ACT I
It was Timmy Jenkin’s tenth birthday, April 1, 2075.
It was 4am and he was barely asleep.
He was dreaming.
He was high atop a mountain and standing on a flat ridge made of granite. The edge of this ridge led to a 2,000 foot fall into a granite boulder field.
The wind was swirling and for a moment he could swear he heard someone or something whispering his name.
He walked to the edge and about 300 feet below he saw a large round circle with a bright red outline. Within it he could see clouds, rivers, other mountains and sunshine emitted from two suns.
It looked like a portal to an alternate universe or another dimension.
He felt a sense of peace race over him. He wanted to escape this horrible world.
He felt the urge to jump into it. It was overwhelming. He put his toes over the edge.
He then heard, in a whisper: “Jump Timmy, we are all waiting for you. Find the arrow and run towards it and leap as far as you can and we will catch you.”
He looked down and saw many outstretched hands coming out of the portal.
He looked down and now ½ of his feet were over the edge. If even a small gust of wind pushed his back, would he fall to certain death or would those outstretched hands save him?
He searched for an arrow and there it was, crude yes, etched into the granite and weathered over millennia, but it was there.
It was made by someone or something with intelligence and access to advanced rock cutting tools.
He backed up as far as he could.
Then he heard many whispered voices saying: “Yes Timmy, yes. Yes, my boy.
Run as fast as you can towards the arrow, and jump into our arms.
We have been waiting for you and your followers for a very long time.
You have proven yourself worthy. Fall into our arms. Your new life awaits.
But only the most faithful of your followers will be saved.”
And so he did.
He ran directly towards the arrow and leapt with all his might.
He went headfirst and fell into the outstretched hands. He felt like a baby being held against his mother's bosom.
Then he woke up bathed in sweat.
For a long time he kept this special dream to himself.
ACT II
It is Timmy Jenkin’s fiftieth birthday, April 1, 2115.
Since early last century, the world had become a degenerate, violent, uncivil hellscape.
As soon as he was emancipated, he spent every free hour searching the globe for a granite ridge, high on a mountain, with an ancient arrow etched into it at its edge.
As time went on others would ask him why he was searching for that arrow.
He would always reply: "That arrow leads to a better place. I plan to escape from here."
He would then detail the exact vision he had on his tenth birthday. As years went on many despondent humans, looking for some kind of hope for a better tomorrow, put their faith in Timmy's vision and his promise of a new beginning.
On this day, his fiftieth birthday, there were 4 million people in what became known as The Portal Cult.
They were mocked, shunned and ostracized.
ACT III
One day, he and his core 100 followers climbed a mountain in Siberia. They came to a granite ridge. Timmy raced to the edge and found his arrow.
He screamed: "Look everyone, here it is!"
One by one they all came to look at the Holy Grail of their faith. Each one looked over the edge and saw no red outlined portal with outstretched hands below.
One said: "Uh Timmy, where is that portal thing you have been preaching about for decades?"
Timmy said: "Where is your faith? It is there, I know it is. This must be the final test of our faith."
Another said: "Uh Timmy, we think you drank your own Kool Aid. This is suicide."
He asked everyone to back away from the arrow and the edge.
He positioned an HD video camera with a satellite link with its camera aimed downward into the 2000 foot abyss.
He started a livestream on his website and posted to every possible social media site that
"The moment had arrived! My prophecy is about to be fulfilled!"
He waited until he had over a million viewers on the livestream.
He went as far back as he could as he was instructed in his original dream. He turned towards his followers and said: "Follow me! You know what to do!"
Then he heard many whispered voices saying: “Yes Timmy, yes. Yes, my boy.
Run as fast as you can towards the arrow, and jump into our arms.
We have been waiting for you and your followers for a very long time.
You have proven yourself worthy. Fall into our arms. Your new life awaits.
But only the most faithful of your followers will be saved”
Timmy took off running and the 40 most hard core followers followed him blindly and with complete faith, the video stream running.
One by one, in a tight line they ran and jumped, headfirst.
The non-believers were sure they were jumping to their deaths.
But about 300 feet down, the line of plummeting portal cultists disappeared into thin air one by one.
They all came to rest in a perfect meadow. The scene illuminated by two suns.
Above them was a large round circle with a bright red outline. Within it they could see clouds, other mountains and sunshine emitted from one sun.
They also saw the edge of a granite ridge, a video camera, and a few dozen non-believers with their mouths agape.
Timmy noticed the portal shrinking and saw the non-believers who were now very much believers lining up to race towards the arrow and leap.
He screamed and yelled for them to stop, but winds muffled his voice.
Timmy saw them leap one by one with broad smiles.
The first one hurtled directly towards the portal, but just as his head was about to breach it, the portal was no more.
The livestream recorded the remaining 60 plummet 2000 feet to their demise.
To be continued....
