Portals & Realms

Prologue

    She unlocked and opened the door to her apartment and walked in, looking around and stretching. She just came back from the gym, exhausted, and her muscles aching. "Ugh... that's it, I'm going to bed early."
    Her phone vibrated in her pocket as she set down her bag next to the couch, flopping down. It was almost completely dark, her roommate out of town for a few days for a family gathering in the neighboring state. K pulled it out of her pocket, moving her long, dirty blonde hair out of her face.
    Get a room already: God I hate my math class. Calc is so hard.
    Mr Krabs: Lol imagine having trouble in calc :)
    Get a room already: :(
    K rolled her eyes while looking at the chat with multiple people in it, and sighed, quickly she pulled down the contact list just to make sure she knew who was talking. Then, she replied.
    On all levels except physical, I am a frog: Hayden, I can help you with Calculus if you need it.
    Get a room already: If you do I'll be eternally grateful.
    On all levels except physical, I am a frog: I finished all my math last year so yeah :/
    On all levels except physical, I am a frog: Also I'm out of college now technically cause I finished last semester so yep!
    Mr Krabs: Wait ur done with college???
    Get a room already: Lily omg
    On all levels except physical, I am a frog: I told everyone that I was??? Lmao??
    Gamer mode: Lily, K literally told everyone.
    Mr Krabs: I have zero braincells remember
    Gamer mode: brain cells*
    Mr Krabs: Shut up Addi.
    On all levels except physical, I am a frog: Anyways yeah I can help u with calc either tomorrow or Wednesday, just gotta finish work and then I'm free in the afternoon. I might be getting sick tho so just a heads up :(
    Mr Krabs: Darn
    Mr Krabs: Oh K don't forget our Nostalgia chat call on Saturday ;)
    -nonexistent-: K YOU FORGOT UR DESIGN NOTEBOOK AT MY PLACE!!!
    Gamer mode: omg
    Gamer mode: Perri exists in the chat
    Get a room already: It's been ten thousand years-
    On all levels except physical, I am a frog: OH SHOOT SORRY PERRI
    -nonexistent-: I'll give it to u tomorrow before you head out for work.
    On all levels except physical, I am a frog: U sure you don't just want me to drive over and get it?
    -nonexistent-: nah I can bring it.
    -nonexistent-: Going on a jog anyways.
    Mr Krabs: awwwww
    On all levels except physical, I am a frog: I'm going to bed gamers
    On all levels except physical, I am a frog: g'night :)
    Gamer mode: Night!
    Mr Krabs: night loser :)
    Gamer mode: >:( be nice
    Get a room already: Ugh this chat is such a mess.
    K turned off her phone and sighed, sitting upright and putting it beside her. She could easily get up and walk to bed, but she decided against it. Her skin was bumpy with goosebumps, though it wasn't cold. She looked around the room lazily, and then narrowed her eyes. Without much movement, she stood up and reached to her waist, pulling out a pocket knife she carried for protection, having the needed permit to carry such weapons in case of self defense. The room was empty as far as she knew, but she felt something watching her.
    "I'd come out if I were you," she whispered and held the knife defensively in front of her.
    "Alright alright, you got me," a figure materialized from the darkest corner of the room. "C'mon Kida, that isn't-"
    "My name isn't Kida," K furrowed her brow angrily and looked at the imaginary figure. "I'm not Kida. I'm K."
    "Oh, you really did change your name."
    "Well I- no! I just go by K now. Not like I legally changed it, it's just a nickname used by everyone," she paused, holding up a finger, "Hold on, why am I even telling you this- what are you even doing here!"
    "Ki- K, hear me out."
    "I've done plenty of hearing you out. I'm not making that mistake again. Out, now."
    He walked forward, having a kind, yet angered face. "Don't you remember all the good times we had? I helped you with your anxiety. I made you happy, don't you know? K, I only wanted the best for me and you, together."
    "G," she spat, holding the knife tightly, "You are nothing to me but a cursed figment of my imagination. I don't care how real you make yourself. Get out."
    The man gritted his teeth and made a move towards her, but she stepped forward, pointing the curved, jagged knife at him. He put his hands up and sharp teeth became visible in his mouth. "You'll regret this decision to be against me."
    "There is nothing you can do to me," she continued to step forward and kept the knife pointed at his throat. "I'm not going to be yours anymore. I am my own person. You are only a figment of my mind, and you'll never... never amount to anything more than that. I could care less about how you helped me. I want you gone. I chased you and banished you twice already, yet you dare come back to try and talk to me?" G was cornered against the wall, and K put the tip of the knife right to his throat. "Don't ever speak to me again."
    He was gone.
    K took deep breaths and then realized what she had done. I cannot believe I just drew my knife to chase off an imaginary thing. I must be hallucinating. Did I forget to take my anxiety meds? No I did... the doctor said that taking smaller doses each day would help with me getting off of them for good. She snapped her fingers and then placed the knife back in the secure pouch around her waist, and then unclipped it from her waist to place on the kitchen counter. That's right. A side effect can be hallucinations. That was... nerve wracking.
But the psychic... she told me that I was not myself yet. That there was still something chasing me, and something awaiting me.
    It must be my memory of that imaginary friend hasn't truly left me. Thought I got over that. Apparently not.
    K brushed off the goosebumps and walked away from the counter and began walking to her door, and scratched her head. She had long banished the memories of her cursed and twisted imaginary friend from her youth, but now she felt like she was haunted again. With an angry sigh, she opened the door to her small bedroom.
    She took one last glance at the corner that the hallucination appeared from, and pointed at the darkness, "I'm stronger than you G. I am me. I am myself. I am K."

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Phew, the prologue is complete. I hope that the names weren't too confusing, but I felt the need to take inspiration from reality regarding group chat names, and the silly nicknames everyone gives themselves in them. Apologies if it was difficult to follow. But with that aside, K didn't quite know what was awaiting her later that week, and even though she assumed it to be harmless, it wasn't anything that anyone ever could've expected. She either faces her fears, or she goes home, simple and clean.