“There’s a storm coming…are you ready?” the stranger asked.  

I couldn’t see his face, as he was hidden by the darkness.  I could make out his mouth to a point; his pure white teeth almost glowing through the pitch-black surroundings.  

“A storm?” I asked, “why do I need to be ready for that?” 

“It is not the storm, but what awaits within you should fear…are you ready for that? Are you prepared to stay?” 

“I don’t understand.  Why can’t you just tell me what…”

I felt my words catch in my throat.  I was unable to convince them to even reach my mouth, let alone escape out into the world.  Though I had been unable to see anything at first, when the sky lit up with such vibrant flashes of lightning, I could make out the silhouette of the man.  

He just stood in place, holding a black umbrella above his head, still shielding his appearance from me.  When the scarlet rain began to cascade down upon us, I no longer attempted to focus on the stranger, only on the heavy, blood-like drops as they quickly formed pools around our feet.  

“A decision must be made.  Once you choose, your fate is sealed…”

•

When my eyes blinked open, I was sitting straight up in my bed, momentarily confused and somewhat dazed.  The dream felt more real and at the same time more surreal than any I had ever experienced.  I could still hear that deeply haunting voice reverberating against my eardrums as though he stood in the corner of my bedroom, still holding his umbrella.  

I chalked it up to nothing more than good old-fashioned nerves with this being my first day of a new job.  I’d done some security work, here and there, over the past few years, so I assumed my new responsibilities as a bonafide park ranger wouldn’t be much different.  I’d been through orientation and the like over the previous days, even though I would only be a glorified temp until I could prove one way or another that I could handle the full-time responsibilities.  

After the meet and greet with the others who worked the morning shift, Slade, the guy they referred to as the Chief, or simply Cap, called me back into his office.  He was an older guy; maybe around fifty or so, but he was a good bit taller than me and quite stocky.  He looked like someone you don’t want to be disrespectful or rude to.  I most definitely didn’t want to get on his bad side anyway.  

We talked back and forth for a while, just shooting the shit and getting to know each other a bit.  He asked if I saw this as something I could see myself making a lifelong career out of, but I couldn’t give him a straight answer on that.  It was my first day, after all.  He seemed understanding to my stuttered reply when I tried to come up with something to say to his question at least.

Once all the small talk was out of the way, he got up from his seat, shook my hand, and led me towards the door to his office.  He reached out for the latch before hesitating, glancing over to me, and placing his hand on my shoulder.  

“Once you see them, they see you too,” he told me, staring into my eyes with such intensity, I felt my spine stiffen.  

“Huh?”

“There are a lotta strange things out there, but nothin’ else like them.  You best be sure if you wanna stick around before the rain comes.”

“I’m sorry, sir…I don’t know what you’re…”

“Get a feel for the job.  Get the routines down and get to know the rest of the guys.  We’re a family ’round here; more so than that.”

I just continued to stare back at him, feeling more puzzled by the second.  To be honest, I thought he was just messing with me; hazing the new guy and all.  Still, he was getting up in years, so I thought he may well have been a bit…well, I was sure he meant well, anyway.  

“There’s a storm comin’, son.  Best be sure before it gets here,” he said, finally pulling the door open.  

His words instantly flashed me back to the bizarre dream from the night before, but I was certain it was nothing more than a coincidence.  There had been something of a drought of late.  I couldn’t even remember the last time it rained, so it had to come sooner or later.  I just chalked the shared sentiment between my new boss and the stranger in my dream as nothing more than my subconscious longing for the rain to come and cool off the world some.  

He handed me a set of keys, warning me to never be without them.  The keychain that dangled from the eight or so keys of various shapes and sizes, was the same unusual symbol that was mounted to the outside wall of the rangers station.  I didn’t pay it much attention at the time, as I assumed it simply represented whatever company may own or operate things around these parts, but I would learn to damn sure do what he advised, and keep them on me at all times.

As that first week progressed, I grew to very much enjoy the job, as well as the company of my fellow employees.  Since I had technically signed on for seasonal work, there was potential for it to become a full-time thing, so I tried to learn everything I could to give myself a better shot.  I worked staggered shifts those first few weeks, working with just about all of the other rangers to get all the different perspectives.  

