The Bridge Between Worlds

“Where exactly are we going?” Regina asked as Victoria drove onto the highway. “When you said a drive, I didn’t think we’d be leaving the state.”

“We are going to the Library at the DU,” her sister replied, adjusting the temp of the AC in the car. “In Hughesville. It’s where my dad was born.”

“What does DU mean?”

“It’s the Department of the Unnatural. It was once a covert governmental division, specializing in protecting humanity from creatures that bump in the night.”

“Vampires and werewolves?”

Victoria laughed and shook her head.

“No. Vampires are a myth. There are creatures who behave in similar manner, but according to Grandpa’s research, they’ve finally died out. Wolves, on the other hand, do not need a full moon to shift.”

Regina wrinkled her nose as she tried to comprehend the words. Her sister went on to explain what her grandfather did for a living. She was shocked, to say the least.

“Why did he retire so young?” she asked, genuinely curious.

“Conflict of interests,” Victoria replied, her voice growing soft. “He was lied to and his relationship with the Celestials became toxic. As a result, he lost the love of his life because they believe he didn’t reciprocate Grandma’s feelings.”

“What?”

“Celestials are complex beings. I’ll explain the whole Love Death thing another time. It’s a confusing, but fascinating history class.”

Regina nodded, “I’ll take your word for it, then. So, the DU has the resources we need to conduct our research?”

Her sister glanced in the rear-view mirror before switching lanes.

“Yes,” she said, “and we’re lucky we even have access. Back in Grandpa’s day, only DU agents were allowed into the building. But he changed all the division laws by uncovering appalling secret facts about the department he was working in.”

“You keep saying stuff like that and it only makes me more curious,” Regina laughed, shaking her head as she tied back her unruly mane. “I think you need to set up a class on your family history.”

“Oh, totally.”

They shared a laugh and Victoria turned on the radio.

“Oh, look,” she said, motioning to the upcoming exit. “Just about there.”

“Um, Vic,” Regina hesitated when she saw where the road was blocked off. “This leads to the middle of nowhere.”

“Dearest Regina, you have lived under a rock for too long. I should have thought to record your reaction, but you are gonna be so surprised.”

The car came to a full stop at the end of the road. Victoria motioned for Regina to stay put as she opened her door and got out. Regina watched her walk over to a fence post and push her thumb against the top brim. A loud swoosh sound filled the air and Victoria glanced to the space in front of the car before returning.

Regina gawked as the empty pasture at the end of the road warped into a swirl of brown, black and green. It twirled clockwise until a different image formed at the center of the vortex. The car was put back into gear and Victoria drove forward.

“What are you doing?” Regina exclaimed, gabbing her armrests with both hands. “It’s a freaking black hole!”

“It’s a portal,” Victoria replied, patting her shoulder. “Just watch.”

Regina was still skeptical, but she bit down on her tongue and watched as the car entered the swirling passageway. The phrase “light at the end of the tunnel” finally made sense.

“Whoa,” Regina gasped when they emerged on the other side of the tunnel. “What . . . How?”

“The world is not what you thought, huh?” Victoria asked, laughing softly. “Did you ever see the movie about the brother and sister who ruined Christmas and Santa’s sleigh flies through the quantum realm, or the space-time continuum?”

“I don’t own a TV, remember?”

“Streaming service?”

“I don’t have any subscriptions of the kind.”

“Well, then you’re missing out big time. Every single technological advancement in the world is shown in all the movies. You just gotta be smart enough to catch them . . . Or raised to know they exist. Welcome to Hughesville, by the way.”

Regina’s jaw dropped as she glanced around. Sure enough, they drove passed a welcome sign, which said “Welcome to Hughesville. Population: 1,682.4 people.”

“We’re going to be using the portal a lot,” Victoria went on, patting Regina’s shoulder. “If Grandpa, or even Grandma, was still alive, they’d know how to explain it better.”

“When did they pass away, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Five years ago, they were together and they were sleeping.”

“I’m sorry.”

Victoria sighed, “Five years is a long time. I’m good with it now. I think what made me most upset about it was how they knew it was time, and they weren’t even ninety yet. They didn’t look it; the Angel-Celestial blood kept them from aging.”

“So, ageless, but not immortal?”

“Exactly. Which makes me wonder . . . There are very few ways to kill a Celestial, Angel or another. Apart from natural causes or . . . Time. The average bullet shouldn’t have done damage, but it did.”

“You’re referring to . . .” Regina trailed off, uncertain whether to approach the subject or not.

