"Josh!" a howl of rage erupted behind me in the cold night air as I desperately ran on the chilled road.

"If I catch you, you are fucking dead!"

I threw a glance behind, my face filled with an expression of terror as I saw the five thugs. Their expressions were set and angry, and I could see an iron pipe tightly clenched in one hand.

They were not going to stop at bruises this time.

Stumbling on a small dip in the road, my glance backwards at my chasers cost me as I desperately wheeled my arms through the air, fighting to regain my balance even as I continued to move. If I fell, it was all over. Thankfully my feet pounded solidly on the ground once again as my new shoes gave me better grip than ever before.

"We told you to fucking stay away!" he bellowed behind me, "This is our turf! And you thought you could come back, and steal from us!" he screamed, almost incompetent in his rage.

I knew it was a stupid idea, I wasn't that dumb. But my shoes were almost tatters, and if I couldn't replace my shoes, well. They would kick me from school. I've been in trouble before, and if I'm kicked from school again, they would remove me from the dorm and I would be effectively homeless.

My parents? They don't exist. My mother made that clear with her latest and greatest husband who happened to hate me, something they had in common. My father? I'm sure he would take me in... If he wasn't six feet under.

Government aid? Are you sane? They would send me back to my mother, and if she didn't kill me first then her husband would. That wasn't an option, even getting CPS or something involved would take much too long. It was only a few damn months until I turned 18, but of course my troubles refuse to die down. I'm not even allowed to take a part time job which was ridiculous.

I needed new shoes, I couldn't afford new shoes. And the only place I knew to get shoes with a 100% discount was in Angelo's turf. I'd been caught stealing from there before, and I was given a black and blue warning to stay on the straight and narrow path.

And now? I'm going to die. Of course I knew I wouldn't truly die, but he only gives "kind" mercy to the new and young. He made it clear he no longer considers me either.

The cobbled road was almost empty at this time of the night, the air almost silent but for my panting gasps and the heavy thudding of their shoes following behind. If I had my old shoes, I was keenly aware I would've slipped by now. It was a complicated feeling to be sure.

Around us the tall and solemn houses rose around us, old and sturdy. The road soon ran out and I faced a choice, to turn left and towards the school and my dorm, or right and towards the park where hopefully, there might be someone who would help me.

The dorm wasn't going to help me, I instinctively knew that. If anything, the security guard will probably pretend he can't see me or hear me when he realizes I'm dragging trouble behind me. This wasn't the nice part of town.

Slanting right towards the park, my heart stopped as my feet slipped beneath me as I made the turn. Sending me tumbling forwards onto the rough stone road as my knees roared in pain at the impact, scraping against the stone paved road.

They were not even yelling anymore, far too out of breath for that as their feet pounded against the ground making for my fallen figure.

Desperately I clawed myself upright, barely escaping the first grasping hand that reached to grab my shirt. Dancing to the left, I escaped a wild swing as another figure attempted to smash me across the head with a fist before stumbling to my feet and beginning to run.

I felt a hand claw it's way down my back, unable to find a grip as he stumbled and lost the lead he had.

I'm so fucked.

I could only run, my lungs rasping and my legs numb with pain as I made towards the center of the town, the park.

Their feet were behind me, only mere meters as I desperately looked around for someone to try help me.

Empty.

The place was empty.

I stumbled before catching myself, numbly running on.

I'm dead.

I approached the middle of the concrete square with legs unconsciously giving up the fight, body slowing down and behind me I heard vicious panting and a low rumbling of chuckles.

I stumbled to a stop, turning around with my face filled with despair even as they leered at me. Vicious and knowing they had won.

Angelo hoarsely breathed, grinning maliciously. Fumbling at his clothes as I watched in horror, he laughed between breaths as he fished out a pair of gray knuckle dusters and slipped them on his fists.

"When we are done with you" he harshly said, his voice panting heavily, "You're going to the hospital".

"If you're lucky" one of the others muttered as they surrounded me, cutting off any hopes of escape.

I looked around, I knew there was no one around. But I had to look just the same. Surely, someone?

But it's 3am, there was no one around at this time of the night. I had hoped there would be someone here, a guard that doesn't want to fill in a report perhaps. But the park was empty as I was screwed.

