《Heaven Guilded Zarcroft Hybrid》 Introduction Character Pictures ~¡è¡Â(''[¡è**¡è]'')¡Â¡è~ This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it These are the characters we''ll meet from the beginning. Our other friends (and enemies) will be shown later as they''re introduced. One ¡°Jack!¡± someone called. The world snapped back. Warm air hugged my face and baked the green grass under me. Distant chatter and shouting. I forgot. I was at school, sitting under a giant, old tree. My bookbag laid wide open for any bugs to crawl inside. I rubbed my forehead, trying to massage the weight out. A pair of bulky combat boots stuck out from the side of the trunk. I leaned forward to see who it was. Korey slouched against the bark, hands stuffed in his aviator jacket. Leaves collected in his cropped tangerine hair. He turned to me. ¡°Finally, you''re awake,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe you should¡¯ve sat this day out.¡± ¡°I dunno.¡± I yawned. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to miss any more days.¡± ¡°We¡¯re cooking out here.¡± My dream gleamed in and out of my mind. The silhouette of a boy with golden eyes. Clouds of blue dust gathered at his feet. It looked so familiar¡­ Korey hauled his camo bookbag between us and dug inside. Seashells, two weird looking phones, a golf ball, dice, blah blah. It looked like a thrift store there. You don''t just have those things. Of course, I keep a drawer of crap I don''t use, but it''s funnier and more mysterious when it''s someone else and not me. He''s probably done more in a week than I could do in five months. ¡°Doing anything this summer?¡± he grunted, scavenging for something. ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Nothing that cool.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Well, it might get even less cool.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± He pulled out a snow globe¡ªstill intact somehow¡ªwith a mini evergreen forest inside. Words were engraved on the black base, though I couldn''t make them out. ¡°Uh, this is for you,¡± he chuckled. His grip tightened around the bottom before he handed it to me. I kept my hold gentle and off the warm glass. Korey stuffed his hands in his deep pockets, slouching deeper in the grass. He glanced at the sky, then at his tapping feet. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be gone the whole summer,¡± he sighed. I sprung up. ¡°Are you moving? Please don''t.¡± He elbowed my arm. ¡°What? No. I''m just seeing my cousin again. My mom got mad at me.¡± "This is the fourth time!" ¡°It¡¯s for the best.¡± I caressed the glass dome. ¡°Is it fun up there?¡± I asked. ¡°In the city?¡± Korey smirked. He played with his fingers and shook his head. "Mostly yeah, but be happy you''re stuck here.¡± Thunder growled in the sky, catching everyone''s stare, while the shadows of storm clouds darkened the grass. Korey''s eyes widened, like he suddenly remembered something. One minute, it was sunny and bright. Now, you would''ve never known there was a sun. Water began soaking the grass and dripping from the leaves above us. Everyone, even the aggressive soccer players, stopped to gaze at the sky, groaning. "I thought it was supposed to be sunny today," I said, confused. "It''s finally two o''clock." Korey glanced at his phone. "God, today''s really lagging." ¡°It''s gonna take me years to get back in the rain.¡± I could still smell the last storm in my stupid jacket. A girl¡¯s voice called from a distance. ¡°Jackie!¡± She scurried into the shade, her coiled black hair waving behind her. The storm dullened her mahogany skin and bright clothes, but her smile still shone through. She panted. ¡°Dori, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked. She grinned through her breaths. ¡°Absolutely nothing. That¡¯s the bad part. Everything¡¯s too perfect today.¡± ¡°Then why are you smiling?¡± ¡°Feels nice outside.¡± Her eyes bloomed as they met Korey, but he didn¡¯t meet hers. His silver eyes locked onto my bookbag. Dorothy rolled up her jacket sleeves to rub her arms. Her legs hugged each other as if she were shivering. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. Korey didn¡¯t move. I shook the snow globe under his nose. ¡°Yoo hoo!¡± I sang. ¡°Merchandised Earth to Korey!¡± ¡°What is that?¡± he whispered, pointing to the opening of my bookbag. He leaned closer, lifting the fabric with his fingers. His eyebrows furrowed, like he had an answer stirring in his head. A faint marine light glowed from the inside. Oh no. I grabbed his wrist. Immediately, my heart sank at the cold eyes glaring into me. ¡°It¡¯s for a craft¡­¡± I drawled, racking my brain for a reason. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise, though, so no spoilers. You¡¯ll see it next year.¡± He narrowed his eyes. I pretended to laugh. ¡°It¡¯s just a light.¡± His icy scowl melted to the relaxed smile he had before. He slipped from my hold, and zipped the bookbag shut. ¡°Don¡¯t want anyone else seeing it too,¡± he said, patting me on the head. Weird. I forced a smile. ¡°Yeah. It''s gonna be pretty cool.¡± ¡°Cool, indeed.¡± ¡°Yep. Cool incarnate.¡± He took a deep breath and whisked his hand away. ¡°Anyway,¡± he yawned. ¡°It¡¯s not getting any brighter out. I should head back soon.¡± ¡°Where? The day isn¡¯t over.¡± ¡°It is for me.¡± He grabbed his bag and jumped to his feet too quickly to be tired. I knew he wasn''t exactly the scrawniest, but that seemed ridiculous. He stepped over my legs and stood straight against Dorothy, face to¡­ neck. She burst into a toothy grin and stepped aside. ¡°Sorry. Hi, Korey.¡± ¡°Hey, Dorothea.¡± He pursed his lips and huddled on. In seconds, he lumbered a few yards to the fence, with his head hung low. Dorothy whipped back to me. ¡°Aww,¡± I teased. ¡°Dorothea. What a gentleman.¡± She rolled her eyes and helped me out of the grass before we sat down at the picnic table. A concrete picnic table, which felt wonderful. ¡°Dorothy, what''s up?¡± I waved my hand in front of her face. ¡°Turns out I won''t be sleeping in all summer,¡± she groaned. She yanked out a laminated pamphlet from under her thin, baggy jacket. Immediately, my eyes hurt from all the colors. Bold, yellow text read ¡°Ovidie Club for the Adolescence". Smiling teenagers waved in the middle in clothes ripped from a 90s teen movie. ¡°It¡¯s a recreational thingy my mom signed me up for,¡± Dorothy explained. ¡°It''s just games, sports, and other stuff. I have to learn how to swim.¡± ¡°The pamphlet¡¯s nice," I laughed. ¡°I went there in the third grade. It was fun, but I hated swimming class." ¡°But you got to sleep in your bed,¡± Dorothy¡¯s face sterned. ¡°I have to stay at my mom-mom¡¯s for the summer.¡± ¡°Aww. That sucks.¡± ¡°Make some room!