Chapter 2: The Portal
"What have you done?!" K bellowed.
In the dream, Hiro clasped his hands to his ears and told himself to wake up.
"Hiro you idiot, stop covering your ears! Listen to me…damn I never get enough time to say everything…"
Wake up…please…Hiro begged and shut his eyes. He didn't want to dream this anymore!
"Get rid of that stone…it has strange power!"
WAKE UP!!
Hiro's eyes snapped opened and he looked at his hand. The marking was still there he noticed as he let a finger trail over it. "Power." He'd heard K say that. What kind of power? But wait, Hiro laughed. Power? Was he losing his mind? It was just a dream, a dream that was becoming seriously annoying now. It gave him the chills and he figured his mind was obsessing over K and all this weird shit. Thus conjuring up strange dreams and making him hallucinate yesterday.
He contemplated on whether he should go to work today. But not truly convinced he was just hallucinating, Hiro decided he wanted to see the burnt tree and the arch way again. Somewhere inside he wondered if he'd caused that tree to burn. But that had to be impossible, right?
Hiro made his way to work, feeling rather exhausted and cold from nights filled with dreams. He made sure to wear an extra sweater and his thickest leather jacket, even though it was summer and already twenty degrees Celsius outside. He sighed realizing for the last six days he'd woken up only to feel like he'd only been asleep for a few minutes. And by the looks of the dark circles under his eyes he actually wondered if that was true.
"Visions" K had said.
Were these dreams some kind of a message? All Hiro saw was this dungeon and K always there, looking very unhappy. But the things he'd said were just so weird. How was one sane person supposed to accept the things he was preaching?
Enough!
Hiro growled visibly and told himself to end his tirade of thoughts. It was hurting his head already. As he turned into the NG parking lot, his eyes set on the charred tree near the fountain. It was gone, burnt to a crisp. Hiro was thankful that the fire hadn't spread anywhere else. Next his eyes scanned over the archway where he'd seen that glimmering screen. It wasn't there and Hiro was convinced that he'd imagined it and that the tree had to have been hit by lightning.
But what about that red stone, the marking on his hand, Hiro wondered.
Gah! Hiro strode inside the NG building and slowed down when two policemen approached him. Oh shit they think he burned the tree down and were here to arrest him right? He quashed the urge to run and flee and stood his ground. In fact one was dressed in a suit and the other a police uniform.
"Can I help you?" Hiro forced himself to ask.
"Good morning you are part of the band Bad Luck I assume?" went the suit.
Hiro nodded yes.
"The president of NG has put out a missing person's report. Your manager…" the older man with salt and pepper hair looked at his notebook, "…Mr. K as Mr. Seguchi put it or rather Claude K. Winchester, has been missing for six days now. It's highly irregular to search for a missing adult but we have to at least ask around. Is there anything you can tell us that might shed some light here. Was he into drugs, was he depressed, was someone angry enough to want revenge?"
Was?! Hiro listened to the man and wondered what he was getting at, "You're asking me if I think he might be dead? You know, no one here knows that much about K. I mean the man has…had a wife and a kid in the states. That's all I know." Hiro knew K could get upset, thoroughly blow his top, but most often he was the most level headed person around. He would never think of him doing drugs and getting depressed for very long. Not bad enough to end his life. Or at least Hiro didn't think so.
K better not have done such a thing, Hiro could feel himself getting angry at the thought. Now about K pissing someone off and making enemies? Well that was a whole new ball game. Hiro was sure K had a mile long list of enemies, he laughed.
The officers looked at Hiro puzzled, "Care to share what's on your mind?" This time the uniformed officer questioned him.
"Well I'm sure K has lots of people that would love to see him dead. But the thing you don't get is K would never let them take him down. Have you ever met the guy? He bends the rules of physics. You'll be lucky to get a punch in, instead of your fist landing on a teddy bear. Nope there is no way K was murdered," Hiro concluded for the policemen. Inside he was surprised how valiantly he just described K to these men; Hiro boasted a little feeling good about himself. Then someone cleared their throat and he looked around to see Shuichi.
Hiro blushed. "Did you just hear…?"
"Heh, yea…" Shuichi said with a smirk.
Damn. "Are we done?" Hiro asked the detective.
