MEGHAN RANES
Really? A group leader? Is that the wisest idea? I would figure I just might need more supervision, not more responsibility. Then again, I am older than most everyone else, and I suppose my little brother is the self appointed leader of this expedition...so I really can't argue.
Well, I can, but I won't.
Ooh, a bunny.

Where was I?
Oh yes, leading a group...

Well, I figured I should get to know my group and let them get to know me, considering I've never even met 2/3 of them and the other third I only met once. I'll start with him.
"Michael, how are you today?"
"Well...I was fine until I got sucked into this portal."
"Okay. Do you have any inclination what your - oh, that's a cute deer prancing over there - powers may be?"
"Um, I'm not really sure. May I ask a question though? Why are you leading if these animals are distracting you?"
"Don't worry, it's only the cute ones."
"Somehow," Rachel said, "that doesn't induce confidence."
Michael chuckled. "I agree with Rachel on this one."

"Well, it could be worse. Anyway, Rachel, you know your powers?"
"Yeah. I can feel it in my fists."
"Really," Michael said.
"Yeah, really. It's like they are charged with power. I think I can even grow spikes from them..."
"Whoa, that is cool," I said. I really liked that idea. I imagine she'll use that power to punish my brother when he says something stupid, which is always a good idea. He tends to say stupid things.

Yes he does.

"Did any of you hear that?" I asked.
They all shook their heads.

Hey, it was me.
Who?
Down here. You know, the little rabbit you saw before?
Whoa...I can talk to rabbits?
Mentally...I guess. I just sensed that you were a nice, nonviolent person who could communicate with me.
Awesome.

"Hey Ben's sister...we need some direction..." Michael said, interrupting my train of thought.
"Oh, yeah, right. Sorry, I was just talking with that rabbit."
"Whoa," the person I think my brother called Fabrizzio said. "That is a cool power."
"Well, I think it is more than just rabbits." I paused for a moment and reached out to the deer I had seen. It walked calmly over and I mentally chatted with it and the rabbit (in a sort of mental chat room) while telling my group that "I think I can communicate with any animal." I then saw an ugly snake. I tried to get it in on the conversation, but it didn't even seem to notice me. "Wait, no, just the cute animals."
"Aww..." Rachel said. "That's so awesome. You could talk to my dog."

"And I just might at some point. Anyway...Freddy's brother; do you know what your power is?"
"My name is Fabrizzio," he said in a non-offended way, "and I have a small idea. I think it is something abstract. I can feel the power...but it isn't really in my body. It's as if it is in a separate dimension...or something like that...or not. I don't know. Hey, can I have your brother's guitar?"
"No. And what do you mean, another dimension? Do you mean another world or a dimension like width, height, depth, time and so forth?"
"I think I mean time...but I can't seem to figure out how to activate it, so it doesn't really matter."

"Ah. And what did you say your powers were again," I said, turning to Michael.
"I said I didn't know. Geeze, learn to listen."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm just kidding."
"Well...do you even have an idea?"
"No, I don't. I wish I did, because it would be cool to talk to animals or punch stuff or be a robot..."
"Jamaicans can't be robots..." I said in a joking manner.
"No, they can't. It sucks. They are too poor..."
A loud roar cut through our odd conversation.

You guys should run, the deer said.
Why?
Because, the rabbit said, those are the tigers...they rule this part of the island.
Ah. Yeah, running seems like a good response.

"Hey," I said, "the animals say we should run...that those tigers we hear aren't friendly." Michael took off.
Rachel chuckled. "Flying Jamaicans - what are you gonna do?"
"Follow him I guess," I responded, and we began jogging to follow him.

Soon enough, we found out that the tigers were actually ahead of us...and we ran right into them. Well, Michael ran into one of them literally, and the rest were circling around him, at least until they noticed us. One turned and went to pounce at us, but Rachel knocked it out of the air with a power packed punch. It flew back and slammed into another one, giving Michael room to escape. He began to climb a nearby tree, and we followed him. They turned toward us and began to jump at us, but as soon as they hit the air, it was as if they were jumping through molasses. "I think I'm slowing them down," Fabrizzio said. "We should continue climbing while this lasts."
"Good idea," Rachel responded. We all climbed quite a bit, until we were in the forest canopy. The branches were thick enough that we could all comfortably walk on them, and we did. I refused to look down (for fear I might fall), but I was assured by some really cute squirrel-like creatures that we were really high up. These were the first creatures that didn't look like they were from earth, but they were really close to regular squirrels. My walkie-talkie rang.

