I was dumbstruck.

Really, I was frozen. Of all the things I expected to see when I came back to my apartment — darkness, dirty dishes, my crappy appliances — I did not expect to see the Mysterious Stranger standing in my living room. He was looking directly at the door. Waiting for me to return.

This is the Mysterious Stranger, then? Felix asked, a brilliant uncertainty in his voice.

“Yes,” I said back. “But what he is doing in my home is another matter.”

“Oh, yes, I forget about privacy and all… you folks are awfully concerned about that.” the Mysterious Stranger said.

I was less concerned with his words, however, and more with how he knew we were speaking. I did not speak aloud, after all. I spoke directly to Felix via our telepathy. How did he know?

“I know many things, Marcus. And to me, just to be clear, your connection is as loud as a siren despite the words taking place in your mind. So let’s just talk plainly.”

“Fine. We will talk plainly. Let’s begin with why you are here,” I demanded.

The Stranger shrugged. “Just to talk. Catch up. See how you are…”

I looked at Felix. But his eyes were glued to the Stranger. Felix wasn’t giving any advice, especially not with how he was shaking while on my shoulder.

“Shall we talk?” the Stranger asked.

Now it was my turn to make a non-committal gesture as I waved the Stranger over to my table. I placed myself into first person mode and carefully approached the table, allowing the frequency trigger to let me sit, but, of course, by now, the trigger was hardly an itch on my psyche.

Sitting down and directly facing the Stranger — and from a very strange position as my little apartment loomed over me like a giant — I felt like a small child sitting at the adult table on Turkey Day.

But I said nothing. I did not know what to say. After a while of awkward silence, I broke the barrier and said, “I am fine.”

“Good!” the Stranger replied. “How was the joint, brother?”

I thought about lying but decided against it. What would be the point? Clearly, this was no ordinary man. He would know— “And yes, I would know if you were lying,” the mysterious stranger said directly into my mind.

When he spoke directly to me, I am sure my eyes went as wide as they did in cartoons. But maybe not. It shocked me all the same.

But, I still told the truth — obviously. I said, “My life was turned upside down by your substance. What the fuck was that shit?”

The Stranger smiled. “In another fragment of reality, it is called ‘weed.’ It doesn’t exist in your own reality. I brought it over for fun.”

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

“So it was this ‘weed’ that caused me to become aware of the Under-Reality?” I asked.

“No, not really… well, somewhat. Since weed is not native to your reality, it would have some unusual effects on you if inhaled. Theoretically, it could, by itself, perhaps make you mildly aware of the Under-Reality, but that is only because you are not supposed to have it. You having it is like an error in the system. So shit can bleed over. But no. That substance was mixed with my own ultra-potent blend of magical treats which pushed you over the edge. But you were already on the special side to begin.”

“So, why me? Was it random?”

“No. There is no randomness in my cosmos. Without my intervention, you would have grown into your awareness, but by then, it would have been too late. And I needed you now. But that can come later. Your future is not why I am here,” the Stranger replied, as cooly as a greaser in an old film.

“Lots to take in,” I replied. “But care to elaborate more?”

“That’s why I am here, after all. Let me level with you, Marcus. You’ve passed the test. You’ve made it. The substance didn’t drive you mad — though I know it was hardly an easy transition for you.”

I nodded and even smiled a bit. But he was right. Painfully right. At a time here or there, I even imagined if my life had been worth living anymore. But I muddled through. And I think I even did fine.

The Stranger continued: “You did more than fine. You passed. But another test is coming. And you will need all of your patience and stoic knowledge from before to pass the new test.”

“What do you mean? What tests?” I asked, but I didn’t expect an answer. It seemed as though most of the people I met these days jealously guarded information with the need for control of a data corporation.

“I can’t answer those questions, so just call me a corporation. BUT, I can offer you a small return to normal. Well, in a way. Your life as it has been of late — with Felix and the Caretakers and all of that — will remain, since, after all, you have a purpose there with them, yet. But some aspects from your old will come back anew and some aspects of the now will be reformulated. I think you will become much happier with these new changes if you take me up on my offer.”

I considered the Stranger’s words. But it was fluff. He was talking in vague. How could I say anything except ‘yes’? I hardly could conceive of how my life could get worse if I refused.

“You process information well. I am happy you did not make this difficult,” the Stranger replied.

I had not actually said anything like, ‘yes, please do let me take up your mysterious offer,’ but it wasn’t as though verbalization was a factor, here.

“So, what is going to happen?” I asked.

The Stranger lowered his sunglasses and winked at me. He said, “Oh, oh, oh — no! I can’t tell you that, but I think you know. What I can tell is this — the person you are hunting is about to unleash a major incantation upon the fabric of the world. You can’t stop him, not now — you and the Caretakers have already failed in that regard. But you can stop the true evil in this world from regaining its foothold. But you must rescue the one in the tower. The one who is missing.”

Tower? Missing? I didn’t know what he was talking about. The only ‘missing’ person of late was that boy everyone was looking for, but surely it couldn’t be him? Surely it couldn’t be — but as I mused, the Stranger looked into my eyes and I knew in that moment that it was him. Abor. He was the key. But how would I rescue someone I had never even met or knew anything about and—

“It will come to you in time. Reality will be twisted. You will acclimate better. Well. I shouldn’t say ‘twisted,’ as that implies brokenness. No, reality is going to be… healed some. Fragments slowly being brought together. I’ve said too much.”

My mind raced with a billion questions, but seeing the stranger rise from his seat, those questions faded.

“Thank you for your hospitality, young sir. I will look forward to our next encounter,” and then the man vanished.

And on the table was a but a tiny black vial. It was atop a note which simply read, “As a parting gift. Enjoy soon. It will help ease your transition to the new.”