A War Within Two Worlds

Spirit

Yasmini'a POV

I laid in the water and watched the stars. I felt my body sink and pull farther into the ocean as my body stopped feeling the cold. The stars above have always shined brightly, but now they seemed dim and small. I wanted to cry and scream, but I was so drained that I couldn't even move. I closed my eyes gently and felt the tide pull me out to sea.

I awoke on the beach with sand in my hair. For a moment, I forgot everything. But then it came flooding back. I put my arms around my legs and shivered in the cold. The sky was dark and unforgiving. Thunder and lightning cackled, but between the thick mess of clouds, I saw a patch of bright crystalline stars. I took notice of one particularly bright one and reached for it like an infant.

"What do you think happens after we die?"
Eliza and I were camping under the stars. Luis and my brothers were peacefully sleeping with their limbs tangled in each others.
"I don't know." I shrugged. I was 10, I didn't think about it too much.
"Papa says mi mama turned into a star."
"Yeah?"
"That's what I want to be. But not any star, the brightest star there is, so you know it's me."
"Yeah but you'll never die." I frowned.
"I know, but just in case."
"I couldn't live without you, Eliza." I said tearfully. Eliza laughed and leaned on my shoulder, "you would, Yasmini. You'd live and be happy."
"No I wouldn't."
"Yes you would, you'd live life, get old, meet a boy," we both giggled, "get married and buy a house and have a baby, and I'll be there watching. And whenever you miss me, you can't look up and see me."
"I want to be a star too then, so I can watch you too; and scold you when you're in trouble."
We collapsed into a pile of giggles.

"I'm sorry Eliza," I sobbed so hard my bones shook. "But now I need to live." I told the brightest star I could see, and at that moment, it twinkled.

I walked into the green abyss and shivered. I did my best to wash the sand from my hair, but it was of no use. My body was ragged and my stomach gnawed from within like an angry beast. The rain pelted against my skin like ice bullets and I shook. Even underneath the canopy of trees, the rain persisted. Though between flashes of bright white lightning, I could see my surroundings. My mind drifted from memory to memory, trying to figure out where I went wrong and why I went wrong— but I was blank. Somehow, I've been able to trick my mind in over and over, but I don't know how.

Victor's POV
We headed back as the rain hammered onto the ground with anger.
"Mini!" Enoch tore from us and ran to the left. I ran quickly behind him and embraced the cold shaking girl in front of me.
"I-I don't— I'm sorry, I-I-" I pulled her head into my chest and held her close to me.
"Whatever you did, it was along time ago."
Mini sobbed harder into me and Enoch rubbed her back but I shooed him away.
"My bird, we were so worried."

When we got back, a woman was waiting for us.
"Hello, I'm Miss Bobolink, your friends are at my home and I suggest we get a move on," she frowned at Mini in my arms, "is she ill?"
"Yes." Truth be told, I didn't know if she was or not, but I was worried about hypothermia.
"Come now, my house is not but a few miles yonder."
The woman crooned gently. Emma looked unsure the woman turned into a small black and white bird with a yellow head and soft looking plumage, a bobolink I assume.
"This way."

The moon was beginning to fade as the sun fought to rise over the early morning clouds making the sky a dark purple. The rain had stopped long ago, but the Earth was still damp from the sky's tears. Mini still shivered in my arms, was that good or bad?

By the time we reached the large house, it was nearly dawn. Our friends waiting eagerly outside with blankets and mugs of hot drink.
"Thank the birds tour alive!" Claire and Olive ran to us and hugged us tightly.
"Is that Yasmini? Is she alright?" Hugh asked. Fiona touched her head gingerly with the back of her hand. I looked to her for an answer and she shook her head fiercely to say 'no'.  Horace touched her as well and I sifted her in my arms as I was starting to get tired.
"She's burning up!"
So shivering was bad.
"We must get her inside, where is Althea?"
"Right here." A girl said impossibly slow.
"We need to cool her down."
The girl nodded even slower and guided me through big white doors. I took a moment to admire the outside. The house was at least 2-3 stories and had large clean windows. The yard was clean and damp from the morning dew and it soaked into my socks, which had barley dried as is. The slow talking girl, Althea, brought us to the third floor and had me set Mini down in a room with 3 twin beds. The one closest to the window already had dirt on the duvet, so I assumed it was Fionas.  I sat a restless Mini down on the one closest to the exit, a strategy she says saved her life.

But how could she end one? How could she end  one of one she loved?

I shook my head and sat next to her. Emma came in shortly after to usher me out and change her into the dry clothes— as if I'd never seen her naked.
A wooden door creaked under stress and two footsteps thudded lightly.
"Stranger!" A little girl with red hair and freckles screamed. She ran down the banister and super sonic speed and flew into a tall boys arms.
"Cristi, this is one of the new people coming to stay." The boy had red hair and freckles just like Cristi, only he was much taller and had to have been 9 or 10.
"Who are they, Adam?"
"They are our new friends from far away who decided to stay in loops like us."
Adam shot me a warning look to say
she doesn't know anything
"I'm Victor."
Cristi released some of the tension from her shoulder and unhooked her arm from her brother.
"I'm Cristi, I'm really fast."
I laughed, "I saw."
"Adam." The boy nodded.
"Are you siblings?"
Adam shook his head, "cousins, our other cousin is here, too."
It must be nice having family with you. It was nice.
"Who else lives here?" Hugh asked. Fiona had Claire on her hip, who was sleeping peacefully.
"Just Althea, Joanna, Ruby, Adam, and I."
"Where's Joanna and Ruby?"
"Probably fell asleep in the lighthouse again."
"Ruby's our other cousin."
"Wow, a whole family." Enoch appeared behind me and I jumped slightly.
"Don't do that you little creep." I muttered. Enoch smiled and turned to the cousins, "how old is this Ruby and Joanna." Enoch smiled slyly. I wish Millard was here to laugh with, but instead Hugh smacked him on the back of his head.
"This is why you have no girlfriend."
"That's what Joanna and Ruby are. They're gay"
"Two women?" I said slightly appalled.
"It's called being a lesbian and it's fine, don't be a dick." Jake hissed. Cristi nodded, "are you from the present, too?"
"Can we please go sit and eat instead of the mollycoddling, I'm starved!" Enoch whined.
"I'll have breakfast ready within the hour." Miss Boblink stood at the top of the stairs with Luis and Emma.
"As for your friend," she eyed me with humor, "she just seems to have caught a stress cold and should be fine."

6/4/21