Looking for a Story

Alice had lived a good long life, so she wasn't sad to go. She knew she was dying. Or was she dead? She honestly wasn't sure. She had been having really vivid dreams as of late. And now she was on a tree-lined path and it smelled like spring. She couldn't help but start walking. She followed the brick path and soon came across a doll that had been left behind. It seemed vaguely familiar but she didn't know why. She bent down and picked it up. As she did, the trees in front of her bent away from each other and she saw…her memory? Alice stepped closer, and she saw herself as a little girl, running to her grandpa. "Grandpa! You made it!" Small Alice cried as she jumped into her grandpa’s arms. “Of course, little girl! How could I not make it? It's your birthday!" He spun her around, and she giggled. "Did you miss me?" she asked. Since she refused to let him go, he started carrying her toward her house. "Of course, I miss ya every day!” Soon they were in the house and the party began. Alice watched as her childhood birthday party played out before her. She smiled as she saw friends she had long forgotten. She watched gifts in simple paper get opened. The joy of childhood seemed to flow from this room. Soon the party ended and everyone left. Alice watched as her younger self jumped on her grandpa's lap. "Oh, please don't go! I'll miss you too much!" She had tears in her eyes. "Oh, I'll be back again before you know it." He poked her nose. She curled into his lap and he seemed in no rush to move. Alice smiled as she watched her younger self do what her own grandchildren had now done for years when she had to leave them. Then out of nowhere, little Alice leapt up and ran out of the room. All the adults looked around and shrugged. A few seconds later she came barreling back into the room holding a doll, the same doll she was now holding as an adult. "Grandpa, take this with you!" She pushed her doll into his lap. “Then you won't miss me too much!" She smiled brightly. "Oh, darling…." Her Grandpa looked at the doll. "I couldn't…." He tried to hand it back to her. "No! I want you to take her, then I know you have something to think of me." She smiled up at Grandpa. He looked at his granddaughter. "How could I say no to you, my dear? I'll take the doll with me." Alice watched as little Alice walked her grandpa back to his car…and slowly the trees closed. Then her Grandpa appeared in front of the tree. "Grandpa?" Tears welled up in her eyes. She ran to him. “Hey, little girl." Her grandpa smiled and opened his arm to her. She rushed to give him a hug. "I'm older than you now.” She teased. "Silly girl." He offered her his arm. "Walk with me?" She looked closely at her Grandfather; he didn't look like she remembered but rather like she had seen him in photos of his younger days. "Of course, I've missed you dearly." They walked through the tree-arched path. "It's lovely here." Alice felt happy walking with him again. "It really is. See anything else you want to look at?" Grandpa asked as he walked. "Will I see another memory if I do?" She was enjoying seeing her grandpa again, would picking something, make him leave? He nodded. She looked around and saw a cookie tin sitting against a tree. "That's Mom’s!" She ran over to pick it up. "Will you stay and watch this with me?" "Of course." He smiled and the two started toward the two trees that were bending back. Alice saw herself in college, sitting at her desk…struggling over some paper, she was sure…. Her roommate walked into their room. "Hey, there was a package for you in the mailbox. I didn't think you'd make it before they closed for the weekend, so I grabbed it." Alice barely looked up and muttered, “Thanks." Her roommate shook her head. “Girl, you need a break.” “I will, later," Alice mumbled as she took another swig of her coffee. "I'm going to join our brother-dorm for carolling. You sure you won't take a break and come?" Alice shook her head. Her roommate sighed. "We leave in forty-five minutes if you wanna join. The package is from your mom. At least stop long enough to open that." Adult Alice watched as her old roommate left her in their room. She watched as college-aged Alice sighed heavily, rolled her chair away from her desk and stood up. Her back cracked in several places. She walked over to the box. Mom hadn't mentioned sending a package the last time they called…. Alice opened it slowly and couldn't help but smile. "It's the cookie tin....'' She pulled the tin out of the box. Underneath there was a letter. Hello Sunshine, I noticed in our last phone call you sounded stressed. I know your last final is close to Christmas so I thought I'd send you these to lift your spirits. Don't forget to enjoy this time of year, Sunshine. Love, Mama. Alice opened the box and the smell of Christmas hit her nose. Her mom had sent her all her favourite cookies. Alice took one out and took a bite. She sighed happily. This…this made it feel like Christmas. She looked around her room. It was a mess. When did she clean last? When was the last time she hadn’t spent her evening at this desk or in the library? Finishing her cookie, she quickly put herself together and raced out the door to join her friends. Alice watched as the trees closed. "Mom sent me that cookie tin every year. I was heartbroken the day it became mine." She turned to look at her grandfather, but he was gone. "You'll see him soon, Sunshine." Her mom's voice filled Alice with joy. "Mom?" She turned and ran to her mom, holding her tightly. "Hello, Sunshine." Her mother held Alice for a moment. "Come, let's keep walking. Tell me, how are my grandbabies?" Alice laughed. “Of course, that would be your first question! They’ve all made me a grandma now. The oldest of which is very worried about how sick I am." Alice laughed, ending in more of a sad sigh. "How are you holding up?" Her mom looked at her closely. "Tired, my body grows tired and my mind mixes memories." They walked along the path through the trees. After a moment of silence - “Mom, do you know when I'll go?" Her mom shook her head. “Sunshine, I can't know that." "Well, I'm glad to see you again." Alice had missed the comfort her mother provided. Then out of the corner of her eye, Alice saw her dress. She stopped, "Mama, look." "Oh…. It's your wedding dress." Her mom smiled fondly. "It's been a year. I'm not sure I'm ready to see him again." She looked at the dress…. Their wedding had been beautiful, and she'd love to see him again, but she didn't want to say goodbye again. Her mom smiled and took her hand. "I understand, Sunshine." Alice looked at her wedding dress moving in the wind; as she watched it, it started looking like the drapes in her room. She blinked. She was in her room, and her granddaughter had just dropped off some flowers to brighten the room. And now her room smelt like spring…. Was that all real or had she only dreamed it?

