This chapter, is super, super, super long. So I won't talk much. Shoutouts: Unknown Writer O.o, lillypad22, carly, iggsplosives, AnikaandAj, girlreadsalot!

Chapter 10 Dark Matter

Despite the fact that Kevin was completely delusional and had tried to kill me I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. It wasn't just the fact that he'd been at the School like us (and it was kinda going against reason if you didn't think at least one of the 55 Haven kids had a few quirks because of what they'd been through), but I also felt sorry for him because he was all alone. I, had the Flock, and without them I doubted I would have come out of the School, much less survived this long, anywhere within the realm of sanity without them by my side. Kevin, had been alone from day one, and he'd stayed that way, all the way up until now.

I blinked and looked down at him again, taking in his crazed eyes and mussed brown hair. He had light skin, as if he didn't spend a lot of time in the sun. His clothes, were loose and baggy and his shoes untied. He needed a shave, stubbles lined his chin covering the sharp angles of his cheek bones. All in all, he looked like a mess. And that's exactly what he was.

I glanced at Angel who knelt next to him with Gazzy standing protectively behind her, just a half an arms reach away. Kevin's wrists had been secured with zip ties and he now sat with his back against a large oak. The Flock stood around him, taking in the sight of him, and more than likely coming to the same conclusion as I had. Kevin, needed major help.

"His mind is split, like, there's a lot buzzing around but I am catching a few bits and pieces. As far as I can tell, he really does think Max is the bad guy. Us too, he thinks we will betray him because, because we did it once before." Angel shrugged as I cocked my head to the side and looked at her in confusion. "We betrayed him? I don't remember that. I've never seen him. Not until after I fought the Director." I said, suppressing the memories that threatened to swirl to the surface of my mind so that I could relive them.

"That's stupid, we'd never do anything like that." Gazzy spat, scuffing his boot into the mud and turning his glare on Kevin who didn't even look as if he was on the same planet as us. What with his mumbling and rocking back and forth. Not to mention his eyes, which were staring miles away.

"He can't hear us. Or, won't. I don't know which but something is blocking us from him or vice versa. It's like a mind block but not one I've seen before. This one," Angel winced and leaned back on her heals as if she'd just been stung, "this one fights back."

"So what you're saying is that he's even freakier than the rest of us freaks." Iggy said, coming to stand beside Fang who had one arm wrapped around my waist. Angel glanced up at him and nodded.

"Well, what do you think we should do with him?" Maya asked, turning her attention from Kevin to me, her face slightly troubled. I thought for a moment and then sighed. "I think we should send him with the others, but make sure that Riley stays near him. Riley, what do you think about that?" I asked, turning to the tall, muscular, light haired man.

Riley had recovered from Kevin's attack (apparently he'd gone to find the boy, Jaimie, and when he opened Kevin's door not only did he see the boy there but a lamp flying for his face. Riley had been knocked unconscious and was that way when Fang came in. Fang, shocked at the sight of Riley on the ground, blood coming from his nose and mouth, paused only to be knocked over the head with the same lamp pole. Which led to the hostage situation where I eventually made my entrance. You know the rest.)

As it was Riley's nose had stopped bleeding though his lips were still swollen. His face was bruised but his advanced healing had already turned the color from a deep purple to an ugly shade of healing yellow. It was a work in progress.

Riley nodded, only taking his gaze off Kevin after I said his name. "H'm?"

"I said why don't you get Sierra to help you. I know she's kinda your second in command." I nudged Fang who rolled his eyes.

Riley nodded, his crew cut light brown hair not even moving though the wind had started to pick up. I glanced at the sky and then turned to the others. "We need to find out what to do with the Haven kids. A few of the workers have volunteered to open up their homes but there's not enough room for everyone and I've got a feeling not all of them feel comfortable living with humans." I frowned and saw the Flock do the same.

"Well they could always stay with us. I mean we each have room. I know that we could fit at least six at our house." Angel said, she looked at Gazzy who nodded in agreement. "Brook will say yes and I bet Colt will too." Those were the names of Gazzy and Angel's gf/bf. I wasn't sure I liked the idea of them under the same roof but that was their choice. Both of them were old enough to decide the right moves for themselves now.

"Colt's brother could stay too. And Brook said she's really good friends with Casey, the leopard lynx hybrid. She and her brother will say yes I bet."

"That still leaves a lot of people without places to stay," Dylan said. He glanced at Maya and she nodded. "We can fit three."

"Four," Star said, glancing at Ratchet who shrugged.