They were a friendly group, but Rick, the graveyard shift guy, was a bit twitchy and nervous for someone hovering right around thirty years old.  He was a slender, shaggy haired guy, but he looked like he had some solid muscle on him.  There were scars up and down the length of both of his forearms, but I assumed that may have been from his time overseas, and likely a factor on his troubled mind.  

“You hear some crazy shit out here when the sun goes down,” he said more than once over the days we worked together.  

“What kinda crazy shit?” I asked, honestly quite curious as to what would qualify as such, given all the wildlife around.  

“Hard to say, really.  Just, I don’t know, unnatural, I s’pose.”

“But, I mean, like, how so? Weird animal noises? Squealing tires of cars and such? Maybe people messing around? What?” 

“I guess a bit of everything, in a way, you know?” 

“Um, nope…don’t know,” I replied with a laugh.

“You’ll understand more when you see them,” he said, attempting to laugh with me, “kinda opens your eyes some, though…best if you don’t…you know…see them…”

“Who are ‘they’?” I asked, making air quotes with my fingers, “Cap said something about ‘them’ my first day, but…”

“Can’t say what they are, on account of the fact I don’t really know.  Can’t even see them, you know, all the time…just when it rains, I guess…I know they’re there, though.  Can feel ’em lookin’ back at me…just…”

He sort of drifted off while he spoke, just gazing out the window.  Whether he was looking at ‘them’, out there in the dark, I didn’t know.  In all honesty, I didn’t buy it at all; that something out there was only visible in the rain, but Rick did look troubled.  

Craig; one of the early shift boys, told me that Rick had some lingering PTSD from his time in Afghanistan, and he ‘wasn’t all there’ anymore.  For the most part, he seemed like a good dude, but he had seen some shit; his eyes revealed that much.  

Were it not for Captain Slade having dropped the warning about the elusive ‘them’ when I started, I wouldn’t pay Rick’s words any mind, but it had most certainly piqued my curiosity.  

“Are they dangerous?” I asked after the room fell silent for a while.  

“I…not sure, honestly…but some of the other things are.  All kinda things out there…gets more clear when you see them, though.”

The more he spoke in his almost frustrating riddles, the more uneasy I felt; not from the elusive ‘them’, but from Rick’s seemingly troubled mind.Fortunately, the shift had almost reached its end by this point.  I had grown more awkward and somewhat uncomfortable the longer we shared each other’s company, so when the clock chimed to signify the morning crew should be arriving any minute, I almost jumped to my feet to ready my escape.  

Before I signed on for seasonal work, I hadn’t realized what sort of schedule I may be working.  I’d been to various campsites and parks before, and witnessed a few ranger stations closing up shop for the night around seven or eight.  Had I understood that this particular area required twenty-four-hour supervision, for some reason, I’m not entirely sure if I would’ve gone for it, but it would seem I would be fluctuating my hours at least.  

Over the following weeks, I completed my training, grew far more familiar with most of the trails and more populated hiking spots, and had begun to feel like a solid part of the team.  Being the new guy, I was still working a different shift each week, but I was okay with that.  I would still have plenty of time off, plus guaranteed at least one full weekend off a month.  

Sure, the job didn’t pay quite as much as I would like, but I would apparently get a healthy raise after becoming a full-time employee.  Cap assured me it was entirely in my own hands; whether or not I wanted to become a permanent member, though I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that.  If I chose to just stick with part-time, my time with the rangers would come to an end by around September, so I had a lot to think about.

I had worked the job for about two months by the time I had yet another uncomfortable conversation, but I had already grown quite accustomed to such things.  When the chief called me into his office, the expression he wore made me think he was about to fire my ass for a moment.  It looked almost more like he was intending to give me a piece of his mind, rather than asking if I’d come to a decision yet; that’s how it felt to me at the time anyway.  

“So, how committed to this job are you?” he asked, staring me down as though it was some sort of interrogation.

“Um, I mean, I care about the job a lot, if that’s what you’re asking.  Not to, like, butter my own popcorn too much, but I feel as though I’ve proved I can handle everything you guys have handed me so far.” 

“Mhmm, yeah.  The team has nothin’ but good things to say about you, and you seem quite outgoing with the public and such, but that’s not entirely what I’m asking.” 

“I’m so sorry sir, but I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

“You understand why we close off the trails and damn near seal off the whole mountain when there’s storms brewin’?” 

“Well yeah, I mean, it’s too dangerous out there when it’s wet, right?” 

