Portalysis

A paraplegic gains the power to open portals however he wishes

         People would say that it was a brawl that put Liam Coretessian in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the neck down. In reality, Liam knew it was his own pigheadedness. One night, one bar, one man, one fight, one curbstomp later and look where he was now. Liam had been through counseling, been through the surgeries, been through it all and more. And now he was stuck, only able to gaze around just barely. His most recent change was getting a buzz cut, a massive change from his much longer hair he had before. The locks kept falling in his eyes, and with no means of moving them out of the way without whipping his neck around, the hair had to go. So now, Liam Coretessian sat rather permanently in his motorized wheelchair with eye tracking technology and all the other little gizmos he'd accrued over the years.
         It was a hot June day, the sun beating down on the flowerbed outside of Liam's home. The gardeners would be here to maintain them soon, and Liam would be sure to give them a smile and a head nod from the window. His house was a modest size, and he was saving a fortune on furnishings. After all, who needs a coffee table in the middle of their living room when all you're doing is rolling around and eating from a straw?
         Liam had been living with a caretaker for some time now, and Mrs. Navarro had done a fine job of keeping Liam fed, cleaned, and just generally taken care of. They enjoyed playing games where Mrs. Navarro could play both sides, but Liam could make the decisions. Chess, Tic-Tac-Toe and Black Jack, with some small rule alterations, were all fine choices for game night. Mrs. Navarro came back from the bathroom just as the sun was starting to get into Liam's eyes at the window. He shut them and turned away from the rays, trying to minimize the damage being done to his retinas.
         "Mr. Coretessian, are you enjoying the view?"
         "Well, I was before I started losing my vision," he replied, a slightly edge to his voice making Mrs. Navarro rush over and move him from the light.
         "Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Coretessian!"
         "No no, you did nothing wrong. What good would the sun be if it didn't rise in the East and set in the West, eh?"
         "I suppose so. Maybe we look into getting you a pair of sunglasses for your morning gazing."
         "Maybe we shall... Now, I'd like to test my psychic powers, Esmeralda." Mrs. Navarro watched as Liam shut his eyes tight for a few seconds before opening them. "The spirits tell me that you will be serving French toast and applesauce this fine morning."
         Mrs. Navarro chuckled.
         "I see that four years of sticking to the same meal plan has granted you insurmountable power, Mr. Coretessian," she spoke, wheeling Liam into the kitchen.
         "Preposterous! 'Twas the spirits that foretold your creation of your famous French toast." They both chuckled as breakfast was served, with Mrs. Navarro feeding Liam first before helping herself to some French toast. He would never reveal it to her, but he wished more than anything to have the power to help Mrs. Navarro just do the dishes in the morning, to take this burden of a job and make it a bit easier. But his therapist has taught him that dwelling on the unchangeable isn't productive for his new life, so Liam keeps the sentiment to himself. After breakfast, the usual daily schedule takes place.
         This schedule includes television watching, doing the crosswords, going for strolls (or rolls as Liam sometimes jokes), buying groceries, and any other chores that need to be done. What that schedule didn't include was a knock at the door from a stranger. The knock was sudden and came in threes, resonating through the quiet house. Mrs. Navarro opened the door to reveal a man in a tan suit, tan hat, and a prominent red tie. He held a briefcase and looked to be sweating a good amount in the June heat.
         "Hello, ma'am, I was wondering if one Mr. Liam Coretessian resided here?" he asked with a warm grin.
         "Um, well, yes, he is. Would you like to come inside?"
         "I would, thank you very much." The stranger stepped inside and wiped his shoes on the doormat, two distinct indents of tire tracks imprinted on the mat from years of rolls.
         "I'll go bring him in Mr..."
         "Wakshoben."
         "Ah," Mrs. Navarro uttered as she entered the living room once more for the day. "Mr. Coretessian, a Mr. Wakshoben is here to see you."
         Liam looked away from the new broadcast he was watching. "Woksha-what?"
         "Wakshoben. I think he's a salesman of somesort, but he asked for your name specifically."
         "Hmm. Well, if he knows who I am, there's no way he's door-to-door. Let's entertain him, then, shall we?" Mrs. Navarro wheeled out Liam into the foyer and made introductions with this Wakshoben character.
         "So, how can we help you today, Mr. Wakshoben?"
         "Well, I was actually thinking I could help you, Mr. Coretessian." He set down the briefcase and pulled out a brochure titled "Taking Your Second First Steps". Mr. Navarro opened the brochure she was given and narrated it as she read. Mr. Wakshoben waited patiently.
         "Mr. Coretessian, I believe Mr. Wakshoben is offering you a treatment to fix your paralysis."
         "That's precisely what I'm doing, actually," Mr. Wakshoben said with that same, beaming grin. "I represent a company that specializes in experimental treatments for all types of disabilities. It is their belief that no alement can go uncured forever, so we'd like to offer you the opportunity to have an experimental procedure performed in order to try and remedy your paralysis."
