12. Tyler

The thing that emerges from the moving oil slick is like a blob of tar with arms and legs. It drips pure shadow, a complete blackness that reminds me of the one time I witnessed the totality of a solar eclipse.

"Um, Kalistratos?" I say. "What the hell is that?"

"A foul monster from the underworld, like a soul reaver."

"And what the hell is it doing here?"

"I don't know. I'm guessing it's not here to make friends."

"So, uh, run?"

"Run."

The cops burst out from the brewery's back door and skid to a stop in front of the shadow monster and are frozen in both confusion and fear.

"What the fuck is that?" one of them shouts.

The last thing I see before I turn and bolt is the shadow monster stretching its body upward like the crest of a wave. It's eerily silent as it absorbs the first officer, falling around him like a tube of black gelatin. The others scream and draw their pistols. I hear gunshots behind me. A bullet shatters a nearby window and another ricochets off a wall with a loud zip crack. Kalistratos nearly trips and stumbles.

"Cheesus! Why is everything in your world so damn loud?!"

More gunshots—then silence. The dark clouds above us swirl like a hurricane. We're at the far side of the business park and the street with the empty lot is right ahead. I can see Jeff's car there, idling. Police lights flash across the buildings and the cruiser veers out from the cross street, blocking our path. Kalistratos and I don't stop. Two policemen get out of the car with guns drawn, but their eyes go wide when they see what we're running from. They both jump back into the car and throw it into reverse. The tires squeal across the asphalt and they jump the curb and crash into the street, throwing sparks everywhere as they spin around and drive away.

Kalistratos looks over his shoulder. "We must run faster!"

"Do I want to look?" I yell.

"Only if it'll make you run faster!"

Jeff opens his door and gets out, gawking with his mouth hanging open.

"Don't rubberneck!" I scream, waving my arms. "We gotta get outta here!"

Then my stupid legs decide to take a wrong step. I trip over my foot and manage to catch myself before falling flat on my face, but the little phoenix chicken figurine pops out of my pocket and rolls across the ground. I turn to grab it and see the shadow monster skittering towards us like a fucking black tar centipede.

"Tyler!" Kalistratos shouts. "Leave it! Go!"

I can't. I know it's insane, but losing that figurine feels like losing a part of me. I can't let it happen. I scoop it up and squeeze it to my chest. I feel it again—heat radiating from within it. Heat like the sun. Like phoenix fire.

The monster is on us. Its amorphous body compresses and reforms. It looks like a large man who's just fallen into a thick tar pit. It advances, posturing to consume us.

No! I turn my back to it, shielding the figurine as I feel its heat spreading through my body. Then Kalistratos throws himself over me and pushes out his open palm. A jet of white flame erupts from his fingertips, engulfing the monster and setting the side of the nearby building ablaze. We sprint for Jeff's car and dive into the backseat.

The storm clouds are clearing from the sky, and the sun shines brightly as if nothing happened. I look through the rear window as we drive away—flames crawl across the building as dark smoke billows from a torched hedge, but the monster is nowhere to be seen.

"Did you kill it?" I ask.

Kalistratos shakes his head. "I don't know."

"Christ, Tyler," Jeff says from the front seat. "What kind of shit have you gotten yourself into? First the cops, then a damn alien blob monster?"

"Feels like I've been asking myself the same question every single day lately," I say.

Kalistratos leans forward and claps Jeff on the shoulder. "You have my gratitude for that rescue."

"Oh, sure, uh, no problem," Jeff mutters. "So…am I taking you guys back to your place, or what?"

"No," I say. "I wouldn't be surprised if the cops are waiting for us there. Shit. A hotel would be way too risky, too."

Where could we possibly go?

"Well…you could always come post up at my place," says Jeff.

"Your place? No, no. We'll figure something else out."

"C'mon, Ty. Where else are you gonna stay? You know you don't have any other reasonable options."

"He's right," Kalistratos says. "It doesn't seem as though your world has an abundance of empty caves for us to hide in."

I give Kalistratos a look that says, "You're supposed to be on my side, jerk." But he's not wrong. Neither of them are. It's just fucking awkward.

Jeff's apartment is a movie buff's paradise. The walls are stuffed from floor to ceiling with shelves and shelves of Blu-rays, display cases with memorabilia, and framed posters. As soon as we go inside, he flips on the TV and unpauses the movie he had going on Netflix. The Clash of the Titans remake.

"What is this fresh madness?" Kalistratos asks, kneeling in front of the TV with his face close to the screen. "A window into another world?"

