Into the Sallyverse: Starstruck Saga, #7.5

By S.E. Anderson

When Zander winds up trapped in an alternate reality where his doppelgänger left a little more than just memories behind, Sally is on a ghostly mission to break him out. But why is she suddenly incorporeal? And how exactly do you babysit your boisterous alternate family?

 

Back home, a reality TV ghost-hunting squad has caught wind of some spectral activities, and Blayde must employ more than just wit and spunk to hide the interdimensional portal they inadvertently opened. Between ghostly pranks and portal cover-ups, it's all in a day's work.

 

In the Sallyverse, it's a heart-pounding race against realities. Time is ticking down, and as they delve deeper into the layers of the multiverse, they're faced with the chilling realization that reminder that alternate choices can lead to very real consequences

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bolide Publishing Limited
• Release date: Oct 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9781912996865

Book preview

Into the Sallyverse

by

S.E. Anderson

INTO THE SALLYVERSE

© S.E. Anderson 2023

Cover Art by S.E. Anderson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, scanning, uploading to the internet, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher and/or author, except in the case of brief quotations for reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination, or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental.

First published in 2023 by Bolide Publishing Limited

http://bolidepublishing.com

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

CHAPTER 20

CHAPTER 21

CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 23

CHAPTER 24

CHAPTER 25

CHAPTER 26

CHAPTER 27

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER 29

CHAPTER 30

EPILOGUE

To the ghost currently haunting

my apartment

Please stop scaring my cats

Author’s Note

Before you embark on this latest interstellar — interdimensional — adventure, I wanted to share a little bit of the history behind the pages you’re about to turn.

The Starstruck Saga, in its earliest iteration, was a different beast altogether: a twelve-book beast, not ten. ‘Inalienable’ was originally conceived as three separate entities within the series. A whole extra adventure was squeezed in between the daring escape from the mental institution and the return to Pyrina for a presidential pardon. This story.

As the saga took shape, for the sake of streamlining and avoiding narrative black holes, I made the heart-wrenching decision to excise this particular storyline. Playing with the multiverse is messy and was definitely going to throw a wrench into the new finale I had in mind. However, the characters and their quirks — not to mention their alternate lives — remained close to my heart. Especially Blayde’s adventures with reality TV ghost hunting. They resided in the tucked away corners of my mind, occasionally whispering to be heard once again, and sometimes nagging about missing socks.

After much reflection — and after finding some of those socks — I decided that this tale was too precious and too much fun to remain in the shadows. So I’ve polished, edited, and sprinkled a pinch of cosmic dust on it, presenting it now as an additional, sorta-canon-but-not-really-because-the-multiverse-is-too-messy, Starstruck adventure. It’s my hope that this story will be a delightful detour that adds depth, dimension, and a few giggles to the saga.

So, strap in, grab your favorite snack, and get ready for a thrilling ride. May this alternate chapter from the annals of the Starstruck Saga bring you as much joy in reading as it did for me in reshaping and, occasionally, chasing it around my workspace.

Prologue

Blayde

Per usual, Earth was insufferable.

The gust of wind carrying a mix of dust and my own hair was yet another reminder of the inferiority of this little blue planet. If there was an award for the most abysmal tourist destination in the universe, Earth would snatch it right up.

Faster, it’s getting away! I shouted at Sally, who was stumbling after me, forcing herself to run when she could literally jump anytime she wanted to. This ghost hunting fiasco seemed so much more suited for the TV dramas earthlings seemed obsessed with. Why she was so enthralled with the chase was beyond me.

The old house on the hill is haunted, Blayde! I mimicked her voice as I ran. Flashback to our hasty arrival at Sally’s old apartment, the one place the Alliance wouldn’t think we’d be dumb enough to return to. The moment we’d stepped foot there, Sally had become obsessive. Oh, we need to see what’s really going on there, Blayde! Odd glows usually spelled otherworldly shenanigans, and really, it wasn’t like we had anything better to do. We could be the mystery bunch, Blayde! Or Ghostcrunchers! Scooby-frashing-doo!

Worst part is, she was right. The place was haunted. As evidenced by the ghost I was currently chasing through this waste of space.

One blink and I was surrounded by the musty atmosphere of a tired gothic attic; the next, my boots were pounding on warped wooden floors. I’d hopped through countless worlds, but this Earthly nostalgia of decayed grandeur was becoming a drab routine. Sally would likely call it delightfully vintage or something of the sort.

The smell of aged wood and damp air assaulted my nostrils, reminiscent of a sandwich I’d once found in the trash of an intergalactic rest stop. Everything aged, wilted, rotted. Even the drapes had seen better days, now hanging lifelessly as a testament to time’s cruel joke.

