Home: Book 1

Chapter 12

Stephanie

This is why I should never rest. I rested for a while, and when the others came to meet me, they told me Ciara was gone. She was gone. Forever. They looked everywhere for her. The canyon was too deep for them to search thoroughly.

My heart broke. I had hoped to wake up to see Ciara's face smiling at me, giving me hope that everything would be okay. Instead, I saw Alex's face, swollen from crying, and Zach's worried expression.

I held their hands as I weakly spoke, "It's all okay. Ciara is just going to walk through this door, smile, and then laugh at us for thinking that she actually died."

Two unfamiliar faces walked through the door. One of them grabbed Alex by the collar. "If you were going to take Ciara away from me, you shouldn't have allowed Julia to push her." Julia?! Why did no one tell me it was because of Julia? Alex pushed the man away, his anger barely contained. "You know nothing, Noah. Just mind your own business and get lost."

Noah snapped back, "Ciara is my business."

Alex retorted, "Ciara might have been your business, but Wild Card was never your business. Ciara died seven years ago. Wild Card died three days ago."

The tension in the room was palpable, and I felt a surge of desperation. "Stop it, both of you!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "Arguing won't bring her back."

Why didn't any of them tell me the full truth? "Alex," I called out weakly, "Where is this monstrous Julia?"

"She's gone to jail. I am a witness and Ciara was smart enough to record evidence that's immediately saved to the Organization's cloud."

I needed to do something. For Ciara. "Alex, we need to complete Ciara's legacy."

"Legacy?!" Alex questioned, his eyes widening with confusion and curiosity.

"Yeah! Her legacy. In her bedside drawer, she has a notebook. It's filled with things she wants to do."

As soon as the words left my mouth, Alex sprinted out of the room. I turned to Zach, who looked equally puzzled and hopeful. "We owe it to her," I said, my voice gaining strength despite the pain in my chest. "We need to make sure her dreams and plans don't die with her."

Zach added, "Count me in. Ciara was more than just a teammate. She was family."

Minutes later, Alex returned, clutching a worn notebook. He handed it to me gently, as if it were a fragile relic. I opened it, flipping through the pages filled with Ciara's neat handwriting. Each page was a testament to her hopes, her plans, and her indomitable spirit.

"We'll start with the third one," I said, pointing to an entry about organizing a community event to help underprivileged kids. "Ciara always wanted to make a difference in the world. We can do this in her honor."

"Why not the first or second?" Alex asked.

"Because she achieved the first two, dating you and putting Julia in prison." I answered.

The room was quiet. No one spoke. There was no noise except the beeping of the machines that kept me alive.

Ciara might be gone, but through us, her legacy would live on.