"That's a TV, bro," Jeff says. "You don't have movies in your world?"

"No," Kalistratos replies, engrossed in the action happening on screen. He jerks in surprise as a giant scorpion rises out of the sand and attacks the heroes.

"Oh, shit!" Jeff replies, turning to me. "So he's never seen a movie before?"

I shake my head. "I don't think this is the time for?—"

"You are in for a treat," he says to him. "This is one of my favorites. A lot of people hate it, but I think it's completely underrated. You want something to drink? I've got beer, I've got sparkling water, I've got Coke…"

"Coke?" Kalistratos says, perking up. "I would like to drink Coke."

I sigh and sit next to Kalistratos as Jeff goes to the kitchen and starts making popcorn.

"These men are incredible warriors," he says, pointing at the screen. "If we could recruit them to our cause…"

"It's a movie, Kalistratos," I say, slipping my hand into his. "None of it's real. They're just actors."

"Actors?" he asks, squinting. "Like on a stage?"

"Yeah. It's all a fancy illusion."

"Hm." He leans back into the couch cushions. "Incredible."

Jeff comes back with a tray of popcorn and drinks.

"Ever had popcorn before?" he asks. "No? Try it. I use butter, a little sea salt, and a little sugar. Perfect movie snack."

Kalistratos stuffs a handful of popcorn into his mouth as a man gets eviscerated by a gorgon on screen.

"Alyx and I have met some of those," he says, gesturing to the screen. "We'd found the ruins of a palace of a wealthy and great civilization. We'd heard it told that a clan of serpent women lived deep within its crumbling walls, feeding on the hearts of men who came to find the treasure hidden inside. We figured it was nothing but a legend. Well, we were right. The treasure was bullshit. But there were serpent women." He chuckles. "Though they looked nothing like that. They were small and adorable and only wanted company. Of course, when we tried to leave, they became very angry with us."

"What did you do?" Jeff asks curiously, muting the sound TV.

"Alyx turned himself into a hawk and they all ran away. Or slithered away."

"Hold up, this guy Alyx turned himself into a hawk?"

"He's normally a cat," I chime in.

"So can you do all that too?" Jeff asks. "Or are you just a chicken?"

"Not a chicken," Kalistratos grunts. "I'm a phoenix."

"Right, right. My bad. I'm still getting a handle on all of this crazy shit. Oh, crap. I just remembered! I got a response to the post I made about that symbol."

"You did?" I say. "Why didn't you mention it earlier?"

"Cut me some slack, Ty. I'm feeling like Neo here when he learned about the fuckin' Matrix. Hold on. Let me get my laptop."

I sigh and shake my head. "We're sitting here watching a movie. Of course he would forget. He always forgets."

Kalistratos puts his hand on my thigh and smiles. "Tyler."

"What?"

"You're tenser than an Erpetosi in a pot of hot water."

"No shit? If getting caught by the cops wasn't bad enough, we now have a damn shadow monster trying to get us. Kalistratos, why was that thing here?"

"I told you, I don't know," he says calmly. "But I have a feeling it has to do with the Great Phoenix."

"Because he's been trying to contact us?" I say.

"Perhaps the being who sent us here knows we are trying to return to Circeana, and has summoned this monster to stop us."

"That's a disturbing thought."

"But it's not what's bothering you right now," he says.

Dammit, it's not. We owe Jeff for saving our asses today and for risking his neck by putting us up at his place, but I can't help the way I feel.

"Seeing Jeff brings up a lot of complicated emotions," I say. "Irritation, mostly. I guess it's not so complicated. It's just that, after meeting you, I realized how much time and emotional energy I'd poured into a man who was never good for me. A good friend, but that's where it should've ended. And I'm a little pissed that I was never able to see that."

"Pissed at Jeff?" Kalistratos asks.

I rub my eyes with my palms. "I know. I only have myself to blame."

"Blame the Gods if you must, but there are certain things that are out of our control. We can't choose who we love."

"I don't know. I think we're responsible for handling our emotions."

"Did you choose to fall in love with me?"

"You're different," I say.

"How?"

"Fate and destiny and all of that."

He laughs. "So you admit it. It's out of your hands."

"I guess so. But for Jeff…I was never really in love with him. I was in love with my idea of him, or with the idea of what our relationship could be. That wasn't the work of a god. That was just me, lacking awareness. A god might create a spark, but we're the ones who fan the flames. We always have a choice. I wish I'd been more aware of how my choices were hurting me."

"Perhaps you're right. Then can you be sure you're not simply in love with your idea of me?"

