The Crystal Code

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Life went on at camp, as normal as it could be. Literally.

After Franky told me about Nayte, I noticed no one asked about Persia, as if no one remembered. But we did, Franky, Emma, Logan, Bethany, and I. We remembered the last water bender like it was yesterday, our memories intact.

Me and the boys visited the girls often, every so often, someone would glance at the closed, blue door. I had only the courage to go in with Franky once. We didn't touch anything, and if I did, Franky would literally kill me.

I had seen her shoes still thrown near the door, she had only taken her boots. Her tv was still on Netflix from binge watching with Emma and Bethany late into the night. I saw jeans coming out of the dresser and her still messy bed. On her bed was an open book that Emma had lended her. On her night stand, Franky had stopped and I think a tear escaped from out of his eyes. There was a yellowish letter, Chapstick, a hairbrush, and a white journal.

Franky had picked up the letter like It would have snapped in half if he so much as breathed wrong. I glanced quickly and I realized what it was, Persia's parent's letter. Franky carefully opened it and then took out another, smaller letter. This one wasn't open yet.

"She was to have read this on her eighteenth birthday." He whispered to me. I forgot that Persia wasn't even eighteen yet, and already saved the world. "Her birthday is in two months from now. Two months. Who knows when she'll be back, if she will come back at all..."

"Hey! Don't think like that. She's coming back." I was furious, he needed hope, what I had been trying to spoon-feed to everyone this whole time.

"I didn't even say goodbye. She left after an argument!" He gently placed the letter down and then found the tv controller from under her pillow. He clicked it off and then looking around one last time, he exited the room.

Alone, I looked around too. The white journal on her night stand caught my attention. I sat down and picked it up, I opened to the first page, it was full of sloppy letters in cursive. This was when Bethany had taught Persia to sign her name. I flipped to the next page, in big loopy letters, Persia Amber filled the page.

I smiled a little and then went to the next page to see Emma's small letters making a two page-long reading list. Only two books had been crossed off so far. She must have thought she'd have this much time. I thought. I shook my head and then flipped to the next page. It was the start of a journal. I fipped a few pages, there were only three dates written, each a page or so long.

Dear journal, (diary sounded too formal)

I just escaped the maze. I realized that life was too short and my friends needed a record of what happened. The world needed a record.

She then went into full detail of what exactly happened in the maze. Even how she felt about me, what she thought of everyone.

Even now I'm still traumatized, so scared at every turn I can barely think. The only reason I'm still able to stand is because of my friends, and Franky.

With some likeableness,
Persia A.

A tear finally escaped my eyes. I let myself collapse in that room as I read the next pages. Of a girl no one remembered, of a girl who had saved the world when I didn't need It. Didn't deserve it.

I shuddered under each breath I took. I finished reading what she had felt for the days after, even how she was confused of us.

Why her? I thought. Couldn't Gigi have been the one taken away. But then again I thought over and over again. Why did she leave? Why when her life.was so revolved around this camp, when it meant following that creepy kid into the woods. That was another thing. No one remembered Nayte at all. Everyone had forgot everything that happened. Seeing their smiling faces everyday after was a fact that they didn't know what had happened.

But we still did.

We remembered our friend for everything she was:
We remembered the way she laughed.
The way she smiled.
The way she concentrated.
The way she walked with that curious swagger.
And I remembered more.

They way we felt for eachother. I remember it more vividly then anything. They never brought her up anymore, at least not when they know I'm around.

It was hard not to notice the way Franky's eyes had faded, or that Emma could no longer hold her bow steady. Those two expessially didn't talk anymore. In a way, Emma had predicted Persia's going away. Franky could barely keep a conversation up. Emma no longer won every Archery contest, She couldn't sit still at lunch without whipping her head around, like Persia was going to walk in at any second.

It was espessially hard not to notice Bethany coming in almost every night to talk to Logan. No matter how many times Logan put up his wind shields, I could still hear her sobs.

"Its all my fault! She told me, she told me not to see Nayte. If I hadn't, he wouldn't have gotten in my head, he wouldn't have... have-"

"Bethany, calm down. She's going to come back, I promise."

"Do you really think so?" She whispered.

"Most definitely." Logan said even softer.

We all wondered that part too. In the woods she had promised to come back, promised to always come back. I hoped she was true, as true as her last words to me too. I love you.

Over and over and over again, even a month after, the thought kept reapearig in my thoughts... In my dreams. I love you.

The sadest part was, I didn't say I loved her back.