“Yeah, Mom and and Dad died protecting me. I don’t mean to seem stuck up or assertive of myself, but that’s the truth. We had our enemies, just for being the Mitchell family.”

She didn’t know why, but for some reason, the statement made Regina think of eyes and the darkness she’d so often seen in her nightmares. She hadn’t had any in a while, which was a good thing. But the knowledge still lingered.

“Earth to Regina,” said Victoria, snapping her fingers in front of Regina’s face. “Where did you go just now?”

“Do you know specifically what they were protecting you from?” she asked without thinking.

“Dad joked about it being an ancient evil of some sort. I thought, maybe, Grandpa’s old colleagues. But Grandpa’s been gone. There’s no reason anyone would be trying to get at him. I guess I’ll never know for certain.”

Regina sighed, “Yeah, but at least you’ve got me now. Certified, diagnosed freak at your service.”

“You’re not a freak. You do freaky things, but you’re not a freak.”

“Tell that to all my middle and high school bullies.”

“You sat alone at lunch?” Victoria asked as she pulled into an indoor car park.

“Every. Single. Day.”

“Friends?”

“None worth keeping in my contact book.”

* * *

The DU building was huge. The large, double, front doors made Regina feel so small. It was a strange sensation, considering how she often felt like a giant. She glanced at Victoria, who smiled as she motioned for her to follow.

“We take the side doors,” she explained, leading the way around the building. “The library is open to the public, but only people like us know how to be shown to the right sections. If you enter the front doors and go through security, you have no chance of seeing any special books. Enter the side doors and flash your ID, you’re in like Flynn.”

As she mentioned the “special ID”, Victoria held up a laminated card with her photo on the bottom right corner.

“You are my guest,” Victoria went on, hooking her arm with Regina’s. “I’ll set you up with your own access ID and have it mailed to my house. You never know when you might want to come back here on your own, right?”

“I guess.”

Three minutes later, they were standing in the library foyer. The walls were a lovely, golden color. Not so bright to be bothersome to the eyes, but enough to portray real gold. The floors were darker; marbled and shiny. Plants adorned every corner; Regina wasn’t sure if they were mini palms or some other tropical-like plan. The few windows had beige curtains.

Regina spent many days holed up in libraries. She knew them like the back of her hand. This was the largest library she had ever seen. And she had been to the Library of Congress, just for fun, back in high school.

“Whoa,” she said as Victoria tugged her to the reception desk, which was in the entryway of the main area.

“Snazzy right?” she laughed, turning to the librarian. “Hi, we are researching Celestials. What section would we find those books in?”

The woman smiled and clicked at her computer.

“Well,” she replied, “we recently rearranged some sections and moved things around. Per the mayor’s request. All books regarding Angels and Celestials can be found in Personal Accounts, sections A through E. You may photocopy pages, but all books must remain within the Library. If you need anything, just press the blue buzzer button. There is one at every table.”

“Thank you; c’mon sis.”

Regina smiled at the librarian before following Victoria to the staircase at the center of the library. These stairs broke into two directions, leading to opposite sides of the building. Upper levels with more doorways and shelves.

“When Grandma first brought me here,” Victoria explained, lowering her voice. “We were reading the origin stories and personal accounts of historic events. She loved doing research, even when she didn’t need to know anything. If she hadn’t been so interested in paranormal activity, she never would have met Grandpa.”

“And you wouldn’t exist,” Regina added with a smile, nudging her sister’s elbow.

Victoria returned the smile, “And I wouldn’t exist, yeah. Okay, so grab as many books as your arms can carry. Meet me at the table over there.”

She motioned to the table in the furthest corner, at the back of the section. Regina nodded and headed toward one of the six bookshelves in the section. She scanned each shelf, grabbing books as the word Celestial or Angel appeared in the titles. She was surprised to see they were actual journals with handwritten pages.

She paused to peek at one of the journals before placing it on the cart she’d found. The cover was a velvety-purple, and there was a name inscribed on the spine.

“Heartsword,” she read to herself, running her fingers over the indented heart posing as the O in the name. She didn’t know why, but the name felt important. She held it to her chest as she pushed the cart to the table. Victoria was already there, her nose in a book.

“What did you find?” she asked, looking up.

“Many interesting journals,” Regina replied, holding up the purple journal. “Does the name Heartsword sound familiar to you?”

She showed the journal before situating herself into an empty chair.

“Not really,” said Victoria, shaking her head as she handed the book back. “But it’s intriguing. Check it out. You know never what you’ll find here.”

