I had to do this, no one else could, not like anyone else was making an effort to try to anyway. I was the only one who could sense the portals and they have been gone for far too long. Just like the others, they stepped through the portals and never returned. It has been six weeks now, five weeks too long.

No one else knew I could sense the portals, no one outside my parents and my husband. They were the only ones who knew that I could point out the locations of the newest portal so they could avoid it. So they too would not be taken away like the others.

These portals, these invisible spots in the air that people randomly walked through. Unknowing they were there and suddenly they were gone, nowhere to be seen, to be found. Once someone disappeared into these invisible portals, they never returned.

Anyone could step through these portals, but it wasn't always in the same spot. Every day it was in a different location. Usually, no more than three at a time had been recorded to appear at once. The only way anyone knew where one was actively was the report of someone just disappearing into thin air.

It's been like this for over seventeen years. Ever since I was six years old, reports of people disappearing in thin air suddenly appeared on the news. People went into a panic as suddenly their loved ones would disappear into nothingness. Either just walking side by side, one minute they were there. The next they were gone.

There had been cases of portals appearing in the middle of a road. Cars driving right into them and suddenly they were out of sight. A blink and they were gone. A child sliding down a slide, never to make it to the bottom. A grandmother opened her front door to step onto her porch and suddenly she was gone. There was no rhythm or reason, no patterns to the portals, just that they suddenly appeared and the next day they were gone and in a new location.

This has only been happening in my town, a small town in the middle of a valley of the Appalachian Mountains named Azalea, named for the numerous trees that grew in the town. No other cases of it have been happening around the world, well at first anyway. At first, it just seemed to be happening frequently in my hometown. A few years later other cases appeared around the world, but they were far between instances. One day it was a few people disappearing in a small town in Japan, the next surfers off the beaches in California were disappearing after a crashing wave, but my town; it was every day since.

The government came to investigate. For a while, everything was on lockdown. People evacuated, or those who wanted to leave left. Others refused to leave their homes behind, while others went into a panic demanding their loved ones be found and returned.

The world went into a hunt for the missing souls but none were ever found, and not a single missing person has been found once in the past seventeen years. Eventually, the government started forming armies to send into the Portals they could find, but for a while, the Portals were hidden, as if they didn't want them to enter. Things got quiet and life continued, it became an everyday normal.

Someone would suddenly go missing? A witness would report the location. Our phones would get a message of what location to avoid for that day. It was routine.

A wall outside our town was built. Warning messages plastered all about the Portals. "Enter at your own risk" some of the signs would say.

People all over the world came to try and explore the Portals but after a while, they stopped coming besides the random depressed person who thought this was a way to an end and for charging into the portal. No one in the past five years has willingly wanted to enter the portal, that was until six weeks ago.

One day my husband Aidyn, whom I had married straight out of high school, made a mention of it at dinner one night. He worked for the town's task force. They had been tossing the idea around of entering with chains and ropes, one of the many tests to see if they could get pulled back out the other end. He was supposed to be on the team to go in. Despite me telling him it was a bad idea, he volunteered to do it.

Ever since we dated in high school, he always had a weird fascination with the Portals and when he found out I could sense where they were located, he was always even more curious. More times than I could count, I had to convince him not to enter them. Whenever I had asked him why he was so fascinated by them he would answer simply. "The unknown. We know nothing about them, and because of that, I wanted to find out more about them." He would always comment that he knew somehow I was connected to the Portals, he couldn't say how he knew, but there was something there and he wanted to protect me from them. One night, before he asked me to marry him, he told me: "Kiera, you have this beautiful energy around you, and I've always admired that, I can't help but want to protect you."

He was always a determined individual. If he had a goal, he carried through to achieve it, no matter how hard it was. He loved learning, a nose always in some book. He wasn't a typical book-need type, he played football in high school but graduated with high honors. He went straight to the police academy outside town, graduated earlier than others, and was quickly hired on the force as his father was also on it.

His father was the head of the force and together they began going over ideas on how to enter the portal safely find the missing ones and bring them back home. They have been working on this since we were in high school. They formed a team, and after always asking me every day where the Portals were located they chose a date and formed a plan.

