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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

The Portal - 1. The Portal

The Portal

by Albert Nothlit

 

 

 

Brett Riley leans on the railing of the bridge overlooking the freezing river. It is early January, and when Brett leans forward he sees pieces of ice floating in the current.

He climbs onto the railing. Behind him cars speed past, their headlights illuminating Brett's crouched shape before disappearing down the freeway. A few drivers catch a glimpse of a young man perched precariously on the edge of the bridge, wearing a rumpled suit that is soaked from the morning's icy drizzle. None of them stop. Brett ignores them as well. His eyes are fixed on the swift waters of the river below, his thoughts darker than the overcast sky.

He clutches a wet piece of paper in his left hand. Laboratory tests. He has already read the results and his mind is chasing itself in circles as he shivers where he crouches.

He thinks of Samuel, who used to be his best friend until Brett decided to stop hiding. He doesn't know why Samuel comes to mind just now, but he decides it is fitting. Everything in Brett's life has gone downhill since he confessed to his best friend how he felt about him.

Brett had been prepared for rejection, but the end result of his confession was much worse than he had imagined. Samuel stopped talking to him. He spread rumors about Brett which the entire school believed. Brett's family had reacted with complete denial. The eldest son, the pride of the family, could not possibly be gay.

Brett left for college seeking acceptance, and he found it, but there was no true companionship in endless parties and casual sex. He started feeling empty inside. Now he is almost thirty and nothing has changed. He still feels lonely, no matter how hard he tries to find the one. Lately he has even stopped hoping he ever will.

Brett straightens up, barely keeping his balance. He stares at the icy waters below.

"Hey, you! Wait! Hey! Get back down!"

A man's voice, coming from behind. Brett spares a quick glance in that direction, expecting a cop. Instead he sees a man in a lab coat running towards him.

He looks so desperate that Brett obeys him. Brett climbs down carefully from the railing and lands safe on his feet just as the man catches up.

"Don't do it," the man pants, gasping for breath. Behind him, Brett can see a parked car with its emergency lights blinking.

One of the drivers stopped, after all.

"What's your name?" the man asks, taking off his glasses to wipe them. It's useless; the drizzle is becoming actual rain.

"Brett."

"I'm Patrick," the man says, stretching out a hand. Brett takes it, feeling that everything is somehow surreal. "I'm a scientist. I got a proposal for you."

"What is it?" Brett asks, as if the two of them were sitting in a café instead of standing on a bridge being sprayed with cold water by every passing car.

"Not here. Come with me, my car's over there."

Brett gives Patrick a long look. Patrick appears to be slightly older than Brett, with short blond hair and inquisitive blue eyes. He looks strong, but not dangerous.

"I don't think I should," Brett replies.

"Come on. The way I saw you up there, it looks like you got nothing to lose. I'll make it worth your while, I promise."

"What is it?"

"Nothing illegal."

Brett doesn't move.

Patrick sighs. "Fine, here's the deal. I just invented something and I need a test subject. Someone like you, actually, who looks like they would benefit from a second chance."

"I don't need money."

"That's not what I meant," Patrick says msteriously, "I'm offering you a second chance at life. A way to change whatever it is that went wrong with you, whenever it happened. Are you in?"

Normally Brett would say no, but Patrick is right. Just then, he has nothing to lose.

"Okay."

They get into Patrick's car and drive until they reach the suburbs. They stop in the driveway to an ordinary-looking house and get out, covering themselves against the rain. Patrick lets Brett into his home, offers him a dry towel, and leads him to his basement laboratory.

Brett follows cautiously, but when he ses the lab he forgets about his fears.

"Nice, huh?" Patrick asks. "The Portal is very flashy."

In the center of the room there is a circular array of what looks like hundreds of coiling silver cables that snake out into big electrical transformers. The cable array is set vertically, like some kind of crazy-scientist version of an oval mirror, but instead of empty space or a reflective surface in the middle, there is chaos.

At least that's how it looks to Brett. Instead of air, the circular space ringed by all the cables is occupied by a swirlilng gas-like substance that reminds Brett of storm clouds. The substance churns and shifts within itself, occasionally streaked by arcs of electricity which make its resemblance to clouds even stronger.

"What's that?" Brett asks.

"It's a Portal through time. When I key it to your DNA and activate it, the Portal will show you an event in your past and you will be able to interact with it for one second. It's very unstable. Matter cannot pass through the Portal, but energy can, and the quickest way to transfer information to your past self is to speak. The vibrations in the air's molecules here will transfer to the other end, and your past self will hear whatever words you can cram into one second. Think about your message carefully, because I can only do this test once until I get more funding."

"One second?"

