Wish Me Back

Four days had passed since Lacia caught the last glimpses of her childhood home. The days blurred together and the nights became sleepless. The passing lights of the few cars left on the road were gentle reminders that she wasn’t alone, but her mind had become a prison. She dearly missed her parents, and she hadn’t received a single text or direct message in weeks, causing her to long for the loving embrace of her parents even more. She wished she could say she was even just alright.

Brendan confessed his feelings to her right as they were leaving the house and now she was a mess of jumbled emotions and mixed feelings. The words she wanted to say wouldn’t come, no matter how hard she tried.

“This boy really has a way with words,” she thought. “I want to tell him how I feel, but I don't know what to do…”

Mana didn’t seem too phased by what he said which led Lacia to wonder if there was something she wasn’t being told, but at the same time, she understood why he would want to talk to Mana about any potential feelings first. She knew that if she led with her mind and not her heart, she could wind up more damaged than she already was.

“But what if Mana has feelings for him that I don’t know about? Would it be alright for me to just sweep the guy she likes away from her? That would be like rubbing it in her face and I couldn’t do that to her.”

Crying wouldn’t solve anything and would only hold her back. She had to fully embrace the young woman she had become and keep moving forward. There was no turning back. Brendan was right about the past, but the uncertainty of the future is what scared her the most. The pieces of her life puzzle were only held together by a thin layer of hope and pieces of her puzzle were still scattered about. It would only take a tiny fracture and her entire world would come crumbling right back down again.

The night was still young, but Lacia was already retreating back into her shell. Desperate for an answer, she asked herself the same question she’d been asking since they left: “Can anyone truly save me?”

Ding, ding! The car was running on empty despite only traveling a few hours a day. Running the car for too long in this heat wave would cause it to overheat.

“We’re fifty miles to empty, but there’s a gas station just off the highway over here, so we’re going to stop. Sound good to you two?” Brendan asked.

“Fine by me,” Mana replied. “I need to get out and stretch, anyways.”

“Uhh, yeah. That’s ok,” Lacia answered.

Brendan pulled the car into the gas station. It was abandoned and looked like it had been looted, but no one was around. The gas pumps had been set so they could pump freely. Someone was looking out for them. He quickly filled the tank and placed the nozzle back in the holder.

“Let’s go in and see if there’s any food left. Even just some road snacks or water.” The girls nodded in agreement.

Lacia caught a whiff of something on the breeze, but she couldn’t place the smell or figure out why it seemed familiar. She shrugged it off for the time being and walked inside the store.

The shelves and freezers were mostly empty, but a few items remained. They grabbed what they could and packed it into the car.

“A few waters, some bags of chips, instant noodles, and a couple microwave meals. Not too bad, I suppose,” Mana said, examining their haul.

The scent from earlier caught Lacia’s attention again and this time, it was much stronger. She looked everywhere, unable to determine its origin, but it was close. She snuck around the corner of the store. Laying in the grass was a glowing, amber stone.

The scent had become overwhelming. Waves of nausea poured over her as she bent down to keep from falling over.

“What is this? Why am I suddenly so sick?”

The amber color of the stone started to swirl around and around. A wave of vertigo hit her like a truck. The voices of Brendan and Mana grew fainter by the second. A strange sound fell over her, moments before losing consciousness. It reminded her of a large rush of wind. Without warning, the world went black as she hit the ground, rendering her fully unconscious.

“Oh? It’s good to see you, Lacia,” a voice echoed out. “Glad you’re finally awake.”

She was in a large room. The walls were barren and the faint smell of bleach made its presence known. Bright lights illuminated the compact space. Instinctually, she moved to sit up and take in her surroundings, but something cold pressed against her back. She was pinned down, unable to move a single limb. Panicked, she called out but was only met by silence.

“What the hell is going on?” she thought, stricken with fear.

Dizzyingly, she was turned upright to face a large mirror. Immediately, she understood the trouble she was in. Stripped down to only her underwear, strapped to a cold, steel table, terror spread across her face.

“Struggle all you want, but you’re not doing yourself any favors. You collapsed beside this stone,” the voice spoke. A dark-haired man appeared from beside her, holding the same stone she had seen prior to losing consciousness.

“We’ve met, in your dreams,” he explained. “I wasn’t looking my best when you saw me, but that's unimportant. This stone here is called a Neriolite. We don’t know much about it yet, but it only reacts to certain people,” he explained, looking at Lacia.

Exhaustion set in quickly as she struggled to free herself. If this was for her own good or to do her a “favor”, then she didn’t understand why she had yet to receive an explanation or why she was strapped down.

“Look,” the man said, pushing his hair back, “You’re in the middle of the ocean, on a boat where no one is going to find you. You’re going to stay just like this until I have what I need, understand?”

