p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy eyebrows flew up toward my forehead as I stared up at the awe of the mansion in front of me. When Klaus described where he lived, I honestly thought he'd been lying, and in reality, he was camped out in a box under some bridge. But this… this house was filled with majesty and grandeur, far more than I was accustomed to associating with Klaus. It would have been honorable, even impressive, were it not for the way he acquired his wealth. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough I could hear a multitude of voices in the backyard, I chose to ring the doorbell, unsure of what I would find if I barged in through the gate. It took a few moments, but finally, a short man dressed in a blue kurta swung open one of the large doors, staring at me with confusion. Self-consciously, I stared down at my purple sweater and grey pants, realizing I stuck out like a sore thumb among the ranks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Welcome to the Temple of Destiny's Children!" the man greeted. I resisted the urge to snicker at the name, unsure of how Klaus would be able to explain his way out of that one when the 90s rolled around. "What has brought you to us today?" I remained silent for a moment, still gawking at the strange man in front of me, before I finally collected myself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Uh, I'm here to see Klaus?" I spoke like it was a question, unsure of whether or not they knew him by that name./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ah! You mean the Prophet." He seemed a little too enthusiastic at the mention of Klaus' name, causing me to take a step back. "Have you come to join us?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No, emno/em," I denied quickly. "I'm his sister, actually. I have to talk to him." The man cocked his head at me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The Prophet never mentioned having siblings." Still he let me in and led me through Klaus' mansion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPaintings of my brother hung all over the walls, admired by several individuals all donning the same baby blue, muttering prayers I couldn't hear. As I passed by one group, I noticed strange markings on their hands, and only then did it hit me they all had those same 'hello, goodbye' tattoos Klaus did. Once again, I had to hold back my laughter. Maybe it was because I'd known Klaus our whole lives, but I could never imagine listening to anything he said and thinking it was anywhere close to prayer or scripture. Not that we'd been a religious household to begin with. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOutside wasn't any less creepy. Klaus' disciples were multiplying by the second, crowding around to greet me with wide smiles and sayings that were a little too familiar./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"So, how does this whole thing work?" I inquired, imbibed with a morbid curiosity. "Like, is there some sort of prayer book Klaus has you guys memorize, or does he have morning rituals or something?" The man brightened up a little too quickly at the mere mention of anything involving Klaus./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We have his vedas and scriptures to follow. Those of us who followed him from the beginning pass them down to new followers of his teachings." With my interest piqued, I decided to inquire further./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What's his most famous teaching?" The man barely missed a beat./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"'Don't go chasing waterfalls. Stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to.'"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI couldn't help myself—I choked on my own saliva as I stopped dead in my tracks, trying my best to cover up the fact I'd begun to laugh at something he considered genuine life advice. Of all the places Klaus could take a phrase from, it had to be a "TLC" song. I didn't dare to think of what would happen when the time finally came around for that song to release, and these people heard the lyric sung. Part of me wanted to be there to see it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanTrying my best to recover, I stood up straighter and turned the laughs into coughs—a clichéd move, but it seemed to work on this guy. He resumed his joyful steps, leading me all the way back through the acres of land Klaus possessed, before finally bringing me to a set of gardens on what felt like the edge of the world. A few disciples of his were tending to trees of fruits and beds of flowers—the same ones I'd noticed scattered in the pool waters back when we first came outside—giving the air a lilting aroma that attempted to lure you in and make you stay there./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanKlaus was some sort of evil genius, somewhere deep under the surface…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"He's right over there. Come find any of us if you need anything else." Like that, he scampered away, retreating as though he hadn't even been there in the first place. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI shook my head as I noticed Klaus sitting in a bed of mulch, a girl I'd never seen wrapped around his waist. Hadn't he just been whining about and pining after Dave? How could he just switch so quickly like that? From what I understood, Klaus felt like Dave was the love of his life. