The Reality Bug Read Online Free Page A

truthfully. “But then again, I’m not so sure I know what normal is anymore.”
    I led him down the garbage-strewn stairs of the closed station. It was a familiar route. The entrance was boarded over with wooden planks that were plastered with flyers and advertisements. But I knew the way in. Two of the boards were loose and a quick tug revealed our entrance.
    The empty station looked the exact same as it had the first night Uncle Press brought me here. It was a long forgotten piece of New York history—forgotten by everyone but us, that is. A subway train rumbled through, kicking up pieces of crusty paper full of yesterday’s news. Once it passed we quickly jumped down onto the track and made our way along the oil-stained wall toward the wooden door with the star symbol. A few seconds later we entered the rocky cavern that would be our last stop on Second Earth. The first leg of our trip had been cake. Now things would get interesting. The two of us stood there for a moment, silently gazing into the long, dark roadway to the territories … the flume.
    â€œTell me about this Veelox place,” Gunny said.
    â€œNot much to tell,” I answered. “I was only there for a few minutes and never left the flume.”
    â€œThat floating-head girl?” he asked. “You sure she’s a Traveler?”
    â€œSo she says,” I answered.
    Gunny shook his head in wonder. “Heads floating in space,” he said philosophically. “What next?”
    â€œI think we’re about to find out,” I answered.
    He gave me a small smile, then stepped into the mouth of the flume. “ Veelox! ” he shouted and the flume came to life. The rock walls cracked and groaned as if they were stretching out the kinks after a long sleep. Deep in the tunnel a faint light appeared that would soon come to sweep Gunny away. Along with it came the faint jumble of sweet musical notes that always accompanied the spectacular light show.
    Gunny turned to me. I saw a hint of tension in his eyes. “Did I ever tell you I’m not a big fan of this fluming business?”
    I laughed. “Gunny, there’s plenty of stuff out there to be scared about. The flume isn’t one of ’em.”
    As the light grew closer, the dark rock of the tunnel began its transformation into clear crystal.
    â€œI’ll hold you to that,” Gunny said. The light flashed nuclear, music echoed throughout the space, and Gunny was gone. I dropped my hand in time to see the light disappear into the depths of the tunnel. The flume had returned to normal, waiting for its next passenger. Me.
    â€œ Veelox! ” I shouted, and the process began again.
    As the light and music came for me, I closed my eyes, waiting for the first tug that would signal the beginning of my trip.
    Here we go again.
    The flume ride to Veelox wasn’t different than any other. I crossed my arms, kicked back, and enjoyed the sensation of shooting through the crystal tunnel. I gazed out through the clear walls at the star field beyond, trying to pick out a constellation, but none looked familiar. I still didn’t know exactly what happened when a Traveler went through a flume. I was beginning to understand that it wasn’t like moving through the regular old three dimensions of space that we’re used to. You know: up, down, forward, back. I believe a flume trip sent you through a fourth dimension, which was time. That’s why the Travelers are able to show up where they need to be, when they need to be there.
    Uncle Press explained to me about Halla. It was everything … all times, all places, all people, and all things that ever were. And they all still existed. If that were true, then maybe there was a fifth and even a sixth dimension, and the flumes were interdimensional highways between them. Something like that would make sense, or the universe would be getting pretty crowded.
    Did I say that made sense? Who am