The sun kissed my cheeks as I stood facing the sky. I'd been there for a while ignoring my friends, ignoring the wind, ignoring even the danger that one wrong move could send me tumbling down the mountain.
I just wanted to escape my thoughts the panic clawing at me whenever I remembered what would happen if I went home without my brother's frame. If I didn't bring it back, he'd tell our parents everything.
My secret, it may not be a problem to others but my mum is different.
"It's inside you. Look for it. Grab the thread. Find your inner peace."
Those were the words of that old, wise man my mother used to watch whenever she practiced yoga. I never believed him. I thought she was wasting her time. But right now, the words were the only thing keeping me calm. My thoughts quieted. For a moment, it felt peaceful inside my head.
Then something snapped me out of it like a slap to the ear. A laugh. A voice I knew. Shelein.
Her laugh dragged me back into my body, back to reality. My eyes found her bright, mischievous face.
"What's funny?" I asked. "Seriously, Beeda? You're funny. You've been acting ridiculous ever since that thing slipped through the hole. You're making a huge deal out of nothing."
I half-smiled, searching for a sharp comeback—something that'd sting a little—but then stopped myself. Why would I hurt her feelings? She didn't mean it that way.
And honestly, I had been acting strange. Everyone must think I'm overreacting. It's just a cartoon frame, I told myself. Just a piece of wood and glass. But deep down, I knew it was so much more.
That frame could destroy everything if my brother spoke up. He held all the power, and I hated it.
"Hello?" Cares waved a hand in front of my face. "Sorry to interrupt your deep thoughts, but I've got a ton of work waiting for me in the garage."
Cares had been our senior back in school. Even after graduation, he still hung out with us whenever he came home from college. I was pretty sure he had a crush on Abigail, though he'd never admit it.
Abigail stood quietly, her calm presence balancing Shelein's energy.
She rarely spoke unlike Shelein, whose tiny pink lips were always moving, always smiling that wicked little smile that made her dark brown eyes sparkle.
"Fine, let's go," I said with a sigh.
When my eyes met Shelein's, she gave me that confused look again. I didn't blame her. Lately, even I couldn't make sense of myself.
I nearly jumped when I turned and saw someone right behind me a tall figure with messy dark hair, still untamed from our earlier run-in with the bats. His eyes caught the sunlight, sharp and restless.
"Damn it, Mak! You scared me!" He grinned. "That's the second time today. Did you notice?"
He'd startled me earlier too, when we entered the cave on the other side of the mountain.
Usually I didn't fall for his tricks, but somehow he got me twice. Maybe it was because of the nightmares the ones that had been haunting me for the last six nights.
Last night's was the worst. I still didn't feel like myself.
Something inside me felt off. Mak tilted his head.
"I'll be nicer than Shelein, but seriously, you've gotta be tougher than this. You're turning eighteen in two days, and you're scared of your little brother? He's eleven! It makes no sense.
I ignored him and started climbing down the mountain.
The others followed.
"I think Mak's right," Abigail finally said. "You should show him who's in charge. My sister wouldn't dare threaten me."
Shelein laughed and flicked her hair. "Exactly! When my brother tried that once, I locked him in the basement for two hours. He never tried it again." Shelein said looking at me .
"See?" Abigail said, grinning. "That's how it's done." I shook my head.
"That might work for you two, but if I tried that with my brother, it will only make things worse.
" I'd already tried once tried using a bit of power to scare him but it didn't end well. He wasn't afraid.
He enjoyed having something to hold over me.
"We tried helping," Mak said, glancing back at Shelein and Abigail. No one replied. We went the rest of the way in silence.
When we finally reached the bottom, Mak folded the ladder a fancy modern one that could fit into a bag.
We made our way to the car, listening to Cares talk about college and his new projects. Mak sat in the front with Shelein beside him, while Abigail and I took the back seats.
The car a small blue minibus belonged to Mak's father, who barely used it. Cares drove. After a long drive, we passed a car with a man, a woman, and two boys probably their kids. The closer we got to town, the heavier the traffic grew.
Buildings and towers rose around us, sunlight flashing across glass and metal.We were finally back.
They dropped Shelein off first at her father's café she didn't want to go home yet, afraid her mother would ask too many questions.
Her mom was just like mine: overprotective and watchful.Shelein and I had known each other since we were ten. Our parents had been friends even before that.
We met Abigail a year later in middle school.
Shelein lived seven streets away, while Abigail and I lived on the same street just three houses apart.The boys dropped us off, and I stopped at Abigail's house first.