"Yes?"
"Hi Meg. It's Ben,"
"I couldn't tell. No really, too much static."
"Ok. So, have you guys encountered any trouble?"
"We're in the canopy. We had to avoid a pack of tigers."
I heard him say something about us being lucky, and something about a sea monster and a troll, but he wasn't speaking into the walkie-talkie, so I wasn't completely sure.
"Ok, well...instead of heading back west, you guys should head northeast. Meet up with Murray's and Jordan's groups in front of the volcano that was recently set off."
"Who would be dumb enough to set off a volcano?"
"The same one who almost fell into the core once today."
"Ah. Okay. We'll be there soon."
"Oh, and Meg?"
"Yes?"
"Don't bring with any animals. You can't take them home."
"You're no fun."

He hung up, and I turned to my group. "Hey, we get to go to a nice, warm, erupting volcano now!"
"Finally, some warmth," Michael said. "Wisconsin is cold and so is this place."
"Let's just go," Rachel said, and we all set off toward the volcano (all being us four and the squirrel-like creatures that were following us).

JORDAN
Well, this definitely was not a typical college day. To be frank, it was not a typical any kind of day. It was an extraordinary day in more ways than many can imagine. And yet...it was fairly straightforward. Enter portal, lead group, find portal again, and go home.
Well, I guess it was more complex than that, especially that second part. Not knowing any of these people I am given to lead to explore this new world is a tad unnerving. However, I figured (rather, I hoped) that Ben knew what he was doing. He seemed like a smart enough kid, but this extra dimensional stuff may be a tad out of anyone's league, let alone a college freshman being forced to look over a bunch of other people. Still, he had this confidence about him, as if he knew something or felt something we didn't. At any rate, it was his call, and I stood by it.

Besides, as soon as we got into this new world, I felt myself preoccupied. It was as if, by entering the portal, my consciousness split into pieces. I was still fully aware and completely myself, but it was as if there was more. Maybe, instead of being split, the portal added extra pieces. It was hard to tell. But even if I had disagreed with Ben, I was having trouble focusing due to this new, multifaceted direction my being was headed in.
It was as if there was more than one of me in my head.
However, I tried my best to put it out of my mind as we traveled west. I was sure that this was some sort of new power, and if what Ben had said was true, everyone's power was derived from the portal. But that didn't mean they were similar. I wondered if anyone else was struggling with this as much as I was. I did manage to put it out of my head and focus on my four person team. I had with me Daniel, whose power was to change his hand into a gun (or something of the sort); Ojash who, despite him saying he didn't know his power, I could sense knew all about his power and how to use it; Tim, who looked really eager and kept on trying random motions, as if to discover his power (but it was all to no avail); and Lori, who seemed to be content in just walking with us. Out of all of us, she seemed the most calm despite all of this.

"Hey, Ojash was it?"
"Yes?" he responded, turning to look at me.
"So, you don't know your powers, do you?"
He could hear the skepticism in my voice. "Actually, I just said that to mess with Ben. I know my exact powers actually."
"Really? And what are they?"
"Everyone stop and keep your eyes open." We did as he said, then the world went black. Random images flashed past us, and it felt as if we were standing on nothing. As these images passed us in the darkness, I could swear I felt them swishing past me...but none of this could be real. I closed my eyes and opened them again, and I saw what was going on. Ojash's eyes and hands were glowing, but the rest of the world was exactly as it had been.
"So you create illusions, eh?"
"More than just illusions. I can make you feel like they are real. It can encompass any and every sense. But...I'm not very good with it yet. When you blinked your eyes, you broke out of my hold."
"Still, that's pretty amazing."
"Yes, I know. I can really use this to mess with Ben now."

I noticed that Ojash really wanted to mess with Ben. I almost thought that he was not to be trusted, but I was then hit in the head with a chain, so I quickly ignored that thought. I heard Tim frantically apologizing and celebrating - he found out his power, but hit me in the head by doing so. I should be thankful it was chains and not fire or acid, but instead, I just congratulated him. "I see you figured out your power. You can shoot chains out of your hands."
"Yeah, I know. Isn't that awesome? Sorry for hitting you in the head, but I'm just so excited. I can shoot chains!"
"Yay...that's great. Just don't hit me in the head again."
"OK!"

I looked over and saw Lori shaking her head at Tim. I moved over toward her. "Are you okay Lori? You don't seem like you are that excited to be here."
"Derek convinced me to go, telling me it would be fun, and now he is nowhere in sight. Ben put us in different groups. He should have made Derek a leader and switched me and Murray."
"I don't think Ben would think that Derek would be a good leader. Derek would probably just sit down and say 'We're not moving from this spot until I get some proof that it is safe.'"
"Yeah, that sounds like Derek. But still, I'd rather be in that group than this one. No offense."
"None taken." I looked over at Tim, who was shooting chains into the sky that Daniel then shot down, his hand in the shape of a pistol again. It looked as if Ojash was creating fake chains in the air for Daniel to shoot at. "I can see why you wouldn't want to be in this group."
"Actually, I could leave if I wanted to. I know my power now."
"You do?"
"Yep. It's teleportation. I could probably just warp to Derek. But, I don't want to confuse things anymore than they already are."
"Man, I feel left out."
"Why?
"Everyone here knows there power but me now."
"You'll find it out. Ben picked you to be a leader for a reason, so I have faith in you...kinda..."
"Thanks."

