Willwood Town, 7:35 AM. [original earth]

  A man wearing glasses and a thick wool sweater drove through a narrow road in the middle of a pine forest. He kept glancing down at his phone, where a GPS map blinked steadily, guiding him toward a specific location.

  After a few minutes, he stopped the car, grabbed a pair of clothes from the back seat, and stepped out. Following the path the GPS pointed to, he made his way into the forest, pushing through wet branches and damp leaves.

  When he reached the marked spot, he looked down—and there he was.

  Brooke , lying face down in the mud, completely naked.

  “Aha… found you easily this time,” the man muttered and crouched down, giving the boy’s cheek a couple of light slaps.

  “Brooke! Brooke, wake up!”

  The Brooke stirred, groaned, and arched his back before glancing sleepily up at him. “Dad… five more minutes,” he mumbled.

  “What? You wanna go back to that place?” his father replied, pinching his son’s arm.

  “Ow! Daddy!” Brooke yawned and stretched. “Alright, alright, I’m up.”

  “Good. Get dressed,” his father said, holding out the clothes.

  Brooke slowly stood but looked down at himself and frowned. “Wait, I’m filthy. Give me a sec.”

  Before his father could protest, Brooke jogged over to a nearby river and jumped in with a splash.

  His father shivered just watching. “This kid’s crazy… bathing in a river on a rainy, cold morning…”

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  A minute later, Brooke emerged, dripping but refreshed. “That feels nice.”

  He changed into the clean clothes his father had brought, and the two of them headed back to the car.

  As they drove home, his father kept one hand on the steering wheel and asked, “So… did you sleep well? Over on the other side?”

  Brooke shook his head. “No. That place is anything but peaceful. Besides, I was preparing for a test.”

  His father glanced at him. “A test? You actually study over there?”

  The idea of Brooke studying was surprising enough, but the fact that he did it in that other place nearly gave the man a heart attack—though thankfully, his heart was strong.

  “I’ve got a math test today,” Brooke explained. “They give internal marks for it.”

  “You prepared well?”

  “Of course. A famous doctor taught me.”

  His father raised an eyebrow. “Doctor?”

  “Not a hospital doctor,” Brooke clarified. “He’s a scientist.”

  Soon, they arrived at their home—a cozy house tucked on the outskirts of town, away from the noise. Despite both of his parents being doctors, they chose to live quietly, mostly because of Brooke’s condition.

  As they pulled into the driveway, Brooke spotted his mother standing at the front door, arms folded.

  “Where’d you find him this time?” she asked.

  “Thankfully, right by the riverbank in the pine forest,” his father replied.

  “Oh, thank God,” she sighed in relief. “Come inside. I made breakfast.”

  She turned and went in. Brooke and his father followed her.

  Within a few minutes, both his dad and mom were dressed and ready to leave. At the dining table, Brooke sat leisurely chewing his sunny-side-up egg, while his parents practically inhaled their breakfast.

  “Guys! Slow down!” Brooke raised an eyebrow. “You always tell me to eat slow, but you're the ones about to choke!”

  “We’ve got an important appointment!” his dad said, wiping his mouth.

  “Yeah—a kid!” his mom added, picking up her bag.

  “His name is…” his dad paused, trying to remember.

  “Tony,” his mom filled in for him.

  “Right, Tony! Critical condition. He’s going in for brain surgery today,” his father said, already halfway to the door. “We might be back late.”

  “I already baked and stored the chicken in the fridge,” his mom added quickly. “Just heat it up before dinner.”

  They both finished up and grabbed their things. Brooke barely had time to swallow his next bite before his father leaned in and gave him a quick hug.

  His mom kissed him on both cheeks. “And no sleeping until we’re back,” she reminded him with a serious look.

  “Got it,” Brooke replied with a grin.

  His parents headed for their car, and Brooke grabbed his bicycle. They waved as they went off—him pedaling down the street in one direction, and his parents driving away in the other.