Two Worlds

"Over 700 rooms in this palace, right?" I asked Robby as we were walking around the corridors of the Buckingham palace. He nodded his head, "About 775 rooms were built in this palace."

I was still admiring the palace as Robby gave me plenty of walks around all of the corridors. He randomly placed his hands on my lower back and I slightly jumped. He chuckled and started, "How are you feeling? Are you able to breathe?"

I sighed, "Well... You get used to it. Like I said, next time... I am bringing a fat free shirt with me so I don't have to crack my ribcages again."

He looked down and continued, "You've been here for long."

"I knowwwww... Before I left... I had my brother carry me to the door because I could barely walk. So I'm sure my brother and my friend saw me... I have a lot of explaining to do."

"Why did he have to carry you?" Robby asked. I replied, "Oh. I was already having a headache from the drinking... And plus another headache from the sharp sound in my head."

He then stood against the wall and put his hands in his pockets. "So... You said the doorway calls for you right? And you see a shining light?"

I nodded my head and he smirked, "So it's every time I write... It's a calling for you to come here. I want to know... What if you don't come? What happens if it continues calling and you don't go through the doorways?"

"The sound that calls for me gets louder and louder... And it just hurts my head so much."

"That explains the ache in your head..." He stated. I nodded my head, then he grabbed my hand. He looked at me and started, "I apologize if my calling made your head hurt. I just never know when the right time is."

I looked at him and smiled, "It's okay. But you are right about the right time... I wish there was someway to communicate through these doorways. I just... have to be nearby home all the time."

He smiled and then let go of my hand. He then felt my forehead, "Imagine the antibiotic made your head feel better?"

"Hmm... Much better."

We continued walking and sat on the nearby couch. The corridors were absolutely empty so no one saw that were ... "In contact."

After a few minutes of being silent, he started, "You're close with your brother?"
"Yepp." I nodded. "I have two. One younger and one older. They're like my best friends... Couldn't live without them."

He smiled then I looked around to see if the coast was clear. I asked, "So... Duke Richard is your brother?"

"Unfortunately yes. We have the same father but a different mother."

"Unfortunately? You guys don't get along?"

He shook his head, "Why do you think we have bedrooms on an entirely different floor and on a different side? I could not be able to stand next to that man."

"Why?"

He shook his head again, "My brother and I are different. He's more like Father and Uncle when I am more like Mother. It's hard to get along. I hardly get along with Father. Also, Richard is a bit selfish... Always gets what he wants."

He then turned his head around a few times then continued, "So you have a friend with the face of Richard in your time?"

I nodded quickly, "Yeah... His name's Riley. And I'm trying to think how these are going to connect. When he saw my diary... He asked me where did I get this book? Like... He knew what it was or something."

"I imagine you must find out what role he plays in your world."

"I imagine I have to figure out a bunch of things. Number one... Why is the ghost taking me to you through your diary? Number two... Who is Elizabeth? Number three... What does Riley know about your diary? Something has to connect."

"What about Elizabeth?" He began to whisper. I stopped walking again and then looked around. "She's the gh..."

There it was again.

It came.

The sharp sound.

I looked around and the it was the sound of the doorway opening for me. He looked at me and asked, "Are you alright?"

I smiled and looked up, "I gotta go. It's calling for me."

I saw him completely frown and he sighed, "I wish... you wouldn't have to go... Wish you could stay here longer."

"How long do you want me to stay?"

"As long..."

Then we heard footsteps and pulled away from being close to each other. Then I saw Elizabeth coming up and she slightly bent down. "Duke Robert. The King calls for you."

I smiled at him and nodded, "I gotta go. You go meet with him."

I walked passed Elizabeth and then waved at her, "I'll see you..."

She bowed at me then I found the stairs to go downstairs. I went passed the dining room then towards the palace's library.

When I was in the library, I looked down and sighed, "How am I going to explain this hideous outfit?"

The sharp sound became louder and louder, and I saw the bright light coming. I grabbed my backpack lifted it over my shoulders and then went in front of the doorway. Before I placed my hands on it, I felt someone grabbing me backward by the wrist. I looked up and it was Robby. I gave him a confused look and he looked down...

When he looked back up, he smiled and began, "You can't leave without doing that ridiculous thing of yours."

He looked down at my hand and I held it out. "You mean hi-five?"

He raised his eyes at me then I held out my hand in front of him. He gave me a hi-five and he sighed, "I'll see you."

"See you when you write." I joked.

"I'll do it soon. Would like to see you again."

I started getting butterflies and I tried to control my smiling. I waved at him and he waved back. I went in front of the doorway and then looked at him once more.

Did I really have to leave?

He was... too handsome.

I placed my hands on the door and flipped back to the other side within two seconds.

I was back in my basement.

Still with this hideous old century clothing on.

I sighed to myself, "This outfit... Needs to get burned."

I looked up and saw Scott sitting there with his eyes... completely in shock. He stood up and came up to me slowly. I gulped once before looking away.

"Spencer. Where... did you go?" He asked me slowly.

I looked back at the doorway then back at him again and sighed loudly. He grabbed my shoulders and repeated, "Where did you go?"

"What I said to Dad that day... I wasn't lying."

He took one hand off and held his right arm on my left shoulder. He let out a breath, "How... Why... What... How?"

"I will explain... Just let me get out of this hideous dress first. Okay?"

I noticed there was a door nearby in the corner of this basement so I went to go open it. It seemed like it was a storage room but there was no light. I coughed when dust came through my face.

