“But mom I need to hurry!” Thomas couldn't help but stomp his feet as his mother continued to hug him. He could see the rift door was open and knew it had been open for at least three minutes. Claire would be expecting him to step through any moment now. If he took too long there was a chance she would open the rift up even wider and come searching for him.

Miranda took in a deep breath as she stood back and looked at her son breaking the hug. She had made sure to brush out his brown hair and fix his clothes. She didn't know why she did this at times. She could swear he made a mess of it the moment he left. If she had known it was due to Claire's near constant petting on him she would have been more worried. “I know. It's just. Are you sure you want to do this? I'm sure that she'd let you stay home today if you just asked.”

“I'm sure mom!”

Despite knowing the risk Miranda couldn't let go of her son right away. He didn't realize it but she truly wanted him to ask to stay home. Every time he went into the rift she feared for his safety. How could she not after what had happened the first time they'd been lost in it? Sure Claire promised to protect him but Miranda worried it might be Claire that killed her son. She didn't have a true choice in this matter though. The decision had to be made by Thomas despite his young age and even more so Claire both of them children. She could swear it actually hurt whenever she let go of Thomas. “Are you sure you don't want to bring anything to eat?”

“I'm sure! Bye mom!” The moment she let go of him Thomas broke into a dead run for the portal. He more leaped through then anything else and instantly felt a rush. The feeling was like being on a carnival ride that had just been released except there was no wind. A bright tunnel appeared before him as he was more pulled along them fell. The light felt warm and made it impossible not to smile. He didn't understand why his mother and father had said the light burned when they traveled through the rift. Apparently everyone seemed to think the light burned except for him. He didn't have much time to think on this as the tunnel came to an end and despite the apparent speed he'd been moving at before he came to a gentle stop as he tumbled onto a soft warm surface and looked up at Claire's smiling face.

“Welcome back Thomas! What took you so long? I've been keeping the portal open for you.” Claire smiled down at Thomas despite her wait as he stood up in her hand. His little feet tickled her palm as she raised her fingers up around him. Each finger was a towering monolith far exceeding him in height and even more so in mass. Each one serving as a shield for him and to make sure his attention was focused towards her rather then the surrounding void.

Thomas didn't respond right away but looked up at his massive friend. A soft light much like that of the tunnel seemed to radiate from Claire's skin with a few dark patches produced by her freckles while her hair seemed to shine like gold. Altogether she would have had a very angelic appearance if it hadn't been for one thing. Her eyes were a brilliant purple with what appeared to be a tall black flame dancing at their center where her pupils should have been. “I was having trouble finding my shoes.” He told a partial lie. He had needed time to find his shoes whenever he noticed the portal open. He didn't need to mention that his mother had insisted on a hug that had lasted several minutes. That would only make Claire annoyed with his mother and he didn't want that.

“I'm going to have to start keeping some shoes for you here.” Claire gave an amused giggle and raised Thomas so that he was roughly eye level with her. Her fingers flickered with energy as she did this. The energies working to protect Thomas from the sudden acceleration as they were guided by the movement of Claire's fingers to protect the little being within her hand.“So what do you want to play today?”

Thomas took a moment to look around Claire's room. It was an odd mixture of material taken from the rift and gifts she'd received from the people of the world. As he was looking around some trucks caught his eye. “Hey Claire what are those trucks here for?”

Despite her size Claire could easily see where Thomas was pointing. She had been given cars and trucks in the past. She could still remember riding in the car with her parents and was sad that she would never be able to drive one. “Those were left here for other people that are going to be coming through the rift later. They want me to take them outside so that they can look around and study it. Would you like to look inside?”

Thomas was silent for a moment. Naturally the thirteen year old would like to look at them. They weren't Claire's though and the owner wasn't around so he couldn't ask permission. “Maybe later. Hey would you like to play race cars?”

“Yeah!” Claire didn't hesitate to dash towards one of the doors leading to her room. Her massive foot steps rung throughout the room while numerous bits of glass were made to vibrate. Each foot step was like a bomb going off yet the floor remained solid. The platform the guardian lived on had been built from stone of remarkable strength. Only the pressure waves that moved through the air were able to actually reach the various vehicles and other structures that decorated her room while the floor absorbed the vibrations of the direct impact. This kept her various treasures from being tossed around as she dashed into one of her play rooms.