The light faded around Flint and Rose Thorn. He had wrapped his arms around her and they had hit the ground hard, but the grass felt soft underneath them. Wait, what grass? They had been on the roof of the skating rink; how could they land on grass? Flint looked down and found himself on top of Penny; she was lying on her stomach. He hoped she hadn’t done any damage to her face, since their cuts and bruises didn’t always heal with the Elements Repair. He stopped for a second - Penny? He had jumped to project Rose Thorn, not Penny. Something had gone wrong. "Rose! Your Identity! I'll cover you!" He tried to cover more of her body. "Andrew?" Her voice was so soft he almost missed it. Then he realized what she had also just realized - he was covering her with his arm, not his shield. She gently brushed her fingers against his skin, right over the spot where his Element should have been. He inhaled sharply and she quickly moved her hand away. His skin burned at her touch. He moved his arm to get a better look at his wrist and saw…a bruise? He wasn't sure; it was black and a grey that almost looked silver. He grimaced. It reminded him of Metallic Owl; was this part of her plan - to separate the heroes from one another? Then why use Jaded? "Andrew," Penny spoke again. "Move my hair out of the way." It wasn't a question, and her voice shook as she spoke. Andrew did as she said, which was simple because her hair was already pulled back in a clip. As he lifted her hair from her ear, she tilted her head so he could get a better look. He gasped; the place where her cuff had sat was darker than his wrist. He didn't dare touch it. Was it because she had been the team’s leader? Was it because she had spent the most time talking to her Element, trying to figure out how to stop and catch Owl? "Oh, Pen." He hugged her close. "Andy, where are we?" He could tell she was fighting back tears. "I guess I should let you up and we will go find out together, eh?" He carefully stood up, not wanting to knee her in the back. As he stood, he offered her a hand in a dramatic fashion similar to one of their old dance routine starting positions. "What, are we back in dance class?" she teased. Picking herself up off the ground and taking his hand, she did a little jump and a twirl, which gave them both a laugh. "Seemed like a good time for a laugh. Wasn't dance class one of our parent's ploys to get us wed?" Andrew smiled at the memory of the two of them when they were younger. "That, and to give me more grace." Pen struck a pose, but suddenly her face went from a smile to shock. "Andrew, I don't think we are in Arcadia anymore." She pointed and Andrew turned to see what she was pointing at. "I'm not even sure we are in our world anymore…." Andrew saw it - two moons hung in the sky, and he guessed that they must run parallel to each other. "Well, you should turn and see what I was looking at." So they both turned and saw a beautiful, almost Victorian-style home, surrounded by a lovely farmyard. "Should we head there and see if we can find answers?" "I don't think we have any other choices. I don't think this is the work of Owl." Soon as Penny said that, her eyes lit up in fear. "Andrew! What are our friends going to do without us?" She started to hyperventilate. He put his hands on her shoulders. “Pen, stay with me. Breathe for me. Listen to me. Knowing Sophie and Trevor, they grabbed our Elements and became Rose Mage and Ice Phoenix. And if this is the work of Metallic Owl, we won't be here for long. If it’s not, you know they will try to find a way to get us back." He watched as her breathing slowed. "You're right." She chuckled. "Rose Mage and Ice Phoenix… I like that. But Andrew, I meant it. I really don't think this is the work of Owl. Don’t you think Trevor would have told me or you about something like this from his experience under Owl's control?" She shook at that memory; she’d become Frosted Rose that day, and she never wanted to do that again. "I was afraid you were going to say that." Andrew sighed and chuckled at the same time. "Well, let's go." He offered her his arm. There would be time for crying and breaking down later. Right now he needed to be strong for both his sake and Pen’s. Fortunately, it seemed like they had been dropped at the edge of this homestead, so it was a short walk to the door. Penny knocked and a man dressed in a casual suit opened the door. He smiled at them. "I was wondering how much longer we'd have to wait. Please come in and I will explain everything." He opened the door wider and welcomed them in. "Betty, love! The new Eathers are here! Please bring a tray of hot drinks for them." He ushered them into what looked like a den or foyer. "Please sit." Andrew looked at Penny, sensing that they both felt unsure, but they sat anyway. "My, dude…oh um, sorry…. Sir?” Andrew realized ‘dude’ might not be the best way to address this man. “Who are you? Where are we? Why are we here?" "Please, no need for formalities. I only dress this way because it's Betty's favourite style. I will answer all your questions in a moment but first, won’t you tell me about yourselves? While we wait for Betty to join us." He leaned back as if welcoming them to talk. Andrew looked to Penny, who simply shrugged. "Well, my name is Penny, and I love photography. I even have a little business on the side. I'm nineteen and supposed to graduate in three months." She shifted uneasily. Andrew knew she was trying to look brave and put together. "I'm Andrew. I love the piano and have been playing it since I was little. Same age and grad date.” He took his hat off and fiddled with it. The man’s eyes lit up. “You two know each other then?” Penny looked up at Andrew. “Yeah, we’ve been best friends for as long as we can remember.” “And Pen and I have also been dancing together since we started school,” Andrew added. “So are you two lovers then?” The man gave them a cheeky smile. Penny giggled. "No, much to our parents’ dismay. We do each have a lover though. We all started dating around the same time; we’re all one big friend group…kind of inseparable." "We are also superheroes back in Arcadia - the four of us together, that is - and we’ve been doing that for four years now," Andrew added. Seeing as their Elements were gone, he gathered that superheroes didn’t exist here. "It requires the magic of the Elements." Penny looked at the man like she was studying his reaction. "Ah, that makes this all the more interesting then. I assume that’s what those nasty bruises are from?" They exchanged a glance and nodded. Just then, a woman entered with a tray of drinks. She wore what Andrew assumed was a casual dress. He would have to ask Penny about it later since she spent more time with Sophie when it came to the designing parts of fashion. "Hello, young ones, I'm Betty, married to that one…we have tea, coffee, hot chocolate and warm milk. Enjoy.” She sat down next to her husband and everyone quietly made themselves a drink. "Okay, allow me to explain, and then you can ask questions, alright?" When they nodded, the man continued. “My name is Jonathan, and I ran the homestead on behalf of the Earthers. That's what we call people from your dimension, Dimension 332. You are now in Dimension 652, also known as Twin Crescent. And once per generation for us, two people from your world come into our world. We don't really know why, it just happens. Or fully know how much time has passed in your world, every time it seems to be different." "Has anyone ever made it back to Dimension 332?" Pen interrupted. Jonathan looked down. "No, never." Both Penny and Andrew gasped. Andrew impulsively reached out to take Pen's hand. She squeezed it. "I won't tell you not to be sad,” Jonathan continued. “Please, mourn the life you lost, but please don't hide away from us, waiting for someone to save you." He looked back up at them with great sadness in his eyes. "You speak like you've seen this, but you can't be more than five to ten years older than us…?" Andrew couldn’t help but ask. "Yes, you see, my grandmother married one of the Earthers. She was one of the few people to do so. You see, historically they end up with each other. No one else can relate to their life experiences, so it just happens. But not always. The woman who came over with my grandfather had been the daughter of people who held the two of Elements you speak off, and she believed without a doubt