I was sitting on Abigail's bed when my phone started buzzing. Abigail sat beside me, quietly watching as I tried to clear my head from the tension of losing that comic photo frame. She always knew how to calm me down she had this way of making people feel better, like it was her gift. She never judged anyone, and her kindness made everything feel lighter.
I also wanted to leave the thing we found on our last trip the one my brother had threatened to tell Mom about. She didn't know we went, of course. If she had, I wouldn't have dared. I told her it was a school trip, but even that needed convincing from my dad and sister. Mom's "stay at home, stay safe" rule always applied to me the most.
That crystal-like stone the one that cut my hand was part of what we called our "friendship treasures." We collected something from every trip, and this one was extra special because it was our last before college. Each of us was going to a different university, so we'd invited the boys to come this time.
My phone buzzed again. It was Alita, my sister.
"Hello, sis," I answered before she could start her usual endless talking she was just like me in that way.
"Where are you, Beeda? Mom's been looking for you since forever! And why did you turn off your phone? She wants to see you right now. I can't cover for you anymore!"
"I'm at Abigail's," I said, trying to sound calm. "I'll be back soon. Tell her not to worry."
"I did tell her that three hours ago! Guess what? She went to Abigail's house, and neither of you were there."
"Okay, okay. I'll be back in thirty minutes."
"Make it quick. Mom's having one of her days."
I sighed. "Alright. Bye."
I turned to Abigail, who was now standing by her shelf, examining something. "I've got to go, Abi. Mom's looking for me."
"I'll walk you to the door," she said, putting down what she was holding.
I walked a few steps ahead, then suddenly remembered the stone still tucked inside my backpack. "Oh! The stone I brought it for you, remember? To keep it."
She looked at me uncertainly. "You took it with you on the hike too?"
"Yes," I said, unzipping the front pocket of my brown backpack. "I wanted to give it to you. You like shiny things I thought you could make something beautiful out of it."
The small stone gleamed faintly in my hand as I held it out to her.
She hesitated. "It's beautiful, but… I think you should keep it. You were the one who wanted to decorate your room with it."
I shrugged. "I would, but my brother keeps snooping around my room. He touches everything, and I can't stop him even if I try. I don't want him using this against me."
Abigail studied the crystal for a moment longer, then finally took it. "Alright," she said softly, walking back into her room to put it away.
We passed her sister's room and went downstairs. The front door was straight ahead; the living room was to the right, and the kitchen to the left. Her mother was sitting on the couch watching the news. I caught the words "the other realms" and "Gyents" coming from the TV.
I'd heard about the realms before they were always on the news and social media but Gyents? Those were only from old stories.
"Goodbye, Mrs. Foxily," I said politely.
"Goodbye, Beeda," she replied without looking away from the screen.
I opened the front door with Abigail behind me. "Bye," I said, and she echoed it.
The evening air was soft and warm as I walked down the street toward home. Most of the houses had little gardens behind short white fences. The walls were painted in reds, browns, and creams, each one pretty in its own way.
As I passed the tree between our house and the neighbor's, a chill ran through me. I felt something a presence. I turned, and there he was.
The old man from my dream.
Not again.
I blinked hard. Maybe I was hallucinating now, not just dreaming.
"Thy shall accept one's fate," he said in a deep, echoing voice. "Only then shall things be easy."
I froze, heart pounding, then quickly turned away. No, no, not here. I couldn't act crazy in public. Two children rode past on bicycles and didn't even glance at him.
So it's just me again, I thought bitterly, walking faster toward home.
Our house stood at the end of the street white walls, green-and-orange fence, a small front garden. I pressed the doorbell, praying silently that Jek wouldn't be the one to open it.
But of course… the door swung open, and there he was.
"Oh no," I muttered under my breath.
He stretched his hand toward me. "Give it," he said coldly.
I pressed my palm to my forehead. "Oh, I'm not feeling well right now. Can we talk about this later?" I slipped past him into the house, putting on my best acting face. Acting was something I'd always been good at from middle school plays to high school skits.
I hurried upstairs, passing Alita's room. The door was open, but she wasn't inside. Then Jek's voice echoed behind me.
"Beeda, I want my frame. And don't tell me you didn't bring it. If you broke your promise, I don't have to keep mine either."
I stopped halfway up the stairs. "Calm down, Jek. We'll talk later, okay? I just need to do something first."
He didn't reply. I went straight to my room and closed the door.
My room deep green walls, my favorite color. My bed by the door, my closet beside it. Shelves lined with little stones, paper leaves, dried flowers, and books.
I opened the drawer beside my bed and pulled out a cartoon frame. Not the frame, but another one I'd bought a week ago as a backup gift for him. Thank goodness I had. The original one I lost was the last at the store.
I took a deep breath, grabbed the frame, and went to Jek's room. He was sitting at his desk, typing on his laptop.
"Jek surprise!" I said, handing it to him with a bright smile.
He turned, examined it carefully, then frowned. "But this isn't the one I asked for."
"Oh, yeah," I said smoothly. "They ran out of that one at the store, so I got this instead."
It was a small lie, but it worked.
"Okay," he said, shrugging. "Thanks."
I left the room, relieved. He was unusually calm normally, he'd sense when I lied. Sometimes I swore he could read minds. He always seemed to know what I was thinking before I said it.
But I didn't care to think too hard about it now. The important thing was that it worked.
I was just starting a game on my phone when the door swung open again. Mom stood there, her green eyes sharp with worry. Her light brown gown matched her hair, and as always, she looked far too young for her age people constantly told her she looked thirty.
"Where have you been, young lady?" she demanded. "I've been looking for you! I tried calling, too."
She really was having one of her days.
"Mom, I was at Abigail's."
"All day? I went there, and neither of you were home!"
"We went out for ice cream," I said. "Why are you so worried?"
"I told you to stay home, Beeda," she said firmly. "You never listen. You think this house is just a building? You don't understand what's out there."
"Mom…" I sighed.
"Pack your things," she interrupted. "We're leaving town."
"What? Are we going on a trip?" I asked, perking up a little. Mom was not the traveling type. As long as I could remember, she barely visited relatives, rarely left the city, and almost never spoke about her family except for her mother and once, her father.
"Yes," she said tightly. "Pack only what you need. We leave at first light tomorrow."
Her voice was calm but her eyes said otherwise fear.
"Tomorrow? But I have exams, Mom!"
She looked down, her expression softening just a little. "Honey, you wouldn't understand. Please, just do as I say."
"But..."
"No buts, Beeda," she said quietly. "We're heading south. You'll understand when the time is right."
Then she turned and walked out of the room, leaving me in silence.