The terrain started to get less forested and much rockier, and I could now see that we were headed for some mountains. Luckily, the incline wasn't that steep. I figured climbing them would be the best of ideas, and so we began to once we got to them. It wasn't difficult, and Ojash was the only one having difficulty (Tim was using his power to get ahead of us, but he lost his balance and fell on Ojash, putting them both back at the bottom). At the top of one, we found a cave. Ojash used his power to create a light (somehow, I wasn't sure it would work, but it seemed fine) and we entered. That was a large mistake, as we could tell when Daniel stepped on the hand of the troll that inhabited this cave.

Yes, the troll. Honestly, we couldn't think of something better? How about an orc army? Or a dragon...goodness, people are so unoriginal...

Anyway, it chased s out of its cave, but that wasn't good enough for it. It grabbed a club and swung at Lori, who teleported out of the way. Tim then shot chains at its club to try and sieze it from the troll, but then chains broke when he tried to pull the club away. Daniel transformed his wrist into an Uzi and began shooting rounds at its face, but the troll was only getting angry, not hurt. Ojash was just hanging back, which was a good idea, considering his powers weren't designed for this kind of thing. The troll then turned to me and swung its club. I reacted in an instant. It only took a second, but I changed who I was...in a way.

I seemed to grow a large shell on my back. My hands became gloved, and were filled with large hammers of the sledge variety. However, they seemed like more defensive tools than offensive. Also, my clothes seemed to change. Although I couldn't see what they looked like, they became a tad bulky, but they seemed like they provided much more protection that anything I had ever worn (no jokes people). I found a helmet on my head as well, also for protective purposes. I quickly ducked after the change, and the troll's club just bounced off the shell on my back. He seemed enraged, and hit the shell harder. This time, I felt it. I noticed that this ability was perhaps not truly that strong. Then I noticed that the club had bounced back harder this time, hard enough to recoil and hit the troll in the face. I reacted instantly again, and changed again.

The shell disappeared, as did the bulky clothes. They were replaced by a more lightweight uniform that seemed to be very comfortable. The hammers became broadswords, and I the helmet became a headset with an earpiece and an eye scanner. This form was obviously an attack one. I rushed in and stabbed the beast in a nerve ending that I knew (or, rather, hoped) would immobilize it, and, luckily, it worked.

I changed back into myself, and my team looked at me. I had figured out my power, and it was cool.

I popped out my walkie-talkie, figuring it was time to call Ben and tell him. After all, it had been around 45 minutes.

"Hey Ben."
"Hey Jordan. How goes it on the eastern front?"
"Decent. We just slayed a troll, and everyone here knows there powers."
"Well, that sounds like bad and good news, which is what I have for you."
"Okay, what's the good news?"
"I think I have figured out a way back, assuming I can use a few certain people's powers."
"And the bad?"
"Someone set off a volcano, and that's where we all need to head. Just head northwest, following that mountain range I assume you're on. You'll get to the volcano soon enough."
"Alright. We'll be there soon."

"Troops, lets head out."

BEN
I hung up the walkie-talkie, and then opened it again. I called my sister and told her to head to the volcano. I then turned to my group. "Guess what guys? We have a really long walk ahead of us!"
Everybody groaned.
"Hey, we got to rest on a nice cozy beach for a while. The other groups have been moving non-stop."
"Yeah," Eric said, "but that doesn't mean we want to start moving again..."
"I guess you guys then don't want to hear that we have to go the farthest..."
More groans filled the air.
"Come on Ben," Meghan said. "Let's just stay here and rest."
"Fine, stay and rest. But when you get burned alive by lava and everyone else has left this place, don't blame me."
I began walking, and, soon enough, my group followed. I paused just before we were out of the beach.
"Actually, I have an idea. Paul, how big of a wave can you make?"

Within a minute, Paul had whipped up half of the beach into a giant wave, which we began riding through the forest. We were losing water quickly, but we were traveling fast enough that we would make it most of the way there quickly enough. Well...some of us would. I wouldn't, because I hit a tree while surfing through the forest. It's a real threat, I'm not going to lie, and it hurt a lot. It hurt even more when Meghan then slammed into my back, shoving me back into the tree. The wave was gone now.
"Well, it looks like we get to walk the rest of the way."
"Oh joy," she said sarcastically.

After walking for a few minutes in silence, I was interrupted.

You have no way to get back to the portal.
Says you.
Knows me is more like it. I can tell that you have devised no strategy for escape.
Maybe that is true, but who says I need a strategy? I've learned a llot about this land, and I think I know what it is. I may not know how to get home, but I have a few ideas...
...that won't work.
Shut up Sethos. You are such a buzzkill.

