black crosses {ongoing | on hold}

[2] realization (INCOMPLETE)

Ryan

I am frozen right in place. My sister is gone and it is all because of this stupid, annoying virus thing. God, I don't even know what it is, but it's not like anyone knows to be honest. I run outside and there it is: a black cross etched clumsily on the front door. I stand staring at it like a complete fucking idiot for a minute.

Now there is literally no reason not to believe she's been transported to the Otherworld. I trudge sluggishly back inside, head clouded with emotions. Ok, just need the sun to shine through, then everything will be okay, right? But what signifies a sun? I thought randomly. What the fuck am I even thinking about? That makes literally no sense.

I am just about to go barging into Mike or Clara's room to tell them what had happened when I see an emerald-green glint on the wall next to the storage cupboard. I am able to deduct that the emerald is the object that Lana had touched.

She's only oblivious to obvious things but surprisingly, she notices every unobtrusive detail or thing. That's just how Lana works. In addition, she loves emeralds so it would've made perfect sense. Should I or not? If I do go, Mike and Clara will know where I am, right? Of course, they'll see the crosses.

I am feeling unusually sympathetic and decided that I would. After all, I can survive as long as I make the correct choices. Right? Because family always comes first.

***

Clara

Mike has just pulled me out of the bathroom annoyingly enough and an awful lot of fighting had helped him. The fight included a bunch of hair-pulling (I wasn't very contented with that as I loved my long blonde waves), punching and kicking and it finally ended fifteen minutes later with Mike emerging victorious.

He somehow tricked me into getting out, we fought and he slipped in and before he had the chance to close the door, I kicked his shin furiously and stormed off. Siblings, I think, are extremely annoying. I stumble into my room and check the time. It was 7:58am and high school starts at 8:25am. Mike has to be at work (college gave everyone a day off that day for some reason so he had to work) by 8:10am so I really have made him late.

Dressing into a blue button-up shirt and a beige skirt, I wonder why Ryan was taking so long and why Lana isn't answering anyone. What if it was...? No, it can't be. They're too careful to get caught up in all that. Well, at least Ryan is.