A Place To Call Home

Dusk had fallen on the town after what seemed like a whirlwind of a day. Lacia, Mana, and Brendan exited campus with minutes to spare. Unfortunately, in all of the commotion, Mana had left her bag in the nurse’s office. She practically had to beg one of the teachers to let her back in, but after retrieval of the bag, she walked back outside, triumphant. While Lacia and Brendan appreciated something other than doom and gloom for the first time all day, they couldn’t help but feel this would be one of the few times they’d see such joy for some time to come.

Priorities. Nobody had even discussed where they were going to go and what they were going to do after leaving campus. Specifically, they needed shelter from the rain and someplace they could plan their next move. Mana’s apartment seemed like the perfect choice.

“We need somewhere to go. We can’t stand out here and wait to get soaked, so I propose an idea,” Lacia chimed. “Mana doesn’t have anyone in her apartment right now, so why don’t we use that as a meeting hub? I mean, we can use my house, too, but her apartment is closer.”

She looked to the sky. Dark clouds swirled overhead as a brisk wind caused her to shiver. It looked like it could rain again any second.

Mana nodded. “That’s fine. We’ll use my apartment. There are some things I need to grab, anyways. I’m assuming we’re using your house though, Lacia, as our main meetup point after this?”

“Yes, I think that’s wise. I have spare bedrooms and bathrooms,” she noted.

Lacia turned to Brendan. “There’s no time like the present,” she thought.

“Brendan, I think it’s wise you pack your things, whatever you need, and come along with us. There’s safety in numbers and we have no idea what could happen next.”

Brendan looked only slightly surprised. Lacia thought for sure he would be more obstinate about leaving home for an unknown amount of time. He wasn't the type of person to become overly attached to inanimate objects she supposed.

“Alright,” Brendan replied, “I think that’s a good idea. I don’t have too much to grab, so I’ll be quick.” He rummaged through his pants pockets and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “This is my address. I think it would be good if we all exchanged addresses so we have a general idea of where we live in relation to each other,” he said, handing the paper to the girls so they could copy his address.

Mana's voice poked, “Brendan, what’s your phone number? I’m not quite so old fashioned,” she said with an awkward laugh. “I’ll text you my address since that’s probably a little more accessible. Lacia will do the same!”

Lacia wasn’t a fan of being voluntold. “I’ll give him my number and address myself, thank you very much.”

A sly smile crept across Mana’s face. “Ohh, I get it. This is about the little incident earlier. It’s ok to be a little flustered. In fact, flustered is a good look on you,” she teased.

Now Lacia was flustered. “W-w-what are you talking about? That’s not what this–”

“You two tease each other and bicker like old women,” Brendan said, walking off.

“We do not!” The girls exclaimed.

“Sure, whatever you say,” Brendan laughed, waving as he walked on without them.

“Wait! You don’t have Lacia’s phone number,” Mana shouted, laughing, and teasing as they ran after Brendan.

Having successfully given Lacia’s phone number away, the girls headed off towards Mana’s apartment. The rain had been reduced to an innocent light mist that was hardly noticeable considering the earlier torrents.

 Walking through the center of town, a new headline stuck out to Lacia:

Extreme heatwaves grip southern hemisphere.

“But isn't it almost winter down there? If it's spring here, then it shouldn't be nearly as warm down there..." Her voice trailed off into a delicate whisper.

“Did you say something?” Mana asked.

“Huh? Uh, no. Just more weird weather. Look,” Lacia said, dragging Mana towards a live newscast.

“This is a record-breaking heatwave. Temperatures have easily climbed well-above record highs today. The highest recorded temperature for this day is thirty degrees cooler and temperatures are only expected to climb over the coming days with no relief in sight…”

Mana pulled Lacia away from the screen until the newscast was low enough she could speak clearly. “You and I both know something feels off. We agree on that. What I don’t get is…” she fell silent as she rubbed the foundation off of a spot under her right eye, “this.”

A small, hollow star appeared where Mana rubbed the makeup off. It looked like it had been drawn on–one of those line-only stars an elementary school child would learn to draw. It cast a faint red hue as it seemed to pulsate ever so slightly.
“It doesn’t hurt or anything, but I just noticed it a few days ago. I can feel a light throb; like it's reacting to something. I felt it while we were walking up, too. I guess now I know why."

