Keeper Of The Lost Cities: Reborn

Chapter One

  "You mean a lot to me, Foster. More than you'll ever know."
 
  The words were burned into her mind.
 
  Sophie blinked.
 
  She read the letter one more time just to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Sure enough, it was the same.
 
  Please let this all be a bad dream.
 
  She forced her eyes shut, and willed herself awake.
 
  But it was real. Keefe was gone.
 
  After talking with Mr. Forkle, she went up to her room and waited while Sandor did his usual checks, but he suddenly stopped.
 
  "Someone's been here."
 
  "What?"
 
  Sophie walked in, looking around. "It was just Dex, Iggy has a new dye again," she explained, pointing to his cage.

  Sandor paused, sniffing the air again, "It wasn't Dex. It was Keefe."

  Sophie walked over to her bed, and sat down, admiring her Imp, who was now sporting a teal and purple look, with a black stripe going down his back.

  "You look good little guy!" She told him, stroking his fur.

  His only response was a loud burp.

"It has to be Dex. Who else would put up with Iggy breath while trying to dye him?" Sophie gagged. "Besides, why would Keefe be in my room anywa-"

  Her voiced trailed off as she noticed the letter underneath Iggy's cage.

  Sandor noticed her picking it up, and snatched it
 
  "Hey! Give it back!" Sophie exclaimed, "It's meant for me!"
 
  "My job is to protect you Miss Foster, I will be opening the letter," He squeaked.

  Sophie sighed as he opened it and started reading. But after a minute or two of silence, she knew something was wrong.
 
  "What is it? What does it say?" Sophie asked him, attempting to peer over his bulky shoulders.

  "I think it would be better if you read it yourself."
 
  Sandor handed her the letter, she took it, and started reading.

  To the Mysterious Miss F!

  Ugh- I'm already regretting starting this letter that way. But I don't have any extra paper, and crossing it would look worse, so. . . I guess we'll just have to add it to my list of mistakes.

  And I know you're going to think that everything I'm about to say should also be on that long list of Keefe fails. But I swear- that's NOT what this is. I'm not trying to fix everything or save everyone this time. I'm just trying to make sure I don't hurt anyone.

  I can't tell you any more than that without putting you in danger, so just. . . trust me when I say that the powers my mom gave me are super bad. There seriously aren't strong enough words to explain how horrible they are. And I CAN'T control them- just like I can't stop my mom from forcing me to use them.

  So. . . This is the only way. I don't want to do it. But I have to.

  And I'm not going to ask you not to hate me. In fact, it might be better if you do, because I need you to PROMISE that you won't try to find me. My mom will be waiting for you to track me down- and since I know how stubborn you are, I want to make sure you understand who you'd be putting in danger.

  I'm going to be hiding the same way the Black Swan hid you.

  That's why you have to stay away. Well, there are lots of reasons. So again, please, just. . .trust me, okay?

  And since this is the last time I'll ever talk to you, I just. . . I want to say that I'm really going to miss you. You mean a lot to me, Foster. More than you'll ever know.

  Please be careful. Please be happy. And PLEASE forget all about me.

  It'll be better for everyone that way.
You'll see.

  Love,
  Keefe

  Sophie looked up. The reality that Keefe was actually gone hadn't fully set in yet. And when her shock faded, it was horrible.

  It felt like a tidal wave. It crashed into her, and washed away everything in it's path.

  Leaving nothing but pain.

  Sadness.

  Fear.

  And mostly, the feeling of being alone. Sophie knew that she had tons of friends and family, but it still felt like piece of her heart was gone.

  She was angry.

  Angry at Keefe for leaving her, again.

  Angry because even after everything Sophie, her friends, family, and the Black Swan had done to help him out, he just left.

  But no matter how angry she was, the fact that he was gone for good hit her the hardest.

  She collapsed onto the floor, sobbing, snippets of the letter floating through her mind.

  "I'm just trying to make sure I don't hurt anyone"

  "And I'm not going to ask you not to hate me. In fact, it might be better if you do"

  "You mean a lot to me, Foster. More than you'll ever know"

  But one line stood out from the rest, and kept repeating itself over and over again in her head.

  "And since this will be the last time I'll ever talk to you, I just... I want to say that I'm really going to miss you"

  Keefe couldn't really be gone for good this time, right?

  When he ran off to join the Neverseen, he was just trying to help the Black Swan by working as a double agent, and he was planning on coming back.

  Sophie knew he was trying to help this time too, but she knew it wouldn't help.

  All it would do is hurt him.

  Keefe had always held himself responsible for everything his mother had done. And that kind of guilt, plus the verbal and emotional abuse he'd suffered throughout the years, didn't add up well.

  Jokes and pranks were his coping mechanism, but with him refusing to talk, Sophie knew he wouldn't be able to hide the scared, broken boy he was inside for long.

  She had always been there for him, just like he had always been there for her.  But everything his mom had done to Keefe was slowly breaking him, and Sophie was afraid he was going to break completely if she wasn't there to hold him together.

  Sophie didn't know how long she sat there crying, but eventually she felt Edaline and Grady's arms around her, telling her that it would be okay. But she knew it wouldn't be okay, not until Keefe was back home.

  She had to find him before it was too late.

  He wouldn't make it on his own.

  She thought about what had Keefe wrote, asking her to promise that she wouldn't go after him, but Sophie knew she had to.

  Sorry Keefe, but I can't make that promise. I told you I would get you through this, and I will. I won't let you lose yourself.

  And with that, she stood up, and hailed everyone to share the news.

Released: August 13, 2021
Word count: 1162