Bryant stared at his phone, not believing what he had just heard. "...So you don't believe in aliens, but you do believe in magical worlds with people that aren't aliens that can swing their swords faster than the speed of sound?? Also, why can I hear you so clearly when I can't call my wife?"
There was a long pause, and for a moment, Bryant thought he had been disconnected. Then, James spoke, his voice somber. "I'm fucked."
Bryant waited, expecting an explanation. None came.
"James? Hello?"
Another long pause before James spoke again.
"String Theory. Quantum entanglement"
Bryant thought for a moment, staring at the giant black rectangle in front of him, watching as it seemed to suck light into itself. "What do String Theory and quantum entanglement have to do with a giant shape and my cell phone?"
"What if I called it Fate, or Destiny?"
The realization struck Bryant like a ton of bricks. No way. "You don't really think..." He trailed off.
"I'm going to test it out. Call you back."
Bryant's phone went silent. His mind raced with the implications, but he forced himself to stay productive. I may as well take the chance to look around.
There wasn't much to see. Aside from the ground staying the same, every building, car, and person had vanished. A portal or whatever here, and a bench. Not much to go on.
He walked closer to the bench, inspecting it. The bench appeared to be a typical wooden bench painted green at first glance, but upon closer inspection, Bryant realized it was actually some kind of strange metal that had corroded into a dark green color.
He reached out, scraping a flake of the corrosion off the side with his phone. The metal underneath had a glossy purple hue. Ornate dragons were carved into either side under the armrests. Every inch of the backrest was covered with a panoramic carving of a small town nestled under a looming mountain range.
A foreboding tangle of forest could be seen to one side, its twisting expanse stretching far beyond the horizon.
A small group of people cowered in the grass near the forest, as if they had just seen something terrifying. As Bryant stared between them and the forest, a sickening feeling crept over him, drawing his gaze deeper into the forest.
Unease pricked at his skin. His hair stood on end. His breath caught. There was something in there. Something sick. Evil. But it called to him. He couldn't explain what it was, but he knew somehow that he had been found.
He had been called.
The craziest thing was that he didn't even mind. His body screamed at him to get away, but it just felt right. He drew closer to the carved forest, eyes unblinking.
The chime of his phone startled him, pulling him back to reality, but as he pulled away, he swore he had seen the forest move. He shook his head. Just a trick of the mind. It's just a bench.
"Yeah, what's the news?" Bryant asked.
"Fuck man...You want the good news or bad news first? Might be a bit ofboth."
"Just tell me."
"Good news is, I called you from the store. I'm inside right now, so nothing weird has happened yet. I'm hoping it holds out until I leave. Shit. I thought this only happened in Japan. My wife is gonna freak out if I don't come home." James sighed, resignation in his voice, "Anyways, the phone ain't workin. No calls worked except for one. Mateo. I really hope I'm wrong. I told him to pack some food. I'm stocking up as well. This is gonna be hell to explain if it isn't what I think it is. $500 on supplies."
Bryant nodded. Not bad. "Should we consider it confirmed?"
"One sec."
The call disconnected, and his phone rang again a few seconds later. James started talking as soon as Bryant picked up.
"Alright, Bryant. I filled Mateo in. He is on the line. He is packed and ready. We are both going to step outside in a minute. Anything you need before we test it out? I know it seems weird... well, for us... but if this is actually happening, we won't get a chance to fix it. Gotta go all out."
Mateo spoke next, his tension palpable. "I'm ready."
"I've got no clue what's going on, but I have some food."
"Alright Mateo, step outside in 3.....2.....1....."
Click. Bryant's phone disconnected.
"HOLY SHIT! IT'S FUCKIN REAL. WHAT THE FUUUUU.."
Bryant's soul nearly left his body. He whirled around, staring at the two men standing in front of the portal. Can I call it a portal now? It seems like a portal.
The unkempt beard. The faded khaki shorts and grey tank top. The moonlight glinting off a head so shiny it defied logic. James.
Mateo stood next to James, shaking his head in disbelief, his long, dark hair barely visible against the backdrop. "Hold up, this is insane, dude. It actually worked?"
Bryant stared at them. "Did that thing just teleport you here?"
"FUCK YEAH IT DID! WHOOO! That shit's CRAZY!"
Mateo winced, glaring at James. "Bro. My ears fuckin' hurt already. Stop shouting. The hell's wrong with you?"
James rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "My bad..." He looked at Bryant, his face turning serious in a heartbeat. "What's the status?
Bryant shrugged, motioning at the barren world around them. "The only things in sight are the portal and that weird bench. I have a few sandwiches, some tea, and my phone."
James nodded, walking over to the bench with Mateo following behind. "What's weird about this thing?"
Bryant hesitated. "It.. I don't know. The forest just looks...weird. It felt like it was watching me."
James and Mateo studied the carving, glancing at each other briefly before looking back to Bryant.
James coughed lightly, running his fingers through his beard. "There's no forest, Bryant. Just a town at the base of some giant mountains. I ain't callin' you a liar, but this complicates things."
"What?" Bryant moved to join them, his brow furrowing in disbelief. "I swear there was a forest over here".
Bryant reached out to touch the bench, but James swiftly stopped him, catching his hand just before his finger made contact. "Don't. Don't touch it. Bad juju"
Mateo nodded, squinting as he knelt in front of the bench, his nose almost touching it, "We believe you - could be a cursed object. It's better not to find out."