The eggs were delicious and the toast was perfect. The orange juice tasted freshly squeezed. After weeks of eating the pre-packed dehydrated goo that they served at Neo-Geo (or the Ready To Eat meal packs at Ether Operations), my taste buds were dancing. Mom's cooking was always awesome but now it was even better. Before, I could taste the sadness she felt from losing her husband, but with Dad back it was as if the gods themselves had made it. I couldn't stop shoveling it in.

"Looks like someone needed a good home cooked meal,"Mom laughed.

Dad folded and placed the newspaper on the table. I caught a glimpse of the headline: "Escape!" I leaned closer to read it, but Mom sat a plate down blocking my view.

"You best be going, Son," said Dad. "Don't want to be late."

I shoveled in a couple more bites, gave Dad a hug and Mom a kiss good-bye. I grabbed my jacket and flung open the door, nearly crashing into Glen. He stood with his hand raised ready to knock. He let out a gasp and jerked in surprise.

He looked like he always does but now he had close chopped hair; he was almost bald. He also had what looked like a nasty burn on his arm. Come to think of it, I've never seen him sleeveless.

"Nice timing," he grinned.

A horn honked. "Come on you two!" shouted a familiar voice.

"Sandy," I said breathlessly. She leaned half out of the car making her red hair dance in the breeze. A slight cinnamon smell tickled my nose. Normally her hair was a little shorter, but other than that, she looked as amazing as ever. Hmm, too amazing in fact. One might say "fake." Something was wrong. But what was it?

Dad shouldn't be here. He's missing. How'd he get here? Why does Glen have no hair? Why does Sandy look too good? A buzzing hit the back of my skull. It felt like a force five migraine. "Questioning things hurt," I heard a voice in my head say. It sounded like me, but I didn't think it. "Just go along with it."

"I'm not going to be late our first day because of you two slowpokes! Seriously, you're worse than two girls getting ready for a date!"

Glen hopped in the back and I took the front. Sandy gave me a quick kiss on the check then reminded us to buckle up. She peeled out of there like a rabbit being chased by a T-Rex.

***

Man, everything seemed so clean and bright. It was like someone messed with the color setting for the world. Everything was brighter and clearer than even when I project into the Astral Plane. The air smelled free of pollution; it smelled sweet, like after a rainstorm. Everyone smiled and chatted. They all seemed genuinely glad to see each other. No one seemed to be in a rush. The baker greeted and chatted with the butcher. The customers lounged liked they had all day. Sandy put on some tunes.

"And next," the DJ's voice crackled over the radio, "we have 'Run for Your Life, AJ' by Glen and the Onyxes."

Sandy flipped off the radio. "So, Ace is obviously taking Hero Classes. What about you, Glen?"

"Probably Earth Histories."

That feeling of something wrong hit me again. It was like a tingling sensation in the back of my head. "You guys are going to be attending International League of Super-Transbeings University also?" Glen gave Sandy and me a friend-hug and said that we were a team. "But...how? I thought it was for transbeings."

Sandy let go of the wheel to brush back some hair. The car didn't deviate from the path even though she'd let go with both hands and kept them off the whole time she said, "True, but Glen is...well, you know; and I'm...uh..."

Glen leaned between the seats. "Her dad's the headmaster."

I asked when this happened. Sandy gave me a worried look. "Since, like, always. You feeling OK?"

I rubbed at the buzzing in my brain. "Just a weird day. My dad's back, with no explanation. You guys look different. This whole transbeing school thing. Things just don't make sense. How did I get home? Why aren't we at Neo-Geo? When did Glen shave his head?"

Sandy took hold of my face. How is she still driving? I thought. "Shush-shush-shush," she said in a soothing voice. "Everything is all right."

"Everything is all right," I said.

"You are just stressed about today."

"I'm just stressed about..." NO.No Jedi mind tricks. This is wrong.

"Questions hurt. You don't want to feel pain. Just forget about it. Forget it all..."

"Forget..." I said.

***

"Ace!" said Glen.

