No. 8 ; THE SIREN

I Heard a Rumor

Serena and Allison had successfully made it to the car, and were now driving to the address that Diego gave them in silence. The rain was hitting the windows, making it hard to see the road ahead, but Allison managed to drive them safely.

The sadness and distress that had a hold on Serena had turned into sheer determination. She was hellbent on finding Harold, so that they could save the world and her family could be safe. That's all she wanted.

The girl glanced to her right, where her sister was staring at the road in thought.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked, knowing that the situation was hard on everyone.

"Yeah," Allison breathed, appreciating her sister's concern. "I was just thinking about Claire."

"I bet she's wonderful, just like her mom," Serena said with a smile, but Allison didn't return it. Instead, a frown formed on her features.

"I used my power on her," Allison confessed, staring guiltily at the road ahead. "Multiple times." She expected her sister to scold her, to start shouting at her in rage, but it never came. Instead, she could hear her sister sigh.

"Ali, what you did was wrong, but you should cut yourself some slack," the girl said gently, while Allison raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You were raised to use your power. Besides, you learned from it, didn't you? I know for a fact that if she were here right now, you wouldn't make that mistake again."

Allison caught her gaze, and smiled gratefully at the girl. "You've really helped me stay grounded, Rena," the woman said. "You made me change for the better."

Serena smiled back at her, and the two continued their travel in the silence they had started it with.

Serena's power was very similar to Allison's. She remembered the times when they were younger, when she still used her power on her siblings in training. She had made a promise to herself to never do that again, and it seemed that Allison would be making the same promise.

Allison pressed on the gas a little harder, making speed. They had to find Vanya.

***

When they arrived, the rain had fortunately cleared up, and made way for the sun. The cottage in front of them was beautiful. It was surrounded by trees, giving it a very natural vibe that Serena liked.

The two sisters carefully made their way out of the car, trying to be as quiet as possible, in case Harold and Vanya were here. They tip-toed their way around the house, peering inside through the window. They couldn't see anyone inside.

The silence was tense, as it used to be whenever they went on missions when they were younger. Suddenly, a bird flew past, causing Allison to let out a startled gasp and stagger backwards.

When the woman had caught her breath, Serena couldn't help but chuckle, while Allison playfully glared at her.

"Shut up," she muttered, but even she couldn't fight the smile that was tugging on the corner of her lips.

***

When the two girls had no luck in finding who they were looking for, they decided to get back to the Academy, to hopefully get help from their siblings. That would have been a good plan, if it wasn't for traffic. They were standing still at the moment, Allison impatiently tapping her finger against the steering-wheel.

Serena sighed in annoyance. Really, Universe? Today, of all days? The world was ending for God's sake!

But her prayers were answers she laid eyes on the scarf that was hanging on a sign on the side of the road. She gently hit Allison's arm and pointed at it, the two sharing wide-eyed looks.