It felt like Thomas was watching a movie. He could hear the sound, he could see them moving but he couldn't feel it. It took some of the thrill out of it but Claire refused to let him feel the acceleration. Apparently she had hurt some people in the past whenever she didn't protect them while carrying them. He could enjoy speed soon enough as he looked at the massive race track Claire had built in the room. The best view was from between her fingers as she stepped over the track and towards the dresser were she kept her race cars. He wished that he'd been setting closer but there was no point trying to crawl that far. By the time he moved far enough to see between her fingers she would be ready to play.

Claire carefully picked up one of the cars she used for racing with the middle and index finger of her left hand. She had no trouble sliding it back into the grip of her middle and ring finger which held the vehicle securely against her palm while picking up a vehicle for Thomas with her left index and middle finger again. The little vehicles vanishing within her hands like they were tiny toys. As she picked up Thomas's vehicle she remembered that he favored the blue cars and made sure to pick one for him while grabbing a green one for herself. The strength of the floor was once again proven as Claire moved back to the start of the track and more allowed herself to fall into a kneeling position then sat down. Her massive knees impacted with the hard floor with nearly her full weight behind them yet the stone didn't seem to mind.

Thomas had stopped watching his surroundings and started watching Claire again. She liked that. He could see her smiling. First her eyes would look at her room or the cars and then she'd quickly glance back at him. This time he waved at her when he caught her looking at him and noted a slight blush. This made him grin. When he noticed that he was moving towards her face he knew that she had already set up the cars for them to play with. “I hope that you're ready to lose.”

Claire gave a slight snort as she lifted Thomas higher and pressed her lips against him. His little body tickled her lips for a moment as some of the energy that rushed throughout her body went into him. She had been told that the guardian could heal and strengthen people simply by being near them. She could also harm them even if she didn't touch them. Claire so far hadn't managed to learn to do that. She needed to perform some kind of action to help direct the energy. When she held someone protectively the energy helped her protect them. When she kissed someone she could grant them a temporary boost to their body and healing.

Thomas reflexively turned away from Claire's kiss. She had done this to him before. The first time they'd met she'd kissed his entire family. Back then he had thought it was grose and even complained about being kissed by a girl. That feeling was gone and now he felt funny whenever she kissed him. It made him feel warm and tingled a bit. He had wanted to talk to his parents about it but hadn't managed to do so yet. He even wanted to ask Claire to kiss him a few more times. He was still glad when the kiss ended quickly as Claire gave him a quick peck and then lowered her hand to the ground. His legs felt a bit wobbly but he still felt wonderful as he stood up and rather then walk across Claire's hand sprinted towards the car.

“I beat you last time you know.”

“Only because I let you!” Thomas felt a little awkward trying to talk brave while he was still running across Claire's hand. As a display of his courage he chose to leap off the side of her hand confident in his own ability and the protective power of the kiss. That he was more relying on her kiss to protect him didn't really occur to the young boy as he landed on the ground and ran towards his vehicle. A shadow moved over him as Claire picked up the remote she used to control her car and flipped the start switch.

“Hey don't start without me!” By now Thomas had reached his vehicle and was busy climbing in through the window. The cars Claire and he used for racing weren't like his parents cars. They could be remote controlled. He hated it when Claire used the remote to control the car he was in. He felt certain she'd cheated him out of a few wins by doing that. The seat belts were different and there was a helmet inside as well plus a roll cage. They were a bit smaller then real cars as well and didn't go as fast. They were still a lot bigger then the goat cars he used to race though. Claire had asked for them so that she and her friends could race together and they'd been given to her while she built the track. Nearly the instant Thomas had finished buckling himself up he started his vehicle. “Okay start the counter!”

Claire gave an excited giggle and pushed a button on the side of the track. Instantly the start light flashed red and an announcers voice could be heard. Not that she had anyone in the announcer box. They had placed a computer in it and various sensors around the track that was meant to simulate an announcer. Claire couldn't resist sticking her tongue out at Thomas as she revved the engine of the car she was controlling. He responded by revving right back and even honking his horn.

