Afternoon Tea: Transfer

[Spoken word deep narrating voice] Upon reaching the portal… it begins to open. Not violently— But deliberately. As if it wants him to enter. [Male spoken word scottish accent] “Well… can’t be worse than where I am now.” [Spoken word deep narrating voice] He steps forward slowly. Ethereal light spills over him, crawling across his skin. A low hum vibrates through his bones, deep and unsettling. [Male spoken word scottish accent] “That’s… a bit disturbin’…” [Spoken word deep narrating voice] The moment he fully crosses the threshold, his body gives out. He collapses to his knees, gagging— Dry heaves tearing through him as if his insides are trying to escape. Nothing comes up. [Male spoken word scottish accent] “Ugh—HUUURRGHH—” [Male spoken word scottish accent] “Unh… my head… what happened?” [Spoken word deep narrating voice] He forces himself upright, swaying. The world around him slowly bleeds into focus. Snow. Endless snow. He stands atop a hill as bitter wind howls past him, dragging sheets of white across the frozen landscape. [Male spoken word scottish accent] “Awww—SHIT! The fuck, man!?” [Male spoken word scottish accent] “From one extreme to the next… what is goin’ on!?” [Spoken word deep narrating voice] He stands there, dazed, trying to gather his bearings while the echo of the portal still rattles inside his skull. [Male spoken word scottish accent] “What now…?” [Spoken word deep narrating voice] as if expecting an answer [Male spoken word scottish accent] “I guess I need to find someone… or something… that can tell me what the hell is goin’ on.” [Spoken word deep narrating voice] He squints into the distance. Through the snowfall, faint and flickering— A glow. And above it… Smoke, curling into the grey sky. [Male spoken word scottish accent] “People… that’s gotta be a fire.” [Spoken word deep narrating voice] Hope, fragile but real, slips into his step as he begins walking toward the distant light.