"Yea thanks and what was your name?" asked the detective.
After giving his name and the police questioning all four of them—including Sakano—everyone sat down and sighed. It was hitting home. Their manager was MIA. They even heard the police say that even Judy and Michael hadn't heard from him. And that they'd been getting strange calls from a man named Ark.
"This is sorta scary Hiro…" Shuichi said softly with worry but he scanned Hiro's clothes, "What's with the winter clothes?"
"I dunno its just freezing. I can't warm up," replied Hiro but left out the fact that he'd felt this way ever since finding that stone.
"Yea, I figured this would blow over and he'd come back. If I knew where to start, I'd go looking for the man," Sakano offered.
"Sure but where do you begin to look for a man like that? Who knows what he does in his spare time. He's kind of like parents and sex. You know they do it but keep away from the dirty details," Suguru said so matter-of-factly.
Shuichi jumped in, "I know what Suguru means. The idea of imagining what K does in his spare time makes one's imagination run wild."
Sakano gasped at that, like someone said something so inappropriate.
"Well he's right," Hiro put in. "I mean have any of us really ever asked the guy what he does for fun, or if he actually has any fun? It's sad that he's been with us for what three years and none of us know where to look first."
Everyone sighed.
"Hiroshi?"
Hiro paused as if thunderstruck. "Did you guys hear just that?" he wondered, looking around.
Everyone shook their heads no.
"Are you alright Hiro? You have been acting strange lately and you look so tired," Shuichi pointed out.
"Yea…I'm fine, just not slee..."
"Hiro, I finally figured out how to do this better. It's like suddenly there's a clear path. Can you hear me? You don't have to say anything just think it."
Hiro stood up and ran to the door. He yanked it open and peered up and down the hall. There was no one.
"Don't be scared Hiro…you're not losing your mind. It's that rock, I'm positive!"
"But I am losing my mind!" he hollered suddenly.
"Hiro?" Shuichi jumped up and went to his friend. "What's the matter with you?"
Hiro waved his hand at Shuichi. "Where are you?" he asked the voice in his head just for the hell of it.
"I don't know where. It's like everything's gone back in time here. I'm being held captive in some fucking dungeon. Someone stole my gun! The food here sucks...gawd what I wouldn't do for some real food."
How is this happening?! Hiro suddenly looked at the mark on his hand, ignoring everyone that was watching him like he was the perfect candidate for a straight jacket. Was this mark on his hand making this possible?
"Yes Hiro the stone you found, it has some kind of power. Before I could only talk to you in your dreams but now that you have that stone, I can feel your presence and hear your thoughts, but only when you allow me too. It's strange but I know when you're thinking of me…"
There was silence and Hiro felt himself blush madly this time. K could tell when he thought about him? Gah! How embarrassing. But if this was really happening and Hiro wasn't losing his marbles, he thought to test it out. So he imagined something really wacky and waited.
"Hiro! What the hell are you thinking? How can you be a pervert at a time like this?! Why are you picturing me in a French maids outfit?"
Hiro's eyes widened, K had really read his thoughts. Somehow he was talking to K! Telepathically! He wondered if he could read K's thoughts in turn.
"Yes you can do the same I imagine. And will you please stop with the maid stuff now…"
"Hiro…Hiro!...HIRO!" Shuichi yelled and grabbed his friend's hand. "What the hell is that?" The singer went and pointed at the mark on Hiro's hand. "I thought you said K had this mark on his hand but what about you?"
"What are you guys talking about?" Sakano demanded. "If you know something, tell the cops!"
"It's nothing they can fix," Hiro said. Or could they? He wondered.
"No! Don't send cops. And forget it Hiro, you stay where you are. This place…it's different…something is wrong here. I…I don't want you to get hurt."
K sounded so concerned and Hiro couldn't describe it but at that moment he felt warmth spread throughout his entire body. He felt…loved. Was he feeling what K was feeling?
That's it, Hiro made up his mind, "You no longer have a say in the matter. I'm coming to get you," he told K and out loud in front of everyone. And with that he tore out of the room and headed to the parking lot.
Hiro didn't stop to look but Shuichi was chasing after him. "Hiro, wait up!"