Lacia narrowed her eyes at him in clear defiance.
“No, I do not understand,” she thought to herself. “And how did I even get here?”

“You’re a part of something much bigger than you or me. And this stone…” he brought the Neriolite closer to her, causing her head to swim, “is obviously important to all of this.”

Tears began to stream down Lacia’s face. Whatever was going on, it scared the hell out of her, and it was clear she had been poked with more than a few needles while she was out, the thought of which only caused her to panic more.

“Just a couple more tests and then I’ll be done poking and prodding,” the man said. “I need a blood sample and a urine sample. I’m sure you won't mind.”

An empty plastic bag lay on the floor. Lacia assumed she would be using it involuntarily. The room was barren aside from several medical tools that were soaking in a sink behind her. There were no windows and the air conditioning felt like a January morning. She shivered, goosebumps lining her bare skin.

A cabinet door slammed shut somewhere to her right. She carefully watched the mysterious man as he walked closer, a new medical instrument in each of his hands. At least the mirror was good for more than having to look at herself bound to a table. She could track the mysterious man as he crossed the room.

“This will be uncomfortable,” he warned as he connected the bag on the floor to the underside of her table, securing any remaining cords. “If you struggle while I’m doing this, you could hurt yourself, so I’m tightening your straps for the time being.”

He reached a hand past her stomach and adjusted the bag so it was securely in place. Lacia could hardly move an inch, trying to avoid his undesirable hands as the man finished positioning the bag.

“Judging by the size of that thing, he’s planning on keeping me here for a while… How does shit like this keep happening to me?!” she pleaded to herself.

A small pinch caught her attention as an I.V. bag was hung next to her. One final pinch and everything went dark again. One last thought crossed her mind:

“What’s going to happen to me now?” She quickly fell into a deep slumber. The sleep was welcome, regardless of the means.

The remaining blue sky of the day gradually faded into burnt hues of reds and oranges. An evening symphony of nightlife filled the air. Mana and Brendan rushed over to where Lacia had been, moments prior to her disappearance. Both were visibly shocked, but Mana was livid. A deep scowl spread across her face.

“What do you mean she’s gone?!”

“You saw what I saw. Keep a level head, Mana,” Brendan warned. “I can faintly detect her magic, but it’s just a trace. I need to focus, please.”

“I–”

“Focus.”

Upon finishing their brief argument, it was determined there was no way to bring Lacia back by just standing there, questioning how a random stone could cause her to abruptly disappear. The pair jumped into the SUV in an attempt to follow Lacia’s faint mana trail. If there were any police on the highway at all Brendan would be in traffic court faster than he could blink. Fortunately, none showed up. 

Mana sat in the front passenger seat, mulling over what they had witnessed. Brendan focused on the road. As Lacia had begun to fall, a rift appeared out of nowhere. It was hard to make out, but Mana swore she saw a man with jet-black hair step out, grab Lacia and the stone, and step back in. She glanced over at Brendan, white-knuckling the drive.

“There has to be more I can do. I can’t sit idly by like this anymore,” she thought as her mind wandered. A search and rescue mission was the last thing she expected to form.

The night dragged on. The mysterious man continued his work on Lacia, several vials of her blood sitting neatly in a tray on one of the side counters. Several computer monitors ran what looked to be a complex genomic analysis. Occasional murmurs escaped Lacia's lips as she dreamt.

“Lacia… Lacia… Lacia!” Somewhere, someone was calling her name.

“Over here! Lacia?” The voice called again.

She felt like she was looking at everything through a hazy glass at first. It was midday and sunlight was streaming through the windows. The air felt strangely warm.

“Wait. Where am I exactly?” she thought to herself. “Wasn’t I just… No… Where was I just now?”

“LACIA!” Someone forcefully shouted her name, only adding to the confusion. A girl about her age ran up to her. She seemed nice enough to Lacia, but a worried expression clouded the girl’s face.

“Lacia! Thank god,” she panted. “What are you doing here? We have to go now,” she explained. “Some strange creature forced its way into the school, but no one has seen anything like it before. We’ve barricaded the entrance to this floor, but it’s not going to last. This thing is insane.”

Instinctively, Lacia’s first thought was to sprint for the exit, but she felt like she was stuck in wet cement.

“Umm… Who are you exactly and where am I? Where are we?”

“Huh? Lacia, this isn’t the time for games,” the girl said, irritated. “Wait, you really don’t know? What happened to you?”

The mysterious creature had found its way up the stairs and was now banging on the doors. Lacia stood her ground, still cemented to the floor. Several students appeared to run to the door in an attempt to reinforce the barricade.

“Ugh! Ok, listen carefully. Again, it’s me, your best friend since, like, grade school. Mana. Mana Lhumin?”

Her name seemed to ring a faint bell in the back of Lacia’s mind. She still didn’t recognize the girl in front of her, but she could swear she knew her somehow.