"Three," Iggy put in for himself and Ella.

"Four," Nudge's voice cut over Holden's though he'd been about to say the same.

I glanced at Fang who just looked at me. Two in the living room, a spare bedroom, and the office. That was…. "Four, five at the most." I said, then I added the numbers in my head. "That makes around 23 to 24. So half."

"What about your mom and Jeb?" Iggy suggested. I frowned but said, "That's up to them."

"Maybe the CSM could just rent them all hotel rooms? Just until we can get someone to do something with…this." Nudge gestured at Haven which was now up to the top of the front door in mud. Luckily though, it seemed as if the flow had ebbed. At least the building was still standing.

"Maybe for some of the older ones, but not the kids." I said, my hand on my hip as I thought it through. "Riley, you can ask them. I'm sure the CSM will help after I talk to them."

"I heard they already have a crew on the way to access the damage here." Nudge put in helpfully. I nodded and lifted my wings slightly as the breeze grew. Everyone glanced at the sky and frowned as clouds began to gather. The sun was still hidden behind them which made the overcast sky seem likely to open it's gates and flood us again. We needed to get moving, fast.

"What about Jeb? He said he might know something about all this." Dylan pointed out, turning his sea blue eyes on me. My mouth pulled down in one corner as I shifted uncomfortably. Jeb, was the last thing I wanted to deal with at the moment. Didn't I have enough on my plate now that Haven was ruined? Apparently not. Still, I thought, my eyes locating Fang's. It might be worth it just to see what Jeb has to say. It's probably nothing anyway. Then I can help out.

"Max we can handle Haven." Angel said, standing up and dusting her hands on her jeans. She glanced at her brother and the rest of the Flock. "You and Fang go figure out what's going on. Then you can let us know." That was Angel for you; cool, calm, collected and to the point. It reminded me of the time on the plane when she had given her little speech and described everything I was feeling so much better than I ever could have at that time. But that was just the way Angel was. She didn't drag around.

I looked back at Fang and when he nodded spread my wings. "Call me if you need any help, okay? We'll be back as soon as we can."

"Fly safe," Maya said, smirking at her own joke. I let out a short laugh before nodding to the others and taking off, Fang on my wings. Together we flew above the clearing and circled taking one last look at Haven before coasting over the trees. I beat my wings in rhythm with Fang's and his black wings brushed my own on the down stroke. Against the darkening sky Fang's wings seemed to blend and meld while my own stood out.

We flew at a normal pace but it only took minutes for us to reach the house. Immediately Ella ran out and behind her were Alex, Ari and Jason. Mom came to the door and was shadowed by John Abate. Only when we landed did Jeb appear and make his way down the steps to meet us.

The kids and Ella beat him to us though and we were hit with an borate of questions. "What's going on? What happened?" That was Ella. "Where'd you go? Why'd you leave us?" Ari.

"What happened? I can help!" Alex.

"Is everything okay? Where are my parents?" Jason.

I raised my hands for silence and after a moment they calmed down enough for them to hear me speak. "Everything is okay and nobody is hurt. Haven was hit with a mudslide but we managed to get everyone out. Nothing's wrong." I said, glancing at Fang from the corners of my eyes, begging him not to mention our little 'situation'.

"I coulda' helped!" Alex said, her face stony. Good grief she was so my daughter, always ready to spring into action.

"I'm sure you could've. But everything is handled now. Jason, your mom and dad are back at Haven helping to clear everything up. They're okay and said they want you to stay here with my Mom."

Jason still seemed slightly worried, his sea blue eyes narrowed but he kept what ever he was thinking to himself and nodded. I turned to Ari who's dark eyes were wide and said, "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."

"Where will the Haven kids go?" Ella asked, her eyes boring into mine. I could tell she was still worried about Iggy despite the fact I'd told her everyone was okay. Guess I couldn't blame her though. I'd been worried sick when I couldn't find Fang earlier.

"We've offered to keep some of the kids with us in our own houses. Iggy said you guys could take three. I hope that's okay."

"Of course, whatever we can do to help."

"Max? Max some of them can stay with me. If they want." My mom had finally reached us though she'd heard the whole conversation. Behind her John had his hand on her shoulder and was leaning against her for emotional support.

I glanced at my mom and then the hole in her roof. She followed my gaze and said, "We have a tarp for it. That will at least keep any minor rain and wind out. But I'm sure we could find room for at least three. We have the kid's rooms plus the spare and the den. Maybe downstairs as well?"

