DIMENSIONS 1.1
It all started out like a normal day, more or less. I was sixteen at the time, and absurdly naïve about the world around me. I’d forgotten to set my alarm the night before so upon waking up half past nine, I was thrown into a less than welcome rush to get to the studio where I had a part-time job as a model before my boss blew a blood vessel.
“Hey! My alarm didn’t go off!” I cried, grabbing the clock off the table, just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. I jumped out of my blue-blanketed bed and flung open my closet doors.
“Great, I’m late for work. And on the biggest shoot of the year, too!” I put on the first shirt I saw, one of my old baseball shirts from junior high. It fit a little snug, and a small portion of my midriff was showing, but I found being on time more important than looking like I was wearing my baby clothes.
“Do you want a ride to the studio, honey?” My mother came into my room and took my cotton pajamas from me for the laundry. Just by looking at her, you could tell she was a math teacher. She was only thirty-seven, but she had a wisdom about her apparent only in the teachers which introduce hell into children’s lives. Not that my mother introduced hell into her second grade student’s lives, I had just been having problems in geometry.
“No thanks, mommy. I need the exercise.” I sighed, rushing around my room through my many bottles of lotion and perfumes. Finally I found my brush and ran it through my long golden red hair. I had gotten my hair from my father, whom I had never met, and everyone told me how lucky I was to have such wonderful hair. Personally, I wasn’t too fond of it.
“Indy! Think fast!” I had just enough time to dodge a brown leather football thrown at me no doubt by one of my older brothers. Looking up, to verify my thoughts, I saw Michael. I threw the football back at him as hard as I could.
“Grow up Michael! And take your stupid ball with you!” I was in no mood to play games. Not when my job was on the line. I dashed into the foyer and grabbed my dim purple duster. It mismatched horribly with my bright orange shirt, but I didn’t care since I would have to change as soon as I got to the studio.
“Sure you don’t want a ride, Indiana?” My mother followed me out into the foyer.
“Yeah. Bye!” I said, not meaning to sound laconic, as I raced out of the house, still tying my duster on. I ran down the cobblestone path which lead to the street, then slowed to a walk, suddenly becoming acutely aware of the January weather around me.
“Dang, it’s cold. Maybe I should have gotten a ride!” I shivered slightly, wishing desperately I’d had the sense to at least grab one of my brothers’ sweatshirts.
“Indiana! Hey girl!” Without turning around, I knew it was my best friend Crush Bangler. We’d been friends since we met in the third grade, seven years ago.
“What are you doing out here this early?” I asked, turning to her.
“Sunday school starts early.” Crush said. She was always strictly religious, and was almost impossible to reach on Sunday until three in the afternoon because of church.
“Sorry, hun, but I can’t talk. Chrysy and I have a huge shoot, and I’m already way late.” I said, feeling slightly depressed that I couldn’t take this opportunity to talk to my best friend.
“Ah, the glamorous life of a model!” Crush said, slightly mockingly, making a modeling position and smiling. She could have been a model. She wasn’t particularly curvy, but she was thin as a post.
“Hardly.” I laughed and rolled my eyes. “My manager is going to kill me, if Chrysy doesn’t first.” I must admit, though Chrysy had a sweet personality, she hated it when people were late, so I knew I was facing a blow-up.
“Well, I guess we both had better go.” Crush said, smiling and waving to me. “I’ll call you later, Indy. And tell me how your shoot went.”
“Allright! See ya, Crush!” I waved, watching her leave. I wheeled around and continued walking until I came upon the downtown streets. There was an alley, darkened to pitch black in the less-than-light morning. It seemed like it was the alley me and Chrysy had taken a long time ago when we were late, but I wasn’t sure. I approached it, and peered inside.
“Oh, it’s pitch black…but I can’t waste time going the long way.” I made my way slowly into the alley, frightened to death that some creep may jump out and mug me, or worse. Suddenly, there was a huge bang coming from behind me. I spun around.
“What was that?” I whispered to myself. I have this bad habit of talking to myself, if you hadn’t noticed by this point. I saw the dim outline of a person, one hand on it’s hip and the other up straight in the air. At the tip of the extended arm was a huge ball of yellow light, bright enough to illuminate the alley. “Oh my gosh, what’s that light? It must be a robber!”