"That's right. You get to choose the day you will see through the Portal, too, so think about what you want to say and when you want to say it. I'll connect you in the meantime. Tell me when you're ready."

It seems like fantasy to Brett, but the Portal looks very convincing.

If he could say anything to his past self, to change the course of his life, what would it be?

He thinks again of Samuel, of the day when he decided to confess his feelings to him.

That was the day he came out of the closet. The day that set his life on this path.

"I'm ready," he tells Patrick as the scientist connects an apparatus to his head and takes a blood sample.

"Calibrating Portal," Patrick announces. "Get ready. You have one second only."

One second is more than enough for Brett. He already has his message.

Don't do it.

He will tell his past self not to do it. Don't reveal yourself. Hide. Maybe he would still be friends with Samuel now. Maybe he would have stayed in town after all instead of going off to college.

He can change his entire life.

"We're online!" Patrick shouts over the sudden roar of machinery.

Lights dim. The roiling mass at the center of the Portal flashes and becomes transparent. For an instant Brett can see the other side of the laboratory.

Then he ses his bedroom. He sits there, fifteen years old, phone in hand.

"Now!" Patrick orders.

Don't do it.

But then…

Brett opens his mouth to speak and the last fifteen years of his life flash before his mind. The disappointments, yes. Rejection. But also growth. He has become the person he is now by being honest, hard as it has been.

He is lonely, but it would be even worse to be living a lie.

Brett thinks of the laboratory test results. They came back negative, vindicating the careful way he has lived his life.

He has a future ahead that he achieved with bravery, weathering the storm instead of hiding.

He can't take that away from himself.

Teenage Brett looks up, sees the Portal, and opens his eyes wide.

"Be proud," adult Brett says.

The Portal collapses.

The lights go out in the laboratory. After a pause they come back on, and Patrick is leaning over Brett, looking worried.

"You okay, Brett?"

Be proud. Suddenly the memory is inside Brett, not only of the time he spoke to his younger self but also of that time when he was fifteen and a big man he now recognizes as his adult self spoke out of thin air. The memories merge and Brett blinks quickly, trying to fight away tears.

Those words became his motto. They carried him through the bad moments, and the good. They were his answer to life's many trials and they kept him strong.

"I feel good," Brett answers slowly. "Very good."

Patrick's face changes into a handsome smile. "Didn't change anything in your timeline, huh? That was brave of you."

Brett echoes the smile. "You have no idea."

Suddenly an idea comes to Brett. He feels empowered, in control.

Be proud.

"Hey, Patrick?" he asks.

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this -very- short story. Please like if you enjoyed it, and have a great day!
2015 Albert Nothlit
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Chapter Comments



I really liked this. Your experiences, both good and bad help shape who you are. Never lie about yourself. "Be proud". A very empowering message to give to his teenage self. Everyone who has had the courage to come out, in spite of the potential problems and rejection they might face should be very proud of themselves.

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What an excellent story, albert--perhaps some of the events changed for the better, but of more importance was the affirmation of his recognizing his true problem, and facing it when it was most needful.

I'm looking forward to reading more of your works!

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Damn good story, Albert...

Such an original twist on time travel, I wasn't expecting it at all. And great words for a young gay man to hear, wish we could repeat them to all who've ever doubted the wisdom of their choice to come out!

Thank you!

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Very clever twist away from the expected and taking us somewhere better. I liked it, but it would be interesting to know if other people reacted to him differently over the years - but he'd never know now, would he?

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  • Site Administrator

That was a really powerful story. It may have been short, but you didn't waste a word. I loved how he changed his message to his younger self. I'd be interested in hearing the doctor's response to being asked out, but this works fine as a stand-alone piece. I really like your writing. :) I look forward to reading more of your work.

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On 02/21/2015 01:48 AM, Valkyrie said:
That was a really powerful story. It may have been short, but you didn't waste a word. I loved how he changed his message to his younger self. I'd be interested in hearing the doctor's response to being asked out, but this works fine as a stand-alone piece. I really like your writing. :) I look forward to reading more of your work.
Thanks for the review, and for all your comments, Valkyrie! I don't usually do flash fiction, but it was a fun challenge to try and fit an entire story into 1500 words. I might try it again sometime!
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On 02/20/2015 11:17 PM, Timothy M. said:
Very clever twist away from the expected and taking us somewhere better. I liked it, but it would be interesting to know if other people reacted to him differently over the years - but he'd never know now, would he?
Thanks, Timothy! You're right, part of the time paradox would involve all the retroactive changes to the new timeline, unless we go for the branching timeline theory, in which case there is an infinite number of possibilities and only in one of them would the main character have experienced everything exactly as was told in the story. I think my brain hurts now.
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On 02/20/2015 10:57 PM, Carlos Hazday said:
Damn good story, Albert...

