When Aliyah fell asleep after we talked about why we were brought here, I decided to play a prank on her, as the mood ended in confident friendship. I quietly made my way to the bathroom I had vanished through earlier. Turning the knob hesitantly, I prayed nothing would take me away. I let out a sigh of relief as I entered a small beige bathroom with white tiles. I glanced around quickly and saw nothing useful. I slipped back out and made my way to the bedroom door. I eased it open and stepped through the doorway, quietly closing the door behind me. I glanced down the hallway and noticed a door at the very end with a sign saying "Closet". I grinned. Too easy. I padded down the hallway towards the door. As I opened it, a nauseous feeling over-swept me. The whisper from before hissed in my ears as everything went dark. Several colors flashed around me before I landed on grass. I glanced around, spotting a small, pleasant cottage up a hill. I expected the worse to come like last time so I immediately ducked and covered my head. The only thing I was bombarded with was by the tiny, unmistakable weight of children. I felt their bodies pile up on me and I moved my hands away from my head to see them. Three little girls and a young, mischievous-looking boy peered at me curiously as they stood up. They had old-fashioned clothing on, something from the '60s.
"Hurro!" My eyes snapped towards the tallest girl. "You must be our nanny!" she continued, "Mother told us about you. She has gone away for a trip, but I'm ever so sure she told you that already. I'm Anja." Her voice held a hint of an English accent.
At the mention of a nanny, the other two girls began bouncing around excitedly. The little boy hopped towards me. "I am Austin." He grinned and made a clumsy bow before falling over.
I quickly caught him and put him upright. "Nanny?" I asked, bewildered.
"Yes! We can't wait! Come, let's go to our cottage." They all reached to grab my hand, and the two who weren't quick enough to snag one of my upper limbs climbed onto my legs. I lugged them forward as I followed the two girls holding my hands.
"It is about time you got here, you know," Anja noted bossily. "My sisters names are Jas and Polly. Polly is the baby hanging off your leg." I glanced down. Austin was on my left leg, Polly on the right.
Her eyes widened. "I am not a babeh!" Polly protested.
"You sure act like it," Jas squealed.
"Do not," Polly whined.
I struggled to collect my bearings from the sudden transition of being in my new home to suddenly being a nanny to kids straight out of the 1960s. "Uh... Nice to meet you all." Having no idea how to keep these kids in good humor, I suggested a game.
Austin's eyes brightened. "Catch the Bean!"
There was only a moments hesitation before Anja, Jas, and Polly detached themselves. "Yes, please!" they shouted in unison.
"What is Catch the Bean?" I wondered.
Jas and Anja fell over laughing. "You don't know what Catch the Bean is?" Anja exclaimed at the same time Polly began rattling off instructions.
"You throw beans in the air and whoever catches the most in one swipe wins."
I looked at them skeptically. "Wouldn't that be difficult?"
"Duh!" Jas crowed, grinning. "That is what makes it so fun!"
"Alright," I relented. "Where are the beans at?" As soon as those last five words left my mouth, the four children started laughing their heads off.
Breathless, Austin smiled wide at me. "We tricked you!"
I blinked. "What?"
Austin smiled even wider and hung on my leg around. "We made it up." He looked up at me with big, wondrous eyes. "May we play it anyway?"
Anja rolled her eyes at her brother as Polly hopped around on nearby rocks. "Yes, can we?"
"I dunno," I said reproachfully. "Will you behave?"
All but Anja, who crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air, screamed 'yes' at the top of their lungs.
"Alright. Let's play." Content swelled through me, replaced by a sudden sinking feeling. My vision went dark and I sat up, on the floor outside the closet. I spotted Melinda speed walking down the hall, veering towards my direction as soon as she noticed me.
"There you are! Come on, you're late for breakfast. You were supposed to be in the Day room an hour ago, but poor Aliyah told me you disappeared!"
Isn't that the truth, I thought miserably as we began walking towards the Day room. We approached the yellow door and I began to feel hopeful, but we walked through the doorway just as we would normally.
"May I go to the bathroom?"
Melinda hesitated. "I guess so. Be quick." She pointed out a door on the other side of the room.
I walked across the room seemingly calmly, but my heart beat wildly in my chest. I pushed the door open and felt giddy, as if it would work. Disappointment settled over me as I felt nothing while walking through the door. I whirled around, marching in and out of the door, oblivious to the stares of the other foster kids. I entered the bathroom again, this time shutting and locking the door. Crossing my arms, I turned and kicked the door, wondering if I had to do something to make it happen. The other times I went through the doors, I had heard a whisper. I unlocked the door slowly, willing myself to hear a whisper. My ears almost popped from listening intently as the knob turned. I slowly walked through the frame, almost shouting in joy as I heard the familiar whisper. This time, though, the words were clear and singing: "There is a journey awaiting you, awaiting you; There is a life ahead of you, ahead of you. Walk through the meadow, roll in the valley, life here awaits you, full of prosperity."
My eyes closed as I was tugged through time.
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