I started running at once. “If I can just make it onto the street…” I gasped, praying with all my heart that there would be somebody out there who could help me. I ran right out of the alley and smacked into a boy. We both fell over. I shook my head to clear my vision and was just about to get up and keep running when I noticed the boy I had run into was Chrysy’s older brother, Adam, who no doubt was walking back from escorting his sister to the studio. He was so nice like that.
“Indiana! What’s wrong?” He asked, rubbing his head. We had talked a couple times, but we weren’t what you would call friends. I was surprised he’d even recognized me, to tell you the truth.
“Oh Adam! Thank god…someone’s following me! You gotta do something!” I’m sure I sounded ridiculous, and he looked at me like he thought I was, until from the alley there emerged a girl like one I had never seen. She was about average height, extremely skinny in her black catsuit, with spiky dark red hair pulled back into a ponytail and piercing cat-like coral eyes. What confused me was how her hair stayed spiky even when it was pulled back. I decided she must have some hell of a hair gel.
“Now I’ve got you! Hold still and this won’t hurt.” She said, smiling down at the two of us splayed on the street. I moved behind Adam and grabbed his shoulders.
“Adam, do something!” I begged. “I’m scared!”
“Do what?” Adam was as clueless as I.
“I’m only going to say things once, so listen, and listen good.” The girl moved her hands to her hips, and glared at us. She picked up Adam with one hand, holding him off the ground like he weighed no more than a feather. “Because otherwise, you just might be sorry.” She threw him back and he landed next to me, a stunned and frightened look on his face.
“My name is Bacardi. Remember that. You’ll need to know it to get into Jordan’s base.” She explained. I didn’t understand.
“What?” I asked.
“Who?” Adam questioned.
“Jordan Diamond!” She clasped her hands together and twirled around once, staring up at the sky, which was finally lightening up. “A legend and a hero. Such a cutie too!”
She somehow created a glowing ball of energy in her hand, the same shade as her mysterious eyes. It levitated just inches above her skin.
“Now, I’ve got a few more people I have to get before you can meet the Emperor and get into the base. You’re gonna have to go alone and wait for me.” She said.
“Go where? Why should we go anywhere?” Adam said, standing up and trying his best to act tough, though in my opinion he looked more comical than anything.
“Careful Adam.” I whispered from behind him. I didn’t want to take a chance at angering her. Not when she had a weird ball of energy floating above her hand.
“Trust me, you’re going.” She said in almost a bored tone, like she’d heard this all before. She moved her hand in a giant circle and the ball expanded to a 2-D circle, then it suddenly deepened with waves of blue, although from the side it was just a slit in the atmosphere.
“Going where?!” I demanded, as she’d not answered Adam’s question before. I was frightened though, and hid behind Adam, who didn’t seem to pleased to be used as a shield.
“The second Dimension.” She said this as if it should’ve been the most obvious thing in the world to us. “Get going.” She pushed me in. I heard her say something to Adam but I couldn’t make it out. I was falling, and all around me there was coral and blue, and the tunnel seemed to have no end, looking down was just a spiral.
I closed my eyes and opened them only when I hit the ground, which luckily, was sand. I pushed myself up, taking in my surroundings.
“Whoa…what a rush.” I groaned, thinking that I was speaking to Adam. “Wherever I am, it’s really hot.” There was a stretch of sandy beach and the ocean and a green, blue and yellow building that looked very odd. Glancing around I found out that Adam wasn’t near me, but there was a large crowd of people a little ways off.
“Hey, where’s Adam? What’s that crowd over there?” I slipped off my duster and tied it around my waist. It was a little awkward because it was so long, but folding it, I managed to make it look okay.
“What’s your origin?” A deep, obviously masculine voice asked from behind me. I spun around, and leaning against a tall coconut palm was a very tan, very good looking black haired guy wearing a blue wife beater. The first thing I noticed though, had to be his muscles. They were perfectly toned and they gleamed like they had just been oiled. I was so distracted that he had to repeat his question.
“My what?” I asked. I had no idea what ‘origin’ meant. Did he want to know my cultural background or what?
