Chapter 1: Crossing the Rift
[Chapter 1]
Sloane shifted her backpack a little and picked up her pace. She ran through her mental checklist, she had her part time job at the local burger joint, then her regular dog walking gig, and after that she still had to finish her book report and study for her chemistry test. Not to mention the other miscellaneous nuisances that would pop up after she got home.
"Sloane!" the voice made her stop in her tracks.
"Danny?" Sloane questioned as she turned to confirm who the speaker was.
The young man grinned and picked up the pace, jogging over to her.
She smiled, her face lighting up and waited for him to catch up. "What are you doing here?" She asked with delight.
"What?" Danny laughed in response, "a big bro can't surprise his little sis after school?"
"Not when that big bro is supposed to be on his college campus out of state."
"Did you really forget it's a holiday?" Danny put his hand on her head and studied her face intently.
"I've got a full plate. School, work, you know." She averted her eyes hoping she didn't look as fatigued as she felt.
"Is Mom still making you pay for your own groceries?"
"I'm saving to get out of here."
Danny didn't speak, just bumped her with his elbow and matched her pace.
"Ever since Dad sacrificed himself so we wouldn't get snatched-" Sloane trailed off.
"I don't understand Mom's insistence on blaming you for that."
"You ever wonder why the snatchings happen?" Sloane asked abruptly.
"Who doesn't?" Danny replied flatly, "portals open, and people get dragged in and are never seen again. The frustrating thing is that is all we know."
"This is my stop. You should go home and see Mom."
"Ah," Danny shrugged, "I thought I'd get a burger before I'm forced to eat Mom's cooking."
Sloane laughed, and gave him a gentle push before heading inside the building with a large Reed's Burger House sign. Danny ordered and settled into a stool at the counter. Sloane's job was as a dishwasher. She liked that she didn't have to talk to people back here. Danny stuck around for about an hour, chatting with her manager Lindsey. The pair had dated a long time ago and were still friendly.
"Sloane, finish that batch of dishes and you're good to go."
"Thanks Lindsey," Sloane flashed a smile and went back to scraping dishes.
As soon as Sloane punched out and stepped outside she broke into a sprint. This was her favorite part of the day. The dogs she walked didn't care if she was average at everything. Didn't care if she was the middle child. Didn't care if she didn't have friends. They loved her.
The first dog she picked up was a husky named Randy, and the second was a border collie named Tina. Sloane would run both dogs until she reached dog number three, a black labrador retriever named Fidget. The dogs would run with her in a two mile loop. And wind down coming back to their respective homes.
After returning the last dog Sloane began the jog home. She used to ride her bike, but her mother decided that her younger brother needed it more to go to school and back home. Sloane was irritated, she didn't understand why she was consistently expected to give up her things to her siblings both older and younger. Danny was the only one who refused to take from her and would actively help her out.
Sloane slowed to a walk when she reached the end of the driveway. She trudged up the gravel drive and pushed the front door open wearily. The screaming of a smoke detector greeted her. She didn't know what her mother had been cooking but she knew for sure it was burnt. The acrid smell of the likely forgotten-in-the-oven meal filled the house. Danny was coughing in the back and she could hear the kitchen sink running. Sloane rushed through the living room, down the hall to the kitchen and dining room. Danny was pumping the back door and her mother was fanning the smoke detector.
Danny flashed a grin at her through the haze of lingering smoke.
"Sloane Finley Anderson! Get your shoes off! Good grief I raised you better than that!"
"I thought it was an emergency. The smoke alarm was going off." Sloane replied.
"Don't argue with me. Get your shoes off. You aren't going to bed tonight until this floor is spotless."
"Yes ma'am." Sloane replied wearily. Her mother shot a glare at her and handed her the magazine she'd been using to fan the smoke detector.
"Danny, what do you want for dinner? I'll order takeout."
"It's fine Mom. I ate before I got into town."
"Your siblings haven't. They still need dinner. How selfish." She shook her head at her son. "Sloane!"
Sloane flinched on the chair, "Yes Mom?"
