Click, the door opens and both of them stand tall, pretending to brave. No one would know by looking at them, that their minds are racing and the hot chocolate is about to be thrown up. Their hard glares could kill someone but the moment the door swings open, their stares soften. Silas sheds a tear.
"Mumma?" He squeaks out, Birdie nods. She's standing in the doorway, relief spread across her face.
Running, both Silas and Birdie are sprinting towards each other, arms wide open. Tears pouring down both faces. They collide in the middle. Clinging onto each other like they are the only two in the world. Squeezing so hard it's surprising that one hasn't turned purple.
"I thought you were dead," Audrey hears Birdie whisper into his jumper. A sob sounds out from Silas. She lets go of him once she remembers Audrey is behind him. "Give me a second."
A sigh passes through her lips, then Birdie pulls Audrey close. Surprisingly, she's warm and cuddly which Audrey doesn't expect, shouldn't she be mad that Audrey took her son to an abandoned town.
"I missed you too, Audrey-Shay," Birdie murmers and Audrey hugs her back.
Silas joins in on their hug and for a few moments, they're silent. Something tells both of them Birdie already knows about Fate.
"Would you like to go and see your brothers and father?" Birdie asks and Silas smiles slightly. Audrey can feel her heart drop to her stomach and a rope tighten around her neck. All three leave the Condor to meet the family, Audrey trails behind at a slower pace. She fiddles with her hands.
"Silas!" A small voice screams, "oh Audrey!" Bo flies into her stomach, Audrey hugs him back. Everett slings his arms over Silas. Then a few moments pass, all cuddles are over.
Oit delivers his son a handshake and lumbers away.
Everyone stares after him as his figure becomes a spec in the distance. Bo slips his hands into Audrey's, then on the other side of her, Birdie slips her hand into both her's and Silas'. Finally, Everett joins in on the wall of people.
Four hours later and they're all crowding around Oit's kitchen table, minus Oit, laughing about all the dumb things the duo have done on their adventure.
"And then Fate told me that they ate the mouldy vegetables," Mirk tells them all. Even Silas and Audrey giggle over their glasses.
"Stupid children," Birdie chuckles and taps them on the back of their heads.
"On a more serious note," everybody pauses as Mirk speaks. "I believe I have found a way to keep the portal open, permanently."
"So I can pass through whenever I want?" Audrey asks, not believing it.
"Eventually," he says, "at first your going to have to wait for it to regenerate."
"Regenerate?" Asks Bo.
"Wait until the Portal has enough energy to take another journey," Mirk replies.
"I don't want Audrey to leave," he says and pouts.
"Same, your such a good friend," Silas gives Audrey a side hug.
"Well, it is up to Audrey. She has a life and a family." Birdie speaks directly to her boys. Audrey's mind wanders to Taylor and Tate and Theo, their parents as well, welcoming her into their lives when she needed it the most. How they deserve at least three months more with her before she goes missing again, how they deserve a thank you and a goodbye hug.
"I want to go home again, see my family," she can't wait to hug her best friend and maybe meet her little sister.
"Then let's get started."
YOU ARE READING
The Portal - Pain Is The Password
FantasyAudrey-Shay, she is an incredibly smart young woman, getting all As is her thing. Her art is brilliant, featured many times around her school. She has a secret and only one family knows of it, well they only know half. Abused. Suddenly a portal li...
