I did not try to ask the Overseer or the Stalwart to see the kids. I still wanted to, desperately wanted to, but now I had a path— somewhere to go. I would get stronger. I would protect them better, next time.

            Until then, maybe it was better I didn't see them. Even if what Mr. Copper said was true, and they had been worried about me, it didn't mean they forgot what I did. What I failed to do.

            We all needed time.

            "There was something I wanted to ask you," I said.

            "Oh, and that is?" the Stalwart asked.

            So, instead, I followed Mr. Copper and the promise of food as he led me through another tunnel. We had been walking in silence, but it left me with too much time to think. I was done with being lost in my head, for a little while.

            "That was your gun Mallard had with him back at the cabin, wasn't it?"

            "Ah...yes." Mr. Copper scratched the spot just under his eye patch. "He had found me after the effects of Minerva's poison had taken over most of my body, so there wasn't much I could do to stop him. I couldn't even speak, at that point."

            "Right...Thinking back, it probably wasn't my smartest move to just leave you defenseless with your gun out in the open."

            "I wasn't concerned."

            He said it with a casual shrug. I walked a few paces back so he wouldn't see my expression.

            It wasn't the first time I questioned his status as Stalwart. Despite the positive things Mary had said on his behalf, he still appeared weak and careless to me.

            I ran a hand through my hair. "Well, it got pretty concerning when he had that thing pointed at my hand."

            "But you didn't die, right? It didn't fire."

            What did he have to feel so cock-sure for? 

            "Yeah. It must have jammed or something. Lucky me."

            "No, not jammed." He turned his head a fraction back to me, but all I saw was his eyepatch. "I told you that it was touched by Knowledge, didn't I? Mr. Roastencratz does not make guns that jam."

            I had to take a moment to register what he said. And not just because of the weird name.

            "So...then..."

            He pulled the mentioned weapon from his holster and held it up for me to see. Bronze, polished, with complicated designs etched into its metal. It looked brand new.

            "I haven't loaded this weapon in over two years. I could only guess Mr. Mallard was under too much stress to bother checking before trying to use it on you."

            I couldn't really name how I felt in that moment. Whatever it was, it tickled.  Before I knew it, I was laughing. So much so that I was soon doubled over, straining for breath.

            "Alex?"

            "'Under too much stress'?" I repeated, trying and failing to imitate his accent. "More like he didn't think that the Stalwart, someone who's supposed to be protecting everyone, strolls around with an unloaded gun!"

            Saying it out-loud made me laugh even harder. It was getting to the point where I was struggling to stand. Mr. Copper waited patiently for me to recover, though the scowl on his face made it that much harder.

            "Are you done?" he asked after I had calmed down and straightened up.

            I grinned. "For now."

            "Then, can we continue?"

            My smile widened. "Sure."

            We were back to walking in silence, but I didn't mind it as much anymore. The laughing felt good, really good. I couldn't remember the last time I laughed like that. I could let that fact alone bring me back down to earth, but maybe it didn't have to be a bad thing.

            It was the first really good laugh of my new life.

            My focus drifted back to Mr. Copper. He had one hand in his pocket while the other still held his 'weapon' at his side. I considered thanking him, but it would probably just piss him off more.

            But it was because of him that we were all still alive.

I made to speak, but he chose that moment to holster his gun and I couldn't keep a snort from escaping instead.

"I really don't know what she sees in you," he muttered.

"Who? Mary?"

His shoulders shot up. He probably meant to say it to himself, but I wasn't going to let him off the hook that easy. "Maybe she just digs my charming looks and wonderful personality."

It was his turn to snort.

I stared hard at the back of his head. "Could that possibly be the sound of you disagreeing?"

"Possibly."

"You're probably right," I said with my own casual shrug and walked a bit faster until I was beside him. "Actually, I know you're right. Just a little while ago, when we were alone, she basically spelled it out for me. I just happened to be the first person to approach her, to not treat her like a freak. It could have been anyone."

Mr. Copper didn't say anything for a moment. We kept walking. In the silence, something dawned on me.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked. The same thing had dawned on him, apparently.