they would come to save her. She died waiting. I only met her once; I was just five when she passed. I don’t know if her parents got close to crossing the line between worlds, we never saw them." "Oh." Pen leaned on Andrew this was becoming a lot already. If past holders of the Elements couldn’t bring their child back, what chance did Sophie and Trevor have? "I know this is a lot and I want to give you time to process. But I’ll tell you the good news before we find you a bed to rest your head. The very first people who came over were smart. They started this homestead; it provides grain for the planet, and my family has been managing the homestead on behalf of the Earthers for years now. The place employs several families; all of them are willing to do a number of jobs. So you two can have whatever life you want, you could live like royalty if you like. Or, there are a few unoccupied apartments, and townhouses you can choose from. But for tonight, we have several guest rooms in this house.” Jonathan smiled at them softly. Andrew and Penny looked at Jonathan, dumbfounded. This was a lot to take in. Andrew spoke first. "So basically, we have inherited a fully-functioning farm that we don't have to work unless we want to?" "Yep, you are rich now, and no one minds much because this homestead does so much for the people here.” Betty, who had been very quiet for this whole conversion, spoke up. She gave them each a comforting smile, then moved to clean up the drinks. “And it's not like you got a choice in this matter, so it's the least we can do for you. Now, I'm sure you have any questions, but I think it would be best if I let you two have some space to talk to each other and get some rest so that you can face the world tomorrow." Jonathan quickly led them into a large room that had a bed, a sofa and an ensuite. He gave them a small smile and left them with one final reminder. “Take as much time as you need. Honestly, very few people rush into this new life, and most take months to accept it. We move at your pace." Once the door was closed on their temporary bedroom, Andrew and Penny both sat on the floor. "Andy?" Penny’s voice was tight like she was trying not to cry. "Can we break down now?" "Yes Pen, we can." They silently let the tears fall. "Andy, we are never going back, are we?" She looked at him, tears rolling down her face. "Hey now. Sure, he said no one's ever left, but Arcadia needs Rose Thorn to lead their superhero team. Sophie, Trevor, and The Elements will do everything they can to get us back." A knock at the door interrupted them. “Come in,” Andrew called. "Here is your snack tray." Betty placed the tray on the long, low dresser in the room. She left quickly, clearly trying to give them their space. Andrew looked at the clock. "Look, I know it's only 6 pm here, but I'm beat, and I bet you are too. So unless you’re hungry, I say we go to bed. Whenever we wake up in the morning we’ll talk about this, but for now, I say we sleep." Penny yawned, then sniffed back a few more tears. "I think that's a really wise idea." Andrew stood up. "Let's see if they’ve got some PJs in this place, because - I don't know about you, but - these clothes feel gross." "On that, I agree." After Penny stood, Andrew opened the top drawer on one side of the dresser and Penny opened the other. They each quickly found a set of PJs to wear. Penny let him change in the bathroom, and he didn’t argue. He put his clothes in a neatly folded pile; after all, he wanted to be neat if Pen came in here. He walked out and found her in a ball on the floor; the nightgown she chose made her look so small. She was shaking, crying. He crouched behind her, took her hair clip out, and ran his fingers through her hair. Then he mustered the last of his strength, picked her up, and set her on the bed. He could sleep on the sofa for the night. "Andy, can we share a bed? It seems big enough…. I don't want to sleep alone." Penny's voice was soft but heavy. Andrew could tell she was ready to break; if he was honest, so was he. "I’m not going anywhere, Pen." Andrew smiled at his best friend. He turned off the light and crawled into bed. Once he was under the covers, Pen lay on her back, giving him space on the bed. But after a moment he heard her sobbing, so he rolled over to face her and noticed her body was shaking. He moved closer, offered her a hand, and hummed softly. He waited until her crying stopped, and her breathing evened out. About an hour later she was asleep. With his job of protecting done, Andrew finally fully broke, and he cried himself to sleep.

“I can't even remember the last date I was on…." Jenny complained to Sally as she stepped out of the changing room and modelled the new dress she’d just tried on Sally smiled. "Girl, that's the one!" She pulled out her phone, and Jenny smiled as Sally snapped a photo and showed her. "Wow! I do look great." Jenny looked up from the phone and posed again in front of the mirror. "He's gonna drop dead when he sees you," Sally teased. Jenny gigged. "I hope not! I'd kinda like to enjoy my dinner." She picked up her phone. "Should I send him a sneak peek of my outfit?” Sally shot her a look. "Duh!" The girls giggled as Jenny took a selfie, typed Looking forward to dinner, and sent it to her date. Jenny changed back into her street clothes, then paid for the new date night outfit. The two girls wandered around the mall before parting ways so that Jenny could get ready for her evening. Jenny spent an hour getting ready. She did her hair and makeup and looked at her outfit at least seven times. She sent Sally a selfie. All good? She asked. More than good, you look amazing! Sally responded. Thanks! :) Jenny texted back. Now, remember, Sally, typed. Text me if he gets weird, and I'll call crying and get you out of this. Jenny looked at her phone and laughed. Sally was so extra. But Jenny promised to do as she was told. Shortly after, she glanced at the clock and headed to the restaurant where she was to meet this guy, texting him that she was on her way. She was the first to arrive at the restaurant, she was taken to a seat and then she waited…. The waitress brought her water, and still Jenny waited. She sent him a text but he didn't answer…. She could only hope that he was driving. She watched as the condensation on her glass of water started to run down to the table. The waitress came by again and gave her a sad look. Jenny had been there for thirty minutes when she started to acknowledge that he wasn't coming. She should text Sally and tell her…. But part of Jenny didn't want to admit it had been a bust…. "Hey, hun, can I call someone for ya? Or get you something?" The waitress stopped by her table. "No, thanks. I'll call my friend and see if she wants to join me or go somewhere else." Jenny picked up her phone. "Alright, hun. Well, look you look great; your date is missing out!" She winked and walked away. Jenny took a breath and called Sally, who picked up right away. Before she could say a word, Sally exclaimed, "Oh no, he didn't! I'll be there in ten." Jenny hung up the phone and just stared at it. She felt the tears burning her eyes. Not because her date had ditched her, but because of how quickly her friend was willing to come to her aid. Ten minutes on the dot, Sally walked in. The waitress smiled and followed her over. "What can I get for you two?" Sally looked at Jenny with a smile, then back at the waitress. "Whichever dessert has chocolate and ice cream. We'll start with one but we might need two." The waitress smiled. "I can make that happen." "Oh!" Sally got the waitress's attention before she left. “And a side order of fries." “Can do!" The waitress walked away. "Has he texted you at all?” Sally gave her friend her full attention. "After we sent that selfie, he said ‘me too.’ Then nothing." Jenny looked at her phone for what felt like the hundredth time. Sally shook her head. "Well, his loss." She put her hand on top of Jenny's. "But seriously, are you good?” Jenny took a breath and looked at her friend. "I think so. I think I'm just mad at this point. Like, why waste my time?" "Maybe he got cold feet?" Sally suggested. "Or maybe something happened and he didn't think to text you…." She shrugged. "But we can be mad at him if you want." She giggled and leaned back. "I'd rather not talk about it and enjoy our treat instead." Jenny stated, just as the brownie and fries were set on the table. "Enjoy, ladies!" The waitress smiled and walked away. "Oh, this was such a good idea," Jenny said after her bite of brownie and ice cream. "Chocolate is medicine for the soul, and you can't convince me otherwise." Sally smiled as she dipped her fries in her ice cream. The girls sat and talked like nothing had happened, and soon they were laughing again. Once their dessert was nothing more than a puddle with brownie crumb islands and the fries were only crumbs and salt, Jenny no longer felt sad. The two girls paid and headed to their cars. "Movie and popcorn at my place?" Sally offered. "You can crash there too if you'd like." Jenny smiled and nodded, and the two girls drove off. Back at the apartment, the movie played in the background as the two girls scrolled through videos and posts on their phones. Jenny forgot all about the boy who had stood her up and about the outfit she had spent hours trying to find; all she could think of was how truly grateful she was for an amazing friend. Did you like what you read? 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"You're early," says Death with a hint of surprise. “Not that I'm complaining, though." "Surprise, Dad!" his daughter Beauty smiles at him. "Why are you back early, dear?" Normally when she joined him, the family of three made a day of it, as their paths hardly crossed anymore. "I'm not staying, but there's someone I want to greet and guide to the river. Mother figured you wouldn't mind and would understand." Beauty waves her hand, and her robe turns from a yellow and green background with black swirls to a black background with butterflies and roses in yellow and green - always a perfect combination of both parts of her. "I'm glad you are here today. I have a few tough passengers this evening.” Death offers her his arm. “So whose is this passage you want to guide?" "Oh, so when I joined Mom last switch, she showed me this woman who made the most beautiful gardens. Even though she couldn’t see me, I would visit her every day. And unlike mom, I could see her time was coming. And, well...." Beauty gives her dad a sad smile. "I understand, Beauty." He pats her arm. "How is your mother these days?" His heart aches - oh, how he misses his love! "She is the same as always. She misses you. But is still happy. Dad, I'm nearly a thousand years old; can't you tell me a little bit about your and Mom's story?" She asks this question every few years. Death sighs and thinks for a moment. "Come, let's meet my difficult passengers, then I'll explain a bit more of your mother's and my story." Beauty looks at him like she is going to roll her eyes but doesn’t. They walked into a hospital. "Oh, these ones are always hard." She releases her dad's arm and walks to the little boy with tubes and wires all over him. She takes a breath and touches his arm. The little boy stands up beside her. Death watches as Beauty explains what is happening. She knows which other kids need to join them today. Death walks over to the NICU ward. Then he sees her - his love, the mother of his daughter, Life herself. She is holding a baby. She always tries to check on new life. They see each other, he smiles, and she blushes. She angles the baby so he can see the little one, and he gives the baby a small ware. He is grateful he isn’t here for the one she is holding. He lifts up one of the other little ones in the nursery. The baby hardly stirs, curls up in his arms, and sleeps soundly. Life and Death share a sad smile and part ways. When he returns to Beauty's side, she has gathered all the children. She is creating flowers, butterflies and birds that make the kids smile. They seem less scared. The kids always respond better to her than to him. They lead the group of kids, who seem to be in awe of the world around them. Beauty glances at her father. "You saw mom, didn't ya?" "What makes you say that?" He smirks at his daughter. "You’ve got that look on your face - you always have it when we leave her to go home." She rolls her eyes. "I did see your mom when I was picking up this little one." They walk in silence for a while. Life and Death each take turns collecting the soul waiting for their call. "When I first met Life, she was mad at me for taking someone away from her. But as time went on, she saw that we could work together. Slowly, we spent more and more time together. But as people created more cities and built civilizations, they feared me more and I took it hard. Watching them praise Life for her work and then despite me for mine." He looks down. "But Dad, that isn't fair; your work is just as vital as Mom’s." Beauty smiles at her dad, trying to get him to smile. "You and I understand that, but you and I and your mother can't die. We will never have to grieve as humans do. So I don't blame them." He pats her arm, telling her that he is okay. "Dad, what happened?" She looks at him, begging for more of the story. "Well, the weight of the hate was too much, so I avoided Life as much as I could. I wanted her to enjoy being loved by the people without feeling guilty." He chuckles. "I'm betting mom didn't approve of that." Beauty covers her month, hiding her giggle. "Not even a little bit. So she hunted me down again and again, trying to make me see my value. After years of this chase, I got tired of running….'' With a wave of his hand he shows her a flashback…. "Death, please stop running from me." Life ran, following after Death. It had been days and she refused to stop. "Life, do you not know how hard this is for me? They hate me." He stopped long enough to turn and look at her. That’s when he really saw her face for the first time in years. Her eyes were bloodshot. "Life, you've been crying." "For years, Death. They may love me, but no one cares for me. They wreck my lands, they kill my animals, they kill and destroy each other, and no one cares! Then you run from me I can't even see you take care of my lost souls!" She fell to the ground, tears flowing. "Oh Life, I do care for you. It's why I run; I thought I was hurting you." Death’s thin fingers removed tears from her cheeks. "I care for you so much." "I don't hate you, Death; I never could. You are the one thing that brings me peace in this never-ending life." She took his hand and held it tight. "I won't run anymore, I promise. But can we stay side by side anymore... Humans have gotten to be so numerous that we have to be in so many places. What can we do?" He rested his head against hers. "There is beauty in both of us. So let's let that tie us together." She opened her hands to him. "But Live, I can't create anything. I only take away!" His hands didn't move, but his posture faltered. "With me, you can." So together they created a little girl. She had bright eyes like Life but skin as pale as Death’s. Her hair shone like sapphires but was as deep a blue as the ocean. Her smile sparkled like the stars. She was perfect. "Death, what shall we call her?" He held the little girl close to his chest and smiled as she curled in close. "Beauty. The one thing that exists in life and death. She will be a help, a comfort, and a connection for each of us." Death had never helped Life make anything before. He had never felt so alive. "She should stay with you; the human world will be kinder to her than the depths of a river. "You must visit often then. I want her to know you. She should come to stay with you when she's older. She's got both our gifts after all." Life stroked the little girl's hair. Death waved his hand and ended the flashback. "Oh wow! Dad, I...I didn't know." Beauty seems in awe of him. "We never wanted you to feel like you owed us something. We made the 50-year agreement so you can practise both your gifts." He stops walking. One of the children had stopped walking; he could feel it. "You or me?" Beauty looks back and forth between him and the kids. "I'll go. You entertain the kids." Checking on the baby still asleep in his arms, Death walks over to the little boy who had stopped. "Oh hi, Mister." The boy looks back at him. "What ya waiting on, Bud?" Death sits on the ground beside the boy. "My best friend - we go everywhere together. I don't want to get too far ahead." The boy is watching the direction they have just come from. "Ah! Well, Bud, I don't think we can wait, but I promise for you it will feel like that," Death snaps his finger, "and then he'll be here. And look," he turns the boy's