Loud banging echoed from the metal doors. They wouldn’t last forever and no one had any answers for Lacia, still visibly confused. Something felt off about the whole thing, but before she knew it, she was being yanked into a nearby classroom.

“Okay,” she said, voice now quivering with irritation, “You’re going to explain everything to me, now.” She didn’t appreciate being dragged around like some plaything.

Ignoring her, Mana squeezed Lacia’s arm. “What the hell is wrong with you? I’ve never seen this side of you,” she said in a hushed whisper. “This is Miruna High School and you’re in class 3A. I get that this is stressful, but don’t lose it on me yet.”

Lacia still couldn’t place why she seemed to know this girl. Her voice, her mannerisms, even her face… “Who are you?” Lacia thought, as she stared into Mana’s eyes.

“Mana. Answer me. Please. I just need ans—“

BOOM! The sound of a shotgun blast echoed through the building as cheers erupted down the hallway.

“Nice shot, Cilan!”

“Is it dead?”

“Yeah, we got it.”

The two girls rushed into the hallway, greeted by the carcass of the dead creature. They reeled for a moment before examining its corpse.

It seemed to almost flicker as if it were refracting light. The handful of students scattered around the corpse were fortunate to have made it through the ordeal unscathed. Several students were tasked with searching for any remaining survivors. Hallways and classrooms on the other floors had been trashed. After ten minutes of searching, only a single survivor could be found.

“Tell me that this isn’t normal,” Lacia said unsteadily.

Lockers hung open by their hinges, tattered gym clothes, shredded papers and backpacks lined the hallways. Ceiling lights swung from their cords, flickering in their sway. Rubble littered the floor, transforming the school into an apocalyptic hellscape. Lacia wondered what exactly she had been thrust into. She jumped as a ceiling tile crashed to the ground next to her.

“How did that one thing cause such destruction? It literally looks like someone set a bomb off in here, not to mention the fact that we’ve only found one person, dead or alive, in ten minutes of searching,” she said shell-shocked. “Someone has answers, right?”

A male student was identified as the sole survivor. Stranger still, he was a member of the student council, those of whom weren’t even supposed to be on campus today according to another student. They were supposed to be attending an off-campus meeting regarding proposed changes to club budgets with the president of the school. Mana ran back upstairs to check the school attendance records for the day to confirm. She returned minutes later, a look of clear confusion reflected in her face.

“He was marked as excused for the day along with the rest of the student council, but why was he here?” Mana asked. “The fact that he’s not even in-uniform only further confirms that…”

“But why was he the only one and what just happened?” Lacia demanded, waiting for an answer.

“I have no idea what’s going on either, but–”

“Heyy! He’s waking up,” someone shouted from the stairwell. “You two might want to hear what he has to say, too.”

The girls turned to look at each other. Lacia wasn’t thrilled she still couldn’t get an answer. Upon entering the room, the boy shot straight up. He moved to meet the girls halfway, but Mana shook her hands. “Stay there. It’s fine.”

“That thing was hunting you,” the boy said, pointing at Lacia. “When it saw your photo, it went berserk and started rampaging.”

“My photo?”

“Yeah, the one on the board past the shoe lockers. Student of the week?”

“She’s had a long day,” Mana chimed in.

When asked about why he returned to campus, the boy simply shook his head.

“I remember I was standing in the hallway, but I felt like I was half-asleep,” he said, wracking his brain. “It looked at the photos of all the students on the board, but when it found yours it almost seemed to begin sniffing you out,” he said through a whisper.

The remaining color in Lacia’s face drained to a ghostly pale. One of the female students pulled up a chair, sitting her down, afraid Lacia was about to faint.

Shakily, “But why did it wreck the entire first two floors and why couldn’t we find any bodies? Am I missing something here?”

“The only thing I can think of is that it grew impatient when it couldn’t find you, so it tore everything apart in its search,” he explained. “This next part you might not want to hear, though. Fair warning.”

An abrupt striking sound pierced the tile floors. “Kaden,” a voice shouted. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”

A female student stood in the center of the doorframe, out of breath. She was covered in dust and any other debris that had able to latch onto her during her sprint. She held her arm tightly, blood slowly seeping through her fingers.

“Lyra?” the boy replied. “Where did you come from?”

“I was home sick today, but I got a text from the school telling everyone to shelter in place, so I came. I was worried.”

“Do I even have to explain to you how awful a decision that was and what ‘shelter in place’ means?”

Lyra puffed out her cheeks, not happy about being reprimanded.

“While I was making my way past the teacher’s lounge, I found this phone on the floor,” her voice was unsteady. “I know whose it is, but what I don’t know is what that thing is.” She pointed to the mysterious creature in the video. “What the hell happened here?”

Kaden answered first. “To be frank, we were attacked by something we’ve never seen before. From what I saw, it was merciless.“ A shiver simultaneously crept down Lacia’s spine.

