AFTERLAND and The Cryptic Prophecy

07: The Golden Swipe Card

Something twisted deep inside me, wondering what I should feel for seeing a classmate from third grade. I mean, it was a good thing, but the bad thing was, it reminded me of something I refuse to remember. The guy with hazel-brown eyes waited for my response, as if he wanted me to reveal who won the title of the new Miss Universe.

"Harris Baltimore?" I asked to clarify.

"Yes, it's me!" His white teeth could blind me anytime for smiling widely. His eyes were bright as sun with high spirit, opposite to my eyes full of dismay. I twitched a smile, and obviously, it was a fake one.

"A reunion, huh?" Dior said, making faces.

"It doesn't surprise me at all," said the professor. "Actually, Charlie, your mom suggested enrolling Harris at the school you were attending back then," he explained.

I mentioned my mom was a teacher, and she handled English and music at Golden Children Academy. That's where I attended third grade and where Harris and I met. Bear with me if I forgot to mention, but Franco, Dior and I did not attend the same primary school.

"So, you met this guy before?" Franco asked.

"Unfortunately-" I cleaned my throat, "I mean... Yes!" I said and smirked.

"I knew it. That explains why your face looks familiar when I saw you earlier," Harris expressed. I could still see his white teeth as he smiled. Seemed he had already forgotten everything he did years ago. Men truly have a habit of forgetting things.

"I felt the same when I saw you," I said.

"But what happened to your hair? Where is your bangs?" he asked, looking at my long and wavy blonde hair. I didn't expect him to drop that question.

"She got rid of it because of some childhood tragedy," Franco answered. "Which we don't know until now."

"Will you please stop answering questions for me?" I stamped my foot in annoyance, trying hard not to strangle him.

Like most girls at my age, I had an interest in fashion, hairstyles, and make-up, but I wasn't really that type who loves to talk about it. Besides, was it necessary to talk about my hair while we're in the middle of trouble?

"You seem not thrilled to see him, huh?" Diordin whispered at me, but they could still hear her voice throughout the living room.

"Maybe she's just-" I interrupted Harris because I sensed he was about to reveal something from the past I didn't want to hear.

"We're just in the wrong moment to talk about me," I said. "You may have forgotten. We have to deal with something more important." I clenched my jaw while staring at Franco and Diordin. And yes, I said it to escape from the issue and change the topic.

"Why? What happened?" Professor Diogo asked.

The three of us looked at each other, waiting for someone to say that we needed to disturb his peaceful life. I love reading, but I had a weakness in telling a story. Do you remember when dad asked me about mom? It took a while before he got my point. Disastrous!

"Professor, our parents..." Dior gasped. "They are missing."

Confusion grew on his face. "What do you mean by missing?"

"They disappeared last night. We believe someone abducted and imprisoned them somewhere in Afterland," replied Franco.

"My mom even sent us a message written in a floating blue flame. It's a warning not to enter that world," I added.

The professor lowered his head, brushing his long beard.

"The cryptic prophecy," he said in a small voice, but I heard him.