The Portal

Chapter Two: Into the Portal

Claire stood before the strange hole and tried to think. Her instincts were telling her to be careful, but her curiosity was daring her to step through and see what might lie on the other side.

She debated with herself for a few minutes.

Ah, what the hell, you only live once!

Claire took a deep breath and stepped through the hole.


* * * * * * * * *


Looking around, she wondered where she was. The scenery was familiar, but a wave of nausea distracted her for a moment. Once the sick feeling had passed, she looked around again.

"Holy shit, I'm in Knopp Valley!" she gasped, out loud. "How the fuck did I get here?" Looking around, she noticed that it hadn't changed much over the years. It still looked exactly as it had when she moved there, when she was twelve years old.

She decided to go exploring. It would be fun to see her old house on Hillsdale Court again. Maybe the new owners would give her a tour. Feeling nostalgic, she headed up the steep hill.

"Wow, I forgot how steep this hill was. Boy, am I out of shape," she gasped, slowing down as she neared the driveway of her old house. Then, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her mouth dropped open in shock. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.