“Yes, that, but also…”

“Them, right?” I said with a sigh, “I know, supposedly you can only see them when…”

“Ain’t no supposedly about it, son.  I know you got your doubts, and I don’t blame you none, but if you do intend on makin’ this a full-time thing, you’re gonna learn.  You need to be sure.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, sir.  With all due respect; and please understand that I do have the utmost respect for you, but all this ‘them’ stuff, I don’t know, it sounds like some crazy superstition or something.”

He just looked up at me from his chair, drumming his fingers across the wood of his desk.  Judging by the especially faded and worn section his fingertips bounced against at the time, it would appear he had been performing this very ritual for years.  

“You’ve certainly proven yourself, son, I can’t deny that.  Every task we’ve given you, you’ve performed admirably, but there’s still so much more to our responsibilities than what you’ve seen so far.” 

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” I said with a laugh, “I’d be one arrogant son of a bitch if I thought I had everything down in just a couple of months.”

“That’s the thing, though.  You ain’t even seen a hint of what we’re really here for; not yet anyway.”

Again we shared the silence, as we gazed at one another.  He had such intensity in his eyes, but I still couldn’t fathom where he was going with any of this.  Yes, I had no doubt there would be far more trying times ahead of me, should I decide to stick around, but how bad could it be? 

I’d already had to lend a hand in breaking up a bit of a scuffle between a few campers who knocked back a few too many.  Some of the guys and I even had to deal with a drug deal that was taking place behind the trees, but I handled that okay.  Those fellas tried to get physical with us, and I held my own, even if I did take a few hits.  

Still, should things get more of hand than anything I’d seen over those first weeks, I was certain I could deal with it.  I’d seen my fair share of scraps when I was younger; even had to defend my little sister against our drunk father more than once, so I’m no stranger to either tough times or hard decisions.  

*S’pose to rain this weekend,” the chief said, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence, “you ok with workin’ Saturday and Sunday?” 

“Yeah.  Shouldn’t be a problem at all,” I replied, fully aware that I couldn’t expect to have every weekend to myself.  

“I want you on the graveyard shift for the next few days too.  You alright with that?” 

“Um, yeah.  Sure thing.”

“You think about how you see your place here.  When the rain comes; if it’s while you’re on the job, really think about it.  You wanna stay and be a part of this, take a look outside.  If not, well, might be best to just turn on the TV and tune out the world for a time.”

I wasn’t exactly psyched to work the late shift, nor was I thrilled about sharing the office with Rick again, but I had a feeling Cap was testing me.  I still hadn’t given him a yay or nay on the ready for full-time question yet, but I was interested.  I couldn’t deny the strange superstitions of the group had made me a bit uneasy, but I still liked everyone I had worked with so far; even Rick, when he wasn’t being so, well, dramatic, I suppose.  

To my surprise, when I came to work the following night, it would seem I would be working alone.  On one hand, it was quite intimidating to be left to my own devices for the first time, but on the other, it would be incredibly peaceful to have the place to myself.  The times I’d worked the night shift before, little to nothing happened, other than the occasional phone call or making rounds to pass the time.  

It had already begun to sprinkle during my drive to work, and I had to manually open the main gates at the base of the mountain, as they had already shut everything down for the storm.  When I strolled into the station, Sarah and James made a little small talk, before almost ordering me to give them a call if anything came up.  

James is a pretty big black guy; even taller and more stocky than the chief.  He’s super friendly and almost carefree in the way he carries himself, though he looks the type who would fit right in as a bouncer at one of the popular hot spots in the city.  Sarah is maybe a half a foot shorter than me, but very pretty, with big, hazel anime eyes and curly dark hair.  She comes off as really sweet and friendly, but I get the feeling she could kick some serious ass if a situation called for it.  

Given how quiet everything had grown outside, I assured them they had nothing to worry about.  I didn’t want to just flat out admit that I would likely just take a nap after a while, as I didn’t see myself making rounds in the rain.  Also, with the day shift having seemingly run everyone off the mountain before the first drop hit the ground, I was certain it’d be a peaceful night.  

“If you do go out there,* Sarah said, wearing the expression of a mother lecturing her child, “make sure you’ve got your keys with you.”

“Oh yeah, the last thing I need is to get locked out,” I replied with a laugh.  

