Upper Harmomy woke up one sunny morning to find their worst fear once more. On Candlewick Street, a flood of the town's citizens gathered around to see the second occurence of the Rift. It must have happened overnight, as no one could report to seeing the event happen. However, unlike the first Rift, which had disappeared in moments, this one stayed there, unmoving and unfeeling. While many stayed as far away as they could from this strange, dangerous phenomenon, some saw this as proof to show to the officials that strange things truly were happening in Upper Harmony. Some tried to take pictures of this odd occurrence, but there was one problem with that: the Rift in Reality didn't show up on camera. It was as if this void did not want to be seen by the public, and concealed itself whenever it saw a camera.

Soon, the police were called, then the investigators, then the scientists, then the reporters, and finally the sightseers, thirsting for a glimpse of this so-called 'Rift' they were hearing about in the news and TV. It soon became a grand nuisance, to have all of the peace and serenity shattered by swarms of people wanting a quick story or a picture. These crowds did not even begin to comprehend how utterly terrifying and dangerous this thing was. Some people tried to go into this vacuum of controlled chaos. Luckily, there had been no major injuries, but it was, alas, inevitable that some foolish tourist would try to jump into the Rift. That would be the exact moment when people would start to realize this was no plaything. Of course, the citizens had already known this from the very beginning.

Mrs. Pellis had formed a group of locals from Upper Harmony to keep the tourists from getting too close to the Rift, because with each day, another daredevil would arrive and try to enter this gap in matter, each one getting closer than before. She had taken a deep breath one day and decided she would make sure that no one in the town would get hurt by this supernatural abomination. Twenty six people joined the group, intent on keeping their little town safe and secure. Five would stand guard and ensure that no foolish travellers tried to jump into the Rift, then, when night came, five others would take over the shift. It worked smoothly and most simply decided to watch the Rift at a distance. So, Mrs. Pellis slept well at night, knowing that no one would meet her husband's grisly fate. Or at least, until someone was launched into the Rift once more.

Today was Mrs. Pellis' turn to push the wandering sightseers away from their death. She woke early in the morning, when she could hear the first songbird twittering. She walked about half of a mile down to Candlewick Street, looking into the murky depths of the Rift. "You won't eat anyone anymore. No you won't," she said. Though no one could hear her, she knew she had found a newfound strength. Yes, Dolores Pellis was an old widow, but she was still going on. Soon, her fellow citizens came to block the tourists from the Rift, as the usual flock of people gathered around them, trying to take pictures, but failing to. However, the tourists were starting to get angry. They started to boo the townspeople, throwing their trash and shoes at the Upper Harmonions. But, they still persevered all of the way. Despite the townsfolks' courage, the crowds began to get angrier, violent, and murderous.

Some were annoyed that this random old lady was trying to prevent them from enjoying this landmark. Some simply wanted to join the madness to fit in. Others just wanted to humiliate the townspeople of Upper Harmony. As much as the others from the little village tried to quell the riots, there were hundreds of angry protesters, throwing their garbage at the citizens and making their lives hellish. A few even started to vandalize the local property. Even more people tries to jump into the void. It was pure, uncontrollable chaos. Many cried that their hometown was being ripped apart by violent strangers. Some prayed, asking why this void had appeared there in the first place. However, the yelling and shouting of the rioters drowned their cries for answers.

"Please stop!" Mrs. Pellis yelled, tears swelling in her faded blue eyes. Everywhere she looked were yelling sightseers, tearing apart the houses and harassing her friends. The only reply she got was the entire crowd of people mocking her pleads for peace. A roaring orchestra of laughter ensued. "Please! This is my home!" she screamed, breathing deeply from anxiety and fear. Soon, the officials arrived, trying desperately to quell this storm of anger and hate. Then, the final straw was pulled. Full of rage that her home was being destroyed by strangers, Mrs. Pellis struggled and pushed back against the crowds. However, she could not meet the might of hundreds of people. As soon as Mrs. Pellis fought back, the herd of travelers pushed against her too.

And Mrs. Dolores Pellis was pushed into the Rift. Her attackers had pushed her straight into the Rift that she was standing in front of. Everything seemed to quiet down for a moment, as they saw what they had done. Her skin started to shrivel up and dissolve. Then, her muscles and bones started to evaporating. The organs floated around and twitched for a moment, and then disintegrated. And all the while, Mrs. Pellis seemed to be crying out for help. Her mouth contorted into a look of pain. You could almost hear her terror, yet you could not. One could not help but look at this gruesome accident. Soon, just like her late husband, Dolores Marie Pellis disappeared into the abyss. And the Rift closed, reality snapping back in its proper place. Not a sound was heard for a moment, but those moments seemed like hours. Every stood there, dumbfounded and distraught. The police, the rioters, the citizens. They all stood still and silent.

Then, the first sound was heard: crying. The police officers started to arrest the assailants. The locals dropped to their knees in sadness. Everyone's heart was beating twice as fast. Reporters fled to the scene, interviewing witnesses, most of whom were teary-eyed and grief-stricken. A funeral was held for the shocking, brutal death. This time, no one could deny that something very odd was happening to the small town of Upper Harmony. Tears were shed and a eulogy was given by her eldest daughter, Nancy. People fondly thought back to moments when Mrs. Pellis would read to the children at the library, or orchestrate fundraisers to raise money for the town's public resources. Many started to think the Rift was a curse. A curse brought on by some unknown fantastical force. There weren't right, however, they were not wrong.

"If ever there was a truly good couple in the world, it was Jacob and Dolores Pellis. I knew them as Mom and Dad, but some of you probably knew her as Mrs. and Mr. Pellis, or the kind old couple who live down the street. My mom, she would give what extra money she had to charities, and she almost always wore a happy face. It was just second nature to her. She fell into a deep sadness when Dad died, but nevertheless, she stayed persistent. However, her efforts to benefit our town were not in vain. I think if she were here, she would want us to keep moving on. I'm sorry if I'm getting sappy, it's just... my mom meant so much to me, and she did to Upper Harmony too. Thank you." Nancy Pellis walked off the stage, her eyes wet with tears and her heart heavy. She sat back down with her kids as the service went on. Nancy would take a serious depression from the entire ordeal, rarely coming outside in fear, and creating a dark void of her own, erased of happiness, or any emotion for that matter.

So, two stone graves stood side by side. Both loomed over empty coffins. Roses were picked from bushes once more, placed gently on their graves. It seemed that the birds did not twitter that evening, if they could feel grief. However, the sun would rise and set, then repeat on and on, even with two souls lost. And it would for an eternity.