Loren took the streets she remembered, trying to ignore the things that looked different.
"Right on the third street," she said to herself. But something didn't feel right. She stopped and looked around. She didn't recognize anything. On impulse she went to the next street before turning right. That felt better.
Strangly enough, she made it to the mall. She staggered in awe. The mall was a lot different than it used to be. She walked slowly through the center of the mall with all the little booths, and then she saw him. He was with a girl. There were two other boys and another girl standing near them.
Loren walked slowly towards them. One of the other boys said something and they started to walk away. Loren stopped.
NO!, she shouted.
She started following them. She thought she'd just follow them to wherever they were going. But after a while, they got really quiet. She realized they were suspicious of her. She ran towards them. As she came near, they turned to look at her. That's when Tobias saw her. She stopped and stood, as if to say,
"Here I am."
Tobias threw his arms around her. No one else knew what was going on. Loren was very young. They saw Tobias hugging and crying over a small young woman.
"Tobias?" Rachel said, "Who......is this?"
Tobias pulled away from Loren.
"This is Loren. My mother."
The others had nothing to say.
"We're going to Cassie's barn. You can come with us." Marco, Cassie and Rachel looked shocked. Jake stepped forward.
"How did you get here?"
Loren needed a moment to organize her thoughts.
"Joshua brought me."
"Who's Joshua?"
Again, Loren hesitated. It was just as new to her as it was to them.
"The Ellimist's brother."
Jake looked back to the others. They had nothing to offer.
"Let's go to Cassie's barn. Maybe you can explain further once we get there?"
"Yeah."
Each had their own suspicions because of Loren's incessant hesitation.
"Right on the third street," she said to herself. But something didn't feel right. She stopped and looked around. She didn't recognize anything. On impulse she went to the next street before turning right. That felt better.
Strangly enough, she made it to the mall. She staggered in awe. The mall was a lot different than it used to be. She walked slowly through the center of the mall with all the little booths, and then she saw him. He was with a girl. There were two other boys and another girl standing near them.
Loren walked slowly towards them. One of the other boys said something and they started to walk away. Loren stopped.
NO!, she shouted.
She started following them. She thought she'd just follow them to wherever they were going. But after a while, they got really quiet. She realized they were suspicious of her. She ran towards them. As she came near, they turned to look at her. That's when Tobias saw her. She stopped and stood, as if to say,
"Here I am."
Tobias threw his arms around her. No one else knew what was going on. Loren was very young. They saw Tobias hugging and crying over a small young woman.
"Tobias?" Rachel said, "Who......is this?"
Tobias pulled away from Loren.
"This is Loren. My mother."
The others had nothing to say.
"We're going to Cassie's barn. You can come with us." Marco, Cassie and Rachel looked shocked. Jake stepped forward.
"How did you get here?"
Loren needed a moment to organize her thoughts.
"Joshua brought me."
"Who's Joshua?"
Again, Loren hesitated. It was just as new to her as it was to them.
"The Ellimist's brother."
Jake looked back to the others. They had nothing to offer.
"Let's go to Cassie's barn. Maybe you can explain further once we get there?"
"Yeah."
Each had their own suspicions because of Loren's incessant hesitation.