“No, it’s…”

“He’s got this,” James said, laying his hand on Sarah’s shoulder, “We all had to handle the first one solo.  You got this, right?” 

“Hell yes,” I said, still chuckling a little.  

“Just…be safe, yeah?” Sarah said, giving me a concerned smile before she and James walked out.  

I rolled my eyes at the overly dramatic performance my colleagues were putting on, but I did give an absent-minded jiggle to the keys, dangling from my belt loop to ensure they were in place.  With the place all to myself, I kicked back, switched on the tv in the lounge, and kicked back on the couch.  

Maybe an hour or so after the previous shift had headed out, the bottom fell out.  It sounded like a veritable monsoon was hammering against the walls of the cozy cabin we called a rangers station.  Even with the brutal wind sounding as though it was thrusting the trees themselves against the exterior walls, it didn’t concern me much until the tv lost its signal.  

I don’t mean to sound like I was just trying to ride the system and whittle the hours away watching TV, but I suppose that had been my plan up until that point.  I gave a heavy sigh, staring at the static on the screen until I just turned the damn thing off.  I got to my feet, unclipped the keys from my belt to fidget with them; spin them around my finger and the like, pulled out my phone, and just aimlessly wandered around the cabin.  

As I casually played my bubble popper game while tinkering with my keys like a fidget spinner, I sighed once more when the lights went out.  I could feel the absence of air conditioning almost immediately.  The room got stuffy in a hurry, making me realize I was in for a long night indeed.  

While the storm continued to rage on; rattling the building so violently I almost jumped with every lightning strike, a new sound joined the soundtrack of my first night alone in the cabin.  The scream sounded as though it was right outside, inspiring me to stash my phone and head to the gun cabinet.  

Whether it was from the scream itself, the fact I was alone, or just a bit of inherent fear at the time, my hand was shaking pretty aggressively while I unlocked the door to the gun safe.  I grabbed a shotgun, a handful of shells, and a flashlight from the rack beside the safe, still trembling while I clicked it on.  I exhaled a shaky breath as I softly walked to the window, planning to see if I could make out where the scream had come from before marching out into the storm.  

As I moved to pull open the blinds, the warnings of the chief leaped to the forefront of my mind, reminding me that this very act could be the deciding factor in my future with the rangers.  For a moment, I hesitated, still holding the string to the blinds between my fingers.  I just stared around the room, almost searching for something to guide me one way or the other, but when the horrified shriek echoed for a second time, my mind was made up, be it for better or worse.  

For several minutes I gazed through the glass, unable to make out much of anything.  When the power went out, it had also snuffed out the street lamps, which left me just glaring into the darkness and the rain beating against the glass.  It wasn’t until the world outside was illuminated by a succession of lightning strikes that I finally got my first glimpse of what I assumed to be ‘them’, though that’s not saying much.  

That first flash allowed me to see little more than the rain itself, looking like a veritable hurricane with how heavy and violently it beat across the ground and the cabin.  The second strike revealed something my eyes couldn’t quite register at first, but it was enough for me to focus on that spot for the next one.  When the third lit up the world below, I felt my mouth droop and my eyes widen, when they saw the shape almost silhouetted by the rain.  

The longer I gazed through the glass, the more clearly I could see them, though it was only the one at first.  It didn’t look like anything; only the shape of a large man, accentuated by the water splashing against its body.  After a few minutes, I could see more of them; almost too many to count, just surrounding the building.  They didn’t move, but be it the inherent dread I was feeling, or my denial faltering, I could swear I felt them looking back at me.  

When the shrill scream blended into a frenzied cry for help, I had no more time for staring contests.  Whatever those things were, I had to believe they had no ill intent besides just glaring back at me.  The yelling now sounded as though it was further back into the trees, so I was certain they were not exactly running from these invisible things that just stood in place.  

I ran out into the stormy night, wielding my flashlight in one hand and my shotgun in the other.  I had shoved the extra ammunition into the pocket of my raincoat, but I hoped to God I wouldn’t have to use them.  My heart was racing harder than my feet as I weaved in between the still unmoving, rain-soaked silhouettes, while I half expected them to reach out for me.  To my relief, I was clear of them and cutting through the trees before I knew it.  

