"Welcome to reality, Hank." Hank's eyes opened and he saw Stephanie standing over him. He hadn't seen his sister in so long that he nearly forgot what she looked like. She was smiling at him as she stood next to his bed. Her dark brown hair was quite the opposite of Hank's light blonde, but their features were beyond comparible. Stephanie was truly Hank's sister, and practically a twin. "Sis..." Hank sat up slowly as the words struggled out of his throat. He felt as though he had been sleeping for decades. "I'm dreaming." Stephanie smiled widely as she touched Hank's shoulder affectionately. "You're always dreaming, Hank. Whether you know it or not, you're always dreaming." He was too dizzy to make much sense of that retort, so he only nodded absently as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes with the heels of his hands. There was a horrible buzzing noise in his head, as though he had just heard a clap of thunder that did not want to end. It took time for his eyes to completely adjust to the well-lit room. He blinked several times as he turned and looked at Stephanie again. "Sis...it IS you. Where am I?" Stephanie got that mocking look on her face that Hank knew so well. She smiled widely and giggled. "Where do you think, bro? You're at home. And you're going to miss the big game, c'mon! We're playing Creston today!" She took ahold of Hank's arm with both hands and began tugging helplessly as she spoke. The dizziness was wearing off, and he tried hard to understand what Stephanie was saying. Playing Creston? Who is Creston? Then it hit him. Stephanie had a soccer game that day. Her school was going up against Creston, the toughest team in the regional league. She had been so excited about the game, though. She kept telling Hank that she'd never forgive him if he missed it. She wanted so much for big brother to see her make that winning goal. Steph beamed with confidence that day, and he promised he would be there to see her conquer the odds. But that was the same day as the roller coaster. That damned machine that captured him and all of his best friends and pulled them through a rip in the fabric of space and time. His life was completely destroyed that day. Not just from leaving Earth, nor from seeing his friends be taken through with him. He missed Stephanie's big game. He knew about it for so long, and had made all the arrangements that would garauntee his appearance at the sideline to cheer on his little sister. He was positive he would make it. Without a care in the world, he climbed into that coaster and buckled in. He remembered staring into the first tunnel before the coaster began moving, and thinking to himself..."It's unusually dark up there. Shouldn't there at least be enough reflection from the sun to see into the first few meters of the tunnel?" As the cars began to creep forward, he had looked up to the man operating the coaster controls. A moment before, it had been a man in his early twenties operating the small lever. But as the ride creeped past the operation booth, Hank saw that it was now someone else at that lever....someone else, entirely different.... His eyes opened as Stephanie touched his shoulder again, this time giving him a little push. "Hey, c'mon, Hank. You promised. It starts at two, and Mom and I are leaving now to get my new shinpads. Make sure you're awake enough to be there on time, okay?" He nodded to her, more out of habit than of actual response to her request. He rubbed his eyes again and looked at Stephanie. Just as he thought he could see clearly enough through the vapors of fatigue to determine for sure whether he was actually seeing his little sister, she turned around and made for the door. "I'll assume that you're actually awake and not sleep-nodding, Hank." She shut the door behind her, but spoke before it finally closed, "You better make it or else." You better make it or else. The last words he had ever heard from Stephanie. The words seemed to explode in the air as they reached his ears. It was like nostalgia magnified a thousand times, hearing those words that he dreamed about almost every night. The last words Stephanie spoke to him before he found that roller coaster... You better make it or else. His mouth quickly opened to speak as his mind erupted completely to the situation. He was home now, and this was the same day that he left. Stephanie was walking out the front door as he tried to call to her. Stop, Stephanie! he thought as his dry throat refused to let out any sound, I didn't miss the game yet! I'm home! Stephanie, WAIT!!! But nothing happened. His voice was gone but his chest heaved with air as he tried to make words come forth. Finally, he heard the front door slam behind his sister as she went out to the car, Mom waiting in the driver's seat. At that exact moment, his throat released from it's dry grip on his tongue, and the words tumbled out quickly and loudly. "Steph wait a minute!!!" he yelled a split second after hearing the slam. He lept from the bed just then, his mind clearer than ever. He was home now, and it was the same day as he left. He could stop everything that happened. He could start the year all over again. No-one would get on that roller coaster today. He and his friends could be safe again. But most importantly, he would see Stephanie's big game. He swung his room door open furiously and stumbled out, yelling again for Stephanie to wait. He saw the front door, and his eyes panned to the window as he ran. Stephanie could be seen climbing into the passenger seat, and closing the door behind her. The station wagon backed out of the driveway. Hank reached the front door to the house and yanked at the doorknob. It took several turns to get it open. It had been so long since he operated an actual doorknob, it was almost a difficult job for him. The door swung back towards him as he finally released it, and he saw out the screen door. The station wagon was already halfway down the block, and gaining speed. Hank stepped out onto the front porch. The screen door swung shut again. He did not move or breath for a while. He just stared down the road until the car was completely out of sight. And then he simply waited longer. He stood there, barefoot on the coldly familiar front porch, and tried hard to figure out what had happened. He was home, and he was back at the beginning of the day they crossed over. That much was obvious now. But how could that have happened? Did they find a way out? He couldn't remember. He remembered everything that had happened to him and the gang in the Realm, but he could not for the life of him recall the last thing that happened before waking up here. Maybe they found a way back! But why would they be back to the beginning of the same day? Why not just drop them off at the same point in time that they arrived? What is the significance of starting the day over? Maybe it was just a dream. Hank actually shook his head despite himself. It was no dream, he knew that much. He remembered everything too well. They were in the Realm, and now they