Forlot - Books 1-3 {Completed}

Chapter Seven

"Hey, do you guys hear that?" I said to Damian and Maxine.

Nell crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. She was lying in the seat, her back against the window. "Are you imagining things again, Nigel?" she asked.

"No, Nell. I am not imagining things. I have not imagined anything to begin with."

"Oh, really?" She placed her hands in her lap. "You do not remember the shadow incidents?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Shadow incidents?"

"Nigel, do not be so naive. You know exactly what I mean. When you and your dad arrived to Forlot at the beginning of the year. When you were the new student at school."

"What are you babbling about?" Maxine spoke up. "Nonsense?"

Nell shook her head. "How can they be nonsense when they are true? That they actually happened?"

Maxine looked at me. "What is she talking about?"

I looked down. I now realized what Nell meant.

I began having the shadow dreams as soon as my dad and I moved to this small town. All of the dreams were horrible. Just horrible. It was no wonder that I had trouble sleeping, even after months passed of getting used to the fact that my mom was never coming back.

Mom...

I suddenly cried. I could not hold it in.

I missed her so much. Why her?! Why did she have to die?!

Images of her flashed in my mind.

Her long, flowing hair. Her nice and smooth skin.

Her hugs and kisses.

The smile that she always gave me whenever I was upset.

Like now.

I felt someone pulling me close. I slowly lifted my head.

It was Maxine.

She had her arms wrapped around me, hugging me. She brushed my hair away from my eyes. "What is wrong?" she asked. "Did that mean girl hurt your feelings?"

"I heard that!" Nell yelled.

"Stop talking to him like he is a baby, Maxine," Damian pointed out.

"I am not. I am just trying to get to the bottom of this mystery."

Damian ran a hand through his hair. "So are the readers, but there are many twists and turns."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "I am fine," I said. "People cry from time to time. It is no big deal."

"But there is usually a reason that goes along with it," Maxine stated. "What is your reason?"

"Uh..." I did not want to tell her about my mother. Not how she was great. Not how she died. That was private information, and I was not okay sharing it with anybody. Besides, I would get even more upset than I already was.

"You can tell me." She patted my leg. "I promise that I will not tell anyone."

I wanted to get off this topic. Right away.

I then noticed something around her neck. It was a necklace. I examined it closely. A purple and beautiful stone dangled by what looked to be a white string. The stone was small, but not too small. It could fit in the palm of your hand.

"I like your necklace," I told her. That was true.

"Oh." She glanced at the necklace, and then back at me. Her face saddened. "I get it. You do not want to tell me what is bothering you." She clutched the stone tightly. "That is alright. I will stay out of your business." She turned to the window and hummed a tune to herself.

I felt bad. I did not want her to be sad.

"Maxine, where did you get a necklace like that?" I spoke. "It is wonderful."

Maxine did not answer me.

"Please. I am sorry. It is just...it is hard to have a conversation about...my mom."

"Your mom?" she finally responded. "What is wrong with your mom?"

I hesitated before speaking. "My...my mom is dead."

Maxine whipped her head around and glared at me. "You too?"

"Huh?" I could feel my palms getting sweaty. "Y-your mom is gone?"

She shook her head. "No, but I did lose a family member of mine last week." She took off her necklace and handed it to me. "My grandfather made this necklace for me when I was a little girl. I treasured the necklace all of my life because it was a gift from somebody who I cherished dearly." Maxine paused, and then continued. "Then...my grandfather...he passed away at the beginning of last week."

"I am very sorry for loss."

"Same for you." I could see that she was trying to hold back tears. "You must really miss your mother. If I lost my mother, I...I would not know what to do."

I slowly nodded, and she took my hand into hers, and I could feel my cheeks getting hot.

Why was that?

"If you do not mind me asking, how...how did she die?" Maxine questioned. "My grandfather died from an illness."

"...car crash," I confessed. "The police still do not have a clue on what caused the crash. Though, do you want to know what the weird part was?"

"What?"

"They could not find any trace of her body. None."

"That happened to me. Or should I say, my grandfather. When he died, my parents and I could not locate his body anywhere."

"Weird stuff."

A blue butterfly swooped in from an open window and perched itself on my shoulder.

"Well, would you look at that?" I said.

"Awe. That is a beautiful butterfly," Maxine commented, smiling.

"My mom was a butterfly lover. She loved the blue butterflies the most."

"She probably sent that butterfly to you from above, letting you know that she is watching over you."

"Yeah. I wish that she was here though."

"Shoo!" Damian said, shooing the butterfly away from me.

"Damian, it is okay," I said. "It—" I was going to say more, when I heard a scream.

And then a crash.

And my whole world turned black.

Literally.