Flickers / By G. Ben-Ami
"Faster, FASTER ALEX!!!"
"Stop screaming in my ear!"
"Then GO faster !!"
"What's your problem Johnny?!" sneered Alex.
"Don't be smart with me Alex, you got us into it I'm just trying to get us out."
"I did what I had to do, what YOU couldn't!" Alex shouted back.
"Maybe you did, but they're gaining on us, so you better go FASTER!!!" replied Johnny.
"I'm trying to, but I can hardly see where we're going. Everything is flying by so quickly, it just looks like a big green blur all around us and I'm afraid I'll lose control of the wheels" Alex said.
"We've got no other choice, if they get us it's all over!"
"But how did they get here? We cleaned it all, didn't we?? We made sure nothing was left behind."
"Yes... No... Maybe we didn't, I don't know any more; I mean it all happened so fast... Break right! NOW!!"
"Hold on tight, it's gonna be a sharp one," warned Alex.
"Alex, are you OK???" asked Johnny.
"Yeah, just bumped my head," Alex replied.
"What happened? It’s all so dark, where are we?"
"Dunno, can't see a thing."
"Hah, what was that?! I just felt something touching me," screeched Johnny.
"Relax, it's only me" replied Alex, "I'm trying to feel around, make out where we are," he added.
"I don't understand, we were riding down the hill on your billy cart with those guys gaining on us, then you took that sharp right turn and..." but before Johnny could finish the sentence Alex cut him off.
"Not sure, I mean, as I turned right I swear there was a kind of flicker between the bushes; it looked as if someone was reflecting the sun into my eyes. I was about to hit it and then it went icy cold and stinging for a split second and then pitch black," explained Alex.
"NO WAY!!! It can't bel..." shouted Johnny excitedly.
"What?!?" asked Alex.
"If I'm not mistaken we just went through a...."
"Shush, I think I heard something, quick give me your torch," ordered Alex.
"I can't find it, it must have dropped when we took the turn; but listen I..."
"Great! It’s dark, I can't make where we are and WHAT is that smell...?!" said Alex.
"Will you just Shut Up for a minute; don't you get it?! We just went through a wormhole or something like that; whatever it was we're not 'in Kansas’ any more!" shouted Johnny.
"We what??!!?? What are you talking about? I really don't have time for your nonsense Johnny. In case you haven't noticed we are stuck in the dark in the middle of nowhere, so unless you have some good suggestions keep your mouth shut and let me figure this out!"
"There's nothing to figure out, I told you! We went through some sort of time and space shift. We are no longer home, well not the place we know as 'home'. My guess would be that that flicker you saw in the bushes was some sort of ripple in the time space continuum; in fact when we hit those bushes we were transported to another world, maybe even another universe, a parallel one to ours," explained Johnny.
"Transported where? What???" asked Alex.
"Think of it as a door that can be opened to another world. We just need to figure out what kind of world it is," said Johnny.
"Right, so you're saying we are in another world, like the one we came from but another... and we got here through a magical door... Okay... then open it again and lets go back!" demanded Alex.
"It's not quite as simple as that, we need to find that door and make sure it's the one we came through, otherwise we can be stuck here forever or find a wrong door and be transformed to another world yet again," Johnny went on, then he added "Oh you know those noises you heard before? Well, I can hear them too now; What do you thing they can be? And this smell, it's putrid here, what is it I can hardly breath it's so strong like...."
Alex was now whispering; "Listen Johnny, I have a very bad feeling about this place... We have to find that door you're talking about and get out of here. Can you see anything? Any kind of flicker of light? Why is it so bloody dark here!"
"I don't know Alex, I just don't know. And that sound... I think it's getting closer and stronger and I can't make it out. I can't make any of this out!"
"There's nothing here, I tried to feel my way around but there seems to be nothing out there. Can you feel anything around you? Where do you think we are Johnny? What is this place?" asked Alex.
"Listen, we must stay together so try and find your way to me," urged Johnny.
"OK, but you have to talk louder so I can hear you over that sound," replied Alex, his voice getting louder.
"Alex I can't breath, this smell it's......" Johnny began to say.
"Johnny, JOHNNY!!!! Where are you? Talk to me!" Alex was now shouting.
"Help me Alex. The sound, the smell it's here...." Johnny screamed back at him.
