hell is going on? What… is that thing?”
Hot tears formed in her eyes and gently rolled down rosy cheeks then into her lap..
”Why is this happening?” she whimpered softly.
Time passed and coherent thought returned. Piteous sobs were replaced by leveled-out breathing with the occasional sniffle. Something prickled at the back of Lynn’s neck and the hair raised on end. A warm and comforting sensation wash over her cold, clammy skin.
”HRHRRMM…”
Lynn nearly wet herself as the booming sound of someone clearing their throat came from directly behind her. Terrified, she slowly turned and found a giant man looming above.
The hulking mass wore leather straps over his rippling muscular body and a tattered piece of cloth that was barely passable as a loincloth. A solid steel helmet enveloped his entire head except for two eye holes where Lynn could see wild, bloodshot eyes. Heavy, even breathing emitted from the helmet like.
The sight of a massive sword hilt poking out from behind the man’s shoulder shot terror through Lynn’s body. She tried to scamper away, but her attempts were pathetic, and moving her injured leg caused pain to shoot up it and into her spine.
”Mmrrrrmm…” the behemoth grunted with a bass-filled voice reverberating in his chest. He put a hand to his chin and stroked the stubble on his face as if thinking to himself.
”What do you want?” Lynn cried out.
The giant tilted his head thoughtfully and pointed at Lynn’s leg. As he was pointing, he reached into a satchel strung around his waist and pulled out a small vial of pale green liquid. He held it up and pointed at Lynn’s leg again making a tipping motion with the vial.
Lynn looked at the pale green liquid. “Is that…?” she squinted hard at the vial, “going to help me?” she asked.
The man kept holding up the vial and pointing at Lynn’s leg. He slowly knelt as if moving any faster would scare Lynn away. He reached a massive hand out toward Lynn’s leg, and she recoiled slightly. The man grunted excitedly and held up the vial again in front of Lynn’s face. The pain from her wound finally got the better of her and she nodded, letting the man grab her leg.
Wild eyes examined the leg for a moment and then he set the vial down. He slowly reached behind his back and unsheathed a knife, while large by Lynn’s standard, looked like a small toy in the in the hand of the giant man. Lynn’s eyes grew wide, and adrenaline flooded her body as the knife drew closer to her leg. She tried to struggle free from the man’s vice-like grip; however, every movement sent sharp stabs of pain rippling through her body. Lightheaded started to overtake her and spots spread across her vision.
Just as Lynn was about to pass out again when pain bolted up her leg. She looked down at the source, finding the knife slowly digging into flesh.
Clink. Something hit the ground.
Clink. Another. Were those teeth?
The giant examined Lynn’s leg and nodded in satisfaction. He picked up the vial and dumped it on the wound. Pain like nothing she’d ever felt wracked her body to the core. The green liquid oozed over the wound causing the skin to looked like melted wax as it peeled and dropped to the ground with soft splattering noises. Lynn was in pure shock from what was happening. Her mind reeled, too stunned to even scream. Finally, she was able to make her vocal cords work again. At first, small whimpers escaped her lips, and then a primal scream. The sound that escaped her throat sounded other-worldly.
Lynn screamed.
She screamed from the bottom of her soul, the vast sea of emotions inside her now spilling out. After a moment, Lynn’s body went limp as she slipped back into darkness.
Lynn was coming back into consciousness and felt something soft and warm underneath her. She slowly began to regain her senses and could hear someone speaking in a tense raised whisper and then an occasional rumbling grunt in response whom she recognized as the man that had found her earlier.
”You did what?!” came the voice.
”Rrhhr…” came the helmeted response.
”Those potions are not only extremely rare but incredibly expensive! You just wasted it on this, this stranger!” the man’s voice continued to rise with his frustration.
”HHRRrrrrRrr!”
”We’ll never earn enough to replace that…” he trailed off and looked over at Lynn.
Lynn felt the familiar tug at her senses as the new man turned his head toward her. The sensation made her feel even warmer than under the heavy blanket, yet she still felt comfortable. Lynn opened her eyes slowly and tried to sit up. She was lying on some type of fur with something plush underneath it. A heavy fabric blanket, reminiscing of wool, was draped over her.
She suddenly remembered her leg and ripped the blanket away. The skin on her leg was still there. The wound from her encounter with the small creature was still there; however, everything looked spotless. The injury itself looked like it had been healing for days. The pain was mostly gone, aside from a dull ache where her wound was still recovering. She turned her head slowly to look over at the two men.
The hulking mass of muscles stared at her through the eye holes in the helmet. His eyes were still wide and bloodshot.
