Portal Gnome in Seattle

"Stupid Marget," I cursed while I was underneath the bridge taking shelter from the current thunderstorm.

"Now I have to wait this out all thanks to her and her compatriots," I continue cursing while holding my broken astronaut helmet. "If only, I can prove them wrong!"

MOMENTS EARLIER:

As I turned around the corner, I can see the Space Needle from where I'm heading home. Behind it was dark clouds; it was about to storm today. However it was always comforting and inspiring to see that landmark every time I come home from school. I have been up there at least a thousand times with Miss. Much more than I can count.

The space needle has always been there for me as much as Miss was. My parents couldn't afford me so they abandoned me when I was just an infant. Miss adopted me the second she saw me on her front porch. This information has been given to me from Miss herself.

I walked down the alley continuously staring at the great landmark. That place is so awe inspiring that it was one of the reasons why I wanted to be an astronaut in the future. Thus why I was also wearing an astronaut costume with a helmet with me today. For Career Day was at my school that late afternoon.

At school, I didn't have many friends. The close friend I could think of is Miss herself and my little stuffed Stitch I carry on my person. I was always treated as the oddball for I always have kept to myself just minding my own business.

I continue minding my own business as I was about to set foot unto the street, when suddenly a familiar voice shouted at me: "Hey Citlali!" Next thing I did was turning around to see the class bully and her two minions standing in front of me.

The class bully, Marget, was wearing a police officer costume, while her so-called friends, Allie and Polly, were wearing a doctor and politician respectfully.

Marget gives me a look and asked: "What makes you think that a girl like you can be an astronaut?"

I confidently reply while quoting what Miss tells me all the time: "Cause dreamers like me can be ambitious and ready to reach for the stars when it comes to achieving our dreams "

At first, Marget and her allies gave me a blank face. Marget quickly recovers by saying: "Some dreamer you are. You'll never get there."

"That's a bit rude if you ask me," I stated. "Aren't you a dreamer too, Marget?"

Marget spitted her words: "I'm not the type of dreamer like you."

I gave her a puzzled look before responding: "Funny, I didn't know there were types of dreamers."

"That's because you're a special case, Citlali!"

"Thank you for calling me special, Marget. I appreciate it," I said but I knew she wasn't meaning it that way.

"I wasn't calling you special, I was referring to you being a nut case." Knew it.

"Better me being a nut case than a entitled little brat," I noted.

"What did you say?" asked the class bully.

"I say-" before I knew it, Marget took my astronaut helmet off of my head.

"Say what you needed to say," she grinned while tossing my helmet like a hacky sack.

"Give it back!" I shouted.

The three girl proceeded to toss the helmet back and forth, playing a game.

"Let's play Monkey in the Middle with a Hot Potato," said Marget proudfully.

She, Allie and Polly continue to taunt me as I tried my best to catch. It sucks that I'm so short in my class. Why do girls like Marget get away with this? After tossing it over my head for a good minute, which felt like an eternity for me, Marget decides to throw my helmet over the street where it gets ran over by a city bus.

"Oopsie," she says with a pleased look on her face.

"How could you?" is all I can ask as I darted to the street retrieving my helmet. The second I turn though the three of them ran the other way trying to avoid the storm which just so happens right there and then.

I quickly cowered over the the bridge nearby with a broken homemade astronaut helmet by hand. Once I was there, I sat there and cried.

"Stupid Marget," I cursed while I was underneath the bridge taking shelter from the current thunderstorm.

"Now I have to wait this out all thanks to her and her compatriots," I continue cursing while holding my broken astronaut helmet. "If only, I can prove them wrong!"

I continue to wait out the storm for a good twenty minutes but it won't quit it. It eventually became so smoothing to listen to the rain and storm that I ended up falling asleep right there from where I sat.

There came a noise, not from the storm though, and my eyes open instantly. I looked around and nothing was there. Just a small creek with some grass here and there. That's when I spotted a gnome that stood a foot tall.

It was nothing too out of the ordinary but somehow this gnome draw me in. Especially since it wasn't there a moment ago. It was a regular gnome you can get some any store. The gnome looked like a young dwarf with a short beard, a navy panel cap, red leather jacket, black t-shirt, and tan pants to acquire. He looked so retro if anything was different from his other brothers and cousins. The gnome even carried a gun on his holster. His gun looked really advanced and futuristic. "What on Earth did you come from?" I asked out loud.

I proceeded to grab the gnome for a close examination. He was quite special than your typical gardening gnomes. I was begining to be quite fond of him. As if, I'm going crazy, I asked the gnome, "Who are you?"

Suddenly the gnome blinks and I screamed at the top of my lungs. I dropped him but the second I did, he disappeared through what look like a portal of some sort. Then the portal disappeared too. "What the heck is going on?"

I searched around to see if I could find him. All seemed lost, until I saw him along the creek down aways. I chased after him. "You aren't getting away that easy!"

He turned his head to find me chasing after him and the gnome skedaddled as quickly as his feet and portals can take him.

The little guy then one side of the creek to another as I was fast approaching him. He must be a rookie at this portal stuff because so far, it seems as if he was struggling.

I continue to pursuit the gnome while getting wet from the storm in the process. I was determined to know everything about this unique gnome.

Eventually we got to the dead end of the creek but that didn't stop the little guy. He made himself a portal from the surface of the dead end. He quickly went in there and without hesitation, I went through it too. Luckily I was the smallest child in my class in order for me to do so.

Once I went through the portal however, something was off yet different. It didn't feel like anything back at home. It was as if I'm not on Earth anymore.

I checked my surroundings and I found myself in some sort of laboratory with all types of science equipment and stuff. It felt a bit chilly in that yet I could feel a warm breath behind me.

I turned around to find a monkey looking directly at me. Yet this monkey was different. He had four tentacles for his left arm and a giant lobster claw on his right. He had wings on his back; one falcon wing on his left shoulder and the other a bat wing. His feet however acquired a rooster one on his left footing while his right foot was cybernetic. His tail was made for a tiger. On the top of his head was a pair of goat horns and a singular anglerfish antenna which made the rooms glow.

This monkey that stood before was at least the same height as me, if only an inch taller. It He gave me a curious look as I was completely speechless.

All of a sudden, he spoke by asking me politely: "Who do we have here?"

This was all too much for me. Especially for one day for a twelve year old. It was so much so that I even I passed out on the creepy looking yet friendly monkey that spoke to me with.