"I see it, the flicker, I see it; Johnny? JOHNNY........
"Stop screaming in my ear!"
"Then GO faster !!"
"What's your problem Johnny?!" sneered Alex.
"Don't be smart with me Alex, you got us into it I'm just trying to get us out."
"I did what I had to do, what YOU couldn't!" Alex shouted back.
"Maybe you did, but they're gaining on us, so you better go FASTER!!!" replied Johnny.
"I'm trying to, but I can hardly see where we're going. Everything is flying by so quickly, it just looks like a big green blur all around us and I'm afraid I'll lose control of the wheels" Alex said.
"We've got no other choice, if they get us it's all over!"
"But how did they get here? We cleaned it all, didn't we?? We made sure nothing was left behind."
"Yes... No... Maybe we didn't, I don't know any more; I mean it all happened so fast... Break right! NOW!!"
"Hold on tight, it's gonna be a sharp one," warned Alex.
"Alex, are you OK???" asked Johnny.
"Yeah, just bumped my head," Alex replied.
"What happened? It’s all so dark, where are we?"
"Dunno, can't see a thing."
"Hah, what was that?! I just felt something touching me," screeched Johnny.
"Relax, it's only me" replied Alex, "I'm trying to feel around, make out where we are," he added.
"I don't understand, we were riding down the hill on your billy cart with those guys gaining on us, then you took that sharp right turn and..." but before Johnny could finish the sentence Alex cut him off.
"Not sure, I mean, as I turned right I swear there was a kind of flicker between the bushes; it looked as if someone was reflecting the sun into my eyes. I was about to hit it and then it went icy cold and stinging for a split second and then pitch black," explained Alex.
"NO WAY!!! It can't bel..." shouted Johnny excitedly.
"What?!?" asked Alex.
"If I'm not mistaken we just went through a...."
"Shush, I think I heard something, quick give me your torch," ordered Alex.
"I can't find it, it must have dropped when we took the turn; but listen I..."
"Great! It’s dark, I can't make where we are and WHAT is that smell...?!" said Alex.
"Will you just Shut Up for a minute; don't you get it?! We just went through a wormhole or something like that; whatever it was we're not 'in Kansas’ any more!" shouted Johnny.
"We what??!!?? What are you talking about? I really don't have time for your nonsense Johnny. In case you haven't noticed we are stuck in the dark in the middle of nowhere, so unless you have some good suggestions keep your mouth shut and let me figure this out!"
"There's nothing to figure out, I told you! We went through some sort of time and space shift. We are no longer home, well not the place we know as 'home'. My guess would be that that flicker you saw in the bushes was some sort of ripple in the time space continuum; in fact when we hit those bushes we were transported to another world, maybe even another universe, a parallel one to ours," explained Johnny.
"Transported where? What???" asked Alex.
"Think of it as a door that can be opened to another world. We just need to figure out what kind of world it is," said Johnny.
"Right, so you're saying we are in another world, like the one we came from but another... and we got here through a magical door... Okay... then open it again and lets go back!" demanded Alex.
"It's not quite as simple as that, we need to find that door and make sure it's the one we came through, otherwise we can be stuck here forever or find a wrong door and be transformed to another world yet again," Johnny went on, then he added "Oh you know those noises you heard before? Well, I can hear them too now; What do you thing they can be? And this smell, it's putrid here, what is it I can hardly breath it's so strong like...."
Alex was now whispering; "Listen Johnny, I have a very bad feeling about this place... We have to find that door you're talking about and get out of here. Can you see anything? Any kind of flicker of light? Why is it so bloody dark here!"
"I don't know Alex, I just don't know. And that sound... I think it's getting closer and stronger and I can't make it out. I can't make any of this out!"
"There's nothing here, I tried to feel my way around but there seems to be nothing out there. Can you feel anything around you? Where do you think we are Johnny? What is this place?" asked Alex.
"Listen, we must stay together so try and find your way to me," urged Johnny.
"OK, but you have to talk louder so I can hear you over that sound," replied Alex, his voice getting louder.
"Alex I can't breath, this smell it's......" Johnny began to say.
"Johnny, JOHNNY!!!! Where are you? Talk to me!" Alex was now shouting.
"Help me Alex. The sound, the smell it's here...." Johnny screamed back at him.
"I see it, the flicker, I see it; Johnny? JOHNNY........