Sense Claire had won the last time they raced Thomas got the inside of the track this time. The loser of the last race always got the inside track. That didn't mean beating her would be easy. She always seemed to beat him off the line. Her reaction time was just faster then his. This he had mentioned to his mother and she'd told him it was part of her being the guardian. He didn't think that was fair but had learned to deal with it. His wasn't far behind Claire as her car shot out ahead of his. A fact that the announcer didn't fail to notice and proudly announced over the loud speakers. He didn't care much as he enjoyed the feeling of the vehicle accelerating and was quick on her hills.

The sound of the engine and the site of Thomas's car coming after hers brought a smile to Claire's face. They had talked to her about replacing the engines with electric motors but she really liked the sound of the gas ones. “You're going to have to do better then that Thomas!”

Thomas gave a slight snort. The first time he had raced Claire like this he had been so scared. He had also crashed and come out unhurt. After a few more crashes his fear of harm had faded as had his fear of angering Claire. These were toys to her after all. He didn't hesitate to give his car more gas. He knew he wouldn't be catching up to her in a strait way but as soon as they reached the curves he'd be able to press his advantage. So long as he didn't let her get far enough ahead of him that she could move into the same lane. Frustration filled his mind as a sudden gust of wind hit his car forcing him to compensate. “Hey! Stop cheating!”

Claire couldn't help but giggle as she stopped blowing on Thomas's car. She hadn't even been blowing hard and she could still upset his balance. She had even flipped the car in the past by blowing on it. She did feel a little guilty though and let up off the gas to let Thomas make up some of the distance. Not that they tended to play like the professionals anyway. They rarely hesitated to hit one another. Typically if one vehicle was disabled while the other wasn't the one with the running vehicle was considered the winner. “Strange weather we're having.”

***********************************************************************************

February 17th, 2011 three years ago

Thomas clutched his father's hand so firmly that his hand hurt. He didn't know how this had happened. One minute they had been walking out of a restaurant together and the next he'd seen a bright light and heard his parents screams of pain. They'd ended up on some strange rock. When he looked up the sky and the sun had been gone. He didn't even know where the light was coming from. He didn't even realize where they were until his father had mentioned the rift. Now he remembered what he had learned about the rift in school.

They needed to get to safety. As Robert led his family along he scanned the horizon looking for any sign of a portal that might lead back to earth, of the guardian or one of the safe houses. Any of them would have been a welcome site in that moment. Anything was better then seeing a rift beast. “It's alright everyone. Just keep your eyes out for any lights or other people. Flashing or glowing lights are all fine.” Robert hoped that his voice sounded as confident as he wanted. He didn't want to frighten his family but there was plenty to be scared of.

The rift was a different type of space that surrounded the world. It served as a protective barrier against strange creatures that came from outside the world is what he had been told in much the same way as the ocean served as a barrier or a vast desert. Unfortunately while it was difficult to cross it wasn't impossible and at times creatures from the outside realms reached the earth. Making matters even worse at times people ended up in the rift and that could attract rift beasts. If that happened you needed to find your way back to earth. Fortunately the rift wasn't the only line of protection the earth had. “The guardian will find us won't she?”

Miranda smiled at her son despite the situation. “I'm sure that she will. We just need to keep running until we find one of the safe houses or a way back home.” Despite her words Miranda was terrified. She had heard many things about the newest guardian and one of the things that really stuck out in her mind was the guardian's young age. The current guardian was even younger then her son. How such a young girl had been chosen for such an important roll she didn't know but then again no one truly knew how the next guardian was chosen.

“What's that?” It was the words neither Miranda or Robert wanted to hear. The young boy's finger was pointing towards their right far in the distance. The void wasn't a place of solid land masses. It was made of islands that moved, joined, and broke apart again. Certain sections of the islands tended to be very stable but other parts weren't nearly as much. Off in the distance on what appeared to be a small island the boy had noticed a white dot moving. It took all of Robert's will not to put the family into a dead run but to remember what he had learned.

