Taking a deep breath, I ring the doorbell. My eyes wander as I wait. They outline the pavement with the timeworn cracks. The brown-dusted tree giving its leaves a shake in the autumn breeze. The house’s beige colouring showing a darker lilt under the setting sun. I find the flowers in my hand appear bright in contrast. Too bright. The door clicks and her familiar blue eyes greet me. Too dim.

“Rebecca.” The word usually rolls off my tongue, but not today. My eyes catch on her clothes. A type of summer yellow that she knows I love. The edges of my heart heal a little at the thought. We both understand the conversation we are about to have. I can hear it. The patter of grief. The buzzing of built-up frustration. The discordant guilt. They sing in their own ways. All equally painful to hear. Often it would be this moment that I would open my mouth. But today, I say nothing. Today I look in her eyes, give her a hug, and hand her the flowers. The tears start in that moment. Whose tears, I’m unsure.

After a moment together we go inside. I take in the fresh paint and the spacious living room. Familiar memories. A pot of brewed tea rests on the coffee table, sitting beside the luxurious couch and the not so luxurious television. I smile a little at that and pour both of us a cup. Rebecca settles next to me and we both look at each other for a moment. She breaks the silence first.

“I’m breaking up with you.” To the point. I go to open my mouth, hesitate, and then close it again. I just look at her. For once in my life, I listen. “I love you Brand. Just as I know you love me. But our relationship has been a battle from the start.” She grips my hand tight. “A relationship is built on me and you making an us. But there’s just too much you and not enough me. I know you’ve been trying. But I just can’t anymore.”

“I know.” My mouth feels dry. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She hugs me tight. “I don’t regret our time together.” A sad smile plays across her lips. “There’s someone out there for you. Just make sure you’re not going to drive her away this time.” Her lips meet mine for a moment. She looks at me quietly. “Stay for the night.” She whispers. I give her a short nod and she gives me another embrace before jumping up. She runs to the stairs before pausing in front of them. “I’ll get things ready.”

I watch her walk up the stairs, my heart fragile and unsure. Each step seems to take her further from me. But I know she’s already gone. I can only watch quietly. In my dazed state I fail to notice at first. But it doesn’t take long for me to realise that she’s still standing there. Rubbing my eyes I take another look. With clearer vision I see it. Her foot half-extended to the next step, frozen in place. Thinking I’d misunderstood I stand up and move closer to her. My eyes catch on the tears frozen on her face; her sad expression stuck like a framed picture.

My breath gets caught. I race up and grab hold of her, but nothing I do moves her. It’s like she’s perpetually stuck where she is. Whirling around I race to the door and fling it open. My eyes take in the strange world around me. A woman walking her dog frozen in place. The leaves falling off the tree stuck in mid-air. A neighbour watering his garden frozen, the water half-way between the ground and the hose. I reel back as I try to understand what is happening. Then with a flash of colour I see her.

Standing in front of me is a woman blazing red. Red eyes, red hair, red clothes. She gives me a look and then walks past me, entering the house. I watch her enter, hesitating for a moment, before steeling myself and following her inside. The woman places a chair with its back toward me in the middle of the room and sits down. Her hands drape across its neck in a casual manner as her eyes gauge mine for a long moment. I move and sit on the couch in front of her. My mind feels split. Calm, and crazed. The only thought overwhelming my mind is Rebecca. Still, I breathe, and wait. And then she speaks.

“I’m here to offer a deal.” A coin appears in her hand. Thin as paper and a quarter the size of her palm, its presence hums in my mind with a melodic undertone. Complicated engravings carve their way through its body in swirls and sharp turns to form unknown patterns. “A favour. For a favour.”

“Rebecca.” I ignore her words and answer with my own. “What have you done to her? To them?”

“Nothing.” The woman answers with a shrug. “I did something to us. I placed us in a moment of time. The bit in-between the here and there of a moment. Doesn’t last long though.”

I stare at her with suspicion, but she only laughs at my look. “There is no use trusting or distrusting me. You don’t know enough to make an educated decision.” She leans forward and stares deep into my eyes. “You’ve been dealt a bad hand Brand. In exactly five minutes you will no longer be on Earth. Somewhere very far away a ritual is going to go wrong. Their attempt to summon an extraplanar being will fail, and in turn the ritual’s need for a living entity will make it grab something else entirely. That something else is you.”

“That’s ridiculous.” I spit out. “Why should I believe you?”

“Ridiculous doesn’t make it untrue.” The woman shakes her head. “You seem to misunderstand. I’m not here to save you. When your five minutes are up, you’ll be going on a one-way trip whether you believe in it or not. What I am here for is to offer you a deal. A favour.” Her hand raises again, and the token flips between her fingers. “For a favour.”

