He knelt down in front of me and put his hands on my cheek, stroking a cheek with his thumb," I know it's her..."
I merely kept eye contact with him, I wasn’t sure what was going on around me with these adults, but I didn’t have a problem with all the attention either. “It can’t be...” Arden chuckled, basically mocking Auto,” This is a child. The last we saw her, she was our age! How could she have gone so young into innocence by going into the other side?”
Auto sighed heavily and stood up. “I don’t know but we’ll figure it out!” He yelled, then walked off. Arden stared at me for awhile. He sighed and shook his head. Arden held out a hand to me, and forced a smile, “Let’s follow Auto into the house. It’s getting dark out.” I cautiously took his hand and grasped it tight. Minerva kept quiet behind us. All I heard from her was her heels hitting the dirt and making a muffled noise. “How was it, Minerva?” Arden called out behind him, as he continued to hold my hand and kept on walking. “It was fine.” It became silent again.
Inside their house everything was dark. Everything seemed damn, but was perfectly dry. The air was heavy. My shoulders felt like I had extra weights on my shoulders held by string that drooped as low as the tips of my fingers. Auto lay on a small twin sized bed in a room that had no door. I ran over there, my shoes echoing in the shack. He was sleeping. I crawled onto the bed, putting my hands on the frame of the bed and leaning forward. Plopping face first into Auto’s leg. I rubbed my nose. I crawled up and curled up next to Auto, falling asleep quickly. I was more exhausted than I thought I was. When I opened my eyes, I was in my own room. The bright light hurt my eyes. They took time to readjust. It smelled the same here. The heavy air still put pressure on my shoulders, slightly. The walls were broken and damp. I got up and I felt taller. What the … I looked down. I was wearing different clothes and I felt different. My head felt lighter. My fingers ran through my hair-- short... I sprinted to the bathroom down the hallway, and splashed water on my face, that was already in the pail. I looked in the mirror.
“Slim detailed face, small pointed nose. Beady eyes with much curiosity, and that short spiky hair.” Auto stood in the doorway. My eyes shot at him. “Auto...” I muttered. He stared at me, with a dumbass smirk that formed onto his lips. “What the hell are you smirking about?” I snapped at him, my annoyance being easily tamper with it. He put his hands up and shook his head playfully. “Nothing, nothing.” He chuckled and walked off. “Oh guys, she’s back.” Auto yelled. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. Hadn’t I had been there the whole time?
“Going to the other side had messed with her innocence, and had pulled her skin off, putting her inside out. I think her soul is trying to figure out which way to go.” Arden talked from a lawn chair in the front. “She won’t be the same for awhile, Auto.” A fist pounded on the thick, iron door; the noise echoing throughout the dome. Everyone shot up and stood still for a moment. Everyone stared at the door. “Is someone going to answer that?” Arden jumped over to me and covered my mouth. “Don’t even open your eyes.” He whispered into my ears. I did as he said and closed my eyes. I held onto his hand as he lead me somewhere and sat me down. I heard a door shut and footsteps walking away.
