The air outside was refreshing after the false chill from inside the school building. I thought back to how even after I said Amy was my fiancée, the two women would still not let me in. Amy had said it was because no one her age got married here, which is yet another odd custom that did not carry over into my world. I did not understand why they didn't marry at that age here, as it didn't seem like something that would be changed by the absence of vampires. Which, so far, had proven to be the only reason for differences.
However, it did somehow ease something I hadn't noticed before, that she wouldn't be married any time soon. I didn't bother to wonder why, and instead hurried my pace. It was growing late, and I still needed to sleep before going out to hunt Vigo once more.
I was pulling on my socks a few minutes before sunset, when there was a knock on the door.
"Enter," I called, and the door opened to reveal Amy behind it. I raked my hand through my hair a few times, loosening the knots.
"You're up already?" She asked, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. Her voice was soft and welcome compared to the silence of the house I had received all day.
"I've trained my body to wake like clockwork at sunset."
"I hope you slept well," she said. I paused for a moment, knowing very well that she was referring to the nightmare I had just had. That author had truly done a marvelous job at describing my life in great detail…
"On Sunday, I had a nightmare about vampires on my fire escape," Amy said as she sat down next to me. "In the dream, I actually let them in."
I frowned as I stared unseeingly at my shoes. "The world of dreams is troubling that way. You have no control." Perhaps I hadn't meant to say that, but it was too late now to take it back. But Amy, bless her, didn't comment on it, and simply continued on with another topic of conversation.
"Ms. Parker, the school librarian I introduced you to, knows who you are. She overheard us. Turns out there are cameras and audio in the study room." She smiled humorlessly, trying to make light. "Creepy, I know. Like 1984."
I frowned and cocked my head to look at her. "What happened in nineteen eighty-four?"
A look crossed her face that told me this was another reference that was only relevant to people from her world. Suddenly I felt like the distance between us due to our separate worlds was stretching even farther than it had before. "It's the title of a book I read in English class last year. It's about the government using technology to watch everything people do."
Finding an opportunity, I said, "You don't think you are in the book 1984, do you, Amy?"
"No! You're the one from a book, not me," she said, eyes wide.
"I was teasing you," I smiled, happy we were able to have a carefree moment. I was beginning to fear Amy's worry lines between her brows would become permanent. She was much prettier when her face was calm and relaxed.
A little surprised at that thought, I filed it away to ponder after my hunt for the night. Noticing pretty women wasn't a usual occurrence for me.
"Oh," she said, falling silent again for a moment. She seemed to be in deep thought, before she continued. "I guess I'm a little too on edge to get a joke. The whole situation scares me."
I nodded, feeling a twinge of relief to know she was sensible enough to see the danger here. After reading some of those comments on that site she had shown me, it was a safe assumption that many people in this world would not see the importance of a good dose of fear in this situation. "Good. Fear is a useful emotion for most people. It can save your life. Remember that."
"What about you? Is it a useful emotion for you?"
"Fear only saves your life if you're willing to run from your enemy," I said, trying to keep the dark edge out of my voice lest I frighten her. "I ran from Vigo once, and I will never do so again." The faces of my family flashed briefly in my mind before I pushed all those thoughts away. I couldn't afford to become distracted this close to a hunt.
"You were six years old," Amy said softly, looking at me with something other than pity. It was one of the reasons I had grown so fond of Amy- she didn't look at me as if I were still that useless, scared little orphan.
"Yes. Logically I know that I was too young to do anything else," I replied in a clinical tone. Logically there had been no one at the time who could have really done anything. That didn't make the survivor's guilt any easier to bear.
Needing to steer the conversation away from such a sore topic that still managed to drag me into despair if I wasn't careful enough, I said, "You were saying, about the librarian knowing who I am."
The prompt was all she needed. Her face smoothed over into a more determined expression. "Right. I told her what happened, and she believed me. It turns out she always thought something like this was possible."
I raised my eyebrows. "Indeed?"
"Yes," she said, "and she can help us make sense of it. We're going to her place for dinner. She's picking us up at seven."
This seemed promising, and good news was good news. However, there were other important matters needing attending. "All right, but I cannot stay long. My duty is to find Vigo before he kills again."
"Don't worry, we'll keep the visit short. You need to eat, anyway."
She was right, of course. My stomach had been feeling rather hollow since waking not too long before. "Very well. I will defer to you on this occasion."
She smiled wryly. Amusement danced in her green eyes.
...
Amy's librarian friend arrived precisely fifteen minutes later. I followed Amy out to her car, and situated myself on the back seats.
"Nice to see you again, Alexander," Ms. Parker said as she started off.
"Likewise, Ms. Parker," I replied, ever the one with good manners. Unlike some people I knew…
"Amy tells me you've come to us from Otherworld Chicago." She spoke of something quite implausible, and yet she sounded as if she were simply remarking on the weather. An interesting woman, for sure.
"It seems so," I replied, looking out the window and feeling slightly nauseous. "We don't call it Otherworld, but it is indeed the place depicted in the books."