¡± a guy running towards the bench yelled. His shaggy black hair stuck in his eyes, making him trip over his baggy pants. He dove next to the picnic table and crawled behind me. Dorothy stood up. ¡°Jamie! Wh¡ª¡± A soccer ball pummeled against the table right in front of me. I looked down to my right and met Jamie cozying up in the grass. He reached under the table, grabbed my shoelaces, and twirled them around his finger. I crossed my legs. ¡°Why are you being attacked?¡± He smirked and stood up, brushing wet grass off his black sweatshirt. ¡°Just making myself known before the year ends.¡± ¡°Hey, we were just talking about Y2K disasters,¡± Dorothy snarked. ¡°Very cool, Kansas,¡± he said. ¡°But I''m more grunge. Also, you left your donut in my bookbag. You¡¯re lucky my cat didn¡¯t eat it.¡± He tossed his bag on the table, unzipped it and pulled out a wrapped pastry from Java Star. I wasn''t a big fan of their stuff. He dropped it in front of Dorothy. ¡°Not sure I want a donut smothered in your gym shirt.¡± She pretended to gag. ¡°I think you''re taking the grunge thing too literally.¡± ¡°Fair.¡± He grabbed it and almost put it away before he looked at me. ¡°Do you want it, Jackson?¡± he asked, hushed. I shrugged. ¡°Yeah. I barely ate this morning.¡± He chuckled and gently handed it to me. As I took it, he nestled back in his seat and plunged his hands in his deep pockets. So much further away. ¡°You know, if you''re staying at your mom-mom¡¯s, you can''t be that picky,¡± I reminded her. ¡°Donuts are donuts, smothered or not.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she sighed. ¡°I just didn''t want to leave Caedispear.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only one leaving. Korey¡¯s going to New York this summer.¡± ¡°He is?¡± A staff member blew their whistle and yelled. ¡°2:00! We¡¯re going inside! Get all of your stuff or you¡¯re not getting it back!¡± Two I overlooked the floral garden. Rain drizzled from the silver sky, tinting the willow trees around me teal. Even in overcast, the trimmed grass was a vibrant green. So unnaturally vibrant, like an edited photo. Creepy. I shivered. A giant shadow fell over me from the side of a building, but when I turned around, there was nothing but more open field. Just like that, the shadow disappeared. Someone ran past me. A tall guy in black and gold dashed down some steps and towards a fountain in the center of the garden. The water was a harsh marine, iridescent with dust. He sat on the ledge, wading his graceful hand through. After a few seconds, he yanked it away, with sparks of electricity stringing from his fingers. I meandered down. The floral fragrance dissipated into the strong rain, like it was only there to attract me. The guy didn¡¯t move. He didn¡¯t regard me at all. He had oak skin and big square glasses sitting on his sullen face that aged him a few years. It reminded me of someone, but my brain came up cold before I could think of a name. ¡°Were you able to get out of bed this morning?¡± he asked, staring into the water. His voice was soft but crisp, like a fireplace. ¡°I¡­¡± My breathing spiked. ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I don¡¯t remember anything before I got here.¡± ¡°You have to try.¡± I took a deep breath, feeling the misty air. Rain drizzled on my skin. I sat down on the ledge beside him, and ran my hand through the water. It was hotter than I expected, warming me up like a nice blanket. It didn¡¯t shock me like it did him. I¡¯m dreaming¡­ I thought. For some reason, the thought didn¡¯t escape my lips, no matter how much I tried. It seems he understood. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful here,¡± I said. ¡°Where is this?¡± ¡°I thought you remembered,¡± he mused. ¡°Am I supposed to? What''s your name?¡± ¡°The name you gave me.¡± I took in the environment: the darkening sky out west, the void fields in the distance, and the strangely clear air. He pulled off a bookbag I didn¡¯t realize he had, setting it in his lap. After some empty rummaging, he pulled out a brown paper bag. Inside, a foam restaurant container. ¡°Is this for us?¡± my mouth watered. It smelled so good. ¡°Just for you,¡± he said, ¡°You didn¡¯t eat in, what, two days?¡± ¡°Two days?¡± ¡°That''s the last time I saw you.¡± ¡°I never saw you before in my life.¡± Thunder roared in the distance. The clouds deepened, turning the horizon black, like the world ended in just a mile. The green grass turned blue. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I whispered to myself. Before I could step from the fountain, the guy grabbed my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± he groaned. ¡°Just stay here. Wait. No. Go back to the manor.¡± ¡°What manor?¡± ¡°Your manor.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Why can¡¯t I go with you?¡± He pulled me into an embrace and looked back to the sky. Throwing his bookbag over his shoulder, he bolted across the garden. As he got closer to the horizon, he put his hand on his chest. In a flash of light, a golden dagger appeared in his hand. He halted, raised the blade into the air, and cut through the sky. The slash glowed gold. My vision glazed. It looked so surreal, but deep in my body, it felt so normal. Like I¡¯d seen it before. I wasn''t confused in the slightest. A green vine flew out of the glowing wound, curling at the guy¡¯s feet. It tied his ankles together and dragged him into the air. The dagger fell to the ground. I raced into the field. In a minute, the shadow of him fell over me. He struggled against the plant right above me. I grabbed the dagger off the ground and ran to the sky wound. It wasn¡¯t in the sky. It was in midair. I waved my hand behind it to make sure. It was like a portal! The stem was thicker than I thought it¡¯d be. I secured my arm around it and set the blade against the skin. Weirdly, it didn¡¯t move. I tried sawing through the first layer, but it barely made a dent. ¡°Jackson, stop!¡± he screamed. ¡°You¡¯re going to fall!¡± Fall? I looked to my right and saw it¡­ Just a foot ahead of me, the ground feathered to black, with twinkling stars like space. Ocean mist rose from the abyss. The edge of the world. Now nothing wasn¡¯t making sense. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I shouted. ¡°Just go!¡± His voice bubbled in stress. The plant slithered around his waist and up to his neck, cuffing his arms to his side. His glasses cracked from some type of pressure. ¡°Leave the dagger! You¡¯ll find the manor!¡± I pressed my eyes shut, trying to imagine the plants going away. But nothing happened. Something coursed inside me. I dropped the weapon and rushed away from the distress, past the fountain, and out the garden. My nose burned cold and my breathing dried. My stomach ached, like I had the diet of a skeleton. I fell to my knees. Tears pooled in my eyes. I touched my head to the wet grass and curled up. Lightning struck the sky again. And whoever that guy was, his scream echoed in the Earth itself. