Ch. 4: Dylan Alone

POV: Dylan

I fell to the ground on my knees in the middle of the boxing ring. Any trace of the portal was gone, and so was Kyle. He had been just out of my reach. I couldn’t save him, and I had no idea where he went, or if he was even alive.

“No!” I yelled and slammed my fist on the floor.

My voice echoed through the room, and I instantly felt alone. No one was there to help, I had no idea what had happened, and Kyle wasn’t there to help me calm down. I pulled my legs to my chest, laid my chin on my knees, and tried to think clearly.

Thoughts raced through my mind as I sat there. The watches were meant to help, so nothing bad would happen to Kyle, right? What was that thing that appeared? Why did it suck him in? What did it do to him? Should I wait for him to come back? Will he come back? In my panic, I decided to stay there for a while, just in case.

I had no way to keep track of how much time had passed, but it felt like forever. I grew more anxious as I noticed the sun had started to set. It was then that I decided to go home. I felt guilty for leaving; I thought about Kyle coming back to a dark, empty boxing arena, but I knew Kyle would know how to get home from there. I was worried that my family would get home soon and wonder where we were, so I began walking briskly.

When I got home, no one was there. I went inside and noticed there was a message on the answering machine. It was from my grandma’s number, so I hit play.

“Hey sweetie, it’s mom! It’s storming pretty bad down here, so we decided to stay the night at grandma’s. Kyle is welcome to spend the night so you aren’t alone, and there are some leftovers in the fridge you two can heat up for supper. Have fun and don't forget to clean up after you eat. We should be back around lunchtime tomorrow. Love you!”

“Great, now I’m going to be home alone all night, too,” I grumbled in a whispered tone, as if someone could have heard me.

I walked up to my room and jumped face-first on my bed. I didn’t want to cry- I begged myself not to cry. I was trying to stay calm, but how could I when I had no idea where my best friend was? I didn’t know if he was ok or if and when he would come back. Usually, Kyle could talk me out of the downward spirals my mind often took, but he wasn’t there, which just made me panic more.

“Snap out of it, Dylan,” I yelled; my voice muffled by the pillow.

I limply forced myself out of bed and sat at my desk. I took out paper and a pencil; writing stuff down always helped me organize my thoughts. I pulled the note and wristband from the box and set them on my desk to study them and began scribbling stuff down.

“So this watch came from a guy we’re supposed to trust,” I talked myself through my notes, “It was meant to help us. If that’s the case, Kyle shouldn’t be in any real danger. Here in the note, it says the blue button will take you anywhere you wish. Then, it mentions something about traveling through different dimensions. Could Kyle be in another dimension? But how could he wish to go to another dimension if he’s never been there, and he didn't know it could take him there in the first place?

“The buttons seemed to undo themselves after being pressed a second time. Kyle should be able to wish to go home when he presses the button and open a portal back here. But what if he doesn’t figure it out? What if he’s stuck in another dimension forever?” I panicked.

I took a deep breath, “I have to keep it together, I can’t let that happen… I have to go get him.”

I strapped the band around my wrist and put a finger over the button. I was about to press it when I heard the front door fly open and slam shut. Startled, I jumped up and tried to mentally prepare myself to fight. I heard footsteps rushing to my room; my adrenaline spiked.

“Hello?” I tried to sound demanding.

My bedroom door flew open, “Dylan,” Kyle exclaimed as he ran in and gave me a hug.

“Kyle, you’re ok! You scared the crap out of me!”

“Sorry.” He laughed as he let go.

I put my hand on his shoulder, “I’m glad to have you back; I was freaking out,” I admitted.

Kyle glanced at my wrist, “Wait, were you going to go after me?”

“Uh, m-maybe,” I stuttered.

Kyle put me in a headlock, “Aw, you do care! You’re the best, Dylan.”

I pulled myself out of his grip, “Well, it wasn’t so terrifying once I deciphered the note and figured out how it should work.”

Kyle saw the anxious scribbles sitting on my desk, “You did all this? How long was I gone?”

“I kind of lost track of time, but a good chunk of the day.”

“I must’ve been out cold for a while,” Kyle rubbed his head.

“Out cold? What happened? Where did you go?”

Kyle snickered, “I have a whole lot to catch you up on.”

Photo Credit: Braxton Apana