The Lost Boy (Sequel to The Lost Realm)

Chapter Five

There have been moments in my life when I've wished I had a different power. A feeling similar to a normal person WANTING any sort of power. It's a temporary, normal thought. Such as that one time I fell in front of the entire cafeteria, knocking over five people and spilling nachos everywhere. I never really cared about others' opinions, despite being able to hear them nice and clear. Yet in that moment I felt such embarrassment, all I wanted was the ability to teleport. My current experience is of the exact nature.

Staring at all the petrified faces, I want nothing more than to escape, without everyone laughing at the runaway bridesmaid.

What feels like forever has passed, yet an awkward silence still hangs in the air.

Suddenly Ana breaks it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," She announces, "we will now continue on with the ceremony." She gives everyone a sweet smile, and I can feel her magic working.

Immediately everyone is back in a happy mood. Everyone except my sisters that is, and by the scowl on Sam and Sylvia's faces, I can tell I'm in deep.

I rise from the grass -stuffing the envelope into my bouquet- and head back up to the gazebo. Thankfully no one is glaring at me, and everyone's thoughts have moved back to the wedding.

The service finished beautifully, and soon I'm once again arm and arm with Drew, walking back down the aisle.

"What happened?" He whispers to me.

"You didn't see them?" I ask.

"See what?" He responds, confusion cutting through the smile plastered on his face.

"The bir-" We reach the sunroom and I'm swept away before I can finish my sentence. I don't want to see who pulled me away, in fear of my inference being affirmed.
Sure enough it's Sam angrily pulling me down the hallway.

"What's up?" I say, trying to make the situation a little better. The scowl on her face remains, and the only attention I get is an intensified glare.

Finally we turn into a room and my stomach drops even more.
Sylvia is sitting with Ana on a couch crying her eyes out.
She looks up as we enter, "How could you!!" She yells, rising from her seat. I hear Sam slam the door. They'll understand once I tell. They have to, right?

I try to speak but Sylvia continues, "You made both me and Killian look like fools, what the hell compelled you to start freaking out?!"

"What exactly did I do?" I ask softly.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU DID?" She yells. "The wedding was going perfectly then -in the middle of MY HUSBAND'S VOWS- you start going crazy. You screamed and yelled, starting swatting away nothing."

My wind went crazy. How could they not see the birds?

"Is this some kind of a joke?" Sylv continues, "listen I know you went crazy after Peter and this was supposed to be your day, but that doesn't give you a right to-"

I feel my blood boil with anger, "Really? First off I didn't go crazy, I began this thing called grieving. You know that thing that happens after you lose the love of your life- oh wait you haven't felt that have you?" I give her a glare, daring her to challenge me.
Her face softens, but she continues on. "I know I know, but does that give you a reason-"

"Sylvia," Ana interjects, "let her tell her story. You know her, she wouldn't do something without a purpose."

Sylvia turns her attention back towards me, and I begin my defense.

"There were birds, black as night with cold eyes. They-they were encircling me. I thought they were real- they had to have been." I remove the letter from my bouquet and hold it up. "When they disappeared, I was left with this."

"What does it say?" Sylvia asks, disbelief shadowing her face.

"I haven't opened it, too busy getting interrogated," I retort. Sylvia gives me another look, though this time it's sympathetic and remorseful.

"Well what are you waiting for?" Sam says, "open it."
My sisters gather around me, and I carefully tear the seal and open the envelope. Inside is a small piece of neatly folded parchment paper.

We exchange a look, then I unfold the paper.
On it, written in the same calligraphy as the front, is a poem:

Love has won, love has lost.
One doesn't journey without a cause.

Happiness is gone, happiness is found.
Go to the place of bitter sound.

Magic is light, magic is dark.
Here is the place of the end and the start.

"Well," Sam says, breaking our mystified silence. "Who do you think this is from?"

I pause for a minute. I never told them about the message.

"Umm, I have no idea," I answer.

"Yes you do," Ana says, giving me a suspicious look. "You're a good liar, but I know you too well."

A take in a deep sigh.
"Okay a few months ago during Recro I was up on my balcony. A piece of paper was blowing in the wind so naturally I picked it up, and there was a message on it. Which um said Peter was um alive."

"And you didn't tell us this!?" Ana demands. "We could have helped you!"

"With what?" I respond, "I wasn't sure of anything. I needed confirmation, but now I have it."

"We just have to figure out what this poem means," Sam says.

"Guess we're going on another adventure," Ana adds.

"I guess we are," I say smiling. "But I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys. We've been through so much together, it'd be wrong to keep anything secret."

Suddenly Sylvia's face grows red, and her eyes shift uncomfortably around the room.

"Um Sylvia?" Ana says, lifting an eyebrow. We all give her a questioning glance.

Her face darkens to a tomato red. "Um yah see....it's a funny story......"

"We're listening," Sam starts, "don't worry we got time. It's only your wedding reception we have to get to."

Sylvia gives a slight wince. "Okay so you know how I've been moody- I'm really sorry about snapping at you Arabella. Anyway, there's a um reason for it-"

"Menopause!!" Sam injects, snapping her finger in realization.

We all stare at her for a second.

"Sam, menopause isn't for er, girls in their twenties," I explain.

She shrugs and we focus our attention back to Sylv.

"Actually Sam it-it kinda is along those borders. You see I'm-I'm pregnant."

We stare at her for a moment, completely bewildered.

"You're what!?!?" Ana says.

"How long have you known?" I ask.

"I went to Uncle Doc last week and he told me the news. I um haven't told mom and dad yet. See I figured if we told them after the wedding it wouldn't be such a shock."

"I can't believe it! We're going to be aunts!" Sam squeals and we exchange excited glances.

"Well we better get going," Sylvia says, heading toward the door.

"Wait!" I say. She turns around in confusion.

"What?"

A smirk spreads across my face. "Would you please tell mom and dad about this after the reception? I'd like them to kill Hook and not me."