The government had done countless tests over the years but nothing ever worked, but that didn't stop my determined husband and his goal to be a hero of the town, to save those who went missing. I admired him for that, but also hated it as it constantly kept him busy at work and I rarely saw him, but I was supportive. I did everything I could to keep his spirits up when the days were hard.

Six weeks ago, September 14th, my husband and his men on the task first gathered at the portal. Its location was on the top of the ruined remains of a temple that once stood centuries ago. A temple to a forgotten goddess long lost to an earthquake that crumbled the stone to a mess of rubble. The stairs seemed nearly endless when you looked up from the bottom, a hundred and four stairs carried you to the flat stone slab that housed the rubble, weeds, moss, and other signs of nature covering everything as it was left untouched.

This place held ceremonies every few years, but since the portals started appearing the ceremonies had stopped. They once wanted to rebuild the temple, but after the portals kept appearing nearby, countless construction workers went missing. They stopped trying.

I watched from the bottom as forty men dressed in swat-like gear marched up the stairs. I was told they would return in two weeks tops, if not sooner. The plan they gave everyone seemed almost fault-proof, that nothing could go wrong, but as I watched with the other families below, stopped by the police who sent up a barricade, I had this sinking feeling I would never see him again, but I held on to hope, it was all I could do as I watched them approach the portal.

The portal to everyone else was invisible. To me, it was looking at a wall of wavy blurriness, as if I was focusing on one spot for too long and suddenly my eyes became unfocused. That was what I thought I was seeing the first time I saw a portal.

I saw my first portal when I was seven, walking the main streets of the town with my mother and her friends. While they talked gossip, I was looking around. I loved watching people walk about and cars drive by. Suddenly I saw a glimmer, a flicker of something in the air, and stopped walking to look across the street. Rubbing my eyes I got them to focus just as a red car drove by, and right into the spot, I saw the flicker. Suddenly the car was gone, and I froze. That was my first time seeing someone disappear. Another car was behind him and slammed on its brakes, three more cars suddenly disappeared before an accident blocked the way for more. People began to panic, as my mother grabbed me and ran.

I was still frozen. What I saw looked like a large glass wall, it was clear but when the sunlight hit it just right it was blurry, and glimmered. I told my mom what I saw that night and she promised not to tell anyone about it. Only let her or my father know wherever I saw it, so they could avoid it.

Now that wall of almost glass stood before my husband. This time it was shimmering in a way water moving by wind across a lake would look. I blinked my eyes a few times but it stayed there. I caught my husband looking back at me, a look in his eyes told me he knew what I saw. I nodded after a moment and he returned it before shouting out to his men before they stepped forward, in pairs they disappeared. When the last one walked through the portal suddenly disappeared and panic shot through me.

The portals never disappeared so quickly before, they would usually stay there till midnight. Anxiety gripped me, I was frozen in place, looking at the spot my husband had just disappeared into. Everyone around me began to walk away, guided by the police. I didn't notice them, I didn't hear them, I was stuck, glued in place by fear.

"Honey!" I heard my mother shout, and a hand on my shoulder snapped me out of the frozen state. I gasped, a hand rushing to my chest, clutching the dark blue jacket I wore. I heaved a moment, anxiety taking over as I began to shake. "Honey, what's wrong? Talk to me!" The fear in my mother's voice made my eyes shoot to hers.

Bright blue eyes looked back at me, light silver dotted her eyes. Wrinkles around her eyes showed she lived with happiness all these years. Gray strands speckled in her dirty blonde hair that was pulled back into a messy bun. Her face was worried as her hands gripped my shoulders.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. Barely in a whisper I managed to say. "The portal... it's gone." It was enough for her to understand, she pulled me into a hug as I shook with worry and fear. We would never see my husband or his men again. I knew it, my mother knew it, my hope was gone and she hugged me as I cried.