"Order pizza for the family."
"I haven't been paid yet," Sloane protested, "so I'll need you to enter your card info."
"You have savings don't you. I taught you to be more responsible with your money than that."
"I just paid for the new water heater, I don't have any savings."
"Stop arguing with me!" her mother screamed, "Fine! You can all starve!" Her mother stomped out of the room and slammed her bedroom door.
"Are we really not getting any dinner?" Christian, her younger brother asked petulantly.
"I'll cook something," Sloane answered, stepping down from the chair. "What do we have in the pantry?"
Christian rushed over and threw the pantry door open. "Cans, mashed potatoes, add hamburger box."
Sloane opened the freezer, then checked the fridge. She sighed, "I can make the add ground beef box dinner, or I can make some chicken and mashed potatoes, and what's in the cans? Vegetables or beans?"
"Corn, baked beans, peas, green beans."
"Allright Chris, what do you want?"
"Nooo-" a shrill cry amplified as a young girl ran into the room, "I want to choose!"
"You get a vote Christina," Sloane replied firmly, "go get Kate and we can decide."
Christina pouted but ran up the stairs and returned with Katelin.
"Chef Sloane," Kate smiled and flipped her hair as she pulled out a chair at the dining table, "what is on the menu tonight?"
"Boxed hamburger meal and a canned vegetable or chicken, mashed potatoes and a canned vegetable."
"I want the hamburger meal!" Christian exclaimed.
"Ugh," Katelin groaned, "Too many carbs, I want chicken."
"I want chicken too." Cristina piped up. She imitated almost everything Katelin did.
"Fine," Sloane sighed, "I'll start on it right now. Who wants to help?"
"Call me when dinner is ready," Kate pushed away from the table, Christina followed her out of the room, imitating the swish of Kate's hair and the way she walked.
"Chris?" Sloane asked with raised brows.
"I have homework," he replied dismissively, "I didn't get to do it because Danny made me play with him." Christian scampered out of the room leaving Danny protesting.
"I did what? Hey! You asked me to play!" He returned after a moment. "How often does dinner prep fall to you?"
Sloane didn't answer, "Can you open the can of vegetables for me? And start the kettle?" She pulled the pack of chicken out of the fridge and started looking for a pan.
She started the burner and threw some butter into the pan. She stepped out the back door and pinched a sprig of rosemary from the bush next to the door. She threw the rosemary into the melting butter with the chicken and some jarred chopped garlic. The kettle whistled, Sloane wiped her hands on a towel and emptied the packets of dehydrated potatoes into the bowl and stirred in the hot water, butter and sour cream. She grabbed the salt and pepper and added a dash of both the potatoes and the chicken in the pan.
"Which vegetable did you choose?" Sloane asked, eyes on the chicken as she turned it in the pan.
"Green beans," Danny grinned mischievously.
"Let me guess, you chose it so that you wouldn't have to eat it another night while you are here."
"Guilty," he laughed, "When did you get so skilled at cooking?"
"Not skilled," Sloane laughed, "just good enough to survive."
"That's better than me," he smirked as he opened the can. "I survive on ramen packs and coffee."
"Gross." Sloane groaned, "Though, I'd be happy to survive on ramen if it meant getting out of this house."
Sloane used the liquid from the pan to make a gravy. Danny set the table while she finished off the last touches to dinner. Sloane transferred the food from the stove to the table. Danny moved to the foot of the stairs and inhaled deeply.
"Dinner is ready!" He bellowed.
Footsteps could be heard from the floor above racing for the stairs. Their mother exited her room and settled in at the head of the table. Sloane watched her siblings settle in around the table and took a seat herself. No one thanked her, or acknowledged her.
"Needs more salt," her mother spoke around a mouth full of chicken.
"Green beans are gross." Christian complained, "Why did you make something gross Sloane?"
"That was my choice," Danny piped up, spinning his glass of water, "if you wanted something else you should have helped her."
Sloane was about to take her first bite when her mother spoke, "I'm still waiting for you to mop the floor Sloane."
