leon and i were sitting underneath a dripping cedar tree, at night, in the pouring rain. it was completely dark and all i could hear was water falling from the sky and leon's voice.

"like this!" he said, throwing a punch into the air at a slightly upwards angle.

"like this?" i asked, trying to imitate him and failing.

"no. you've gotta do it harder, faster, almost like a flicker. i'm slowing it down some so you can see before my hand vanishes."

at this point i realize he isn't just showing me karate punches.

"vanishes?"

"yeah. when you punch through the fabric of this reality."

"what?"

"you can do it. i can do it. i'm trying to show you. it makes a weird noise. and you'll get your hand back. it's just the first step in going into the next dimension."

"okay...."

"like this!" he said again, loudly, punching into the air.

i summoned up my arm strength and punched as hard as i could at the angle he was showing me. still nothing.

"you've gotta get the flick and you've gotta get the angle just right. you are trying to move your hand in four dee, not three dee. get it?"

something about how he phrased it made me understand. i took a last look into his darkened eyes and flipped my head so my sopping wet hair flew out of my face and back. "okay," i said, determined. i drew my arm back, fist upturned, elbow close to my body, and punched the air. at the apex of my thrust, there was a little, barely discernable blip noise, and my hand and the first half of my forearm vanished. that part of my body felt weird and hummy and warm and tingling.

"YOU DID IT!" he shouted, "YOU DID IT!" and then he copied me, and his own arm vanished with the same blipping noise. he looked straight at me and said, "now, are you ready? we're part way there. we're going to go through. we can always come back. are you ready? i'll be with you."

i panicked a little. "what if we end up in different spots?! what is it like there?"

"we won't, and i can't describe it. but reach your hand around and you'll feel mine. we'll be in the same spot. i promise. we'll even hold hands." i did as he said, wiggled my absent hand and arm around, and indeed, i could feel his own warm palm and wiggling digits there.

"reality is the greatest, most persistant illusion. let's see what's really there," he grinned at me. i held my breath, dreading and hoping. and then i woke up.