Reuben’s Trabel Journal – Entry #2

 

Location: Home (still)
Date: Portal Day

Dear Journal,

It’s happening. The portal is ready.

Professor Whooot just rang the bell—twice—and the air in the dryer room is buzzing. I don’t mean like a little static. I mean it’s humming. The gears are turning on their own, the pendulums are swinging backward, and there’s a soft blue shimmer at the base of the big dryer. Dougie says that means it’s calibrated. All systems are go.

I wasn’t scared before. But now my paws feel kind of… sweaty? Is that a thing? I keep checking my suitcase even though I KNOW I packed everything:
✔ Teddy
✔ Notebook
✔ Four snacks (maybe five)
✔ Emergency croissants
✔ Extra socks (Baxter said it would be “sophisticated”)

Mom gabe me one last hug and smoothed my ear floof and said, “You’re going to do great things, Ruby Doo.” She also slipped a little note into my bag but I promised not to read it until I missed her. (So probably in, like, ten minutes.)

Dougie boice came ober the locket loud and clear. “You ready?” he asked.

I nodded. And then I squeaked. And then I laughed. And now I was standing in front of the portal, glowing and swirling and pulsing like a jellyfish made of sky.

This is it. I’m stepping fru.

—Reuben