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what the plant did to him. ¡°No¡­¡± I whispered. A beep rang in my ears. Something vibrated next to my head. I sat up and observed, but I saw nothing in the grass. The vibrating continued in a rhythm. I patted and combed the grass. Nothing. What is that noise? Finally, my fingers caught something. A smartphone. Though hard to see, the screen read: 5:30 a.m. 5:30¡­ Wait. The grass flattened into a black void. My vision flashed a blinding white, stinging my eyes. The ground vanished beneath me. My legs ached. Like they shouldn¡¯t be in that position. Then my back, my arms, everything. The beeping grew louder, deafeningly loud. My body seized and my eyes opened to a pitch-black room. My head spun as I felt the warm sheets against my back, and the sweat wetting my skin. ¡°Jackson!¡± My sister, Variana, yelled from the hall. She swung the door open and crossed her arms. The shadow herself. ¡°Jackie, get dressed. Mom said to get up!¡± I panted. I imagined myself turning on my lamp, but my hand wouldn¡¯t move. Nothing did. ¡°Come on! Get up!¡± For a few seconds, she went silent. She slowly stepped back and closed the door. I guess she understood. Some seconds later, my fingers twitched. Back to business as usual. I struggled to my knees and reached over to turn on the lamp. My alarm subsided and read as ¡°missed¡±. But that weird whispering and the sound of metal on stone¡­ it lingered around me but dissolved as quickly as I noticed them. I rushed to type out every detail I could remember from the dream. But as I recalled the boy¡ªthe dagger-wielding stranger¡ªhis face became fuzzy. Everything about him became fuzzy. I remembered the fear as he was attacked by the plant; even the warmth of when he offered me a meal and wondered if I got out of bed okay. But I had to get ready for school. I definitely needed a hard shower. I got dressed and attempted to fix my lion¡¯s mane of hair. Variana dressed in her usual vampire chic and hurried outside to take a call from her boyfriend. The clock ticked a few minutes away from the bus¡¯s arrival. I went into the bathroom to make sure I didn¡¯t look like a zombie. As I got done brushing my teeth, I found myself lost in the mirror. My face¡­ Though my glasses were round and my face less than perfect, I was staring right into the eyes of the boy in my dream. But it can¡¯t be. The dream boy¡¯s skin was silky smooth. His eyes twinkled with the protection of a pack of wolves. His voice sounded so melodic. My hope faded, and my face looked the same as it always had. And the dream boy looked more unfamiliar than before. But no time for that. Yes, even on a half day before summer break, I would definitely get a referral waiting for me next year if I was a second late. Three I tossed my bookbag next to the trash can. The lights were so dim and worn out, the wall in front of me cast a wavering shadow. At least it matched my mood. Happy about summer. Upset about Korey and Dorothy leaving. Luckily for me, Dorothy should arrive soon. Dust puffed up in my nose from the neglected corner of the room, beside the fridge. I pulled out my stuffy binder and tore out months of assignments. ¡°You¡¯re not keeping anything, J?¡± I heard my mom''s snarking voice. ¡°Not really,¡± I murmured, and dropped the papers in the newly bagged can. I didn''t want to turn around. ¡°Not even your report card?¡± I froze. ¡°You didn''t throw it away, did you?¡± she asked. ¡°If you threw it away¡ª¡± ¡°I didn''t!¡± I grunted. ¡°I swear. I''ll have to find it first.¡± Someone knocked on the front door, taking my mom''s scrutiny away from me. I only then saw that she was in her pajamas. At least she could relax. Mom walked through the porch room and opened up the door. ¡°J, your friend is here!¡± she shouted. Good thing I wasn¡¯t in the living room a few feet away, or the walls would¡¯ve caved from the noise. I had changed my clothes from earlier. Would¡¯ve been embarrassing talking while being completely drenched. I tied up my hair, brushing the rest behind my ears, and hurried to the door. The washing machine whirred in the porch. Combined with the pouring rain, I wondered how my mom could even hear Dorothy¡¯s quiet voice. Her content frown soured once she saw who also arrived. Next to Dorothy was Conner, my sister''s equally vampiric boyfriend. ¡°Variana!¡± Mom called behind her. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± Unlike Dorothy, who was trembling from the uncomfortable rain, Conner stood proud with a smile across his pale face and inky, soaked hair. ¡°Elaine,¡± he greeted and handed my mom a huge, glittery gift bag. ¡°Wipe your shoes, please,¡± she said. ¡°Yes, ma''am.¡± He squeezed past Dori, who stood with her knees together, rubbing her arms through her track jacket. Her straightened hair frizzed up. ¡°Oh no!¡± Mom said. ¡°Come inside, honey.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Actually, I wanted to stay outside,¡± she said, quietly. ¡°Can I talk to Jack?¡± Mom nodded. After a few minutes, I got my bookbag and walked into the backyard with her. The yard, in fact, where the tree fortress loomed the most. More wild roots and tall grass filled the space from the house to the edge. It didn''t help that the darkest clouds hung over that part, too. The rain had stopped a few minutes ago, apparently. My shed looked as creepy as ever, just standing there, yards away. I looked over to Dorothy. ¡°Why did you wanna stay outside?¡± I asked. ¡°Strangers,¡± she said. ¡°Oh. Where''s Jamie?¡± ¡°Sleeping. He was really tired. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± She had an awkward smile and messed with her fingers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked. ¡°Can you come to my mom-mom¡¯s house with me?¡± she blurted. ¡°Jamie said he would, but I want you to go too.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yeah! My mom said you can come, as long as I call her twice a day¡­ and she wants you to call her, too.¡± ¡°But the feathers. I think all of those were in this forest. If we leave, then we can''t look at them.¡± ¡°I found some, remember? At mom-mom¡¯s. I found like six of them. And Jamie found some in our backyard.¡± ¡°Then sure, I¡¯ll go. There''s probably nothing else here, anyway.¡± Squawk! Squawk! A crow swooped over the house and landed in the damp grass next to me. In their beak held a small plastic bag with a chocolate cookie and a sticky note inside. Okay. Dust peppered their coat, and they had the same giant feather from earlier. It was definitely the same crow. I knelt down and felt its head with my thumb. It was weird looking at an animal eye-to-eye. I held out my hand, and they dropped the stuff from their beak into my palm. Dorothy opened the bag as I studied the feather. ¡°It¡¯s a note,¡± Dorothy said. ¡°But it''s in¡­ Russian? Greek?