The new man was a tiny person. His head barely reached the knee of the giant man standing next to him. He wore a very fine-looking suit with black shoes with a sparkling mirror finish. His hair was dirty-blonde and slicked back into a greasy-looking ponytail. His skin resembled the bark of a gnarly tree, and he wore a permanent scowl on his face. He glared at Lynn.
”You…” the short man growled. Even his voice sounded like gnarled-up wood. “You owe Lug a lot of money for that mend potion he used on you. Those are incredibly rare and expensive, and we don’t just give handouts! Do you hear me? You owe us!”
Lynn did not know how to respond. She could not process everything that was happening. The last thing she remembered was the feeling of her leg literally melting off and then passing out.
Now she was faced with a crazed-looking behemoth gladiator bodybuilder and a short little leprechaun mobster who sounded really upset! Lynn opened her mouth to speak, but the giant man, Lug, stood up and gently placed a hand on the other man’s shoulder.
”RrrrRrhrmmmm…” Lug murmured through his helmet.
”I do mean it, Lug! Don’t call me a softie in front of others!” the little man shot back, glaring up at Lug.
Lug just snorted and chuckled, although the sound reverberating in the giant man’s chest caused the ground to vibrate gently.
The short person surrendered, “Oh fine. Have it your way, as usual,” and turned back to Lynn. “I do beg your pardon. Times can be tricky during a Shift, and a mend potion is worth more than gold now. My name is Tacklan, but everyone calls me Tack. This young sprout is Lug.
Lynn gave Lug a skeptical look. Young? she thought to herself.
”Anyway, Lug used one of our last mend potions on your leg. He may look like he’s going to rip your spine from between your shoulder blades, but he has a very gentle soul. I see you’re native to this world, and I imagine you have many questions.” Tack said, his voice softening as he spoke.
Memories came flooding back into Lynn’s head. Tears began to cloud her vision as she thought of her friends frozen in the Cafe.
Lynn launched into questions as the tears began to trickle down her cheeks. “What’s going on? Why is everything frozen? Who are you? What are you?”
”Now, now, just take it easy, yes?” Tack soothed. “I’ll explain what I can, but first, you must calm down. Your nerves are shot, and Lug told me about the nyline that attacked you. They are nasty little creatures but are relatively weak by themselves. They can be deadly in packs but, fortunately, rarely band together. Here, drink this, and we’ll talk,” he continued while pouring a dark blue liquid into a cup from a flask.
Lynn took the cup apprehensively and peered at the deep azure-colored liquid. It appeared to sparkle like a starry night sky and smelled reminiscent of mulled cider. She hesitated a moment and then slowly put the cup to her lips. She was slightly startled when the liquid came over the cup’s rim.
While it was cool in the cup, it felt soothing and warm on her lips. As she drank the beverage, she could feel it calming and soothing her mind and body. She felt her muscles slowly loosen, releasing the adrenaline her body had been flooded with. She began to realize her body ached all over.
”What do you call this place?” Tack asked quietly. Lug shuffled closer and sat down a short distance from Lynn. Tack also sat and poured another cup of the liquid for Lug and then one for himself.
“Ah… This is Huntington or was. What’s going on? You said something about shifting?” Lynn questioned.
”Not shifting, a Shift.” Tack corrected. “This is a rudimentary explanation, but a Shift happens when the boundaries of one reality collide with another. Essentially, realities are like strings that dangle in the void. Not all the strings are the same, however.
Some strings have a sticky coating on them, and they all wobble and sway around in the void. When you have that many strings blowing around, they sometimes hit each other. When they do, they stick together for a bit and then slowly separate. When they separate, the sticky reality picks up some stuff from the other reality.
Sometimes two non-sticky realities bump, and most people don’t even notice. Other times, two sticky ones stick together, and that’s a nightmare. From what I understand, sometimes those realities combine permanently. That’s what someone told me, anyway. You’d have to ask one of those smart ones like the League of Discovery or a legendary Gymoru.” Tack explained.
”What about my friends and everyone else here that’s frozen? What’s going to happen to them?” Lynn interjected.
”They’ll all be fine after the Shift ends. However, you need to know that when the Shift is over, you’ll never be able to see them again. This is a sticky reality, and your reality isn’t sticky. You happen to be something sticking to this reality when it separates,” Tack said gently.
Lynn nearly dropped her half-empty cup. While she didn’t care much for people, she did care for her friends. They were the only three she could talk to without something terrible happening. She felt her emotions bubbling up inside of her again and began sniffling.
”Don’t worry; they’ll all be okay after the Shift. They’ll continue like nothing happened except you won’t be there anymore. You’ll have just vanished without a trace and live on in their memories.” Tack said somewhat nonchalantly.