“Lyra, that video: can we see it?” Lacia asked, unseating herself from the chair.

“Huh? Uh, yeah. I haven’t watched all of it, but ‘merciless’ is putting it lightly…”

Lacia created a makeshift phone stand and angled the phone for everyone to see. She tapped the play button as she moved out of the way.

The phone camera was shaky and aimed towards the floor at times. A loud gasp erupted from the room.

The video depicted the beast they had killed earlier, but it was hard to make out, refracting light with every step it took. A loud crash manifested somewhere in the back of the classroom where the video had been filmed. The sound of breaking bones and shrieks of agony wailed through the tiny speakers. A male student had been caught in the grasp of an invisible tendril, dissipating into a pile of ash several excruciating seconds later. The remainder of the video was filled with screams of terror and panicked footsteps before finally coming to an end.

Kaden spoke up first. “I tried to get out of the building after wrapping up my duties here, but I tripped and hit the lockers with my head. I must’ve blacked out,” he said, rubbing his head. “Either it wasn’t interested in me or it didn’t know I was there.”

“I– I need some air… My head is spinning…” Lacia said, nauseated. Her ears began to ring as her vision swam in circles.

“Hey, are you ok?” A faint voice called. Lacia felt light years away.

The fall was inevitable as she braced for a hard landing. Unable to avoid a set of nearby desks on her way down, she finally crashed to the floor.

A small groan escaped her throat. Her whole body ached like she’d faced off against a wooden desk and lost. It wasn’t perfect, but at least her head wasn’t swimming with such ferocity. Looking around, she realized the classroom was now just empty white walls, a sharp pain surfacing from the same side as always. She winced in pain, moving a hand to rub the tender ache. There was no reasonable explanation for what had happened, but that didn't make the experience any less real. Realizing where she was again, she sat straight up and was immediately greeted with the same swimmy feeling from before.

“Oh god– I’m going to be sick. Hate me for this later,” she groaned, and became physically ill.

Not a minute later, she was being stripped down and thrown into a shower stall. A woman barked orders at her from outside the shower room door with zero hesitation. “Clean yourself up and don’t even think about getting sick in there too, or you’ll be the one cleaning it up next time. Understand?” she growled as she walked away.

Shaken up, Lacia examined the shower room to district herself, finding it well-kept. The aroma of cherry blossoms and rain made for a relaxing combo. It didn’t take long for curiosity to take over. Trying to support herself on the door, she tried the handle up, down, in and out, but it refused to budge. The door was definitely locked.

“Oh well," she sighed. "A hot shower does sound pretty good right about now, though. I feel disgusting. Being covered in puke is not my idea of a good time.”

With a small squeak, the shower handle turned. The water pressure was excellent and she could even adjust how strong she wanted the spray to be. A small table adorned with several bottles of shampoo and soaps sat just outside the shower stall. What she really wanted was a toothbrush, toothpaste, and some mouthwash, honestly.

After a few minutes of searching, she found an unopened cabinet full of other hygienic items: the dental items were her new best friend. She was sure no one would mind. After all, she was being held captive. In some ways, she had a right to whatever she wanted. After securing the remaining hygienic items necessary for her shower, she returned to the steamy water, the sound of running water helped to ease her mind as the steam relaxed her aching muscles and tired body.

“Nothing beats a hot shower after a long day. Especially after the day I just had” she said, sliding to the shower floor to sit under the water, back against the wall. “Wait. Wasn’t I strapped to a table and… what was that dream?”

It didn’t take long for her to recount recent events. She was packing up her room at home, Brendan practically confessed his feelings to her, there was the gas station, and finally, the strange medical lab on the ship. What she couldn’t make sense of was why that school felt so real. She was fully lucid, but it calling it a dream felt more like an underestimation of whatever it actually was: like a strange alternate reality, but not one she was familiar with. The thought of the school quickly turned her attention back to her aches and pains, various bruises now forming. She was growing tired of falling into things.

“This is and isn’t because of what happened in that dream, right? Can I even call it that? It was so real…” She shook her head. “Get a grip, Lacia. Or… as much of one as you can get considering you’re being held captive on some strange ship in the middle of the ocean,” she retorted.

Standing back up, she pushed the thoughts from her mind and began washing her hair. The shampoo smelled like rainwater. Grabbing a toothbrush and paste she laid out on the table, she brushed her teeth with vigor, desperate to remove the taste of puke from her mouth and smell from her nose. The woman that threw her in the shower room made no mention of clothes nor did she explain why she had been moved, clearly able to move freely.

“A bed sure sounds nice right now, but would it be too much trouble to get a change of clothes? At least some damn underwear,” she grumbled.

“Towels,” she thought. “I need towels, too.”

