Read Online SNAP! and the Alter Ego Dimension by Ann Hite Kemp - Free Book Online

person who had brought with him or her, this tree, had been in a field when he or she played
Snap
on his or her laptop.
    “I think this tree is new,” Etsu said, stepping forward. As she moved towards the tree, some invisible barrier blocked her way.
    She said something in Japanese, rubbed her shoulder and continued towards the next side of the cube. There she was able to step onto the grass and walked straight to the tree and touched it. Then she walked to the other end of the grassland and stretched out her hand. Again it was as if she had touched an invisible wall. The cube had access from only one side, Tammy realized. Invisible barriers blocked the others.
    Tammy understood it was the same as it had been with her window. The birds had struck an invisible “wall” when they had tried to fly away.
    Hiroshi examined the tree, flexing the branches and moving leaves aside.
    Tammy realized that he was looking for birds. Her stomach turned a little. Never before had she been as hungry as she was now. She imagined herself eating a bird for supper. But not raw, at least, not just yet.
Or was it breakfast-time by now?
Who would have thought that she, Tammy, could ever consider eating a tiny, uncooked songbird? She pictured a delicious, freshly roasted chicken in her mind. That thought definitely didn’t help. It made her mouth water and her hunger took on a new intensity. She needed to eat in order to survive. And Ulrich had a cigarette lighter. There were lots of paper, magazines and school books and wooden doors and window frames. Perhaps they could make a fire and cook the birds?
    She and the others could breathe normally in this dimension, but did that mean that a fire would also burn normally? A fire needs oxygen to burn, and if the fire didn’t take all the oxygen, would they still be affected by the smoke?
    Tammy walked closer to the tree and tried to see past the many leaves in search of birds.
    “We are all very hungry,” she said to Ulrich when he looked questioningly at her. “We’re looking for birds to eat.”
    “What?” There was disapproval on Ulrich’s face.
    “Wait until you’ve missed two or three meals, then you’ll eat absolutely anything too,” Tammy protested and saw Etsu smiling at her.
    “Maybe,” Ulrich admitted, and Tammy saw something like pity in his eyes. Perhaps he now felt some sympathy for her.
    “This tree’s branches and the ground is only five meters wide,” Hiroshi said. He had quickly walked around the tree and came to a standstill in the opening. “It seems to me everything in this place fits into a five meter square. Past that the grayness takes over. There are three different birds in the tree. One is very little. A finch, or something. The other two look like doves. Then there’s also a nest. If we’re lucky, there can be eggs in it.”
    Hiroshi looked at Tammy.
    “I don’t know how we’re going to catch these birds. This tree is bigger than the few branches in your window. Here the birds will easily give us the slip. And here’s this big opening in front.”
    Tammy nodded. She knew exactly what Hiroshi meant. Her window had glass in front of the branches. This tree had a huge opening through which the birds could escape. And if they flew off into the grayness, they would be lost forever.
    Hiroshi turned towards Ulrich.
    “Take the sword, Ulrich. I’m going to see what’s in the nest.”
    Ulrich took the sword. Catlike, Hiroshi jumped onto a low branch and without much effort climbed into the tree.
    Tammy saw the three birds now. Hiroshi had scared them and they tried to fly away as high as possible. There they struck the invisible roof and soon settled on the nearest branches.
    We have to chase them into the corners and knock them down with something,
Tammy thought while watching the birds.
    Immediately she reprimanded herself. How wrong such thoughts felt! Was this what survival does to someone? Can a little hunger make folk so barbarous? Create killers and