With despair, I knew down to my gut what was going to happen. I could see a baseball bat in a panting wheezing kid as he caught up, a pipe held by another and the grim set on their faces did not promise an easy time. I'm not getting out of this without broken bones.

My shoulders hunched in fear and my eyes closed, body shivering in terror as I waited for him to start.

"Open your eyes" Angelo snarled, still not having laid hands on me.

I refused, standing still. He already intends to beat me, what. He's going to beat me worse?

"Open them" he hissed, his voice low and rasping with hate. "Or I will cut you"

I felt my stomach drop, it could get worse. Only shops surrounded us, no one to hear.

They whispered about how a girlfriend had a night out with Angelo, her boyfriend was beyond angry. A few days later, her boyfriend went missing and the police closed it as a suicide. People stopped talking pretty fast. The body turned up in the river a few days later.

His father had influence, even from there.

Reluctantly I opened them again, expression like I wanted to cry. He saw that and his face spread into a nasty grin of victory. He enjoyed the look in my eyes, I could see it.

As he swaggered back, preparing to rush me and smash his knuckle dusters into my face; We all felt it then, a small rippling that vibrated deep into our bones. A tiny whoosh in our ears, a slight feeling of disorientation.

We all reeled, everyone off balance for a single instant and then I saw it, a tiny upright rod of light rapidly expanding behind Angelo's back. It was already two hands wide by the time I recovered my feet and made a split second decision.

A voice trembled into our ears as I made my decision, but I had no time to listen. This is definitely otherworldly, no one would be testing something like that in this town.

Likely benign, tiny chance of hostile. And the chances that it would be something desirable is very very high. Which means, the others around me are never going to give me a chance to take it.

I either grab it now, or I regret it later.

"Dimensional Wars" an inhuman voice hissed out, seemingly from everywhere. My feet were already rushing towards Angelo, he flinched, caught off guard by the sudden resistance and the strangeness in the air and I pushed past him.

"Rifts are" the voice continued to hiss out as Angelo let out a shout and tried to grab me in reflex, I reached out my hand to grab whatever was in the light as I made one desperate lunge towards the rippling air.

I grasped nothing, my hands touching warm air as the air suddenly shivered and expanded to half a meter wide in a single instant. I fell forwards onto my face impacting a smooth warm surface. My face stung with pain, my nose hurt something fierce and my knees throbbed in sympathy.

Blinking in surprise, I lifted my head up to see a huge circular room, doors after doors of the same rippling light alongside the walls, and beyond those doors were scenes, all varying and all different.

I barely caught a glimpse in wide-eyed wonder before glancing behind with terror with realization that this isn't going to help. They can still get me, inhuman as this was.

Behind me the figures of Angelo and his mates were shocked, gazing at me and the room behind me with surprise. With anger, he looked at me and sneered, stepping towards me.

The voice continued, ignoring everything that was happening.

"Rifts are spawning throughout the world in every city, through them you can access the Dimensional Wars hub."

With surprise, Angelo's hand met sudden resistance. The rippling of the doorway firmly preventing him from coming through.

"But beware humans, for only one person may enter. And until they leave or die, no one else can step inside the rift to be the hero."

His eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked at my collapsed position on the ground, then he glanced down at my feet which were still sticking out.

With terror, I barely pulled them in on time as he tried to stomp on them, pin me to the ground so that he may drag me out.

My body was now completely inside the room, and as I watched him with fear and a slowly rising hope. He prodded the rift, angrily stepping aside so that his friend could swing the iron pipe which landed ineffectively.

Finally, he glared hatefully at me.

"Come out", his voice sounded out clearly. His face dark with anger and his eyes promising me death.

I scrabbled away in response, moving further into the room of doorways and away from him. Neither of us considered the strange state about us, so focused was I on my death, and him on his rage.

"The one who represents your dimension will fight for your right to live. There can only be 20 dimensions. Support your chosen hero with all your might, for they represent your survival"

He froze, he clearly heard all of that. Thinking quickly, his gaze narrowed slowly and he finally sneered at me. "You can't do this" he promised darkly, "You need to step out now, and I'll step in. No one will ever know it was you. If you do that, then we will not hurt you. You will get enough money to move away. We'll even leave your younger sister alone"

I gulped, my thoughts turning towards what he said.