After a little more stumbling around, she finally found a set of towels. They were as soft as sheep’s wool and absorbed water incredibly well. She turned the shower off, towel dried her hair and shouted through the door.

“Heeeeeyyyy! Would it kill someone to treat their ill prisoner with some compassion and bring her a set of clothes?” She could hear the sound of angry footsteps drawing closer just outside the door. She jumped back as the door missed her by inches. A fresh set of clothes smothered her in the face.

“No socks? Not that I really need them I guess.”

“I will personally do the next set of blood draws if you keep complaining. You’re going to wear what you’re given with no complaints,” the woman from before barked.

“What about a b–”

Lacia was interrupted by a stare from hell. “You have five minutes. Knock when you’re finished.”

Lacia abruptly changed into her new clothes. Them being a perfect fit was not reassuring in the slightest. The mysterious man must’ve taken all of her measurements while she was asleep. She shuddered at the thought. “Creepy…”

She walked over to the door and knocked twice, signaling she had finished. The woman looked her up and down like a hawk examining its prey. “Hands,” she said.

Confused, she awkwardly held her hands out only to have them bound with extra rope on the end for a makeshift leash. "Oh, this should be real exciting," she thought to herself sarcastically.

After what seemed like ages, they finally stopped in front of a door. The number 9 and a name tag were posted in a laminated sleeve on the side of the wall. The smell of cold tile and disinfectant slammed into Lacia as the door opened wide. She wondered how many times she would have to suffer the stench of disinfectants and bleach while she was here.

The woman pulled her into the room and motioned to the bed as if to say “sit”. Lacia did as instructed and immediately found herself in love with how soft the bed was. She closed her eyes for a moment and nearly fell asleep, but the cold air felt like a blast of ice, keeping her conscious enough. 

"Socks of some sort would be nice,"" she thought. It didn’t matter if they were ankle socks or footed tights. She just wanted something to combat the cold, but why was it so cold? “You’d think someone was trying to create one giant refrigerator. I am literally going to freeze to death in here.”

The woman approached the bed after having noisily rummaged through a locked cabinet. In her hand was a thin, metallic armband. An LED screen flickered to life. On the screen was her name, room number, and a string of numbers. Some kind of patient-number thing?

“Hold out your arm,” the woman demanded.

Hesitant to be a Guinea Pig for some other odd experiment, Lacia kept her arms in her lap. She was determined to win this game of chicken, but something in the back of her mind told her that was a bad idea.

A hand connected with Lacia's cheek leaving a sweltering red handprint. The sound must have echoed through the entire building. Too stunned to react, the woman snatched her arm as the armband promptly conformed to her wrist. A small beep emanated from the device, as if registering her biomarkers. Instead of a long string of numbers, the band read: Guest No. 9 – Secure.

“What is this thing and why did you put it on me?” Lacia demanded, staring at her new armband. "Not very flashy," she mumbled.

Just as the throbbing pain from the first slap had begun to ease, a new handprint smirked proudly across Lacia's other cheek. It was going to be a long night. Or day. Whatever the hell it was anymore. “You are a nuisance and I’m tired of dealing with you already. I wish I were assigned to one of the other subjects,” the woman stated. “I don’t see why you’re so special, truthfully.”

“Yeah, well, the feeling’s mutual,” Lacia smarted, rubbing her other cheek. “I’m sure you guys get an absolute kick out of holding me captive and treating me like some research subject.” The woman raised her hand again, ready to strike.

“I swear to god if you hit me one more time, it won’t be me who’s stuck in a room with nowhere to go,” Lacia warned.

The woman sneered. “Is that so? Well, I think you need to learn some manners and proper etiquette.” She returned to the cabinet where the armband had been retrieved from. This time, instead of another armband, a syringe glared back at her, the needle a menacing foe. “I’ll give you five seconds to take back what you just said,” the woman remarked.

“And I’ll give you five seconds to put that syringe back. I am not having whatever that might be put into my body. You people are absolutely insane, so I–” Lacia was caught off guard by how fast one person could move the length of a room. A small pinch shot through her shoulder. “What was in there?” Lacia fixed her gaze on the emptied contents of the syringe.

“Feel free to hate me for these. It makes no difference,” the woman said in a lofty voice. “My name is Cherri and I’m going to make sure you learn to hate my visits.”

“What are you? My registered nurse or something?” Lacia fired back.

“Perhaps, though I don’t think that term is all-encompassing enough,” Cherri bragged.

It took less than a minute for the contents of the syringe to kick in. Lacia's eyes grew as heavy as boulders. She fell back onto the bed, her legs still draped over the side.

“Oh, look at you. Can’t even keep your eyes open anymore. Well, I suppose this is goodnight for now, then.”

“I…” Lacia tried to retort back, but found herself rapidly losing consciousness. A minute later, she was sound asleep on the bed as the door sealed shut behind Cherri.

