SEVENTEEN years to Live

22 ●○► SEPHRED

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

●○► SEPHRED

It’s nice to be back. I’m home! We’re home! We’re finally here and we’re finally going to see the others who stayed. I’ve missed them. So much. I’m smiling right now like I have no expiration and I can already live my life forever.

I look at everybody and see the look of wonder and excitement etching on their faces. Janine is smiling the same smile I have. Sephred is staring at the house like he has already seen it before. Bryan is just watching the others. And Beth? She is now beginning to cry.

I run quietly to the door, raising my balled hand and preparing to knock. The others follow me behind. I look at them over my shoulder and smile.

“Go ahead,” says Bryan.

And the others nod in agreement.

I turn my head back to door, pausing for a second as though contemplating if it is the right thing to do. I suck in a deep breath and sigh through my mouth before I pound my hand gently on the door. We wait. Then there is a sound of footsteps coming to answer us. The knob clicks and appears inside is Heather and Kate, both with overjoyed faces.

***

“Mary!” The sound of Kate’s voice booms in my ears as she throws her petite arms around me. I can’t tell how happy I am to finally see her. The thought makes me want to cry and hug her as tight as I can. “I missed you. I missed you.” She keeps repeating the words in my ears and I can feel the sleeves of my shirt getting wet with tears.

“I missed you too, Kate,” I say.

There is a moment of silence just between the two of us. Behind me, I can hear someone sobbing. Finally Kate pulls back. She may have noticed something behind me that makes her curious. Her eyes look past me and I see tears spill from her eyes.

“Beth!” she yells, her name escaping her lips like a torrent of water.

I glance behind me at Beth. Her eyes meet Kate’s and she begins to cry harder. As I am watching them, I feel a tear run down my face. I can’t help it. I can’t stop it. Who’s not going to cry when you see your best friends crying?

Kate hurries toward Beth. She flings her arms around her and squeezes her tight. When she draws back, she asks her, “What happened to you? Why did they capture you?”

Beth shakes his head reluctantly. “Nothing happened to me. I’m fine. And I don’t know yet why they captured me.”

“Are you sure you’re fine?”

“I’m one-hundred percent sure, Kate. I’m perfectly fine. There’s nothing to worry about. I’m here now. That’s all that matters.”

Then Kate hugs her again, and there is a minute of silence.

I look past the girls and see Sephred standing in the shadows. For sure nobody has noticed that someone else is in here, that we took someone other than Beth home. Sephred is very still there, not moving, trying not to make a sound. Then for a second his eyes meet mine and the thought of introducing him to Kate and Heather surfaces in my head.

“By the way,” I begin, catching Kate and Heather’s attention immediately. “There is someone I want to introduce you. And he’s one of the reasons why Beth is finally home.”

Kate throws me a curious look. “Who?”

I walk to Sephred, and their eyes follow my direction. He smiles a shy smile and takes a small step back, making them finally notice him.