"What ever you're comfortable with mom." I said. "We've got about half covered without your help. With it that means less money and time finding temporary homes."

"The CSM is going to help though?" John asked, rubbing my mom's shoulder. I nodded and my mom said, "They've been a real blessing."

I couldn't help but agree with that. A lot of things we'd accomplished where thanks to them.

I felt Fang's arm snake it's way around me and glanced up at his face only to see his eyes were staring over John's shoulder. I followed his gaze and saw Jeb standing by the garage, twirling a set of keys on his fingers. "Mom, we have to go. Will you watch the kids? And if the Flock calls they know where we are."

My mom seemed surprised but nodded while Ari and Alex let out cries. "Hey don't worry, we'll be back." I said, kneeling down and pulling them to me. Ari wrapped his arms around my neck while Alex hugged me tight. I smiled at both of them and Fang ruffed Ari's hair before hugging Alex. "Look after each other. And Jason too."

"'Kay!" they said and watched us go as we turned and headed towards Jeb. When we stopped in front of him and stopped twirling the keys and snatched them in his fist.

"Where we are going, we have to go off road. I need one of you to carry me." I couldn't help the look that crossed my face. I did not like the sound of that. Not the off road part, the other part.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked, my hands on my hips. Fang stood behind me, his body so close to mine it made him look like my living shadow.

"We're going 30' degrees North at 15' West. Towards the mountains."

"Why there?" I asked skeptically. But Jeb just shook his head bringing back memories of all the times he'd done that beforehand. "I can't say."

"To hell you can't. Look I don't even know why I'm listening to you. It's just a little bad weather. Not some apocalyptic side affect." I rolled my eyes but tensed when Jeb just sighed. "How can you be so sure of that?"

I glared at Jeb and my hands balled into fists. "How are you so sure you know what's causing this?" I challenged, leaning toward him. But Jeb just waved his hand. "It's just a theory."

"And a waste of time when I've got mutants out of a home."

"Max."

"Jeb."

Jeb glared at me and I glared right back at him. Our eyes, blue on brown, staring each other down until eventually Jeb looked away and I smirked. Score one for Max.

"You're waisting time here arguing with me." Jeb pointed out. I opened my mouth to retort when Fang said, "I'll carry you." I gaped at him as he moved forward and snatched Jeb up who looked more than a little surprised by the sudden movement. Fang glanced at me then took a running start and lifted off into the air.

I watched him go for a moment, carrying my 'father'. Then I let out an aggravated sigh and spread my wings bunching down my muscles so that I leapt high into the air before beating down with my wings and heading after them. My wings brushing the tips of the trees at the edge of the front yard before I was fully airborne.

I saw my mom, half sister, son, daughter and nephew wave then focused on catching up to Fang which took no time. His dark wings beat steadily and I got a bit of satisfaction out of the uncomfortable look on Jeb's face as he glanced at the sky then focused on his hands curled up to his chest. Not everyone was made for the air.

Our internal compasses guided us in the right direction and before long the forest below became woodier and the air colder. Despite the fact that it was summer the air chilled my skin causing goose bumps to appear. My breath shown as mist as I beat my wings faster in order to keep warm. In this cool air it was harder to not only fly but navigate which direction to go in. A quick glance at Jeb showed that he was completely lost and had given up trying to make sure we were in the right place. He wasn't used to seeing things from this angle anyway.

Still I had the feeling we were getting closer and a glance at Fang's face told me he felt the same. Without saying a word we both dipped our wings and headed closer to the trees which pierced the sky. Mist surrounded us making Fang's wings seem like giant black blades slicing through the air while mine seemed to hold gaps where the white speckles were.

My hair whipped past my ear and I tucked it back so that I could better see. Up ahead a large gray expanse announced a rock wall. Fang and I prepared to pull up when Jeb's eyes widened and he said, "There! Down below. Do you see it?" My brow furrowed in confusion as I peered at the rock wall which looked to just be part of the mountain. I didn't see anything special to it.

"There's a clearing just in front of it. Land there." Jeb instructed, shifting in Fang's arms. I glanced at Fang who shrugged and we flew as low as we dared the tips of our wings nearly brushing the trees. As we neared the wall though I made out a small clearing and after making sure Fang had seen it too headed towards it.

We back stroked quickly so that we could land and our feet touched down in an over grown clearing that we'd of had no way of knowing was there without Jeb having shown us first. Fang set Jeb down on his feet and dusted his arms on his pants before throwing me a blank look which was loaded with questions and comments. I just shrugged and watched as Jeb moved forward slowly and lay his hands on the rock wall.