“I don’t even get paid to do this,” she mumbled. “Ungratefuls…”

A small click pierced the silence of the hallway as the door to Lacia’s room locked. It seemed sleep was going to be a highly welcomed commodity for a while.

Brendan had suggested they visit a friend of his who lived along the way. The car ride was long and grueling. A section of the highway they planned to take was washed out by a freak rainstorm which forced them to detour through long, windy roads. To make matters worse, Mana was easy to make carsick and the windy roads were a disaster in the making which forced Brendan to drive even further out of the way so she could rest somewhere. Unfortunately, they got lost trying to find the highway again after she'd recovered, only causing further delays. She knew the delay was partially her fault, but she couldn’t help getting carsick. 

Somehow it had taken an impossible two whole days to reach their destination; a small port town at the southern tip of the country. The town looked like a great hideaway for thieves and pirates, considering its proximity to the ocean, but there wasn’t another soul around. Seagulls wailed overhead, drowned out by the occasional crash of a wave against the shoreline. Had the town looked any more like a scene straight out of a pirate movie, Mana probably would have stayed in the car and locked the doors… if Brendan hadn’t dragged her out of the car once they arrived. She vowed to handcuff herself to the car door next time.

“So who is this ‘friend’ you’re looking for?” Mana asked. “I mean, how are they going to help us get Lacia back?”

“His name is Licht. He’s not only an excellent Cartographer, he knows the seas like the back of his hand,” Brendan replied.

“But Lacia is in the middle of the ocean, right? From what you can tell. Not the sea.”  Clearly she'd seen one too many pirate movies.

Brendan rolled his eyes, smiling. She was being genuine which was pretty cute. The last couple weeks had been nothing but insanity, so Mana’s lack of terminology was a welcome reprieve. “I should warn you, though, he’s had more than a few run-ins with the law. Specifically, he really likes to drink and cause a ruckus.”

“Oh, great. Just what I need. An alcoholic who loves to make noise. My two favorite kinds of people,” Mana replied rhetorically.

An old bar stood on the outskirts, hugged by willow trees that called the town home; a likely popular place long ago. Brendan walked inside without hesitation and to Mana’s own dismay, she followed him in. The greyed floorboards displayed their age well and every step could have been the one to find a rotten board somewhere. Old chairs and tables were neatly aligned, almost as if someone had been keeping up with the place, even after its better days had long since come and gone. Amber tinted glasses lined wooden shelves behind the bar. The faint smell of rum wafted through the air.

“Brendan!” Mana whispered. “There, on the corner of the bar, what is that?”

Folded into a neat square was an old paper napkin. Brendan walked over, careful not to tear it. The bar underneath was free from dust, indicating it had been there a while. The front of the napkin was addressed to him.

“I knew you’d come looking eventually, my friend. If you’re reading this note, that means I’m currently out. If this note is more than 2 weeks old, I just forgot to remove it and I’m probably downstairs napping or at the docks on the southern end of town trying to catch my next meal.” --Licht

“Considering how clean the bar was underneath the napkin, he’s at the docks like the note said,” Brendan concluded. “Let’s go.”

“Ok, but I’m not eating raw fish for dinner. I still have road snacks, I think…” Mana rummaged around in her bag. “Dammit…”

“Fish it is!”

Licht was exactly where he said he would be. He was skinny for being in his mid twenties, but his mass of facial hair really helped sell the look. His clothes were dirty and torn, about what Mana figured they'd look like considering this guy lived underneath a bar.

“Licht,” Brendan called out, waving a hand.

He was seated at the foot of the dock, makeshift fishing pole in-hand. He set the rod down as Brendan approached. “How are you, my friend?” he asked. “How long has it been now?”

Brendan nodded. “I,” he paused, bringing Mana into the conversation. “We’re doing pretty good, despite everything that has gone on lately." He motioned to Mana who was analyzing her reflection in the water.

“Huh? Oh,” she mumbled, embarrassed they caught her admiring herself. “Um, let me introduce myself. My name is Mana, it’s nice to meet you.”

Licht grinned. “A fine young woman, Brendan, and she has excellent manners. Quite the catch!”

Mana turned bright red. “Oh, um, we’re not like that, sorry. I don’t think I–”

“Anyways,” Brendan interjected, wanting to avoid discussion about his bold moment in front of Lacia, "we have a problem, actually, and need your expertise. You know every ship and boat that sail these waters. Have there been any that you didn’t recognize as of late?”

Licht paused for a moment, thinking. “Not that I can think of, however, I think I might have something you’d find interesting,” he replied. “Here.” He handed a small, sky-blue ribbon to Mana. It was fairly stiff and smelled of salt. The color had also begun to fade.

“This isn't something that washes up on my shores all the time. When I found it, there was still a hair attached to it,” he explained. “Actually, it was semi-tied around the ribbon. Definitely a strand from someone with long hair.”

