Gateway Part Three

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Gateway Part Three

Kef woke up with a sore head. He didn’t know where he was and wondered how many bottles of whiskey it’d taken to get this hung-over.

“Chad? Where are you, you dumb bastard?”

No answer.

“Who’s Chad?”

Kef looked up and saw someone new.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“What doesn’t matter mister? You lost your friend? That’s pretty serious...”

Kef stood up.

“No.”

He was aware of the ambiguity. Seems the new man hadn’t picked up on it.

“I haven’t seen you around here mister. Are you new? Are you lost?”

Too many questions. Kef fell over and closed his eyes.

“Are you sleeping now mister?”

“What is this, a game-show?”

“What’s a game-show mister?”

“Yeah, okay, you got me. I’m lost. Where am I?”

“You’re in my field.”

“I noticed. Who are you?”

“My name is Ned. I live here.”

Kef got up and started to walk out of the field.

“Wait mister, who are you?”

“I’m Kef, and I’m going home.”

“Where’s home, mister Kef?”

The question stopped him. He was confused. He had no idea how he was going to get home. That and he’d never known someone to be so nice to a trespasser. Perhaps it’s a new universe, he thought. One filled with joy and kindness. Maybe they’ve started completely from scratch, uncorrupted.

Once Kef was off the field he looked around. Seemed like he had arrived on a small farm. He couldn’t see any animals, just a few fields. Blue sky and a small cabin nearby at the corner of the field. It seemed pleasant enough but it wasn’t quite what Kef had been hoping for.

“Hey, Ned! You live alone?”

“No. My wife lives with me. I’ll go get her so you can meet her.”

Ned shambled off over to the cabin. Kef waited where he was and wished he could get rid of the handcuffs. He saw Ned return with a smaller woman by his side.

“GET THAT MAN AWAY FROM HERE!”

“Why? What’s wrong with mister Kef?”

“He’s a criminal. Look, Ned, he’s wearing handcuffs.”

Kef wondered if they had a phone. Hoping they didn’t, he walked toward them.

“I’m sorry to cause you so much trouble, Ned, I’ll go.”

“Where will you go? You don’t know where you’re going. You told me you’re lost.”

“Tell me where to go and I’ll go.”

Ned’s wife spoke again.

“He can’t go anywhere. They’ll kill him.”

Kef was unaware that the police had been planning on killing him.

Extreme conditions demand extreme responses.

“You think they won’t kill you too?”

That seemed to catch her attention. Ned was clearly frightened.

“...it’s him! D-d-destroyer of Worlds!”

Kef was shocked. He knew he’d have to be careful.

“They want me dead, and you’re harbouring a known criminal.”

Ned nodded and hid his face in his hands. His wife spoke.

“You think they’ll kill us? You’re wrong. The police will reward us for turning in a piece of scum like you.”

Kef was running out of ideas. Ned was shaking.

“...but what about the Killsquads?”

Kef knew nothing of the Killsquads.

“Killsquads?”

This was not what Kef expected. He began to think that the legal system had better teleportation devices than they let on. Ned was rocking back and forth.

“They’re going to kill us. Oh God, they’re going to kill us...”

“SHUT UP NED!”

Ned stopped rocking. He’d stopped shaking.

“They will only kill him. He is the destroyer.

That was all she said. No, Kef thought. That cannot be it. Kef was not ready to die.

“No. You can’t let me die.”

“Let a murderer die?”

Kef was confused again. He was stuck on a strange farm with an idiot and a woman who wanted him dead. So much for an easy six months.

“Murderer?”

She looked Kef in the eye, and he could almost taste her anger.

“You strangled him.”

Bitter tang of misplaced hatred. She couldn’t be right. Kef was sure he hadn’t killed 137.