The Portal

Chapter 3

     Gail and David never got along that well, but he could tell by the tone she was using with him that she was cracking her husband like a nut, better than any other cop could have in an interrogation room. She was livid that something was going on and was insisting that Ricky be clean with her and David or the trouble she'd raise would make his earlier attacks look mild by comparison. Ricky seemed reluctant to talk, but she insisted that he tell someone and his brother seemed like the most logical choice. Gail was waiting for David to walk in, and as he did he could tell the conversation was very heated. You could cut the tension in the room with a butter knife, but David was glad to see that his sister-in-law was taking what had happened very seriously.

     "Tell him," She ordered, giving Ricky a look.

     "I'm not sure he'll believe me." Ricky insisted, unsure of himself.

     "I believe you," Gail reminded him, "He's also family; this situation affects him just as much as it does you."

     "It does?" David said, looking at Ricky, "What the hell is she talking about?"

     "You won't believe me," Ricky repeated, "I'm the one telling you and I hardly believe it myself. You'll call me a crack pot and commit me to the nearest psych ward. I would if I was in your shoes."

     "I've seen some pretty weird shit," David admitted, "Try me."

     "Alright," Ricky said, taking a deep breath. "I'm a time traveler."

     David paused for a moment and looked at Gail and then back at Ricky. There was one or two moments he wanted to say something but paused again. It was almost as if he had trouble trying to repeat what his brother just told him.

     "I'm sorry," David said, trying to process it. "I could have sworn you just told me you were a time traveler. Did you really say that? Gail, did he really just say that to me?"

     "Yes, he did." Gail replied.

     "And why did he say that?" David asked, surprised to see that Gail wasn't surprised at all by the revelation.

     "Because it's true," Gail informed him. "He's been doing it full time since your father taught him."

     "Dad taught him?" David repeated.

     "He was a time traveler too." Ricky added, "Taught me how to do it without causing a butterfly effect, breaking timelines, or creating world ending paradoxes. He was really good at it. Not as good as Grandpa, but he knew what he was doing."

     David rubbed his forehead for a moment. "You expect me to believe that Dad and Grandpa were Time Travelers?"

     "You see," Ricky replied, "I knew you wouldn't believe me."

     "I'm trying," David said, trying his very best not to laugh in his face. "How does one become a time traveler? Where did you train?"

     "It's hard to explain," Ricky answered, "But there is a way to learn."

     "Right," David said, thinking about it. "And that guy, what the hell was he looking for?"

     "He wanted to be a time traveler too." Ricky explained, "He's a member of a society that's been trying to steal our secrets."

     "So you did know your attacker?" David asked him.

     "There were two actually," Ricky continued, "They wanted the key."