The Moments I Recall

CHAPTER TWENTY // XYLIA REEVES

Children scream playfully around us. Happiness drawn across their little faces. Calling out to others around them. Mostly everything's the same, warm sun, crisp air, blue skies. We've been here for two days now. We had decided to stay for a bit, try to take kids out through the passages. But they can't pass. Like the fence, they end up passing out, but they do not wake up.

I look up to the tint light green dome surrounding the camp. It wasn't there when we were stuck, but now I can see what has been stopping us this whole time. Theo and Harper can't see it. Not yet at least. We all experience things in various stages, it takes time to lose your sanity.

"We should go now!" Theo yells. It's hard to hear each other over the deep, distorted buzzing, especially outside. He has been saying this for two hours now, but I think he's right. We can't keep hiding from the men in navy overalls forever.

"Okay!" I agree. "We'll come back!" Harper and Jessie nod at each other in agreement. For days I have been wanting to find all the passages, see where they might lead me. Jessie tells me they can take you anyway, even out of town. That's how Coby Ray got to the river. He figured out where they all take you and left the information as to where hidden away. All we have to do is find it. Sounds easier than how it's made out to be, And the only person left alive who knows where could be across the seas that divide the worlds countries.

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When I make it home, the sun is setting. Shades of pink and orange are painted across the sky, leaving only small blue accents of the day that has been.

"Where have you been child?" Momma asks when I enter the house passing me a large siler serving spoon. "I told you we were having friends over today." When make my way to her, there are people sitting at the dinner table in the main room. I look around the table to the smiling faces of people I have never met before, various shades of browns fulling every seat on the dining table.

"Baby, come give me a hug." Grandma says. I didn't notice her among the faces of the seven others at the table.

"Hey grandma." I smile setting down the spoon and wrap my arms around her. She smells of sweet potato pie. She always smelled of sweet potato pie, it's the scent of her I missed the most.

"Sorry, yo' house is pretty big auntie." A male voice says.

"Xylia, this is Alixavier, Chris and Mo'e Woods." Momma points. Alixavier and I exchange a look and he gives me a small smile slightly revealing the dimple that craters in his left cheek. It's weird seeing him in person, he just as tall as Jessie and where's a black loose fitting turtleneck sweater and long brown leather jacket over his leather pants.

"Hey Xylia, you have grown so much girl," another man says, attracting my gaze. He looks like male version of my momma. Same chestnut eyes, darker skin. His hair short and patted down, he wears a yellow button up that seems too small for his muscular body. At any moment a simple flex tear the shirt in two, but he doesn't seem uncomfortable. His teeth flash a smile at me. "Happy Birthday."

"Uh...thank you." I smile. I didn't even know. I forgotten we had those.

"You won't remember Deshawn baby, but he's my younger brother." Momma says. She never talked much about her siblings, but then again, I wasn't around for the eight years she might have.

"Nice to meet you all." I smile. They exchange some looks before erupting with laughter.

"Well behaved kid you got here Trish." Alixavier's father laughs.

"Cool if I pull Xylia away?" Alixavier asks.

"Don't be long, dinners close." Momma tells him. He takes my arm and drags me outside onto the veranda.