At first the voices were a blur. Soft, velvet murmurings that floated above what sounded like a distant bubbling brook.

Denise struggled to open her eyes, but they were just too heavy.

The voices were much clearer, but she still couldn’t understand the words. It sounded like they were talking a foreign language. But it was more than that. She wasn’t certain, but they were definitely talking strange— very strange.

Denise felt her head being lifted and the cool rim of a container placed against her mouth. Instinctively, she opened up and took a swallow. It was wet and cool and perfect. Just what she needed.

Denise felt her head tilted to one side. She was more than a little startled as several drops of the cold liquid splashed into her ear. Then her head was tilted to the other side as more was splashed into the other ear.

“It’s no fair making the rest of us wait till she gets better. Can’t somebody just stay with her while we go check out the place?”

Suddenly Denise understood everything. Every word, every sentence—she even recognized that last voice. It belonged to the one and only Nathan More-Spoiled- Than-Any-Brat-She-Knew O’Brien.

“Patience, partner, patience,” Aristophenix’s voice said. “Actually, Master Nathan, the greater number of amiable faces surrounding her at the time of consciousness will facilitate a swifter recovery, thereby allowing you to see the kingdom as quickly and as unimpaired as possible.”

But whose voice was that? Denise had no idea. And since lying around and listening to voices was not exactly how she wanted to spend her time, she mustered up more strength. Focusing all of her concentration upon her eyelids, she was finally able to pry them open.

“Ah, there go we,” Listro Q said, looking down at her. He was at her left with Samson hovering just over his shoulder. On the other side she saw Aristophenix kneeling and looking just as chubby and dapper as ever. And beside him, with his head kind of upside down, was Nathan. Much to her disappointment, it was the old Nathan—the spoiled, whining Nathan. What happened to the other one—with the shining armor and mighty swords? Had it been a dream?

“I do believe, Master Nathan, that the female will soon be as spry as ever.”

It was the new voice again. Denise looked above her head and was astonished to see the stuffed bulldog peering down at her. She was even more amazed when he gave a stiff, stodgy cough and continued speaking!

“Note the color already returning to the cheeks, as well as—”

A stuffed animal speaking! What’s going on? she thought.

“So is she going to be okay or what?” Nathan demanded. “I got things I want to see here.”

Good old Nathan. Some things never change. With that strange and somewhat comforting thought, Denise struggled to sit up.

“Girl now, cool be,” Listro Q cautioned.

By now everything had cleared and focused for her. Everything except Nathan. For some reason his face still remained upside down.

She tried to speak, but the words came out dry and choking.

“Water, more have some,” Listro Q encouraged as he lifted the water skin to her mouth. She took a small sip, but soon found herself gulping in as much as she could. She had never tasted anything quite so good or satisfying.

“Now, easy, easy,” Listro Q warned as he gently pulled the water skin away.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, Denise finally spoke. “What . . . what happened?”

“Enter you could not the Center,” Listro Q answered. “Vibrate with thanks, all created things. Not, did you.” Confused, she turned to Aristophenix who explained, From rocks to trees, to stars to man, to vibrate thanks is our purpose and plan.

By refusing to join or not knowing how, nowhere in his presence did Imager allow.

“Oh, so this was all his fault—that Imager guy.”

“For your own protection was it,” Listro Q explained.

“Yeah, sure,” she scorned. “Some protection.”

“Your vibration, your frequency out of phase. Kill you would it. By forbidding entrance, save you, did he.”

“Right,” she scoffed. Already memories flooded in faster than she cared to remember. Memories of the Center and the awful shaking, memories of the terrifying darkness . . . and memories of those eyes . . . those sensitive, pain-filled eyes. Eyes that seemed to be her father’s but were somehow deeper.

“Who caught me, then?” she demanded. “Who saved me?”

“Saved you?” Listro Q asked.

“Well, yeah, how did I get here?”

Aristophenix glanced at the others. He nervously cleared his throat and tried to explain.

As best we can figure, you went the long way ’round. And doing it by yourself makes it more than profound.

“But my dad, didn’t you see him?” Denise asked. “He’s the one who caught me. Didn’t you see him?”

“Denny,” Nathan sighed impatiently, “your dad hasn’t been around for years. You know that.”

“Well, yeah,” she faltered, “but it looked like him . . . except for the eyes. And what about you?” She turned to Nathan. “You just made it through there without any sweat?”

“Not at first.”

Denise looked at him, waiting for more.

“I tried singing a bunch of songs—you know, happy stuff—but nothing seemed to work. I just kept getting knocked around harder and harder.”

“Tell me about it,” Denise said.

“Then I remembered one of Grandpa’s hymns from Ireland—one he always sang to me at bedtime . . .” His voice trailed off as if he were lost in thought, as if he’d experienced something he could not quite explain.

“And?” Denise persisted.

He came to. Then he simply shrugged. “And here I am.”