"I...don't know," I said. I cleared my throat and focused on the torches which continued to light up as long as we continued to walk. "I guess because you're...her Master. Kinda the closest thing to a parent, when you think about it. And I remember what you said before, about how you wanted me to break off whatever I had with her after all the stuff with the witch was said and done. In a way, it looks like I don't have to. She understands what her feelings are. They were nothing special. I was nothing special. It could have been anyone."

Would it have been worse to just keep it to myself? Would I still have felt the nagging lump in my throat? The numbing sensations in my hands and feet?

I clenched and unclenched my hands. I tried to control my breathing. There was no way I was going to break down for the second time in one day— in front of the same damn person. It was too pathetic.

"It could have been anyone, but it wasn't. It was you, Alex."

I closed my eyes, but couldn't keep a few drops from escaping. I wiped a quick hand over my face and chanced a glance at Mr. Copper. He kept his focus forward, his expression blank. If I wanted to, I could have pretended he hadn't said anything at all.

The corners of my lips twitched. "Thanks, Mr. Copper."

We kept silent for the rest of the way.

...

It wasn't much longer until we arrived at, what the Community called, their dining hall. Really, it was just more dirt and more white stones. In this case, the rocks formed large tables that were set up like some sort of cafeteria with the tables lined up side by side and up and down the cavernous room.

            It was here where I met up with my friends again.

            "Alright, Alex, glad to see you made it through alive!" Stallion called as soon as Mr. Copper and I entered.

            He waved over to us from behind a table laden with all sorts of meats and fruits. The smell alone had me racing over before I knew what I was doing. I couldn't remember eating anything besides Mr. Copper's sandwiches in the last forever.

            I sat myself next to someone else I didn't recognize, at least from behind. It turned out to be Mutt, whose hair was cut short. He was also wearing a red pair of silky pants and shirt that didn't suit him at all.

            "Hey, guys," I greeted, already grabbing what looked like turkey legs as I sat down. "Damn, this stuff smells good."

            "Doesn't taste half bad either," Stallion said with a wink, a half eaten apple in his hand. "Right, Mutt?"

            Mutt nodded. Several pieces of ham and turkey leg he had picked out were untouched. I mulled it over as I shoved my own turkey down my throat. The meat practically melted in my mouth. I soon forgot what I was going to say next and just spent the next few minutes devouring what I could.

            "Somebody skipped breakfast," Stallion joked, laughing when I started choking on a rather thick slice of ham.

            "Get off my back; I don't think I've had a decent meal in what feels like years."

            "I getcha, I getcha," he said, big smile still on his face as he watched me eat. "I gotta say, man, I'm diggin' this new edgy vibe you got going."

            "What?"

            "Oh, come on, like you don't know what you're doin'."

            I slowed my chewing, somewhat. I regarded his shaking of the head with mild annoyance before moving on to locate another turkey leg. "Can't say that I do."

            "Mutt, you remember how Foxy used to act, right? All quiet and shy— real passive-like. I swear, I used to think that if I talked too loud next to you I would knock you over!"

            I glanced over to Mutt to see if he would confirm what Stallion was saying, but he only continued to stare down at his uneaten food. Was he even aware of what was going on around him?

            "But now look at you, man. Muscles, cursing, not taking crap from anyone. Me and Mutt heard what you were saying during your trial. Hell, I bet everyone in a five mile radius heard you. You definitely aren't the same Alex I mistook for a pretty girl checking herself out on her phone."

            I swallowed and put the rest of the turkey leg back down on the table. "Yeah, I guess."

            "Oh, man, do you remember that time when..."

          My hands remained pressed against the table. From the blurry corners of my eyes, I could tell Mutt was looking at me. I wish he wouldn't.

            "...and you had such an embarrassed look on your face— you were bright red...

            Why wouldn't they stop shaking? I gripped one hand with the other but they still wouldn't stop.

            "...I swear, Kat and I thought you were moments away from just passing out on the—"

            "Stallion!"

            It was Mutt. He shouted before I did. He wasn't looking at me anymore, or at anyone in particular. His own hands remained loose in his lap. Stallion looked at my hands, tightened into white balls on the white table. I slowly pulled them off and rested them on the stone bench at my sides.