Mana clutched the ribbon between her hands. “Our friend was taken from us a couple weeks ago and we don’t know who took her or where they went, but she means the world to me. I’m her best friend and I let her down,” she said, fighting back tears. “This ribbon is hers. She wore it the night she was taken.”

Brendan spoke up. “Licht, will you come with us? We really need your knowledge of the waters around here and your cartography skills. You know the waters and islands better than we do.”

“Yeah, I suppose this little sea town doesn’t have much left for me anyways. Helping you two out would be the least I could do,” Licht replied.

“I can still trace her magic, but it’s been growing fainter by the day. We stopped here because you were along the way…” Brendan trailed off.

Perhaps it was just the sound of the waves, but he could have sworn he felt a small shake. There weren't any signs of structural damage nor was there any visible shaking. However, it was eerily still.

“Brendan, we should get going. Something isn’t right. I can’t explain it, but I think we need to go,” Mana said, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot.

“I can’t argue with that, after all we’ve been through lately,” he said in agreement.

“Hold on a second you two,” Licht said. “I have this little radio here. If the misses said she felt something wasn't right, then…” Zzzzt. A small, hand-cranked radio crackled to life.

“...Warning… All… Evacuate…” the radio fell silent almost immediately, but it was enough. Mana glanced at Brendan, then Licht. From what she could glean, they needed to move.

A large flock of seagulls scattered from the docks and water as the willow trees began to sway. The wind was light and variable, but the trees looked as if they were being blown around by a powerful gust. White caps began to form on the surface of the water before everything fell completely still. “Get off the docks. Now!” Mana yelled, as she bolted for the shoreline.

The trees began to violently sway as Brendan and Licht dove for the shoreline, the docks crumbling into the water.

“Brace yourselves,” Mana shouted. The words barely left her mouth before the ground erupted into a chaotic frenzy of shaking and rolling. The town was leveled in an instant. Mana struggled to regain her balance, but the ground moved like waves on the ocean, hindering her every move. Willow trees began to uproot one by one as a large trunk narrowly avoided the car.

“This isn’t a normal earthquake,” Mana thought. “We’re going to have literal minutes to get the hell out of here once this stops.”

Similarly, Brendan and Licht were also pinned down by the shaking as another large willow tree crashed to the ground, missing the two boys by mere inches. They were lucky to get off with just a few scratches.

After several excruciatingly-long minutes, the shaking came to a stop. Mana bolted for the car as Brendan and Licht quickly followed suit. Even though the shaking had stopped, the danger was far from over as the three continued their olympic sprint.

“We need to get ahead of the tsunami or find the highest ground possible, immediately,” Mana declared. No one argued.

“The land around here is as flat as flat gets, you won’t find high ground,” Licht said in response.

“Which means drive. Everyone, in the car,” Brendan exclaimed. The water had already begun to recede.

Mana was already way ahead of him. She slammed her foot on the gas pedal, forgetting the concept of roads entirely. The ride would be anything but pleasant, but being washed out to sea didn't sound like a great alternative. 

“Thank god Ryan found the one car with four-wheel drive and off-road capabilities,” she said, her hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. “If we make it, I swear I’m never visiting another shanty town in my life.”

The tsunami leveled everything. Trees were uprooted, entire interstate highways were washed out, and debris was strewn across the land; some piles now resting atop any remaining trees.

Whether it was a survival instinct or not, Mana thanked her lucky stars they were all alive. She commended her veteran racing game skills as she wove in and out of trees and barreled down dirt roads. If she had lost even a second, it would have been game over. By the time the wave caught up, they were well inland, several miles worth. The screech if twisting metal around trees and light posts haunted her mind like nails on a chalkboard. Water was already lapping at the tires before they even hit the highway. As soon as the tires hit the pavement she floored it. Brendan and Licht held each other in the backseat, terrified by both the water and Mana's driving.

The water encroached from all sides, waves splashing onto the road. After making certain they were safe, Mana stopped the car and looked out over what was once dry land. The trio watched as the highway crumbled and dissolved behind them. 

“If anyone asked me what the difference between a bomb and a tsunami was in terms of damage, I don’t think I could answer them,” Mana said in awe. She pulled her phone from her shoulder bag, hoping for some kind of signal… and she got one. Every news outlet was in ready-alert mode, covering the destruction of the earthquake and tsunami combo. A drone feed portrayed the reality of the situation, water so full of debris Mana thought she might be able to walk on water.

“Are you guys watching thi–” She jumped. Brendan and Licht were peering over her shoulder, eyes affixed to the screen. “Ok– New rule. No eerily peering over my shoulder without my permission,” she scolded.

“My bad,” Brendan apologized. “But yeah, I can’t believe it. Where is this?”