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSlightly off put, I took large steps over a set of bushes and approached my brother and the girl, right as she leaned in and started to kiss him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yes, you are, Daddy," I heard her muse before she went right back to kissing him as aggressively as possible. Strangely, Klaus seemed to be pulling away and pushing her. The closer I got, I noticed something wasn't right about his posture and the way he protested. It didn't sound like Klaus talking… but that was ridiculous./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Hey, D…" I trailed off and shook my head. My intention had been to make fun of the nickname, but I just couldn't get the word to come out of my mouth, especially when it was directed toward one of my brothers. "Klaus. You got a sec?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAs he looked up at me, his eyes went wide as dinner plates, and he immediately pushed the girl away. He stared at me as though I was some foreign object, his hands beginning to tremble as he stood. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina!" He sounded as though his voice was about to break. What was wrong with him today? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy eyes briefly flicked down to the watch Five had given me, noticing time was running out a little faster than I would have liked. I hated to be harsh and short with Klaus, but I didn't have much of a choice at this rate./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Come on, we gotta go," I urged. Klaus fully moved the girl away from him and started to follow me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah. I'll be right back," he assured her before fully turning away. I flashed her an awkward smile and a wave, unsure of how exactly to react to all of this./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nice to meet you," I stated before quickly dashing after my brother, trying my best to just put all of that out of my head. "You need to come with me," I urged as we moved back through the line of trees./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Where?" I flinched slightly as a woman bowed a little too close to my feet, nearly tripping me, and muttered 'prophet' a couple of times./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Five found a way home." Rather than responding in a normal fashion, Klaus just started to giggle./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It's so great to talk to you again, Mina." I furrowed my brows and stared directly into his eyes, unsure of what was causing his change in demeanor and behavior./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Klaus, you literally saw me yesterday at dinner… and the day before that, we spent, like, four hours together." I focused a little closer on his pupils, the most likely possibility finally hitting me. "Are you high, Klaus?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No, I'm not Klaus." I laughed bitterly, stopping dead in my tracks shaking my head. He'd fallen right back off the wagon. It saddened me, more than anything else. "I'm Ben."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You emare/em high," I sighed. "You said Ben was always with you— and I knew he came through the portal after you started talking to no one last night, by the way—but you never mentioned anything about possession. That doesn't make any sense." I turned away and pulled on his arm. "I don't have time for this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can prove it!" Klaus insisted. "Ask me something only Ben would know."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIf it got him to keep moving and follow me back to the alley. I'd try anything at this point./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Fine, I'll bite." I cast my eyes behind him, as though I'd somehow be able to see Ben's ghost there. "But I'm whispering it so that if Ben is back there, he can't help you cheat."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI tapped my finger against my chin, trying to come up with something I could use. Klaus, Ben, and I had been together for so much of our childhood, it was hard to pinpoint an experience that involved only the latter of the two and I. Finally, a distant memory of a late-night birthday celebration came to mind, and I leaned in close./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What was engraved in the silver bookmark I gave you for our tenth birthday?" I leaned back and watched Klaus' face shift immediately, a sentimental, far-off smile on his style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"'We age, not by years, but by stories, - unknown.'"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI gasped, overwhelmed with tears as I stared into the eyes of the brother I'd missed for so many years. Everyone else had gone to bed when I gave Ben that gift, having nearly forgotten about it, and he never let it leave his sight for even a second. There was no earthly way Klaus could know that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy body froze for a moment, unsure of what to do, before I launched myself forward and pulled Ben into a hug, squeezing him as tightly as possible. Even though he was in Klaus' body, it still somehow felt like it was him. I wanted to apologize and to catch up on everything, but we had to get moving first. Still, I couldn't bear the thought of letting go, so I kept one arm around his waist as I pulled away./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How… and what… I mean, you're… Ben, I missed you so much," I sobbed, unable to control myself. "I don't understand… You know what? You can tell me all about it on the way back to 2019. Okay?" Immediately, Ben shifted into worry./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What about Destiny's Children? We can't just leave them," he pointed out. "Klaus should be the one to tell them—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, okay?" I interjected. "You know how much I love Klaus, but you need to stay in this body. We need someone responsible behind the wheel." However, Ben still resisted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"All right, Mina. Will you wait? I just need, like, ten minutes. Ten minutes." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"I turned to face him, my mind suddenly running. I didn't intend to see Lila, not after what Five said had fully worked its way through my system, but there were other things I needed to take care of before we left. My eyes darted down to the watch again. If I left right now, I'd be able to get everything done with ten minutes to spare. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWas I ready to face everything? Absolutely not. But I had to suck it up so I could leave it all behind. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Actually, there's a couple of things I need to do first." I reached out and squeezed Ben's shoulder, unwilling to leave his side but acknowledging it had to be done. "Meet me in the alley behind Elliott's in 30 minutes, okay? Don't be late."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I won't." Coming from Ben, I knew the word would be honored. Before I turned to leave, I reached out and hugged him again, knowing this couldn't last forever./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I love you so much, Ben," I whispered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I love you, too, Mina."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWith one last squeeze, I turned and ran back through the mansion, jump starting the car and driving away. I shouldn't have known the address I wanted to visit—hell, I shouldn't have been driving in that direction. I should have turned around and headed to Elliott's, but as I parked in front of the large house and turned the car off, I knew it was too late. I didn't have to hype myself up or force myself out of the car. A certain level of adrenaline pushed me all the way up to the door and lifted my hand to the knocker. Heels clicked behind the barrier, and I could hear the faint screaming and laughter of a baby./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLoose ends needed to be tied, otherwise the thread would unravel… not that it made much of a difference at this point./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy breath hitched in my throat as that pleasant, soft face stared back at me, some of her red curls falling in front of her face as she blinked. Neither of us spoke for a while, unsure of what to say, and I watched her face shift from shock, to anger, then to an overwhelming sadness./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina?" Her words came out garbled, and I watched as her hand reached out a bit, before violently retracting itself. I tried my best to force a smile, pushing down the hatred I felt, not for her, but for what had happened to us./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Hi, Helen."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThough I could hear a multitude of voices in the backyard, I chose to ring the doorbell, unsure of what I would find if I barged in through the gate. It took a few moments, but finally, a short man dressed in a blue kurta swung open one of the large doors, staring at me with confusion. Self-consciously, I stared down at my purple sweater and grey pants, realizing I stuck out like a sore thumb among the ranks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Welcome to the Temple of Destiny's Children!" the man greeted. I resisted the urge to snicker at the name, unsure of how Klaus would be able to explain his way out of that one when the 90s rolled around. "What has brought you to us today?" I remained silent for a moment, still gawking at the strange man in front of me, before I finally collected myself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Uh, I'm here to see Klaus?" I spoke like it was a question, unsure of whether or not they knew him by that name./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Ah! You mean the Prophet." He seemed a little too enthusiastic at the mention of Klaus' name, causing me to take a step back. "Have you come to join us?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No, emno/em," I denied quickly. "I'm his sister, actually. I have to talk to him." The man cocked his head at me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"The Prophet never mentioned having siblings." Still he let me in and led me through Klaus' mansion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanPaintings of my brother hung all over the walls, admired by several individuals all donning the same baby blue, muttering prayers I couldn't hear. As I passed by one group, I noticed strange markings on their hands, and only then did it hit me they all had those same 'hello, goodbye' tattoos Klaus did. Once again, I had to hold back my laughter. Maybe it was because I'd known Klaus our whole lives, but I could never imagine listening to anything he said and thinking it was anywhere close to prayer or scripture. Not that we'd been a religious household to begin with. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanOutside wasn't any less creepy. Klaus' disciples were multiplying by the second, crowding around to greet me with wide smiles and sayings that were a little too familiar./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"So, how does this whole thing work?" I inquired, imbibed with a morbid curiosity. "Like, is there some sort of prayer book Klaus has you guys memorize, or does he have morning rituals or something?" The man brightened up a little too quickly at the mere mention of anything involving Klaus./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"We have his vedas and scriptures to follow. Those of us who followed him from the beginning pass them down to new followers of his teachings." With my interest piqued, I decided to inquire further./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What's his most famous teaching?" The man barely missed a beat./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"'Don't go chasing waterfalls. Stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to.'"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI couldn't help myself—I choked on my own saliva as I stopped dead in my tracks, trying my best to cover up the fact I'd begun to laugh at something he considered genuine life advice. Of all the places Klaus could take a phrase from, it had to be a "TLC" song. I didn't dare to think of what would happen when the time finally came around for that song to release, and these people heard the lyric sung. Part of me wanted to be there to see it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanTrying my best to recover, I stood up straighter and turned the laughs into coughs—a clichéd move, but it seemed to work on this guy. He resumed his joyful steps, leading me all the way back through the acres of land Klaus possessed, before finally bringing me to a set of gardens on what felt like the edge of the world. A few disciples of his were tending to trees of fruits and beds of flowers—the same ones I'd noticed scattered in the pool waters back when we first came outside—giving the air a lilting aroma that attempted to lure you in and make you stay there./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanKlaus was some sort of evil genius, somewhere deep under the surface…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"He's right over there. Come find any of us if you need anything else." Like that, he scampered away, retreating as though he hadn't even been there in the first place. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI shook my head as I noticed Klaus sitting in a bed of mulch, a girl I'd never seen wrapped around his waist. Hadn't he just been whining about and pining after Dave? How could he just switch so quickly like that? From what I understood, Klaus felt like Dave was the love of his life. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanSlightly off put, I took large steps over a set of bushes and approached my brother and the girl, right as she leaned in and started to kiss him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yes, you are, Daddy," I heard her muse before she went right back to kissing him as aggressively as possible. Strangely, Klaus seemed to be pulling away and pushing her. The closer I got, I noticed something wasn't right about his posture and the way he protested. It didn't sound like Klaus talking… but that was ridiculous./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Hey, D…" I trailed off and shook my head. My intention had been to make fun of the nickname, but I just couldn't get the word to come out of my mouth, especially when it was directed toward one of my brothers. "Klaus. You got a sec?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAs he looked up at me, his eyes went wide as dinner plates, and he immediately pushed the girl away. He stared at me as though I was some foreign object, his hands beginning to tremble as he stood. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina!" He sounded as though his voice was about to break. What was wrong with him today? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy eyes briefly flicked down to the watch Five had given me, noticing time was running out a little faster than I would have liked. I hated to be harsh and short with Klaus, but I didn't have much of a choice at this rate./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Come on, we gotta go," I urged. Klaus fully moved the girl away from him and started to follow me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Yeah. I'll be right back," he assured her before fully turning away. I flashed her an awkward smile and a wave, unsure of how exactly to react to all of this./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Nice to meet you," I stated before quickly dashing after my brother, trying my best to just put all of that out of my head. "You need to come with me," I urged as we moved back through the line of trees./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Where?" I flinched slightly as a woman bowed a little too close to my feet, nearly tripping me, and muttered 'prophet' a couple of times./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Five found a way home." Rather than responding in a normal fashion, Klaus just started to giggle./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"It's so great to talk to you again, Mina." I furrowed my brows and stared directly into his eyes, unsure of what was causing his change in demeanor and behavior./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Klaus, you literally saw me yesterday at dinner… and the day before that, we spent, like, four hours together." I focused a little closer on his pupils, the most likely possibility finally hitting me. "Are you high, Klaus?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"No, I'm not Klaus." I laughed bitterly, stopping dead in my tracks shaking my head. He'd fallen right back off the wagon. It saddened me, more than anything else. "I'm Ben."