¡± She bowed down and handed it to me. A lilac sticky note with foreign writing in sparkly, blue pen. I flipped it over and saw the same thing, but written in terrible English handwriting, but who am I to judge? Like my notebook paper? I hope Kreili Bluehouse is nice. That¡¯s the crow. I read it to Dorothy. Dori squinted in confusion like her mom told her she was secretly a wizard and then went to get groceries. The bird krooed. She scratched the back of her neck, looking out at the backyard like someone was there. I shrugged. Chitter! Squawk! the crow demanded. ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± I said. ¡°Sorry.¡± The bird whimpered, I think. She suddenly took off, flying across the yard and over the treetops. Four Oh God, the sun. I didn''t think a few miles could have such a change in weather. Dorothy''s grandma¡¯s house looked exactly how I expected: a rustic, baby blue two-story, right out of a greetings card. The car parked in a gravel lot in the¡­ backyard? Front yard? Skinny trees scattered the luscious lawn, flowers bloomed everywhere, and a cobblestone path led to the ghostly front door. Dorothy¡¯s mom turned off the car, shutting off the music. I hugged my bookbag and got out. Dorothy finished drinking a coffee when she opened her door beside me. For some reason, Jamie got the front passenger seat instead of her. ¡°Thanks, Ms. Grail,¡± I said. ¡°I hope we didn¡¯t bother you too much.¡± ¡°Bless your heart. I''d be happy to. Don¡¯t forget any stuff in here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Guess I wasn¡¯t ready for summer if the sight of sparkling car paint made me cringe. Dorothy banged on Jamie''s window, then opened his door. She rubbed the hand laying in his lap, and his eyes fluttered open. Ms. Grail helped us get our bags out of the trunk. We walked up the path to a small porch, where she knocked on the door. Jamie wrapped his arm around her, supporting his tired body. Dorothy¡¯s eyes suddenly went wide. She leaned into my ear. ¡°Look at the birds,¡± she whispered, and pointed behind her into the yard. A big bird''s nest laid on a small, abandoned picnic table, with three black birds. Crows. ¡°You don''t think¡­¡± I quivered. ¡°No! She''s fine, Jack.¡± ¡°Just being superstitious.¡± The door creaked open, with dust and pebbles falling from the hinges. A fair-skinned boy in baggy gray jeans and a silver bubble jacket greeted us. His black hair covered half his face and rested on his shoulders. ¡°Hello,¡± he welcomed in a silvery voice. He''d make a good singer. ¡°Happy summer.¡± I cocked my head and looked at Dorothy. She shrugged. ¡°Oh! Are you a cousin?¡± Ms. Grail asked. ¡°Just a friend. I''m Pasitheo. Rosetta asked me to watch over her house while she stayed at her sister''s. I go to the Youth Club around the corner.¡± ¡°But she never said anything about leaving on the phone. We talked about this for weeks!¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. He gently grabbed my suitcase handle, not even looking at me. His gaze stayed on Ms. Grail. Gray eyes, sharpened by the yellow sun. He pulled something out of his jeans¡¯ pocket and handed it to her. Suddenly, Ms. Grail jolted, her eyes blooming in ecstasy. ¡°Was I saying something?¡± She rubbed her temple. ¡°Maybe not. Anyway, I hope you all have a good time! Call me when you settle in, Doribear.¡± I put my arm around Jamie as Ms. Grail left his side. It felt weird, but it was obviously better than a concussion on the stones. She gave us a cheesy smile and gallivanted down the path, jumpy and delighted like a kid with candy. Dorothy gave a weak wave and dug her hands in her pockets. A silky hand grabbed mine. ¡°Theo Morgan,¡° said the mystery boy. ¡°Come inside.¡± He held the door open for us to trudge into the ancient porch room. The aroma of baking chocolate sweetened the air, distracting me from the torn walls and abandoned relics. A short hall led to a hefty kitchen door hidden behind a white curtain. Dorothy led us inside and couldn''t have looked less excited. The kitchen was compact and frozen in time from, I assume, the fifties. Everything crafted out of amber wood, even prettier with the open window. And Rosetta seemed to have an obsession with deer. Antler and woodland decor painted everything. Jamie left me and rubbed his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s cooking, Pasadena?¡± he yawned to Theo as he moseyed into the kitchen. He set our luggage by an island counter in the center of the room. An old timer rang, catching Theo''s entire body. He reached into the oven (without mitts) and pulled out a giant tray of chocolate cookies. They basked in the sunlight on the island. He turned on a standing fan in the corner, cooling them instantly. As they cooled, a cloud of deja vu hit me. Those cookies. I had one yesterday. From the crow. ¡°I fixed up the rooms for you.¡± He picked up my suitcase. ¡°I¡¯ll get you comfortable.¡± ¡°Oh, thanks,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m Jackson, by the way. The frowny one is Dorothy, and the sleepyhead is Jamie.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you all. Can I help you bring your stuff upstairs?¡± I grabbed a few cookies and followed Theo through the creepy dining room and to the black staircase in the next hall. The floral wallpaper made me nauseous (no offense), but the polished rails and floor were comforting. Dori and Jamie climbed up the stairs behind us. The destined hall had five rooms, including a bathroom. ¡°Hey, Theo?¡± I tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°What did you give Dorothy''s momnbefore she left?¡± He leaned his head and sighed. ¡°A good luck charm.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hot,¡± Jamie spouted. Theo coughed out a small laugh. ¡°Right on. Um, anyway, I''ll be downstairs if you need me.¡± He set our luggage down, squeezed through us, and glided back down the creaky stairs. I nudged Jamie. ¡°What¡¯d you say that for?¡± ¡°Trying to crack him,¡± he snarked. ¡°Doesn''t it seem too¡­ weird? He didn¡¯t need mitts for the oven. The fact that he¡¯s replacing Rosetta and we never got a call from her?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Dori mumbled. ¡°He¡¯s strange!¡± ¡°It''s weird, but you don''t have to ¡®crack¡¯ him or whatever,¡± I said. ¡°I don''t wanna think about it. I¡¯m gonna change into something else, okay?