The Forbidden Side

Erin

Erin couldn't believe it.  She was home, her real home.  With her family, her real family.  The house was painted green with a white door in the front.  Two stone steps led up to it.  The house was huge, bigger than any house in Home.  Big windows were everywhere, implying lots of big rooms.  Justin grabbed her sleeve and took her through the door.  "So," he said, leading her upstairs, "this is my room."  He pointed into a room with orange walls and furniture pushed into the corners.  Erin wondered how he could sleep with his bed stuffed in between his desk and a wall, but she decided not to ask.

        "This is your room if you don't want to share with Lizzie anymore.  You can decorate it however you want."  He waved to a big room with green walls, a queen-sized bed, and a desk.

        "This is Lizzie's room, if you want it."  A room with green walls, a huge desk, and two queen-sized beds next to each other sat at the end of the hall.  It was the biggest room Erin had every seen by far.  It would've taken of a whole floor back in Home.  Of course I want this room, Erin thought.

        Justin pulled her out of the room and to the other end of the hall.  "This is Julia's room," he explained.  Erin saw a medium-sized yellow room.  She couldn't really tell it was yellow if she hadn't looked at the carpet, which she could also barely see.  Bookshelves lined every wall, and the carpet was barely visible because dozens of textbooks and binders littered the ground.  A tiny desk sat in the only corner of her room where there weren't any books.

        "Where's Adam going to sleep?"  Erin asked.

        "He usually sleeps in that bedroom that I offered you first," Justin answered.

        "What about Katie?"

        "I can't go in there," Justin said.  "I did once.  I'll never do it again."

        Erin shuddered.  She made a mental note to stay away from Katie.

        She walked back into the room she shared with Lizzie.  Erin went over to the desk, she sat in the chair and thought.  Then, she noticed something that looked like a diary in front of her.  I shouldn't, she thought.  But it could've been mine.  She opened up the journal and on the first page, and Lizzie seemed to speak to her.  She said, Erin and Adam just disappeared!  Why? Five-year-old Lizzie talked in a scared voice.    It was also worried and angry.  Erin couldn't imagine how Lizzie must have felt.

        "So, you've found my journal."  Erin whirled around and saw Lizzie laughing.             

        "Sorry," she said.

        "Hey," Lizzie answered, "I wouldn't let anyone read it besides my twin."

        "How does this work?"  Erin asked.  "I mean it's like you're talking to me from inside this thing."

        "It's a magic item," Lizzie explained.  Erin's jaw dropped.  "Yeah," Lizzie laughed.  "Magic.  Since I'm a Telepath, I can transmit thoughts to anything.  I just pull out the thought I want in my Thought Log.  It's pretty cool."

        "Magic exists," Erin whispered with wide eyes.

        "If superpowers do, why no magic?"

        Erin said carefully, "If magic ever used for evil?"  She got a concerned look from Lizzie.  "I mean, are there any bad Powerfuls out there?"

        Lizzie stared out her huge arch window.  The setting sunlight sharpened her blue eyes.  "Somewhere," she whispered, "King Z is out there.  He believes Home uses magic to keep its citizens in line.  He believes they're evil."

        "Do you?"  Erin asked, not sure if she wanted an answer.

        Lizzie turned to face her sister.  "Yes."

        "Erin, wait!"  Lizzie called.  She chased her sister around the house.  "You don't understand!"  

        "I think I do!"  Erin yelled back.

        "No, you don't!"  Lizzie finally cornered her sister in Justin's room between his desk and bed.  "Just listen to me!"

        Erin squirmed, trying to get out of her position.  She was wedged between Justin's bed and desk, with her sister standing in front of her.  "I think you're the one who doesn't understand!"  Erin screamed.  "I lived there, Lizzie.  "I lived there!"
             "But Erin -"

        "I thought you were my friend."  She crawled between Lizzie's legs and ran out of the room. 

        "But I am your friend," Lizzie called, but either Erin wasn't listening, or she didn't want to.