The further I sprinted through the woods, the louder the screaming grew, assuring me I was nearing whatever frightened individual had found their way this far up the otherwise sealed off mountain.  My legs almost sent me to the soggy forest floor; skidding to a halt when I finally looked upon the one who continued to shriek.  I felt my limbs shudder more violently than the slender branches shaking from the aggressive wind when my eyes met those of the screaming figure.  

“Help me…” it said in a voice, not unlike a terrified child.  

I couldn’t form anything legible from my mouth, which trembled just as much as my fingers and toes.  

“Save me, mister…” it said, getting to its feet.  

The more it spoke, the more its voice transformed from that childlike tone to something far deeper and hauntingly unnatural.  

“You will help me…won’t you?”

It stood seven feet tall, to my reckoning, though I can’t say I was in control of my faculties enough to make an accurate assessment of such things.  It looked like a skeleton, with pale flesh and slender musculature lining its bones.  Its face was long, with its pointed chin almost touching the top of its chest, even with the neck that appeared just as lengthy as its scrawny forearms.  

When my flashlight slipped from my fingers, I could only make out its features in between flashes of lightning; each one revealing it had neared since the last.  It looked as though its arms and legs had two joints for every one I had, making its staggering movements in the sporadic light even more unsettling to look upon.  

As it opened its mouth wider to reveal thin and pointed teeth, it appeared as though its jaw did not hinge, but simply dropped open as though it had pistons behind its wafer-thin cheeks.  The emaciated and sunken chest heaved as it moved closer, accenting its ribs that seemed to double my own in number.  

Those insanely lengthy legs darted right at me, until I could finally make out the pure and almost shimmering white of its eyes.  There were no irises to speak of; only tiny, round, blackened dots in the dead center of the otherwise milky pool of its gaze.  

“Do something!” a voice in the back of my head yelled out, but I couldn’t convince my paralyzed limbs to move.  

It wasn’t until the thing shrieked out again in that shrill squeal that almost caused my bladder to rupture from within, that I finally forced my body to listen to me.  It reached out towards me with those slender arms shifting in its inhuman angles, while I moved my limb, training my loaded shotgun before me.  

I pulled the trigger, releasing the shotgun spray directly into the midsection of the horrendous creature.  Since I had only managed to take possession of the hand that held my weapon, my inability to stabilize the damn thing before I fired, kicked the gun right out of the fingers that barely gripped onto it.  As soon as the shell discharged, I felt it jerk my wrist and elbow to the side, sending my only weapon to the ground.  

Though the skeletal creature shrieked more aggressively when the shrapnel tore into its gut, it was only momentarily stunned.  My weakened knees dropped me just as hastily to the soggy forest floor as the low-flying shotgun had only moments before, while I watched the torn flesh and tissue repair itself before my eyes.  

“My God…” the voice in the back of my mind whimpered, “what can I do?”

The thing let out another squeal, but it was not one of anguish or pain.  If I had to wager a guess, I would assume it was laughing.  Its arms flailed wildly as it gyrated with its nauseating howl, which only sealed the reality of my fate in the recesses of my mind.  I would not survive this.  

When it settled back down from its fit of maddening laughter, it just stared down at me.  It had me whipped and it knew it.  Hell, I knew it too, but I just couldn’t fathom how to do a damn thing about it at this point.  While I gazed up at it, attempting to accept the inevitability of my mom and sister being able to cash in my life insurance policy, another bright stab of lightning revealed something I hadn’t noticed before.  

Its pale flesh had scars across it; not remnants of tears and gashes, or even shotgun spray to the gut, but symbols burned into it.  Not just any symbol, but the one that adorned the outside wall of the ranger’s station, though these were about the size of a keychain.  

I reached for my belt; my heart racing with the prospect of a possible manner of escape.  A desperate plea of preserving my worthless life that crumbled in an instant when I realized my keys now lay upon the shelf next to the gun cabinet back at the cabin.  

“No…” I whimpered; my heart sinking into the pit of my stomach.  

I exhaled one last trembling breath as the thing leaned over at its lengthy waist, reaching out for me with both of its hauntingly unnatural arms, steadily twisting as they neared.  I could smell the sickeningly foul stench, drifting up from the blackened tips of its fingers as they closed the gap between us, before I closed my eyes, bracing for whatever it had planned.  

When the gunshot rang out, I almost confused it for a violent clap of thunder at first.  As the sticky fluids and grizzled tissue sprayed across me, my eyes blinked back open to see the thing glaring at the meaty stump of its left hand before another bullet tore into its chest.  