Lacia seemed just as puzzled as Mana, but a question crept into her mind; an incongruence. “If that mark only begins to pulse or throb when something weird is happening, then why did it only start reacting today?” The question was rhetorical, but still. “I would bet money that record rainfall, missing boats, and record heat-waves aren’t the only things going on right now. I have a bad feeling this is the tip of the iceberg."

Mana gave a verbal “Mhm” in agreement. She turned to look at the sky, noticing the mist for the first time. The clouds were still dark and a solid layer of grey painted the sky like a canvas as she ushered Lacia down the street. “Let’s hurry. It would be rude of us to keep Brendan waiting if he arrives at my apartment before we do.”

“I am a lady of class and will not tarnish my reputation by being late,” Lacia said, puffing out her chest as if she were royalty.

“Only you would talk like that. When you find the card that says you’re related to a 12th century noble family, do let me know. Until then, let’s hurry,” Mana said, reemphasizing the need to move along.

The walk wasn’t far. They passed a familiar toy shop along the way. They would secretly buy Christmas gifts for each other when they were little girls, though neither of them knew. A sign posted on the inside of the door read:
“Temporarily closed. Sorry for any inconvenience.” 

“That’s too bad,” Mana thought. It was her favorite toy store. It brought tremendous joy when she’d open her gifts on Christmas morning.

“I know what you’re thinking. I’m just as upset. That store meant a lot to me and I hope they reopen soon. It’s the last little bit of joy Azalea has right now,” Lacia said, trying to comfort her friend even just a little.

“You know, this is the store that I got your bag strap at. We were still only nine and you thought that strap was the cutest thing ever,” Lacia said, still staring at the sign. “Sorry, I don't mean to hold us up. It just kinda hurts to see another little piece of my life come crashing down.”

“You’re fine, I understand. It holds memories for me too,” Mana comforted.

“I know, and thank you. Come on, let’s get going,” Lacia said, removing her stare. “Besides, it looks like it’s about to pour again.”

They were still two blocks from the apartment. It would look bad if they were late, and if it started pouring, Brendan would want somewhere to keep his things dry. If Mana had the only key, he would be forced to wait outside. She’d feel terrible if her dawdling caused Brendan any trouble.

As if on cue, a light rain began to fall–like the mist and low clouds weren’t bothersome enough. Mana and Lacia held their school bags tight in a full on sprint for the apartment. Neither wanted Brendan and his things to get wet if he was waiting for them. Lacia especially wanted out of the rain.

Arriving at the apartment out of breath, Mana quickly put the key-card up to the scanner. With a small click the door unlocked.

The interior was fully furnished, but it still seemed empty somehow. In the center room a couch faced the wall where a large LED flatscreen was mounted above a wooden entertainment center. Sitting atop it was a handheld game console paired with a series of controllers and games. Canvas print photos hung on the opposite wall, Mana's pride and joy photography.

“All of this rain has my bladder swollen like a balloon, so I’m going to use the bathroom real quick. Make yourself at home,” Mana said, disappearing down a hallway.

“This is a really nice place,” Lacia thought. “But it feels so… lonely.”

The apartment was bathed in shallow daylight, but with all of the clouds it remained dark. Lacia moved to turn on the lights as a knock came at the door. It was Brendan. She didn’t even realize she and Mana had arrived first. Considering Mana was a bit preoccupied at the moment, Lacia decided to answer the door.

“Heya! Mana is in the restroom, but she’d tell you to come in if it were her answering the door. Is that all you brought?” Lacia asked, looking at the few drawstring bags he held.

“I don’t really have a whole lot. I’m pretty happy with the stuff I have, honestly,” Brendan replied. “Besides, there’s no telling what we’re going to end up getting into, so the less stuff the better. Mana’s apartment seems to understand that fairly well,” he chided.

Brendan pulled back. Lacia had offered to help him bring his things in. “Now what kind of person would I be if I let someone such as yourself do my heavy-lifting?”

“But it’s not–”

“No arguments. I can get everything just fine,” he said, smiling.

“What a gentleman!” she thought.

After what seemed like the longest bathroom break in the world, Mana reappeared. “Oh? The two love-birds are back at it again are they?” she teased, grinning.

“We are NOT lovers!” Lacia and Brendan shouted in unison.