            "Sorry," he said. He stared down at the bones between us.

            "Don't be."

            "No, that was my bad." He tried another smile. "I guess I shouldn't be reminiscing like that. Thinking about the past isn't fun for all of us."

            I tried taking a deep breath to steady the shaking. It seemed to help, somewhat. Was I still recovering from what I had said to Mr. Copper? Or was it something else? Whatever it was, it was...hard hearing Stallion talking about the past. And doing so without seeming bothered in the least.

            "It just sounds like you're talking about someone else. I don't really know who that Alex is anymore."

            "That's easy, man. He's you."

            I closed my eyes. His damn smile was getting to me. I tried another steadying breath and felt a hand on my shoulder. Mutt was staring at me with a face I then knew why I didn't recognize. There was no smile.

            "I understand," Mutt said. He removed his hand and turned away from me before digging into his food.

            He did so ravenously. He tore through the meat like it was his last meal. The sounds of his consumption filled the cavernous room. I could only stand to watch him bite, chomp, and choke through his food for a short while before focusing my attention back on Stallion.

"So, where's Kat and Mary?"

            It took him a second to pull himself away from Mutt's display as well. "Kat, last I heard, was with the Quincy kids," he said, scratching is beard.

            "Oh."

            What else was there to say? It made sense she was with them. They were her Masters, now.

            At least, while Maple was gone.

            "Edgar, that Overseer guy, he said Maple was on the run."

            "Yeah..."

            "So, if she's still Kat's Master, why didn't she make Kat go with her?"

            "You're guess is probably as good as anyone else's here," Stallion answered before taking another, small, bite from his apple. "Some of the witches think it's because Kat hasn't completed her familiar training, or because Maple had just inherited the role of Master after Dr. Quincy...you know. Neither Kat nor Maple are full-fledged anything just yet. The right 'wires' might not have crossed at the time."

            "I'm not too sure about that," I said, unable to not think back to that room filled with fire. "I was there and Maple could order Kat around pretty easily. She made her leave me there to die and Kat was powerless to do anything about it."

            "Right...Kat told them pretty much the same..." Stallion heaved a sigh before putting the unfinished apple back on the table. "Just another reason for them to keep a closer eye on her and the kids."

            I gripped the lip of the seat on either side of me.

            Don't think about it. Don't think about it. You have a path to follow. You have to get stronger first, then—

            "Hey, hey, you guys are still here?"

            Someone called out to us. From the dry tone and the deep, yet feminine, sound, for an instant, I thought it was Kat. When I looked across the room, to the open doorway where once there was just a bare dirt wall, I saw Kat.

            But something was off. She waved to us excitedly and she did not exactly walk over, but pranced. As I watched her, I heard Stallion sigh behind me.

            "Sup, dog...and horse... and fox," she greeted, looking to each of us with those bright green eyes. They were Kat's, spot on, but the wide smile she displayed did not fit together at all.

            The twitching in my hands grew worse. "Who the hell are you and why do you have Kat's face?"

            Those eyes turned to hone in on me. The smile vanished and, for a moment, I thought I had made a terrible mistake. But then she broke out into a bigger smile as she laughed a high-pitched, girly laugh that did not sound like Kat at all. "Oh, dang, you're good. Way more perceptive than I would have given you credit for," Kat said as she ran a hand through her longish, green hair.

            I had to do a double take as the hair suddenly began to grow long and blonde as her fingers passed through it.

            "Was that really necessary, Jamie?" Stallion asked. He folded his arms and gave her a cross look. "We're kinda going through a rough time right now."

            "Oh, cool your guns, big guy," Jamie said with a huff. She ran a few fingers over her eyebrows, turning them the same blonde as her hair as she smoothed them down. "I was just trying to have a little fun. Brighten the dreary mood, and all."

            "So, you're a witch, then?" I asked, unable to keep my eyes off her ongoing transformation.

            "Whoa! Give this guy a medal! He really does catch on quick, doesn't he?" She laughed loudly at her own joke before plopping down on the small amount of seat next to me. "Tell me, perceptive guy, what color would look good with this hair?"

            She was staring straight into my eyes with Kat's eyes.

            Anything but those eyes, I wanted to tell her.

