Transparent Color's

“June and Joon!” Mr. Buns calls out, then turns to us and says “My twin daughters.”

Yes, I think to myself, I remember them. They were the first warmth I felt in this city. I find it odd they are his daughters, but maybe there is more to this man then just his status. The wall slides open in the waiting room with the three metal chairs. A small light turns on, so we take our glasses off. June and Joon, walk through the wall.

“Hello Ms. Collins.” They both say with a smile.

Their smiles are contagious, so I smile as well and say, “Hello,” back. I look over at the guys and they are just frozen, staring at them; with goofy looking grins.

“Right then, no time to spare, Joon show these men to the portal, and June take Ms. Collins and Ms.…” he looks at Ora.

“Jacks, Sir,” Ora says promptly. This is the first I have heard her last name as well.

“And Ms. Jacks to the discovery room.” He turns to the both of us and tells us, “There you will find maps, floor plans, and even some hot security spots. There is a lot of numbers on the computers; I’m not so good with that kind of stuff. Look for anything you might need.” He gives us a wink and then turns away.

“I must stay in the front to watch out, do let me know when you will be departing.” He walks away.

I watch the guys walk through the wall that is open. Jo-Shana lingers some, as he walks through, he points to his ear. Letting me know if we need anything, he is listening. I nod with understanding. I then turn and follow June through another opening wall. When we enter the room she manually slides a wall away, and there I see a hidden door. Not like the doors of this city, but an ordinary wooden door with a knob. She takes a key out of her pocket and opens it. Inside is a rectangular table with computers on it and on the walls surrounding are shelves of books.

“Here you are,” She says, then moves to a corner and stands.

“Nice, we could spend hours in here,” says Ora in amazement.

My eyes glance passed, and then quickly focuses on one particular book that stands out different from the rest of the books. I faintly say, “Yes too bad we don’t have hours.”

I walk towards the book that caught my eye and gently slide it out from between two other books. I open it up, and to my surprise it’s my family tree, but on my mother and uncles side. The side that led to mine and Toby’s predicament. I flip through the pages and see old photos of my great, great grandfather, all the way to my grandfather. Death dates included. My Uncle and mother’s births and marriages are also shown. I turn the pages and see mine and Toby’s birth, the next page I turn almost sends me to my knees. The death dates of my parents and Toby’s. The pages that follow are blank, they must be for Toby and I. I ponder, from the beginning to now all were killed. A legacy of deaths, and I’m afraid that curse of death has been put on us. My eyes start to water up and I slam the book closed.

“I intend to break it,” I say out loud unknowingly.

“Break what? Are you okay Maggie?” asks Ora.

I reply, “Oh, nothing, yes I’m fine. Did you find anything?” I put the book back. Ora is sitting at one of the computers with a big smile on her face, so I walk over and sit next to her.

On the computer there is a bunch of numbers that I don’t quite understand. Ora says they are security codes for each portal. It’s interesting how in this rough circumstance, we somehow run into such luck. I grab a piece of paper and start writing down the codes; one, in particular, the Majestic’s. Now to make this perfection, she needs to find the code for the control box to the ramps. I look at Ora’s face tensing and her fingers scrambling on the glass keyboard. Numbers, numbers, letters. It does not make sense to me, but in Ora’s eyes it is complete thrill and common. I watch the speed of her fingers, and then suddenly they stop.

“Found it!” she says in a delighted tone. I write it down. We look at the clock and decide to go back with the rest of the team.

June shows us to the room with the portal. When we enter I see the men sitting on the ground eating bread. Mr. Buns is with them sitting on a chair telling a story of his glitzy days. When they notice us they all stop eating and stand to their feet.

“Did you fix it?” I ask. Joon hands me and Ora some bread and water.

Mr. Buns answers, “Yes, but you only have fifteen seconds to shoot up, get off, before I shut it back down, so it is not detected.”

“Yikes, okay, well we have some good news. Ora has found the security code for the Majestic’s portal, other portals, and the ramp.” I look at Ora with a smile and give her a little elbow tap. She gives a shy smile and little curtsy as everyone clapped.

“Alright is everyone ready? Once we go up there’s no breaks.” Jo-Shana says in direction towards me and Ora.