¡± Dorothy uttered, flat as steel. She hauled her red tote bag down the hall to the farthest bedroom. Five The sun had dimmed since we arrived. I sat in a bedroom in the whirlwind of a giant fan. Dorothy laid in a nest of blankets on the bed, scrolling through her phone. She had a permanent frown and didn''t try any of the cookies. Or even talk. The first day of the Youth Club was that Monday, so she was dreading waking up at six in the morning all summer. Didn¡¯t help that it was that time of the month and the only other woman was off doing who knows what without warning. Jamie was nonexistent, lurking downstairs without a trace. I tried writing another paragraph of my story, but it was pointless. My brain was fried from school and a lack of sleep. It wasn''t worth it. I threw my pen back in my bookbag and pulled out my Trident''s Lane book. Sadly, I didn¡¯t get that relaxing feeling of reading a good story in silence. At least we had a fresh batch of cookies. Theo gave me a small Ziploc of some with a sticky note of a heart. The familiar cawing of a crow echoed outside. I had nothing better to do. ¡°Wanna go outside with me?¡± I asked Dorothy. ¡°For a few minutes,¡± she mumbled. I put all my stuff in my bookbag and we went back downstairs. Pasitheo wasn''t in the kitchen as I passed by. In fact, everything looked untouched. I brought my bookbag into the patchy yard, meeting the small picnic table I saw earlier. Crows snuggled in their nest, picking through each other''s feathers. Despite a big mixing bowl of water next to them, they didn''t clean off the dust. It''s strange. They didn''t fly away or anything. ¡°Hey, birdies!¡± I whispered. ¡°Now, which one of you is Kreili?¡± One of the birds looked up at me, while the other kept picking at it. Maybe it was time I stop calling them ¡°it¡± since they clearly understood me. She nodded and flew onto Dorothy¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What do I do, what do I do?¡± she breathed. ¡°I think it likes you,¡± I said. The bird lifted herself from Dori and flew into the driveway behind us. I got my bookbag and followed. We met the street, where other houses sat across, as the crow flew. I sped down the sidewalk, where it soared. Good thing the sun warded off any onlookers. The neighborhood seemed to glow. Every house was neat and bright, and a small pond laid a few yards away from us. In the distance, the shape of a mountain bike grew closer. And closer¡­ ¡°Move out the way!¡± they called. Dorothy stepped out of the way, but I was too late. We collided, metal to skin. The bike pummeled into the pavement and threw me on my back. A pain shot through my entire body. A heavy body laid on top of me. The crow dashed away. I massaged my forehead and struggled to open my eyes. Tangerine hair, an aviator jacket, and those creepy silver eyes. ¡°Korey?¡± I groaned. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He helped me off the ground, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. My knees trembled. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he repeated. ¡°I thought you were staying home.¡± ¡°We¡¯re staying at my grandma¡¯s house,¡± Dori said. ¡°Is Jamie here, too?¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Yeah.¡± He pulled a tissue from his pocket and nestled it under my nose. Only then did the smell of blood register. I pulled away from him and went to pick up his bike, but he guided me away from the handle. ¡°My dad and I are driving around before I go,¡± he said, hauling it off the ground. He brushed the dirt off the seat and braked it. I closed my eyes, praying my nosebleed wasn¡¯t a bloodbath. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked. He ripped the bag from my hand. His cold, murderous eyes locked on every fiber of the feathers. It sent a spike of cold through me. ¡°So it wasn''t a light,¡± his voice bubbled. ¡°It was this. These feathers. What are you doing with them?¡± ¡°Just studying them,¡± I cowered. ¡°I found them all over the place.¡± ¡°You didn''t have to pick them up.¡± Korey opened the bag and pulled one of them out. ¡°Have you seen them before?¡± Dorothy asked, softly. ¡°And please be careful.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s just some shitty art project,¡± he scoffed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you a toddler? Can you not understand me?¡± Korey took a deep breath. His scarlet face cooled and he squeezed my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s probably just a prank, Jack,¡± he sighed. ¡°Whoever put these around knew someone like you would pick them up. They¡¯re trying to embarrass you. I know people who do stuff like this. They want you to waste your time.¡± Heat arose in my throat. ¡°You¡¯re running after birds, talking to them,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s weird, Jack.¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?¡± I simmered, swallowing my yell. ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you. Look. I just don¡¯t want you to be disappointed. We¡¯re not sixth graders. There are so many other things to do besides deluding yourself.¡± I sighed, and stepped back. ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just collecting.¡± ¡°Are you crying?¡± I felt my eye with my thumb. ¡°Can we at least have the bag back now?¡± Dorothy asked. Concern painted his face. His eyes sorrowed as he reached for something in his pocket. ¡°You can''t,¡± he trembled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Dorothy swiped at the bag, but he lunged back. From his pocket, he produced a blue lighter and held it inside, sparking a flame. Then they erupted into a billow of fire, emitting the smell of rain. The red cooled to an angelic sapphire. Liquid plastic dripped onto the pavement. Like a reflex, he threw the kindling mess into the lake beside us. The blue flames sparked as it extinguished, swallowed by the clear water. Small black fibers, feather stems, and blue dust rose to the surface. I looked back at him. He just stood there, soullessly staring at the lake. ¡°I spent months collecting those!¡± I shouted. But before I could tackle him, Korey mounted his bike and sped down the sidewalk. ¡°Korey!¡± I called. ¡°What did you do!¡± I ran after him, but only for a few yards. My nose burned from the bleeding. Korey stopped and turned back to look at me. ¡°I had to, okay!¡± he insisted. ¡°You don''t get it!¡± I pulled off my bookbag and reached inside. The snow globe; it was still in there. Though I wanted to throw it into the pavement, I shoved it into his chest instead. The red in his skin faded. With his anger boiled away, bliss flowed in his face. His eyes lulled, with all of his energy gone. Gently, he took my hand and gave it back to me. ¡°I don¡¯t want it,¡± I whispered. ¡°It¡¯s for you,¡± he said, coldly. ¡°Keep it.