rows and rows of shoes.
“Wow,” I say insufficiently. I’m at a total loss for words.
“Go ahead and help yourself. There’s basically every size here, so I’m sure you’ll find something,” Mel says. “This side is for sheilas. That should help ya out.”
“Thanks, guys, but, um … how does this work? Do I need to pay?”
Mel and Crank both laugh at me.
Crank shakes his head. “Oh, hermana, you’ve got a lot to learn.”
I delve through all the clothes on the racks and tables until I find some things that look comfortable. I grab some extra stuff too in case not everything fits. I find a pair of shoes that fit and the three of us head back to the room I woke up in.
“This place is so nice. It’s huge! How many rooms are in here?” I ask them.
“There are twelve bedrooms here and about five comfortable lounging areas,” Mel says.
“And this is only the ‘way-station’?” I’m amazed at the size of everything. I can’t even imagine how they pay for everything inside it, let alone get it all here.
“Yeah, the Realmwalkers who made the Calms wanted to make sure it was big enough to comfortably house all of us in case of an emergency,” Crank informs me.
“You’ll learn all about it soon.” Mel smiles encouragingly. “Essentially, your whole first week is spent learning the basic history of Chaos, as far as we know it. That includes learning how the Calms were made and how we keep them stocked and updated with the latest technology. It’s pretty interesting stuff. Well, we’ll leave you be so you can get cleaned up. The lav is in there.” She points to a door at the back of the room.
They close the door on their way out. I assume that when Mel says “lav” she means the bathroom. Sure enough, behind the door she pointed to is a fully functioning bathroom. I find all the necessary toiletries in drawers and cupboards. After showering, I dress myself and examine the finished product in a full-length mirror by the bed.
I chose a comfortably snug black cotton T-shirt and some olive green cargo pants with a matching woven fabric belt. I decide I’ve fallen in love with the pair of shoes I chose—black boots with thick soles, not the gross clunky kind that are easy to trip over. These manage to look military and feminine at the same time. I pull my hair back into a high ponytail using a hair band I found in a bathroom drawer.
I toss my old, bloody clothes into a wastebasket by the dresser and make the bed before heading out to look for Crank and Mel. I find them in the living room I remember from last night. As I join them, I catch the tail end of a conversation Mel is having on her ear device.
“Sounds like perfect conditions. What’s your ETA?”
Sam’s voice is a little muffled, but I can make out what he says, “Twenty minutes.”
“All right, Boss. We’ll be ready. Mel out.”
I start to get nervous again as I think about actually having to go out into Chaos. I sit next to Crank on one of the sofas. “Can you tell me what to expect? What’s it like out there?”
“Boss was just telling Mel there’s little to no activity right now. Looks like Fate is smiling down on us today. The trip to Major Calm should be pretty uneventful,” Crank explains.
“So there aren’t many Shades out?” I ask for clarification.
“That’s right. Which is lucky. We normally come across at least a dozen Lesser Shades mulling about between Major Calm and here.”
“Holy crap! A dozen of those things?” I blurt out. “The one I saw last night was enough to last me quite a while, thank you very much.”
Mel waves her hand back and forth. “Things aren’t normally that way. You see, Lesser Shades are a lot like cattle—big stupid cows that roam around searching for a tear to pass through. It’s pretty rare to come across one like we did the other night. If you’re out in the open and alone, the way you were last night, and a Lesser Shade is close by, they’ll seize the
“Wow,” I say insufficiently. I’m at a total loss for words.
“Go ahead and help yourself. There’s basically every size here, so I’m sure you’ll find something,” Mel says. “This side is for sheilas. That should help ya out.”
“Thanks, guys, but, um … how does this work? Do I need to pay?”
Mel and Crank both laugh at me.
Crank shakes his head. “Oh, hermana, you’ve got a lot to learn.”
I delve through all the clothes on the racks and tables until I find some things that look comfortable. I grab some extra stuff too in case not everything fits. I find a pair of shoes that fit and the three of us head back to the room I woke up in.
“This place is so nice. It’s huge! How many rooms are in here?” I ask them.
“There are twelve bedrooms here and about five comfortable lounging areas,” Mel says.
“And this is only the ‘way-station’?” I’m amazed at the size of everything. I can’t even imagine how they pay for everything inside it, let alone get it all here.
“Yeah, the Realmwalkers who made the Calms wanted to make sure it was big enough to comfortably house all of us in case of an emergency,” Crank informs me.
“You’ll learn all about it soon.” Mel smiles encouragingly. “Essentially, your whole first week is spent learning the basic history of Chaos, as far as we know it. That includes learning how the Calms were made and how we keep them stocked and updated with the latest technology. It’s pretty interesting stuff. Well, we’ll leave you be so you can get cleaned up. The lav is in there.” She points to a door at the back of the room.
They close the door on their way out. I assume that when Mel says “lav” she means the bathroom. Sure enough, behind the door she pointed to is a fully functioning bathroom. I find all the necessary toiletries in drawers and cupboards. After showering, I dress myself and examine the finished product in a full-length mirror by the bed.
I chose a comfortably snug black cotton T-shirt and some olive green cargo pants with a matching woven fabric belt. I decide I’ve fallen in love with the pair of shoes I chose—black boots with thick soles, not the gross clunky kind that are easy to trip over. These manage to look military and feminine at the same time. I pull my hair back into a high ponytail using a hair band I found in a bathroom drawer.
I toss my old, bloody clothes into a wastebasket by the dresser and make the bed before heading out to look for Crank and Mel. I find them in the living room I remember from last night. As I join them, I catch the tail end of a conversation Mel is having on her ear device.
“Sounds like perfect conditions. What’s your ETA?”
Sam’s voice is a little muffled, but I can make out what he says, “Twenty minutes.”
“All right, Boss. We’ll be ready. Mel out.”
I start to get nervous again as I think about actually having to go out into Chaos. I sit next to Crank on one of the sofas. “Can you tell me what to expect? What’s it like out there?”
“Boss was just telling Mel there’s little to no activity right now. Looks like Fate is smiling down on us today. The trip to Major Calm should be pretty uneventful,” Crank explains.
“So there aren’t many Shades out?” I ask for clarification.
“That’s right. Which is lucky. We normally come across at least a dozen Lesser Shades mulling about between Major Calm and here.”
“Holy crap! A dozen of those things?” I blurt out. “The one I saw last night was enough to last me quite a while, thank you very much.”
Mel waves her hand back and forth. “Things aren’t normally that way. You see, Lesser Shades are a lot like cattle—big stupid cows that roam around searching for a tear to pass through. It’s pretty rare to come across one like we did the other night. If you’re out in the open and alone, the way you were last night, and a Lesser Shade is close by, they’ll seize the
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