Excerpt: The Portal

Ten minutes later, they were all assembled back at the portal. “OK,” Tanya said, her voice sounding distorted through the portal. “One at a time, please. This has been open far too long.”

Alyn looked around, then motioned at Lusi. “You first,” she said. As she slipped through the portal, a sudden lurch went through them all. Alyn and Mican looked at each other.

“That wasn’t an earthquake,” Mican said, looking puzzled. He had been thrown nearly into a tree.

“No-” As Alyn tried to respond, another lurch rippled through the group, knocking her to a sitting position.

“It’s the portal!” Sirana cried suddenly as it began to glow faintly. “Something’s happening!”

“Well, what?!” Alyn shouted back as another wave went through them. The light grew stronger, illuminating both sides of the portal. A high humming also filled the air.

“It’s . . .” They could just see the scientists on the other side, dashing frantically around looking at their equipment. “It’s disintegrating, even though our instruments say it’s stabilized!”

Mican and Alyn exchanged glances again. “Well, do something!” she said, frustrated.

Suddenly, Meghan came through the portal, clutching some equipment in her arms. “Quick, get through as fast as you can,” she said, dropping the equipment. “I’m going to try to stabilize it from this side, too, but it will still close.”

Alyn waved the others to the portal. “In!” she ordered.

Mican glared at her. “They can go first,” he said firmly.

Alyn sighed. “Fine, whatever, just get out of here!”

Meghan pushed a button and the equipment fired up. “It’s working!” she said hopefully. Another soldier quickly ducked into the portal and made it safely. “There isn’t much time.” As Scott made his way to the rift, which was rapidly expanding and contracting by this time, another, stronger wave went through everyone on both sides. “Quick!” Scott finally reached the wildly changing portal and threw himself through headlong.

“Go!” Alyn said to the last two soldiers, who were already heading for the rift. Just as he reached it, however, a wave stronger than those before threw everyone back from the portal, which suddenly snapped closed.

“No!” Meghan said, frantically throwing herself back towards the equipment. But it was too late- the portal was closed. The light it had been emitting slowly faded and the noise died away, letting the quiet night retake the clearing. In the darkness, the five slowly sat up again and looked at one another silently, one by one coming to the inevitable realization- they were trapped in Teirn.