A Kentucky Belle in an Isekai World

6: Invitation

[Song is "Amseterdam" by Imagine Dragons]

Tony went home after he left the DMV.

He went back into Hope's room. Hope didn't keep pictures of herself in her room; everything was digital now anyway.

But her clothes and other stuff was still there. She was neat, though; it wasn't out in the open.

Still, there were plenty of things he found. Finally, after hunting through her closet and drawers, he found an old ID tag for a church camp event she'd supervised on years ago now.

Once he found that, he went to the den and dug out photo albums. They were dusty and hadn't been updated in years, but he found ones of when they were kids.

Then he waited.

His mom must have gone out on some errands, but she came back an hour or so later.

 His dad's work ended early in the day. He was getting on in years, so he no longer worked 8-hour days.

Tony's mom had been puzzled by his behavior, but he told her to wait till Dad got home for an explanation.

Finally his dad did get home.

"I hope you're going to explain yourself," he said, not happy still.

"Actually, I think I can, on the subject of Hope," Tony said.

His parents frowned.

"Mom, Dad, I know you're going to find this hard to believe, but you've got to at least try," Tony pleaded. "I'm not sure I can fix this without help. Now look." He held up the ID tag.

His mom's eyes widened.

"'Hope Ann Kane'..." she said. "I don't understand. No one in our family is named that."

That hurt.

"Look." Tony held up the photo album and opened the first page. "There's me, and that's my sister. It even says it's us."

His parents gaped at it.

Then at each other.

"I don't understand," his dad said. "Do you have another kid I don't know about?"

"How can you even say that?!" his mom said.

"Dad, you're in here with her." Tony turned some pages. "See. Right here at the hospital...and that's when she was in the school play."

They blinked.

"These haven't been opened in ages," his mom said. "This has to...be real...but...I don't remember."

"I don't understand." His dad looked so lost. "This is what you were talking about? But why don't I recall...?"

"Look, uh, this is going to sound crazy," Tony said, "but I met this woman. I think she's a witch or something. She claims that she's responsible for everyone not remembering Hope Ann. She owned up to it."

"You met a witch?" his mom said slowly. "Tony, that's crazy."

"I know it sounds crazy, but how can you explain all this if it's not that? You knew who she was yesterday. And the only weird thing that's happened since is Hope argued with this nutty woman at her job. And no one at her job remembers her either," Tony said hastily. "But all her stuff is here. Look in her room."

They went up there like they were in a trance and this time looked in the closet and bathroom.

"Someone definitely lives here," his mom admitted.

"All right..." His dad looked like he hated saying it, but he went on. "Let's say, for a second, I think this is plausible. Something does feel off about this. But witches aren't real.... At least if they are, they're just in those weird cults stuff. Not actually able to cast spells. Right? How could it be this powerful? We can't just forget our whole daughter's life."