I heard him mutter something and remembered some movie where this old dude in a gray cloak had done the same. Iggy had said it was Lord of the Rings, or something like that.

Apparently Fang was thinking the same thing because he rubbed his eyes. Telling me that he wondered if we were wasting our time after all.

That's when I heard Jeb say, "Got it," and looked up only to see a door swing open made of the exact same stone as the surrounding rock, making it blend in perfectly. "Here we are." Jeb said, waving us forward as he stepped inside what looked like a dark tunnel. I glanced at Fang who took my hand and together we stepped inside after Jeb.

Immediately my skin felt tingly and shivers ran up and down my spine. It was at least 15 degrees cooler in here than outside where it had already been slightly chilly. I wrapped my arms around my body in an effort to warm up and felt Fang's arms wrap around me as we followed Jeb further in, only able to make him out by the light colored shirt he wore.

We didn't speak as we walked though I half way wished someone would say something. The eerie silence of the tunnel plus the cold had me on my toes and my heart beat thrumming as adrenaline crept into my veins.

Up ahead Jeb stopped and began messing with something in front of him. Fang tensed and I shifted uncomfortably as there was a hiss and a second door swung open. Jeb glanced back at us then stepped through and I heard his shoes tap as he moved as if he were walking on regular floor tiles. I glanced at Fang barely able to make out his face but knowing he heard the same. What was this place?

I followed Jeb with Fang right behind me as I stepped down onto the floor. It was still dark, but I got the feeling we were in a much larger room than the tunnel had been which was good because I'd been about to snap from claustrophobia. In fact, I still might.

I heard the sound of footsteps moving about and then winced shading my eyes with my hand as lights suddenly flickered on over head. For a moment I was rendered blind by the sudden onslaught of light. Then I blinked and was able to focus. Though what I saw surprised me even more than I'd ever thought possible and made the hairs on my arms stand on end as my heart stopped and my blood ran cold.

It was a lab.

A lab that looked so strikingly familiar to what I'd seen at the School so many years ago that I couldn't stop the sudden wave of nausea that hit me or the chills that ran down my spine. Adrenaline pumped into my veins as I took a step back, my eyes wide, snapping from the machines to the equipment to the metal tables and charts and crash carts and velcro straps and white ceiling and floor tiles. It was all here, all so familiar. All of it straight out of my nightmares. Straight out of my memories. And, to complete it all, right smack middle of the room stood the person who had started it all.

Jeb.

My eyes narrowed to slits as I sent him my best death glare. "What the hell are you getting at! Bringing us here!" I shouted, my eyes blazing. Fang tensed behind me and I knew he was just as upset as I was. "Max I-."

"Don't Max me! What kinda sick joke is this? Why didn't you tell us we were walking straight into a freakin' replica of the School? It's not funny!"

"Max I know if you will just allow me to explain." Jeb said, raising his hands as he started forward. But I shook my head and glared down at him. "Take one more step and I'm outta here." Jeb halted, his foot in mid air, before setting it down and looking at me.

I nodded and said, "What, are we doing…here?"

"I told you, this is the place where I think I can figure out what is happening. I just need your help with something."

"Oh I'm sure you do." I spat, my voice dripping sarcasm. Jeb frowned at me. "Please Max this is important."

"If it's so important then why didn't you just tell me what we were going to do?" Jeb looked at me seriously then glanced around the room before once again laying his eyes on me. "You never would have agreed to come."

"I've got a question." Fang said, moving to stand directly beside me. I glanced at him in surprise as did Jeb. Fang ignored the looks though and jerked his head toward the metal beds, "What the hell is all of this doing here? Why is there a lab so close to our homes and why did you know it was here." My eyes widened as I realized Fang was right. My eyes snapped to Jeb who had taken on the look of someone who was extremely uncomfortable. Bully for him, he had five seconds to answer Fang's question before I walked out and didn't come back, not until I'd had Iggy and Gazzy whip up a batch of explosives that is.

"I, I'm going to be honest with you." Jeb said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "This lab has been here ever since I first rescued you from the School. I built it so that I could continue my scientific research here while looking after all of you. I wasn't going to town when I left you. I was coming here, continuing my work despite the fact I was away from the School."

"So you mean to say you've known this was here since I was ten? And you never thought to tell anyone?" I asked incredulously, my eyes narrowed in suspicion. Jeb simply nodded and I said, "Some secret."

