I Have No Idea.

A thirteen-year-old boy rode his bike down a west London street. Not one of the fancy neighborhoods, but welcoming and safe enough. His father had died in an accident several months before. An accountant, he had provided a safe environment for his wife and sons to grow up in, if not an exciting lifestyle.

For the first time since his father’s death in a train derailment, the boy was happy. He’d just asked his first girl out. Unlike his brother, he always found it difficult to talk to girls. Today he got up enough nerve to walk right up to Betty Longenacher and stand next to her until she asked him out. That was not how he remembered it, but at the time it didn’t matter.

On top of the world, he rode through the streets. It was a warm June day, and it seemed things could not get better.

Arriving home, he jumped off his bike as he skidded behind his mother’s car, then he bounded up the steps and through the front door.

“Mum,” he called out as he headed for the kitchen and the fridge. It was snack time, but he was unable to find what he wanted. “Mum, there any milk?” Still, no answer.

Dropping his book bag on the countertop, he searched the lower level of the house, calling, “Mum?” every so often.

Running into the small backyard, he checked the shed and the garden—Father’s favorite hideout, his little place he would go and escape from the stress of his job. Not finding her outside, he ran back into the house and started upstairs.

Still not getting a reply, he became pensive, slowing as he climbed the stairs. His calls quieter in case she was asleep, knowing she cried herself to sleep most nights.

Now even softer, “Mum?” Still, no answer. Cautiously he opened the door to her bedroom. He still smelled his father’s scent in the room. The bed was made, freshly folded clothes were laid out on top of it.

Moving to the bathroom door, he tapped and gave a quiet, “Mum?” After no answer, he cracked the door open and saw his mother lying naked in the tub. “Mum?”

She seemed peaceful, asleep. Eventually, he spotted the broken wine glass on the floor next to her hand.

Trevor woke with a jolt, nearly slipping out of his chair. He hadn’t experienced that special nightmare for years, since before he met Shannon.

It couldn’t be a good sign… He needed to go back to sleep, but he knew it would be pointless. Instead he sat silently so as to not disturb the others.

The next morning Trevor sat in the cafeteria staring into a cup of coffee. Earlier that morning he had returned to his room to find the love of his life, Shannon, locked him out. It would do no good to argue with her when she acted like this. He would need to give her time.

Evan had his own room but hadn’t been to it yet. He lurked the corridors. Trevor didn’t understand why the guilt for not saving Ellie weighed heavy on his soul.

Once down, Cris and Brandon drifted off swiftly. Like most kindergartners, they had no real concept of what happened. They only understood that Ellie went away.

Bill rested in the ward, to suffer such an accident so soon after releasing himself from the hospital and his previous head trauma, the doctors thought it safer to keep him under observation and sedated. Trevor hadn’t been able to bring himself to visit yet.

In the bed next to Bill lay Deputy Allen. The accident the night before had caused severe damage to his face and chest. The blast to the cruiser caused it to stop instantly, Allen didn’t. In that split second, he did an outstanding job of showing Newton’s first law at work. He would need extensive surgery and time before he would be ready for action again.

That left Trevor, Evan, Smith, and Jones among the over two dozen scientists and support personnel. After regaining consciousness, Missus Robinson locked herself in her office. Radar, Missus Robinson’s assistant, became the de facto supervisor of the facility. She’d taken to giving the new arrivals a wide berth. Trevor noticed a fear emanating from the small woman whenever she moved around Smith and Jones.

He studied his black coffee with bloodshot eyes. Unsure what the next step might be, he guessed there must be a way to pull his broken family back together.

Five years ago, Crystal gave Trevor a stickpin, a blue crystal held in an elegant setting. Over the years he discovered that when Crystal used her energy nearby, it would glow blue. It started glowing now. In a daze from lack of sleep and the shock of Ellie’s death, he stared at the glowing stone.

The klaxon sounded and broke Trevor’s investigation of his pin. The only thing he thought of was the last place Crystal popped in, where Ellie’s body now lay, his former holding room.

