The Six Year Solstice: The Lost Stones

And so it begins...

America's POV:

We all went home and gathered some stuff that we might need and planned to settle at Germs's place. It felt weird but exciting being back together after a months-long break. It was the Christmas holidays so we'd all been on mini adventures of our own; I and my family just got back from a skiing trip up in Switzerland.

We both carried boxes out into the boot of the car, I bounced a woven bag of marbles between each of my hands in amusement, listening to the sound of rattling glass balls.

Nada giggled running his fingers across the textured bag. We were about to hop into the vehicle until a bellowing voice stopped us dead in our tracks.

"Where are you two boys going?"

We spun around to meet the eyes of a very pissed off mom, not sure if was us she was mad at or dad. She stood in the open door frame tapping her foot and awaiting an answer from either of us.

"We... We... We are going on a trip!" I blurted out in a sing-song voice, I looked back at Canada then back at her who raised a suspicious eyebrow; I gave a sheepish smile.

My dear brother, who was now sweating and shaking gave a strained expression, like the ones you make when you're constipated. He sunk into his messy collar and let his coonskin hat fall over his face, he was looking as if he wanted to die.

Mom eyed my marble bag and gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes in frustration. Without breaking eye contact she directed us inside with a tight point, we had no choice but to follow. Once we were fully in the house she slammed the door shut and pushed us into the kitchen.

"Amérique, what is that?" She asked in a stern whisper, her finger was zoning in on my marble bag. I opened my mouth to answer but she cut me off with cold words.

"If this is what I think it is you two are grounded for life! Canada, as the older one you should know better!" Mom harshly ripped the bag out of my grasp and began to untie the bow. I inched closer to Nada who whimpered silently.

She opened the bag so violently that one of the green glass balls managed to escape, falling to the floor with an echoey clank, she seemed to let out a heavy sigh as she watched the bead roll around, but she went back and rummaged through the bag once more for clarity.

"Hm... Sorry..." Mom apologised slightly flushed. She tied the bag up again and handed it back to me. She looked at Canada's slightly concerned face and gave a sympathetic and slightly embarrassed shrug.

"Well. If you two have nothing to hide then where are you really headed?"

"I said to you we're going on a tri-" Nada elbowed me in the stomach before I could finish the word. He stepped up to her.

"We're going to Germany's house..." He shuffled a little bit.

"See, he has this weird Jade thing, and it's been flashing... Oh yeah, and he found this note, that's really old and we're trying to figure out what it says." He continued with an unconvincing smile plastered onto his face.

Mom stared at him quizzically for a few seconds seeming to reach into the depths of her mind to try to find a logical explanation, then her expression changed to a pained horror, we stared confused at her sudden change in mood.

"Mom...?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, It's fine. Go on my children have fun!" She sputtered instantly, basically pushing us out the door.

We stood motionless on the step, baffled by her sudden urge to get us out. I peered in through the window to the living room, she was pacing across the room in a state of panic, babbling to dad and by the looks of it, he seemed quite concerned himself.