HalfWorlder #Wattys2017

Chapter 12-We follow a hunch

 "You heard them right?" Alexandra was saying. "We have to stay with Ryan and Amisi, where we will be safe."

"Yeah, I heard them." I kicked the dirt as I watched mom and Morty take off. I blocked the dust from getting in my eyes. This was crazy leaving us behind.

Ryan and Amisi walked up.

"Ryan, you're a linguist, right?" Alexandra said. "So you understand the nuances of language?" She cocked her head.

"Yep. I do. C'est vrai. Eso es verdad. Zhè shì zhēn de. That's true."

Amisi knocked into him with her elbow. "Show off."

Alexandra shook her head at him, but ignored it. "So, would you please help me understand something Gil's mom said to us before they left?"

Ryan nodded.

"She said we have to stay with you and Amisi so we'll be safe. She, however, failed to specify a location."

Ryan raised his eyebrows at this, and a crooked grin appeared, though he tried to hide it.

Oh good grief, Alexandra. That's what you were trying to tell me!

"So maybe we can do a little detective work from somewhere more useful than the middle of nowhere!" Her words grew louder and louder until she huffed and threw her hands on her hips and a geyser exploded nearby. Ryan grinned.

"I mean it's crazy staying here! I can't believe they expect you two to sit still while they go off to save the world either! You may be young Oasens, but this is way bigger than two people! I can't believe Helen and Morty!" She was fuming mad. She didn't even call him dad.

Ryan's eyes darkened and Amisi's cheeks pinked up. We were getting somewhere. I jumped right in to help. "Here's the deal guys, mom and Morty think they have all this figured out, but they don't. They're following my dad blindly to Palenque where what, they will all of the sudden be able to find a trace of them when the other team couldn't? I get it. They are trying to be strong for you all because they are your leaders, but they have nothing solid to go on and they're refusing to check any other possibilities, no matter how flimsy. They aren't sending anyone to pursue them. That's foolishness considering the end of the world is at stake!"

"You mean the professor in Cairo your dad visited?" Amisi asked.

"Yes, exactly. I know it's a long shot, but I have a hunch we're supposed to follow in his footsteps."

"Palenque was a long shot too – for your dad."

"I don't know, guys." Ryan shielded his eyes from the sun. It was hotter than normal today, especially for Montana in the summer. "Morty is right. You two are you pretty young and only half bloods ..."

I grinned. Ryan loved Harry Potter.

He caught my smirk.

"Ryan, come on. You're one of the smartest guys I know. You'll come at this from a differently than our parents because you've lived here so long. Your perspective's wasted staying here. But we have to do this together. Half-blood or not."

"She called him by name!" Alexandra blurted out. "In Gil's dreams, the girl in the knot's always reaching for him. It's like she knows the answer lies with him. How can we stay home when that girl's telling us Gil is the guy! It's foolishness!" She threw her hands up in the air exasperated.

Ryan put his hand up to stop us from saying another word and pulled Amisi to the side. They had a hurried conversation and came right back.

"Honestly guys, we weren't planning on staying here another five minutes. We just weren't planning on taking you with us." Ryan's brow furrowed. "But, we can't help but agree with Alexandra about the girl in Gil's dreams."