“The broadcast says it’s out of West Cove. That’s about 250 miles from Azalea if you drive diagonally southwest across the country,” she explained.

“We’re approximately fifteen minutes north of Oldbreak,” Brendan piped up. “I was watching the odometer. The ride was a bit scary with the road collapsing around us and all, you know.”

A map appeared on-screen. Estimates on the loss of life, property damage, and land lost continued to climb. The current estimates sat at hundreds dead, trillions done in damage, and roughly ten percent of the country’s land mass lost. The scene quickly changed to more breaking news: "Mystery illness strikes town of Azalea."

A look of confusion spread across Mana’s face. The headline was all-too-familiar, but she didn’t understand why the story had changed. Two weeks ago it was about a cloud of radiation, but today it was about a mystery illness? Hell, there was even a live-feed. Mana saw for herself the failing structure of the plant. Something didn't add up, though. Unless she was remembering something else entirely, the cracks in the concrete didn't look all-too-fresh and the fence that surrounded the site was rusted over and full of holes. To top things off, she never saw any vehicles enter or exit the site. If the plant was still in operation and there was a leak, there would be a massive emergency response.

“So what the hell?” she mumbled. “None of this actually makes any sense.”

A news anchor broke in: “Officials are confirming positive tests of a mystery illness in Azalea. I'm being told a pair of sailors initially tested for a unknown illness as well."

“Hey, are you hearing this? This was going on the same day the school was letting us out, when you met Lacia and I. Brendan?"

“You might actually want to see this first, little miss,” Licht answered.

Brendan was staring straight ahead, gaze locked on the horizon. At first, Mana thought they were pulling some kind of joke on her, but a minute later, her eyes spotted something. Through her peripherals, she was barely able to make out a "crack" in the sky, shimmering as it grew across the empty blue plane.

“Let me make this even weirder since I guess there’s no limit now,” Mana said slowly. “Brendan, you remember that supposed cloud of radiation that was set to sweep Azalea, right? Well, the plant looks like it’s been shut down for years, the fence was completely rusted and full of holes, and there wasn’t a single emergency vehicle on-site at all.”

“If you’re saying something doesn’t add up, I agree." The expression on Mana's face told him there was more. "What else?"

“The same day we met, there were two fishing vessels that had washed up in the center of town. The fishermen had some mystery illness and they had samples taken for testing,” she took a deep breath. “Now here’s the weird part. They’re saying the radiation cloud is now apparently some mystery illness, but there’s no mention of the radiation anymore. And,” she paused, "the illness spreading through town is the same thing the fishermen had, supposedly.”

Brendan ran his hands through his hair. “Licht, you get all that? I know it’s a lot to take in.”

He nodded, attention still focused on the ever-growing cracks in the sky. “Well, it sure sounds like your little group got mixed up in some pretty wild stuff.”

“You know, you don’t have to keep using that accent. There wasn’t even anybody left in town when we got there, so it's not like anyone was listening. Besides,” Brendan added, “it really doesn’t suit that massive brain of yours.”

“Eh, I suppose you have a point. On that note, I don’t suppose you have a razor? I haven’t been able to shave this hermit-beard in ages.”

“I don’t actually have a use for one, so, no.”

“Where’s the nearest town from here, Licht?” Mana interjected. 

He stood in silence for a moment. “Technically Oldbreak, but Seria is one of the most popular hubs on the east coast. It would have more accommodations."

“Great, I’m famished, you need to shave and I’m sure Brendan could use some time to try and focus on Lacia,” Mana said immediately after.

The sun had begun to set in the western sky and Mana didn’t want to arrive in a city that was probably already filling with refugees while it was dark. It was sure to be crawling with refugees, but the group would have to make do.

“I’m leaving with or without you guys, so come on,” she shouted, already climbing into the car. Brendan and Licht scrambled into the back.

The flood water faded into the distance as Mana drove on. She was happy to add an additional member to the group, but she doubled down on her quest to find Lacia.

“We’re doing everything we can to find you, I promise.”

An eerie voice suddenly spoke in her mind. It was soft and sweet, but it was straight and to the point.

“What would you sacrifice to bring her back?”

She looked around to see if maybe the boys were teasing her, but they were deep in conversation in the backseat. She quickly glanced at the radio. Off. Similarly, her phone was set to silent.

“Am I losing my mind?” she mumbled.

The voice came again, this time more forceful and much more specific.

“What would you sacrifice to bring your friend back? Will you leave her?” the voice interrogated. “What if you could wish her back? Wish all of this to be over... “

“Yeah… if only I could just ‘wish her back’. I would have done that by now if it were that easy,” she said under her breath in reply.

“Under a bed of water I lay in waiting. I can be seen twice a day. Find what you cherish most and unlock the door to the grand maze,” it riddled as it faded away. 

Convoluted riddles. Just what she needed.