"Come on" he wheedled, a nasty tone in his voice. "If they find out you're the one representing the Earth. You know they'll do anything to replace you, even if it means death" he slyly smiled.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

He would tell them who I am, I knew this. He would try his hardest to kill me. I didn't even have a surety that he would keep his promise if I stepped out.

Wait.

"I don't have a younger sister?"

He scowled "Blonde hair, I saw you in the markets with her"

"That was my classmate, she just wanted to talk" I hurriedly explained, there was no way I'm dragging Emily into this.

He scowled.

"Just fucking step out" he dangerously said, half pulling something that glinted of metal out of his pocket as his angry eyes glared at me. I shook my head, I wouldn't trust him even if I wanted to.

He smiled with cold satisfaction as he finally pulled it out of his pocket, I belatedly realized with a surge of terror exactly what it was as he pointed towards my face and fired. A loud bang rang out and I stumbled backwards, convinced for a second I had been shot.

With my eyes wide open, the doorway didn't even ripple as the deformed bullet stopped cold and dropped to the ground.

A gun? He just shot a fucking gun at me?

It barely even occurred to me to wonder why the bang wasn't as loud as it should be. The goons were cradling their ears in pain even as his face was twisted into an absolute expression of hate. Not only had I defied him, I had taken what we both knew could be something great.

I scrambled even further away, further from the madman.

I was the first person to enter the rift, and there's no bloody way I'm leaving. Not when he's standing out there.

He was now screaming at me, threatening to kill my parents and Emily, to hurting my friends and ruining my life. I quavered, but forcibly I finally turned away. Ignoring the screams from behind as I sought to explore my situation for the first time.

Finally I settled my eyes onto the rest of the room.

I had already noticed the room was circular. Inlaid into the white softly glowing walls were hundreds of rifts, doorways that led to many different places. I could see different areas, from places I vaguely recognized as famous cities to desolate areas that shone with harsh sunlight, black Africans staring back at me from afar dressed in simple and light clothing.

The ceiling was the same shade of white as the walls, a gentle dome that enclosed the entire place. A rough estimate had it at 60 meters wide.

The people on the other side of the doors had already seen me, with hands pressing against the walls they knew it was impassible. A few continued to try test it, but others had taken to calling at me. Yelling at me to come over. Some of them were yelling in languages I didn't understand while others had taken to quietly standing away and watching me and the room with caution. Yet others looked at me with pity, having seen the scene that followed me.

My adrenaline ran through my veins furiously, I had already decided not to give up on this place. I still wasn't sure if it was good fortune, but nothing waited for me back home and I strongly believed that if I gave up now, I would regret it. Nothing had gone right for me, I wouldn't give up on the one chance I had.

Ignoring the catcalling and the imploring shouts, I thought back to what the voice had said. I tried asking out loud a question to the voice, but the room ignored me.

I looked instead to the last obvious structure inside the room, I had avoided it until now just because of how ominous it looked.

Inlaid into the ground in the center of the room was a slightly raised black circle, a meter wide. It seemed to absorb light, so dark was the material that I could only get the impression it was black. I originally had thought it was a hole actually, but when I placed my head on the floor I could see that there was a slight curve as it rose. And finally I tested it by poking it with a finger cautiously.

It felt like smooth cold stone, and nothing happened after making contact. Nor when I pressed it to see if it would sink. Or when I tried to scratch it with the key to my dorm. Not even a mark.

The voice still had not said anything after it finished talking originally, and I hesitated as I thought of stepping onto the black circle.

I thought about what had been said, and I knew it was asking for a hero. Someone to fight. Someone I'm not.

Should I really go ahead with this? Most people don't know who I am yet, if I run through one of the doorways that seemed abandoned and undiscovered, I might still have the chance to redo my life in a different part of the world.

I glanced back towards the doorway I had entered through, Angelo was screaming at me, his face an angry red and his voice hoarse. My heart trembled again, he would definitely do anything he can to destroy me.

I know he's just a small time bully, but the threats that spilled made me tremble. The doorways didn't stop him from screaming at me and even other doorways were quieting down and looking at him with concerned expressions.

He's screamed my full name a few times too, identifying me to everyone here. At least 20 minutes had passed by now, the noise steadily growing as everyone expressed and yelled their own thoughts and demands.

"Boy!" I heard someone bellow, momentarily drowning out the others. I glanced over to see an impressive muscular man in a military uniform, a full beard covering his weathered face in a nearby door.