Few of the rift beast could easily travel between the islands. They had to wait until they either drifted close enough to one another or completely joined. This one was at least two islands away from them. Panicking and running at this point would only hurt their efforts it was best to keep calm and moving without exhausting yourself. If they were truly lucky the islands would drift apart and they wouldn't have to worry.

It was twenty five minutes later when Robert had realized they weren't going to be lucky. One of the islands had drifted closer to the one that once held the rift beast. To make the situation worse it had clearly noticed them. The dot had grown considerably in size and he could swear that he heard the creature snarling as it stood at the edge of the current island. Now there was just one island between them and the creature. There was no way for them to know when the islands might meet of course or what section of the island they would be on. Perhaps the creature would end up at the far end of the island well away from him and his family. It seemed like something to hope for but he knew how quickly these beast could run so despite himself he hurried his family along.

There was no guarantee that the middle island would ever join with the one the rift beast was on. Still for the creature to come in their direction it sure seemed to believe that it would. Perhaps these monsters had some kind of power over the rift which let them influence the island. Miranda tried not to think of this as she hurried along with her son and husband. Thomas had began to show signs of fatigue so Robert had taken to carrying him in order to give him time to rest. She was actually grateful the family had recently eaten. They needed all the energy they could manage. Despite their situation though she could not help but feel a flicker of hope as she noticed a flashing light. “Robert look!”

Robert felt like his heart had leaped into his throat and he had to swallow to force it back down. It wasn't fear but excitement. Off in the distance he could see the red and blue flickering lights of a haven. This joy was tempered by the howls of the rift beasts who he didn't care to look back at. “A haven! Come. Come on.” Before Robert could begin moving he felt Miranda's hand on his arm slowing him. At first he thought to ask what she was doing but then nodded his head. The haven's had been designed to be visible for long distances. They could see the light but they didn't even know if it was on the same island as them. They had a direction now though and he couldn't help but push a little harder as they began to run towards it.

Seventeen minutes later and they were still moving. A child might have fatigued quickly but they recovered quickly as well. It may have also been the child's fear. Robert was grateful for this though he hadn't said anything as Thomas was once again running with his parents. The sound of the rift beast had been growing more intense either because it was becoming more excited or it was coming closer. It might have been both. As he risked glancing back he could see the rift beast was even closer. It had made it into the third island. Now the only thing keeping it from the one they were on was the gap between the two islands. It truly seemed these creatures had some power over the rift islands and how they moved. Perhaps it was in the howl that encouraged his family and him to flee now. They weren't without hope though. The haven had come within view five minutes ago. They just needed to reach it.

Thomas wanted to cry. He could feel his eyes becoming hot. He sniffed and he huffed and he kept it in as he looked to his mother and father. His legs had began to hurt some time ago but they couldn't stop. Each time his father would look towards the rift beast he would to. He could see the massive creature now. It looked small but he knew that was due to the distance. Considering how far they had been walking he knew they were very far away which meant the beast was massive. Even from this distance he could see some of its features. It was solid white and looked to be made of stone except it didn't move like stone. It moved with speed and agility while his ears could hear its claws biting into the stone. “Mommy I'm scared!”

“It's okay Thomas. We're going to make it. See the haven is just ahead of us just keep running.” Even as she spoke Miranda was having trouble forcing the words out. Each time she had hoped that the island wouldn't move that it wouldn't bring the beast closer to them. Each time the island had done just that. She had no doubt in her mind that the rift beasts could influence the movement of the islands now. Why hadn't they ever heard about that in any of their classes though? Were they just that unlucky or was it an ugly truth people just didn't speak of? Perhaps they were the first to notice it. It seemed ridiculous but perhaps. One thing was certain if she lived through this she was going to make sure people heard about it.

Robert could hardly believe how far the haven truly was. Another twenty minutes had passed and he regretted pushing Thomas so hard. He was currently carrying his son once again. Fortunately he had adrenaline to spare. The island the rift beast was on had finally reached theirs. Fortune had finally favored them and it had ended up on the far end as he had hoped. Yet he could swear he felt the beast breathing down his neck even while he couldn't see it. He could hear it charging towards them though it's heavy foot steps seeming to shake the entire island. Yet they could see the haven all the more clearly now. It wasn't just the light but the path leading up to it. He could see the smoothed dome exterior and easily make out the entrance. He could see a third light now. It either meant the haven was safe or had been compromised he couldn't remember which and it didn't matter. It was their only hope. “Don't worry buddy we're going to make it.”

