The engine roared as Lewis put his foot all the way to the floor. Adrenaline filled his veins. He was simultaneously horrified and exhilarated.

“Slow down!” cried Josie.

Lewis let off the gas. He peeked back at her through the rearview mirror. She was in the middle of the truck with her fingers dug deep into both front headrests. Her eyes were the size of saucers, full of terror. Lewis immediately felt terrible. Josie’s parents had died in a car crash.

Only Josie survived.

Lewis pulled over immediately. He’d driven far enough away from the school already. Josie stayed quiet as everyone got out of the truck. Lewis wiped the sleeve of his hoodie all over the steering wheel, center console and head rests to make sure no one left any fingerprints behind.

While Lewis was dealing with the truck, the siren of Landon’s ambulance sounded in the distance.

“Let’s go,” said Mr. Gray.

Lewis dropped the keys in the driver’s seat. When he looked up he found Josie and Mr. Gray standing beside a large shimmering patch of air. Another portal to the Beyond.

Josie held her backpack out, pushing the end of it into the shimmer. As the bag crossed the plane its form blurred and vanished over the span of an inch. “Whoa,” she said.

Lewis smiled to himself. It was pretty cool. “Be sure to breathe out as you step through,” he warned.

“We’re going inside of it!? Is it even safe?”

“You’ll be fine,” said Mr. Gray.

Josie frowned. “Okay,” she said apprehensively, “but I’m going to be so pissed if I end up with cancer.”

Mr. Gray laughed hysterically until he began to cough. He pounded his fist against his chest. “The radiation is fairly mild,” he said once he was recomposed. Josie and Lewis both gawked at him. He ignored the looks as he stepped through the portal and vanished from sight.

“I’ve been through a couple of times,” said Lewis. “It’s just really disorienting. We better hurry, though—they don’t stay open for long.”

Josie pushed her backpack through with her foot. She still looked unsure.

Lewis placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s do it together,” he said.

Josie looked back at him, taking her eyes off the portal for the first time. He could tell she was scared, but she managed a tiny twitch of a smile. “On three?” she asked.

“Sure,” said Lewis.

Josie grabbed his hand. “One….”

“Two….”

They both exhaled as they stepped into the conduit.

Lewis was acutely aware of Josie’s touch as the world shifted around them. His head spun as if he’d stepped into a dream. Swirling lights filled his vision, leaving bright spots behind, burned into his retinas. It was the first time he’d dared keep his eyes open during the transition. His stomach fluttered with weightlessness as he shifted his gaze over towards Josie. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, but she had a grin on her face that stretched from ear to ear. She looked back at him, her smile brightening even further as she squeezed his hand.

A dull headache began to form behind Lewis’s eyes as if he’d been staring too long into a bright lightbulb. The corners of his vision grew dark as a rush of blood flowed to his head. He blinked several times to clear his sight. By the time he could see properly again he was already standing on the now familiar rocky terrain of the immortal realm.

A tug at his hand nearly pulled him off his feet as Josie collapsed to the ground. Lewis eased her fall. He squatted down next to her, cradling her head in his hands as she murmured to herself and clutched her stomach.

“That was sickening…” she said. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“It gets easier,” said Lewis.

Josie leaned away from him and immediately retched out the contents of her stomach onto the dark rocks. She sat up afterwards, embarrassed.

Lewis was sympathetic. He hadn’t experienced much nausea this time, but he still remembered how gross he felt after his first trip.

Josie grimaced as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her embarrassment waned as her eyes drifted upwards, taking in the strange sights of the perpetually dark realm. Her face lit up again as she took in the rippling heavens above.

Mr. Gray tapped his foot impatiently. “Now is not the time for sightseeing,” he said rudely.

Lewis rolled his eyes. “Lighten up,” he said, “this is a pretty amazing experience for us humans. Time doesn’t even exist here, so what’s the rush?”

“I’m just bored,” Mr. Gray said, pursing his lips.

Josie scooped up her backpack as she climbed to her feet. “So this is your planet?” she asked. “It’s so dark….”

Stolen novel; please report.

“It’s not really a planet,” said Mr. Gray. “More like a disk.” He waddled off a few steps, searching the air for the invisible ripples of energy he used to form his portals. “I see energies you cannot comprehend. For me, it is horribly bright up here on the surface.” With a mere wave of a hand, another window opened up before him.

Josie’s face went slightly pale. The thought of going through a portal again so soon must not have been sitting well with her stomach.

“How many Parcae live here?” asked Lewis.

“Many,” said Mr. Gray. “There are cities beneath our feet.” He gestured for them to step through the portal. “Go on without me. I’m meeting Orcus for lunch.”

Josie breathed deeply as she stepped up to the portal. “Alright,” she said. She glanced back at Lewis. “See you on the other side, I guess.” She looked up one last time, taking in the dazzling shimmers, and then walked through.

Mr. Gray stopped Lewis before he could follow her in. “Josie puts on a brave face, but she is still fragile,” he said. “You must take care of her now so that she can take care of you later.”

Lewis frowned. “What’s going to happen?”

Mr. Gray grinned at him. “You know better than to ask me that.” He patted Lewis on the back of the knee, herding him towards the portal. “Remember when I told you that the two of you together cause unpredictability? Well, when it comes to the longevity of the mortal plane, that’s actually a very good thing indeed.”

Lewis didn’t know what to say. He knew Mr. Gray wouldn’t be telling him anything more on the subject. He couldn’t, apparently.

