II:

We both made our exit from the party pretty quick, after that. As we walked back to Danny's car, parked a few blocks down due to the crowd at Marty's, we were silent at first. Then, for whatever reason, whether it was the gummies or the sheer absurdity of it all, we started laughing.

We laughed until we both had to lean on a nearby fence to catch our breaths."Damn." Danny sighed, when he'd finally curbed his manic cackling. "I might as well drop you back at your house, and then drive my car straight into the lake, after that shit."

I chuckled. "It'll be fine. Not everyone who heard it recognized you, and the ones that did will probably be too wasted to remember it, anyway."

"Hope so." he muttered. Then he smirked. "Or, you could just make me disappear."

I laughed. "Yeah..."

Then he grinned. "Hey, have you ever done that, before? Like, sent someone to hammerspace, instead of something?"

I shook my head. "Nah. I mean I...I've only really done it with objects before -- stuff I can hold in my hand."

Danny extended his hand.

"No way." I said, and then added. "And definitely not with your right hand."

Danny rolled his eyes and extended his left, instead. "Come on! It'll be like, for science and shit."

"Danny, I don't even know where hammerspace is!" I said. "What if it's too hot for people to survive there? Or too cold? What if it's like...up in orbit, or on the moon or something?"

Danny paused, then snapped his fingers. "You put shit you need to hide from your folks there, right?"

I nodded, uneasily. "Yeah, so?"

"Ever stash a beer in there?" he pressed, excitedly.

I shrugged. "Once or twice, sure."

"Was it still good when you pulled it back out?"

"Yeah, why?"

Danny grinned, and ticked points off on his fingers. "It didn't freeze, so it's not too cold. It didn't boil, so it's not too hot. And the can didn't explode or get crushed, which means there's atmospheric pressure like on Earth." He extended his hand again. "Beer is mostly water, and I am also mostly water. AP Science -- A-minus, bitch! Let's frickin' go!"I rolled my eyes. "It probably won't even work!"

"Then what are you worried about! Come on -- toss me in, send me back! There's still a good chance my life is over when we go back to school on Monday, dude -- so let me live!" Danny insisted.

With a sigh, I took his hand. He grinned widely. I pulled him forward and stepped in, so he went behind me.

I really thought nothing would happen. And then Danny was gone.

"Shit!" I cried.

I spun in a circle for a moment, as though I might have somehow flung him out of sight.

Then I came to my senses, and as I had done a thousand times before, I reached behind me, thinking of what I'd sent to hammerspace, and I grabbed for it. Somewhere beyond, my hand closed on Danny's wrist, and I pulled as hard as I could.

Danny practically flew out from behind me, staggering to a halt. But it wasn't the same Danny I'd sent through.

He still wore the tattered remnants of his zorro costume, along with a ragged mantle that looked like it was made from from some kind of black animal hide. As he slowly straightened up to look at me, I saw that his face had changed. It was leaner, almost gaunt, and he wore a full shaggy beard that I wouldn't have thought he was capable of growing. His eyes grew wide as they met mine.

I didn't have time to say anything before Danny rushed me, and slammed me back into the fence, pinning me there with implacable strength. He reeked, like he hadn't bathed in months, and his hot breath on my face smelled like rotten meat.

"Danny, I'm sorry!" I cried, struggling helplessly against him. "I didn't know--"

"BACK!" he roared, sounding both angry and panicked at the same time.

"W-what?" I stammered.

"Back!" he hissed, his face so close to mine that our noses were almost touching. "You have to send me back! NOW!"

"I--"

"NOW!" he screamed. Danny seized my hand in his, and then drew his other hand back like he was going to strike. Desperately, I lurched to the side. Danny stepped into my motion, ending up behind me. In my panic, I willed him away from me...and he was gone.

I never saw Danny again, after that night. No one did.

And I never reached into hammerspace again. I gave it up. I'm not sure whether I'd become afraid of it, or if I was punishing myself for what happened. I finished high school. I got into college.

And then, one night, a few months back, as I lay in my dorm room on Halloween night, remembering that other night a lifetime ago, I just...I just had to. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and reached for my old Zippo. My fingers closed on something small -- but it was too soft, the surface too rough.

When I worked up the courage to look at what I held, I saw it. My Zippo. It was dented, and rusty, but it was definitely mine. What I'd felt was wrapped around it -- a roll of thin tan-colored leather or parchment, tied with a leather cord. It was a note.

It was addressed to me.