The Forbidden Side

Erin

As soon as she said it, Erin wished it wasn't true. The memory of her brother's hurt faces flashed into her mind and haunted her. The thought of facing them again... Erin shivered. All she could do was watch when Lizzie closed her eyes and disappeared in a blink of light. But Erin didn't want to teleport back to her house. She couldn't face the boys, she couldn't face her mother for running away again, and she couldn't face Katie - that girl scared her!

Erin crawled back into the metal tunnel, and back into the dumpster. There was no ladder leading up to the crystal blue skies of Home, six feet above her. She could just make out tiny shreds of dull, dewy grass above her. She would have preferred the graying Home to this smelly garbage can.

Erin closed her eyes and concentrated. She pictured the dull, cloudy skies and dewy grass. She opened her eyes and... she was there. Her teleportation worked flawlessly.

Erin lay in the grass. It was not at all lush. The color was like a green that was taken over by a grey. It was pointy and sharp and pricked at her. The dew soaked her pants. This is what I get for landing in Home grass.

Erin got up and brushed herself off. She paced in a circle, trying to dry her jeans. She felt a pair of eyes on the back of her head. Erin quickly whipped around, sending her light brown curls flying into her face. Her blue eyes searched the landscape. She looked at every plant or object in the field for one minute before turning her attention to the next. But then she saw her.

Erin recognized the girl instantly, after all, she wasn't an easily forgettable person.

Straight brown hair, dark brown eyes, light blue shirt, and a skirt. She looked like every other girl in Home, but Erin saw right through her identical appearance. She saw the girl's Junior Patrol badge on the right sleeve of her shirt. Erin also noticed the nametag embroidered into the front of her shirt, but Erin knew girl without needing to read it.

KATHERINE.

In a bold font, the name was stitched into the shirt. Erin felt her cheeks get hot.

Then, they rolled in.

Hot balls of pain that stung her face. They were holding so much: anger, disappointment, betrayal. Lots of betrayal. Then, they popped. Waterfalls of emotion drizzled down. They permeated her shirt, burning holes in the clothing.

"Katherine?" She whispered.

"Well, you can obviously read," the girl said slyly. She smirked.

"What happened to you?" Erin asked.

"What are you talking about?" Katherine asked. "Nothing happened to me, and who even are you? What are you doing out past Home curfew, only Patrolers are allowed out."

"You don't remember me?"

"I couldn't tell you who you are if your name was stitched on your shirt," Katie pointed to her name tag. "But I can tell you that you're weird and breaking a Home rule, so I'm reporting you." She picked up a walkie-talkie that was looped around her belt. "Attention all Patrolers," she spoke into the communication device, "there is a citizen out past curfew by the Dumpster. Well, actually, she could be from the Forbidden Side, all Patrolers needed here, now!"

Erin looked to her left and right and saw Patrollers coming form either side. I guess facing my brothers is better than being arrested. Erin closed her eyes and pictured her house. She remembered how beautiful it was, especially compared to the houses in Home. Erin felt a set Patroler's arms grab at her, right before she disappeared.

In seconds, Erin was back at her home. She looked around, absorbing the color. When her eyes reached the driveway, Erin saw Lizzie sitting on the asphalt, staring out in to the street. "Erin!" She said, and a smile appeared on her face.

"Hey," Erin said, sitting down. "What are you thinking about?"

Lizzie only shrugged.

Erin sighed. She looked away from her sister, and into the sunlight. It was peaking out from behind a small forest across the street. Erin had never noticed that forest, and the fact that the sun was highlighting, spotlighting it, made Erin think there was something in there. It didn't even have to be a big clue, just something to push her and her sister along; something to tell them how two twelve-year-old girls were supposed to save their community.

"Lizzie," Erin started, "you've lived here longer than me, have you ever been in that forest?" She pointed across the street, into the sun.

Lizzie seemed to be lost on her thoughts. She stared into the sunlight while twirling a piece of her hair. "Um, yeah," she replied, finally answering, "yeah I have been in that forest. We all have, including you and Adam."

"Wait, what?" Erin asked, not expecting that answer.

"Me, you, and Adam, we were all five. It was the day before you disappeared. Julia and Justin were little, and Katie was nine or ten. I think it might have been playing in that forest that made you two disappear. I know what you're thinking, Erin. Don't go in there, please."

Erin could tell there was something her sister wasn't telling her. Something important that they needed to know. And she knew exactly who to talk to.

"Lizzie, let's go inside," she said. "It's, um, hot out here." Lizzie looked over at her. She stared at Erin, and their matching eyes locked for awhile. Erin had a feeling Lizzie knew what she was planning, but Erin shrugged it off. She prayed her eyes away from her sister and walked toward the front door. She turned around to see if Lizzie was following her. But Lizzie was still sitting on the hot asphalt, looking at the forest. Erin stood at the door for a long time watching her sister. The she turned the handle, went inside, and headed for her genius sister's room. Erin could count on her for the answers.