“Go now,” said Mr. Gray, “before it closes.”

Lewis sighed. Mr. Gray was already walking away. The plane of the portal began to ripple, growing unstable—the final stage of its lifespan. Lewis dove through.

When he arrived on the other side, he found himself lying face down on Josie’s front lawn. His head was spinning like a top. It took everything he had not to throw up. In his rush he’d forgotten to breathe out all the way before diving in. Josie was standing over him giggling. Lewis focused his eyes on her to try to steady his vision. It took constant effort to stop his gaze from drifting.

“You just shot out like a sausage!” Josie clutched her side as the laughter continued.

Despite the fact that she was laughing at his misfortune, Lewis couldn’t help but enjoy Josie’s cute giggle. It was nice to see a happier side of her.

The front door opened and Josie’s grandfather, Richard Mays, stepped outside. He cocked his head as he observed Lewis, nose pressed into the grass.

Lewis’s face grew hot as the embarrassment settled in. He must have looked like a real weirdo. He struggled to sit up, nearly falling over immediately as his equilibrium swayed like a bowl of soup flying down a waterslide. He dug his fist into the grass to prop himself up. He didn’t dare try to stand yet.

“Welcome back,” Mr. Mays said to Josie, eying Lewis with a smirk. “How was your first day of high school?”

Josie offered Lewis a hand. He didn’t feel ready yet, but he didn’t want to look any more like he was on drugs than he already did. He took her hand and she pulled him to his feet and placed her arm around his shoulder to steady him.

“It was more exciting than anticipated,” answered Josie. She made no attempt to introduce Lewis as they walked to the house.

“Hello, Mr. Mays,” said Lewis. “Sorry, I’m just a little bit dizzy from the rope swing.”

“Mhm,” said Mr. Mays.

“My name’s Lewis.”

“I already know who you are,” said Mr. Mays. He stepped aside, allowing them to enter. He shot Lewis a wink as he passed the threshold.

Lewis narrowed his eyes in confusion.

“I made you kids some quesadillas,” said Mr. Mays, retrieving a tray from the side table.

“Thanks, Pops,” said Josie as he handed it to her. “We’re going to hang out in my room for a little bit if that’s okay?”

Mr. Mays nodded his approval. He disappeared into the living room as Josie led Lewis to the stairs. She got him to the banister before leaving him to find his own balance. She hurried up the stairs. Lewis took his time, clinging to the railing for dear life. Eventually he made it to the top and then leaned against the wall as he stumbled into Josie’s bedroom.

Josie was sitting on her bed, shoving a quesadilla down her throat.

“Oh my god, this is soo good,” she said with her mouth full.

There were little bowls of sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. The quesadillas were thick with melty cheese and ground beef. It was the perfect meal for post-portal travel. Lewis’s mouth was watering intensely. He sat down beside Josie, grabbed a large slice, and began spooning heaps of toppings all over it. The first bite was absolutely divine. The fat from the avocados and the cheese lifted his spirits instantly. He was surprised he still had an appetite after the burger earlier, but his cravings were fierce.

It wasn’t until they’d cleared the plate that Lewis’s mind began to process the incongruences of his interactions with Josie’s grandfather. Mr. Mays shouldn’t have known who he was. Prime hadn’t met Mr. Mays yet, and it didn’t make sense for his reputation to precede him. He turned his head towards Josie, catching her attention with his inquisitive glance. “How does your grandfather already know who I am?”

Josie’s cheeks darkened as a deep blush fell across her face. She stood up from the bed and paced in front of the window. “You’ve been around here before,” she said, “a future you.” She glanced back at Lewis for a moment but quickly shied away from his gaze.

“I go back in time again? When does that happen?”

“Doesn’t your journal say not to question me? I know it does—I saw it!” She bit her lower lip.

“Wait…” said Lewis, “what happens between future me and past you? What happened, I mean….”

Josie’s eyes remained downcast. She seemed hesitant to answer.

A sudden rap at the front door stole both of their attentions.

“Who’s that?” asked Josie. She took a step closer to the window.

Oh no, it’s me!

He’d lost track of time during their last jaunt through the Beyond. It was already to the point when Prime was here to try to see Josie after school.

He heard muffled words from downstairs—Mr. Mays telling the other Lewis that Josie wasn’t home. The door slammed shut. He remembered walking away while looking up at Josie’s empty window.

Josie was at the window already, leaning over to look down at the porch below.

Things aren’t in place!

Lewis rushed over and flipped the light switch, then lunged across the room at Josie. He grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her away from the window. He saw the back of his own head beginning to turn around just as he pulled Josie out of sight to the side of the window and pinned her against the wall with his body.

Her eyes went wide, staring back at him as their bodies remained pressed together, just barely hidden from view. Her chest heaved silently against his own—a breathless expression taking hold. His hands were still gripping her shoulders. He released her, but stayed close. They continued to stare into each other’s eyes while they waited for the other Lewis to depart.

Josie reached up unexpected and ran her hand through Lewis’s hair, straightening out a few strands that had fallen out of place during his rush across the room.

She craned her neck up, inching her mouth closer towards his.

Lewis heart leapt in his chest. He leaned in, allowing their lips to brush together gently. A wave of euphoria danced through his body—an electric tingle that filled him with heat. It was like being lowered into a warm bath. A spark became a flame which quickly spread throughout his entire body. Lewis lost himself; his mind going blank. All that remained were her lips against his. So soft, and full.

“I’ve missed you,” she said softly, her eyes giving off a slight shine as she pulled away.