Excerpt: The Porphyry Column

Fifteen minutes later, Ronny, Phil, Lori, and Brian were all standing in a circle beside Ronny’s car that was still parked in front of Andrea and Phil’s house. It was late at night and everyone looked it. Brian, still decked out in his pretentious sailor outfit, was disheveled and starting to get circles under his eyes. Ronny’s business suit had dried funny after the rain and he had a hard time moving around in it. Phil, still wearing all of his Yankee gear, was beginning to yawn. Lori, dressed for success in a pair of cargo pants, Ugg boots, and a North Face fleece, was the only one who looked ready for adventure.
“Are you ready?” Ronny asked wearily.
“Ready as we’re ever going to be,” said Lori.
Ronny held up the glove, his hand shaking slightly. He traced a small circle in the air, and he was surprised to see that it worked, exactly as it had an hour or so ago when he did it for Phil on the front porch. The group stared at the hole for a moment, gaping and glowing a shimmery blue.
“I’ll go first,” Ronny said. Stuffing Andrea’s glove into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, he pulled at the side of the hole with his hand and the hole began to stretch. He stretched it until it was big enough to fit his entire body, and then he stepped through to the other side. The others followed behind him.