Forlot - Books 1-3 {Completed}

Chapter Eight

Hearing her, I quickly put the picture back in the folder and closed the folder. I lifted some blank papers that were scattered over my desk and hid the folder between the papers.

I did not want anybody, besides my brother, to know about or see the photos. Not even Aunt Katrina.

"Gretel, what are you doing?" my aunt asked. From the corner of my eye, I noticed her closing my bedroom door. She walked to my desk. "Are you working on something?"

"Uh, yes," I replied, trying my best to not stammer. I could feel my legs shaking. My fingers quivering. "I am...uh..."

"Doing homework?" Aunt Katrina finished for me.

"Yes...yes!" I grabbed a pencil. "I-I have to catch up on my homework."

Crub, Gretel. Stop stammering! You will give yourself away.

She smiled and leaned over, examining the papers on the desk. "Why are you concentrating on your homework? You and Hansel skipped school today. You went to your parents' workplace."

I growled and mumbled under my breath. "Only to be fired afterwards."

"Pardon me?" She pushed up her glasses. "What did you say?"

I tossed my pencil onto the desk - and burst out crying.

I could not help it. I could not hold in the waterworks or my sadness. I was disappointed - no, furious! - with Mom and Dad. First, they make us move out of a happy town called Forlot and into a city. Then, they force us to live in a crub apartment with bugs and other small animals that can kill. And to add icing on the cake, they get fired from their only job. As news reporters.

And now...

"They...they are going to have a baby..." I said between sniffles.

"Oh, dear," Katrina said. She grabbed a chair and set it next to me. She sat in it and wiped the tears that were streaming down my cheeks. "Shh. It is okay, Gretel. I am here now."

I slowly raised my head and glanced up at her. "Yeah...you are here."

Katrina embraced me in a hug, and I rested my head on her chest. "I am with you."

"Yes...you are with me..."

I was happy and relieved that my aunt had come to the hideous apartment and was visiting the family. I told you that she had my and Hansel's best interests. She does not ignore us. She hears what we have to say and tries to assist each of us. She has a pure heart.

Sometimes, I wished that she would stay with me and Hansel. Heck, I wished that she was the one who was taking care of us, not our parents.

I pulled away from the hug and slightly smiled. "Thank you for comforting me, Aunt Katrina," I thanked. "I love your company."

My aunt grinned. "You are welcome," she responded. "I do want to help you and Hansel in any way that is possible." She crossed her legs. "Do you and your brother miss Forlot?"

I nodded. "Absolutely. It remains our favorite place to be. We had an enormous and wonderful home. We became friends with so many people, even people around our age."

"Your age?" Katrina took a piece of paper and fiddled with it. "Let me guess. Around fifteen to seventeen years old?"

"No!" Knowing that she was teasing me, I gently slapped her. "Hansel and I are the same age. We are eleven years old."

"Hmm. I am not convinced." She created a paper airplane. "You two are too young to be so smart and bright." She launched the paper airplane into the air, and the airplane flew around my bedroom before taking a nosedive on my bed.

I giggled. "We get it from you, Katrina. You are creative as well."

She also giggled. "Now that would make the most sense, would it not?"

She suddenly kicked her left leg and hit the side of my right leg.

"Ouch," I said as I held my leg and rubbed it.

"Sorry," Aunt Katrina spoke. "Did I hurt you?"

I shook my head. "You hit me, but you did not hit me hard."

"I am truly sorry." She got out of her seat. "I felt something on my leg. Like biting." Katrina motioned to under the desk, and we peered.

And spotted a scorpion.

A huge scorpion.

"Ah!" I screamed. "Not another one!"

"Gretel, calm down," Katrina said in a low tone as she grabbed ahold of me and hoisted me from my chair. She set me on the edge of my bed and glared at the scorpion. "Come and get me, you poor excuse for a monster."

Keeping her eyes on the creature, Aunt Katrina moved to my desk.

Closer and closer. Inch by inch.

The scorpion raised its pinchers and tail, getting ready to strike. Its black eyes locked on my aunt.

My body shook in fear, and I clutched the folder. I had gotten the folder right before Katrina got me away.

"Do not be shy," my aunt talked to the deadly scorpion. "All that I want is for you to leave this room at once. Is that too much to ask?"

Apparently, it was too much to ask of the scorpion. The scorpion hissed...

...wait. Can scorpions even hiss?

And I cried out as it jumped on her.

"Ah!"

I jumped off my bed and ran out of the room. "Mom! Dad!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "Katrina is being attacked by a scorpion! The scorpion was in my room!"

I stopped and rested against the wall. I was catching my breath. My heart pounded rapidly. Sweat poured from my forehead, and my shoelaces were now untied. I sinked to the floor and held the folder in front of my face.

"'Forlot,'" I read it again.

I opened the folder and searched for a specific picture.

The photo of the house. With the pair of eyes.

But I could not find it.

It was gone.