¡± I could tell he wanted to say something else, but he turned the other way and continued peddling down the sidewalk. Whatever. Whatever. He was gone now, and I didn¡¯t want to yell out to him anymore. I ran over to the lake, where Dorothy knelt. The charred, melted plastic bag floated along tufts of black fibers. Even the dust was gone. Six I drowned in the dark of the bedroom. My legs ached from kneeling in the futon mattress for hours. Why did I let that happen? Sitting in silence wouldn''t do anything, but I couldn''t stop replaying it in my head. A path of yellow light stung my eyes. I looked over to see Pasitheo standing at the door. The aroma of rice and vegetables filled the room from downstairs, as well as the distant sounds of clacking dishes. ¡°Are you alright?¡± His soothing voice was a welcomed break in my gloom. ¡°We¡¯re making spaghetti downstairs. And you must be hungry after sitting up here all day.¡± I didn''t answer. He leaned on the door frame, and I realized he was in a nightgown. My mind wandered. So I guess he wasn''t just watching over the house; he was staying. I flinched at a sudden weight on the mattress next to me. A warmth I''ve been missing came from him. He outstretched his legs, kicking his feet like an anxious kid. ¡°I overheard what happened,¡± he said. ¡°Your friends were talking about it.¡± I rubbed my knees as I struggled to my feet. For a second, I forgot I had changed into my pajamas beforehand. I forgot a lot of things from earlier. I trudged to a window across the room. ¡°I caught a bit of what happened outside,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± I sighed. ¡°I suppose it''s better I spend time with Dorothy than focus on stupid things.¡± ¡°What things?¡± Theo felt my shoulder. I flinched, and met his softened, warm eyes. I shifted away from the touch, focusing on the window pane instead. ¡°I¡¯ve been collecting these weird giant feathers since the beginning of the school year. They''re really pretty, and they had this blue dust on them. But for some reason, I had this weird dream and¡ª¡± I glanced back at him. ¡°Go ahead,¡± he whispered. I mustered the dry courage to tell him everything else, but nothing came out. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it.¡± He mouthed something. ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°Nothing. I was just thinking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ Korey didn¡¯t even know what they were. He just burned them like they were his. But I guess they aren¡¯t really mine, huh? They belong to whatever giant bird they came from. Or a marketing team. Have you heard of that new Trident¡¯s Lane movie?¡± Theo patted me on the back. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they''re his either.¡± I smiled, but I didn''t know how real it was. ¡°They were so pretty.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat,¡± he said. ¡°To get your mind off of things.¡± We made our way downstairs into the kitchen. A black pot of brown rice, beans, and vegetables sat on the island counter, surrounded by black bowls. It definitely wasn¡¯t spaghetti. Dorothy folded the rice as Jamie threw a constant stream of season salt. ¡°Not so much sodium!¡± she grabbed the shaker from him. ¡°I¡¯m already cramping.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your coastal spirit?¡± Jamie elbowed her, laughing. ¡°Gerard.¡± ¡°Dorothea!¡± ¡°It looks good to me,¡± I chimed. My mouth watered. I grabbed the spoon and filled a bowl to the brim. Dorothy and Jamie were too busy debating. Pasitheo suddenly stood at the porch door, holding his meal. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat outside,¡± he suggested. ¡°I heard the weather would feel great at this hour. Rosetta wouldn¡¯t let you do that, would she, Dorothea?¡± ¡°Call me, Dorothy,¡± she corrected, and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go to the bathroom first. You go outside, though.¡± She turned to me. ¡°Can you stand guard in mom-mom¡¯s room? It¡¯s so creepy up there.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I said. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Theo opened the door for Jamie as they made their way through the porch and outside. Dorothy ran over and shut the door. ¡°Geez, what¡¯s wrong, Dori?¡± I stepped back. Something about her speed struck a nerve in me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious, but I need to show you something,¡± she whispered, whisking by me and into the dining room. I followed her to the staircase, which stood next to the bleak living room. Only one amber light shone overhead, leaving the house feeling abandoned. We tiptoed up the stairs. Though the second floor hall cracked with every step, she managed to keep silent. I was a different story. As I loomed behind her, I stepped on the back of her sneaker, thumping the floor. She hissed. ¡°Shush, okay?¡± ¡°Why do we have to be quiet?¡± I asked. ¡°You know there¡¯s ghosts up here.¡± ¡°Yeah. I don''t blame you for thinking so.¡± I waited in Rosetta¡¯s bedroom as Dorothy went to the bathroom. She was right. It was practically haunted upstairs. I heard her walking back down the hall and to the room across from ours. ¡°Come on!¡± she hushed, and waved me over. ¡°Why?¡± I followed her. I had no clue who¡¯s room it usually was, but hanging on the door was a wooden sign reading ¡°Guest¡±. Dori said it belonged to her aunt before they moved out. She gently turned the knob and cracked the door just enough for her to slide in. She pulled me inside and turned on the light. The room wasn''t what I expected for such an old house: fresh black walls, sleek furniture, and a polished floor. An open blue suitcase laid on the bed. ¡°Should we be in here?¡± I whispered. ¡°This is Pasitheo¡¯s room, isn''t it?¡± Dorothy studied the top layer of hygiene products in the suitcase. She took out a bottle of body wash and cologne and found a lilac notepad with a giant, black feather stuck in the pages. The same feathers, dust and all. ¡°See this?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s the same paper that the note was on. Theo wrote the note! And the feather!¡± ¡°Huh. So he made the crow bring it to us.¡± I rubbed my chin. ¡°And the cookie. He probably gave it to her, too. How¡¯d you know he had a notepad like that?¡± ¡°I saw him writing in it earlier before he gave you the bag of cookies.¡± ¡°And he probably found the feather lying around like you did. But how¡¯d he know we were coming here?¡± Thunder rumbled outside. ¡°A storm?¡± Dorothy scrambled to the suitcase, reorganizing the notebook and the other items. Even through the black curtains, the window flashed blue, along with another crash. We hurried out of the room, turned off the lights, and sped out of the room. I gently closed the door. Black flooded the house. Every light, save the moonlit window, vanished. I clung to Dorothy¡¯s shoulders like a scared cat. ¡°Powerful storm. Y-You¡¯re not creeped out, are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Jackie.