“Sure, whatever you say,” Mana smiled.

Growl… “I swear that was NOT my stomach,” she exclaimed, suddenly the new center of attention.

“I think we’re all hungry, so why don’t I get started on some dinner?” Lacia asked. “What sounds good?”

“Curry?” Mana suggested.

“I have a killer curry recipe, so if we do curry, allow me to help you,” Brendan offered.

Surprised, Lacia accepted his offer. “Curry it is then!”

Feeling left out, Mana offered to chop the vegetables. They had to be small enough to be bite-size, but big enough to make enough for three people. Mana had the better kitchen knives, so she figured she could at least help out a little bit.

“Let me make the sauce. It’s the thing that gives the curry its flavor,” Brendan explained.

“Oh,” Lacia exclaimed, “Do you guys want to add any meat in? I forgot to ask earlier.”

“I think we’ll have enough as is,” Brendan said. “Besides, we don’t want to play fifty dish cleanup after dinner anyways.”

“That’s one thing I won’t do,” Mana laughed. “Come on. I’m hungry!”

Three days had passed since the school closed. The weather hadn’t changed much either. The only notable change were Lacia's dreams. Instead of standing on an empty beach, she was now in a crowded room full of people she didn’t know. She wore a beautiful red dress with a ruffled skirt and a pair of black flats. Around the room she noticed glasses of champagne, tables of food, and an even larger table stacked with gifts. When she arrived at the gift table, she noticed they were all addressed to her. On the front of the table a card read: “Happy 19th Birthday, Lacia!”

Several thoughts crossed her mind: she was having a birthday, everyone was there to celebrate her, and apparently she had achieved something momentous based on the number of guests and presents. What she couldn’t think of was why. Turning around, Lacia ventured towards a giant wall of windows. As she looked out over the town, her eyes caught only the silently falling snow over a crater of rubble. Her eyes darted to a mangled sign.

“A Z A L E A,” she mouthed silently. She inhaled with a sharp gasp and turned around to relay what she had just seen, but everyone had disappeared. The guests were gone and so were the food and gifts, too. She squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, she found herself in the center of the crater. Confused, she tried calling out for help, but her voice refused to make even a whimper. She was fully lucid and felt every ounce of fear that crept into her body.

Attempting to stand, she hunched over in pain. She felt like she was being run through with a steel sword. The taste of blood quickly filled her mouth, but she couldn’t hold it back. There was so much blood. She covered her mouth with her hands, but blood continued to seep through her fingers. Waves of nausea ran through her as she collapsed to the ground, doubled over in pain until she blacked out.

“Lacia... Lacia…” Was somebody calling her name? It sounded so distant and hollow. She couldn’t make out the voice.

“LACIA!” It was Brendan, but why was he in her bedroom? She couldn’t even remember how she got there. The last thing she remembered was having dinner at Mana’s apartment. Everything after that was a blur.

“What are you doing in here?” Lacia croaked, surprised by the hoarseness of her voice.

“Don’t try to talk. You don’t have any idea what’s going on, do you?” The panic on his face didn't help to ease Lacia's racing thoughts. Brendan shouted down the hall to wake Mana up.

A small thud could be heard from the end of the hallway as a scurrying of feet quickly made their way towards Lacia’s room. Mana caught herself in the doorway. She looked like she was about to be sick.

“Lacia…? How– What?” Mana looked to Brendan for an answer, but he shook his head.

“Listen to me very carefully,” he said. “Do not move. Do not speak until I tell you.” Brendan gulped. “Mana, can you grab the portable mirror from the hall bathroom?”

As if looking for an excuse to leave the room, she dashed to the bathroom and returned moments later with the mirror. This confused Lacia even more. The look on her face was one of confusion and terror. What was going on?

“Please hand me the mirror,” Brendan said when Mana returned. “Lacia, please try not to freak out. This is probably going to freak you out, but it’s going to be ok. You’re going to be ok. Nod if you understand.”

She nodded. Brendan held the mirror up so Lacia could see her reflection where she lay. If there were a textbook definition of the word “panic”, Lacia’s face would be on the front cover.

Terrified at what she saw, she nearly passed out. Her bed sheets were stained crimson red as if they had been bought that way. Streaks of crimson lined the side of the bedframe and pooled onto the floor in puddles. Brendan pulled her sheets and comforter back, now piled up on the floor. The pajama bottoms and top she wore were a strange hue of reddish-pink.

