“One saved my aunt last year,” a camper pipped in from the back.
“I got help from one too,” a woman admitted to the far left.
Assault Rifle growled. “Doesn’t matter, they shouldn’t be here.”
I wanted to open a gateway into the Dream War and chuck him inside, but I had to tamp down my anger. “Well, they are. As my guests, so don’t you dare fucking point that gun at them.”
Okay, my anger was not tamped down.
“Or what?” The man’s face settled into a grim line.
Oh hell no. I didn’t have time for this.
“Or I’m not going to tell you a secret I just found out. A huge secret that changes everything, a secret that can end the Dream Wars.”
Okay, I was baiting him like a child, but it was all I had and the human instinct to know secrets was so big. I was hoping it overpowered his need to shoot things.
We stood there, face to face in a standoff for a good minute before he lowered his weapon.
“What secret?” he growled.
He must have seen the video. He knew I could do crazy shit. I stepped closer to him.
“The females and the sentries, they both turned to ash when I chucked them through the portal and into Earth. They can’t survive in our atmosphere.”
The gathering of people gasped and then grinned, some even breaking into laughter. But the assault rifle guy looked to be in total shock.
He grunted. “You’re sure?”
I nodded. “Did it twice. This is it. This is how we end them.”
It was a game changer.
“How can we help you?” he finally said, and the others shouted out in agreement. I hadn’t meant to start a little revolution, but I would need allies, especially when the government showed up… which they would.
“Keep an eye on social media. If the government won’t work with me, I’ll need civilian help.”
They nodded, and just as I thought it, a half dozen Apache helicopters appeared over the horizon.
Game on.
I was in pain, and to be honest a little bit scared. But today was the day we changed things. I just needed to play my cards right.
Six
Afemale military officer with her blond hair tied into a tight bun held firmly to her weapon. “And you expect us to just believe you? That you can make ‘portals’ into their world.” She used air quotes for good measure. “And that youthrewone of the ghouls into our atmosphere and it—”
“Turned to ash,” I said for the fifth time.
I was in a tent that the military had erected beside the lake. Trillium Lake in Oregon, where we were currently housing the last of the Galadria race. They’d wanted to just start blowing shit up first and ask questions later, but my declaration had stopped them. They’d seen the video too, although they claimed it could have been CGI.
“I don’t expect you to believe me. I can show you if you like. It was acid raining there a moment ago and still could be, so we would need proper suits.”
Her eyes flew wide. “Just like that, you’ll open a ‘portal’ and take my team in?”
I nodded, trying not to laugh at the fact that she was still using air quotes. “We can find some grunts. I haven’t tried throwing them through yet, but I assume they will burn up too. This is how we’re going to end the Dream Wars.”
I saw the very moment I gave her hope. Her eyebrows drew together and she swallowed hard.