I look at her for a long moment. It feels surreal. I want to scream or cry. Or do something. Then I look to the side, and stare at Rebecca’s frozen form. “What’s the favour.”

“That’s better.” With a flick of her hand the coin soars toward me. I grab it out of the air. The second my hand touches it I feel that hum again, a pleasant melody that calls to my very being. “Let’s call it a bet. That little thing is called a fate token. It has only one function. To tell you once, and only once, where your fortune lies.” She lets the words sink in before continuing. “What is considered fortune depends on the circumstances. For you it will likely be living. Your odds of surviving without this are…zero. Yep. Or close enough to zero it might as well be.”

“Great.” I answer. My eyes take in the token. For a second I see the edges of its engravings glow before receding. “How reassuring. So what’s the catch.”

“The interest on my return.” The woman gives a toothy grin. “I’m Abba by the way. Might as well know the name of the girl both saving your life and short-changing you. It’s a package deal after all.” She claps her hands and rests against the chair. “You see, what I need in simple terms is an energy generator. Something that gives more kick than it takes.” I go to speak but she raises her finger and shakes it. “Uh-uh.”

“Don’t ask what it is.” Abba continues. “It could be anything. Just keep the two words in mind. Energy. Generator. Anything that fits that bill, and trust me it isn’t easy to fit that bill, is what I need. So take this.” She throws another item at me. A necklace this time. A thin but solid thread holding together a dream-like orb. White mists swirls inside of it.

“What is this?” I ask, a little muddled. Everything seems to be happening so quickly.

Abba rests her hand under her chin. “A communicator. Of sorts. But where you’re going is very far away from here. It’ll take a lot of effort on your end to get it working.” She looks at me for a long moment. A soft sigh escapes out of her lips.

“This is a gamble for me.” Abba says. “I don’t know if you’ll survive. If you survive, I don’t know if you’ll be powerful or resourceful enough to activate that. Let alone find what I need. And if you are, will you uphold your promise? That’s why I’m not calling it a transaction.” She pokes at the coin. “A favour. For a favour.”

I stare at her. My hand grips the coin tight. “So if I fail…”

“Then I’m out of luck.” Abba answers with a shrug. “I guess you would be too.”

I stare at her. Hard. It takes me a long moment to gather my thoughts back together. I had no choice but to take her words at face value. After all…”I can’t hear your heart.” I say aloud. Her eyes blink in surprise. The first real emotion she’s displayed since I’ve seen her. I close my eyes as I gather my thoughts. “There’s no way you don’t know. You said a favour for a favour. So can you tack some knowledge into that? It’s in your interest.”

Abba laughs. A sincere laugh. “How straightforward.” Sitting up straight, her clear eyes focus on mine. “Your…gift. Yes, I would call it a gift. While I do not understand it, it acts on the same principles as all fundamental magics. It is a form of energy. And it is applied through the soul. As long as I close off my soul, you can’t touch me. And if you can’t touch me, you can’t ‘hear’ me as you phrase it.”

“Magic.” The word shouldn’t surprise me after everything I’ve witnessed. Still. Hearing it seems to make it more real. Makes my whole life more…real. “So I’ve always been using magic. I’m not insane.”

“No you are not.” A firm answer. “Having a little bit of magic in a world without it has just made you appear that way. Here.” Abba stands up and places the necklace in my hand, enclosing it alongside the strange coin. “We’re out of time. Using the coin is simple. Hold it tight and think about what you need most. It will do the rest.”

“Wait! I have more questions.” The words escape unbidden out of my mouth. Panic is setting in as I realise this crazed moment may be real. And what is happening next…is not something I’m prepared for.

“I’m sorry.” A flicker of pity in her gaze, quashed in the next moment. Abba turns her back to me in that moment. “I’ve done my favour. Now…you’re alone.” And then she’s gone. A flash of colour, and then an empty room. My eyes staring at where she was. Tick. Tock. The hand on the clock flicks over, and her words resound in my mind. Five minutes.

I thrust the two items in my pocket. “Brand.” Startled, I turn around as Rebecca appears in front of me. She looks at me with confusion. “What were you holding?” I flounder for a second as I stare into her eyes. Worry and confusion tints her heart. My breath hitches. The weight of reality crashes in and I wonder if I really am insane. Then the words hit me again. Five minutes. All I need is five minutes to decide whether I’m insane or not.

I pull a startled Rebecca in and hug her tightly. I feel her warmth. “Brand…?” A soundless question resides in my name as she returns the hug. Then I let her go. For the final time. My body moves in a whirlwind as I move toward the kitchen. “Brand!” She cries after me but I stay focused. Water. I tear through the cupboards, ignoring the anxious feeling rising unbidden from my chest.