It took Lacia several moments to process what exactly was going on. She was covered in so much blood... her blood. It was like someone came in and poured red paint all over her. Mouth literally dripping with it, she held her hands up to cover her face, but she couldn’t resist the temptation to know what else could be wrong, no matter how scared she was to find out.
Mana ran over and pulled Lacia’s pajamas off, searching for the source of the bleeding. 

Embarrassing as it was to now be in her underwear in front of a guy, in her own bedroom no less, Lacia quickly forgot her shame. The look of worry on Mana’s face meant she suspected something. Lacia knew and hated that face. Slowly peeking through her fingers, Lacia looked in the mirror once more and looked down until her eyes stopped on her stomach where a large gash had formed, almost as if she’d been impaled.

“Wait a minute,” she thought. “What was that dream I just had?! It–” she leaned over the edge of her bed and became ill.

“More blood?” she said weakly. “My stomach–” the sheer agony of her wound cut her off.

Brendan spoke first. “Before you ask, and waste the energy you don’t have, no, we don’t know where that gash came from either.”

“Brendan,” Mana said. “Have her text us instead of speaking. I think that might be a better idea.”

He nodded in acknowledgement. “Can you do that?”

Lacia slowly nodded her head in confirmation. Mana grabbed her phone from the nightstand and placed it in Lacia’s hands. She slowly typed out the dream she had and explained everything she felt in explicit detail.

Mana and Brendan stood at the foot of Lacia’s bed for the next hour, closely monitoring her for any symptoms or signs of severe blood-loss. Normally, they’d already be en-route to a hospital, but Lacia had pleaded not to go. They watched as she quickly fell back to sleep out of exhaustion.

“The bleeding stopped after she woke up, you noticed that too, right?” Mana quietly asked Brendan.

“I did. That’s why I’m worried.”

“Worried?”

“Yes. I’m worried she’s in serious danger. People don’t just start to bleed out of nowhere, especially not while they’re sleeping,” Brendan said sternly. “If I can’t close the hole in her stomach, then we have a problem. If I can, then for some reason her own body attacked itself. Are you familiar with how a person’s immune system can actually attack itself when trying to fight off an infection or virus?” he asked Mana. “This could be a severe example of that. It’s unlikely, but nothing else explains this.”

“What do you mean by that, exactly? Details would be nice,” Mana forced.

“Another possible theory I have is that her body could be trying to reject or modify itself to better accept a 'gift'.” Mana stared at him, unhappy with his answer. Brendan sighed. “There’s an old folk legend passed down through my family that details an event just like this,” he explained as he bent over Lacia’s stomach. A bright green light emanated from his palms as he placed them over the open wound. Slowly but surely the wound began to shrink in size until it had fully closed. A look of relief crossed his face.

“The legend says that a pure, young maiden will become the wielder of a gift that humanity has never seen. The maiden will be granted great power and knowledge if she’s deemed worthy of this gift,” Brendan explained as he faced Mana. “However, if she is deemed unworthy, she could potentially lose her memories and have the gift ripped from her body. With great power comes great sacrifice, they say.”

“I feel like there’s a part of me that’s not all here,” Mana said, staring at the floor, "although this legend sounds vaguely familiar to a story I was told as a child. I just can’t remember exactly what I was told.”

“Did you just... totally blow me off?” Brendan said, not expecting to be ignored.

“I need to come clean about something to you. The Lhumin family has a history of being servants to various magically-gifted families. Somewhere in there, one of the members of the Lhumin family married into one of those families,” she explained, “but that’s about as much knowledge as I have. My head aches trying to recall anything else... “

“That’s useful information and it’ll be put to good use, but let me corroborate something with you real quick, though." Mana remained lost in thought. "Hello? Anyone home?"

The room fell as silent as a winter’s night, but a new sense of calm blanketed the atmosphere. "Huh? Who's the– Hey, don't tease me back," she pouted.

“Sorry, but do you recall an event known as ‘Searing Wounds’? Does the name ring any bells?”

“Vaguely. I honestly can’t recall very much of it,” she said, shaking her head. “My head is splitting, so I’m going to call it a night, Brendan. I do apologize for blowing you off a minute ago.”