Because of the poor state of her body, the scientists and technicians decided a less invasive form of autopsy would be more beneficial, scanning her head to toe via MRI scan first. This would leave Ellie in her original state until such time as the determination might be made which portions required a more extensive examination. Ellie’s body had been replaced in the holding room. Spread out on the table, covered by a single sheet and illuminated from above with a single light.

The alarm still blared when Trevor reached the door, only to find the familiar black woman with platinum blonde hair kneeling on the far side of Ellie. Shocked at Crystal’s return, he found himself at a loss for words.

Her head was lowered. If Trevor didn’t know any better, he would swear she prayed over Ellie’s body. He stood at the door, thinking of all the questions he wanted to ask. When he blurted out, “Why?”

He expected her to answer, but the reply boomed from over the loudspeaker, “Mister Swindell, please step away from the door.”

Trevor shook his head no to the unseen speaker. He took two steps closer and asked again, “Why?”

Crystal raised her head, Trevor noticed her bloodshot eyes. He wasn’t sure, but it looked like she had been crying, she still didn’t answer. Trevor was ready to ask a third time, when behind him a voice shouted, “Get down!”

Out of reflex, Trevor dropped to the ground and rolled into a fetal position. At the door stood Mister Smith, a massive ray gun contraption up to his shoulder, ready to fire.

“No, don’t shoot!” Trevor shouted. His concern wasn’t needed. He guessed by the veins that popped out of Smith’s neck, Crystal froze the agent in place.

“Now that’s no way to treat a lady.” Crystal’s voice sounded as sweet as ever in Trevor’s ears. If not for Ellie’s death he would’ve been happy to see her alive. Even as angry as he was at Crystal for causing all his heartache, he still understood that she was the best chance Ellie had to live again.

From the floor, Trevor asked, “You’re here to help Ellie?”

Crystal strolled around the table on a direct path towards the paralyzed Smith and his ray gun. “I’m sorry, Trevor, I can do some things that you might consider magic, but I can’t bring people back from the dead.” When she reached Smith, she plucked the weapon from his hands and released him.

His body jerked when he realized he’d regained control, he pulled his Glock. Jones showed up behind him. “Freeze!” they shouted in unison.

“Do we need to do this again? I can paralyze you both and take your pistols away from you. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to warn and help you.” Crystal turned her hands and raised them in the air. Trevor took it as a mocking gesture.

“Please, don’t shoot. Crystal has never attacked us. Ask questions before shooting.” Trevor, from the floor, outstretched his left hand trying to stop the two federal agents.

“You should listen to Trevor. He is quite intelligent. I’m not your enemy, I did find out who is. In six days he plans to destroy humanity as it is now. I am here to help.”

The two agents hesitated, their guns still pointed at Crystal, center mass.

“Is your sister Misty going to destroy the world?” Trevor turned his attention to look Crystal in the eye.

“No, it was just a misunderstanding between Misty and me. The real danger to us all is a person who calls himself Mister Death.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Could someone please turn off that alarm? It’s becoming quite annoying.” Crystal pointed to the ceiling with her right finger.

Jones holstered her weapon. “In the booth, can you kill the alarm? I think everyone that’s coming is here.”

As she finished her sentence, Evan came skidding around the corner.

“I’m pleased to see you made it through the fight, Evan.” Crystal put her hands down and walked the few steps to the table that held Ellie’s body, resting the ray gun against the table leg.

“Can you save her?” Evan asked.

“I’m sorry, I can’t. Many things I do may look miraculous, but I’m no God, and Misty is no Devil. I’m here to warn you, Misty wasn’t the one attacking you. There is something else on your planet creating havoc.” She rested her hand on Ellie’s leg.

Trevor lowered his head to the tiled floor. “Christ on a bike, can’t we catch a breather?”

“No, I’m sorry. As I said, this new threat calls himself Mister Death. He is out to enslave or murder humanity. He wants to be a god. Misty and I have six days to leave this dimension.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me, can’t you just zap him with your powers?” Smith placed his hands on his hips.

“I’m sorry. I almost didn’t make it here. Listen, it is complicated....