My boots landed with a sharp thud on the upper landing. The ceiling seemed to have given up, letting through a moonlit sky that painted eerie shadows on the walls. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, if you ignored the rampant ivy that seemed to think it was some avant-garde artwork. The setting might’ve been charming, minus the remnants of furniture destroyed by Earth’s miniature woodland bandits. Frashin’ Earth, with its kitschy obsessions.

Can you hurry it up? I snapped at Sally. Your ghost seems to have other plans!

Sally’s voice trailed off somewhere below, probably distracted by something as mundane as the furniture. I could never understand her fascination with it. But before I could locate her, a spectral nuisance flew right up the stairs at me. Typical of this planet to house such poorly behaved apparitions.

The entity itself was a light show — an ethereal fog body, with what seemed like a void for a mouth, guzzling any light that dared to approach. Parts of it shimmered like a rave, while its mouth was an ever-changing canvas of darkness punctuated by odd bursts of color. Quite the attention-seeker.

Without hesitation, Sally lunged forward in some kind of wishful bear-hug. The creature effortlessly phased through her. I barely stifled a laugh. Earthlings were so inefficient.

With Sally failing so brilliantly to stop the thing, it kept moving and phased right through me next. An intense, icy sensation gripped my core, like being drenched in the cold expanse of deep space without protection. It left a trail of goosebumps on my skin and a sting to my pride. Frash.

I swung into action, brandishing my laser pointer, the closest thing to a proper weapon I had on this forsaken planet.

Sally, recovering from her close encounter, remarked, It’s no use, the creature can travel through matter, before sprinting off like her life depended on it.

I dashed off after her, easily matching her pace. Really? And here I thought you were our spectral specialist, I snarked back, adjusting the settings on my pointer with practiced ease.

She huffed, What is that thing?

I glanced at her, a single eyebrow raised. If I had a user manual for every otherworldly entity, we wouldn’t be running, would we?

But you’ve wrestled with stuff like this before, haven’t you?

I spared her a brief glance. Stuff like it, sure. It was embarrassing sometimes to see how low she thought of me to think I would conceal crucial information from her at a time like this.

It’s not a Cranyonnite, I replied. Though I’d have wagered it was. And for the record, pouring vinegar on it yielded no results.

She gave me a blank stare. I’ll just take that as I should know what you’re talking about.

I couldn’t help but smirk. About time you caught up.

Our quarry seemed to be tiring, its erratic flight becoming more labored. It was almost ridiculous, this game of cat-and-mouse. Oh, the things we do for fun around here.

Skidding to a halt, I narrowly avoided colliding with Zander, who was making a beeline from the other direction. Our synchronized gazes zeroed in on the creature, which had fled into an uncharted room.

It’s cornered—I think, I muttered, anticipation tightening my stance. Like a hunter zeroing in on her prey. Anticipate everything, from the utterly bizarre to the downright mundane.

Zander chimed in, It won’t give up without a fight. Every entity fights for its existence, be it of flesh or... whatever this thing’s made of.

As if to punctuate his point, the entity’s mouth yawned cavernously, unveiling a depth of darkness that made the color black seem like a rainbow. The air began to distort, and I could feel the subtle tug of my hair towards its insatiable maw.

Seizing the moment, Zander lunged forward. The creature recoiled, but Zander, arms extended, somehow managed to grip the edges of that abysmal maw, pushing back with a ferocity I’d never seen. For a second, it seemed he might phase right through, but instead, the creature itself began to retreat... straight through a mirror.

But Zander wasn’t stopping for spatial norms. His arms, then head, torso, and legs followed suit, plunging through what should’ve been a sturdy, and very real, wall.

And just like that, Zander was gone, leaving not even a speck of dust in his wake.

Chapter 1

Zander

Slam.

My head met the ground with the subtle elegance of a dropped watermelon at a fruit jugglers’ convention. Within an instant, I was back on my feet. A dull ache pulsed from my temple as I surveyed my surroundings. The creature was conspicuously absent. I half-expected it to have torn through another wall, so that the chase would go on for yet another three hours. It seemed to have been enjoying it.

I turned back around, coming face to face with the old moldy wall which had guaranteed the easy capture of the creature. It was still there, undisturbed, yet somehow I had passed right through it. If I’d known I had this trick up my sleeve, I’d have been breezing through bank vaults or at the very least, avoiding awkward parties. Side effect of touching the creature? No, molecular structures never transferred on to anyone else — imagine the chaos of an ascended being becoming physical at the touch of a mere human; someone was about to end up on the endangered species list — No, whatever the creature had done, it hadn’t made me physically pass through the wall.

It couldn’t have.

Could it?

I bolted into the hallway, a surge of adrenaline propelling me back to the room I’d just left, but a chilling emptiness greeted me. It was devoid of both my friends and the chaotic assembly of furniture that had been tossed around like a child's forgotten playthings. To make things even more strange, the mirror was gone. In the pitiful seconds it had taken me to peel myself off the floor, the mirror had performed its own vanishing act.

