How?

Chapter One

Sunlight streamed through the bedrooms windows, waking me up. I yawned slowly and sat up. A delicious swell floated into the room. Alex was up. I got out of bed and walked downstairs, still wrapped in a fuzzy blanket.

......

"Morning Sleepyhead!" Alex said as I trusted into the kitchen. She left the stove and walked over to me. She wrapped me in a hug.

"Morning Alex," I said sleepily.

"Coffee or Hot Cocoa?" She asked me.

"Hot Cocoa," I said. She kissed my forehead then walked back to the stove and started heating up some milk. I walked over to the living room and sat down on the couch. I picked up the TV remote and flicked through the channels. I scrolled and saw that Born to Die was on. I clicked that.

"One Hot Cocoa incoming," Alex said as she walked into the living room. She was also carrying a plate of breakfast. She set them on the coffee table beside me before getting a plate for herself. She sat down beside me and we started eating.

"You made a pie?" I asked her, looking down at the piece on my plate.

"No, it's the one Mrs.Smith brought over." She smiled. "It's apple."

"Is Mrs.Smith the one with five dogs, lives two doors down?" I took a bite of my pie. That's one good pie.

"Yep, that's the one." She said. I sipped my Cocoa and looked over at the TV. It was at one of the saddest parts. Not just any sad part, the part where Rica dies. Tears welled in my eyes. Why did I put this on? I know I'm still recovering. Alex looked at me and saw the tears in my eyes. She grabbed my hand.

"Pheonix, you okay?" She asked softly, taking the remote from the table and turned the TV off.

"No." Tears started streaming down my cheeks.

"Hey, it's okay." She said, embracing me in a hug.

"She's gone Alex, like Rica. She's gone. And nothing can change that." I sobbed.

"I know. It's okay though." I looked up at her.

"It doesn't feel like it's okay," I said softly, tear still falling in large amounts.

"It might not feel okay but it'll feel okay in the end. And if it's not okay, then it's not the end." She kissed me on the forehead and wrapped me in a hug again. Something furry rubbed against my arm. We broke apart.

"Morning Luna." A white cat rubbed against my arm and mewed. I stroked her head.

"Better?" Alex said.

"Better." I smiled and wiped the tears off my face.

"Good." She kissed my cheek and stood up. Taking her empty plate with her. I picked up my fork to resume eating when the doorbell rang.

"I got it!" I called to Alex. I stood up and walked into the hallway. I opened the door.

Standing outside was an assortment of people, teenagers at that.

A skinny teenage boy with raven black hair and green eyes that wore glasses. A darker teen girl with large bushy brown hair. A tall long-nosed teenage boy with red hair and freckles. A teenage boy with pale skin and bleach blonde hair. Two older teenage boys that had identical red hair and mischievous facial expressions. A dreamy teen girl with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes and a red-haired teen girl that looked slightly younger than the others.

"Hello, how can I help you?" I asked them politely.

"Um, well, can you tell us where, um, where we are?" The bushy haired girl said with a heavy British accent, like Alex and mine.

"You're in Libby, Virginia. Why?" I said cautiously.

"Um, well..." The girl fidgeted.

"We don't know how we got here." The blonde boy said. He also sounded British.

"Um, okay..." I was confused. Why did they trigger a familiar feeling like, like...no. It isn't possible.

"Can we come in?" The raven-haired boy asked.

"Sure..." I stepped back and let them in. Carefully watching as they entered. If they didn't pass through the trap, then the thing would get difficult. I fingered the pitcher on the small table in the hallway. They walked in and walked towards the end of the hallway. I closed the door behind them and let go of the pitcher. They walked right over the trap.

"Follow me." I led them into the living room. "Please. Sit wherever."

"Thank you." The blonde girl said dreamily, then sat down on an ottoman.

"Pheonix? Who are these teenagers?" Alex said from the doorway of the kitchen.

"They need some help," I said as I walked over to her. Then whispered into her ear. "They're safe. They were able to walk across the hallway."

"Okay. Just checking." She whispered back, pulling her hand out of her pocket.

"So, how can we help you?" I asked the group of teens.

"Um, we aren't from around here..." The raven-haired boy started.

"We're lost." The blonde boy said.

"Okay. Where were you staying the night, like your hotel?" Alex asked them.

"Um..." The blonde looked at the others. Their eyes all got wide as if they hadn't expected this question.

"It's okay, you can tell us," Alex reassured them.

"School, in Britain..." The blonde girl said in a small dreamy voice.

"What's your school called?" I asked her. She looked at the others, as if unsure of what to say.

"You can tell us," Alex said softly.

"Hogwarts." One of the twins said. A small choking noise escaped my mouth. Alex's mug of tea shattered on the floor.