I decided to talk to Meghan to distract myself from Sethos.
"How are you doing, mademoiselle?"
"Eh, I guess I'm fine. Wish I didn't have to walk."
"Hey, you are the one who crashed into me. If you hadn't, only I would have had to walk."
"I wish they would have come back for us, but then they would have had to walk for much longer."
"I just hope they don't freak out when they notice we're gone."
"Please, they'll only freak out because the Fearless Leader went missing."
"True, true."

PAUL
"Hey Eric, where did Ben go?"
"He hit a tree a mile or so ago."
"Oh, okay. Should we go back for him?"
"Nah. He'll be fine." He looked around. "Hey, that Meghan girl is gone too."
"She probably fell when he did."
"Yeah, they'll be fine."

BEN
"So Fearless Leader, how do we stop an active volcano?"
"Well, with the powers we know about...I have no clue."
"Yay. And you haven't thought of something?"
"Well, Paul will run out of water, Eric's power, which I think I know, is just as useless against a volcano as Hiro's power in a fight. Murray, Daniel, Casey, none of them are really helpful. And I don't know anyone else's powers."
"Wait, you know Eric's power?"
"Didn't you notice the plant's he touched began to wither after he brushed them?"
"...no..."
"He has some kind of poison based power, one that he can't control and even if he could control it, it would be useless against a volcano."
"Okay...so what about your power?"

I stopped. I realized that, since I put mental barriers around it, I haven't even noticed it. "My power would only make matters worse, trust me. Now, if there was some way to reverse my power, then we'd be in business. But no, currently we are screwed."
"Yay. You are a great leader who can really inspire confidence."
"I know. I am glad you understand," I said, responding to her sarcasm with my own.

"What about the others? Might they have powers to stop it?"
"Probably not. I am just guessing here, but my sister probably has some kind of power dealing with cute animals, which would be useless. Despite Ojash's attempts, I know he knows his power, and I know it to, and it would do nothing because you can't trick a volcano since it cannot perceive."
"Wait...I'm lost."
"Ojash has the powers to change one's perceptions of things. He was playing around with it before we split up."
"Oh, okay. You are quite observant, Fearless Leader, sir."
"At times. Anyway, I don't think anyone has a power that can beat a volcano."

We finally arrived where the other groups were, with everyone waiting for my order. I tried to come up with a plan. "You can do this Ben," Jenny told me. "I know you'll think of some way."
I was about to respond, then I paused. I already thought up the answer. I turned to Meghan.
"Miss Raebel, I think I have figured out what your power is."
She looked at me. "You have?"
"I think so. Only one way to find out." I stepped forward and focused on the volcano. I readied myself to let loose my power, and focused on the enormity of what I was about to do. When I had all the details set in my mind, I looked at Miss Raebel, moving only my head and eyes. "Remember that power that you could feel? Focus it on me and me alone."
"I'll try."
"Tell me when you are ready..."

A pause.

"Ready."
"Okay." I looked back at the volcano, recalled the details, and prepared myself. "Let's hope this works."

I snapped my fingers, and the volcano collapsed upon itself. There wasn't even a sound, except that of the rocks tumbling and smothering the lava. It worked, exactly as I had hoped it would.
"Okay, now that that is over with," I said, turning to my large group with a smile, "it's time to leave."
Everyone looked at me. "And how might we be leaving," Derek asked me. "I have been trying to think of a way, but the portal disappeared on us, so I..."
"And there is your problem. First of all, you keep on calling it 'the portal.' It has a name. Sptoeretlael." Upon my speaking its name, Sptoeretlael popped up in front of us. "Secondly, you assume it had disappeared, which is incorrect. Sptoeretlael would not abandon its protectors. It simply cloaked itself."
"Ah, OK." Derek sounded a tad incredulous. "So it'll take us home, right?"
"One way to find out," I said, hopping into it. After a brief out-of-body experience, I was spat out in the underground chamber. I got up and quickly moved out of the way, and the others poured out of the Sptoeretlael after me. Derek was the last one back in. "Told you," I said to him as I helped him up.

"So," Jordan said, dusting himself off, "any idea where it sent us?"
"I am sure Murray can tell me if I am right or not, but I have a very good idea. Think about it. The group that went south hit the sea, while the group that went north hit a volcano. The group headed west wound up in the forest canopy..."
"And," Jordan said, finishing my thought, "the ones who went east wound up on a mountain range. Water, Firer, Wind, Earth. The four elements."
"Yep. I think the place we went to was an artificial environment, perhaps of another planet."
"Actually Ben," Murray said, cutting me off, "you are only partly correct. It was an artificial environment, but not of another planet. It was Earth, 1382 years in the future."

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