I took a deep breath. The eerie silence of the house gnawed at my nerves. I strained to listen, to catch the faintest echo of footsteps or the hurried, anxious voices of my friends. They should’ve been racing after that abominable creature, but the house was silent, an unnerving stillness clinging to its dilapidated walls. Each beat of silence pushed the realization deeper – something was terribly, inexplicably wrong.

Sally! I called, my lone voice echoing through the empty house. Blayde!

Silence. The kind of silence that’s not just the absence of sound, but feels like the universe was buffering its playlist. Stepping out into the corridor, I inspected every shadow as though they might decide to suddenly perform a musical number. Given my luck, they’d probably be off-tune. The familiar creak of the main staircase suggested I was still in the same house — which was comforting, in the same way you’d be comforted to find out the UFO that abducted you at least still had decent Wi-Fi.

A sense of unease bubbled up as I returned to the main hall, shouting their names, half-expecting an echoing answer from the void. The inexplicable silence, the MIA friends — They couldn’t have left that fast, could they have? Ran off with the ugly mirror? No, even if I had died a little bit, they wouldn’t have left without me. Not without leaving a note. Plus, there wasn’t any blood at the point of my accident: If I had died, it would have been from internal trauma.

However, the throbbing in my head argued otherwise. It was the kind of throbbing that made a point, stuck around for tea, and refused to leave. My hand rose to my forehead, feeling the small lump that had risen up from where my head had banged the floor. It was still here, even after having a full five minutes. And I knew well enough that it was enough time to worry about even the smallest of bumps.

Ow, I remarked, which was a vast understatement. The pain was stabbing through my skull unlike anything I had felt in centuries. Pain. Pain was back. Friends vanish, pain returns — clearly, the universe’s sense of fair trade had taken a day off.

They would probably be worried about me. Well, Sally might be. Blayde would be taking bets on how long it’d take me to find my way back. The best course of action would then be to leave a message and get back to the rendezvous point.

I pulled out my pocket knife, flipping it open as I smoothed the ripped wallpaper. I set to work, making my message both clear and deeply unappreciated by any future interior decorators that might ever see it. It was an easy task, although I had to keep pausing every once and a while to check if the bump on my head had gone. Nope. Still hanging on.

What the hell are you doing in here? a voice interrupted.

Whipping around, I found myself facing a woman with a decidedly unimpressed expression. Her hair was tightly pulled back, and the thin spectacles framing her eyes gave her an air of restrained authority. Although she appeared young, caution flared within me. The creature we had been pursuing might have the ability to change form, so it was eggshells from here on out.

Are you... Why are you defacing my grandmother’s house? She demanded, eyeing my handiwork.

I shifted uncomfortably. I, uh, may have had a small misunderstanding. I was told it was abandoned.

Her brow furrowed, Let me guess, you thought it'd be a brilliant spot for a secret rave? Or some bizarre art project?

No, it's not that. It's... complicated.

She put her hands on her hips. So you thought you’d just come here and... what? Is this about drugs? Are you dealing? Using? Giving them as unsolicited housewarming gifts?

Right, probably not the creature then. I groaned internally. No, no, and definitely no.

She squinted, leaning closer. You wouldn’t happen to know how to fix the Wi-Fi, would you? It’s been acting up lately. Ancient routers, you know.

No, not really my area of expertise. I'm just... sightseeing.

Indoor sightseeing? That’s a new one, she retorted. You should leave before I involve the police.

I raised my hands defensively. Got it, message received. I'm out.

Despite my eagerness to further explore the house, leaving was the wiser choice. At least I had left a message.

Sally’s apartment wasn’t too far away (although, when you possessed the ability to hop across space in mere moments, distance was always relative) which was convenient, seeing as how I couldn’t jump with all these potential prying eyes around. The evening air was colder than I had anticipated for May. Goosebumps spread across my skin, a sensation I hadn’t felt in ages. As I breathed out, my exhales formed delicate whorls, much like winter breaths. This May seemed to have borrowed a page from December’s playbook.

I cut across the park, reaching Sally’s apartment building in good time. I sidestepped the main entrance in favor of a more covert route: scaling the building with practiced ease, I landed gently on her balcony. I intended to jump into her living room, but the expected faint glow of the light we had left on earlier was absent. Had the bulb burnt out? No matter, I was good with locks, and she wouldn’t mind.

It was odd, though, that they hadn’t made it home before me.

I fiddled along with the mechanism for a second or two, the lock caving to my request and letting me in without a hassle. The door slid shut seamlessly behind me, and I flipped the switch, bathing the room in a warm glow. It was only then, when I was within walking distance of the couch, that I realized how tired I actually was. The mere thought of sleep brought on a loud yawn, one which I was glad my sister wasn’t around to hear.

