Escape from a Thousand Worlds

The e-mail only gave a date, time, and location. But the moment I read it, I knew what it for what it was: not just an invitation but a challenge. I grabbed my gear from the locked steamer trunk in the basement, and loaded it in the car. In the dark before dawn, I left.

I drove for 10 hours, spent the night at a Holiday Inn, then left at 7am. I was at the designated spot by 11am. I spent an hour investigating through binoculars before I was sure we were alone. At noon I made myself known to my challenger.

She responded with a similar hail & we left the far edges of Barringer Crater to meet in the middle. It was a long walk. The sun hammered me. Sweat trickled past my ears & made my shirt collar stick to my throat. "This is for all the tea in China," I reminded myself. "Literally."

I paused.. What was I looking at? I'm staring intently at a table. Why was I at Barringer Crater a moment ago? I look through the window at the pub sign: "The Leghsan Arms". I'm in England, hallucinating. This isn't going well. I had a sudden craving for a large bowl of peas and

creamed chicken on toast. Just as I place my order, the scene shifts again and I’m staring at the distinctive royal castle on Hawking, fifth moon circling Planet X. This time it doesn’t feel like a hallucination, though. I walk through the orange sands towards the castle door.

I quickly consume my decadent sandwich in case it’s my last sustenance for a while. I look to my left and right. Fitting that I’m alone for this challenge. I close my eyes and—out of nowhere—feel the energy and impulse to sprint. In the distance, a guard shouts, “there she is!”