I smile. "I have no preconceptions of what our love should look like. What I do know is that you're here for me. I've seen it again and again. Even when you barely knew me, barely even liked me, you were there."

He huffs. "I know. What was I thinking? I rescue you from capture and now I can't get away from you." Then he chuckles and kisses me.

Jeff returns with his computer and puts it on the coffee table. There's a website open on the screen. "Alright, so I made posts across multiple subforums, including paranormal studies and lost civilizations," he says. "All of them got zero hits. No replies. Except one."

"Okay, which one?" I ask.

"Geoguessing," he says with a satisfied smile.

I was expecting something much more exciting, like aliens or ghosts. "Geoguessing. Isn't that the thing where people look for hidden treasure using GPS maps?"

"That's geocaching," says Jeff. "Geoguessing is where people look at a photo and figure out where it was taken based only on what they can see in the picture. Here's the post."

I scroll through it. The first few responses are just people making a bunch of dumb jokes, but then there's a reply that catches my eye.

"It looks like this," the comment says, and below it is an image of a much more polished version of my crude drawing, like a corporate graphic logo.

"Hm," I say. "It does kind of look like it." I turn the computer to show Kalistratos.

"What is this symbol?" he asks.

"There's nothing else. They didn't give any kind of information." I look at Jeff. "I mean, it looks similar, but I have no idea what it means."

"I thought the same, so I did a little digging myself. Did a reverse image search of that logo and, bam. Found this. An address."

"Is this a company?" I ask. "What is it?"

"Ahh, I forgot to write that part down," he says, turning the computer back. "Let me see, it won't take me more than a few seconds to look it up again."

"Maybe it's just a coincidence?" I say, still skeptical. "I mean, what if Nelly was just a crazy guy who happened to see this logo, and?—"

"Got it," Jeff says. "Here's the site."

He turns the computer back to me, and whatever I am about to say vanishes from my mouth like a puff of smoke.

"What?" Kalistratos asks. "How does it read?"

"Circeana Enterprises," I say, stunned.

The Circeana Enterprises website has almost no information, just a stock photo of a man and woman in business suits and wide, pearly-white smiles shaking hands in front of a golden sunrise. There's some vague copy about making the world a better place and the address at the very bottom, but that's it. Not even so much as an FAQ.

"Is there a bus that goes into the city from here?" I say, pacing back and forth. "No… It's a one-and-a-half-hour drive, normally. Public transit would take forever. Too risky, anyway. Maybe an Uber? But that would be a huge risk, too."

Kalistratos sits silently, eyes down almost as if he's meditating. I know his energy is low—not to mention he's probably having a hell of a sugar and caffeine crash after drinking a gallon of Coke today. Jeff stares at the muted television, munching on piece after piece of popcorn. He's shaking his leg nervously.

"Jeff," I say tentatively. "We need to get to this place."

"I know, I know," he says, putting up his hand. "Just give me a second." He munches more popcorn. "Oh, boy. This is getting too real."

"It didn't get real when Kalistratos turned into a chicken?"

Kalistratos looks up. "Hey…"

"Or when we were getting chased down by a shadow monster?"

"Up until a second ago I was doing a pretty good job at staying in denial about what happened today," Jeff blurts. "I want to help you guys, and I will, but…I just need a second."

"I understand."

"Oh boy," Jeff huffs. "It feels like I've had one too many Monster Energies. I need to soak my head. I-I'll be right back."

He accidentally knocks the bowl of popcorn across Kalistratos's lap when he gets up and vanishes into the bathroom.

Kalistratos looks up at me. "This isn't his fight," he says.

"I know," I reply. "But we can't get there without his help."

"Yes, we can. We'll walk if we must. You and I both know that nothing will keep us from doing what we must to get to the end of this." He nods towards the bathroom. "You should go speak with him. Release him of his burden."

I think about it for a moment, then nod. "Yeah. I'll do that."

I go to the bathroom door. I can hear the sink running inside. After a few deep breaths, I knock.

"Mind if I come in and talk to you?" I say.

Jeff opens the door. He's a little pale, and his face is dripping with water. He turns off the faucet and wipes his face with a hand towel. I lean against the doorframe.

"I'm asking too much of you. Don't worry about taking us, alright? Kalistratos and I will figure something out."

Jeff gives me a weary smile. "I'd always fantasized about being the hero in a movie. Magic, monsters, shapeshifters. It's real, and here I am, chickening out. I can't even turn into one. Don't tell him I said that."

I snort. "Don't worry about it, Jeff. It's a lot for anyone to take. I've just been in it for long enough that I'm sort of used to it. Remember, I've been gone longer than it seems."