I stumbled to the kitchen, pulling open the fridge and picking up the first thing that came in hand: a small plastic jar. I blinked the exhaustion out of my eyes so as to focus on the item. Hummus? Not really a fan.

A faint shuffle behind jerked me into high alert. Reflexes honed over lifetimes kicked in. With a jolt, I spun on my heels, slamming the fridge door shut and grabbing the wooden bat out of the air, twisting it out of the attacker’s grasp, using the butt of the grip to send a powerful blow to their stomach. I brandished the bat before them in a pose fit for a seasoned swordsman.

It wasn’t Sally. Nor Blayde. Not that I’d expect Blayde’s antics to be so predictable. Just a woman, looking spooked. With her fluffy pink pajamas boasting an embroidered sheep, she hardly seemed the threatening type. Maybe a neighbor looking for Sally, or a friend she hadn’t introduced me to yet looking for her support. In any case, a gut punch was probably not the best way to introduce one’s self to one’s girlfriend’s friends.

Oh shit! I’m so sorry, I thought you were someone else. I exclaimed, setting the bat down. I didn’t mean to scare you.

She stared, first at the bat, then at my hand, which might as well have been a tentacle with the wary glance she gave it. Drawing a deep breath, she let out a scream that could probably register on the Richter scale.

Whoa! Easy on the vocal cords! I begged, I’m just looking for Sally. Have you seen her?

She paused momentarily, looking like she might respond. But she seemed to be only warming up, drawing an even deeper breath to prepare for her encore. Impressive.

As her wail echoed through the room, my mind raced. How had I missed it? I had become so complacent, so comfortable that I didn’t bother to really check my surroundings. Then the little details began to jump out: the couches were cream, not the familiar brown. The photos on the walls told stories of strangers, unfamiliar vacations, celebrations, and memories. I felt like a cat that had jumped into the wrong window, finding itself in a neighbor’s living room instead of its own.

There were billions of dangers in the universe. Billions of possibilities, things lurking behind every corner and in every shadow. Every ceiling crack had a story, every blade of grass had a tale. When was the last time I had thought to check those?

Blayde was right, Earth life was making me soft.

I-I- I stammered. A new low. Look, I’m really sorry, I was certain this was her place.

Her expression was a blend of irritation and fear. Oh yeah? You could have knocked, jerkwad! I’m calling the Agency!

I left her apartment, more confused than ever. Where on Earth was I?

I dropped the hummus and ran into the night.

Chapter 2

Sally

I hadn’t noticed my jaw hanging halfway to the floor until Blayde reached over and shut it for me.

Zander had gone through a wall. Poof, swallowed up whole by the spotty mirror. I’d seen him jump through the universe but this was infinitely weirder.

Blayde’s hand dropped to my gut, preemptively stopping my stride. You wanna have a go as well?

Did you see— I started, still aghast. Her glare interrupted me mid-sentence: of course she had seen. Where did he go?

If I knew that, I wouldn’t be standing here, she retorted. Obviously, that’s not just a mirror; it’s a portal.

I forced my eyes not to roll. Obviously.

But since we have no idea where it leads and by what means, we must proceed with caution. Agreed?

I nodded, then stuck my head into the hallway, trying to locate where the wall should have spat Zander out. I peered into the next room, meeting only with barren walls and the musty scent of decayed plaster.

When I came back, Blayde was in motion, drawing her laser and aiming at the mirror. The thing was ancient, so much so it seemed to have forgotten its primary function, and was currently a framed art piece depicting how metal aged. Instead of reflecting back, the beam went straight through, singing the wallpaper where the laws of physics took over again. She gently moved the laser so that it sketched out the entire shape of the portal.

Not there, I said, rejoining her in the main room. Blayde gave me a look that screamed I told you so, but for once, she kept her mouth shut. Maybe I was finally growing on her.

Ever deal with this type of thing before? I asked, my voice low.

She shrugged. Things like this? Yes. But every situation is new: Everything is in constant motion, constant change. As space and time are linked in the mere fabric of space-time, you will always be subject to a change in time, or location. Even more so for people with our... advantages.

I sighed. Blayde was stalling. I was hoping for a yes or no, not a philosophy lecture. Can we bring Zander back or not?

"Depends from where. The only limit is time, and it’s not like that’s a problem for him. So of course we can get him back... eventually. Can you feel him?"

I bit my lip to keep myself from saying something stupid. Can I do what?

You know. The thing you do when you jump. You said you can feel him in the fabric of the universe. So, can you? Her voice was stern, an anchor in the swirling storm of dread.

I rolled my shoulders, and the room faded. I was amidst the stars, lost in the silent symphony of existence. I stretched my consciousness into the cosmic