He ran outside and into the midday sun. And knew it had to be the archway, that pearly wall. It was a door that leads somewhere else. Hiro didn't know what to expect but he had to do something. He couldn't just let K rot in a dungeon for the rest of his life. Steeling his will, Hiro neared the archway.
"Hiro!" Shuichi called, scampering after his friend.
"Shu get out of here! If I don't come back, don't come after me," Hiro told Shuichi who looked at him puzzled.
"What do you mean, don't come after you? Where are you going?" Shuichi questioned as he caught up beside Hiro. He bent over to catch his breath.
"Shuichi?" someone called.
The singers pink head popped up. "Yuki?! Please stop Hiro he's gone mad!" cried Shuichi, pleading with his boyfriend with big frightened saucer eyes.
Yuki stood looking cool in his black slacks and corn blue button up shirt with posh leather jacket; he had come to give Shuichi the packed lunch he'd forgotten this morning. He tugged on his cigarette and drawled sarcastically, "Just say no to drugs."
"Yuki, Hiro doesn't do drugs. Seriously I'm worried…." Shuichi started but trailed off. Instead he gasped, "Wha…what's that?"
Somehow by just thinking about a doorway here, the pearly glimmering screen appeared again. Hiro took a step forward but something clung to his jacket. "Let go Shuichi," Hiro demanded.
"For fuck sake, don't do it Hiro!"
Hiro ignored K and slammed back the feeling of panic.
Yuki who thought he was witnessing Hiro strung out on drugs was struck himself. He too could see this weird apparition? Shiny space? "Ok who is playing the tricks?" Yuki demanded and looked around for the culprit.
Hiro turned around, "Look, I think this is where K went. In fact I can feel it. I don't have time to explain now. But K's in trouble, someone has to try and help. I'm not sure what to expect and it could be dangerous. I'm sure it'll be just in and out." The guitarist gave a faint chuckle, knowing he'd been making himself believe that. He would just find this dungeon and free K and then what? Find this doorway again, this gate, the portal? Yeah that was the plan.
All this stuff that Hiro was saying was making Shuichi's head spin. And when Hiro took a step through the glimmer, half his body disappeared. Shuichi cried out and grabbed onto his friend, "Hiro you can't!"
Both of them couldn't overcome the feeling of being pulled in.
Yuki stared with his mouth agape, cigarette landing on the asphalt in shock. Quickly he ran to grab Shuichi, but in one long succession, all three men disappeared.
From the second floor of the NG building Suguru and Sakano watched Shuichi, Hiro and Yuki all disappear into what seemed like thin air.
Pressed up to the glass Sakano whimpered, "Where did they go…?"
Suguru, who still couldn't believe what he just saw, stood fast to the ground. "Guys? What just happened?"
Sakano slunk down the glass and fainted.
"Idiots!" K hollered.
There was no solid ground, no walls; Hiro felt his stomach up in his throat. Things flew by in a blur. He flailed his arms out instinctively trying to grasp onto something. He looked down and screamed. He was falling! Down below was a big river.
Please let it be deep, please let it be deep, Hiro chanted over and over. He heard Shuichi and Yuki yelping in surprise too. He braced himself for the plunge and a second later he landed in the cold water.
Kicking up, Hiro surfaced and tried to swim. Thankfully the river moved slowly and in no time Hiro found he was dragging himself out of the water. Weighed down and colder than he was before, all his layers of clothing was now heavy with water. Ugh, he looked around and noticed he was in a forest. Conifers were thick here and the brush was dense. He could smell the earthy scent of rotting wood and the aquatic reminisce of the river. Birds chirped, insects buzzed and gurgles came from the way the water lapped against the shoreline rocks and deadwood. Hiro looked up to see from where they fell. He saw the gateway, that portal, glimmering way up in the sky but just like that it disappeared. A feeling of panic crept over Hiro's skin, were they stuck here?
Hiro watched Shuichi and Yuki crawling out of the river too. He pursed his lips in aggravation and closed his eyes disdainfully. "Why did you both follow me?" he complained. This was after all supposed to be his mission. Who knew what was going to happen here and Hiro didn't want to get anyone else hurt.
"I wasn't going to let you disappear Hiro, you're my best friend!" Shuichi wailed and wrung out his orange sweater.