Bottles of water. Only a few, but I stuff them into my pockets. It was a little cold today so I’d worn a coat. One with very deep pockets. I continue looking through and find some bottles of juice. Rebecca is trying to talk to me but I block her out. Only a few minutes. I can be called crazy after a few minutes. But if I’m not…

I want to live. There’s no more drinks but I stuff a few tins of meat and some dried fruit into my pockets. “Brand!” her voice is loud and insistent, her heart terrified and unsure. Her grip is tighter this time as she tries to hold me. I let her as I turn to the sink and pour water into my hands, drinking it in big gulps. Her grip turns to a hug as she leans against my back. “Please. You’re scaring me.”

I take a few deep breaths, feeling more ill then relieved after quenching my thirst. Turning around I look into her eyes and hold her tight. “I’m sorry for scaring you Rebecca. Something…happened. Something I can’t explain.” I look at the clock in the corner of my eye. “Just hold me for now. Please.” She looks at me hesitantly before nodding, reaching over and enveloping me in a much wider hug.

“Thank you for everything.” I whisper quietly as I lean into her. A moment of peace fills me. And then I’m ripped out of her arms. I feel an invisible force slam into me, twisting me into a woven stream of light. One second I’m hugging Rebecca and then the next I’m sent hurtling toward the edge of the planet. Stunned Rebecca can only look at where I once was. She reaches her hand out to where I was standing, only to pass through air. She looks at where Brand was in a daze.

Everything disappears around me as I feel myself enter a twisting tunnel of multi-hued lights. The atmosphere melds away. Space itself melds away. And a muddled state overcomes me as I’m carried to my unknown destination. This continues for a long time in my semi-conscious state before the tunnel starts to fade away. I get a bare glimpse of a gigantic planet, alien in its appearance, before I pierce into its atmosphere. I feel something pull me toward a certain location as I start to slow down, and then I hear it. A crack. Something breaking. And the pull leaves.

I don’t slow down. My body, now completely intermingled in the light that surrounds me, suddenly speeds back up. And the world is a blur as I shoot toward the earth below me at blinding speed. I feel the impact before I even touch the ground. Pain fills my body as a small crater forms around me, creating a shockwave that spreads outward. The light holding me together fades away and I struggle to remain awake. My body feels broken, and yet fine at the same time.

I struggle to keep it together as I force myself to stand up. I try to suppress the pain filling my mind while I look around. A moment passes. I breathe in and out. And then it hits me all at once. I’m really no longer on Earth. It was all real. And I’m going to die.

All around me is a barren, ashen land. I can’t see a single living thing in sight. Not anything living. But as I stare at the dozen skeletal creatures walking toward me with their jarring gait it seems unimportant. Their empty eye sockets stay fixated on my own as they stumble toward me.

I look around wildly but I see them coming in every direction. I must have made quite a scene. I try to move, but my hope of running quickly sinks. My body is barely holding itself together. I can’t walk, let alone run. I can only stare in despair as they walk closer and closer. Then they pass a certain distance and a barrage of emotions assault me.

Pain far beyond what I’m feeling in the moment assaults me. A barrage of twisted emotions roiling inside the skeletons force themselves upon me. All jumbled and mixed together like a poorly patched figurine, all sorts of pain and desperate cries joined together into a single screaming entity. It overwhelms me as I clutch my head and soundlessly scream against the assault on my mind.

The overwhelming emotions build inside me as any thought of protecting myself gets buried under the weight of their suffering. I huddle into myself, desperately trying to ward off the assault on my mind. All the while they draw closer and closer. And then, in a single moment, I can no longer hold on. My mind cracks as it becomes lost in the emotions overwhelming it, and a desperate cry echoes from my heart. In that single moment a lifetime of emotions is drawn together and melds into a maelstrom of power far beyond my means.

A burst of energy explodes from myself and ripples outward, crushing the skeletons descending on me and flinging their remains far away. A huge dust storm fans out wildly as everything in my surroundings cease to exist. In that single moment nothing is left. I collapse amidst the new-found silence, a fractured mind and soul crying out as I drift off into unconsciousness.

Then moments after I collapse, an immense amount of energy from the world gathers together and descends upon me. It scans my body, a long list of words filtering through it as it analyses what happens. A mix of words including ‘unclaimed’ and ‘anomaly’ passes across before it settles on a decision.

The energy left behind by the skeletons, and the residual energy of the attack I reflexively used, converges and is pushed inside of me. It repairs my body and mind and then fills out my damaged soul before expanding and padding it, doubling its size. After confirming my safety a final layer of energy is applied onto my body, integrating myself into the world and identifying me as a native. And then the energy dissipates and returns itself to the world. My sleep is peaceful, undisturbed, and long.