//------------------------------// // Prologue: A Different Start // Story: Familiar Grounds // by Im a B O X //------------------------------// *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* It all started with that repeated ringing, then some shuffling under the blankets, and eventually, an uncontrollable yawn... that’s how I awoke today. I stretched a bit as I awoke from my slumber, looking around and rubbing my eyes as I reached for my glasses by the side of my bed. Like a greased gear, I wore it so many times before, and my blurry vision cleared to reveal a mundane-looking room. Covered with white paint for most of the walls, it didn’t strike as anything special nor inspiring, and there wasn’t much to liven up the atmosphere. Reluctantly, I groaned as I stood up from my position, about to do the usual morning routine I find myself in… --- After finishing a nice hot bath and getting myself dressed, I made something to eat on the fly. Something simple like toasted bread and a hot drink. As I made my way through the small complex I had grown to call home for the last semesters or so, I found myself opening a window by the balcony side of my apartment. The cold gushing breeze that entered, as a result, was unpleasant as it rushed into my room. Giving off a spiky feeling that wasn’t unbearable, but was most unwelcomed.  Pushing past that, I looked outside, seeing the white snow that piled up last night, frowning from my apartment balcony. Slowly, I began to sip the hot cup of cocoa in my hand, on the other, my phone vibrated and rang to life to notify me of a notification. With a much reluctant sigh, I opened it to see the news, which wasn’t anything good from the looks of it. From what I could care to read, the flight schedule and plan of the plane I would board were on display. New York City was by no means a lifeless city… but by god‘s will did it drain the life out of you, with rent and other miscellanies. At least it was winter, and the university break had just arrived. A good opportunity to get away from city life, if it even presented itself. As it would turn out, as I scrolled through the flight schedule on my phone, I saw my flight was canceled for the day. “Well piss,” I mumbled to myself. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for the unfortunate fact. As I scrolled and looked for alternative flights outside the city, my hope slowly dwindled to nonexistent, as it seemed most flights going out of New York were either canceled or grounded until further notice, likely due to the weather. Of course, my salty frown wouldn’t last long as I wasn’t about to let this setback affect the rest of my day. Uncaring for this highly irregular event of air traffic control, I try to make up alternatives. Nothing came, at least for the long term. The best I could think of using my break was going on a road trip through America to arrive in California and maybe take a cruise ship to Hawaii and be back here in NY by January or so. Regardless, I seemed to have time to kill on my hands. My bags are already prepared and ready to go, and my apartment is thoroughly cleaned for my absence. “Fine, I’ll find another pass time.”   As it turned out, in a city full of street corners and public roads so rigid in format, snow wasn’t exactly the city life’s best friend. There were little to no cars that could be seen driving around thanks to the thicker layer of snow on the road, still, an odd fact considering this was NYC, but I didn’t question it. And as I walk through such conditions with a subpar set of winter gear, I could only mumble in regret at my decision to go out. Having not a care for what other pedestrians or the like thought of me. “Fuck’in winter…” but of course, apart from killing some time, I also had to think about the bills and rent. A deep breath in, “It’s ok,” and a deep exhale as I said reluctantly, the tone of reassurance repeating itself as I thought of the money I would save. “Think about the bills that the heater would add up… I can save some several hundred just by keeping it off…” My sad mumbling was, fortunately, or not, suddenly interrupted as the ground violently shook, like an earthquake comparable to that with a magnitude of six on the Richter scale. It made me drop to the ground kneeling, fortunately not face first as I could see that’s what happened with my contemporaries. Panic of course began to arise as quickly as this sudden life-changing event happened. With screams of terror out of nowhere simply being shouted. It was no fun, and I did feel my heart sink when I visibly saw these tall skyscrapers move in the direction of the earthquake. By that’s how I felt, as I realized this was a particularly fucked up scenario, being in NYC and all. As I tried to keep my composure, I thought god was playing with me today, first the flight and now the strongest earthquake I’d likely feel for the rest of my life. “Well, this is just pleasant,” I mumbled once more, looking around amidst the panicked streets of New York City. Suddenly realizing I had somehow stumbled into the middle of Fifth Avenue. Instinctively, as I look around to try and make a run for it, something halted me in my tracks.   The sudden and apparent uneven crackling suddenly cut through the air, silencing the crowd as a rippling sound pierced the crowd. What followed was the formation of a jagged line suddenly appearing out of thin air, and with a ripping effect, tore itself open as if it was… a portal? With disbelief, I reached for my glasses and cleaned them, blinking several times in the process to make sure my eyes were simply playing tricks on me. As I saw what seemed like another world beyond that created… portal, a bit like ours, but full of crystals. It seemed as though I wasn’t the only one who was being delusional in the moments, as I saw several others also rub their eyes in confusion and disbelief.  Of course, with the adrenaline and the mystery factors into account, I was in disbelief when someone from the crowd stood up and walked towards whatever this new hole was. Here I watch in disbelief as everything unfolded as quickly as it did, with this seeming nobody’s advances being met with shouts of opposition concerning his safety. Something I’d never expect to hear here in the streets of NYC. And a slip of the tongue “What the –” but before I could finish my sentence, something new stepped out of it… Something unexpected.