Lance invited Paul to his apartment later that week. There was a lot to do. He opened the door to his apartment and surveyed his open living room. The area rug had to go. He didn’t want to ruin it, after tonight… He wasn’t sure just how it was going to turn out.

The witch doctor had given him an incantation to use, which Lance felt extremely skeptical about. It would suck if he had to go through with the whole ritual and it didn’t work.

He walked into the room and after setting a brown paper bag on the floor, he pulled the furniture and the rug away, to clear the center of the room. Then he reached into the brown paper bag and pulled out a piece of white chalk.

It felt dry in his hand, and a shiver ran up his wrist as he stooped to draw a large, white circle on the floor.

(more…)

Lance knew what he wanted; he had been quiet for too long and he didn’t want to go down without a fight. His original plan was to step up during the wedding itself, during the part when the minister asked if anyone had any objections and be all romantic, but as time went on, he knew he couldn’t do that to Paul. He like Paul; Paul was a likable guy.

Paul did anything he could to put a smile on another’s face; Paul helped other co-workers meet their quota, after he had met his own. He worked hard and did a great job, but he couldn’t be perfect, there had to be a real reason for Lance to take what he wanted.

Why do you ned a razon? Men ha keeled fo less. Eef she is yo heart’s desire, you should do wat neds to be done… The words of the Witch Doctor turned in Lance’s head like a globe. He told him everything he needed to do get Talia’s heart, but he hesitated. It had been three years of comraderie with Paul Branson and Talia Roberts, hanging out on weekends and going on trips, could he do what he needed to do?

Lance sat at his desk, in his cubicle staring at the computer screen. He was suppose to be making sales calls to their list of “interested” clients, but most of them forgot they signed up for the service in the first place. Lance leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. The white tiles seemed to go on forever from inside his cubicle…

(more…)

Thump! Lance awoke from his daydream and spun around to look out his back window. Nothing was there, but he was sure he felt something…

His hand instinctively put the car in drive and he returned to the parking space, opened his door and stepped out to investigate. As he walked behind the vehicle, all he saw was the pavement. There was nothing there. Not a bump, not a hole, he had hit nothing, but he was almost sure that something had wrenched him from the space between realities.

Lance sighed with relief and his heart slowed down. He almost thought he had hit someone while he was thinking about Talia.

He stepped back inside his car and put his seatbelt on, but when he checked his rearview mirror he saw someone sitting in his back seat. Lance jumped as far as his seatbelt would let him.

(more…)