The Pipe

Giro and Sanae reached the blank wall of rock above them and felt along it hoping to find the pipe that had brought them into this strange world. The rocky outcropping prevented them from seeing what was going on below them. Sanae looked toward the city and saw a spaceship enter it. When it disappeared she saw the bright star they’d seen earlier. It couldn’t be Venus, she realized. The sky was too alien. She didn’t want to stay in an alien world and tried to think back on what Reema had whispered. Her hand still gripped the twig Reema had handed her. “Giro, we’ve gone too far.”

Giro looked back down the trail along the wall of rock. “I don’t see the pipe,” he said.

“I think we have to use the twig from the black tree,” said Sanae. “Remma said it protects the portal. Maybe it’s a key.”

“The opening was in the rock wall above the tree,” said Giro. “Come on, we need to go back.”

“What about Trip?” Sanae knew he must still be looking for them.

“Don’t go weird on me, Sanae,” said Giro. “Here, I remember this bolder,” he said his voice rising with excitement. “It should be right here.” The rock wall was seamless.

Sanae heard someone climbing up the path. “It’s Trip,” she thought. She opened her palm and laid the black twig against the base of the wall. As she did, she fell through scraping against the rock as it gave way.

Giro followed her into the triangular opening. “The pipe!” He thought, and fell through. He found himself on the on the ground under a yellow sun. Sanae sat next to him on the familiar rock looking down at her watch. Below her was the parking lot and the bench by the tree.

“Only ten minutes have gone by,” said Sanae. “Were we dreaming?”

Giro’s thoughts returned to the purple world and the pushy cadet. “No, it wasn’t a dream. You’re shirt’s ripped.”

Sanae looked at her sleeve and saw the tear. “Mom will be so mad. She just bought me this blouse.”

“I’d be more worried about closing the portal?” he said. “Trip will follow if he sees it.”

 “But I don’t know how,” she said. 

(to be continued)

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