"Why all of the testing equipment? Were you experimenting on us?" Fang asked, his voice threatening in the same way his shoulders were lifted and his head lowered as his dark eyes narrowed and his fingers curled into fists. Everything about the way he looked saying 'dangerous'.

Jeb seemed to sense that we'd both had enough of the run around over the years and raised his hands as he said, "No! Never! I never experimented on you I took you away from the School so that you wouldn't have to go through that anymore."

"'Cause that worked," I muttered but Jeb heard it anyway and frowned at me. "Then what were you testing on?" Fang pried, still angry.

"Mostly small animals I'd catch in the woods. I took blood samples and conducted small side projects. Nothing major, just enough to keep my scientific hobby alive."

Some hobby, I thought, rolling my eyes inwardly. Most people just knitted or collected stamps. But Jeb just couldn't be content with that. He had to go around poking needles into mother nature's little critters.

"So what the heck are we doing here anyway? I hope you don't expect us to be a part of some side project you might have been thinking of doing?" I said, my voice dangerously low. Jeb immediately shook his head and raised his hands defensively. "Not at all. I haven't been here since after I went back to the School two years after bringing you here to the mountains of Colorado."

"So what then?" Fang asked.

Jeb frowned as he clasped his hands together and turned away from us. I noted the troubled look on his face and my body tensed. What was going on here?

"I think..., well I told you already that I believed I knew what was causing all of these storms. When Dylan mentioned that it seemed like the world was being destroyed it reminded me of what I'd come across here years ago. Immediately I was sure I was right. But I wanted to check first. Unfortunately you over reacted to what I'd said and so I was forced to reveal more than I wanted to at the time. But now that we're here we can see for ourselves."

"See what?" I asked, taking a step forward with Fang right behind me.

Jeb grinned and said, "One of my greatest inventions. You see I spent the better part of my earlier years as I scientist studying quantom physics and dark matter as well as space. Not the space beyond our atmosphere, but the space here. Inside our own world. I dug deeper and deeper until eventually, one day while I was here, in this very lab, I came across something remarkable."

I waited but when Jeb didn't say anything more I said, "Well?"

"It has been said, in some religions and philosophies, that because we exist here, there must be a dual reality, just like this one, that we are unaware of. For years I thought this was ridiculous. How could there be another world that mirrored ours? Another reality, so to speak, where we all existed with minor changes based on the outcomes of history. I believed this was just a hoax. But that's when I stumbled upon it." Jeb paused and licked his lips, his eyes distant.

"I was conducting a new experiment, attempting to create a device that would produce dark matter without the need for negatively charged particles. Everything was going according to plan when I was visited by one of the Senior Electors at that time who just so happened to have been the one who helped me free you and the others. He and his wife were both top rated scientists gifted in biogenetic engineering. I hid what I was doing under a tarp and invited them in. Richard, that had been his name, had wanted to make sure I had gotten out alive seeing as I had given him and only him my location before I left. He had also come to show me his son, who he claimed would become the next Albert Einstein.

"While we were talking though the boy wandered off. Richard's wife, Sherry, noticed and I was immediately worried that he had been exposed to the dark matter. As it was she found him sitting beside the tarp but before any questions could be raised Richard claimed they had to leave. I only found out once I returned two years later, forcibly by the way, that Richard and his wife had been killed because it had been discovered they'd helped me leave with you all. I never found out what happened to their son.

Jeb closed his eyes and I bowed my head before looking up as he took a deep breath and ran his hand over a keyboard. "I continued my work after they left, and I succeeded."

"You created dark matter?" Fang asked, his eyes widening a fraction which showed that he was completely shocked. Jeb nodded with a glint of pride showing through his features. "Yes, but in doing so I also created a sort of window. A window that at first I didn't understand but that became clearer as the dark matter spread until I was forced to stop it."

"A window to another reality?" I clarified, my anger towards Jeb forgotten.

I moved forward so that I stood just before him with Fang on my right. "It exists?" Jeb smirked slightly and turned towards me. "Oh yes, it does."

"But you never told anyone what you found. Did you?" Fang asked, his eyes peering down at Jeb. Jeb glanced up at him and shook his head. "I knew if they found out that they would only take my machine away from me and try to exploit the dark matter. For some reason, I just knew that doing just that could destroy both worlds."

"So you just left it there. Left it here. Until now." I stated, my eyes lighting upon an object with a sheet over it near the back of the room. Jeb followed my gaze then walked over to it and threw me a look before gripping the tarp and tossing it aside.

