Marie was asleep on the couch, the gentle rise and fall of her chest a counterpoint to the stillness of the room. Suddenly, a glass on the table rattled, its soft clinking was just the beginning. The tremor grew, a low rumble that seemed to come from deep within the earth, building in intensity until the whole house shook. Marie's peaceful slumber shattered into confusion as the room shook. Eyes wide, she lurched from the couch, the clinking glass a sharp call to the urgent reality of the quake.

"Derek!"

Derek felt the first faint shiver of the earthquake through the soles of his feet, a subtle vibration that quickly grew into a discernible shake. He pushed back from the kitchen table, his movements deliberate and controlled, as he made his way to the sofa where she sat.

"It's okay, just an earthquake," he called out to Marie, his voice a practiced calm, though a slight tension in his jaw betrayed his concern.

Derek's stance was resolute, his feet planted firmly on the ground as the room swayed ominously. He was a pillar of strength for Marie, who clung to him, her grip tightening with each new tremor. The familiar comforts of their home were now a landscape of danger; the clinking of glassware escalated into a dissonant symphony, and the once-stable floor moved beneath them in a disquieting dance. As Derek's hand clasped Marie's more firmly, it was a silent vow to weather the storm together.

The quake's crescendo was marked by a deafening crack that split the air—was it thunder, or something else? A sudden gust of wind howled against the house, and a sharp clap of thunder punctuated the chaos. The sound of something heavy toppling on the deck added a final note to the cacophony before an abrupt stillness took hold.

In the wake of the quake, a profound silence enveloped them. It was a quiet so dense and complete it seemed to press against their ears. Derek and Marie stood motionless, their breathing shallow, as they waited for the earth to betray them again. But only the tick of the kitchen clock dared to break the hush, its mundane sound now a surreal reminder of normalcy. They shared a glance, their eyes communicating a mix of relief and disbelief, a silent acknowledgment that the immediate threat had passed, yet the uncertainty of what came next lingered in the air.

The air seemed to buzz with energy without somewhere to go. It felt like something was thrumming with power as the air felt charged.

"Is it over?"

"I think so." Derek helped her to her feet.

Derek's gaze flickered from Marie's anxious face to the trembling walls around them. In that brief lull, as the shaking subsided, his resolve hardened. He needed to assess the situation, ensure the safety of their home—their sanctuary in a world that seemed to be unraveling. With a reassuring squeeze of Marie's hand, he stood, his movements deliberate, the set of his jaw telling of his silent promise to shield her from whatever lay beyond their doorstep.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"I'm going to check the deck. Stay here," he said, his voice a low rumble, mirroring the aftershocks that still whispered through the foundation.

Derek stepped through the door, his eyes immediately drawn to the toppled umbrella, a minor casualty in the grand scheme but a precursor to the true anomaly. It took a moment for his brain to register what lay beyond it.

The lawn, now a canvas of otherworldly phenomena, was dotted with glowing discs. Purple discs of glowing energy as large as a large dining table

Their one-acre lot was covered in at least forty of them, it wasn't only their yard, but the neighbors yards, and the road were likewise covered with the portals. He stood frozen, a frown creasing his brow as he tried to make sense of the sight.

Marie's hesitated as she stood in the doorway, her body tensed for retreat, yet her gaze remained fixed on the swirling lights outside. The rational part of her urged her to seek shelter, to heed Derek's warning and the instinctual fear that came with the ground shaking beneath her feet. But there was a stronger pull, an almost magnetic draw towards the inexplicable phenomena unfolding in their backyard.

"What are those?" Marie gasped.

The lure of the unknown that was as much a part of her as her own heartbeat. With a breath that was part determination and part trepidation, she finally turned, stepping back into the perceived safety of the house, yet her eyes lingered on the glass, captivated by the sight.

Derek's voice, firm yet laced with concern, broke through her trance, reminding her that safety should come first, even for the insatiably curious. "Portals. Dozens of them," he finally muttered, the words feeling as surreal as the vision before him. His practical mind raced for a logical explanation, but none came.

"That doesn't look good. Go inside and watch from there," Derek ordered, nudging her inside. "Close the curtains. Hurry!"

Derek turned back from the unsettling sight of the portals, his mind racing with the need for safety. Inside, he found Marie with one hand still on the curtain, her body halfway turned towards the chaos outside, a clear struggle etched onto her features. Her curiosity held her gaze captive to the otherworldly spectacle.

He followed after her after a moment. As expected, the curtains remained half-closed, and she stared outside. Derek's hands moved swiftly, grasping the curtains with a firmness that wrinkled the fabric, his fingers working quickly, as if they were on their own mission. The soft whoosh of the curtains sliding across the rod filled the room, a stark contrast to the charged silence that had fallen after the quake. He glanced back at the glowing discs outside, the urgency in his movements reflecting the gravity of the unknown threat. With a sharp tug, he drew the last of the curtains closed, casting the room into a dimness that felt like a temporary shield from the chaos outside.

As the portals crackled with a surge of energy, Derek's hand shot out, a reflex to shield Marie from the unknown. The hair on his arms stood on end, a primal response to the charged air that now filled the room. He could feel the electric tension, like a storm about to break, and without a word, he stepped closer to Marie, an unspoken vow in the firm set of his jaw to stand between her and whatever might come through those spinning gates of light. As the portals hummed with energy, Derek met Marie's gaze, with silent acknowledgement of what they were about to face.