The Forbidden Side

Erin

Yuck.  Erin couldn't believe she was about to jump into a dumpster to search for a prophecy that would decide her fate.  Well, actually, it did sound pretty reasonable to her.  But what would the people of Home think when she walked around smelling like garbage.  But why would I care what they think, I'm supposed to take them down!

            Justin jumped up and down.  He was the only one who seemed excited about jumping into trash.  Erin couldn't imagine why, but her brother was only seven years old and was getting dragged into this, so why not let the boy have his fun. 

            Adam kneeled down and laced his fingers together.  Justin stepped on them and fell into the dumpster.  "Anything?"  Adam asked.

            "No," his voice echoed. Justin looked up at them. "But look, the crown disappeared."

They all looked up. The crown was gone. Oh, great, Erin thought.

            Erin stepped back to see the whole dumpster.  It was huge, maybe a little bigger than the typical Home house.  It looked like it used to be shiny silver, but had aged over time and was now dull and rusty with dents everywhere.  Erin wondered how deep it was.  She hoped she wouldn't have to find out.           

            "You guys need to get down here!"  Justin called.  Just her luck.  The triplets climbed into the dumpster, and the smell instantly got to them.  Erin made a face and pinched her nose with her pointer finger and thumb.  It smelled like rotting fish and moldy cheese.  Gross. 

            The dumpster was extremely deep, maybe about six feet.  The ground was gravel, not metal like Erin expected.  Using the light from ground level, Erin found her way to her little brother.  He stood in front of a small safe.  "I think the prophecy's in here," Justin whispered.

            Erin nodded.  She saw Lizzie fidgeting with a necklace Erin had never noticed.   It had a gold chain with a question mark in the middle, also gold.  Justin wore a pin on his shirt with two horizontal lines curling up in the back.   Adam and she didn't have necklaces and pins relating to their powers.  What else had they missed?

            " - the safe," Justin was saying.

"What?"  Erin asked.

            "We don't have a way to open the safe."

            "Lizzie can I see your necklace?"  Erin walked over to her sister.  Lizzie took the necklace off over her head and handed it to Erin by the chain.  Erin jammed the gold dot of the question mark into the keyhole and twisted.  She smiled, remembering when Adam had done the same thing with her bobby pin in the Main Building.  Life used to be somewhat normal.

            She heard a click and looked over.  Another yellow glow illuminated the dumpster.  The safe was only a six-inch square, but it was so deep, Erin could've shoved her little brother in there.  She was mulling over the thought when someone called her name.  She felt her way through the blinding, yellow glow to the safe.  Her hands shielding her eyes, she asked, "What?"

            "Look," Justin whispered, eyes wide.  In the middle of the glow, in the center of the safe, on the metal ground, sat a scroll.  Its paper was faded and yellow with holes all over.  A golden ribbon held it together.  Erin walked toward it in slow motion.  Every step she took made a thud on the gravel ground.  Her hand reached for it.  Sweat clung to her forehead, though it was cool in the giant dumpster.  She wiped it away, but the sweat stayed on her hand.  She was close enough to touch the prophecy now.  Her right hand reached for it.  Down, down, down until scratch.  The paper was rough like a snake's skin.  The holes were like craters on a mini-moon.  Droplets of water appeared on the paper when Erin's hand touched it.  Sweat.  Her nerves were everywhere.  She couldn't do it!  Couldn't look at her future.  Rage and confusion built up inside her until - She closed her eyes and took deep breaths.  In, out, in, out, in, out.  She opened her eyes and the confusion diminished.  The rage faded.  The sweat disappeared and so did her anxiety.  She picked up the paper.  It was cold and rough like an ice cube.  It cooled her body down.  Erin took another deep breath.  She felt her hand grasp the paper.  Her fingers wrapped around it.  She pulled the scroll out of its glowing safe.  It was exposed now.  Anyone could read it.  The thought chilled Erin.  Her hand froze as it carried the scroll up out of the safe and towards the others.  In, out, in, out, in, out.  Her hand heated up.  Soon, the scroll was by her other hand.  They worked together to untie the also glowing golden ribbon.  Glowing was becoming a theme in Erin's life.  The ribbon was made of silk and felt nice on Erin's fingers.  It was soothing but rough, reminding her that she should be calm, but she was about to find out her future.  It was with shaking fingers that the ribbon untied.  She turned away.  What would it be like to see her future?  What if it's dangerous?  What if we can't do it?  What if...  She felt the paper being lifted out of her hand, and it felt like a huge weight was also lifted off her shoulders.  Just holding it made Erin feel pressured.  To one side of her, Erin heard a sob.  Just a little one, like the person was trying to hide it, but it was still there.  She turned around and saw messy blonde hair and wet, rosy cheeks. 

            "Justin, what's wrong?"  Did he open it?  Was their future that bad?

            "I - I cut my finger on the scroll," he whined.  Erin rolled her eyes.  She saw that Adam was holding the prophecy.  His hands were unrolling the wrapped up paper.  She almost cried, don't! but held herself back.  Then, very slowly, Adam's eyes widened and he began to read...