In an Instant

**Flashback**

"You're such a loser!" Tracey Wilkes tells me in gym class as I trip over my own two feet running again, colliding into the wall and falling flat on my bottom.

I frown and get to my feet, wanting to stick up for myself; but I keep quiet as the torture will only escalate if I do or say anything. I start walking to the change room and she grabs me by the shirt and pulls me back.

"Where are you going? Wimp! Running away again like a loser?" I hear a bunch of the girls snicker as I walk into the changing room and lock myself in one of the stalls. For the first few months of 7th grade, I was popular and had many friends. But the past few weeks the bullying had begun, the girls had found my diary and it had pages and pages of me talking about the boy I liked, they showed it to him and that's when everything took off.

Things at home weren't good either, my mom was drinking nonstop as her sister and my aunt had passed away a few months prior. She was always so angry, and taking it out on my brother and I. So with home not being a good place to go either, I felt like I was trapped in a living hell.

I felt tears drip from my eyes as I sit there, still hearing the laughter from the girls from the gym; I didn't want to get up and face them. I glanced at my watch and seen that there was only 5 more minutes for the class to finish so I got dressed quickly and ran out into the hallway before they noticed me.

I was at my locker when I felt people from behind me staring at me, I was afraid to turn around as I heard the whispers getting louder.

"YOUR SHIRT IS INSIDE OUT STUPID!" I heard two girls call out from down the hallway, I look down and sure enough the shirt I was wearing was inside out. I was mortified. I ran away as fast as I could and outside into the fresh air, I just wanted to get away from that place for awhile; even if it meant getting detention for skipping class.

**Present Day**

That memory clouded my mind as it came back to me, I was bullied for nearly an entire year; until I graduated middle school and moved on to a different High School far away from the bullies as I could get. The scars from the bullying still haunted me, and I still beat myself up over it blaming myself for leaving my diary in the classroom that day. My thoughts are interrupted as I am brought back to reality, and look over to the center of the room.

"So tell us, how did you get here? Did you overdose, or did you open up another portal?" Travis asks the man we had tied up in the cellar, I watch on the sidelines as him and death torture and interrogate him for answers.

"I ain't telling you shit." He mutters, an angry tone in his voice. He attempts to get free of the rope he was tied in, but ultimately fails as the rope is tight. He is covered in blood and bruises, but still refuses not to talk.

Travis takes out the device he was holding in his hand zaps the man, sending a rough jolt of electricity through his body.

"I can turn this up higher you know, if you continue to choose not to talk." Travis says snickering as he watches the man whither in pain from the shock. "Just tell us how you got here!"

"Nope!" He laughs an evil laugh, and just snickers as Travis hits him again with the device.

"Alright, play it that way." Travis says backing away from the man, and turning up the jolt to the highest it can be. "If you die here in the brink, you die in reality. Is whatever secret you're holding truly worth all of that?"

The man considers that for a moment but still refuses to say anything. "It isn't worth the hell I'll pay if I tell you."

Death steps out to where the man is sitting and pulls out a sharp knife, he dips it inside a fire and holds it about an inch from the mans skin.

"How did you get here?" Death demands, getting ready to strike the man with the hot scalding knife he held.

"Why ask him, when you could be asking us?" My body aches as I feel my fathers presence entering the room. "He truly knows nothing, he's just a follower."

"I see you closed the portal, smart move." He says as they run into the room, holding out a gun to both Travis and I. "But not smart enough."

"Did you have some sort of help maybe?" Death asks stepping in front of us, prepared to block us from any blow thrown our way. "How many men work for you?"

"Too many for you to handle!" My fathers friend says to him, and I fearfully step beside Travis for support.

'Are you okay?' He thinks to himself as to not draw attention to ourselves, I look at him and shake my head no as I am feeling scared that either of the men will strike us at any given moment. 'he must have made a portal, seeing as he didn't react to our mind reading.'

"Is there another portal or not!" Travis demands to know as he steps up close to my father, placing the sharp knife right at his face.

"You are quite the brave one my boy!" He says, pushing him to the floor.

"Leave him alone!" I say, feeling a sense of bravery filling up myself.

My father just laughs and points the gun at Travis and shoots him in the leg, he yells out in pain and the color drains from his face.

"Travis!" I yell out and rush to his side, taking a piece of my shirt off and wrapping it tightly around his leg to try and stop the bleeding.

Travis gets to his feet, wincing from the pain and tries to not put pressure on his leg. "You think a shot to the leg will stop me, you are so wrong!"

"Alright Mr. Tough guy, pain to yourself may not slow you down but what about this?" My father than runs at me, a syringe in his hand and stabs it into my neck. I feel a cold liquid shooting into my neck and drop to the floor, everything begins to feel cold and in slow motion. I try my best to fight whatever drug was given to me, and I feel really heavy and slow.

I lay motionless on the ground for a moment, before I am starting to see strange colors and shapes dance before my eyes. I reach out to grab them but they aren't real and I am only staring into my own hand.

I try to get up, feeling like a thousand weights hanging on my feet. I look around the room and see two of everything staring back at me.

"What did you do to me?" I ask, leaning against Travis for support.

"Formidatyl." My father says to me, laughing as he watches the drug take over me. "It takes over fast, first you're dizzy and then you start to hallucinate. It's pretty fun in low dosages, but the newer and more larger doses.. well you're in for it!"

I lunge at him, but miss him entirely and fall to the floor. "Is this your sick plan? To drug me, make me go crazy so I can't practice contacting the other side and spill your stupid little secret."

"That is only part of the plan!" His friend laughs, and I see another dark shape entering the room; all I see at first is a shadow and it never comes into focus.

"Do you want to know how we created the portal?" My father says, watching me struggle to move as I lay on the floor.

"Hello my long lost brother." The mysterious shadow says.