The Scroll of Knowledge

Chapter 25

"Where are we?" Amber asked. They were standing in a park. Thomas always wondered how no one ever seemed to notice them just appearing out of nowhere.

Shay looked around and paled. "We have to leave," she said. She raised her arm to teleport when she froze. Thomas followed her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Amber asked. She looked at the people walking towards them. She groaned and held her head.

"Keep your eyes closed," Thomas said to her. "Shay?" he asked. She stood frozen to the spot.

The family walked towards them, a mother and father and their two sons, one in his early twenties, and the other in his late teens. They were smiling. Thomas desperately tried not to light himself on fire.

Shay didn't even breathe when they walked past her, but then he saw it, the ice in her eyes. She spun around.

"You won't even say anything when you walk right past me?" she shouted.

The two sons turned around to look at her. The father grabbed their arms and pulled them away.

"Don't look," he said.

"Who is she?" the younger asked.

"She looks familiar," the elder said.

"Just keep walking," the man said.

"I get that you refused to come to my wedding," Shay said, "or call me, but you won't even acknowledge me when I'm standing right in front of you?"

"Dad," the elder said. He pulled his arm away and turned around. "Who are you? Have we met before? You look familiar."

Shay didn't answer.

"You don't know her," the woman said.

He ignored her and stepped towards Shay. "Who are you?" he asked again. He looked back at his father then looked at her. His eyes widened. "Shay?" He reached out and touched her face with his fingertips. "Shay." He slammed into her and wrapped his arms around her. "I knew it. I knew I didn't make you up."

"Hi, Denny," she said. Her voice cracked. She slowly raised a hand and rested it on his back. "I missed you."

"You're here. You're really here," he said. Tears ran down his cheek. "Where were you? Why didn't you come back? Why didn't you find me?"

"I knew where you were," Shay said. "I've heard your and Leroy's voices many times over the past years but I was unable to see you, first because I was physically unable to, and then because I was forbidden."

"Get away from her," Diego Curtis said. He pulled Dennis away from Shay.

Dennis whirled on his father. "Why not? Why am I not allowed to hug my own sister? The one you told me I made up. The one you made me go to counseling to forget. She exists. I remember her. She's standing right here. You can't tell me otherwise!"

"What's going on?" Leroy asked, looking at everyone in turn. "Mom, who are these people?"

"No one," she said.

Shay clenched her fists. The air around them got cold. "No one?"

"She's our sister," Dennis said. "I told you she was real." He glared at his parents. "What did you do?"

"More secret siblings?" Leroy asked.

"What did you do!" Dennis yelled.

"Stop this yelling," Diego said. "You're attracting attention." He reached for Dennis. Dennis pulled back his hand.

Dennis turned to Shay. "What did they do to you? Did they hide you away as well for protection?"

"Yes," Shay said. "But the protection they hid me for was not my own. My safety was never their concern."