“Go on to bed. I’ll watch Lacia until morning. We’ll plan our next moves when she wakes up,” he said, noticing the tired look in Mana’s eyes. “You need the rest. Besides, I definitely can’t sleep now, considering what you just told me.”

“Sounds good to me. I haven’t slept well in a hot minute anyways, so I appreciate this. My head is killing me." She was noticeably exhausted.

“No problem. Get some rest. If anything comes up, I’ll wake you.”

Mana nodded and sank back into her room down the hall. A soft thump and long exhale could be heard as she quickly fell back to sleep.

The night passed slowly, but Brendan wasn’t alone. He mulled over what Mana told him and used his thoughts for company. She was telling the truth about her family servitude, but what didn’t add up was why she only remembered after mention of the event.

The Greyriter family, unbeknownst to Mana, was one of the various families the Lhumin family served, but it had been at least 200 years since the last relations of any kind between the two. The Lhumin family were no more than commoners and there wasn’t any official family or town record of any children becoming mages or gaining the ability to see otherworldly things.

Neither family were on good terms, but after an accident involving a small Lhumin boy and a Greyriter mage, the relationship between the two families fell to new lows. This would become known as the “Searing Wounds'' event, a conflict between the Lhumin and Greyriter families. This would spark a full-fledged conflict that only ended in both sides suffering major casualties. An end to the conflict was eventually agreed upon and the two families went their separate ways. This was the end of the last great era of magic.

Brendan began to think aloud. “The Lhumin family chose to remove the conflict from the official family record.... Only the family elders are tasked with preserving the memory so as not to make the record widely known, but, that still doesn’t explain why she has faint levels of detectable mana…” He fell deeper into thought.

“The problem isn’t that she knows about the conflict, but her faint level of mana. It’s weak, but I can only assume that a child was born from a Lhumin mother and Greyriter father, but they kept it quiet for fear of persecution and disownment from their families. The faint levels of magic would make sense if so...”

Brendan checked the time on his phone. It was already six in the morning, but Lacia was still fast asleep. He knew he could at least conclude that Lacia was a key player in everything and that he had a role to play as well, but, Mana… what was she, really?

He turned his attention back to Lacia, the time, then back to Lacia. He got up and quietly opened the door. Mana’s was wide open. She sat cross legged on her bed with a bagel in her mouth, half asleep.

“You’re awake. That’s perfect. I need to test something, but I need you to be cognitive first,” he said, smiling.

“Mmm?” she mumbled, turning to face Brendan, bagel-in-mouth.

“You have very faint levels of mana, aka, magic. If this test is successful, you’ll have the best sleep you’ve ever had in your life. Deal?”

“Deal!” Mana was wide awake now.

“Lend me your arm. It won’t hurt. I need to see if your magical circuits are flowing properly.”

Mana handed Brendan her right arm. The left hand was still occupied by the bagel. A faint white glow began to emanate from Brendan’s palms. It pulsed. Blue then light green then back to blue. Mana looked at-peace as her eyes began to slowly close until she fell back onto the bed.

“You sure look happy. It took me all night to figure out what was going on with you,” he said softly. “You are a mage, but no one ever properly set your magic circuits to allow the mana in your body to flow freely. You two girls are quite the handful, but I’m glad I’m along for the ride,” he chuckled. “Your circuits were completely blocked off, but you’ll have to hear the whole story when you’re awake.”

He took the half-eaten bagel from Mana’s hand and placed it on the nightstand. “Problem number one, solved. Now, just to solve the other twenty,” he joked, finally deciding to get some rest himself.

Settling into a futon, the cool fabric was the perfect relaxation tool. He glanced over at Lacia one last time before falling asleep.

Seagulls soared overhead, wailing as they circled the docks. Several small boats were moored as they gently bobbed in the wake of other passing craft. One boat in particular was large enough to support a lower deck below the main deck. The daylight tried to beat back the dark afternoon shadows, but found itself in a losing battle as it struggled to illuminate the cabins hidden away below. Several computer screens lined the back wall, illuminating the inside in a pale glow of artificial light. One monitor seemed to be monitoring global stock markets. Another was focused on a well-known conspiracy site, however, the mention of the Lhumin and Greyriter family name stuck out. There was no mention of the Amana family, though. Seated at the monitors was a lanky man of average build. Greasy black hair stuck to his forehead as the air conditioner struggled to keep up with the tropical climate. Using a hand to push his hair out of his face, he leaned back in his chair, an eerie grin of satisfaction plastered on his face.

