This World

That evening.

Frankie and Katie hadn’t gone too far before their muscles seized up and they needed somewhere to rest. It felt good to be out of their armor, especially for Katie- but getting back into the exploratory grind was going to take some time before they could pull something like a Kidneyland again.

Frankie was already on her phone- had been for the past two and a half hours- so it wasn’t hard for her to stop and check where the closest room was. Didn’t even need to be cheap, with how little they actually spent during their time in the fair and how much Lord D had given them.

It was close- but not too close. Seeing the walking that awaited them as the sun was still setting, the two both knew what they wanted. 

Katie sat herself on the grassy hill overlooking a small park, holding her legs and admiring the cream-soda sky before her sister sat next to her.

“What a day, huh?”

Katie was still unusually quiet. But maybe unusual was the wrong word- Frankie had seen this side of her many times now. It too had become another part of the sister she loved.

“Whatcha thinking about?”

“Wolf.” She coldly uttered.

“Oh.” Nodded Frankie. “Guy was a piece of work, yeah. Good riddance.”

“He was the worst… but what bugs me most of all was how easily he gave up. What kind of person trashes their own dream like that?” Katie looked quite genuinely upset by the prospect.

“More like, what made him trash it. What do you think he saw on that computer screen?”

“I dunno, but if some report on the internet is all it takes for him to give up, he’s really pathetic.”

Frankie softly laughed. “Chill, Kate. We don’t have to worry about him now. It’s just us… and… what did you always call it, the Museworld?”

Katie kept quiet.

“…Never change.”

Frankie watched the orange sky slowly turn a pinkish purple as night drew closer.

“I think I’ve finally realized something, Katie.”

Katie didn’t answer, but she knew she was listening. Propping her lax body up by her palms behind her, Frankie considered it- really took it all into account- everything she’d experienced, and the future ahead of her-

And smiled.

“What… did you realize?” The quiet big sister finally asked.

“Stumbling upon… shutting down Wolf, just like that- saving so many people… coming across another Percy fan…” she giggled. “I don’t care if it’s hurt me and made me scared.”

Frankie took a breath.

“…This world is beautiful.”