         Liam looked rather confused, but still very intrigued at what this man was saying.
         "And what kind of treatment would that be?"
         "Well, I'm not fully versed in the science, but what I can tell you is that it utilized microwave radiation in order to re-excite the cells in your spine, and thus return function to the rest of your body in due course."
         "I mean no disrespect, Mr. Wakshoben," Mrs. Navarro uttered, "but this sounds like a very risky procedure. And what about the costs?"
         "The risks for this procedure are listed out in the brochure I've given you. Believe me, I know a decision like this requires lots of thought and deliberation, so I'll leave you my number once you've come to a decision. As for the costs, consider it a courtesy from my company that the entirety of the procedure will be paid in full."
         "Paid in full, you say?" Liam chimed in. "And what makes me so deserving of this courtesy, hmm?"
         "Well, Mr. Coretessian, everyone deserves to live their best lives, and with your paralysis happening comparatively early in your life, you're being deprived of an important part of that life. That's not to say certain pieces of life are less important than others, obviously."
         "No, I guess not," Liam replied.
         "Well, Mr. Wakshoben, it's been a pleasure meeting you," Mrs. Navarro piped up.
         "Ahh yes, I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome. It's been a pleasure meeting you both. My number is on the brochure when you've come to a decision."
         The group said their goodbyes and Mr. Wakshoben left Liam and Mrs. Navarro to talk over this stunning new opportunity.
         "Well he was certainly chipper," Liam remarked.
         "You don't trust him, I presume."
         "I have my doubts. But the belief in whatever this microwave treatment thing is was genuine."
         "I agree. He did seem very passionate about it..." The two sat in silence for about a minute before Liam spoke.
         "I'm thinking of doing it, Esmeralda."
         "I thought you had doubts?"
         "When I'm given an opportunity to walk again, to move my fingers through my hair and wash myself and cook my own meals, doubts are something I choose not to trifle with."
         "Liam, this thing could kill you. Look at these risks: bone marrow damage, severe burns, cancer... Is fixing this worth these risks?"
         "Yes it is, Mrs. Navarro, yes it is. Anything is worth trying if it means I have a chance to move again."
         Mrs. Navarro took in this new side of Liam. Had he always been this determined to fix himself? Or was the arrival of Mr. Wakshoben enough to push him over the edge? Whatever the case, Mr. Coretessian had his mind set on this treatment. Who was she to refuse his wishes to get better?
         "Alright, I'll make the call then."




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         "Alright, Mr. Coretessian, we're all set up on our end. We'll have two people hoist you up onto the platform."
         As the two workers picked up Liam from his wheelchair, he couldn't help but recall the past two weeks of preparation for a day he never thought would come. Mr. Wakshoben was delighted to hear that Liam had agreed to the procedure, and began to set up all the necessary parties involved. The scientists with the device arrived yesterday and constructed it and an operating table for Liam to lay on. Another group of scientists arrived a few hours ago and were supposedly bearing witness to this test run. Mrs. Navarro was nervous, but excited to see what the outcome of such a procedure would mean for Mr. Coretessian. And, finally, Mr. Wakshoben made it a point to watch the procedure too. With everyone now crowded into the living room and Liam laying face down on the table, the procedure could now begin.
         "Everyone, we ask that you wear the provided glasses and protective vests, we'll begin shortly," the lead scientist uttered. Liam knew his name was Craig, but that was the extent of his knowledge about this man. Craig walked over and spoke to Liam as everyone else geared up for the procedure.
         "Now, Mr. Coretessian, we're going to blast some concentrated microwave radiation beams from this device directly at the point between each vertebrae and see if we can get a positive reaction. If we do, you should begin to feel warmth within your spine, but nothing painful. If we don't hit anything, then we'll move onto the next vertebrae. Without you being able to feel, we'll need to be extra cautious with how much we beam your spine. Luckily, it shouldn't require all that much to shock the spinal cord back into working order."
         "Alright then, I'd say we'd better get going then." Liam was nervous. That list of risks he'd been told of oh-so-many times over the past weeks entered his mind. And like every time before that, Liam knew that no amount of risks would keep him away from trying to fix himself.
         The scientists got into position and began to warm up the device. It hummed to life as Liam tried to relax, but with a giant laser behind you about to zap your spine, anyone would be tense. If they could flex their muscles, that is. The scientists then began chattering in jargon before Liam heard Craig say "Shot 1, initiate."
         Liam felt nothing, presuming that the machine had been used. More jargon speak and a bit of machinery noises led Liam to believe that they were adjusting the trajectory of the machine. "Shot 2, initiate."
         Still nothing. Liam awaited the sensation of warmth and feeling to finally return to his body, remembering a time when he could feel the world around him. "Shot 3, initiate."