Sloane paused, meeting her mother's eyes. "I'll get to it after dinner."
"Be sure that you do."
It was almost midnight when Sloane finally crawled into bed. She had mopped the floor before doing her homework but her mother made her do it over. Twice.
"Why does she hate me?" Sloane's complaint melted into her pillow.
The next thing Sloane knew her alarm was blaring. She slapped the off button and rolled out of bed. She stared at the opposite wall for a long minute before getting up and making her way into the bathroom. After showering and changing for school she woke her siblings. Danny slept on the couch in the living room. He woke when she opened the front door.
"You are off early." He commented, rubbing his eyes.
"It's a long walk," She replied as she tightened the laces on her sneakers. "It wouldn't be bad if I still had a bike."
"What happened to my bike?" Danny walked over to her, his sock feet making soft thuds as he crossed the room.
"Chris uses it. I'm off. See you after school."
"What time are you done with school?" He called after her.
"It's a half day. I'll be out at eleven."
Sloane waved but didn't turn back.
AFTER SCHOOL
Sloane was pleased to see Danny waiting for her outside the school gate.
"Do you work today?" He asked as she approached.
"Just the dog walking." She replied with a grin. "Why?"
"I wanted to hang out."
"Have you forgotten where we are?" Sloane laughed bitterly, "Paradise Colorado doesn't have much in the way of entertainment."
"Oh, I know." Danny grinned. "I just want to spend some time with you."
"Are you avoiding Mom for some reason?" Sloane asked gently.
"Being away from home made me realize some things, Sloane." His tone was somber, his eyes had become dark and serious. "The way Mom treats you isn't right."
Sloane's laugh was angry and bitter. "It took you moving away to realize that treating her perfectly average daughter like a personal ATM and maid isn't right?"
"Sloane," Danny's tone was firm, "you can fool anyone but me. You aren't average, you just pretend to be."
Sloane flinched.
"You know," he continued, "she is actually upset that Dad left. He decided to volunteer for migration so that none of us would get snatched. She's mad at being left alone with five children. The twins were barely three years old when he left. I was twelve and I barely remember him. "
Sloane frowned. Everything she wanted to say was just angry. There were too many emotions swirling through her head, twisting in her chest. She didn't want to hurt Danny so she kept silent.
The world fell silent.
"Is that?" Danny's voice was muffled and distorted.
Sloane's head snapped up to look. A portal had formed in front of them. Someone was about to be snatched. She looked around, everything felt heavy, and it was like the colors had been turned down. Nobody else was around.
"Run!" She struggled to get the word out. Her body felt numb as her fingers closed on Danny's sleeve and she tried to pull him. She looked back, chains emerged from the portal and snaked through the air toward them in slow motion. But Sloane's body was even slower, like wading through molasses.
The chains closing in on her were less than a foot from touching her. And then Danny stepped into them. The chains locked around his body. He turned his head to look over his shoulder as the chains carried him away. His sad smile was burned into her memory. The moment the portal closed the weight on her body lifted and the full spectrum of color returned.
Sloane collapsed to her knees panting for air. Cold sweat covered her entire body. There was no sign that anything had happened. And for a minute she considered that perhaps she'd been having a mental breakdown and had imagined that her older brother had come for a visit.
"How do I tell Mom?" Sloane whispered, staring out at nothing, a hollow feeling growing in her chest.
Sloane lay on the floor curled into a ball to shield herself from the blows raining down. Her mother was in a blind fury after being told that Danny had been snatched. Finally, the blows stopped and Sloane peeked out at her mother. Panting heavily, hair disheveled and clothes askew she glared down at her daughter.
Cautiously, Sloane uncurled and got to her feet. She gingerly touched her stinging cheek, there was blood from the scratch inflicted by her Mother's fingernails. Sloane looked at her mother with cold eyes.
"I'm not lying Mother," Sloane's voice seemed too loud but also quite distant to her own ear, "Danny intercepted the chains on my behalf. I won't ask, I already know why the portal came for me. I'm going to bed."
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