The portal

I was alone at home. No one there but myself and my beloved goldfish Burt. Burt and I have lived in this apartment since I graduaged college and found a job in retail, here in Philadelphia, almost one year ago. This flat was located in Harrowgate, one of the worse districts, at least according to statistics, but it was affordable, considering my rather low income, and thats what really mattered to me. We watched the 'Big bang theory'-finale on the old TV the previous tenant kindly left me, Burts open aquarium standing on a small wooden table and my mobile phone lying directly next to his animal housing. The comfortable green couch I currently sat on, actually the first furniture I ever bought, was standing to the tables left.

„Can't wait to see Sheldon and Amy recieving the Nobel Prize, they definitely deserved it. Do you want some food Burt? I'm making myself popcorn.“ As always, Burt didn't answer. „Why am I even asking? Of course you want some of that delicious fish food“ I joked to myself. Just hope no one will ever witness me talking to myself, people think I'm weird enough already, even though that's actually benefitting to mental health.

While thinking I walked to the kitchen, put the special bagged popcorn into the microwave and fetched Burts food while the microwave did its thing. After everything was ready I went back to the living room, both hands full. While carefully maneuvering both the bowl of popcorn and the fish food, I noticed the lights in the small hallway flickering. Hm, maybe some light bulbs were beginning to break down. Mentally I added ‚light bulbs‘ to my shopping list. Hopefully I'll remember to actually write it down later, however with my sparrow brain the chance of that happening was rather low.

With a sigh I plopped on the sofa and poured the fish food into the aquarium. Burt eagerly swam to the granules eating them up. I smiled to myself, he was just so cute. Burtie was a gift from my friends Helen, Brandon, Luca and Katie in our last college year at the Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where I majored in Sociology. None of them expected me to actually keep him since I was never very good with animals, but give him away as soon as possible to my twelve year old cousin Trent. Trent wanted to become a marine biologist ever since his class went on a field trip to an aquarium when he was eight. However I basically immediately fell in love with the small goldfish.

While I was lost in thought, another flicker of light - this time in the living room - abruptly pulled me back to the present. I shook my head, did I only imagine that? It flickered again – longer this time. Okay, I should definitely buy new light bulbs. Suddenly all lights went out completly and this time they stayed that way.

No flickers only darkness swallowing everything. Looking up at the automatic clock hanging on the right wall, the digits stared back in red neon light, 10.58 p.m. Maybe the lights had a short circuit.

Picking up my mobile phone I opened the flashlight app and carefully approached my destination: the electrical box at the end of the hallway. Overviewing everything I realized that I assumed correctly. After fixing it the lights went on again, relieved I planned to go back into the living room. On my way there though, I thought I heard a noise, stopping in my tracks before my bedroom door to the left, finally I realized it was a quiet hum. Was this real? No I must have imagined it. Then I continued my short way back to Burt. Arriving there I settled back onto the couch but after a while I heard it again, that hum – louder this time. Now that arouse my curiosity, what could it be? It was only Burt and me present after all. Maybe Helen wanted to suprise me? She was always a fan of horror movies and loved to scare people, so it'd make sense she didn't tell me beforehand that she'll come visit. But how would she get into my apartment, my friends do not have keys. Standing up from the couch and sneaking through the rooms, the noise, getting steadily louder, lead me towards my bedroom. But what should be in there? Slowly I opened the door.

Whatever I expected, it didnt prepare me for what I saw.

Darkness. A big round black hole floating in the middle of the bedroom. The hum was coming from it. After a few moments standing in the doorway and gaping, I went further inside, now standing directly before the weird hole. „What the fuck is this and where did it come from?“ I mumbled to myself. „Greetings Earthling“ the floating thing answered. „What the fuck!!!!“ I stumbled back. „Do not be scared. We do not wish to harm you.“ „Wh-What do you want from me?“ The incredibly high voice replied again „Return what belongs to us and no harm will befall you“ „I don't know what you’re talking about. Whatever you think I stole from you, I swear I don't have it!“ „So you are not in the posession of our dear brother“ the bodyless voice stated incredulous. „No I really am not. The only person here is me and then there is my goldfish Burt.“ „You dare call a member of the race of Theomyene a mere aquatic animal!?“ „Well Burt IS only a goldfish, isn't he…“

The dark thing demanded I bring him to it. Scared I obeyed and rushed back to the living room, clutching the small aquarium to my chest and walked back into the bedroom. „Here he is, what do you want from him? He's only a small fish!“ „Come closer to this portal“ So this thing is supposed to be a portal huh? Not a bodyless floating evil whatever. Carefully I stepped closer.

„Thank you for bringing me home. You were a most entertaining pastime while I holidayed on this planet.“ What? Where did this baritone voice come from? And what did they mean 'bringing me home'? „Down here“ Looking down, Burt had a big toothy grin plastered on his little face. Okay this is definitely a lucid dream, I probably fell asleep on the couch, there is no way this is real life. Fish didn't posess what looked like big human teeth at first sight, but were actually very sharp. Which ended up to look like a mix between vampire fangs and shark teeth. This looked so creepy and plain wrong it couldn't be real. This was just a dream, my brain photoshopped this, maybe I should't have drunken that glass of wine to dinner. After having reassured myself I lowered my gaze again.

„Burt??“ „Yes it is me Earthling. It was nice to meet you. Maybe we will see each other again one day“. Then he proceeded to jump out of his aquarium, turning his body to look at me for a short moment, wink and shoot straight into the waiting portal, which closed the instant he traveled trough.

So that was how I discovered my goldfish was actually an alien or I was having hallucinations. But honestly where did my friends get him then? Are they some kind of intergalactic smugglers or what. Who knows. I definitely don't.