         This continued for some time, each one growing the anticipation swelling within Liam. Patiently, he awaited that warm feeling, praying for something to happen, anything to happen. The blasts continued, shot after shot and still... nothing. Soon, Liam heard the machine powering down.
         "W-Wait, nothing happened."
         "That's what we were afraid of, Mr. Coretessian." Craig removed his protective glasses and approached Liam on the bench.
         "No, this was supposed to... to cure me!"
         "It was a valiant effort by all of-"
         "Valiant effort?! I still can't feel anything! I was supposed to be cured!" Liam's cries resonated throughout the house. Mrs. Navarro approached Liam.
         "Liam, we gave it our best shot."
         "But... but this..." And with the weight of his failures piling on top of him, Liam began to sob. Tears coated his cheeks and fell onto the metal table where he was still stationed. "Get me back in that chair, goddamnit..." he choked out.
         It felt like just as quickly as they came, the scientists were gone. It was once again just Liam, Mrs. Navarro, and Mr. Wakshoben. Liam was still distraught, but composed himself enough to say farewell to Mr. Wakshoben.
         "Mr. Coretessian, I'm so sorry about the procedure. You're a very brave man."
         "Bravery won't let me walk again..."
         "Yes, but the fighting spirit will carry you far. Never forget that. Goodbye, Mrs. Navarro, Mr. Coretessian."
         He left without another word, and as soon as he did, Mrs. Navarro and Liam shared a cry in the foyer. This was supposed to be Liam's chance at redemption, and yet redemption never came. After a moment of grief, the duo decided that, after two weeks of stress and all these different emotions, they needed sleep, and lots of it. With heavy hearts and reddened eyes, the two somberly began their nighttime routine of getting Liam ready for bed with a sponge bath and getting him into pajamas. As the two of them lied in separate beds, no more than 5 feet apart, they both pondered what life could've been like had the treatment worked. These thoughts eventually careened them into a well deserved sleep, and the sounds of the night lulled them further.




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         Mrs. Navarro awoke in the night, unsure why the clock read 3:12 A.M and why she was awake at such an hour. Maybe she still had a lot on her mind to deal with. Then, in the darkness of the bedroom, she heard Liam muttering something. A prayer? No, this was something else. Not words, but grunts and moans. Was he having a nightmare? It was understandable, he was going through a lot recently.
         "Mr. Coretessian?" she uttered into the darkness, hoping his name would take him out from his dream. However, it did that and so much more.
         Suddenly, a bright flash lit up the room, and three beams of orange light emanated from Liam's bed, two small and one large. Liam was now groaning as though he was about to be sick, and as Mrs. Navarro's eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, she realized that the lights were coming from Liam himself. Two small streaks of orange light shone from each of his eyes, and the bigger ray was coming from his open mouth. "Mr. Coretessian!" she exclaimed, flinging off the sheets and running towards the bed. Liam exclaimed and turned his head, mouth still agape, and blinded Mrs. Navarro. She tumbled and fell back onto her bed, reeling from the light. Liam's groans grew louder before, as sudden as they started, they vanished. The light in the room disappeared, the groans stopped, and Mrs. Navarro could finally rise up and see again. Liam, however, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Mrs. Navarro heard a large thump in the hallway, as though a body had just been dropped on the floor. Rushing to the noise, she saw Liam laying on the ground, still emanating that same orange light from his eyes and mouth.
         "Esmeralda!" he exclaimed before a large orange oval appeared on the ground and swallowed him whole. Mrs. Navarro was shell-shocked, unable to move or react to what she was witnessing. This all had to be a terrible dream, right? She would wake up from this nightmare, surely. As the one orange oval appeared, so too did a second one appear in the living room. As quickly as he was eaten, he was subsequently spit back out on the floor of the living room.
         "Esmeralda, it's okay!" Mrs. Navarro heard, seeing orange lights appearing and disappearing with each flap of Liam's lips. "Please, I need my chair..." Acting on instinct alone, Esmeralda found Liam's wheelchair from the bedroom and brought it to the living room. Careful not to get blinded again, Liam shut both his eyes and mouth as she placed him on the wheelchair. She stood back and braced herself for the light again, which Liam returned once he opened his eyes and mouth.
         "Liam... what... what..."
         "I... I don't know... but I can feel it... the light and the portals."
         "This is crazy, Liam. This is too crazy, how do you know what's happening?"
         "I don't, Esmeralda! But this light, this power... it's a part of me, I can feel it. Do you think..?"
         "The procedure?! Liam, listen to yourself! We need to get you help, now!"
         "Please, I'm fine! And besides, what if those scientists see this? They'll have a field day!"
         Mrs. Navarro tried to compose herself. "Okay, but we can't leave you like this..." Running to the kitchen, Mrs. Navarro grabbed a bandana from a drawer. She returned to Liam and tied the bandana over his mouth, like a Western bandit, and that diminished the light enough for her to comfortably see. "We need to do something about your eyes too."