            "Uh, blue?"

            "For sure, for sure. The go-to option."

She leaned away from me slightly and placed a hand over one of her eyes. When she removed it, the eye was a deep shade of blue, like the ocean.

"How's it look?"

            I looked between Kat's green eye and Jamie's new blue eye. I was beginning to feel really, really unsettled by this person.

            "It looks fine, Jamie," Stallion interrupted, thankfully drawing her focus away from me. "Now, was there a reason you came here?"

            "Such a high and mighty tone with your superior, familiar," Jamie said, placing an arm on the table and a hand on her hip as she glared at the large boy.

            Stallion immediately lowered his shoulders and eyes. "Right, sorry, I was just—"

            "Oh, come on, dude, really?" Jamie laughed again, throwing her head back. I scooted closer to the motionless Mutt as she stood back up. "I'm just screwin' with you, really. I like being treated like one of the animals."

            I was starting to not like this girl. When she turned to face me again, with still one blue eye and one Kat eye, I could feel my gut boiling.

            "Anyways, yeah, I'm here because I was given the really shitty task of informing you that you won't be able to see the kids again. Like, ever again."

            What.

            "What?!" I shot up from my seat, knocking over a few bones in the process. "Why the hell—"

            I was cut off from finishing my question when Jamie screamed and smacked me across the face. While the hit wasn't particularly hard, my body instantly became a dead weight and I was on the ground.

            Stallion and Mutt were already standing, but Jamie got to me first. "Shit, shit I'm sorry, man," she said, trying to lift me up by my noddle-like arms.

            "What the hell did you do to me?"

            "Yeah, Jamie, that was totally uncalled for," Stallion chastised, coming around the table and lifting me to my feet by my shoulders. "He was just—"

            "I know, okay, I get it," Jamie grumbled, letting go of my arm so she should rub her face.

My anger was lost for a moment when she removed her hand and all of the features that once appeared like Kat's were now entirely someone else.

"Edgar let me borrow some of his Knowledge in case Foxy got outta hand and when he jumped up like that I thought he was going to attack me!"

            Wide nose, big mouth, fat cheeks.With those discolored eyes and the long blonde hair, it was like looking at some cross-dressing fat guy. I snickered.

            "Oh, you think that's funny do ya?" the cross dressing fat guy asked, putting his hands on his hips. I could hold in the laughter but, I couldn't keep the tears from my eyes. "Scaring a poor little girl half to death is funny to you!?"

            "Er, Jamie," Stallion interrupted. I could tell by his voice that he was trying not to laugh either.

            "What?"

            "You're face."

            "My face?" Her blue and green eye grew wide as she slapped a hand over her face and Stallion and I lost it. "Shut up. Shut up, you assholes! Damn it all to hell. You got the message, right? I'm outta here."

            She started to stomp away, hand still over her face. I was just getting the feeling in my legs back and broke free from Stallion as I tried to control my breathing.

            "Wait, wait, I'm sorry for laughing, alright? Can you tell me why I can't see the kids? Why I can't ever see them?"

            She stopped walking, but she did not turn around. It was probably for the best.

            "The witches want to keep the kids secure until Kat is ready to look after them. She told us that Maple, the girl who has Knowledge over fire, is her true Master, which complicates things a good bit."

            "Why, because she's still missing?"

            Missing. Somewhere out in the wild. Alone, scared. Would she be scared, though? She turned her own mother into ash without blinking an eye.

            "That and, when witches get mixed with things like the elements, things can get a little...dicey."

            "What do you mean? And what does any of this have to do with me?"

            Jamie sighed. "Look, Foxy, I don't really have the time to get into this with you. I'm needed back at that school and I need another hour or so to fix my face. Anyways, I'm just the messenger. Someone else can explain it to you. Though, after what happened at that cabin, you should probably already have a good idea yourself."

            I wanted to chase after her, but those last words stopped me.

            I had failed to protect them. I knew that, everyone knew that, but did it have to mean I could never see them again? That I was a danger to them?

            I might have failed, but I tried the hardest. I cared the most. It wasn't fair. After everything I sacrificed, after everything they took from me, they couldn't just turn around and take them away too. What was the point of getting stronger if I couldn't protect the ones I cared about?

