Hello, hello, hello! I haz RETURNED (Fingers crossed)! I know its been a while since I posted, and I apologize that this chapter is still pretty short. I'm going to do my best to make the next chapter longer, which should be much easier since I've gotten this chapter out of the way! You'll understand once you read it! I hope everyone enjoys it, and keep your eye out for the next chapter! My goal is to get it out sometime this month!!!!

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Chapter 2: The Letter That Broke my Brain

"Desmond!" Mom yelled from downstairs.

"WHAT?!" I yelled back. Putting my book down in a huff. "It was just getting to the good part…" I said under my breath.

"Come down here!" Mom yelled playfully.

"WHY?!" I yelled back.

"I have a surprise for you!" She sang.

A tad annoyed with the coy replies, I yelled, "WHAT IS IT?!"

"Just get your butt down here!" There was no musing this time, just yelling with a pinch of annoyance sprinkled on the top.

"UGH! I'm coming!" I groaned, heaving myself up from the beanbag, which I would have gladly let devour me whole if it meant staying in that comfortable bliss for eternity. Resting my book into my warm booty-shaped indent like a newborn baby, I stiffly commanded my beanbag, "Sergeant Beanbag, keep President book safe while I go scout behind enemy lines." I saluted the beanbag, and if it had access to an arm plus a brain stem, the big comfy blob would have returned the courtesy I fancy.

"Hurry up, kiddo! I'll age another ten years at the snail's pace you're moving!" Mom teased from downstairs.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I yelled back.

Swinging the bedroom door open, I sprinted down the hallway, skipped the stairs, and glided into the kitchen. "Ya know, I take so much pleasure knowing how much I'm going to laugh at you once you learn the other meaning of the phrase 'I'm coming.'" Mom snickered as I entered the kitchen. I gave her an unamused look and silently proceeded to get a glass of water. Mom folded her arms, crossed her legs, and lifted her eyebrow, "Gewiz kiddo, I swear for a seven-year-old, you sure act more like a moody teenager."

She's not wrong. Compared to the other kids my age, I'm the odd one out, or as Dad likes to say, "Someday you're gonna be a scary person, my boy!"

"What in the world did your Dad and I do to have not one, not two, but THREE kids who are extremely intelligent? Dear lord." She sighed.

"You make it sound like you're being punished; I think most parents would be jumping for joy to be in your shoes." I teased. Mom rolled her eyes at me. "Alright, Mom, enough with the chit-chat." After taking a long sip of water, I asked Mom the million-dollar question, "What was so important that I had to deprive my beanbag, and more importantly, my BOOK, for my presence?" Sharp tongues run in the family.

"HA! Blind you are, little grasshopper, for the answer is as plain to see as the nose on your face." Mom's sad attempt at a Yoda impression was as helpful as her cryptic answer to my simple question. Mom likes to keep life interesting. She looked proud of herself for that line; I can at least entertain her shenanigans. I carefully look around the kitchen for anything out of the ordinary. Everything seemed normal at first glance. The kitchen walls are still an unholy, blinding shade of yellow. Three odd-looking carved, wooden monkeys hang off the chain attached to the ceiling light. Colorful glass butterflies dance over the kitchen sink. There's a letter attached to the fridge- wait.

"... There's a letter on the fridge… is it from…?" I looked to Mom for answers, and she snickered.

"Who else would be sending us letters? Of course, it's from Maddie! Now hurry up and open the darn thing!" She explained with excitement. I grabbed the letter off the fridge with such vigor that it was a miracle that it didn't become two halves of a letter. I spared no mercy towards the envelope, ripping it open like a can. I unfolded the letter and started reading it so that Mom could hear, too.

Dear Dez, Mom, and Dad,

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry I haven't been writing home as much as I should have; the college has been keeping me busy! Even though I've been quite busy, I'm having so much fun at the University of Wisconsin, and I've made some new friends! Their names are Jack and Vlad, and they're roommates. They're also a year ahead of me. Jack's goofy, clumsy, and airheaded, but he's also very creative and comes up with beautiful ideas. He's generally a delight to be around.

Vlad, on the other hand, is more stern and down-to-earth. He's brilliant, the first person I've met who can solve math problems faster than me! Jack couldn't have made even half his ideas a reality without him. Despite his mental intelligence, he struggles with social intelligence. He can be a tad too blunt at times, and 76% of the time, he doesn't understand that people have feelings. He's not in touch with his emotions well, but from what I've gathered from Jack, he's really improved since they met. Apparently, his behavior in the past has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.

Jack approached him because Vlad was, and still is, the top student in the department. He wanted him to help with his project idea. At first, Vlad flat-out refused, but after a few weeks of persistence, Vlad Caved in, and the rest is history. Their project is fascinating; well, it's our project now. A month into the semester, they approached me to join because they heard about my full scholarship and science fair invention from the school newspaper. Their pitch could have used more finesse, but they've developed a device that detects energy from a parallel dimension. We're currently working on a device to access this dimension, but it's still in the early stages; we're hoping to start some basic testing soon!

I have more work I need to complete today, so, unfortunately, I'll have to end this letter here! I love you all so much and miss you guys! I'll write again soon, I promise!

Love,

Maddie

P.S.

I'm taking a martial arts class; being prepared is always good! Also, I miss you so much, my DeziPeziWesi! I hope I get to see you soon! Sending lots & lots & LOTS of hugs and kisses!!!!!!!

Mom's chair created a painful screech as she stood in a hurry, "Desmond, sweetie! What's wrong!? DESMOND!?!?!?" Mom runs to catch me. The letter swayed back and forth, floating to the floor as I clutched my head in pain. As I was reading the letter, I felt a headache creep out of the center of my forehead, but it didn't get so bad until I got closer to the end of the letter. Something about its contents felt familiar, like Deja Vu, but I'm positive I've never heard of them.

As I fought past the nausea pooling at the bottom of my stomach, my eyes began to blur. As the last word of Maddie's letter escaped my lips, my head was instantly eclipsed with pain. Like someone has stabbed thousands of needles deep into my brain.

Then, I experienced the most outlandish thing in my life. My mind was flooded with memories that weren't mine of stuff I had never experienced or done before. Through the pain, I came to a sudden, startling realization.

"T…th..at…. Is…. m….." I passed out, succumbing to the growing pain. My life was never the same after that day. It marked a turning point in history, in everyone's history.

…To be continued.