Limbo

The air was still, but the sea was raging. Umi commented on it, though neither of the girls said anything. The roads were long, though, it almost felt like they weren’t quite long enough, with how tired they both were…

…And Katie was silent the entire ride.

“Okay, here you go. I know I said I liked this place as a kid, but… well, I just hope it holds up for you two.”

When they did arrive, she pushed down her excitement as much as she could manage, the feeling barely discernible from looming dread.

“Thank you so much for the ride.”

“Anytime, Frankie. I’ll see you two again sometime, okay? Later, Katie. Don’t let anything get you down.”

Nevertheless, the sour taste of inevitability lingered on her tongue as she tasted the woman’s words seconds after she’d left.

Frankie seized her hand.

“Okay. We doing alright?”

Katie nodded in compliance.

“I think this one’s gonna be fun.” She smiled. Katie wasn’t looking, so there was no telling if it was real or fake. “And if not… hey, it wasn’t a long drive. We haven’t wasted any time, you hear? Everything that’s happened today has lead to this. It was all necessary, and… well, hopefully, it’ll be worth it.”

Katie nodded, again.

“Come on, then.”

Those words had infected both their brains, repeating in Katie’s like a ringing gong. No matter how she tried to see it, she couldn’t help but imagine every step she took was one step closer to the final chapter of her existence.