Denise’s frustration grew. “What about all that armor you were wearing?”

He looked puzzled. “Armor?”

“Yeah, you were dressed in some sort of weird getup with swords and—”

“I was dressed weird?” Nathan said defensively.

“Well, not weird. Actually you looked kinda—”

“What about you in that wedding dress?”

“Wedding dress?” It was Denise’s turn for surprise.

“And how did you get it to glow like that?” he asked.

“You looked pretty cool.” Then, catching himself, he added, “I mean, considering how stupid you normally look.”

Denise was so puzzled she barely noticed the put- down. What wedding dress was he talking about? And why hadn’t he noticed the armor he was wearing? Things were definitely strange. On the bizarre scale of one to ten, this was definitely pushing an eleven.

Suddenly Samson began to chatter.

“Right are you,” Listro Q agreed. “To see much have we.” Turning to Denise he asked, “Walk, you think can you?”

“Of course I can,” she said.

With the help of the others, Denise started to rise to her feet.

She wished she hadn’t.

There was a loud whooshing sound and immediately she found herself standing upside down. Well, it really wasn’t standing . . . her feet shot straight up toward the sky and her head rested firmly on the ground.

“What’s going on?” she screamed.

“Don’t panic,” Nathan said.

“Yeah, right, like this happens all the time!” She threw a look at Nathan and was surprised to see that he was also upside-down. But they were the only ones.

Everybody else seemed to be standing perfectly normal.

“This is crazy!” she yelled.

Nathan answered, “They say it’s because we’re from the Upside-Down Kingdom.”

“Upside-Down what?”

“Kingdom. They say our world is the only world in the universe that does things upside down.”

“Upside down?” she repeated. Not only was she angry, but she was doubly upset that Nathan seemed to be taking it so calmly. “What do they mean, upside down?”

“In our world if you want stuff you take it,” Nathan said. “Or if you want to be like the boss or leader, you make sure everyone else obeys you.”

“So?”

“So here,” he continued, “if you want something you give it away, or if you’re trying to be the leader, then you help others.”

“That’s crazy!”

“No . . . just upside-down.”

“For them!” Denise sputtered. “They’re the ones that are upside-down—not us!”

“I guess,” he shrugged. “Except for one little thing.”

“What’s that?”

“We’re the ones standing on our heads.”

Denise looked back at the group. “Great,” she groaned, “so we spend the rest of our time here just standing on our heads.”

“I say there . . . I do believe there is an expedient solution available.” It was the bulldog again.

“And why aren’t you upside-down?” Denise demanded. She didn’t mean to be so cranky, but all in all it hadn’t been one of her better days. And at the moment, it didn’t seem to be getting any better. “If you’re from our world, why aren’t you flipped around like us?”

“Obviously, my dear human, because I don’t have the potential of being Imager-Breathed.”

“Oh great, more of this Imager stuff. He really knows how to show his guests a good time, doesn’t he?”

“Get real,” Nathan sighed. “We’re not in the Center anymore. We passed through it to get to Fayrah.”

“My dear Master Nathan . . .” The dog cleared his throat. “If you would be so kind as to allow me to continue?”

“Certainly, Mr. Hornsberry,” Nathan said.

“Mr. Hornsberry? What a name.” Denise muttered. “Doesn’t that just figure.”

Ignoring her, the dog continued. “In my humble estimation, I believe your dilemma is an optical phenomenon.” He turned to Listro Q and Aristophenix. “Am I correct, gentlemen?”

They both nodded.

“Then, by simply placing a few drops of your special water into their eyes—as you have already done with their ears, allowing them to hear right side up—will they not also be able to see right side up?”

“Mr. Hornsberry, you’re a genius!” Nathan shouted.

The dog coughed slightly. “Yes, well, that goes without saying, doesn’t it?”

“If that’s all it takes, let’s get on with it!” Denise demanded.

“Patience, female, patience,” Mr. Hornsberry scolded. “Why you humans were ever given control is beyond me.” He turned to Listro Q and asked, “My good man, would you be so kind as to do us the honors?”

“Cool,” Listro Q said as he opened his water skin and knelt down to the faces of Nathan and Denise. “Your eyes, open keep you. Lots of water into them let you.”

They nodded.

Listro Q poured the water into his hands. It was the first time Denise had seen it. Oh, she had tasted it, all right, with all its cool goodness. She’d even felt it as they poured it into her ears. But seeing it for the first time was quite a shock. Because it wasn’t water at all! Well, maybe it was. Who could tell in this place? But what it looked like was . . . letters and words. That’s right, liquid letters and words. It was as if someone had taken the alphabet and somehow managed to turn it into liquid. There was an S pouring out, followed by a W, then an L. Next came an entire word, THE, followed by BEHOLD, and in, and a half dozen more. Though they were all shapes and sizes, there was no missing the fact that they were actual letters and words pouring into Listro Q’s hand.