were not. Or, at least, HE was not. The others might still be. "But how..." he said out loud as he tried desperately to remember something about the previous day. His memories instead shifted to today, the day of Stephanie's big game. He remembered waking up to Stephanie yelling at him that day. He got up and told her that he would be there on time, no doubt about it. He made himself a cup of coffee as Mom and Steph pulled out of the driveway to get some new shin guards for the game. That's when Bobby called him about the new roller coaster at the amusement park-- Hank was back through the front door before the phone finished it's first ring. He picked it up just as it began the second. "Bobby?!" The line was silent for a second, then Bobby's voice could be heard. "Uhhh....how'd you know it was me?" Hank's chest heaved with relief. "Bobby, thank god! Where's the rest of the gang?" Another pause. "The gang?" "Yeah, where is everybody?" "What do you mean, everybody? What are you talking about?" Hank stopped a moment to think. His lips moved silently as he thought. Bobby doesn't remember anything. This actually was the beginning of the same day. But Bobby doesn't remember the Realm. It's likely that no-one else did, either. But why would he? Maybe it was just a dream. Maybe the whole thing never happened. "Hank?" He jumped slightly at hearing Bobby's voice again. "Uh...yeah, Bobby. Sorry, just, um...trying to clean up around here." He actually grabbed a candy wrapper from the coffee table and threw it away as he thought up the lie, as though to make it a truth of some sort. "I meant the gang that's going to the Dungeons and Dragons today. You know where they are?" "What?! You knew about it? I just got off the phone with Eric. You're the fifth person I called. How did you know I was rounding people up for the coaster?" Another memory resurfaced. Bobby told everyone about it. Hank had not even heard of the new ride before that day. Everyone else had agreed to go. Hank as well. "I, um...well...Shiela just called me and told me about it." Bobby made an exasperated sound. "I told her I would call you, why did she bother? Jeez, Hank, I think she likes you or something." "What?!" "Listen, we're all going to meet there at noon. Right in front of the new ride. Be there, okay?" "Yeah, sure thing, Bobby. I'll be there." "Great! Later!" The line went dead. Hank's arm felt lighter than ever as it slammed the phone back down on the hook. He turned and ran back into his room to get dressed. He had to see the Dungeons and Dragons ride before anyone else did. It was already 10:45. Little more than an hour. He could make it. The bus ride seemed to take a lot longer than he remembered, but he made it to the amusement park by 11:24. It looked to have just opened, but people were already pouring in to check out the new ride. He knew that after everyone in that first group of people finished riding it once or twice, the park would die down for the day and the ride would be up for grabs by stragglers til at least two o'clock. The big crowds always waited till well after noontime to check out the new rides at this place. He fell into step at one of the lines, and was soon paying for a daytime pass into the park. Once through the wide and rather cosmetic main gates to the park, he walked directly for the Dungeons and Dragons. His memory to the ride served well, and he was there in seconds. The line of people was surprisingly short, but he watched as the first load of excited passengers were swept away into the dark tunnel. The first stretch of the first ride of the day was past, and he saw the coaster--still full of screaming carnies--emerge from the other side of the tunnel. They were pulled into a loop and their screams died away to the g-force for only a second. The second car was filling with people. He would have a turn in a matter of minutes. He fidgeted in line as he watched train after train of the new ride pull away, each time with a fresh batch of eager participants. And he saw train after train skid to a halt, letting free the hazy-eyed souls that experienced what looked to be the ride of their life. But none of them were disappearing. Everyone was having a good time. No Venger. No Tiamat. No Dungeon Master. No shimmering tornado-like portals. It looked to be another day at the fair. Hank was not sure whether he should be relieved or scared. Nevertheless, he was decidedly scared as he approached the empty car. It was in the second car back that he took a seat. A younger boy with wide, excited eyes sat beside him and buckled in. The boy looked startlingly like Bobby. Hank looked forward and saw the tunnel over the shoulder of the passenger in front of him. It was dark. Almost no sunlight was let into the tunnel, despite the strategic angle that the sun shone towards it's opening. Hanks hands tightened on the saddlebar, and his knuckles became white with the effort of his grip. What am I doing?! he thought. I should see the others first! What if I'm pulled in?! They'll follow, whether I'm with them or not! "You really should relax," the boy next to him said. He was looking at Hank's grip on the bar. "It's more fun if you relax, fella." Hank made an effort to release the bar somewhat and smiled meekly at the young man. He then turned to a nearby attendant and opened his mouth to speak. "Excuse me, I don't think I--" the car started into motion before he could finish. The attendant didn't hear him. She raised her thumb to the operations booth after checking all the seat harnesses, with her back to Hank. The car's motion picked up as he tried to motion and whistle to her. It was too late. He turned back toward the front, and saw the opening to the tunnel. It was getting quite bigger as the coaster approached and picked up speed. Soon it was roaring down the tracks, and he was once again white-knuckled on the harness and staring directly ahead. He reflexively looked up into the tall booth where the operations man was. His mind clouded with fear as he remembered what he had seen in the booth that day. It was an orc. His eyes focused on the person behind the lever... The large orc smiled widely as it gazed down at him. It was looking right at Hank. I just messed up BIG-time, was his last thought as the train entered the first tunnel. The screams of all the other passengers echoed loudly in the dark chamber. Hank became disoriented from both the sound and motion, and the train dipped into a starting-drop. He was overcome with vertigo for a moment, and then felt his car jerk back and upwards into another hill. Then there was sunlight all around him. The screams of the other passengers lost the echo of the tunnel but got louder nonetheless. The train dipped a second time towards the ground. He had cleared the tunnel and nothing had happened. All the sounds of the coaster died away in his mind as he drew into a self-conscious state of inspection. His mind became quiet and determinately focused on the only thought he could allow himself to have. Nothing happened.... ...nothing happened....