Hearing this sent Lynn’s emotions over the edge again, and she began sobbing. Tears streamed down her face and into her lap. The thought of never seeing her friends and family again made Lynn feel helpless and alone. Lug turned sharply to Tack.
”RHHRHRHRHRR! RRHRRRRMMMMRRRR!” he shouted through the helmet.
”Well, I didn’t know she’d react like that!” Tack exclaimed.
Lug shook his head while reaching into his satchel at his side and pulled out a small cloth. He unfolded it, knelt in front of Lynn, and held the fabric up for her to take. She took it gratefully and wiped her face.
After calming down enough, she choked out a thank you for Lug and dabbed at her eyes again. A feeling of isolation crept over Lynn as she tried to make sense of her situation. She stared blankly at her wounded leg, her mind overloaded and numb.
After sitting silently for a few moments, Lug sat on a nearby bench. Lynn blinked a few times and looked around. The three of them were in the middle of a small empty park that Lynn recognized as one near her university.
”How long will this last before the realities separate?” She asked Tack.
”Well, that depends, really,” Tack contemplated, “sometimes realities separate quickly, and sometimes it takes weeks. Normally a Shift will last a few days. Judging by the lack of things our reality grabbed up from yours, I think this will be a quick separation. Likely a day or two.”
Lynn pulled her knees to her chest and leaned her head against them. A day or two was all she had left in her world.
”We should stay here and rest while your leg mends. Lug and I will take care of you until you’re all healed up, which shouldn’t take very long,” Tack said.
He reached into a backpack on the ground and pulled out a small package. He unwrapped it, and inside were black chunks that appeared to be coal. He picked one up and handed it to Lynn.
”Eat about half of this and swallow it. This should fill up your belly and help you sleep. If you don’t feel drowsy after the first bite, then take the rest. You should also lie down before you swallow. Some beings are very sensitive to chak,” Tack offered.
”Chak?” Lynn asked hesitantly, eying the black lump.
”It’s a dried nutrient dough with everything most lifeforms need for survival. I believe there are only two registered lifeforms that cannot consume chak. Normally you soak it in iblang tea, so it’s not so dry, but that’s hardly an item you can bring along in a Shift.” Explained Tack.
Lynn took a lump of chak and eyed it warily. The dough felt heavy for its size. It was so black that it absorbed light, making the dough even more unappetizing. She looked at Lug and Tack.
”How do I know you’re not going to do anything to me while I’m sleeping?” Lynn questioned.
”Well,” Tack started, “you don’t. However, if we had wanted to do something to you, we would have done it while you were unconscious earlier, wouldn’t you think? We also didn’t bind you, gave you warm and comfortable bedding, mended your leg, and gave you food and drink. You’re welcome to fend for yourself during the rest of the Shift, but there are things nastier than nylines out there.”
Lynn looked at the chak again. Tack was right unless he had some other ulterior motive; however, she had learned to trust in her senses, and neither Tack nor Lug felt they had planned anything suspicious. She held the chak up to her nose and inhaled slowly. It had a light doughy scent but nothing else discernible.
She mustered up her courage and took a bite. The dough was dry and chalky and coated her mouth. The texture was the worst feeling she’d ever had in her mouth. Despite the awful mouthfeel, the flavor was good. It reminded her of cookie dough with much less sugar and butter. She made a face as the chak continued coating her mouth.
”Here, have some more glint wine. It’s no iblang tea, but it’ll help wash the chak down,” Tack said, pouring more dark blue liquid into the cup Lynn had dropped.
Tack had not finished pouring the glint wine into Lynn’s cup before Lynn fell over, landing in her bedding with a soft thud.
”Well, I told her she should lie down,” Tack sighed, and Lug nodded in agreement.
Lynn was dreaming of the beach on a summer day. She stood looking out over the sea, the salty air caressing her skin and warm sand squishing between her toes. The sky was a deep azure with tiny wisps of clouds trailing by.
Waves washed gently up the shoreline, lapping at the sand. A sudden sensation of ice-cold washed over her. The hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. This time she felt a new sense she had never encountered. It was deep and overbearing, causing Lynn to feel breathless. She started to turn around, and something grabbed her shoulder as she did.
Lynn’s eyes shot open, and she was flailing around. She came to her senses and saw Lug leaning over her with his massive hand gently holding her shoulder. She stared up into his wide, crazy eyes. The heavy, oppressive feeling from her dream was fading rapidly.
Lug gently placed his giant, warm hand on Lynn’s head. The fleeing feelings from her dreams melted away like frost in the warm sun. Lynn’s eyes fluttered slightly, and she fell back asleep.