"Huh?" I jumped out of my seat, ready for action. I felt like a cat that'd just woken up at a dog show. Everyone laughed at my display of jumping and twirling.

"They called your name." Glen pointed towards the stage. It was blurry and shrouded in mist. Glen wore a cap and gown of primary colors. He seemed...tilted. He sat straight up but seemed to be at an angle at the same time. "Go on up." His voice was slow and distorted. Others around us were dressed in similar fashion. They also looked tilted. They sat at impossible angles, even in countering angles. A sea of faceless shadows stretched around us.

Dr. Emil Richter cleared his throat. His voice was also distant and distorted. It sounded like it was coming from another planet. "Congratulations Ace Journeyman, you've graduated from ILOST U. " Richter beckoned me slowly.

We were graduating? When did this happen? We were on our way to our first day?

I approached the podium. The walk felt like a trip through a fun house. The ground seemed uneven and the walls spun. I noticed that the place was dark but lit. Glen gave me a thumbs up. Sandy winked and blew me a kiss. Dr. Richter handed me the diploma. It read: Congratulations Ace Journeyman. GET OUT NOW!

I gasped and dropped the diploma; it didn't make a sound when it hit the ground. Dr. Richter floated before me. His face big and wide. "Is everything OK?" I felt like twenty spotlights focused on me. I dabbed at my brow and gulped. My mouth felt dry. I nodded. Richter held out his hand, ready to shake. I took hold of it and he pulled me in close. "You're in danger,"he whispered.

A painful flash hit me. Mud appeared all around me. It was hard to breath for a moment and I climbed through the sloppy, slick mud to a standing position. All around me was mud and rain. It was night. My hands felt heavy and wet. I had blood on them! It wasn't mine.

"Oh, Ace," said Dad stepping out of the shadows. He wore a red and black business suit. He looked at me as if I'd just lied to him about finishing my homework. "What have you done?" He lowered his head to motion at the ground.

In the mud was Glen's body.

"TRAITOR!!" I heard my voice scream.

"I could have given you paradise," Dad said. "But you threw it away with your...questions." His eyes turned red and fangs grew in his mouth. His voice turned six degrees of evil. "Now prepare for PURGATORY!!"

Everything went black and then white. Everything stayed white. And padded. I tried to move but couldn't. A straightjacket held me. I fought and struggled against it, but nothing worked. I felt something in the air, like static. I slowly turned (somehow the jacket allowed that). Glen appeared like a program glitch. His skin was pale; his hair bloody and matted; his eyes were hallow; and a knife stuck out of his chest. Blood stained his shirt. "Why'd you kill me Ace?" he said.

The sound of nails on a chalkboard made me turn. A monstrous version of Sandy stood by the door. Her hair long and stringy. Her nails sharp. She had a fang overbite that made her look like a troll. Her skin was a pale green. She moved as if she had extra joints. She pointed a long finger at me. "How could you betray your own kind? Hunt them down? Torture them?"

The two moved in closer. I screamed. The lights flickered.

To be continued...

For more adventures with Ace, check...

Kkkrrkt!

"Are you ready to play nice now?" Dad whispered. I gasped as if I'd been drowning. A cold darkness surrounded me.  "Are you ready to forget?" he whispered.

"Mr. Journeyman!" a stern older woman shrieked. "Just because your father founded the ILOST University, doesn't mean you can sleep in my class!"

My eyes darted around the room like a fish that'd just found itself on dry land.

"Ace," said someone. Panic blurred the voice. I turned towards it. Glen! "Dude, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Not far off,"I choked. My mouth still felt dry from the panic. But panic from what? Some kind of bad dream? Everything felt fuzzy.

"Pay attention!" said the instructor, slapping a ruler on the desk.

"Sorry Captain Science," said Glen. She turned back to the board. Glen coughed and slid a note across my desk. I opened it.

"Don't be afraid. We'll get you out. Friends stick together."

Kkkrrkktt!

Until the next wormhole...
End of Transmission.