The Problems of Another World

Life in the Stars

Otto walked alongside his father as they walked to Home. "This is where we started, as you can see the forest on the left the lake on the right. The mountain in between, has a massive geode on the back with crystals of Every color. The mountain seems to be the means of power. The lake, from what Izzi told me, seems to be a form on entertainment. The geode is for communication. The forest is like a big home with a lot of space to rest, eat, and walk."

"This is all so much. All I really want to know is if you are doing okay, I would understand if you don't wanna talk about it, but I want you to know, I'm fine, I'm here..., alive. I love you two and your sisters so much." He was looking at Otto who was looking at the landscape in front of him.

"I know dad, I've know that my whole life. Thank you for saying it. Makes it easier to know." He looked back at his dad, tears filling his eyes. "I watched her kill you. It was too much." He said hugging his dad tightly like if he were to let go, he would disappear. Robert held his son tightly.

After a few moments Robert offered. "let's go see you sisters."

Otto wiped his face and looked off to the lake. Robert kept a protective arm around his son as they began to walk. "I just want you to know that I'm proud of the risks you take for the

family. I'm impressed at how well you can see through different perspectives. It's kind of where wisdom lies."

"What I heard from Izzi is that swimming is easier, you can walk along the bottom, and most importantly, you can breathe in it." Otto smiled.

"Well, you know me, sign me up for any new experience." Robert looked back at the lake only to be standing on its shores. "Like this one."

He saw the Girls outer clothing on some nearby rocks, so they decided to leave theirs there too, then leapt into the lake. They swam, because it was faster than walking, and began searching for Hannah and Izzi. When They got close Izzi and Hannah waved, that is until Robert got close enough to see the thorn holes all over Hannah arms and base of her neck. The kids all felt Hannah's shame and quickly Izzi and Otto swam over to her and caught her in an embrace.

Izzi and Hannah swam back to shore. As Otto and Robert hung back to let her have the space. When they joined them back on shore. Hannah was sitting alone on some rocks back in her sweater and slacks.

Otto felt Hannah, her feelings were complicated an only made worse with him there. He got the hint and told his dad he would be "back at the mountain paying penance." He sighed and took off, with Izzi, to the mountain. Leaving Hannah to talk to her father.

"I don't expect to remotely understand anything that has happened to you and please angel I don't want to be the judge here. You don't have to explain anything. I love you." He stood there naked of understanding, vulnerable, tears welling in his eyes at the thought of the pain she must have had to endure, and must still endure, to have such wounds.

"When we first got to ZYG, we had to stop security from killing us." Hannah paused and pointed to the haunting mass of living metal floating above the mountain. Living metal oozed out of her sleeve. If

Robert saw it, he didn't react or say anything, she gave him a smaller copy of the monster, Trewn. "This is, or at least what Trewn looks like. As for the metal," The metal went back into her sleeve. "It was my gift from ZYG." She looked at her father as the tears rolled out of his eyes in gentle sympathy. Robert had nothing to say. All he could seem to do was express his sympathy through his tears, or maybe words would start something that would break him. Either way he listened. "The beast, Trewn, was coming for us. ZYG asked for the one of us with the most 'goodness' to walk into a flower, it was the thing that needed to happen or we were all going to die. I walked into the prettiest flower and took a seat when the thorns went into me it hurt. When I felt the metal replace my blood, that was agony. But it was in the power of the metal that I felt the truest pain.