"You were always the brave one. I'm sorry. I feel like a piece of shit."

"Don't. You've already done a lot for us."

"That's not what I mean… I'm sorry for the way I treated you. Fuckin' sucks. I guess it took suddenly being kicked off of Tyler Island to see it."

"Yeah, no shit, it sucks. You hurt me a lot. I'm sure I hurt you, too. Always getting angry, demanding things you weren't ready or willing to give. I just… I really cared about you a lot. But it's different now. I always wondered why I wasn't enough for you to be ready to be with me. But I realized the truth. It had nothing to do with me. And I had to stop holding on to the person who always broke my heart."

Jeff absorbs my words, then turns his face away from me and slaps the faucet handle. As he goes to splash his face, I can see tears dripping down his chin.

He grins, blows his nose, and nods. "I'm always fucking things up. God, you were the best thing to happen to me, Tyler. And now it's too late."

We both stand there, frozen in silence. The water runs and runs.

Then he turns to me. "I'm glad we got to have such a great time together," he says, forcing a smile to hold himself back from crying. "I wish I'd not taken it for granted. But I loved every moment of it. You're a great person, Tyler. Kalistratos is a lucky man to have you. And, phew, you're lucky, too." He fans himself.

I snort-laugh. "He's hot, right?" Then I reach out and hug him. "Hey. Thanks for all the fun we shared, Jeff. Truly."

I don't feel sad. The weight, the anger, all of it is dissipating, replaced with a lightness in my heart. I know that when I look back on the phase of my life I spent with Jeff, I'll remember the good things. I'll remember that in the end, it made me a better person. Without my experiences with Jeff, I might not have grown enough to be ready to love Kalistratos.

"I'm sorry that I laid all of this on you so suddenly," I tell him. "None of this is your problem, but I wrapped you up in it. It's selfish of me."

"Nah, no way. I'm glad you could come to me. Look, I'm not built for going up against shadow monsters, let alone being wanted by the police. But I want to help you guys. So take my car."

"Seriously? But… Jeff, you know this could be a one-way trip for me. I mean, I'm not planning on dying or anything, but…"

"Yeah, I know. You have a new home to get back to. Don't worry, I have a spare key and a GPS tag. I'll find the car, wherever you leave it."

I hear Kalistratos snoring loudly from the other room. Jeff laughs. "Why don't you guys rest here, and then stay the night? I'll pull out the sofa bed for you guys."

For the rest of the day, it's like I'm able to go back to the best parts of my old life. Kalistratos and I nap for a while, then Jeff orders a bunch of takeout from all of our favorite restaurants, and the three of us sit around the dining table and pig out. Kalistratos loves the pad thai and fried chicken but hates the gyros.

"I could get better from a street rat in a Kausos back alley," he says.

Afterwards, dessert. Nothing fancy—since Kalistratos loves Coke so much, Jeff makes ice cream floats using a scoop of vanilla and a can of Coke.

"Your world may be filled with utter chaos," Kalistratos says after scraping the last dredges of ice cream and soda from his glass. "But I concede one thing… The food is pretty damn good."

"Alright," Jeff says, rubbing his hands together. "I think we have enough time for a small movie marathon."

"A small movie marathon for you is not a small movie marathon," I say, laughing.

"Kalistratos? What do you say? Want to see some of the most awesome movies ever made?"

"There are more?" Kalistratos asks.

"There's more than one person could possibly hope to watch," I tell him. "And, somehow, Jeff has seen most of them. You see all of those bookcases? All of those cases are different movies. Different stories contained in each one."

"Well, come on then," Kalistratos says, sitting on the couch. "Show me."

Jeff lets out a delighted squeal. Showing people new movies is his passion, and he has the world's rarest subject right in his living room. I settle in next to Kalistratos and lean against his shoulder as Jeff zips around like a hummingbird, gathering different movies from the shelves. He pops in the first disc—Star Wars, of course—turns the lights down and sits on the far side of the L-shaped sofa. I can't help but feel bad for him sitting over there on his own. Then Kalistratos beckons with his hand.

"Friend," he says to Jeff. "You needn't be so far away." He pats the sofa next to him.

"Oh… Okay, sure," Jeff says, and then happily gets up and sits next to Kalistratos.

I smile up at my man with so much admiration and appreciation. Kalistratos is generous, he's protective, he's understanding, and I know he'll always be here for me and those I care about. Our minds are matched in a way I've never experienced before. Kalistratos is a true alpha. He's my alpha.