Hey guys! I loved the book series, so I thought I'd try my hand at continuing it, but with different main characters.

Any and all non-OC characters, including the world the story is set in, belong to Brandon Mull and his publisher.

Hope you enjoy!

I turned my iPod almost to the max, trying to drown out the 50's music Dad was blaring from the radio. My twin brother, Taixek(Author's Note: Pronounced Tye-ZEK), was listening to his own iPod and playing his video games, occasionally shouting at his DS. Taixek was an odd guy, dyeing his hair a different color every week. This time, it was an ever-so-natural cerulean blue, which he thought went well with his favorite green T-shirt.

He broke out of his technology-induced stupor to check his new digital watch, a birthday gift from Mom. "We've been on the road for several hours. Are we almost there?"

"Tai, quit whining." My best friend Kara piped up. "We're bored too." With a toss of her chin-length auburn hair, she resumed day-dreaming and staring out the window.

Mom sighed. "Almost, Taixek. Hang in there."

I sighed, leaning my head against the window and looking out. Grandma and Grandpa had invited us to stay at their house in Colorado, my parents couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend some "alone" time together. When Kara's parents heard about this, they asked for Kara to come as well. I wasn't complaining. I didn't want to spend the next month with my brother for company, even though my two cousins, Seth and Kendra, would be there. I hardly knew them.

Dad took a turnoff onto an old, bumpy dirt road, where we passed many signs saying things like "TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT" and "TURN BACK".

I felt a little stone of fear settling into the pit of my stomach.

"Alright, kids, unplug." Dad said as he pulled through the gate. "We're here."

"About time!" Taixek said, ripping his ear buds from his ears and jumping out of the car. "I was actually getting BORED with my game."

"Dear God, not that!" Kara teased, taking one ear bud out of one ear so she could still listen to music.

"Hey, guys!" A boy, about thirteen or fourteen, jogged out of the forest, waving, a black Labrador puppy at his heels.

"This can't be Seth!" Mom gasped. "You've gotten so big!" She swept him up into a big hug, ruffling his brunette hair.

The boy, apparently Seth, just smiled and shrugged, then turned to us. "Hey." He said, looking at us and studying our faces.

"Hi." I said, extending my hand to shake. "I'm Neera."

"Taixek." My brother said, pulling his suitcase from the car.

"I'm Kara. Her friend." Kara pointed at me, then helped Taixek get his bag out so she could get hers.

"Awesome." I saw something flash in his eyes, but it was too quick for me to recognize as anything.

Dad took my suitcase out. "Alright, kids, have fun." He said as Mom got back in the car. "We'll be back for you in a month!"

"Yaaay." Taixek said, lugging his suitcase to the two-story house.

A girl came out of the house, a small parakeet on her shoulder. "Hey." She said. "I'm Kendra."

We introduced ourselves again, and entered the house.

An older lady came into the front room from the kitchen, and smiled. "Welcome!" she said. "You must be Neera and Taixek and…Kara? Is that it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Kara said politely. "I'm Neera's best friend."

"Good to have you, sweetie." She said. "I trust your journey here was alright?"

"Yeah. Kinda boring, but other than that." I shrugged.

"Good." She said. "Stan!"

An older man made his way down the stairs, who I assumed was my Grandpa. "Good to see you." He smiled. "Come with me, let me show you where you'll be staying." He led us up to a large playroom with two sets of bunk beds and a single bed. "You'll be staying with your cousins in this room."

"Top bunk. CALLED IT." I yelled, tossing my suitcase onto the top. Kara claimed the bottom bunk, leaving Taixek to reluctantly take the single bed, since the other set of bunk beds had clearly already been claimed.

"I'll leave you three to get settled in. You're free to play with anything, but keep it clean." Grandpa said, and he closed the door.

I climbed up to my top bunk and looked around. "It looks nice." I commented.

"Yeah." Taixek said, falling onto his bed. "But it's mainly kiddie stuff."

"Well, durr." Kara said. "It's a playroom."

Taixek got up and went over to study a painting of a beautiful pond with an island in the middle. "Wonder who painted this."

"I dunno. Some artist that never got their career launched?" I said with a shrug, jumping down from my bunk and opening the window. "Wow, it's beautiful." Beyond the yard, there was a forest that stretched for miles. Taixek and Kara crowded around me, looking.

"It is." Kara agreed.

"Well, I'd say we were settled in." Taixek said. "Shall we go downstairs to see what other horrors await us?"

"Cheerful as always, Tai." I rolled my eyes. "And I wouldn't exactly consider this room a horror."

"My sheets are PINK!" Taixek said indignantly. "No man sleeps on pink sheets!"

"Good thing you're no man then." I said, opening the door and rushing down the stairs before he could reply and hurt me.