Such an original twist on time travel, I wasn't expecting it at all. And great words for a young gay man to hear, wish we could repeat them to all who've ever doubted the wisdom of their choice to come out!

Thank you!

Thank you, Carlos. I also think they are words which I would have liked to hear more often as I was growing up. :)
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On 02/20/2015 06:09 PM, ColumbusGuy said:
What an excellent story, albert--perhaps some of the events changed for the better, but of more importance was the affirmation of his recognizing his true problem, and facing it when it was most needful.

I'm looking forward to reading more of your works!

Thank you for the review! You're right, the attitude with which we face who we are can sometimes be the root of everything we think is wrong when it really isn't.
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On 02/20/2015 03:02 PM, LitLover said:
I really liked this. Your experiences, both good and bad help shape who you are. Never lie about yourself. "Be proud". A very empowering message to give to his teenage self. Everyone who has had the courage to come out, in spite of the potential problems and rejection they might face should be very proud of themselves.
I totally agree. There's a lot of young people out there, and some not so young, who could benefit from hearing something like that message from others, but most of all from themselves.
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A really wonderful piece. It was short, and yet nothing felt missing. The message to his teenage self was brilliant and on point. Good work, you should be proud.

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On 02/21/2015 09:57 AM, eminem313 said:
I loved it! WoW! You Sir have skills *bows* Great message and the climax was amazing!
*Bows right back while blushing.* Thanks for the review!
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On 02/21/2015 10:18 AM, Defiance19 said:
A really wonderful piece. It was short, and yet nothing felt missing. The message to his teenage self was brilliant and on point. Good work, you should be proud.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it despite its super short length ^^
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On 02/21/2015 11:04 AM, Cynus said:
Loved it! This is the kind of flash fiction I can't get enough of. Well done, Albert.
Thank you, Cynus! :)
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On 02/21/2015 05:35 PM, jamessavik said:
Very well done. I have a new author to follow.
Whoa, thanks! I am glad you enjoyed the story!
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Great story! I think it ended at just the right time. Brett showed us he is indeed proud. Not hiding, not ashamed of who he is. Facing life head on, good or bad. Patrick's answer isn't important, even though I am curious.

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On 02/24/2015 04:13 AM, Puppilull said:
Great story! I think it ended at just the right time. Brett showed us he is indeed proud. Not hiding, not ashamed of who he is. Facing life head on, good or bad. Patrick's answer isn't important, even though I am curious.
Thanks for reviewing! ^^
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The mood is set well in the beginning. The MC appears to be contemplating suicide—he has received bad news—and a character from his past is used nicely to further the mood. The interruption of events by the scientist is timely and progresses the story. In the introduction (setting and mood), the mentioned lab test is left hanging and never touched upon again in the story. The test is the fulcrum, it's the culmination of events that leads the MC to consider the river below, and something of this nature shouldn't be left to conjecture, I'm thinking.

 

I very much enjoyed the description, especially the limits, of the portal. That was well done.

 

The indecision and the final revelation of what advice is to be given to the MC's younger self catches the reader up and brings that moment alive. Then we come to the final moment, the point at which the entire story sings . . .

 

Be proud.

 

It was a brilliant moment. Right up until the MC 'suddenly has an idea' and a moment of recklessness obscures the overriding message.

 

Yet the story remains an encouraging one despite the faults and I liked it.

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On 02/26/2015 01:31 PM, Ron said:
The mood is set well in the beginning. The MC appears to be contemplating suicide—he has received bad news—and a character from his past is used nicely to further the mood. The interruption of events by the scientist is timely and progresses the story. In the introduction (setting and mood), the mentioned lab test is left hanging and never touched upon again in the story. The test is the fulcrum, it's the culmination of events that leads the MC to consider the river below, and something of this nature shouldn't be left to conjecture, I'm thinking.

 

I very much enjoyed the description, especially the limits, of the portal. That was well done.

 

The indecision and the final revelation of what advice is to be given to the MC's younger self catches the reader up and brings that moment alive. Then we come to the final moment, the point at which the entire story sings . . .

 

Be proud.

 

It was a brilliant moment. Right up until the MC 'suddenly has an idea' and a moment of recklessness obscures the overriding message.

 

Yet the story remains an encouraging one despite the faults and I liked it.

Thanks for the review! Feedback is always appreciated.
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  • Site Moderator

At one time or another, haven't we all wished we could go back and change something in our past? Brett gets that chance and, remarkably, he didn't do what was expected. Instead, he chose to pass on empowering words to his younger self. Bit of a gamble maybe, but I think it paid off in the end.
Great story and a great life lesson. )

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