Doorways to Everywhere (Tourist Trap Book 2)

Chapter 54

Time seemed to slow down and then stop entirely. There was a sense of great heaviness and then no feeling of weight at all. Instead, Zeke felt as if he were stretching out. His eyes were closed, yet there was a sense not unlike vision. He could feel his lips on Sadie's lips. Indeed, he felt like he could sense every last little nerve ending firing up. More than that, actually. He was aware of every single molecule inside her lips. Every last atom.

He could feel her body pressed against his. There was a sensation as if they were merging together. There was no Zeke and Sadie as separate entities. They were one physical, eternal object. His body felt like it was stretching out infinitely. His feet felt like they were billions of miles beneath him, while the top of his head felt like it was trillions of miles above him. Even with his eyes closed he could "see" his body extending off into the distance forever. It was wrapped around Sadie's body, which was also expanding into the unseen distance. They were like two infinitely stretched out, intertwined rubber bands.

If anyone else was around, Zeke couldn't tell. He was only aware of himself and Sadie, although the distinctions between them were becoming increasingly blurred. He tried hard to think about it, but it was unclear where Zeke ended and Sadie began. It was strange, but it felt right. It felt like they had existed like this forever. It felt like this was the only thing that existed. The only thing that ever had existed. They had always been like this. They always would be.

Zeke was having trouble remembering just who or what "Zeke" was. There was only this moment. This kiss. This wonderful, epic kiss that stretched out across all eternity. He discovered he was starting to fathom things. Profound cosmic things of great importance. He understood the significance of everything. Every last little thing made utter and complete sense. Because there was nothing. Nothing except Zeke and Sadie and the unending unified thing they had become.

And then it ended.

There was a sound like a cork being pulled out of a bottle and everything resolved back into normal reality. The cabin of the Starswan took on its regular dimensions once more and Zeke became "Zeke" again.

Sadie broke away from the kiss. "What just happened?"

"That was amazing," Zeke said just before he saw Trey's fist make contact with his face.

*

Zeke woke up in a small bed in a darkened room. Milosh was there, pressing a cool washcloth against his face.

"What's going on?" Zeke asked blearily.

"Zeke is awake!" Milosh said. "Joyous day! Hugs for Milosh." Milosh grabbed Zeke's head and squeezed it against his chest.

"Ow!" Zeke said. "That hurts like hell."

"Oops. Milosh is very sorry. The Sunblaze man punched you several times in the face. Zeke has two black eyes, a bloody nose, and a fat lip."

"Wait a minute. We're alive? We made it through the black hole? Are we in another universe?"

"Captain Torean thinks so," Milosh said. "The one called Nulfar says so, too. So does the goat. He started talking."

Zeke touched his face gingerly. "Is that all Trey's got? I've bounced back from worse than this before. Besides, it's worth it. He'll never kiss her as epically or cosmically as I just did. Unless, of course, he takes her through another black hole. That jerk would probably do it, just out of spite."