—-----------------

Now it was up to me, six weeks of waiting and no sign of them returning. Every day I checked and the portal never returned to that spot. The chain they had brought with them suddenly disappeared fully on our end three days after they had left. Usually, the portal returned to that one location once a week, but even the other portals seemed to have just stopped. Fewer people began to disappear. Fewer signs of portals are being reported. Life seemed to be chaotic for two weeks as the town began to realize the task force was not returning. My father had to deal with a lot of angry family members, but eventually, it began to calm down. Everyone accepted fate and continued living.

Some families threw empty funerals, as it was common to do after some time of people going missing, but one night, something told me that they were still alive. Not all hope was lost, that I had to save them, that maybe because I could see the portals. That my husband was correct, that I was connected to the Portals and maybe I was the only one who could bring them all back, but if I didn't try there would be no way of knowing. What if I didn't try but was able to bring them back, then it would be my fault everyone never got their loved ones back.

I dwelled on the thought for three days before deciding what I should do. It was the next morning I woke at three am, the sense of a portal nearby. Whenever they were close, I could feel this weird static-like tingle on my skin. I knew one had appeared, my home was not far from the ruins, and I could sense it had returned there.

Getting up quickly I slipped on a pair of old black tight jeans. Holes in the knees and shins, with a pair of old combat boots I used for hiking over them. A simple t-shirt with a dark blue hoodie over top with my blue coat over that. My hair tucked beneath a black beanie, as it was now getting colder out at night, I grabbed gloves and a scarf and stuffed immortal essentials into a faded worn backpack.

First aid kits, batteries, flashlights, a blanket, and a few bottles of water. Lighter for fire and paper to help start a fire should I need it. I grabbed one of my husband's many pistols and ammo and put that in the bag as well. I had no idea what I would find on the other side of the portal, but I had to be prepared. I grabbed my cell and checked if it was charged before turning it off to save the life of its battery as well as the backup charger.

When I was sure I had everything. I left my house, not before leaving a note for my mother on the table explaining everything. I left the door unlocked and headed for the temple.

I took every back street and side alley I could. I avoided anyone who was about, thankfully it was three am, and barely anyone was awake.

At the bottom of the stairs, I paused. My heart hammered in my chest as anxiety began to fill me. Fear tried to grip me but I shook it away. I had to do this. I was the only one who could. Everyone else tried and failed. I was the only hope our friends and family, maybe even the whole world had. I had to try. If it did not work, then that was one last person in the world. I would become a name on the wall of the missing, and my parents would be sad, but it was fate. Or maybe it was fate to be able to save the others, to go into the portal and find them, and bring them back.

Hopefully on the other side was another world, a place I could navigate. I hope if I could sense portals in my world that I could in this world as well, that is if this portal leads to another world and not just instant death.

This last thought made me pause, well, there was only one way to find out, and that was to continue doing this. I was already here, no turning back.

Taking a deep breath I began to jog up the multiple stairs slowing down after a few steps when I realized I would need the energy later. As I climbed the stairs I mentally cheered myself on, getting my mind to be ready for anything I could find through the portal. The joy of hoping to find my husband again gave me energy. I quickened my pace a little more. Nearly jogging when I reached the top of the stairs.

It was quiet up here, a gentle breeze moved through the clear. Rustling little strands of hair into my face I took in a deep breath of the chilled fresh air.

My eyes scanned the area for the portal, and after a quick moment, I found it. That glass-looking wall, rippled like water as the wind blew past it. It was smaller this time, only covering the entrance of what would have been the wood and stone temple building. It stood like a door atop the three long mossy stairs.

I paused a moment more before taking one deep breath and began to run for the portal. There was no turning back, this was it.

As I reached the stairs I could feel a heavy static dance on my skin, the loose strands of hair danced up and around me, and as I neared it the stronger the static got. I touched my foot to the first step when there was a loud-sounding crackle and pop! I felt a strong gust of wind burst out from the portal and what felt like bands touching my shoulders pushing me back, stopping me mid-run as I was blinded by a sudden bright light, causing me to stumble back three steps, regaining my footing.