            I made to move after her, but she spoke up again as she reached the door. "Oh, I almost forgot. I was also told to tell you three to wait here. The other two familiars should be back soon and you all have a new teacher to meet."

            With that, she slipped through the door. Almost as soon as she closed it behind her, it vanished, becoming nothing more than another section of dirt wall.

            I stared at the spot before turning around and suddenly having to fight the urge to scream. Instead, I let out a continuous groan as I racked my hands through my hair.

            "Everything alright?" Stallion asked.

He and Mutt both stood near the table, the latter was balancing himself with a familiar cane.

            "That's Quincy's cane," I said.

            Mutt's hand gripped it tighter as he glanced down at it. "Did you want it back, Foxy?" he asked.

            "No, no, of course not. I just swear I saw it get burned up in that fire..."

            "Maybe it has someone's Knowledge in it," Stallion suggested, sitting back at the table. "To keep stuff like that from happening."

            "Maybe. I don't know."

I plopped down on the dirt floor and stared up at the dark ceiling of wood. "I really don't want to think about all this crap anymore."

            "What do you mean?" Mutt asked.

            He sat himself on the ground as well. I took a moment to look at the right leg— what was left of it. The silky pant leg was folded back and pinned down to keep the slack from dragging.

            Damn, I was still half expecting to see it magically back to normal. When Mutt caught my staring, I did my best not to look away. I had almost forgotten he asked me something.

            "I mean, the more I learn about you guys, the witches, this Community shit, any of it, the more questions I'm left with. And the angrier I get. From the moment I met you, Mutt, my head was filled with questions." Our eyes met and I chose to stare back up at the ceiling. "Even if I don't remember much of my old self, I can't have been wondering about so many things all the time like I do now. Or been so angry all the time. It's exhausting and I hate it."

            "I mean, we don't know that much more than you, but maybe we could help answer some of those—"

            "No," I cut Stallion off. "I'm done. I just want to move on. We dealt with the witch, we saved her kids. I just want..."

            What did I want? What more could I do? If they weren't going to let me see the kids, if, in a few years, my friends would be scattered off with various witches, what was the point? I couldn't see myself playing nice with a Master, bowing and smiling like Mary. In contrast, everyone else seemed okay with the status quo.

Stallion lost his bad memories, most of them, and appeared the happiest of us all. Mary was going to be working with the Stalwart, tracking down messed up witches and whatever else the job entailed. Mutt might be the most similar to me, head filled with bad memories, with not much to look forward to, but he was Mutt. If anyone could bounce back, it was him. And, finally, there was Kat. She was arguably the luckiest of us all. She got to see the kids, she had a purpose, a good one. The only downside was that Maple was her Master. And Maple was...

I reached into my pocket. I felt the soft fabric of the black rabbit. I tightened my hand around it.

She needed it more than anyone right now.

            "I want to find Maple and get her back."

            Stallion and Mutt both shifted their full attention to me.

            "But...man," Stallion started, struggling for words. "That's—"

            There was a knock on a door. I was unsurprised to see another one of Mr. Copper's doors appearing in another part of a previously empty wall.

            I was a little more surprised to hear Mary call out in a giggly voice. "Are you guys decent in there? We ladies would like to come in."

            The three of us shared a look. Stallion opened his mouth, but I called out first: "Nope, totally naked and having a grand ol time, but you guys can come in anyways."

            "Dude!" Stallion hissed, a wide grin betraying his false accusation. I swore I saw a hint of a smile come across Mutt's face.

"Well, hide your naughty bits; we've got someone we would like you guys to meet!"

Without another word, the door opened.

Mary came in first, striding in with her hands behind her back and a grin that stretched from ear to ear. My breath caught in my throat when Kat walked in behind her, dressed in yet another silk dress that was pale white. And trailing right behind her, holding her hands together rather tightly, was a young woman.

She was no older than her early twenties, and had long, light brown hair and wore a humble jean skirt and a plain white blouse. She was hunched over slightly and her eyes darted every which way. When her eyes met mine, I was standing up as the familiarity almost knocked me down.