“Or are you a recruit?” He didn’t answer my question.
“I really don’t know anything.” I said. I didn’t know why someone would be recruited out to this beach, or what they would do, or anything else.
“Well are you from here?” He asked me in a harsher voice. He was getting annoyed now and it showed on his face.
“I don’t even know where “here” is!” I growled back, getting annoyed at the fact that he was getting annoyed.
“Dimension 2!” He yelled it like it was the most obvious thing in the world and I was an idiot for not knowing.
“Well what’s that?” I yelled back, since I’d heard Bacardi say it but I had no idea what it was, or if I was there, or if it was an illusion, or what.
“Hey Indiana! We’re supposed to be over here, I think.” Adam yelled to me from where the crowd was. Gladly, I got up and started walking to him, but the guy, who by now had moved away from the tree towards me, didn’t like to be ignored.
“I’m not done talking to you!” He yelled, reaching out like he was going to grab me. I made sure to get out of his reach in time.
“So?” I said in my bitchiest voice. I usually wasn’t this mean, but something about him just annoyed me. I wanted to get away from him.
“Don’t you have any respect for your superiors?” He asked, hands on his hips. I didn’t know why he considered himself superior, or in what aspect. The only thing I could think of was height, age, and amount of muscles, but still I was angered.
“You’re NOT my superior.” I said, and walked away, not looking back until I reached Adam. He had started walking in the opposite direction. I shuddered. What a weird, scary guy.
“Look, it’s Bacardi!” I said to Adam, pointing. I didn’t really want to go near her again because she seemed very scary, but she’d said to meet her there and I didn’t want to make her mad.
“Hurry up!” She hissed at us when she saw us coming over. Around her were four other people, including Crush, Chrysy, and a boy and a girl I didn’t know. The girl looked to be about thirteen or fourteen, very short, but stunningly pretty with soft blonde hair and sky blue eyes. The boy was at least sixteen, tall, and had a pretty nice body on him. He too was very good looking with neat brown hair and azure eyes that gleamed in the sun.
“Hi Adam! Indy!” Chrysy said.
“Hey guys!” Crush said. They both looked incredibly surprised and happy to see us. They must have been as confused as I was.
“Wow! Chrysy, Crush, am I glad you guys are here!” I said hugging them both. I was very glad. At least I had my two best friends with me, and it wouldn’t be as scary.
“Guys, be quiet. The emperor is going to explain things.” Bacardi growled, so low it was almost under her breath, but we shut up anyway, because on the balcony of the weird building, which I would find out later was the palace, stood a man about thirty five with spiky gray hair and blue eyes. He was very good looking too, albeit way too old for my taste.
“Hey everyone!” He spoke in a very relaxed and friendly way for an emperor. “I am Emperor Rock. You’re probably wondering where you are and why you’re here. Well, this is Dimension 2 of the Tri-Dimensions.” At this, there was a murmur of confusion from the crowd. “You are all from Dimension 1. Your Emperor agreed that we could recruit 500 Earthlings to aid us in the current war we’re having with Dimension 3. I’m sorry to say this, but you have no choice. You will now be split up into bases according to who recruited you.” He sat down on a chair under the shade of an umbrella and stared down at us.
I was so confused. Since when did Earth have an Emperor? We were in a war? I sat there thinking while the other people called out the names of the people their recruits had been recruited by.
“John, Reagan and Larena’s recruits over here!”
“Melena, Zepher, and Chancey’s recruits this way!”
And so on, until I finally made out Bacardi’s name being yelled and tried to make my way towards it.
“Xander, Roy, and Bacardi’s recruits over here!” As I walked towards the voice, I found out it was that annoying guy I’d met at the tree. “There should be fifteen of you. We’re going to my base right now.”
Before I could say anything, he had grabbed me and the pretty blonde girl around the waist and took off. Literally, he started flying. I was as scared as anything, me and that other girl grabbed him around the neck and watched as the ground faded fast.
“Hang on.” He snickered. If I hadn’t been scared shitless, I might have said something rather rude to him. After we had been traveling for a few minutes, we stopped on the shore of a beach cut off by a black marble wall from a building like the one I had seen before only dark green and yellow.