attention to the group of kids around Beauty. "We are going to go on all kinds of adventures." Beauty is creating all kinds of animals for the children to play with. "Whoa... That's so cool! Is it always like that?" The boy's eyes are as wide as saucers. "Every day," Death replies as he offers the boy his hand. They start walking again, and Beauty keeps creating while they walk. Eventually, the kids run ahead, and Death turns to Beauty. “It's time my, dear." Beauty looks to her dad. "Do we have to?" She takes his hand which is now free from the little boy who is running with the other kids. "Yes, we do. She'll be grateful to finally meet you!" They enter the hospital to see a patient surrounded by family. The children who had been playing are now silent. They move to join the group of older people who had been following behind them. It is as if they understand this person is important to Beauty. Death softly touches the older lady's arm. "Welcome," he says with a smile. "Oh! I didn't realize I would leave today." She looks at her family with a sad smile. "Death, can I ask one favour?" "Of course, ma'am.'' He waits, sure that he knows what she is going to ask. "Can I see my home one more time?" "Of course. My daughter has told me some much about your home, and I would to see it for myself." He gestures for Beauty to step forward. "My aren't you beautiful, dear child." Beauty offers the woman her arm. The group starts walking again, till they reach the woman’s house. "Oh no! I suppose my family would have struggled to keep my garden alive." Beauty sighs as she waves her hand, switching her robes. "I wish I was as strong as Mom, but I’m not strong enough to bring your garden back to life as a parting gift." "Good thing I stopped by then," Life steps out of nowhere. “I knew this would happen." She smiles and takes her daughter's hand. "Let's make her garden breathe again." Death watches as mother and daughter dance through the garden, hand in hand. The children join in. The older woman approaches Death. "Thank ya for this gift." Death smiles. "It's as much for me as it is for you." Death hands the baby to the older woman and joins his love and his daughter in dancing. And so he reminds the crowd that in both Life and Death you will always find Beauty. Did you like what you read? 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Gracy was helping her grandfather clean out the attic. It had taken a few years of discussions, but Grandpa was finally ready to move in with her and her parents. She was looking forward to having him close by. He had the coolest stories and had always been a great help on her school assignments. Sure, hanging out in a dusty attic wasn't every high schooler's idea of fun on Saturday. But she didn't mind. Her grandma had been a collector and now Gracy got first dibs on anything she wanted. As she sorted and labelled boxes, she would occasionally find things she wanted and sent them aside in a box to keep for herself. She had made fast work; her grandma had been very organized. Soon she was working on the last box. Out of it, she pulled a faded crown, with green gemstones. "This is beautiful." She slowly turned the crown in her hand. Then she gasped and it clattered to the floor. There was a name engraved on the crown - her name…. Had her grandmother bought this for her and not told anyone? She picked it up again and walked over to the old mirror, then carefully put the crown on top of her head. As soon as it touched her head, Gracy saw in the mirror a girl that looked like her; but she was in a ball gown, standing tall, backed by an army prepared for battle. The army looked like they would die for her. And that girl seemed to be reaching out to her. Gracey panicked, threw the crown off her head, and heard it crash on the attic floor. What was that…? She stared at the crown, breathing heavily. Slowly she picked it up again and left the attic. She found her grandfather making steaks in the kitchen. "Oh good, you came down. I was just about to call you." He looked over at her. "My child, you look like you've seen a gho…. Oh. You found it, did you." They each took a seat at the kitchen table, and she set the crown in front of her. "What is this? Why is my name on it?” Her breathing was still unsteady. 'It came with you." Her grandfather spoke softly. "With me?” She spoke in a tight, hoarse voice. "Yes, with ya. You came through the mirror that you found upstairs. The crown was in your wicker basket. We had no idea where you’d come from, you were just given to us." He looked at her with sad eyes. "So I'm not your granddaughter!" Her voice was tight and tears burned her eyes. "No, no, no, my dear." Grandpa stood quickly and moved to hold Gracy. "I have never not loved you. The moment I saw you, I was ready to fight for you." "Did mom and dad know?" She let the tears fall. He shook his head. "We never told them. We told them you showed up on the porch." "What would you have done if something had just taken me? Back through the mirror?" She was horrified - how heartbroken would her parents would have been? "I would have told them then. But your grandmother and I looked for answers and we couldn't find anything.” He looked at her, defeated. She took a breath. “Grandpa, when I put it on, in the mirror I saw another world. I had on this royal gown, and an army around me, like they were ready for war...." He looked down. "Makes me wonder why you were sent to us." Gracy sat there, still in shock. "I need space." She stood up and got ready to leave. As she got to the door, she stopped. "Bring the mirror to my house, I might need it." She left the house and went for a walk. Growing up she never felt like she didn't belong in her family. But she wasn't even a part of it? After an hour or two she walked back home and up to her room. Her parents didn't bother her. She assumed her grandfather had given them a call and told them some story. The crown and mirror were in her room when she got home. She was so spent, she just lay down and went to sleep. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in that same thrown room. She was in a royal gown, with an army staring at her. To her right stood a man in armour. "My queen, we need you to return. You are our only hope." He bowed to her and the army followed suit. She looked at him. “What's happening?" she whispered. “You are the Queen of this world, my lady, and your parents are weakening. If you don't come, we could be lost." He looked up at her from where he knelt. She looked around…. “But I have not been raised to be queen. I didn't know this existed until today.” She knelt by him, her voice still soft, her hands shaking. "Your crown - it holds the wealth of our Kingdom. When you come here and put it on, you will understand." He stood up and offered Grace a hand. "My Queen, come back to us." As she stood, she woke up. "What!” he sat up, panting. She looked around her room at photos of her parents, her friends, her whole life - it wasn't supposed to be hers. She should have been in some palaces somewhere else, with a royal family, probably servants, and whatnot else. What all had she lost compared to all she had gained? If she left - which felt silly to think of - but if she left, would she be able to come back? Or would she never see her parents again? This King and Queen might be the ones who gave her life. But her parents - the ones who loved and raised her, the ones she loved…. But clearly, she had to do something…. She had to go. Gracy walked downstairs and found her grandfather sitting with her parents at the table. She paused for a moment and watched them. She was about to change everything. She stepped in view of her family. Her dad saw her first. "Hey sweetheart, ya feeling better?" With tears in her eyes, Gracy shook her head. Her mother rushed up and pulled her into a hug. "Sweety, what's wrong?" Gracy locked eyes with her grandpa. "Grandpa and I have something to tell ya." Her grandpa sighed heavily, then started with the true story of her parentage -where she came from and all the details he could remember. Gracy then told them of her visions and the land in the mirror. Tears were still rolling as Gracy looked at them. "So if you leave, will we ever see ya again?” Her mother blinked away her own tears. "I don't know, Mom. I don't know." Gracy took her mom's hand. “But I think I have to go." She looked at her dad. "It's what