“This should be real fun. Real fun indeed, Greyriter,” the man said, clearly satisfied by something. “I hope you’re ready for what’s next, boy.”

He leaned forward in his chair again, hunched over the keyboard. His fingers flew at lightspeed as they pressed each key with pinpoint accuracy. A third monitor flickered to life. The man turned his attention to the newly lit monitor. A world map was displayed on the screen. Large X’s crossed out several countries and island-chains. Another browser window opened to the side of the world map.

“The world is a big place, but there are only so many places you can hide. Run all you like, I will find you,” he sneered.

In the newly opened window was a new article detailing the history of the Amana family. The website looked like it had been formatted in the early 2000's but was somehow allowed to stay up despite it receiving zero web traffic. The man scrolled down the page until he came across a picture of a girl. It was pixelated and only about the size of a photo that one would store inside a wallet, but it bore an eerie resemblance to Lacia. He leaned in closer, holding a photo from his desk up to the monitor as if comparing the two photos. A new, creepier, grin plastered his face.

The man’s voice quickly filled with glee, “Found you... Lacia Amana.”

Lacia and Brendan jolted awake with a sharp gasp. Brendan regained focus first, quickly glancing at the time. It was nearly three in the afternoon.

“Oh, Lacia. What’s with that look on your face? Wait, you’re not sore about me sleeping here are you?”

“Please don’t bombard me with questions first thing in the morning, and, no, I’m not. It’s just… kind of awkward, you know?” she said with flushed cheeks.

“There are two things wrong with what you just said. One, it’s nearly three in the afternoon. Second,” Brendan sighed, “you could say ‘thank you’ for keeping an eye on you last night. I would have given the role to Mana, but she was wiped.”

Lacia turned an even brighter shade of red. “N-n-no, wait! It’s not like that. I’m sorry, and thank you for all of your help last night. It was rude of me not to acknowledge it first.” She held her hands to her face to hide the embarrassment.

“Hey, don’t sweat it. You don’t have to apologize,” he said. “Anyways, it seems we both were having a terrible dream. I was dreaming about some shady dude on a boat and he had all of these computer monitors...”

Lacia interrupted him. “Did you see what was on the screens?”

“Yeah and I hope I’m not the only one disturbed by that, either. Wait... Did we have the same dream?”

“Greasy black hair? Dark room?”

“Yep. That was him.”

“Why was he looking for information on us and why was he so obsessed with me? He even had an actual photo of me. And while I’m on the topic, why is there an entire website devoted to me?” Lacia asked, visibly shaken.

The orange mark on Lacia’s shoulder began to glow faintly in the afternoon sunlight. She laid back down in the bed, full of mixed emotions. Suddenly remembering that just twelve hours prior she was bleeding half to death, she sat back up and lifted her shirt to expose what had been a large, open gash. Thanks to Brendan, all that was left now was just a small scar. With a groan, Lacia let herself fall back onto the bed.

“Did you... ?” She pointed to her side. Brendan nodded in affirmation.

He quickly explained what happened after she had fallen back to sleep, including the problem of Mana’s magic circuits never being properly set.

“So her collapsing back at school wasn’t an attack of some sort, but a buildup of mana in her body that couldn’t flow properly? That makes me so relieved, you have no idea,” she said. “Really, thank you Brendan. We’d be so lost without you.”

“You’re half right. That mist was definitely made to absorb life energy, but because her magic circuits were blocked, she couldn’t properly dispel the attack. There’s one last thing you should know too, Lacia,” Brendan said. “You have been given a gift of sorts, but we don’t know what it does yet or how it’s used. What we do know is that this gift is only given to worthy individuals, but we’re missing something.”

“What is it?” She asked, inquiring.

“You.”

“Me?” She pointed at herself.

“Yes. This 'gift' grants knowledge and power. Have you received either of those? From what I can tell, your abilities aren’t fully developed yet.”

“Umm, no… Sorry, but you’re right. I really can’t do much. Nothing has changed.”