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"You emare/em high," I sighed. "You said Ben was always with you— and I knew he came through the portal after you started talking to no one last night, by the way—but you never mentioned anything about possession. That doesn't make any sense." I turned away and pulled on his arm. "I don't have time for this."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I can prove it!" Klaus insisted. "Ask me something only Ben would know."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanIf it got him to keep moving and follow me back to the alley. I'd try anything at this point./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Fine, I'll bite." I cast my eyes behind him, as though I'd somehow be able to see Ben's ghost there. "But I'm whispering it so that if Ben is back there, he can't help you cheat."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI tapped my finger against my chin, trying to come up with something I could use. Klaus, Ben, and I had been together for so much of our childhood, it was hard to pinpoint an experience that involved only the latter of the two and I. Finally, a distant memory of a late-night birthday celebration came to mind, and I leaned in close./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What was engraved in the silver bookmark I gave you for our tenth birthday?" I leaned back and watched Klaus' face shift immediately, a sentimental, far-off smile on his style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"'We age, not by years, but by stories, - unknown.'"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI gasped, overwhelmed with tears as I stared into the eyes of the brother I'd missed for so many years. Everyone else had gone to bed when I gave Ben that gift, having nearly forgotten about it, and he never let it leave his sight for even a second. There was no earthly way Klaus could know that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy body froze for a moment, unsure of what to do, before I launched myself forward and pulled Ben into a hug, squeezing him as tightly as possible. Even though he was in Klaus' body, it still somehow felt like it was him. I wanted to apologize and to catch up on everything, but we had to get moving first. Still, I couldn't bear the thought of letting go, so I kept one arm around his waist as I pulled away./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"How… and what… I mean, you're… Ben, I missed you so much," I sobbed, unable to control myself. "I don't understand… You know what? You can tell me all about it on the way back to 2019. Okay?" Immediately, Ben shifted into worry./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"What about Destiny's Children? We can't just leave them," he pointed out. "Klaus should be the one to tell them—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, okay?" I interjected. "You know how much I love Klaus, but you need to stay in this body. We need someone responsible behind the wheel." However, Ben still resisted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"All right, Mina. Will you wait? I just need, like, ten minutes. Ten minutes." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"I turned to face him, my mind suddenly running. I didn't intend to see Lila, not after what Five said had fully worked its way through my system, but there were other things I needed to take care of before we left. My eyes darted down to the watch again. If I left right now, I'd be able to get everything done with ten minutes to spare. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWas I ready to face everything? Absolutely not. But I had to suck it up so I could leave it all behind. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Actually, there's a couple of things I need to do first." I reached out and squeezed Ben's shoulder, unwilling to leave his side but acknowledging it had to be done. "Meet me in the alley behind Elliott's in 30 minutes, okay? Don't be late."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I won't." Coming from Ben, I knew the word would be honored. Before I turned to leave, I reached out and hugged him again, knowing this couldn't last forever./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I love you so much, Ben," I whispered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"I love you, too, Mina."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanWith one last squeeze, I turned and ran back through the mansion, jump starting the car and driving away. I shouldn't have known the address I wanted to visit—hell, I shouldn't have been driving in that direction. I should have turned around and headed to Elliott's, but as I parked in front of the large house and turned the car off, I knew it was too late. I didn't have to hype myself up or force myself out of the car. A certain level of adrenaline pushed me all the way up to the door and lifted my hand to the knocker. Heels clicked behind the barrier, and I could hear the faint screaming and laughter of a baby./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanLoose ends needed to be tied, otherwise the thread would unravel… not that it made much of a difference at this point./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy breath hitched in my throat as that pleasant, soft face stared back at me, some of her red curls falling in front of her face as she blinked. Neither of us spoke for a while, unsure of what to say, and I watched her face shift from shock, to anger, then to an overwhelming sadness./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Mina?" Her words came out garbled, and I watched as her hand reached out a bit, before violently retracting itself. I tried my best to force a smile, pushing down the hatred I felt, not for her, but for what had happened to us./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /span"Hi, Helen."/span/p