Regina turned to the first page, reading silently to herself.

These are the personal accounts of the Heartsword sisters, written in their own words. Everything they share is truth. If one should come across a similar account, written from an outsider’s perspective, be wary. For as the saying goes, “Unless you hear it from the horse’s mouth, don’t listen to the jackass.

She snorted to herself, which drew Victoria’s attention.

“What?” she asked with a budding smile.

“Look.” Regina extended the journal to her, pointing to the sentence she’d just read.

“Weird, I remember someone saying that very phrases to Dad once.”

“Who?”

“I don’t really remember. Must have been when I was eight or something. It was a woman with this angry expression.”

The sisters exchanged a funny look and a shrug before returning to their reading.

* * *

A while later, Regina came across an interesting passage.

“Vic, listen to this,” she said, sitting forward and resting her elbows on the table as she read aloud. “August 12th. My sister, Beth, has decided to return home. I fear she is experiencing many know to be heartache. While I believe she is being hasty and won’t let the poor man explain himself, I support any decision she makes. I’ve met him only once, but his adoration for Beth was clear. I wish I could explain the empathy I feel for them both. I also wish there were such a man who would love me as this man loves my sister.”

“That’s the behavior of a Celestial, all right,” Victoria sighed, closing the book she was reading. “Is there a year next to the date?”

Regina searched the page and shook her head.

“None, just the month and the day. All the entries are similar. The next passage jumps months back, or maybe forward to the following year. February 4th. Beth doesn’t approve of him. He has been visiting me more frequently now. I yearn to see him when he is gone. A fire burns within me, one which cannot be quenched. He is not of my people, nor of the people my life is sworn to protect. I know we are yet young. I do not know what will come of this union. But I am glad it has happened.

“This feels more like a person diary entry than a journal or personal account. Mostly from whoever Beth’s sister was. I haven’t come across her name yet.”

Victoria grew thoughtful for a moment as she leaned forward to glance at the pages in the diary.

“She writes the way you talk,” she said after a pause. “Dignified and proper. Old-fashioned.”

“Am I supposed to take that as an insult?” Regina asked, mouth agape.

Her sister smiled, “No, it’s compliment. I like the way you talk.”

“Yeah, uh-huh. Whatever you say.”

Regina turned the page and froze. She let the journal fall to the table, but held her finger in the pages.

“What’s wrong?” her sister asked with concern.

“Vic,” she replied, meeting Victoria’s gaze. “The boy I just read about . . . His surname was Bortælus.”

“Try finding that on a key chain. What about it?”

“It’s my last name.”

“I thought you said your last name was Andrews.”

“I took my parents names when they adopted me. Bortælus is the name on my original birth certificate.”

Victoria ended up taking the diary from Regina. She claimed to be a much faster reader. Regina sighed and folded her arms across her chest and waited for her to produce more evidence of the surname in within the pages. The Heartsword sisters had met the man who might have been her biological father. Which meant she was closer to learning more about herself than she expected.

“Found something,” said Victoria, sitting forward as she read. “June 21st. My sister has been visited by a boy with the surname Bortælus. He comes from one of the sister-dimensions, known as the Æmienix. I wish my sister would heed my advice. There is something dark about him. He keeps secrets from her. I feel it. I have wanted to confront him, force him to confess. But is has been weeks since his last visit. I hear he has left my sister with more than a broken heart... Oh. My. Word.”

“What?” Regina asked, sitting forward with curiosity. “Vic, what?”

“Beth is this sister. The main author of this journal is Bridgette. I just read another short passage where she mentions her name . . . And mentions the name Mitchell.”

“That’s your dad’s last name. Your last name.”

“Yeah, which means Mom could have been one of these two sisters.”

Victoria’s voice became a loud whisper. They had kept their voices soft until this point.

“Are you positive?” Regina whispered back, glancing around to make sure they weren’t drawing any attention.

“I recognize the handwriting,” her sister became excited as she reached into her bag and produced a crumpled piece of paper. “Look.”

Victoria straightened out the paper and placed it next to one of the passages written by Bridgette. Regina glanced between the two and gasped.

“We are so close to finding the first name of this Bortælus guy,” Vic went on, letting Regina read the note while she went back to skimming the diary. “Maybe there’s a way you can contact him. And I’m curious to know why Mom never mentioned having a sister. I feel like this is something I should have known.”

Regina couldn’t stop her sister from taking the journal to the nearest copy machine. She immediately understood what her intentions were. They both wanted answers.