Lacia’s room door opened a crack as Mana stuck her head in. She must've just woken up, but her bedhead wasn’t doing her any favors. Lacia began to snicker.

“Snicker all you want!” She glared daggers at Lacia. “I think you two should come see this, though.”

The three stepped out onto the front porch. The sun was out, but it was scorching hot. Puddles still sat stagnant, dotted across the town. Multiple roads had been washed away from the rain, but what was striking was the lack of people.

“Where is everyone?” Lacia thought. “Something about this seems… off.”

 The sound of a car horn caught everyone’s attention as they watched a vehicle approach. “Heeeey,” the driver shouted, waving an arm back and forth. The car stopped at the curb as a lanky man in his twenties stepped out. “Name’s Ryan. Have any of the three of you seen the news lately?” he asked.

Brendan stepped up. “I’m Brendan, and, no. We haven’t honestly had the time to catch any recent headlines. What’s going on? Where is everyone?”

Lacia turned to look at Mana then to Brendan. “We’re going to go inside. It’s hot out here and we need to get dressed.” Mana shifted her attention to Ryan, introducing herself. “I’m Mana. How about we all go inside and talk there? Obviously, we need to get dressed first, but you’re welcome to come in if you like, Ryan.”

“Your hospitality is most welcome. I think I’ll take you up on that offer."

Everyone was seated in the main room. It was just past three in the afternoon now and it only seemed to be growing hotter. Even the air conditioning was having trouble keeping up.

Mana offered their new guest a bottle of water, graciously accepting the cold bottle. “Geez. You’d think that with all of this crazy weather they’d finally find a way to not have five minute commercial breaks, you know what I mean?” Lacia said, annoyed.

“You and me both,” Ryan said. “Let me give you a basic rundown since we have some time. I think this will be of benefit to you.”

The commercials droned on in the background mixed with the rush of cold air into the house. It seemed like a relatively normal day in late April besides all of the crazy dreams, bleeding, and now the strange lack of people. Lacia couldn’t help but let her mind wander.

“There’s been an accident at the nuclear power plant a few towns up. The radiation is leaking into the water supply and the winds are blowing it all down here. Look.” Ryan focused their attention on the television. The headlines were anything but reassuring.

“Nuclear accident at Teaken power plant.”

“Residents from Teaken to Azalea south ordered to evacuate.”

Live drone footage showed the extent of the damage to the facility. It looked like a massive earthquake had leveled the entire site. Rubble lay strewn about the ground and any structures that remained upright were riddled with cracks.

“There’s nothing they can do about it. The whole plant is leveled as you can see. The radiation cloud is supposed to make its way here by this evening,” Ryan explained. “If you three need someplace to go, I’m headed straight south to the Okina islands. If we leave now we can be there by midday tomorrow.”

Everyone fell silent, mulling over the new information. Brendan spoke up first. “We can’t go with you right now, sorry, but let’s exchange contact information. It’s good to have alibis in times like these, right?”

“Right you are. Here,” Ryan handed the three a business card. “On the back is the address to my villa. If you decide to make your way down, I’ll be there.”

“A villa?!” the girls exclaimed in unison.

Ryan laughed with excitement. “I figured you two would like that. It’s almost half past three, so I better get going. I suggest you three pack as quickly as possible and get out of here. There’s an abandoned four passenger SUV just down the road.”

He turned to Mana. “Thank you for your hospitality. It was greatly appreciated. I'd better be on my way now, but make sure you three get somewhere safe."

Ryan sped off as quickly as he arrived. Lacia pulled the abandoned SUV into the driveway after he was out of sight.

“He seemed really nice, but we need to get to know him better I feel like,” she said, rolling the windows down to let the heat out. “He offered us a safe place to stay and warned us about the radiation cloud. I mean… I guess that’s trust enough.”

“You’re right. It’s best to be wary, but he has nothing to gain by telling us all that. He honestly seems like a good guy,” Brendan shrugged.

A warm breeze blew through Lacia’s hair as she stepped out of the car. Her light blonde locks had transitioned into a beautiful platinum color. It wasn’t just her hair that had grown. Lacia had grown significantly as a young woman, as well.

“Hey, have you grown a little taller or did you decide today was a good day for heels?” Brendan asked as he walked around to Lacia.

She let out a small giggle that quickly turned to surprise. “Actually, I guess I have grown a little. My world has been absolutely insane since all of this started, so I guess it makes sense I didn’t even notice.”