Despite his father's words Thomas was shaking with fear. He could have sworn he saw the rift beast coming over a hill behind them. He could have sworn he saw the creature's teeth. He hadn't seen it sense but the fear was almost overwhelming. The child didn't think of running only desperately holding onto his father.

Even as Thomas desperately clung to his father Robert was thinking about letting him go. If he let Thomas and Miranda go on ahead of him he might be able to buy them some time to run. He wouldn't let that thing kill his family while he was still alive but how long could he truly delay it. “

Thomas felt like his throat had frozen solid. “No. No! It's there!”

The fear in Thomas's voice made Robert want to throw the boy to his mother and tell them to run. “How close son? How close?”

“The hill it.” Thomas felt positively dizzy as he lost site of the creature. It wasn't because it had ran behind anything but they had. For a moment he thought they had ran behind a hill but he soon realized they had ran past a wall.

Miranda could hardly believe what happened. The entrance to the haven had come upon them so quickly as if it had moved to meet them. They had passed through the entrance and were running down a narrow ten meter long tunnel. She didn't hesitate to round the corner as a horrific roar seemed to chase after them. As she rounded the corner she found another tunnel with yet another turn. She counted five sharp corners in total before they came to the door. With each step she could feel a smile beginning to form.

There had been no listening to her husband being snatched away or feeling herself lifted away from her family. Thomas was still with them being carried by his father. They were no gashes torn in her clothing from where the creature's claws had almost got them. There wasn't even any desperately grasping claw reaching for them as they ran into the haven. The rift beast had been far closer then she would have liked but there had been no desperate last second rush. She was grateful as she doubted her heart could take it. Yet they weren't quite inside just yet. She came to a stop at a large and very solid looking door then glanced to Robert.

Robert took in a few deep breaths of air. Bending down he settled Thomas down and for a moment froze as his son collapsed. The boy looked up at his parents smiling though tears were also forming in his eyes. He could understand. He could still feel the fear. They weren't inside yet though and he wasn't going to wait. Looking towards the door he noticed a large handle and some arrows. Grasping it the handle glided down with surprising ease. Another arrow indicated for him to push in and slide to the right which he did. He heard the door unlock. “Okay everyone inside. Come on. Come on.” As Robert spoke he was more pushing his family inside then actually letting them walk.

It was a little hard for Thomas to see with his eyes watering up. He had taken hold of Miranda's hand at some time. As they stepped in several lights turned on and he found himself looking at a surprisingly small room. The boy didn't realize that the reason the structure was so large was the walls were so thick. It was still enough room for far more people then was there. As he looked around he noticed something on the far side of the door. It was a wall. He didn't understand what was on it though some of the markings appeared to be letters. There was one section he could read though.

A horrific scratch made Robert jump. That they could hear it even inside the haven worried him. Fortunately he knew what he was suppose to do and quickly approached the section of the wall marked for english and pushed it in. There was a slight humming sound and then a young girl's voice came over some speakers. It was strange. Her voice was clearly that of a young child's but it held a power and clarity that didn't seem fitting to a child. Was this the voice of the guardian?

Voice, “Greetings. An emergency signal was sent out the moment you entered the haven so you don't need to worry about that. By pushing this button you have also alerted me that actual people are here and not a nosy rift beast. I'm currently on my way to retrieve you and see you safely home. In the mean time you'll find lockers lining the walls. Those marked with a red cross hold medical supplies and instructions for those that need them. The camp site designates bedding material, the water droplet indicates water and food is indicated by a picture of fruit. Feel free to help yourself. I strongly advise against leaving the haven so long as even one of the outer walls have not been breached.”

It was strange but despite the young girl's voice Robert, Miranda and Thomas all drew comfort from the words. They were surprised whenever the voice cut out suddenly only to start up again.

Voice, “Hi. This is the guardian Claire speaking and I just want to let everyone know I got your emergency signal and I'm coming your way now. Is everyone alright?”