"Who is that?" I demanded before they were even halfway across the room. Kat stopped, positioned herself in front of the woman, and leveled her cold green eyes and tight frown at me. Definitely the real thing.

Mary, meanwhile, stroked her chin as she looked between us. "Well, well, I guess Jamie was right. You have gotten pretty perceptive, Alex." She smiled and bowed as I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

It's not. It couldn't be.

"Gentlemen and gentlemen, I am proud to introduce..."

Don't say it. Don't say it.

"...the new and improved..."

Please, don't let it be—

"Fawn!"

"What?!" Stallion shouted, standing up from his seat before he appeared lost in thought and sat back down."Wait, I never really saw who that was from the get go. Damnit, Mouse, you got me caught up in the hype."

"This isn't a goddamn joking matter!" I shouted, pointing at Fawn who immediately cowered behind Kat. "This monster is the one responsible for turning those students into monsters and nearly killing us with them! Just because you bathed her doesn't mean we forgive her for what she did to us."

"Alex, it's okay," Mary said, her smile faltering a bit as she raised her hands. "Just let me explain—"

"The hell with that! Just what are they trying to pull anyway? Threatening to kill me but letting her just waltz in no problem? Fuck that. I'm not just gonna stand here and let them—"

"Foxy!" Kat shouted over me, freezing my words with her icy glare. "Let Mouse talk."

"Don't—!"

I took a step forward. Everyone else either backed away or tensed.

What was I doing?

I looked down at my hands. Fuck, they were shaking again. Terribly. My entire arms were shaking. I squeezed my hands together, but it wasn't doing any good. I thought my head was going to split open with how suddenly and violently it began to hurt.

"Alex, are you okay?"

I nearly jumped back when I saw how close Mary had gotten to me. I had forgotten how quick she could move. How easily she had me within an inch of my life by that fountain. She reached out a hand towards me.

No. Not again.

The boiling in my stomach rose up through my throat. It burst forth in a snarl that made her hesitate. I swatted aside her hand.

Where was the blood? What happened to my claws?

"Leave me alone!"

It was so hard to form words. All I wanted to do was scream. My head hurt so bad. Mary was crying. False tears. Reptilian tears. It was another trap. The dog and the horse were coming up around her, waiting to ambush me. I took a step back, baring my teeth, daring them to try.

Someone got me from behind. They grabbed my arms and twisted them behind me and kicked the back of my knees until I was back on the ground. I screamed and thrashed at my enemy. I wanted them to let go, I wanted the pain to stop, but I didn't know how to say it. So I screamed and screamed and screamed.

            "He needs the tea! Stop standing around and help me!"

            More rushed around me. One grabbed my jaw and kept my mouth open. I gazed up at a sea of wide, glowing eyes and shadowy faces. They looked so ridiculous. I couldn't help but laugh. It was so damn funny.

            "What the hell is wrong with him?"

            "Fawn, you have the tea, you have to be the one to feed it to him. Get over here now!"

            It was her. That monster dressed in mud whom I met in mourning. She was disguised as a regular person, but I wouldn't be fooled. She carried something in her hands. Poison. It had to be. She was going to poison me and turn me into her child. I thrashed some more and more hands kept me from moving. The mud monster looked scared of me. Another act. To let my guard down. I will spit the poison back in her lying face.

            "Kat, I don't know how much longer I can keep holding him like this!"

            "Do it now or we are going to lose him!"

            "Fawn, please!"

            She inched closer, holding the thing— a leather bottle— in her shaking hands. Yes. Get closer. Make it easier for me to catch you.

            "Fawn, man, you gotta hurry it up!"

            She reached out with the bottle when I finally shook free the hand on my jaw. I snapped down at her. She threw back her hands just in time. Unfortunate. Soon the grip came back, stronger. I howled at my missed opportunity.

            "What the hell was that, Stallion?!"

            "I'm sorry; I didn't want to hurt him!"

            "He's going to try to hurt all of us if you don't get your act together. Now hold him!"

            "Kat, everyone, please stop this. This isn't helping!"

            So many shouting voices. What were they even saying? Damn, my head hurt. Each of their cries bounced around my skull like the echoes of a gunshot. Why couldn't they just shut up? Why couldn't they just let me go so I could shut them all up.