I finish the bread and drink some water. As does Ora. And say, “Yes, we are behind schedule as it is.”

Mr. Buns stands up and moves to the portal, “I’ll push the button once you are on, remember fifteen seconds. Good luck!”

I move to the large circle on the ground, before I step on to the circle Joon gently touches my arm. I stop and look at her, her face is warm. She looks me in the eyes and says, “Your mind is strong, remember.” She gives me a smile, and then walks away. I step on to the circle.

We all squat down, turn our glasses on, and ready our weapons. Mr. Buns activates the portal; he then punches in his code. A glassy looking light surrounds us, and then we shoot up. I get a glimpse of roof tops, then it’s just sky and now I can see the spider web looking ramps. We keep low to the ground, for when we appear two guards from either side are focused on the ground below them. They have zoom goggles on looking down, with their hand on their weapon, ready for anything. Before they notice us, Kael and Bruce quickly shoot them down, while Jo-Shana and Vichor catch them without making a sound. The next nearest guards are on the other side of the ramps, and they do not flinch from their positions. At the time being, we are unnoticeable.

I see, a little box on the edge in front of us, and whisper in my button, “Do you think that’s the control box?”

“Let’s see.” Oscar whispers in his.

Oscar, Ora and I move to the box, while the others zone in on the un-expecting guards. Oscar pops off the covering, and a flat keyboard is shown. Ora takes the codes from out of her shirt and unfolds the paper. She takes a deep breath, and then enters the code in. Once she does the flat screen pops up, and another flat screen comes up from underneath; it now looks like a mini computer. I look down at the keyboard, and the numbers and letters are scrambling up and down and side to side, every second. I can see the confusion in Ora’s fingers. She has to push in the letters instantly after another; any hesitation could shut it down and sound an alarm. She looks up at Oscar, and he takes over.

He looks for a second, and then mumbled, “It’s moving in patterns.” I look at his face and the edge of his mouth rises. Relief fills my body. I look down and see his fingers moving, then stop.

“Come back into the circle, don’t touch the ramps,” he says, so everyone moves in.

Once they do Oscar presses three more keys, and then everything goes completely silent. Not a breath is heard. Suddenly, I hear a faint crackling sound from below. I look down and see a sheet of electricity moving up, and getting louder as it comes. I look over towards the ramps and see the guards in horror trying to escape, but their metal boots are stuck to the ramp. Screams fill the air and my heart starts pounding. The light is just below us, Ora grabs on to me and so does Jo-Shana. The force of the current levitates us in the air for about two seconds, which feels like about ten minutes, then drops us back down on to the circular platform. I land on my knees and hands. I let out a breath and then sit up, looking to the ramps, and see bodies lying down with smoke coming off of them. I bring myself back to focus and check to see if everyone is okay, they are.

Vichor’s voice comes in, “Is it safe to walk across now?”

Jo-Shana takes a glove off and throws it on the ramp to my left. Nothing happened. He stands up and step onto the ramp, and smiles, “Let’s go, the Majestic’s house is this way.”

I place my jacket over my nose, from the stench of death, and move pass the fried bodies. The others follow. We make our way, until we are right above the mansion. I look down at the circular platform, and it is only big enough for three.

“We’ll just have to go three at a time. Maggie and Vichor, you’re with me.” Jo-Shana says as he steps onto the circle. Vichor and I step on as well.

Jo-Shana then whispers, “Ready your weapons. Maggie stay in between us.” He looks my direction, and I nod in agreement.

“Be careful. We’ll be right behind you,” Ora says to me with a wary grin. I grin back. Oscar then keys in the code and we are gone.

I feel a little off balance, when we land in an unknown room. It appears to be empty. But on the wall in front of me, there are multiple screens that show different parts of the house and the surroundings outside. I look closer at the screens, and Ora’s beaten face pops up on one. I feel my heart stop for a second and look at Jo-Shana with panic. He is looking at another screen; I walk over to Ora’s face.

“They know we are here! What did they do to Ora?!” I say with a shaky voice.