Thomas, “Hi Claire! We're fine but there is a monster outside!” As Thomas spoke the entire room seemed to freeze. The young boy didn't notice his parents giving him a surprised glance. The boy had been in tears a moment ago and yet he sounded so cheerful now. How would the guardian respond to there being a child with them though? If they were fortunate it would speed her on her way.

“Hi Thomas! Can you still hear the monster scratching on the outside of the haven.”

“Yeah it's really big! I saw when we were running here. It looked like an elephant with big teeth. Do you know what that is?”

“Oh that's a rift rat! They're really common so I have to hunt them a lot. So they're just a few of you?”

“Me, my mommy and daddy.” Thomas couldn't explain it but he felt warm whenever he heard Claire speaking. There was something else to it as well. It felt like he could hear her through the walls and not just speaking through the speakers. She wasn't that close though. “Claire is that thing really a rat?”

“That's what Mister Michel said they were. He's been studying the rift for a long time even before I became guardian. He helped me to design the haven you're in now so it's real safe and even find good places to put them!”

“Why was the entrance all long and binding?”

“To protect you from the scream of some of the rift creatures like a rift mouse. Even their screams can be harmful to people or even kill them. According to mister Michel pressure waves don't do a good job of going around tight corners so the walls absorb most of the damage. We put a lot of bends into the havens to make sure they couldn't damage the doors without going through the walls.”

In truth Thomas wasn't entirely certain what Claire was talking about. He sure wasn't going to admit to that though so he just nodded his head. He did have a rough idea of what she was talking about. “What happens if they go through a wall though?”

“Well anytime the first wall is damaged or the door is opened I immediately get an emergency signal and rush over to the haven as either people are in trouble or a rift beast has damaged the wall. That or the haven needs fixed.”

“Has a rift beast ever opened a door to the haven?”

“Nope! They have damaged the wall but don't worry I'll be there long before they can get inside and hurt you or your family. I'm almost to you right now actually. Um the ground is going to tip so you might want to set down. Mister Michel tried to design the havens so. Oh! I see the mouse you were talking about!”

“I thought you said it was a rat!”

Robert and Miranda both looked at one another. They had been listening to their son and Claire speak and felt unable to do anything about it. The fear Thomas had been showing when they were outside had vanished. Claire's wording wasn't lost on them though. That was a rift mouse? Had she simply made a mistake or was that truly a mouse to her?

“I can see the shelter you're in and oh. Yeah that's a rift mrat.”

Thomas was about to respond whenever he felt the floor shake beneath them. It wasn't an uneven vibration though. It felt as if the entire island had suddenly titled in one direction and then the other. He felt it raise up again and looked to his parents who in their shock had let their stunned expressions show. Soon the wobbling slowed but that only allowed him to notice several massive impacts. The first one sounded like a thunder clap at a distance but each time it came closer and closer. “Claire is that you?”

“On mument.”

Robert looked towards his wife and his son. He knew about the guardian and of course they'd been looking for her. However, he couldn't help but feel strangely.

“Sorry about that had something in my mouth. You can come out now.”

Thomas, “Is the rift rat gone?”

“Yeah! Come on out it's safe. Oh but he damaged the outer most layer a lot. I'm going to have to get some clay and fix it later.”

In truth if Robert knew of a way to get to a portal he wasn't certain if he would have went outside at that moment. The guardian was said to protect people lost in the rift and return them safely to the earth. He saw it happen on the news plenty. Yet he was still worried. The guardian also had certain rights that he didn't truly believe were a right. They were more like benefits of her power and doing a job no one else could do. To his horror he found himself more chasing after Thomas then anything else whenever he heard the door open and saw the young boy run outside.

The first thing that greeted Thomas when he walked around the corner was the site of a massive foot. Except he didn't recognize it as a foot in the beginning. The appendage was so large that he couldn't even recognize it for what it was until he took a moment to look upwards. A pale tower extended above the foot larger then any building he'd ever seen vanishing into what looked like a long blue sports skirt to the young body. As he tried to look higher Thomas found himself taking a step back only to bump into his father who had come up behind him and stopped on his tracks. Suddenly that foot rocked upward at a speed Thomas had never seen. The winds generated from the movement was such that he held to his father to keep from being knocked down.