I blinked my eyes repeatedly, trying to get them to clear, so I could. Suddenly I noticed it was no longer dark and three am, it was as if it was suddenly mid-day, the sun bright ahead, but it was the sun of this world I was looking at, but as if I was looking at the bright horizon of a rising sun before a massive beautiful landscape of greens and browns. It wouldn't be till later that what I saw then was another world on the other side of the portal that suddenly opened, but I was too focused on what was going on suddenly.

I was brought back to my senses when I felt strong hands squeezing my shoulder, stopping me from wanting to move forward to that landscape. My eyes snapped to someone standing before me, towering over me by a good foot. I was at least five foot seven but this person. No, this man stood well over six feet tall.

He had dark hazel eyes. Eyes that were so stern and serious and entrancing I couldn't look away. I watched as colors moved and danced in his eyes which held great power. Around me, I could vaguely hear the sounds of shouts and screams, voices that suddenly began to fill the once quiet empty area.

I could barely see the sudden rush of bodies that moved past him. Around us to move behind me in waves. They were nothing but a blur to me, my eyes became so focused on this face, this strong structured face with a stubby growing beard, deep-set eyes, and scars along the left side of his face. A face I swore I had never seen before, but yet felt so familiar. I tilted my head just slightly, eyes furrowing as trying to figure out where I knew this face, this person from, but a sudden shove had me gasping, falling backward as the spell that was suddenly around me was broken. I stumbled backward tripping over nothing, but those strong hands on my shoulder helped me 5o adjust before letting go.

It was then I was able to grasp what was going on, I was still in my world, and the temple grounds around me suddenly filled with life. People flooded from the steps behind me as waves of people pushed past me from the portal. Faces of people I recognized from missing ads, some aged, some not changed as they have not been gone as long.

I stumbled back away from that man, all too aware his eyes were still locked on to me, as I spun to watch as loved ones reunited. I rubbed my eyes confused as more and more people moved from the doorway of a portal. To everyone else, it seems as if these people were pouring out of an invisible door. Yet when I looked to the door all I could see were people and the golden light of the sunlit landscape behind them.

I watched as my father started directing people about, our eyes met and I knew he would ask questions later. Questions I had no answers to.

I looked to the door as familiar faces stumbled out, their faces bruised and battered, some limping as they walked, others had arms or arms in slings, as they were escorted by masked men in swat gear that looked as if they stepped out of a sci-fi movie. I watched anxiously as more and more people walked out before the door suddenly closed, a loud crack and pop! But there was one face I didn't see and panic set in. I looked around scanning faces but I could not see him, I did not see my husband.

My eyes fell onto his second in command, Josh. He looked like he had been beaten, his arm in a sling as his wife clung to him crying. I ran over. And our eyes met.

"Where..." was all I could mutter as he shook his head frowning, his eyes sad. "Is he...?" I couldn't finish the sentence.

"I don't know." Josh answered.

"Then where...?" I whispered.

"They Took him." He said with a look of anger coming over his eyes, his good arm tightened around his wife as she clung to him.

"Who?" I had to know. But when he gave a tilt of his chin to the men in the sci-fi-like gear standing in a row behind him, I froze. "Is there any way to save him?" I pleaded.

"I'm sorry, I don't know." His voice broke as his wife sobbed louder. "Be careful, Kiera, they are not.....normal." Josh's voice was a whisper but it held a deep warning to it, I nodded once.

I turned, looking at the row of men lined up behind us. Weapons held in their hands as they stared at us down. Then to the spot the portal was, it was gone just like before. My eyes moved to the man who stopped me, his eyes dark as he met my gaze, his arms crossed his chest. It was only then I noticed he wore similar gear to the others, minus the helmet.

I wanted to approach him, ask him, please with him to return my husband, but it was then I suddenly realized why he seemed so familiar. His face, the gear he wore, the men around him, the landscape. I've seen it all before. For countless years, as long as I can remember I've had dreams of this whole other world, of all these people, that always seemed so real as if I was living a whole new life in this world. He was there, in those dreams.

I took an unsteady step backward as fear gripped me again, his gaze never left mine. He realized the moment I figured it out, and he smirked before raising his hand. Suddenly it felt like the world tilted around me. I watched as everything started to go sideways and blurry, my legs gave out and fell as the world went dark.