"Do you find the books accurate, then," she asked, "in their portrayal of your world and its people?"
"Mostly, yes," I said.
"'Mostly'?" Amy repeated as she turned around in her seat and met my gaze.
"Elizabeth Howard's reports on events in my world are undoubtedly true. But she makes some character judgments that I do not agree with."
"Are you referring to the way she portrays you?" Ms. Parker asked, also glancing at me through the small mirror in front.
"Yes," I shifted slightly where I sat, slightly uncomfortable with where the conversation had turned. "Although she does not say it outright, she clearly paints my character as misguided. A troubled soul bent on revenge, And, if you really want to know, I despise the way she portrays the courtship between my cousin James and that thing, Hannah. She describes it with such…" I trailed off, lip slightly curled, as I searched for the perfect word to describe my contempt.
"Understanding?" Ms. Parker offered.
"Precisely!" I declared. "She obviously wants the reader to cheer for them. And she makes Hannah sound like-" I drew an irritated breath, "-like a normal person."
"Just because she's a vampire doesn't mean she's evil, right?" Amy said. "There are some vampires who are working for peace."
I scoffed, looking out the window once more. "The vast majority of them would sooner drink your blood than work for peace."
"Do you have any idea how Elizabeth Howard knows so much about your world, Alexander?" Ms. Parker asked, changing the topic for which I was glad. I didn't want to argue like this with Amy.
"No, Amy said you have some ideas on what is happening," I said, relaxing back into the seat.
"I do." She pulled into a driveway and stopped the car. "See? Here already. Let's get a bite to eat and talk more."
I climbed out of the car and waited for Amy to close her own door before following her and Ms. Parker up to the house and inside. The inside was cozy and welcoming, and we were offered glasses of lemonade as we sat down. Soon after, she placed a lovely smelling chicken on the table, followed by mashed potatoes with carrots.
"Dig in," she said with a grin.
The food was passed around the table, everyone taking as much as they wanted and transferring it to their own plate. Once we had started eating, Ms. Parker began speaking.
"Tell me, do either of you know anything about quantum physics?"
I shook my head negative, as did Amy.
"Quantum physics was my area of study back in graduate school," she pushed her potatoes around as she spoke, steam wafting to the ceiling before dispersing. "It's the area of physics that studies the most fundamental level of existence- the quantum level. According to quantum theory, it is impossible to measure both the position and direction of any given particle."
"I heard something about that in physics class," Amy said, but didn't delve any deeper than that.
"I believe the particles are, in fact, 'jumping worlds'; that is to say, subatomic particles are actually jumping back and forth between universes- or dimensions, if you'd prefer."
"Wait a minute," I interjected, holding up my hand as a signal to slow down. "By dimensions, you mean two worlds unfolding simultaneously?"
Ms. Parker pushed up her glasses as she replied. "Yes. The number of dimensions out there is infinite. And because particles are jumping from one universe to another, many of these dimensions are remarkably similar to our own. But in your dimension, Alexander, there are vampires, and in ours there are not."
I nodded, a hand rubbing my chin as I thought this over. "The theory is plausible, but can you explain why Elizabeth Howard knows what is going on in my dimension? Do you think she has found a way to travel between dimensions?"
Ms. Parker shook her head. "I doubt that. I think some people are able to tap into parallel dimensions and write about them, often without knowing they are doing so. That is the essence of literary physics."
I frowned. "You're saying that Elizabeth Howard thinks she's making my world up, but is really just seeing it?" This was an entirely different approach than I would have suspected, to be quite honest. It was one thing for multiple realities to exist, and to travel between them. But to see such vivid details from another, and not know it?
"Exactly. Other authors are potentially doing the same thing," Ms. Parker said with a half shrug.
After a moment I asked, "How is it possible that I crossed into this world?"
Ms. Parker took a sip of lemonade as she thought of how to respond. "I would guess you were able to cross over in much the same way as subatomic particles. There must be a portal somewhere. The magnetic field of the portal kept your molecular structure intact. It's really quite amazing. Do you remember feeling an electrical surge when you were chasing Vigo across the bridge?"
"I don't think so, but I was full of adrenaline." It would have been very easy to miss.
"If you retrace your steps, you might be able to find it again. I'll see if I can get my hands on a magnetic sensor for you. I still have some friends in the lab at U. of C. The sensor should help you locate it, if it's still there."
I nodded in understanding as Amy spoke up. "We're worried that Vigo might go after Elizabeth Howard. She's revealed things about him that he wouldn't want anyone to know."
Ms. Parker nodded, her face grave. "I hadn't thought of that. Even if he weren't angered by the books, there's a chance he'll try to track her down, thinking she knows a way back to Otherworld."
"She has a book signing in New York City on Saturday, and we're going to try to talk to her," Amy added as I continued eating. It would be rude to leave before I had finished, not to mention a horrid waste of food.
"Good idea," Ms. Parker said. "I'll drive you. And if we're able to talk to her, I'll do what I can to lend some credibility to your story."
I leaned back in my seat. "Once she sees me, she will have all the proof she needs."
I'll make sure of it.
