Ultraviolet

Epilogue: One Year Later

(Author's Note: In some places, you will see three dashes in a row. Those are meant to resemble an em dash. I just put them there because there's not an actual character on the keyboard for the em dash, so I would have had to go copy one to paste every time I wanted to write. It was easier for me to replace them with three dashes.)

Recently, I received two letters. One popped out of the hole in my Prophecy Ring and is from Nopira, Turo, and Rukni. That letter reads as follows, "April 17, 1932. Hey, Dianne! This is Turo, but Nopira and Rukni are here looking over my shoulder as I write this. I asked Pimana if there was a way I could meet up with them so we could write this letter to you together. Basically, she gave me this cool necklace that allows me to enter and leave the First Reality, but it only has one use. She said she'll make me another one in a few months so we can write another letter together. Anyway, the First Reality is crazy! It's always dark, and I can never see a thing! I don't know how you dealt with this nonsense. On another note, we just wanted to see how you were doing. Wherever you are, we hope you're having a great time back in the Second Reality. All of us really miss you. Life is so boring now that we don't have an epic quest to go on. We have a few questions for you. What have you been up to? Where do you live? (We know a little bit about Neutrality's geography, so we'll probably know what you mean.) Who are your family members, pets, and other friends? Honestly, we're looking for anything we can get. We learned a lot about you and your personality on our journey, but we don't know much about your life. Dianne, we wish you the best. Stay happy and healthy, and never get up. You're a true hero. Never forget that. Love, Turo, Nopira, and Rukni. (P. S. You better write us back soon! We'll never forgive you if you don't!)"

I wrote them back a letter answering their questions just this morning. I'm glad they didn't forget about me. It feels nice to have a pen pal, so I plan to exchange letters with them very frequently. I hope they agree.

The other letter was sent by my mother, as odd as it sounds. She sent me to go check the mail yesterday afternoon, and I found it in the mailbox. That letter reads as follows, "April 23, 1932. Hello, dear. I miss you so much, but you can't come home quite just yet. I firmly believe that you are recovering, so I don't think you will have to stay in the mental institution for very much longer. For now, just do your best to hang on and stay positive. You have a very bright future, and as soon as you are dismissed, you will be able to pursue your dreams. Please try to stay cheerful for the time being. Sincerely, your loving mother."

I had been out of the Hopskinsville Insane Asylum for a long time by that day, so the letter being sent on that date is very out of the ordinary. What is also strange is that when I asked my mother about the letter, she pretended like she didn't know what I was talking about. I showed it to her and she denied ever writing it! She told me that she hadn't written a letter since the '20s. I found this very strange, and I have been thinking about it ever since the matter arose last week. I don't think my mother would lie to me, so there must be some explanation for the letter's existence. Oh well, I suppose I should not trouble myself about it. I'll figure it out some other time.