Juaquin dragged me out of the store, and halfway down the mall before he faced me.

  “Ok, Myra. What was all that about? Don’t tell me it was my imagination because not just I saw it,” he said, glaring at me.

  I stood speechless.

  I didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t like I could talk about Sapherine without seeming crazier than I already was right?

  Maryanne: TRUST YOUR BROTHER

  Strength: HE’S NEVER LED YOU ASTRAY

  Mark: HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR YOU

  Jack: WHAT BRO SAID. TRUST HIM. I GET A FEELING HE KNOWS MORE THAN WE THINK!

  How do I start?

  All: AT THE BEGINNING!

  I winced and turned to face Juaquin. “I’ll explain at home,” and Juaquin nodded, leading us straight to the car.

  I was made to sit in the driver’s seat again and I crossed my arms and huffed glaring at Juaquin who glared back. I turned to watch Jonah with Mige.

  “Was that really magic? How can you do it? Is it like Naruto and seals? How does it work? How do you–” Mige spoke a hundred words an hour to Jonah, who held up a hand and summoned Ether to it. A bright magenta sphere floated above his palm hypnotizing Mige.

  “This is Ether in its base form drawn from my Sapherine blood cells and Earth’s own elemental energies plus since Ether is space some comes from there too,” he said letting Mige hold the sphere.

  “It’s warm!” Mige exclaimed as he petted the ball of power.

  Jonah smiled and nodded. “It does come from a living source.”

  Juaquin glanced over and his eyes widened. He spun the wheel and braked harshly. He turned to face the two ash-white boys in the backseat.

  “Mige! Is that!”

  “It’s mine,” said Jonah, looking suspiciously green after our tumble in the car. I slapped Juaquin who took a breath and put his forehead on the wheel.

  “No more magic,” he muttered, starting the car again.

  After that, no magic was shown in the car until we were safely parked in our parking space. Despite it being late, mama was still not home. She must be working after hours again. We went inside and Juaquin sat on the black couch.

  “You have the floor,” he said gesturing to the open living room floor, and I gulped.

  Jonah patted my hand and began. “I ain’t human. I’m a Kin. Kinda like an elf except far meaner. When Myra and I were in our comas we were really somewhere else, a place called Sapherine. Our time there wasn’t good, especially for your sister. She has a destiny there, one that has to be fulfilled because a lot of humans are suffering.”

  “Humans are nothing but slaves there, and children are being used as slaves as well to mine a mineral. It’s up to me to stop it,” I said.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Why you? You don’t have powers or anything,” said Juaquin nervously.

  “On Earth, she doesn’t but on Sapherine she’s a goddess,” said Jonah smirking, and I blushed, nodding.

  “And these creatures?” asked Juaquin glaring at Jonah.

  “Nothing but slaves turned into monsters. I can revert the spell but only with my powers, which I don’t have here,” I replied.

  Mige glanced at Jonah curiously, while Juaquin cursed up a storm. He didn’t look happy at all.

  “I’m sorry for not telling you before but I thought you’d think us crazy,” I said.

  “Maldita sea! Myra! You know we would never think any less of you for this but–” Juaquin began.

  I sighed and raked my hair back. “It’s impossible right?”

  “Improbable not impossible. I believe you think you went to this world and saw these-”

  Jonah lit up like a magenta candle. Power swirled in streaks around him. “I dare you to say that again, especially when you see me as I am and saw that monster alongside your brother. You know something about all this. What are you hiding?”

  I turned to Juaquin who was glaring at Jonah. “Some things are better left to the unknown.”

  I stared. “Juaquin, I am these people’s only hope. If you know anything–anything that could help me I–”

  “I don’t. I only have a vague recollection of a conversation with Dad to tell you when you are ready and you aren’t yet,” he huffed, picking at a thread on his shirt and straightening the pressed blue tie he still wore from accounting class.

  I gulped and stared at Jonah who seemed to be in thought about something.

  “Mom would know more. The rest is a blur,” he said.

  “Did we come from Sapherine?” I desperately wanted to know now. “Did dad…”.

  “I don’t remember. I was probably five. Most of what I remember deals with me as a child. Vague images and colors. A child’s mind and memories. Some have dad, most just have me playing with a blonde girl.”

  I remembered my father vaguely. He was like a ghost throughout our life, popping up once after Mige’s birth and then disappearing from our lives entirely. He wasn’t there when I lost my first tooth or had my first breakdown.

  It had always been my mom.

  I don't remember having a dad most days although somewhere I knew he was out there living another life. Did he even remember he had three kids?

  Now I wondered if the reason we hadn’t seen him was that he wasn’t of this realm. Were we truly Earthlings, or did we belong on Sapherine? So many questions and no answers! Mom must know them!

  “I’ll ask Mom,” I said, as a small woman opened the door, laden with shopping bags.

  “Ask me what?” she asked, placing the bags on the table and turning to us.

  “How was your day?” Juaquin asked as he got up and helped with the bags leaving me with more questions than answers. Jonah steered me towards the door and literally shoved me through said door, and up the stairs to the roof. He pulled me to sit in our usual spot, and then sat down himself, keeping an arm around me.

  “Keep it together,” he said.

  I turned to face him and yelled. “I might not be from here, and you want me to keep it together!”

  “Look, maybe your brother fell into a portal and visited Sapherine when he was younger. Stranger things have happened,” he said.

  “My father was never there for me or any of us, but maybe it was because he couldn’t be. What if he’s a slave? What if he’s…” I sniffed.

  “That’s what I meant by keeping it together. Look, we can’t live life in maybe’s and what ifs. If he’s a slave, if he’s alive, if. When I was getting my memory back I had a lot of what ifs but I realized if I lived life like that then I’d go crazy.

  He gazed at the sky and then back at me as if searching for something or someone. “I’d live on to find the answers as best as I could, and I found Datha. Your dad might not even be human. What if he was Kin or a Hybrid? Ever thought of that? Maybe your mom cut off communication for a reason?”

  “I...she...you’re right,” I sighed.

  “I’m always right,” he said, smirking.

  I scowled and sighed lying back.

  Maryanne: Don’t worry Myra. Everything will be fine.

  Strength: Don’t promise her things we can’t give, Maryanne

  Mark: I concur

  Jack: With who Mark?

  Mark: Strength in this case. We don’t know what the future will bring.

  Maryanne: I’m reassuring her!

  Jack: With false hopes and beliefs!

  Maryanne: They aren’t false! I truly believe we can get through anything!

  Thanks, Maryanne. I’ll be fine I say as I close my eyes and breathe deeply.

  I turned to face Jonah who was watching me with a strange glint in his eyes. Maybe he’s glad not to be the only one from Sapherine?

  “Jonah, where did the Morgan come from,” I asked sitting.

  “Mmm, my guess is it found a portal and flew in. That means there’s a portal near here, possibly by the beach, as that’s where the closest body of water lies, and these portals are somewhat drawn to the water, I think.”

  “Should we look for it? Do you think we’re ready?” I asked.

  “We should probably have a look around. Couldn’t hurt. I don’t think we’re leaving yet,” he said, standing and offering his hand. I took it and stood. I felt lost for a minute. Neither of us knew what to do about my brother’s revelation. Jonah was right though. I couldn’t demand answers especially if I wasn’t so sure about the answers I’d receive.

  Did I really want to know?

  Did it matter on the grand scale of things?

  We stood there gazing at each other for a minute before he squeezed my hand and let go.

  “I’ve got to go home or else Mom will send out search parties,” he said smirking.

  I smiled and we headed for the stairwell. This time he kept going after saying bye to my family. I smiled and went inside, deciding not to bother my mother yet.