The man in the dark coat began his journey from the dock. The time was 3:27 AM. He knew his audience would be joining him shortly. Leaving a box on the edge of the dock, he jumped down and landed on the water, not sinking but standing as though he were standing on stone. As the wind picked up, he began walking out into the darkness. He walked for 3 minutes, though it felt as though he'd been walking for 50 years. He wasn't fatigued, just unburdened by the passing of time.

He knew his ritual had been successful because, after his three minutes, two bolts of lightning illuminated the dark night sky and two figured walked toward him. One took the form of a young girl, no older than 13 or 14. The other was an older man wearing a prisoner's jumpsuit. Both were glowing a dim light. When the three came together, the water underneath them swirled into a vortex; they continued to stand on the surface.

"Are you ready?" The girl asked.

The man in the dark coat nodded.

The two figures glanced at each other, then back at the man in the dark coat. They spoke in unison.

"Rejoice in unity!"

The man in the dark coat began slowly sinking into the vortex under him, his skin and bones becoming translucent to the point where his figure was only his dark coat.

The figures turned to each other again. "Release the wild." He said to her. "Open the doors." She said to him. Another pair of lightning bolt flashed, and the open water was calm again.