“You ok, kid?” Slade said, panting for breath while James and Sarah beat the creature away from me with the butts of their guns.  

I still couldn’t quite produce words; only gazed on as the creature regrew its hand, while each wound inflicted by my colleagues sealed shut before the next.  Once they had it down on its knees, they pulled something from their pockets, pressing it against the flesh of the beast.  

The thing shrieked out in agony from the circular crests burning its skin, leaving that same symbol that hung from my keychain in their wake.  While the injuries inflicted by our weapons faded within moments, those charred into it from the bizarre symbol remained reddened and angry.  

Slade helped me back to my feet before the thing pushed away from my associates, attempting to get to its feet and sprint back into the woods.  When James kicked the legs out from under it, Sarah drew a lengthy machete from her hip.  They moved so quickly; coordinating each attack so flawlessly, that I could barely keep track.  

James finally pinned the thing to the ground, pushing the heel of his boot against the withered chest of the flailing creature.  With one swipe of her blade, Sarah separated that horrendously long head from the slender neck, kicking it to the side like a soccer ball when the work was done.  

I still just gazed on while they severed each limb, before gathering up the dismembered parts in thick garbage bags once it was split apart into easily manageable servings.  Only moments prior, I was certain I would not live to see another day, so I didn’t speak a word while they handed me a few of the bags before helping me back to the station.  

Nobody acknowledged the things only made visible by the pouring rain as we left the trees behind, nor did anyone speak up until we got back into the cabin.  Slade walked down to an apparent basement I never knew about, after tossing the bags down the stairs, while James and Sarah fished some towels from a closet.  Moments later; after the rumbling of something below, the lights flickered back on.  

Some time later, the chief came back up from the lower level, panting slightly as he rubbed his brow with the back of his forearm.  I had no way to know what exactly he did to dispose of the pieces of the creature in the woods, but that was only one of so many questions I had bouncing as round in my mind at the time.  

“Prob’ly shoulda told you about the generator downstairs,” Slade said with a chuckle, giving Sarah a grateful nod for the towel she handed him.  

“Probably shoulda told me a lot of things,” I replied, almost coughing on the first words I’d spoken in what felt like hours.  

“You wouldn’t have believed him,” Sarah said, vigorously rubbing the towel across her thick and wavy hair, “I know I wouldn’t back then.”

James was just staring out the window while attempting to dry himself off, only looking back from time to time to give an agreeing nod or a smile.  Sarah went to the kitchen, coming back some moments later with a tray holding four steaming cups.  

I hadn’t even realized how frigid my flesh was until the hot coffee flowed down my throat.  I could feel its warmth spread through me the instant it entered my mouth.  Slade handed out some blankets, before we all gathered up in the lounge, sitting around like huddled up kids at a sleepover.  

“They can see you now,” he said, gesturing with a tilt of his head towards the window in the lobby.  

“The invisible guys?” I asked, almost laughing at the absurdity of it all.  

“The Watchers, we call ’em, on account of that’s all they do.  They don’t mess with us, and we don’t mess with them, but when they’re out, well, so are the others.” 

He cut his eyes between each of us while he spoke, though I had no doubt the rest of the room’s occupants had been through this speech before.  Still, he didn’t come off as our boss at the time.  The way he talked felt more like a close relative or a dear friend telling a tale.  

“You see, son, this mountain is home to what could be called a weak spot; a flimsy doorway between this world and another.  For some reason, things can’t get through one way or another on any normal day, but when it storms…well, that’s a different story.  Can’t say why, as I’m sure it’s way above my understandin’, but something about the rain opens that door up further.  That’s where we come in.”

“So, what are we, like, I don’t know, the guardians of the storm, or something?” I asked, still fighting back a chuckle at how silly the concept sounded.  

“Hell yeah!” James said with a smile, cutting his eyes at Sarah, “I like that! We should put that shit on a T-shirt!” 

We all laughed at his enthusiastic reaction to an otherwise insane conversation.  If nothing else, that moment of levity allowed the tension in my back to release for the first time in god knows how long.  Once the laughter settled down, the room fell silent.  We all sort of stared into our cups or around the room, but I knew there was more to be discussed, given the nature of what our jobs entail.  