you would do.'' She smiled softly. Her dad shook his head. Since she was a little girl, people had always told them she was her father's carbon copy of her mother's smile…which was funny to think of now. "Yes, sweetheart, it is what I would do." He paused, taking a shaky breath. "I just wish you didn't have to…." The family hugged. "One more night?" Her mom spoke softly. Gracy nodded. So they spent the night playing games, watching movies and being a family. The next morning, with tears in everyone's eyes, they put the crown on her head and everyone hugged goodbye. Then, Gracy walked through the mirror. Glancing back she could see them, but they could not see her it seemed; she waved anyway. Then she kept walking, and soon she could see clearly. She was in a royal gown and the crown didn't feel as heavy. But this didn't feel like home. She fell to the floor crying at the thought of all she had lost. She heard soft steps coming nearer, but she did not care and her tears kept flowing. A handkerchief was offered to her. "My Queen, Lady Grace, you have come back.'' That voice was familiar. She looked up. "It's you…from my dream! Sir James, you are the commander of my army." “I knew you would remember!” He smiled at her and helped her up. “Come, I’ll take you to your parents.” He offered her an arm. “Right away? I’ve only just arrived. I’ve barely wrapped my head around this….” She felt the fabric of her dress; it was the nicest thing she’d ever felt. “We can take the long way around, and I can show you around the palace. But we really can’t wait.” He started walking. Grace took deep breaths and looked around. It was a beautiful place, and as she walked through the palace, she started to just know things about the Kingdom. “They sent me away because they were under attack, and the other king wanted to steal me away…. He wanted to raise me to be his son's wife…. And use me as leverage against my parents.” Sir James looked at her. “Yes, my Queen, that’s right. I see the crown’s knowledge is working.” “James, will I forget my life outside of here?” She didn’t want to forget them. “I’m not sure, my Queen. Maybe one of the mages can make sure you don’t forget. Maybe when we get the kingdom back to a sense of peace they can come to visit you. But I can’t promise anything….” He slowed as they approached a door. “My parents are in there?” She whispered. “Yes, they are. They have been waiting a long time to meet you. They are not as strong as they once were. The war has taken a lot out of them. They hope your return will bring peace again.” He stopped before he knocked, and looked at her. “I was afraid of that.” She fidgeted with her hands, then stood up tall. She was the Queen; she could be brave and do this. Her mom and dad had raised her to be a strong, kind girl. She would be the best queen she could and bring her people peace. “Open the door, James.” “Yes, My Queen.” He opened the door and bowed. She walked in, ready to face her future.

Penny loved her life. She and Trevor had been together ever since that day at the gallery. Being heroes only made them stronger. Graduation was only a few months away; soon she and her friends would start college. They had talked their parents into letting them stay close to home rather than leaving Arcadia. They couldn’t leave until they defeated Metallic Owl. Then they would go on a long trip; it was going to be great. The group often wondered if the city would ever lose faith in them, but nobody was calling for them to give up their Elements so they kept up the fight. As Penny walked to school she couldn’t think of how life could get any better. Trevor was waiting for her when she got to the front door. "Good Morning, my flower!" He hugged her quickly and kissed her hand. "I missed you this weekend. Sorry, mom needed me at that event; I tried to get her to let me bring you… but well….” Penny sighed. “I know she doesn’t think I’m good enough for you, I’m just some waiter girl.” Penny rolled her eyes. “It’s like she doesn’t realize I have a relatively successful business for someone who has no real training.” This conversation right here is where most of their problems came from. Her family welcomed Trevor with open arms; his, on the other hand, shut the gate in her face and barred her from their home. Trevor had taken her to meet his dad as he was in the hospital; he was fighting a terminal illness that Penny didn’t understand. He had liked her but that didn’t seem to matter. Trevor’s driver also seemed to like her, but his mother hated her. Penny worked hard not to envy Andrew and Sophie, who were loved by both sets of parents. It didn’t seem to matter how well Sophie’s parents spoke of Penny to Trevor's mom; she wouldn’t change her opinion. Trevor pulled her from her spiralling thoughts and squeezed her hand. “But I love you, no matter what Mother says.” She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it trying to ignore the thoughts gnawing at her. Trevor smiled at her softly, then spoke again, “Hey look - there’s Sophie and Andrew, let’s go say hi and talk about our next post on the website.” He led her over to their friends, and she was grateful for the distraction. The group did their handshake, swapped weekend stories, then walked to class together. They were lucky enough to have their first class of the day together. "So ladies, it’s Friday and double date night. What’s the plan?" Andrew asked as he fished his notebook out of his bag for this class. "Assuming a battle doesn't mess up homework." Penny stuck her tongue out at her childhood friend. "Aww come, Rose, have some hope!" Andrew tossed a ball of paper at her. "Whatever, Spark." Penny caught it and tossed it back. "Eash, you two and the nicknames." Sophie laughed. "Eh, Sunshine? Makes you wonder what these two besties would have done without us?" Sophie winked at Trevor. "Probably caved and started dating," Trevor stuck his tongue out at the other two who made faces at the idea. "But ya, date night ideas - who’s got one?" "Zoo?" Sophie suggested. The group all shrugged; they just had a battle there not too long ago. "Video games?" Penny teased. The others shook their heads; Penny would beat them all and they knew it. "Movie?" Trevor offered. They briefly looked through the movies at the theatre, but no one seemed impressed. "Star gazing? It’s finally nice enough for that," Andrew suggested, and the group looked at him with smiles. "Want to come to my house and use the roof? Then we could go for a 'run' when we are done star gazing," Pen winked. The group reached an agreement by the time the teacher walked in and the school day officially started. By the end of the day, there had still been no battles, so the group gathered on Penny's roof. The smell of the restaurant was faint in the distance and recordings of Andrew’s piano track played in the background. The four lay on the roof, pointing at different shapes in the stars, and Penny enjoyed being held by Trevor. Trevor smiled and pulled her closer. "Someday, my flower, this will be our life - relaxing under the stars every day if you want." He whispered so Andrew and Sophie wouldn't tease him. "That sounds amazing; will you always read me one of your stories, Raven?" She giggled in her whispered tone. "As long as you never grow tired of them." Trevor sighed with contentment and pointed out different stars to her. Penny looked over at Andrew and Sophie, who also spoke in whispered tones. She was so happy for her best friend; they had both found people who made them happy and made them better people. After an hour of enjoying the stars, the group agreed that a run around the city was a great idea. Each of them stood and double-tapped their elements, enjoying the warmth their costumes gave them in the cool night air. "Alright, last one to the mayor’s statue is a rotten egg!" Ice Raven yelled as he darted away. Mighty Mage quickly jumped after him. "Hey, no fair!" "Well Rose, look like they forgot again." Flint walked over to Rose Thorn. "Every time, Spark. I'm sorry your element doesn't give you the ability to fly," she laughed. "Eh, it means I get to fly around the city with my childhood best friend, and my girlfriend can't get mad because she abandoned me to chase a bird." He couldn’t help but laugh. "Fair point." Rose Thorn put her arm around his waist, and Flint wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They swung through the sky above