Myra Philby's Journal

"What Do We Do?"

"What do we do?" Maybell repeated.

We were in Jess and Amanda's apartment with Jess, and we were all worried sick. We had left the rest of the Keepers in the Syndrome, and I was scared to death for my brother.

Jess was laying on the sofa, her hands on her forehead. She had been frantically texting Amanda and the rest of the Keepers, but none of them had their phones. Her eyes were closed, her mouth shaped into a frown. She kept sighing in frustration.

Maybell continued to pace around the living room. "What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?"

"Maybell!!" Jess shouted. She took a deep breath. "Sorry."

"What... do... we... do!?" Maybell sighed. "Myra?"

I was sitting in the kitchen, my hot cocoa untouched. I had flown from England to Orlando to help fix this problem. My face was resting in my hand. All I could think about was my brother. He had told me about how awful the Syndrome was, and how scared he was for Willa when she was stuck in it. I never knew I would feel that way myself.

Maybell sat down next to me. "Hey..." She wrapped her arm around me and rested her head on my shoulder. "We're gonna get 'em out, okay?"

"Yeah... okay..."

"You miss him?" Maybell asked.

"Who, Dell?"

"Finn."

I sat straight up. "Maybell Maybeck!!" I shouted.

"What!?"

"What's this about Finn?" Jess asked.

"She--"

"Maybell, don't."

"But you--"

"Maybell, I'm warning you!"

"She loves Finn!"

Silence echoed through the room.

Jess stared on at me as I felt my face redden.

"Maybell, I told you..."

"It's Jess!! You can trust her!!"

"And I thought I could trust you!"

Maybell was silenced. "I'm sorry..."

Jess sat down with us. "Myra, I swear I won't tell anyone."

"Especially Finn and Amanda?"

"Especially them. I promise."

My eyes became glassy. "When I found out about my brother becoming a Kingdom Keeper, I heard about Finn. I had a poster of him on my dorm room's wall. I never told Dell, because I was scared he would admit it to Finn. I knew he was too old for me, but I still loved him for what he did. I felt that someday my dream would come true, and we would fall in love. When I crossed over and met all of you, I found out about Amanda. I saw the way he looked at her. It was true love; it was something I would never have with him. When I crossed back over, I ripped my poster. My heart was broken, and I realized that Walt Disney was wrong. Dreams don't always come true." I felt the warmth of my tears spewing out of my eyes. They dampened my cheeks and my eyes were red. "And every time I cross over, I see him and Amanda together. They seem so happy and... perfect. Something I can never be with him."

Jess sighed. "Oh, Myra, I never knew, I'm so sorry." Maybell hugged me.

I was near sobs by then. Maybell hugged me harder. "I wish I could fix it for you."

"I never learn," I hiccuped. "I just can't stop breaking my own heart."

Maybell opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out.

"We should get to sleep. We have to cross over to look for them."

"Yeah, okay..."

They've probably already crossed over. I'm staying up late in Amanda and Jess's guest room while Maybell is staying in Amanda's room. 

I can't even sleep. I miss my brother. I can't stop worrying about him.

I wish I could look out for him like he looks after me.

Signed,

Myra