“We’ve all been through something like this,” Sarah said, giving me a somehow compassionate smile, “but we were nearby the whole time…”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t leave you alone on your first storm, it’s just, I guess, part of it, you know?” James said, sounding equally as understanding as Sarah, “You gotta feel alone with it to appreciate what it is we’re protecting people from out here.”

“I don’t know, man,” I replied, giving him a smirk, “I think I still woulda been freaked out if I had a whole damn army with me.”

While we talked back and forth, another question occurred to me.  

“So, if the door, I don’t know, swings open when it rains…I mean, are those things still out there?” 

“Rest of the team is out there right now; will be until the storm calms,” Slade replied.  

“Should we be out there too?” 

“Believe it or not,” Sarah said, “this isn’t a bad one.  Besides, everyone else is out by the gateway.”

“Yeah, every now and then, a stray gets by, but we keep the main group at the door, and the rest of us stay back to catch any that get through,” James added.  

“You’ll get the feel for everything soon enough,” Slade said, giving me a more compassionate look than I thought him to be capable of, “One thing you need to prepare for though: it’s all hands on deck when it storms.”

As the night progressed, they explained more about the doorway, and how it’s up to us to fight back against anything that comes through.  I couldn’t quite understand how something like this couldn’t be left in the hands of some government-run military force, but Slade just said it’s best if those in charge didn’t know about the rips in the world like these.  Yes, I couldn’t deny that it was scary to think of what the powerful people of the world could do with something like this, but could a handful of half-assed trained rangers do enough to keep this concealed?

As it turned out, I was about the only one who was half-assed trained at the time; something that would be remedied very soon.  Before the storm finally calmed down, Slade asked me once and for all if I was ready to be a full-time member of the team.  I was scared; I can’t lie about that fact, but how often does some average asshole get the chance to make a difference in the world?

I told him I was in before the words even left his mouth; something that inspired the rest of the room’s occupants to act like it was my damn birthday or something.  Slade looked downright proud as he clapped me on the shoulder while shaking my hand so enthusiastically that I thought it might just pop right off.  He laughed pretty hard when I said that very thing, and it was only then that I realized I had never seen him smile before this night.  

When the morning crew arrived, they all took turns shaking my hand and truly welcoming me on board, after the chief gave them the news.  They would likely take turns sleeping off the busy night, but that was just another part of the routine I had to look forward to.  When I finally got back to my home just a little while later, I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.

•

“A decision has been made, yes?” the stranger in the dark asked.  

Once more, all I could see was that wide smile, but be it due to the veil being lifted from my eyes, or just the simple fact that this was our second meeting, I was a bit more apprehensive about his presence this time.  

“It has,” I replied, with confidence in my words.  

“Then you have found your place?”

“I believe I have.  Yes.”

Just as it had the last time we spoke, the rain began to trickle down around us.  I looked to my hands to see the pools of crimson forming upon my palms, before I glanced back up to that unwavering grin.  

“A storm is still coming…”

“I survived the last one.”

“That was nothing; just a taste of what is yet to come…”

“And what is any of this to you? Who even are you?” 

“You will see soon enough.”

•

The laughter that erupted from that oversized mouth after those last words broke free from it, damn near caused me to retch over the side of my bed when I, once more, found myself sitting straight up, gasping for breath.  I plan to ask Slade and some of the others if they’ve experienced any strange dreams featuring this unusual individual, but I’m sure it’s nothing more than my subconscious, getting carried away with my new outlook on the world.  

I still have a lot to learn, and the guys pretty much guaranteed that my training is going to be far removed from a simple walk in the park, but I think I’m prepared for it.  I am most certainly intimidated by what else could be out there, just waiting for us in the storm, but I hope I’m strong enough to handle it.  

Slade told me they’ll have a local tattoo artist come to the station within the next few days, to hook me up with the same ink they all share; that symbol that hangs from the keys I’ll be damn sure never to be without again.  I hope to find out what this symbol is, or at least what it represents, but that’s only one of the many things I have yet to learn.  

Depending on how things go with my training, I’ll try to post more soon.  Just rest assured that the next time the heavens open wide, cleansing the world below with its ferocious storm, we will be out there; lending a hand to keep the other side from breaking through.  It may not be what I originally signed up for, but I think that, for the first time in my life, I have truly found where I belong.  Be it for better, or for worse, well, that remains to be seen.