"Let us talk!" he yelled in a thick Russian accent, his face looked fierce and his expression had a wild grin on it. Behind him, I could see traces of a military installation.

Every place in the doorways seemed to be the center of something, a city, some tribes and now a military installation? The guys in the background seemed panicked, but he didn't seem to notice as he grinned towards my direction.

The rifts seemed to be targeting places of high importance and high concentrations of people. For a second I wondered if the lizard people had a door too.

"Do not fear!" he declared, "Mother Russia protects you!" he laughed happily at seeing he had my attention.

I hesitated again, the other doors around me were imploring me to listen, that they would help me any way they can. Some offered me help, others offered to replace me.

This Russian though, he seemed to be the only one who actually had authority. His manner felt reassuring, and I wouldn't be wrong to say it was the sight of a friendly and reliable face that made me step towards him, his confidence bolstering mine.

I stopped a solid meter away from the doorway as he grinned happily at me, the yells filling the background like a crowded death metal concert. I couldn't help but like him already, even if I had known him for less than a second and he looked like a bear.

"You know more details what is this?" he asked, comfortingly and with a gentle tone.

Wetting my dry lips, I shook my head "It didn't tell me anything" as the noise seemed to die down a little, a few catching his words and listening intently for the answer.

"Ah, zat is a shame" he murmured. "This is interesting place" he laughed, peering behind me to stare at the room.

"Do you know if I can take a look?" he enquired with a raised brow.

My heart fell a little, he wanted in. He clearly already knew that he couldn't enter normally, so he was asking if there's a way I can let him inside.

And again, the voice said that only one person can represent the hopes of humanity, until that person leaves. So when I leave the room.

"I don't know how" I reluctantly admitted, "I don't think anyone else can enter while I'm here"

"Ah" he sighed deeply, "I was afraid zat would be the case" he shook his head. "Don't worry boy, we will help you" he smiled. "Mother Russia protects us all"

"I'm not coming out" I warned him, I already knew that the doorways prevented people from hurting me.

His smile didn't falter, "I wouldn't dream of it!" he proclaimed, "You came in here first, so you should be rewarded!"

I heard a loud noise come from a nearby door, a steady rattle of gunfire. Throwing a startled glance, my heart fell a bit. A steady rain of red metal was impacting the doorway and falling to the ground, the gunfire was clearly aiming at me.

I looked at the Russian and he seemed suitably angry as he growled. "Wait!" he commanded me, "I will fix this" he promised. He turned his head and snapped something off in Russian, there was a reply and he scowled again.

The few glimpses of the uniforms through the doorway of gunfire showed they were dissimilar to the Russian's uniform. It likely wasn't in the same country, but they too appeared to be military.

Either way, I don't think I'm valued very highly. And I know that the Russian, friendly as he seems and as much as I want to believe in him; He's not trying to help me, he wants a huge piece of the pie. And I'm holding it.

I knew this deep inside, I knew there was no reason they should be on my side. I just happen to have the pie no one else can take. But it still hurt.

I looked around the rest of the room and my eyes settled on the center of the floor, the raised black circle. The Russian had come back after moving out of sight, he called out to me but I ignored him.

I began to step away as he hurriedly said something, but I didn't care to listen. I wanted to let someone else take over, but I wanted to be alone even more.

I finally strode forwards and stepped onto the circle. And that same alien voice rasped through the air, stifling the cries and entreaties coming from the doorways as they finally ceased talking and listened intently.

"All that fits inside the bounds of the disk may be taken with you, links to the outside world will penetrate through without difficulties."

There was a loud bang, I looked towards the doorway and saw Angelo had fired his gun again. Furiously he fired again and again as the voice finished, momentarily drowning it out for a single instant. Why was he still there?

Finally after a few seconds I heard a soft whisper, I intuitively knew that this wasn't a global broadcast, but a message that only occurred in my surroundings, something only we could hear.

"If you wish to activate the disk, say 'transport'"

A sudden stillness fell over the doorways as everyone processed those words.

Then the doorways exploded with desperate yelling, begging me to reconsider. Not to go blindly. That I am not worthy.

The Russian yelled at me to wait, that I am not prepared. Angelo screamed that he'll kill my parents.

I whispered the word, guilt wrapping around my heart at the people I was surely dooming.

"Transport"