The sky was a gorgeous shade of blue and the air ironically smelled fresh and clean despite the accident at the nuclear plant. Lacia turned her attention to the sky. A slow, deep breath followed by a sharp exhale escaped her lips.

“Brendan, this hasn’t been easy on me and I know you understand that, so thank you,” she said, turning to face him with a smile. “Come on. Let’s get packed and get out of here.”

The three quickly scrambled to get the couple of boxes and bags worth of Mana’s and Brendan’s belongings, placing everything in the trunk, but Lacia felt uneasy about leaving. 

“I need to pack a little more stuff and leave a note in case mom and dad somehow make it home… No matter how unlikely,” she said. Leaving the car running in the driveway, she darted back inside. “I just need twenty minutes,” she shouted.

The house suddenly felt lonely, having its contents emptied out. Lacia ran back to her room and threw her closet doors open.

“I almost forgot about you,” she said excitedly. A beautiful dress hung on the closet rack. It was the one she was planning on wearing to her birthday party next month. She would be turning nineteen finally, but it seemed she wouldn’t get the opportunity to celebrate. Pulling it from the closet, she zipped it up in a garment bag and laid it on her bed. There was still more to pack.

“Lacia,” Mana called. “Can we help with anything?”

“Oh, um, yeah,” she answered. Mana’s voice brought her back to reality. She had been so lost in thought she forgot what she was doing. Mana walked into the room as Lacia explained what she was doing.

“Please pack everything else from the closet and dresser in those suitcases. I’ll grab everything else,” she explained. After all of the recent chaos, she decided she couldn’t part with her things after all, though it wasn’t much. Having that familiarity would do her good.

Several stuffed animals adorned her bed and school awards donned the wall next to the door. Her room was simple, but having her childhood walk this new rugged path with her made her feel a little better somehow.

Twenty minutes had come and gone. Lacia packed her bathroom which included brushes, makeup, hair-care, and towels as well as her parents bedroom and bathroom. She didn’t know if she was going to ever see her parents again or if they were still out there in this new crazy world, but she knew that if she found them, they might need some of what she packed. A gut feeling told her it would become difficult to find consumer goods and amenities like shampoo and towels.

“Alright. The note is ready and so am I, I guess…” Tears began to stream down her face.

“I’ve lived here my whole life and I’m about to leave everything I’ve ever known, but I’m ok. I can do this. Mom and dad are still out there somewhere and I have you guys. I couldn’t ask for more right now,” she said through crying eyes.

Brendan grabbed her hands and locked his gaze with hers. He looked almost frightened in a way, but determination shone through, overtaking the momentary fearfulness.

Lacia quickly dried her eyes and regained her composure. “I’m sorry. I need to be strong for you guys, too. Not just myself,” she said, sniffling. “Let’s go. I said twenty minutes, right?”

Lacia imparted her final goodbyes. The lights were off and the doors were locked; a spare key to the front door was hidden under the doormat. Her final order of business: tape the message to the door.

Securing her note, she took a deep breath and awkwardly hugged her childhood home. She looked back one final time, ready to embrace the young woman she had become as she climbed into the car, closing the door not just to the car, but an entire chapter of her life. Knowing that this could be the last time she would see the town where she grew up, she snapped several last-minute photos with her phone camera.

“Goodbyes are hard, but we can’t hold on to our past forever. I believe in you, Lacia. We believe in you,” Brendan said. “We don’t know what the future holds, but as long as I have you, I know we’ll be ok.”

Mom, Dad. If you find this note, I’m ok. In fact, I’m better than ok. I made a new friend and he’s helped me put the pieces of my life back together. His name is Brendan. I lost myself, but I had my friends by my side to help bring me back. Mana is just like you, mom. Bossy, but caring. You always told me to find people who show they care and I did just that.

I packed up the bedrooms and bathrooms. Family photos, too. We’re headed to the Okina islands. Please meet us at the address attached to the card.

Your little girl isn’t so little anymore. She’s all grown up now. But that little girl is still with me in my heart, walking alongside me. I love you guys. We’ll see each other again soon–I can feel it in my heart. My phone works for now, but there's no telling for how much longer. Call me when you see this, if you can.

Your little girl, Lacia.