𝓟𝐫𝗼𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝓢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐞

Chapter #15 - Keefe

Chapter #15 - Keefe

Amy was frighteningly stubborn.

From her sharp, green-eyed stare to her fierce stance to her sure words, it was clear to Keefe that there would be no changing her mind. So he took a few deep breaths and focused on how he was feeling at that moment to stay calm— except calm wasn't really a word to describe Keefe Sencen.

And, if he was being honest, he mostly felt... cold.

"It's fr-ee-z-in-ingggg," Amy said, beating him to it. All Keefe could do was nod in agreement. Even though spring was beginning, it was still awfully chilly. He tried to find a trail of warmth in the air he could use to help regulate his body temperature— but didn't have to as soon as he felt the warmth of someone's hand on his shoulder.

He turned around. There was a couple— a woman and a man— both with white-blonde hair and gray eyes. Human eyes.

"You must be lost," the man asked. Based on the perplexed look on Amy's face, he must've asked it in another language. But Keefe was still too caught up on the words themselves. "You must be lost" was the first thing Keefe had ever said to Sophie. Just the thought of that happy memory in his favorite ditching spot— which now seemed heartbreaking to think about— made Keefe get choked up.

It was so.

Hard.

Not.

To.

Think about her!

"Uh, we're..." he said in the man's language— probably Swedish. It was so strange to Keefe how humans spoke different languages depending on their culture. Though, he supposed, it would've been pretty helpful to know multiple languages for pranking if he ever needed to tell someone his plan without adults understanding.

He tried to think of a quick cover story. "Yeah, we're lost. I'm Keefe, and this is my sister Amy. She can't speak Swedish, but we were, er, camping nearby when we got lost."

Concerned, the woman asked, "Without your parents?"

"Our parents, uh, trusted that I could watch Amy without them. We need somewhere to stay for the rest of the day, and tonight." That could buy Keefe some time to come up with a more permanent lodging idea.

"You can stay with us," the man said, "We were out for a hike and live a few miles away." He pointed to a nearby tree, in which there was a clunky machine with four wheels and the word 'Volkswagen' on the side. "We can drive you back to our house."

Keefe looked at the machine in abject horror.

This must be what humans called cars.

He had seen them plenty back when he was in Cambridge— and on the other times he had been in the Forbidden Cities in the past— but he never considered he'd have to ride one.

Amy looked at his expression, amused. "It's just a car," she whispered in what was either English or The Enlightened Language. Either way, the Swedish couple didn't understand it.

He whispered back, "We have to ride in it?"

"Or we could just leap back to the Lost Cities..."

Keefe shook his head. He wasn't going back. It was too dangerous.

The man led them to the car, the woman following. "I'm Alice," she said, "and this is my husband, Elijah." Keefe nodded as he crawled into the back of the car, terrified as heck. But he couldn't go back.

He had to stay.

***

"Make yourselves comfortable," Elijah said, "My wife's cooking dinner, but in the meantime, we should probably call your parents so they can come get you. I assume you don't have a phone, or you would've called them already. Do you know their phone number?"