Yuki stood glowering at Hiro, "What the fuck was that?" He didn't look very happy after getting the shock of his life, freefalling from the sky and landing in a cold river.
Hiro sighed, "I dunno."
Blonde hair plastered to his face, Yuki rushed past Shuichi and grabbed Hiro by the scruff. "Get me out of this place right now," he growled.
"Let Hiro go, it's my fault you came here. I followed Hiro through that…thing," Shuichi offered. He gave the area a once over. "Say how did we get to a forest?"
"Do you both realize what just happened?! We went through a portal, I have no idea where we are," Hiro mentioned and shivered, pulling himself from Yuki's grip. For all he knew they were on the other side of town. But something told him that was way off. "We need to dry off at least before we die of hypothermia."
"And how do expect we do that Oh Great Leader of the Forest," Yuki muttered. He pulled out his lighter, but it only gave a sad wet flick, flick, with no results.
Hiro pulled out his lighter and once again without a flick, the lighter came to life.
Yuki looked at Hiro oddly.
"Hiro how did you do that?" Shuichi wondered.
"I guess my lighter wasn't wet." Was all Hiro could say.
Yuki dug out his wet cigarettes and sighed loudly at the waste of his favourite habit. He tossed them to the ground. "Let's find out where the hell we are and get the fuck outta here," the novelist suggested.
Hiro went to pick them up, "Look we could dry them off by a…" But as Hiro's fingers touched the package, the water evaporated in a hiss and as well from all his clothes. In seconds his entire outfit and hair was bone dry.
Stunned Shuichi and Yuki, backed up slowly, even Hiro seemed shocked and looked around like something would prevail itself.
"What did you just do?" Shuichi managed to breathe out as he clung to Yuki's arm.
Hiro looked at his hand again; he flipped it around to gaze upon the mark that resembled a flame…fire.
"Okay enough with this shit. What the hell is happening?!" Yuki roared, feeling unpleasantly wet and wondering if he was going mad.
Hiro stepped closer to Shuichi and Yuki. As he moved in he told them what he found, "I found this rock thing the other day. It…was almost as if it was waiting for me. I picked it up and this is what showed up on my hand." The guitarist thrust out his right hand for the others to see.
"A tattoo, big deal," went Yuki.
"No you don't understand, something strange has been happening to me ever since I got this mark," Hiro told them. "I set that tree on fire by the NG building yesterday."
"YOU did that? But why?" Shuichi wondered, staring at his friend almost as if he was a complete stranger.
"I must have, it happened after I got this on my hand. It's like the mark on K's hand. Strange things are happening to him too. I don't know why," Hiro said feeling very weary. All this stuff was becoming a little crazy and overbearing. And hearing himself tell it out loud, made him sound crazy.
Hiro stole one of Yuki's cigarettes and handed the blond the pack. Using his lighter again he lit one for himself and Yuki.
"Thanks," Yuki muttered gratefully.
Without notice Hiro grabbed onto Shuichi's shoulder with his right hand, he thought of fire and dancing flames. Just as he guessed, Shuichi's clothes dried in an instant. Shuichi tore himself away and gasped, "Hiro!" He then pawed at his clothes like they were covered in brambles. "I feel like I've just put clothes on straight from the dryer," the singer uttered in surprise, then examined a charred handprint on his shoulder.
Yuki was dumbfounded. Actually for the first time in front of Hiro, he looked a touch scared. "That…was like magic…" he stammered.
Realizing what he could do Hiro nodded and chuckled. It was like magic. "I can do magic! Is that some crazy shit or what?" he cried. "It's all connected to this I bet." Hiro looked at the symbol on his hand again and then grabbed Yuki's jacket.
The blond tried to tear away but Hiro gripped into his black leather coat. The same results, Yuki's clothes and hair were dried instantly save for a little charring handprint.
"HAHA! This is amazing and I don't understand it but it's amazing!" Hiro cheered the look of wonder on his face.
Yuki didn't know what to say. Maybe this was all a bad dream and he'd been up to late writing. And now he was having crazy dreams. He'd wake up any minute now. Yuki closed his eyes and opened them again. "Damn why don't you people leave me alone. Go away now."
"Yuki…" Shuichi murmured. "I don't think this is a dream."