Lost In Time Chapter 20:
Sophie sat on her chair, staring at emptiness. There was no hope. No second crystal. No nothing. No elves anywhere to be found. No Keefe, Tam, or Dex. She stood up, exasperated. She would spend the rest of her life in a century that she didn't even belong in. But that wasn't what made her upset. No, it was the fact that she was going to spend the rest of her life never seeing her elvin family again. Never being able to watch Princess Bride again. Never listening to her favorite songs again. Never having another deep conversation with Dex. Never being able to roll her eyes at Keefe and his stupid jokes. Never being able to open her heart up again, because after she finally admitted her feelings to herself, that boy is gone again. She thought he would come back, but it has been two weeks and there is no sign of them showing up. What happened?
"SOPHIE," Marella yelled, bursting into the room. "Sophie, Sophie, Sophie," she said over and over again. "What's wrong Marella, what's wrong?" she frantically said, running over to her. "They came back, but-" Marella couldn't finish her sentence before bursting into tears.
"Marella what are you saying, please speak up," Sophie said, her heart twisting and turning. What was Marella upset about?
Just then, Tam entered the room, followed by Luzia, Fitz, Wylie, and Linh, all wearing the same forlorn expression. "I can send you home." Luzia said with a timid smile. "Keefe and Dex did a wonderful job and stopped the Neverseen's giant plan. They were really sorry to have left without you," she said, glancing at Tam.
"Great, where are they?" Sophie asked, peering over their shoulder. But something hit her chest. Why did her friends look so sad?
Luzia looked at her, tears threatening to pour. "Sophie, they aren't-they won't-gone-I'm sorry," she said, turning away.
"What do you mean, I'm so confused, Tam what's… what's going on?"
Tam kept his eyes at the floor. "Keefe and Dex, they are gone Soph."
"Ow," was all Keefe could say when they woke up. THey were covered in multiple burns and scars from the fall. They both thought they were dead, but it wasn't the case. They were now just sitting, watching the whole hive burn. "We have just altered the future." Dex said, clutching his broken wrist. "Dude, this is so so so not good. We are in a burning building, no wait, a burning building for newborn trolls. And it's on the Vacker's property. And they might get arrested because the council will find out about it. And the trolls are getting destroyed too. And the Neverseen has escaped. And I don't know where Luzia and Tam are. AND-"
"Chill Dex, it's fine. Well it's not, but look. Luzia has the time crystal, we just have to wait for her," Keefe said, making Dex relax a little. "Speaking of, where are they?" Keefe went to stand up, but immediately crumbled. His legs were in bad shape.
"We need to get out" Dex yelled, pulling Keefe out of the way as a flaming piece of wood fell beside them. "Good thinking." Keefe mumbled as they sprinted, well more like hobbled, out of the hive.
They didn't know that Luzia and Tam had left them. They didn't know that they were considered dead. They didn't know they might never get back.
"You didn't check everywhere, there is no way Dex AND Keefe are… are… missing. Listen to me, they don't just, die, no no no," Sophie was pleading with Tam to go back and look for them, but they couldn't. "This is our only shot Sophie, we can't go back." Tam whispered, reaching out to hug her.
"No just stop," Sophie choked out, as her tears began to pour out. "You don't know Keefe like I do, he would've made it. He couldn't have died." She tried to come up with reasons why Keefe would still be alive. But it was no use. Luzia and Tam swore they saw the bodies. They escaped just before the hive collapsed. The Neverseen had still escaped though, and they needed to get back before the time crystal would be taken back from Luzia.
"Does Biana know?" Sophie asked, when she could finally get a word out. Luzia nodded. "She's in her room, and she's requested that no one visits her." Sophie shook her head. "I have to talk to her," she whispered, getting up to leave. When Linh and Marella went to go with her, Sophie shook her head no. When Biana requested to not see anyone, that meant she was really upset, and only Dex could calm her. But Dex was dead. Along with Keefe. And Sophie didn't know which was worse.
"Biana?" she whispered into the dark room. "I'm here," a timid voice called out. Biana lit up a single candle, and motioned Sophie to sit next to her on the bed. "I just want to say, I'm sorry I-" Biana cut her off. "Don't talk just yet Sophie. You always talk yourself through things. You need to feel Sophie. I'm not the only one hurt."
Sophie looked away. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. Her instinct was to forget about her problems, and help Biana. No one had ever refused Sophie's help. Sophie pulled the covers over her. What did she feel? Someone had just told her Keefe had died, yet she didn't react. She didn't believe it. He would come back for her, wouldn't he? But why hadn't he?
It came crashing down like a wave. Keefe was gone. There was no reason as to why he wouldn't show up. Unless he couldn't. She didn't know how she felt it, she just did. Tears threatened to spill out her eyes, but she wouldn't let it. She had to be strong. For her team. She couldn't show any weakness.
A pair of arms surrounded her. "It's okay, Foster," she could hear Keefe speaking to her. "Let it out."
And she did. She cried and cried, wrapping herself in Biana's blankets. "I can't do this without you Keefe," Sophie cried out, a tiny part of her hoping he was real and that this was just a nightmare. She desperately clung to every memory she had with Dex and Keefe.
"Breathe, Sophie." Biana whispered, pulling her closer. "It's okay." Sophie wrapped her arms around Biana.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm going to be a mess for the rest of my life, I don't understand how you aren't panicking."
Biana laughed softly. "I already cried my guts out. My emotions are numb right now, but wait till tomorrow morning. When I realize I won't ever be able to wake up next to Dex again. I mean he was my match, Soph, we were meant to be, I-" now it was Biana's turn to cry.
The two girls stayed like that the rest of the night. Arms wrapped around each other, trying to hold the other together, while their hearts broke on the inside.
Author's Note: I'm sad now. Also fun fact: this story was supposed to only be 20 chapters, but it's definitely going to be more. Possibly another 3? 4? 5? Ya never know.