¡± Dori pulled her phone from her pocket. But everytime she pressed the power button, the screen stayed black. I took out my phone, but the battery barely clung on for dear life. Like a timer, the charge slipped from 20% to totally dead in a second. ¡°I need a new phone.¡± I hit its side, hoping for something different. A bright, crystal light shone from the staircase. I looked over the railing, and saw Theo holding up a device from the last step. I stepped back and grabbed a random bead bracelet off the bookshelf behind me. ¡°So it looks like you got something,¡± I whispered, and handed it to Dorothy. We rushed down the stairs, exposed by the blinding light. We met Theo, who appeared angelic in the bit of light falling on him. His eyes seemed to glow, though his body was silhouetted. His jacket and hair were matted with water. ¡°Hope you found what you needed, ¡®cause the power might be out for awhile,¡± Theo noted. I leaned against the stair wall, letting Dorothy squeeze through to the floor. Although, she made sure to shuffle a couple feet away from Theo once she did. ¡°I found what I needed,¡± she shivered from the dining room. ¡°Our phones drained completely,¡± I told Theo. ¡°Guess I should''ve charged it.¡± Theo pressed something, turning the light a warm gold before fading back to white. ¡°What kind of light is that? It looks like you''re shooting the sun out of that thing.¡± ¡°Solacrimos.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Pretty much,¡± Dorothy''s voice trembled. ¡°It¡¯s just a bracelet, see? I thought I dropped it.¡± ¡°We weren''t talking about that,¡± Theo said. ¡°AHHH!¡± Dorothy slipped back into the dining room table, rumbling the chairs. An orange light glowed like a campfire from the kitchen, where Jamie poked his head out. He dropped his giant red flashlight to the ground in a fit of laughter. Dorothy growled, cupping the fabric of her chest. ¡°It¡¯s raining really hard, even for summer.¡± Theo combed his fingers through his mane. ¡°Guess our dinner will remain traditional till it clears up. Before our food gets cold. Let''s¡ª¡± Skrrrr! Zrrrr! The lighting wasn''t getting any better. But an even louder crash echoed after. Theo¡¯s voice quivered along with his flashlight. ¡°Hurry, before everything gets cold.¡± Seven I finished my last bite of the meal. Pretty good, and I didn''t mind not having any electricity for it. It was about time I did, anyway. ¡°This TV¡­¡± Jamie yawned. ¡°This TV is from 1998. How is it even still working?¡± ¡°Really?¡± I perked up. ¡°That¡¯s so cool! It''s older than I am!¡± ¡°Cheeseball.¡± Theo sprung up. ¡°1998? That''s ancient!¡± ¡°I mean, I was born in 2003,¡± Dorothy spoke for the first time in ages. ¡°So I guess in the grand scheme of things, it''s pretty recent.¡± Theo counted something on his fingers, raising an eyebrow. He shook his head and started over. ¡°Nevermind. Wrong calendar.¡± Dori and I just stared at each other. Lightning flashed in the window again. An electric blue. Something about this this time just looked¡­ different. Richer. Bluer. ¡°That was weird,¡± I said. ¡°Hey, Theo, you''re a genius. Why did it look like that?¡± Theo giggled. ¡°I dunno. Wanna find out?¡± The words ¡°Yeah, obviously!¡± danced on my tongue. ¡°No, it''s okay,¡± I sighed. ¡°The sky¡¯s not going anywhere. And I''m not getting my shoes muddy.¡± ¡°Aww. Don¡¯t let Korey bring you down.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± I calmly insisted. Jamie jumped to his feet and tossed the remote on the couch. ¡°If it means getting out of this swamp, then I''m going.¡± He threw his sweatshirt back on. Seemed counterproductive, but we''re friends for a reason. ¡°I wanna go too!¡± Dorothy clapped her hands, and set her bowl on the coffee table beside her. ¡°It¡¯s agreed upon,¡± Theo announced, raising his hand in the air. ¡°We¡¯ll leave our shelter for the natural world. As for you, Jack, hope you''re not afraid of the dark.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not unanimous,¡± I retorted. ¡°I didn''t approve.¡± Creakkk! I darted my eyes around the room. Just Jamie opening the living room door. ¡°Fine, I''ll go.¡± I jumped off the sofa arm. ¡°But let''s not stay out there for too long.¡± The backyard couldn''t have looked more haunted. Besides the light of Theo''s phone, trees and flowers twisted and morphed in the shadows. Half of the grass drowned in water, and wet leaves drifted from above. Right away, I spotted a marine glow in a bed of sunflowers. They swayed under the biggest tree in the yard, next to the table of crows. I bowed down to study it. The dust colored the dripping raindrops, especially in the small light of the moon. Interesting. I held out my hand to catch some water in it. Blue. Electric blue water. Theo reached down to pick one of the flowers. ¡°It¡¯s everywhere,¡± I mentioned. ¡°The dust is in the rain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny, kinda,¡± Theo said. ¡°Flowers usually die in heavy storms. Trees don''t. They''re invincible unless you cut them down. I''m surprised the grass is even alive.¡± ¡°Hey, look!¡± Dorothy exclaimed, pointing out into the forest far ahead. Amidst the black sky, deep blue light shone through the clouds. Like heaven revealing itself. ¡°Should we be running around at this time?¡± I asked. ¡°Maybe not if my mom-mom was here.¡± She ran towards the edge of the yard, where a gravel path separated us from the forest beyond. ¡°Come on! Let''s go!¡± It was her who had to spend the summer going to essentially another school. We offered to stay with her. Now wasn''t the time to get all prissy about an imaginary curfew. Dorothy skipped across the path and into the overgrown mess of the field. Jamie sprinted after her. Theo stared into the sky, his mouth open. I caught his phone as it slipped from his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with you if you don''t want to go, okay?¡± I palmed his shoulder. He shook his head, then just took off without a word. He rushed to catch up with the others as they neared the forest entrance. Huh. I looked behind me at the looming house. The darkness covered every window and piece of wood in ghastly shadow. That was enough motivation to book it and meet the others. The black beyond the first wall of trees looked like a void into space. The thick roots kept trying to trip us. We stepped over a million fallen branches and food wrappers. ¡°Wow, Dorothea,¡± Jamie pretended to sound disappointed. ¡°Scaring your grandma out of her house and polluting the planet?¡± ¡°Who are the yuppies walking into your yard and throwing their trash around?¡± I asked Dorothy. ¡°My parents,¡± Jamie blurted out. Far away, few rays of silver fell through the trees, while we were stuck in a bleak labyrinth. Dorothy sped past the others and continued towards the light. I had to put my glasses back before they blurred from the mist. As we followed,the fog thickened, and brightened with blue dust. It stuck to my hand. Then something crunched under my shoe. I stepped back to look. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Three sea-green beans, glimmering like crystals. ¡°Cool¡­¡± I scooped them out of the dirt. ¡°Guys, look!¡± They looked like tinted glass. Scratches pitted the surface, like they were several decades old. And it didn¡¯t feel like knock-off plastic glass, but something out of a museum. Theo shoved through me and Dorothy, and shook them out of my hands. ¡°Those could be poisonous!¡± he shouted. ¡°They¡¯re weird glass bean thingies. Someone could''ve filled it with crack!¡± ¡°I-I guess!¡± Cold trickled through my body from the shock. ¡°I didn''t think about it that way. Kinda creative, honestly.¡± Theo took a deep breath, his angered face relaxing. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn''t mean to scare you.¡± I knelt into the dirt and searched around for them. Instead, tiny, curly bean sprouts poked through the soil in their place. I patted the dirt around them and realized¡ª ¡°They¡¯re real.¡± ¡°Real?¡± Dorothy asked. ¡°How do you know? They probably just fell somewhere else.¡± My heart dipped as I looked around to see a wall of dark rain and forest surrounding us a few feet away. Our skin and clothes were already drying. Everything in the blue light warmed my skin and brightened the plant, completely untouched by the dreary weather. ¡°Awesome!¡± Jamie cheered, and stuck his hand out into the rain. ¡°It looks like we stepped into a music video. Or the Trident''s Lane manga.¡± Dorothy laughed and plopped down next to me. She leaned in closer and closer. I could hear the camera clicking in her head. Then¡­ the tiny sprouts popped up a few centimeters. Then another few inches, girthing up each time, and kissing Dori¡¯s nose. She jerked back. ¡°Eww, stop that,¡± I muttered, and crawled backwards until the rain hit my back. Sticks and leaves sloshed beneath my hands. Jamie sat by the plant, and rubbed the growth between his fingers. Each time he did, a smirk grew across his face. ¡°You think this is cool?¡± I gagged. He chuckled. ¡°Kinda, I me¡ª¡± The sprouts slithered across the dirt, coiling around each other. But the more they did, the thicker they grew, cracking the ground around it. Jamie hustled to his feet, bolting back into the rain. They grew to the size of my head, to my height, and higher. For a small minute, they rested¡­ Until the sprouts ballooned and exploded through the treetops. The base widened, swallowing rocks and trees in its wake. One tree cracked at the base and slammed into the ground. Everything flooded in shade. ¡°JACKSON!¡± A scream boomed in the air. Dorothy. ¡°AHHHH!¡± Jamie''s cries rang in my ears. Miles high in the air, two figures tied in the plant¡¯s limbs. ¡°DOROTHY, JAMIE!¡± I screamed. The earth rumbled beneath. My legs gave out as my world spun around me, and my head hit the soft dirt. The monster boomed through the white above, fading into the clouds. The growth slowed to rest. Branches snapped from its weight against them. Dust swirled around my nose, and wet leaves stuck to my face. Rain drenched my clothes, and blue flashed the sky, silent as ever. I threw my hand above me, palming a wet wall of plant stem. My eyes¡­ they were still open, but blurry. A million miles above, whatever those demonic bean sprouts were, grew right through the storm clouds. The very last half felt faded, blackened like space. I felt a cold, shivering hand on my shoulder. I looked up. Theo rested my head in his lap, and felt my forehead. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he whispered. ¡°You think you can stand or anything?¡± My throat felt like sand. ¡°We need to get Dorot¡­¡± Tears settled in my throat before I could finish her name, let alone Jamie. ¡°I¡¯ll get them down.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call the police¡­¡± ¡°No. I''ll fix it.¡± He reached under my legs and back and lifted me up. For a couple feet, he carried me through the trees. My vision blurred in and out, resting on Theo''s determined face. ¡°I can stand, Theo,¡± I muttered. ¡°Just get them down.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He found a big tree, and gently laid me down against it. I struggled to my feet, my legs trembling. ¡°Go to the edge of the forest,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll come back and get you. Just go, now.¡± ¡°Thanks, Theo.¡± But as I looked up, he was already running the other way, weaving through the trees. ¡°Wait!¡± I tried yelling. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Just go!¡± A familiar image sparked in my head. That guy by the fountain telling me to run back. His scream as I ran¡­ Reality settled back in. I had to help. I mustered some strength in my legs and ran back through the trees. The dream. It was to save my friends. Dreams don''t usually make sense, anyway. The second I saw the beanstalk, I jumped forward to get a hold of it. I grabbed a weird, thick vine and pulled myself a bit off the ground. It didn¡¯t last, and I leaned on the plant thing for support. My brain misted to nothing. Those things thickened to the width of a small classroom, with a million leaves and vines spiraling and tangling around it. My hands stuck to the plant, as well as my feet. I sighed and closed my eyes for a full minute. I shook the branch around, waiting for the beanstalk to fade, and to wake up in bed. But it still stood high above me. In fact, it only felt more real when I closed my eyes. I slid one hand above the other. Then again. And enough to get me a few inches above the ground. But I had to hurry¡­ Rain continued pouring from the sky. Lightning flashed every few minutes, booming in my ears. I escaped the thick treetops. Then I saw the roof of the house. The rain densed as I trekked higher. I slid my hands up so much, I glided up the beanstalk. My core shook as the neighborhood disappeared under a blanket of fog. It felt so unfair. Why am I able to do this? For more grueling minutes, a chunk of Delaware faded away beneath me. My arms ached, and my breaths hardened. Where am I going? Into the atmosphere? You¡¯ll die. I pushed ahead, gulping every last breath. The sky lit up again. And with a giant flash, lightning struck the top of the beanstalk. Suddenly, my hands were free. Air breezed through my clothes. A deep shadow fell over me. My eyes grew heavy. Darkness clouded the beanstalk just above. I inched my hand higher, but gravity weighed it down. I guess it was in vain. How stupid. Maybe I should''ve listened to Theo. I closed my eyes and waited for the ground and I to meet. Then I felt a warm hand on my back; my head against fabric. I didn''t feel like opening my eyes, though. And I was probably just imagining being saved.