All Denise could do was stare.

With his hand cupped full of the liquid, Listro Q said, “Go, here we!” and quickly splashed it into Nathan’s face.

For a moment, nothing happened. But as soon as he opened his eyes, as soon as some of the liquid fell into them, Nathan was standing right side up with the rest of them.

“All right, way to go!” the group cheered as they slapped Mr. Hornsberry on the back and congratulated Nathan.

“Excuse me . . . ,” Denise called. “Excuse me?” Finally she managed to get their attention. “I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but do you think maybe you could get around to doing me?”

“Certainly,” Listro Q said as he kneeled back down to join her. He poured out another handful of the liquid letters and, without warning, quickly splashed them into her face. There was the loud whooshing sound again, and when she opened her eyes, she was also standing right side up.

There was more congratulating and backslapping, but Denise barely heard. She was too taken by the beauty.

Aristophenix saw her expression and softly spoke, Welcome to Fayrah, the kingdom of love, where the harshest assault is the cooing of doves.

Denise didn’t know about that, but she did know it was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. . . . First there were the colors. They were the same as back home, but somehow richer, more vivid. Yet none of them were too bright or glaring. Instead, each color gently blended into the next. Everything had its own distinct color and outline, yet each of those colors and outlines blended gently and naturally into its neighbor. It reminded her of a soft watercolor painting.

Then there were the trees. They were everywhere, each having their own shade of glimmering green leaves—leaves that she suspected would never fall, and if they did, somehow they would never need to be raked—at least not by girls who had better things to do on Saturday afternoons.

Past the trees were rolling hills—jade green and as soft as velvet. And past the hills, well past the hills, was something Denise had never seen before—mountains. But instead of the usual purple or violet hues, these mountains were a faint and very pleasant shade of . . . red. Not only that, but they seemed to be softly glowing and pulsating.

“Look!” She pointed.

“Ah, the Blood Mountains.” Aristophenix nodded.

“Bloodstone from these mountains came yours,” Listro Q said.

Remembering she still had the stone in her pocket, Denise pulled it out to take a look. Much to her surprise, it was glowing again. Glowing and pulsating in exact rhythm to the mountains!

“Neat,” Nathan said as he tried to reach for it—until Denise blocked him. It may have been his gift, but right now she was holding it.

“Celebration signal to all,” Listro Q explained as he motioned to the mountains, “that arrived here have Upside Downers.”

“What?” Denise asked.

“Because here visiting are you, glow in celebration do the mountains.”

“You mean those mountains are glowing like that just ’cause we’re here, visiting?”

Listro Q nodded silently.

“Why?”

Listro Q smiled. “Upside Downers very precious are to Imager.” Then turning back to the mountains, he continued, his voice lowering in reverence. “The Great Purchase . . . mountains these, reminder are they.”

“Great Purchase?” Denise asked.

“Yes. Of Upside Downers.”

A stillness crept over the group as everyone looked on in a gentle sense of awe. Well, almost everyone . . .

“Hey, everybody, take a look!”

Since Nathan couldn’t hold the Bloodstone or be the center of attention, he had focused on something else.

Denise turned to see him pointing at a stream a dozen yards behind them. But it wasn’t a stream of water, it was a stream of those letters and words.

Aristophenix turned to him.

Thank you, dear Nathan, I’d almost forgot, you must fill your canteens, so truth can be sought.

“Alright!” Nathan cried as he grabbed the canteens and quickly limped toward the stream.

Of course, Denise wanted to talk more about the Blood Mountains and the Bloodstone. But since Nathan had found another topic, and since Nathan loved to control the conversations, it was clear that she’d have to wait. She shook her head in mild frustration. Good ol’ Nathan.

“Check it out!” he called.

The others had turned to join him. Denise started to follow, then felt a strange sensation. She slowed to a stop. Was somebody watching them? She turned and looked. Nobody was there. Just the shimmering grass, the jade green trees, and the—wait a minute, what was that? Behind those bushes? Something blue.

Denise shaded her eyes from the sun for a better look. It was about the size of a soccer ball and it glistened in the light like glass or—could it be . . . ice?

Yes, blue ice.

She lowered her hand and was about to investigate when Nathan shouted, “Denny!”

She turned to see him standing at the bank of the stream. “Come on!” he yelled. “You gotta see this!”

She hesitated, then turned back to the bushes. But it was gone. The little blue ball had disappeared.

“Come on!” Nathan shouted.

She looked in every direction, but it was nowhere to be seen. How strange. How very strange.

“Denny!”

She turned back to him.

“Will you come on!”

Finally, with a heavy sigh, Denise turned and headed off to join him.

Excerpted from The Portal, book one of the “Imager Chronicles” series by Bill Myers, and reprinted by permission of Tommy Nelson Publishers. Read chapter 5 of The Portal.

To read chapters 1 through 3 of The Portal click here.