THE WICKED

2

—WISTERIA—

"What the?—" Wisteria gaped down at the orb, and it's oddly colored light.

"Didn't those go extinct twelve years ago?"

"Then we'd remember it. We were alive back then, y'know. But this.. this is new." Wisteria remarked coolly.

She picked up the orb from Leah's hands and sat down.

"It's flickering." Leah said with a hint of anxiousness in her tone.

"Yeah, it is. Does that mean it'll go out soon?"

"I don't know, why're you asking me?"

"You're the one who reads a lot."

Leah rolled her eyes at Wisteria's remark.

The orb flickered even more in Wisteria's lap to the point where it started vibrating, and then in an explosion— well, niether of them were sure it was an explosion, it was just a pink cloud of dust– and the orb was a different color.

It was amber.

"Do you think this means something?" Wisteria asked quietly. Never had they experienced such things, and nobody'd ever believe them.

"I think so." Leah replied, touching the Amber orb.

Wisteria placed her hand on it, too. It was warm. It's really warm.

"I feel like I'm placing my hand above a grill." Leah retreated her hand.

"Me too." Wisteria retreated her hand as well and dipped her whole palm into the pond beside her.

Leah picked up the orb again and placed it in her bag, looking as if she was debating whether or not to carry it.

In the end, it seemed she had decided to put it in her backpack.

That's when a familiar white minivan pulled up, is right after she latched up her bag.

Their father stepped out, carrying a carefully made box where metals clanked and clinked inside.

"Dad?" Leah started before Wisteria stopped her. She grabbed Leah's arm and tossed both of them into a bush without thorns (or many sticks).

"Hey, what was that for? Leah grumbled.

"He can't see the orb."

"Why not? I mean, I get the 'hiding it' because it's magic' business, but why else?"

"He can't see the orb." Wisteria repeated, more firmly this time. Leah didn't take the hint, though, or rather didn't notice.

"And I said, 'why?' Answer me, and stop repeating yourself."

"I said, he—"

"I GET THAT PART, WHY?"

Wisteria went silent. It's been a while since Leah had yelled like that. It was almost scary when she finally did.

Leah relaxed a bit.

"Why?"

"None of your business." Wisteria turned her back to Leah.

Wisteria felt Leah's shock behind her. Wisteria never did anything like that. She was usually open and light-hearted when it came to reasoning.

If only she knew. Then something might happen, but she wasn't going to figure it out from Wisteria.

—LEAH—

Why did she react like that?

There's no way Wisteria's in her right mind. She doesn't do stuff like that. She doesn't BS.

"Hey! Talk to me! You don't BS like this."

Leah felt like a mother disciplining  her child. She didn't like it, but Wisteria needed a bit of insight on what she was doing.

"I'm not BSing! You genuinely need to get your nose out of my business!" Wisteria replied. She sounded like she was on the brink of just lunging.

Leah kept quiet. She needed to figure out how to get Wisteria to listen.

She had an idea.

The orb was still in her bag.

"If you don't tell me, I'll show Dad the orb. If there's no good reason, there's no harm in letting him know, right?"

Leah knew her words had stumped Wisteria on what to say.

"Fine! You don't understand! NOT ONE BIT!" Wisteria screamed, got out of the bush, and dashed towards the forest.

She's probably just going to rest or something, right?

Leah trudged back into the house, where Kenna started panicking.

"Sweetie, you've been out for so long! Where's my other baby?"

"She went back into the woods, mom." Leah sighed as she sat on the couch to watch TV.

Nightfall came.

Wisteria was not back.

Leah peered out the window, hoping for some sign of even her bright orange sneakers.

Nothing.