Claire had been standing a little too close to the haven. As she realized how close she was she took a careful though quick step backwards. This made it easier for her to see the little family as well as for them to see her. She only gave Robert and Miranda a passing glance before she turned her attention to Thomas. She could swear she knew him from somewhere. When realization set in she couldn't help but flash him a smile. “Hey you're one of my dream playmates! But we haven't met before in person.”

Now that she had moved further back Thomas could see more of Claire. He saw that she was wearing a simple sleeveless shirt that seemed to match her skirt and little else. As he looked upon her face though and thought of his dreams he knew why he had felt so comfortable upon hearing her voice. They had played together. It had been in his dreams but they had played together. The rift didn't just touch the physical world it touched peoples minds as well.

Robert froze for a moment and looked at his son. He had no idea that Claire had been visiting his son in his dreams. Now that he did know he couldn't help but be afraid. The guardian was known to touch the dreams of people. One of her rights was to invite those she liked to the rift in order to spend time with her. This was done to keep the guardian from becoming isolated and the problems that comes with that. The problem was that it was an invitation that no one could refuse. If you received an invitation then regardless of any other obligation you were expected to go. They were horror stories in the past. Of guardians that had invited someone on their wedding day or when they were going to visit a dieing relative. They were rare and far between but it happened. He didn't know of Claire doing any such things. What made Claire stand out was how often she invited children. It was clear why she was still a child herself.

Now that the family was together Claire bent down bringing herself closer to the little trio. She was actually having trouble containing her excitement as she reached down for Thomas and his parents. She had been meaning to invite him but she didn't want to hurt him either. The trip to the rift was never a pleasant one and she didn't like putting her friends through that pain. “Thomas sense you're here already would you like to stay and play for a bit? I know the trip through the rift hurts.”

Thomas couldn't respond right away. As Claire's massive hand reached down for him and his family his view of her face had been obscured and then everything else had been. For a moment he felt like a mountain was about to fall upon him and his family. It had stopped and then building sized fingers had moved in towards him. Her words still carried to him even as he found himself pinched between Claire's massive fingers. Her skin felt warm, soft and inviting. It reminded him of his dreams whenever he'd thought he touched her. Except in his dreams he never really got to touch her. At times he felt something whenever she would move past him but that was it.

Claire waited until she'd stood back up before releasing the family. She was careful to just barely part her fingers. She liked how it felt whenever people slid or tumbled down her fingers. They'd gently bump into them and it tickled slightly. Soon she felt them impact with the palm of her hand and removed her fingers so she could easily see them again. They seemed surprised. “Is everyone okay?”

It was Miranda who spoke up. “Yes. You're very gentle especially considering your size and age!” It was impossible for Miranda to hide the surprise in her voice. She had nearly screamed whenever Claire had picked her and her family up thinking they were about to be crushed. The embrace of Claire's fingers proved to be warm and soothing though.

“It's the magic! Mister Michel says it's guided by my mind and helps protect those that I want to protect. It makes you a lot tougher.”

Miranda, “I see. Well then that's good.”

Thomas had kept silent while his mother spoke but now he spoke up. He remembered hearing his parents screaming while they moved through the rift but he hadn't felt any pain. “It didn't hurt when I traveled through the rift. Is the one you're going to send us back home different?”

“It didn't?” Much like Miranda it was impossible for Claire to hide the surprise in her voice. Everyone she'd ever spoken to said traveling through the rift was painful. She'd even seen people badly injured simply by traveling through it. So how could Thomas not been hurt?

Thomas gave his head a shake. “No. Mom was that why you were screaming?”

Miranda had been screaming for several reasons. One was she suddenly found herself falling. There had also been the realization of what was happening. Yet there had been pain and it had most assuredly motivated some screams. Yet she couldn't remember Thomas screaming or showing any signs of pain after the event. She understood how Robert could compose himself afterwords but what about Thomas? “I well yes. It hurt mommy a lot.”

Claire, “Oh! How much?”

Miranda. “Does it matter?”