Jo-Shana covers my mouth and tells me to “Shh”. He turns my head back to the screen and she’s not there. I move his hand away and shake my head. Keep strong Magolin, keep strong, I tell myself. I see Jo-Shana and Vichor just standing there looking towards me, so I put my thumb up to show I am okay.

Vichor looks at Jo-Shana and says, “I wonder why no one is here watching these screens? This is kind of sketchy, don’t you think?”

Jo-Shana then speaks into his button, “Hey do you all see any movement around the mansion up there?” there is no response, so he asks again.

“Shouldn’t the next three be down by now?” I ask. We all move towards the platform.

“Wait this platform’s bigger, see.” I stand on the circle, and the difference is present.

“Look they have two, here’s the one we came down on.” Says Jo-Shana, as he stands next to it, he then continues as he walks back towards me, “I wonder where that one leads?”

They start talking about the reasoning behind the larger platform, but my mind is too absorbed with why the next three have not come down yet. I go to the small circle and try to turn it on, but it will not turn on. Why won’t it turn on? I start to have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I lose my patience, “Hey can we stay focused on the situation at hand? Like why they are not responding, why they have not come down yet and why this portal will not turn on?”

Jo-Shana walks to me and says, “We can’t answer those questions. But we can only assume that there is no signal in here, not even amongst us.” He backs away and whispers in his button, but nothing is heard. He walks to me again and goes on, “The portal must have shut down for some reason, maybe it has to reboot itself, I don’t know, but what I do know is we can’t just stay in here waiting. You are right, we need to stay focused. The sun will be coming up soon, and then we won’t stand a chance.”

“So we’re just going to leave? What if they come down?” I say in a hint of confusion.

He puts his hand on my shoulder, “They’re trained, they know what to do. Let’s go.” He takes his hand off my shoulder and starts moving towards the door.

Jo-Shana leads, since he knows the house the best. So we stay low to the ground and close to the wall. We head down the dark hall to a staircase; it’s not a very big staircase, only about ten steps up. When we reach the door Jo-Shana cautiously opens it and looks out. He motions for us to move out into another dark hall, but this is a familiar hall, the one with red walls and blue swirls. We must have entered through the guard’s station, and now we are in the house.

Jo-Shana stops and points to the camera, he whispers in my ear, “Let’s hope that empty room is the only security room.” He turns and starts moving again.

Ugh, why did he have to say that, now all I’m going to be thinking about is if there’s another security room, with guards watching us right now. They’re probably laughing at us too, for walking so openly through this house. But never mind that, I see the grand staircase and we start up it. Quietly up, down another hall, and up some more stairs. As soon as I know it, I am in front of Toby’s room, that was way too easy, I thought. I start to feel scared to open the door, for a feeling of danger behind this door, cross me. I look at Jo-Shana, and he doesn’t make a move to open it. He must be feeling something too. Then suddenly, I hear the door open, I instantly look back to the door and see Vichor walking through it. I hesitate, then lock in my courage and walk in as well, Jo-Shana behind me.

Jo-Shana stayed close to the door, as a look out. I move to the bed and pull back the covers. It is empty. I look at Vichor, “He’s not here!”

“Look the window’s open.” I hear Jo-Shana say. I look at him moving to the window. Then I remember how the window in my room would not let me open it. I get a trouble feeling it is a trap.

Vichor is now over there as well and they are both still, standing there looking out the window. I say to them, “I don’t think you should be by the window, I have a funny feeling.” No answer, or movement, “Guys, can’t you hear me?!” I move over next to them and hit Vichor on the arm, and he does not flinch.

I look out the window and see a ball of light floating outside it. I feel my mind drifting away, and my body becoming still. I’m drifting, slowly drifting, but I won’t let it take me just yet. “You have a strong mind Magolin” I remember Joon telling me and my head slightly turns to my left and I can see my reflection in a mirror. A full body mirror, like the one my mother had. My Mother…Toby! I think and as soon as I do, my mind comes back, and I am unfrozen.

I try to move Jo-Shana and Vichor but they are too heavy, like stones. So I try to close the window, it does not budge, and then suddenly I feel something grab around my waist. An invisible latch is around me that I can’t physically feel with my hands, so therefore can’t escape it. I quickly look back at the mirror and see my reflection being pulled out the window.