the city. "Hey, slowpokes!" Ice Raven teased. "Hey, it's not our fault you two routinely forget Flint can't fly or swing like the rest of us." Rose Thorn walked over and poked Ice Raven's goggles. Suddenly an explosion was heard in the background. "So much for date night," Flint sighed. "Come, Fire boy, I'll give you a ride this time. The faster we start, the faster we end," Mighty Mage teased and pulled him over to her. "Raven? A lift if you please. Elements, link up!" Rose Thorn walked over and held on to her boyfriend. “Looks like the explosion happened near the ice rink.” The linked-up elements explained to them. The four heroes nodded to one another and headed off, each holding on to their partner. Unlike Flint, Rose Thorn could keep up with the other two, but her night vision wasn’t as strong so she felt better flying with Ice Raven when they needed to move in a hurry. The heroes saw the Owl's newest victim and landed where they hoped they would be just outside of her line of vision. "Alright, Elements, what do we know?" Rose Thorn took charge as per usual. "According to the web, there were figuring skating team tryouts tonight,” the Elements offered. "I'm betting this one didn't make the team," Flint sighed. Suddenly they heard the screams of young girls running for the rink, followed by the all-too-familiar silver metal-covered victim. She couldn't be any older than 22 and was still in her skating uniform. Her arm was glowing like she was charging a new blast. "Come on heroes, I know you’re out here. Come face Jaded! If they are going to split me from my partner for some new young thing, then I will rob the young of their youth! Then they will give me my partner back." Jaded struck the girl who presumably had taken her spot, and the girl became an old woman. "Oh no! I can't lose my looks!” Ice Raven sighed dramatically. "I'm sure you'll be fine, Raven" Rose Thorn teased. "Alright, we need to gather more info, but we also need to get the skaters out of here. I’m going to take a shot in the dark that your ice powers are not going to be helpful, Raven; so either use your water skills or just fly around and be a distraction.” Ice Raven nodded and leapt in the air. “Mage, Flint, I need you to move the rest of the skaters out of here." "And you, my flower?" Ice Raven beamed with pride, floating in the air. "I'm going to figure out how to trap her from higher up before we waste our energy on failed traps." Rose Thorn winked and the group fanned out. She swung to the top of the skating rink to watch her friends. Mage and Flint had quickly gotten the skaters out of the way. Flint was now heading up to help her. Ice Raven was being himself, dodging beams with the help of Mighty Mage. "Any plans, Rose?" Shield out, Flint stood next to her. "Notice how Jaded can't shoot if she’s moving? She probably has to be balanced." Rose pointed to Jaded’s lack of shooting as Ice Raven danced around her and dodged through Mage's wind gust. "She’s about to get all twisted up, isn’t she?" He teased. Rose Thorn rolled her eyes. "Just cover me, Spark; as soon as she sees my vine coming she’s going to know I’m here." He stuck his tongue out and held up his shield. Rose Thorn threw her vine lasso to wrap around Jaded’s arm and started growing vines around her legs. As predicted, as soon as the lasso wrapped around her hand, Jaded looked behind her and saw Rose Thorn. Jaded used the last of her balance to aim a hit toward at least one of the two heroes on the roof. Flint moved quickly and jumped to tackle and shield Rose Thorn. As the blast hit, there was a bright flash of light, and when it faded… Flint and Rose Thorn were gone. Only their elements remained. Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!

Suppose you had been born in a world of soulmates, where everyone had a timer on their wrist. If you meet your soulmate, your timer runs out and turns to a green zero; sparks fly and you understand what love means. However, if your soulmate dies before you can find them, your number stays at a red zero; but you can still marry, find love, and live a happy life without your soulmate. Alice had been born in this world of soulmates. Nobody could tell her why, but she had been born with a negative number. Not a zero, but a negative number. All the research her parents did gave her no help. So they hid part of her number with makeup or long sleeves. As Alice grew up, the growing number on her wrist made her wonder why people put so much work into finding their soulmates. It seemed to her there must be more to life than that. Keeping her number a secret, she joined support groups and wrote articles about finding yourself without a soulmate. She had made quite a name for herself and, for the most part, was happy. She, however, wasn’t the only one who had become somewhat well-known for their unique view on soulmates. There was a man named Joey who seemed to make it his life mission to help people who lost their soulmates find peace. Many articles had been written pinning the two against one another, because of their seemingly different views on soulmates. In truth, the two had never met and didn’t hold hard feelings against one another, so when they were asked to do an interview together they gladly accepted. A few weeks later, she flew to the big city to film the interview. She sat across from the two hosts, and a man who looked to be about her age sat next to her. "Hi! I'm Alice." "Nice to meet you, Alice. I'm Joey. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your approach - I've read some of your articles." "Hi Joey, I’ve heard good things about the Council Hearts Foundation. Some of the people who come to my seminars have spoken of your work." "Thanks! I've been helping people for about as long as you have. Even recommend your seminars to a few people." His eyes flicked to her wrist. She noticed and felt self-conscious, and started fidgeting with her bracelet. Then she observed that he wore a watch over his timer. She couldn't help but wonder why. Before they could talk more, the camera crew started the countdown - "Three, two, one…." With a point of the finger, the hosts began the show. "Good morning, Viewers!” The host Dani started. “Today we have two special guests here! They have two different approaches to life without soulmates." "Yes, and I for one am so excited to see the difference. Why don't we start with you, Alice? Tell us about your approach.” The other host Andi gave her the floor. "Thank you.” Alice smiled and told her well-rehearsed story, the one she’d been telling for years. “My soulmate died shortly after I was born. Being in a small town, I quickly got tired of all the sad looks. So I hid my timer and made a point to live my life to the fullest and never let my lack of sparks stop me from sharing love with those around me. I didn't plan on making it my brand. It just kinda happened.” She shrugged. "So your choice is to sort of forget about your soulmate altogether?" Dani asked. Alice touched her bracelet. "When you grow up in a small town and lose a soulmate so young, kids can be quite mean. So rather than fighting the bullies, I lived like soulmates didn't exist, and was happier for it. So I encourage people to find love outside of a countdown. Whether that is singleness or finding love on their own. It's freeing." "Joey, I assume you disagree?" Andi brought him into the conversation. "Well, ‘disagree' is too strong. I also lost my soulmate young, and I wondered if there'd be a benefit to meeting my soulmate's family. But I never did anything with that thought. Then one day my best friend lost his soulmate before they met. So I became determined to find them for him. “I'd become quite good at random research. My friend had experienced some pain when his soulmate died, so I had a date. And I learned that most death records hold the number that the timer stopped at. So using what I could, I started digging. And even though lots of people die in a day, you have facts that help shrink that number. Eventually, I found a match for my friend, I had the family send me information to bring their child's soulmate peace." Joey took a breath. "Seeing the peace that it brought my friend when I handed him a photo of her - it was amazing. And the red of his runout timmer faded, looking more like an old couple that left at different times. He got to feel the spark and could move on. So I encourage