I took out the flash from my phone to get a light so I could change into my regular clothing... Then I noticed a handkerchief in the corner on the floor.

I went to go pick it up and observed it. It was a solid, blue handkerchief and had a signature on the corner, reading, "Amelia"

I sighed to myself, "Amelia?"

Who was that?

Then I looked at the other corner and saw a bunch of red... liquid on the wall.

This room actually gave me the creeps.

Because I felt very... strange in it.

Like someone was in here with me.

I quickly got out of the storage room and shut the door, shivering. I saw Scott standing there and I started, "Usually I don't get scared. But that room, scares the crap out of me."

I held the handkerchief close to my hands and looked at Scott. He continued looking at me, "Alright. You're done... Explain now."

-->

After an hour of explaining the entire story to Scott... He stood there frozen at the kitchen table.

"Holy crap."

I sighed, "I know right... I didn't wanna believe it either, but... It's true. As you can see the hideous outfit in which I need to get out of soon before oxygen leaves my body."

I went to the bathroom downstairs to get changed and this corset thing was not making it easy for me. I had to untie it several times until it was loose enough to take off.

Scott started from outside, "So... We have ghosts in our house?"

"I'd rather call then spirits... There are more than one. I've seen two faces... but I don't know if there are any more."

"Did you figure out what they want?"

"I haven't connected anything yet. But I've got some information. Researching online doesn't help me either."

I finally was in my jeans and t-shirt again and I smiled.

"Good to be back." I said sarcastically.

Scott sat down on the couch and continued, "King Edward the seventh. I'm gonna have to do research on that when I go back to school tomorrow morning."

I went to take a drink of water and kept the dress in my backpack. I took out the diary and went to hand it over to Scott. "See... It was an empty book when I first saw it. And every time, Duke Robert writes an entry in his time, it shows up in this time."

He opened it and the picture of Robby fell out of the diary. He picked it up and studied it. "So this is Duke Robert?"

I nodded and he continued, "Handsome dude."

"I know right. You need to see the real him... Even better than the picture."

Scott sighed at me, "Spence. I understand you're going to this exact time period... But why exactly are you so obsessed with this Duke Robert dude?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Well... When I go back, the only guy that I meet... is him. I wanna guess if Elizabeth needs help with something, it obviously has to do with Duke Robert. Why else would his diary and his picture be at our house?"

I started thinking...

Was it a love problem?

"Did she need help with her love life?"

He sighed, "I highly doubt it. I'm sure just a heartbreak would not cause her to walk around our house with her friends."

I sighed now. This was so confusing.

"But Riley." Scott started. I jumped, "What about Riley?"

"If he's Duke Robert's brother in the past... Then who is he now?"

"That's what I wanna figure out too."

"He did seem odd when Amanda..."

"When what?" I interrupted. Scott continued, "Amanda wanted to take you to whatever Burial Ground... That Duke Robert was at. But Riley legit yelled at us and said we couldn't go, and he didn't want you to be any more crazy about Duke Robert than you already are."

I pointed out, "Is reincarnation possible? Could Duke Richard from that century be born as Riley into this century?"

"It's much of a possibility. I mean, why else would they have the same face." Scott replied. I crossed my arms as I leaned back, "Would he know he used to be Duke Richard in the past life?"

"I learned about this before. People who are reincarnated can't usually recall what they were in their past lives. But Riley... It seems like an evil ghost comes into him when Duke Robert is the subject. Otherwise, he's a normal human being living in this century."

An evil ghost?

"You said the Duke Robert guy was a nice dude, right?" Scott asked. I nodded my head, "So far he's pretty good. His servants say he's a reallllyyyyyyy nice guy and cares for them a lot."

"Well... Maybe that Elizabeth girl... Maybe the Duke knows something about what she needs help with. That's possibly why she took you to him... So he could help too."

"Maybe... I get more and more information each time I go. I stay longer and longer each time I go. But apparently, time doesn't stop here."

"So do you know when your Duke Robert is gonna write?"

I shrugged, "Robby said soon."

"Robby... You call him Robby."

I slightly smiled, "I used to call him Duke. But, he said he likes me calling him Robby."

Scott squinted his eyes, "I know that face." He pointed at me and continued, "You're crushing on him."

"I am not."

"Spence. You are."

I stayed quiet and looked away. Scott sighed, "Spence. I know you more than anyone else. You're blushing just talking about him. I know he's handsome... but..."

I looked back... "Scott. The dude lives in the 20th century... I live in the 21st century. In this century, he's not even alive... How can I think anything?"

Lie.

I thought something.

But I don't know what.

It was a strange feeling I'd never had before.

"I know you have to help the spirits in our house... but you gotta know your limits. You said so yourself, when the diary ends... That's the ending of you ever seeing Duke Robert again. You gotta remember that."

I frowned.

I really didn't want it to end.

Ever.

I sighed, "I know it has to end someday. But I'm not looking forward to it."

He grabbed my shoulders, "You... find the most information you can and help the ghosts in our house. Find out what they need. Find out who everyone is... You have to do it."

I nodded and saluted at him.

He then continued, "And you have to promise... Duke Robert... You can not have any feelings for him. Remember, this is going to end someday."

I shook his hands off... "I know! I'll... figure it out."

"Spence."

"Scott... Enough. I'm tired. That hideous outfit had my breath on hostage for like three hours."

He grinned, "So I'm guessing you can't text back over there, huh?"

I hit his arm and pouted my mouth.

Can he ever be serious?

Then I thought back to Duke Robert.

Did the meeting between us really have to end someday?

I really don't want that to happen.