CHAPTER THREE
I am lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. I can see the moonlight reflecting off the walls of my bedroom. It's the middle of the night, and yet, I am wide awake. I can hear the sound of the wind blowing, tickling the leaves that are still left in the trees. Every once in a while, I can see a leaf detach itself from its branch and slowly dance downward, swinging left to right, until it finally falls on the bed of dead leaves below.
Suddenly, I hear a faint whimper originating from the bedroom next to mine… a melancholic sound that's become much too familiar: my dad, calling out my mother's name. He's having another nightmare about her tragic death.
"Adalind… no… Adalind…" I hear.
My heart contracts in my chest until the pain is almost unbearable. I can feel my father's sorrow as though it is mine… because it is. I lost my mother. I can't remember the soothing sound of her voice, nor the comforting warmth of her arms wrapped around me. I never got the chance to tell her how much I love her. Because she was taken from me. I was robbed of all the loving memories a child should be able to cherish of his mother.
I get up from my bed, put on my sneakers, and walk out into the hall. As I pass by my father's bedroom door, I hear the sheets rustling. He's tossing and turning in his bed, probably fighting Zerstörer in his sleep; trying to defeat him and make things right… or turn back time… and bring my mother back. I lower my head as the tears start stinging my eyes. I take a deep breath, lift my head back up, and continue walking down the hall. I am about to reach the staircase when I hear the floor creak on my left. I turn around and find my sister standing by her bedroom door.
"Diana, what are you doing up?" I whisper.
She looks at me, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Really?" she replies. "We're both up for the same reason" she continues, quietly closing her bedroom door and ushering me towards the stairs.
When we reach the main floor, she grabs both of our jackets, hands me mine, and puts hers on. She then heads for the door as I follow her out.
"Dad's having another nightmare" she says once we are both outside. "Is it me or has it been happening more frequently?"
"Yeah, I hear him almost every night" I reply.
"We have to do something… it's tearing me up to know he's reliving the same terrifying dream over and over again."
"I know… I can't imagine what it's like for him to see Mom dying every time he closes his eyes."
"I can" my sister murmurs, her eyes staring into the distance.
"Diana…"
"I was there… I saw that monster kill our mother…" she continues, her voice thick with sorrow. "Sometimes I wish he would've killed me too."
"Don't say that… I can't conceive my life without you" I tell her as I grab her hand.
"Kelly, I love you. You and Dad mean everything to me. But Mom… she was my world. She was dad's entire universe."
"Yes… she is."
She pauses for a moment and stares at me. Her blue irises turn purple, glowing into the night, before they turn back to normal a few seconds later.
"What did you just say?" she asks.
"I'm agreeing with you; Mom is Dad's universe."
"Why are you using present tense?"
I remain quiet for a moment, pondering whether or not I should share my belief with my sister. We have both seen strange things, encountered horrifying beings scary movies are made of. But perhaps the existence of a world parallel to ours would be too much of a stretch for her to believe. Or would it?
"I believe Mom is still alive."
"What?"
"In the other place."
"Kelly…"
"Just listen; what if she's still out there? Continuously mourning the loss of her children and the man she loved more than anything? You told me Zerstörer offered to give everyone Dad loved back to him, to bring them all back to life. What if they never actually died? What if it was all a trick to force Dad into surrendering the stick?"
"Kelly, I want nothing more than to believe your theory. But if you're right, that would mean Mom is all by herself… it would mean she's been alone for all these years. At least we've had each other."
"She's not by herself. All the others are alive too."
"You mean Dad's friends?"
I nod my head in response.
"And my biological father…" she whispers.
"They are all out there, every single one of them. And they all think we're the ones who are dead."
"You really believe that?" she asks, a hint of hope in her voice.
"I do. Diana… there's something else I haven't told you."
She looks at me, waiting for me to reveal the other secret I've been withholding from her. It was my intention to keep this one to myself, but I now realize I could definitely use Diana's help. After all, she has powers… powers that could very well help us find our mother.
"I've made contact with the other place."
"What? How?" she asks, her eyes widened in shock.
"You know that big oak tree by the edge of the woods? I saw someone there the other day."
"Who?"
"There was a girl."
"Did she see you?"
"No, she couldn't."
"Why not? Were you hiding from her?"
"No, she couldn't see me because she wasn't actually there."
"You mean you had a vision?"
"No, she was definitely real."
"Kelly, you're not making any sense."
"Look, I know this is gonna sound crazy… but she was inside the tree. I think it acts as a portal between the two worlds… between here and the other place."
Diana silently stares at me. She probably thinks I'm crazy.
"I wrote a letter and left it by the tree" I continue. "I went back today and it was gone… I believe the girl found it."
"Oh my God" Diana breathes. "She found a way through… but how? Unless…" she murmurs to herself.
"Wait, you actually believe me? You don't think I've lost my mind?"
"Yes" she tells me. "I mean no, I don't think you're insane. There was a portal; I went through it all those years ago. But after Mom died… I mean, after Dad defeated Zerstörer, the portal disappeared."
"Do you think it's back?"
"It must be… but not everyone can go through."
"How so?" I ask.
"You need a special power to open the portal."
"What kind of power?"
"Only a Hexenbiest can open the way to the other side."
"How did you manage to go through? You're not a Hexenbiest" I tell her.
"No, but I have Mom's blood coursing through my veins."
I nod in agreement, and then freeze when I realize the same is also true for me.
"So you're saying I actually did open the portal? Because I too have Hexenbiest blood inside of me?"
"That… or whoever opened the portal and took your letter is…"
"A Hexenbiest" I finish for her.