To this Claire gave her head a quick nod. “The more pain you feel the more dangerous the journey is especially close together. For a lot of people two trips in a day is fine but if the pain was really bad you'll need to stay here for a while so that you can recover. “

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February 17th, 2014

“Hey!” Claire couldn't help the annoyance in her voice. Thomas had just given her car a good bump right in the back. The resulting impact had put her car into a spin and it had just slammed into the side of the track. Thomas's car had wobbled violently due to the impact but he had managed to retain control. Claire's bird's eye view typically gave her a better understanding of what was happening on the track then Thomas had. She could see curves well in advance. Whenever it came to certain actions though he had a far better feel for the situation.

Was her car out of the race? Thomas didn't dare look back to check but continued to push down on the accelerator despite hearing Claire's cry of protest. The light was suddenly reduced and he felt his vehicle jump slightly as Claire moved to the side of the track. He didn't worry about her picking him up. She didn't always play fair but she'd never gone as far as grabbing his car. Though she had placed her finger on top of his vehicle a few times and kept it from starting. He guessed she was examining her vehicle.

The impact had been real bad. Claire had actually pushed the ignition of her car hoping that it would start again. As she picked up her vehicle though she saw that a good chunk of the front had been caved in by the impact. As she pulled the hood open it was quite clear that her car wouldn't be going anywhere under its own power. The engine couldn't even be considered mounted anymore. “Ah! Thomas you broke my car.”

“Woohoo!”

“Mean!” It was tempting to get a fresh car but they had made a rule about that long ago. If Claire was allowed to simply grab a new car whenever hers was wrecked there would be no way for Thomas to win. After all he couldn't do the same. She soon heard the sound of the breaks being pushed and noticed the car Thomas was driving coming to a stop. “Okay you win. So do you want to race again?”

“We could play something else if you'd want.”

For a moment Claire was silent. She knew that Thomas really liked to play with the cars. She liked them to but it could get old. “Hey let's play school! I can help you with your homework” The words came from Claire before she even knew what she was saying but she liked the idea. She often pretended to be teacher while Thomas was her student. It was one of the few games they still had even after several years and she had a lot of fun with it.

Thomas froze up for a moment. It wasn't that he disliked the idea. He had once asked Claire if she was really smart before she became the guardian. Despite being younger then him she seemed like a higher grade then him. She had told him after she became the guardian it became a lot easier to remember things. She didn't need to practice a formula again and again to remember it. She could see it used once and then duplicate the results whenever she wanted. “I forgot my homework at home.”

“What! I swear I should put you in dentition for that young man!” As she spoke Claire did her best to force some anger into her voice though she didn't feel any. With a single thunderous steps he brought herself within arms reach of Thomas and placed her hands on her hips. “Well you're just going to have to go home and get it.”

“What but class has already started.”

“Yes and now we're all stuck waiting on you.” Despite her best efforts Claire couldn't help but giggle as she bent at the knees while reaching down for Thomas. Rather then letting him climb onto her hand this time she carefully pinched him between the thumb and index finger of her left hand before placing him in the palm of the right. “Depending on how good you do I might have to give you dentition after class for this.”

Thomas's response to Claire's words was to cross his arms and give a sharp snort. “Stop being such a grump!”

“Just keep talking young man.” By now Claire had already stood up and began walking back towards the portal. It would have been easy to open another one for Thomas to use but she didn't like opening too many and she especially didn't like having portals in several rooms. She didn't want to risk anyone entering her home without her knowing about it. As she settled Thomas in front of the portal she gave him the most stern look she could manage for him. “If I'm not here when you get back you just wait in the portal area. I'll be back shortly.”

“Ah! I'm going to tell the principal you left me unattended!” Unlike when she'd picked him up Claire hadn't picked Thomas off her palm forcing him to walk across her hand. This was often the case with her. She was quick to pick him up and hold onto him. She was slow to let him go. “You know a teacher is never suppose to leave a student alone.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No. I'm just telling you what's going to happen. I'm also going to tell my mommy that you were mean to me.”

“Well if your mother wants to come and have a talk with me tell her that she's more then welcome to. I'll even talk to your father if he'd like.”

It was impossible for Thomas to keep from chuckling. “You're just lucky they're both really busy!”