We went upstairs and into my room. We sit in a circle, cross legged on the floor.
"So, how are we gonna do this? Don't you need to touch something?" Daniel asks me.
"No, I think that worked cause it was Maria's things showed me Maria. I've also been kind of practicing a little. I just need to think now."
"Liar," Daniel says.
"What do you mean 'liar'?"
"At dinner you said you haven't used your powers. Liar."
"Well I haven't gone fully into the Shadow World. I just go and look around for a bit. And I've only done it, like, twice."
"Can you dummies stop fighting? I thought we were gonna test Oliver's powers," Kaylie says loudly.
We all stop talking.
"Alright," I say to my friends. "Let's do this."
I close my eyes and try to concentrate, though it's kinda hard when I can feel Kaylie and Daniel staring at me. Focusing of the other world, I feel myself sink back and everything gets darker.
I open my eyes and I'm standing behind myself. Kaylie and Daniel stare at my cross legged self, probably waiting for something to happen.
I walk over to my dresser and pick up a hat. I walk behind Daniel and put the hat on his head. He looks around. "Oliver? What are you doing?"
I laugh as he looks around wildly.
I pick up a pillow and launch it at Kaylie. It hits her in the side of the head. "Hey," she says though giggles. "Cut it out."
Focusing again, the room goes dark. I open my eyes and I'm back on the floor in front of Kaylie and Daniel. "I see you're getting better," Kaylie says, still giggling.
"Well, I try," I say smiling.
"Do you think you're ready to fight more of those Shadow-things though?" Daniel asks, twirling the hat in his hands.
"I'm gonna try. I don't want Maria to be taken again. Or what if the go for someone else?"
The truth is, I'm not just worried about my family. I'm worried about what to could happen to Kaylie and Daniel.
"I get what you mean," Kaylie says. "And like I said earlier, I'm willing to help. I think we both are." She looks over at Daniel who blushes slightly.
"Thanks."
"No problem Oli."

•••••

At around nine, my parents ask when Kaylie and Daniel need to leave. They tell them that their mom is working tonight and my parents invited them to sleep over.
We sat in the living room and watched movies. Near midnight is when we all fell asleep.
In the morning, Dad made us pancakes while Mom got ready for work. "You kids ready for school tomorrow?" Dad asks as we shovel down the pancakes.
"I gueff soh," Daniel says with a full mouth. Kaylie hits his arm.
We play video games until noon, when their mom comes to picks them. Kaylie is following Daniel out the door when she turns around. "When are you planning to save the world tough guy?"
"It's not really the world, just my family. And I don't know. It not like I have a date set."
"Well, whenever you decide to do it, you better invite us," she gestures between herself and Daniel.
I nod, "Okay. You can count on it."
Kaylie smiles and runs to catch up with her brother.