         "I can close them for now," replied Liam. The room was now dim again, and Mrs. Navarro decided to just turn on the lights as they were surely up for the rest of the morning. Mrs. Navarro took some time to breath and compose herself.
         "Liam, how did this happen? What were those... those ovals on the floor?"
         "They were portals... I think. I could feel them, I had made them."
         "What do you mean 'made them'?!"
         "I just wanted to get off the floor, and so I just... Well, I just opened those portals beneath me. It was like... it was like blinking when your eyes are dry, you just do it automatically. It was like taking a breath or... or catching yourself from a fall."
         "Good God..." Mrs. Navarro said, rubbing her temples. "Where do we go from here, Liam? We can't go anywhere with your eyes... like that. Okay, okay... I'm going to go get you shades."
         "It's three in the morning!"
         "I'll find a 24 hour store, but we need to cover those eyes! Now just... stay here. I'll be back, just stay here, please."
         "Okay, yeah I'm not going anywhere."
         "Okay..." Mrs. Navarro got into her slippers and a robe and headed out into the night, walking into town after a few blocks. There, she spotted a 24 hour convenience store, and soon she exited with a new pair of the darkest sunglasses she could find. On the trek back, she tried to wrap her mind around this whole scenario. Now that she was alone, walking the streets in the early June morning, she had time to think. It had to be the procedure, there wasn't another option. But the how or the why evaded her. All she knew, though, was that it was happening, whether she liked it or not. She walked until she saw a group of three guys milling about on the sidewalk.
         "Oh, well lookie lookie..." one of them said. Mrs. Navarro pushed past and kept going, keeping her head down. "Ah, so that's how it's gonna be, eh?" The other two guys made a move and grabbed each of Mrs. Navarro's arms. She began to scream for help, unable to escape from their grasp.
         "I think this one's got some moolah," one of the arm restrainers said.
         "Just tell me which pocket your purse is in and we'll be on our way, granny."
         "No, please I-I-I don't have money on me, please just let me go!" Her struggling did little to help the situation, as it only caused the two guys to tighten their grip on her arms.
         "Hey woah woah woah..." said the third guy. He reached into his back pocket and revealed a switchblade, extending the knife towards Mrs. Navarro's chin. She stopped struggling and was overcome with fear. "You got them fancy shmancy shades I saw you carryin'," he said, leaning into Mrs. Navarro's face. "So don't treat me like a fool, got it?"
         The third guy with the knife began to squint, and Mrs. Navarro could more easily see his face with the new light. A car! She just needed them to stop and she was saved! "Reggie, go shoo that car away, we got business here." One of the men holding Mrs. Navarro let go, but that meant the other arm holder got double duty. "Look, lady," the third guy spoke, "we've got a bit of a time crunch here, so I want everything from your pockets now." Before the guy could touch Mrs. Navarro's robe, a loud impact was heard and the mugger that went to stop the car slid past them, unconscious on the street. The light still shone brightly in each of their eyes, but then disappeared. Then, the man holding Mrs. Navarro let go as she saw a large orange oval appear in thin air, and out shot Liam, still sitting on his wheelchair. The tires slammed into the man's head, sending him tumbling to the ground unconscious. Oval after oval appeared and disappeared as Liam flew through the sky, building momentum.
         "Oh hell no, I'm not cut out for ghosts," the third man said, making a sprint for it. With so much speed built up, Liam opened a portal to the side of Mrs. Navarro and shot out from it, rolling along faster than he'd ever done before. As he sped down the street, another pair of portals opened, and Liam's chair soon slammed head on into the third guy, flopping him back like a dead fish. As Liam's chair lost momentum, he opened a portal beneath him and one in front of Mrs. Navarro, and all of a sudden he was in front of her, rolling slowly and stopping at her feet.
         "Liam, I..."
         "I saw you from the window, I had to do something."
         "Liam, are those men..."
         "I don't know but we should probably go. We'll call the cops and tell them they're here."
         "O...Okay..." Mrs. Navarro began to push Liam back to their house, which was indeed only four houses down. They made quick pace in case one of the muggers woke up and tried to finish the job. At the doorstep of the house, Liam finally broke the silent panic of Mrs. Navarro.
         "I can teleport us inside."
         "What? Liam, I don't think..." Before she could conclude her though, a portal opened with a view of the kitchen inside of their house. With bated breath, Mrs. Navarro pushed Liam and herself through the portal. It was seamless, almost as though the kitchen truly was outside and they'd just strolled in. She was shocked at the feeling of continuance, thinking that she would've felt herself travel the distance. But as the portal closed, she realized that it felt as normal as taking a step into any room. "So... what now?"
         "Now? Now we figure out what to do next."