            The lights from the fire were getting so bright. I couldn't look at them. My vision was blurring. I closed my eyes but the screaming only intensified. My muscles were on fire. I was on fire. It hurt so much.

            Someone touched my head.

            "Shh, it's alright."

            Someone stroked my hair.

            "It's alright. It is going to be alright."

            The screaming and the echoing stopped for a moment. I opened my eyes.

            It was still so dark. I must have woken mom up with my nightmares again because there she was, kneeling beside my bed. I tried to move, but my body felt very heavy. I had to still be half asleep.

            "Mom?" I called to her. She jumped a little at my voice; she must have been surprised that I was awake with how still I was.

             She quickly recovered and looked down at me with that gentle smile of hers."Yes...honey?"

            There were dark shadows under her eyes. No matter how tired she was, she would always make time for me.

            "I'm sorry I woke you up."

            "What? You didn't— I mean, it's alright, sweetie. I was worried about you."

            "I know. I'm sorry I make you worry all the time."

            She continued to stroke my hair. A lot of the fights her and dad had were about me. Sometimes it was about how long she liked my hair to be. It didn't matter to me, either way, but I liked that she could play with it. Sometimes it would comfort her more than me.

            "I brought you something," she said and showed me a strange bottle she was holding. It was wide and covered by something rough and brown.

            "What is it?"

            "It's a drink. Something to help you sleep better."

            "Like milk?"

            "Yes, like milk."

            I took it from her. The weight in my arms went away as I did. It was somewhat heavy. I brought my nose to the narrow mouth and sniffed. It stung my nose hairs.

            "It doesn't smell like milk."

            She laughed. "It's like milk, but better."

I smiled. It always felt good to hear her laugh. It was like finding a four leaf clover in your backyard or winning the lottery.

            "Thank you, mommy."

            "You're welcome, sweetie."

            We shared one more smile before I brought the weird bottle to my lips. It hurt a little bit to drink it, but I put on a brave face for her. I did not stop until it was all gone. It still hurt for a little while afterwards, but mom was right, like always. Already I could feel myself drifting away, the heavy feeling in my body leaving like it was never there. I felt as light as the air.

            My mom ran a hand across my hair one last time before she stood up and prepared to leave.

            I held out my arms to her. "Wait."

            She looked back. I saw her hesitate a moment before her gentle smile returned. Her hug was big and strong, unlike any hug I could remember. I hugged her back as hard as I could, but I was drifting away.

            "Don't go, mommy."

            "It's alright, sweetie. I will be here in the morning."

            I tried to hug her tighter, but I couldn't feel my arms. My eyes burned. I didn't want to cry. I wanted to be brave. But...

            "No you won't." I choked out the words. "I'm never going to see you again."

            She laid me back down in my bed. I wanted to look at her, but I didn't want her to see me crying. I felt so light. The world around her blurry image was getting so dark. She wiped away my tears so I could see. She looked sad, but she wasn't crying. She was always so much braver than me.

            "It is going to be alright."

I could see her holding my hand, but I could not feel it. Her face got blurry before the darkness took her away completely.

I tried to picture her face, but I could no longer remember it.

Instead, I saw Kat. I saw her huddled at her tree, working on more mysterious underwater squids. I saw Mary pretending to read a book about Greek plays while we walked to school together. I saw Stallion and Mutt laughing about the latest hurtful nickname the students at our school had given us. I saw Maple and Meadow and all of their siblings running barefoot through the sun drenched path that led all throughout the mountain.

They were still there. Split up, hurt, confused, but there. And they were going to stay that way.

A voice that I did not recognize whispered to me: "Everything is going to be alright."

And, for the first time in a long time, I believed it.

...

*Author's Note*

Hey, guys. Sorry for the length of this particular chapter, but it did not feel right cutting this particular one up into more bite sized pieces. These emotional chapters you just gotta chug through and hope you make it out on the other side in one piece.

Speaking of which, do you guys think our dear Foxy will be able to make it through all this alright? Seems like his sanity might already be slipping, just a little bit. Whatever your thoughts on this, or anything that makes you think fondly of the past, be sure to let me know!