There, sitting on what appeared to be a rolling table, was a tin bowl. My eyes narrowed as I glanced at Jeb who motioned me forward. I walked slowly towards him and paused just shy of the bowl. My eyes strayed towards it but I couldn't see over the rim. Jeb reached for my arm but I jerked back. He sighed and nodded to the bowl, "Look inside."

I could feel Fang behind me and knowing he was there slowly leaned forward. Inside the bowl, swirling around, was a dark, dark purple looking liquid. It was beautiful, reminding me kinda of Fang's wings in in the sunshine, the way they glowed purple. But this was something different in itself. It was beautiful.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Jeb asked, chuckling softly. "Dark matter indeed."

"How does it stay here?" Fang asked, having leaned over my shoulder and peered inside at the bowl's contents. His eyes strayed towards it again before focusing on Jeb. As for me my eyes were glued to the swirling black and purple mixture.

"Not easily, I can assure you. It took quite the amount of effort on my part. And honestly if I went into it you probably wouldn't understand any of it. It is complex science at it's core."

"But what about the machine you mentioned? The one that allows you to see the other side?" I'd had no idea Fang was into all this physics stuff. Guess we weren't cut out for biology or genetics though. Of course we probably could have been experts. We'd been around needles and test tubes enough.

"It's here," Jeb said, nodding at something tall hidden under another tarp. He pulled it down and a dream catcher type thing rattled back and forth until he steadied it. "The dark matter goes here," Jeb pointed at a gap in the stand, "and flows up into the circle where it expands and creates the window."

"But what are you hoping to see?" I asked, realizing this is cool and stuff but not understanding why we're here.

Jeb glanced at me and his voice was the most serious I'd ever heard it. "Because I believe that the reason we are having these storms that are completely unnatural is because something is happening on the other side, the other reality, to cause them. And if we don't find a way to stop it, then our world will be destroyed."

Jeb's hands lifted the bowl and cautiously he poured it's contents into the gap before turning the circle so that it was facing the way we had come. I took a step back, my back resting against Fang's chest, as I watched the black and purple liquid spread just as Jeb had said until it had covered the entire circle, shimmering and moving just like the waves of the ocean. Jeb disappeared for a moment then returned with a small device in his hands. "This," he jerked the remote, "controls it. And now, we see."

Jeb pressed a button and suddenly the dark matter began to spin rapidly like a twister as it spiraled so fast that it blurred in my vision. Fang's arms pulled me too him instinctively and I tensed as a thrumming sound met my ears. Wind buffeted my hair back and I spat as my bangs stuck to my lips. When I looked up again though the dark matter had stilled and there sat a picture of trees and grass along with a rock wall that looked similar to the one we had left outside and I had no doubt surrounded us now. I noticed that the sky was dark, and covered with gray clouds. As I watched they blew across the sky faster than I'd ever seen before.

Then, it happened.

On the other side through the portal we saw the ground begin to shake and a horrible crunching sound met my ears. I winced and watched in shock as trees began to topple and the grass split open wide as a huge crevice appeared in the ground growing larger and larger until a deep cavern covered the ground.

Nearly a second after the earth quake ended on the other side I felt the ground begin to tremble and my eyes widened as I looked at Fang who seemed just as surprised. I leaned against him as the floor vibrated causing the bowl that had once held the dark matter to clatter to the ground and the metal beds with wheels to slide back and forth. Jeb ducked his head as a ceiling tile fell on him but he stood up a moment later. Then, just as quickly as it had occurred, it was done.

I was speechless as I turned to look first at Fang and then at Jeb. Both of their eyes were wide and it was a few seconds before I got up the nerve to speak. "I'm gonna assume that wasn't just a trick you tried to pull on us." I said, forcing a laugh that came out sounding nervous and edgy. Jeb shook his head and said, "How could I fake this?"

"Good point." I glanced back at the portal and the crevice in the earth. My eyes narrowed.

Reaching out I took Fang's hand and pulled him with me to the tunnel. I could feel Jeb's eyes on me and sense Fang's confusion but pulled him forward until we walked out of the tunnel and stood beside the rock wall once more. "What is it?" Fang asked but I couldn't look at him. My eyes were locked on something a few feet away. Fang stared at me in confusion then turned and followed my gaze, his eyes widened.

"Jeb was right, something happening on the other side is destroying our world. And by the looks of things, it won't be long." I said, my finger pointing at the long, deep, newly created crevice carved into the clearing where before only solid land had lay.

I glanced at Fang who let out a breath. "The world is falling apart at the seams."

So, whatcha think? R&R