people to have faith in finding their soulmate's family and then they can find the freedom that comes with that." Dani smiled. "Seems like two different views of the same side of the coin, if you ask me. We'd love to hear the story about you finding your soulmate Joey, but I'm afraid we are out of time! See ya next time on the Morning Minute Show!" With that, the show ended. Alice and Joey were thanked and the two headed off. As they left the building, Joey stopped her. "Hey, we know that some of our clients end up using both of our services…. Would you like to go out for coffee and discuss a partnership?" She paused. "That would be great." They found a coffee shop and soon sat down with drinks in hand. "So, did you find your soulmate? I don't think I've ever heard that story…?" "Oh, I couldn't. My parents didn't catch the day or time I lost mine.” He fidgeted with his watch. "But hey, as a way to announce our partnership, I could find your soulmate, and we could do a story and air it on the Morning Minute." "I don't think you could." She fidgeted with her bracelet. "Oh ya? Try me." He seemed confident. So she slipped off her bracelet and showed her -136 timer. Joey nearly dropped his coffee. "No way." "I know, it's strange; that’s why I hide my number." Alice went to put her bracelet back on. "Wait, you don't understand." He pulled his watch off. "Look." His wrist had the same number as hers. "How is this possible?" She looked at his number, "I didn't think...." "I know, me neither, but maybe together we can find them." She saw his wheels turning. "How? It was forever ago…." She didn’t think it was possible. "Well, it's true that was a long time ago. And we don’t have an exact date, but in all my years of doing this, I've learned some patterns in soulmates. One: they tend to be geographical, so odds are our soulmates lived in our geographical area. Two: we have the same number so odds are it was the same tragedy that took them." He seemed to get excited. "So you're saying there's a chance they knew each other or at least lived in the same town?" She couldn't believe all this. "It's a possibility. It couldn't hurt to look, right? It could give us closure and maybe a reason as to why this happened." He gave her a small smile. She took a deep breath. "Alright, let's give this a try." Joey and Alice became quite close over the next few months, helping each other with their clients. They learned they only lived about an hour apart, so they started spending Saturdays together, researching their hopeful soulmates’ location. They looked into different tragedies and natural disasters that happened in the year 1886. They really only had one option to go off of - the Great Vancouver Fire. It only killed about 30 people but it wiped out the buildings of the town. There was a small history museum just outside what was now a major city. Seeing it as their best shot, they took a road trip together. As they drove, Alice voiced a question she'd had since they planned this road trip. "What happens to us if we find them?" Joey took a breath. "Well, I'd hoped we would keep meeting up as we have been, but…." he offered his hand to her. "But, as more than just friends." She smiled and placed her hand in his. "I'd like that. I've enjoyed the last few months a lot and we make a good team." They drove in silence for a while. "What if we are wrong?" "Then we are wrong, and we choose whether to keep looking or to let it go and move on. Still a good story." He gave her a smile. Soon they pulled up to a little museum that they would have missed had they not been looking for it. They got out, joined hands, took a breath, and walked in. "Why, hello! Welcome to my little museum,” an older woman greeted them with a smile. “Its main focus is the Great Vancouver Fire." "We're so glad we found this place! I almost missed it." Alice dropped their donation in the box. "Ya, most people breeze by my little museum. What brings you two here?" she paused. "You're not big city folk, so you made my little museum a stopping point?" Joey took this one. "Research project. This is the only museum that gives extensive notes on the fire. We were hoping you had info on the people who died. There were only 30 or so, correct?" "Yes, that's true, and I have names, pictures and a few momentos from all of them. Their family members gave them to my mother when she started the museum." "Why did your mother start the museum?" Alice was hopeful they had the right place. "To tell my great grandmother's story. She and my great-grandfather have a love story to rival all others. But I'll let that story tell itself." She handed them a guide. They walked through, learning about this family, its ties to Vancouver, and the role they had played…but then they found what they were looking for. On a wall near the back of the little museum, there was a display called ‘Two People Without A Soul?’ There they found out about a different Alice and Joey who had been born with timers over 100. Alice of the past had put an ad in the paper looking to find someone else whose number was that high. Joey from the next town over come to show her his number; they were the same. Knowing they would never meet their soulmates, they planned to wed. Some people were livid, believing they should have stayed single. The two even had to petition the local government to let them marry. "Wow, can you believe how much has changed?" Sure, Alice hadn't planned on getting married, but having to get her local government to let her marry was crazy to imagine "Ya, that would be hard." They kept reading the wall. "They did get married, they had 3 kids before the fire," Joey pointed out. "Do you think there was a mix-up or somethi…." Alice paused. "Joey, look at this." Displayed along the wall in a glass case were letters to soulmates. Alice and Joey from the past had written them letters. "We should read them, I guess." Joey looked over the letter that Alice from the past had written. Alice took a breath and read the one that Joey of the past had written her. My Dearest, I know we will never meet and at times that breaks my heart, but then I look at my beautiful Alice and my heart hurts less. I may never get that Spark I've learned so much about, but I will die knowing what love means because I have her. Don't give up on love, my dear. Search for it, and when you find it doesn't let love go." Alice looked at present-day Joey with deep joy in her heart. She couldn't wait to see what would come next.

Forgotten on the back of a shelf, I sit waiting for someone to pull me out of the darkness. Suddenly, light fills the dark corner of the shelf. But before I can enjoy the warmth of the light...I am falling off the shelf with all the other books. I land face-down, pages open; I hope none are bent. "Danny! What are you doing?" a woman's voice calls out. A little boy giggles. "Looking at books, Mama!” He stands tall like he's proud of the mess he made. "But Danny, these aren't storybooks…. These are Mama's photo books. They hold photos from the past." "Oh! I wanna see!" The little boy picks me up. His small fingers are sticky. He bends my covers back, and I feel my spine crack. His mother quickly but carefully pulls me from his hand. "Woah! Danny, you need to be gentle. This book is older than you!" She gently closes the book and runs her hand over my cover. The little boy points with his sticky fingers> "Who's that?" He points to the faded photo that is my cover. His mother smiles. "That, Little One, is mama when she was little." "You were little like me!" The small boy looks at his mother with eyes as wide as saucers. "Woah…. Can I see more?" His mother giggles and sighs at her little boy. "Yes Danny, just like you. And sure, we can take a look." She pulls her son into her lab and sets me on top of his lap. "But we must be gentle." Slowly, she opens my pages. It's been years since these photos have seen the light of day. I listen as she tells her son about the little house she and her parents lived in. I smile as the little boy is shocked by how young his grandparents look. Then suddenly he hits a page hard with his still-sticky finger. "Mama, look! It's me!" His mother seems to choke on the air and coughs. "No baby, that's me. I hadn't realized…." "That's you, mama? You looked like a boy." "The little boy giggles, looking up at his mother. She smiles at him. "Or you look like a girl," she teases her son. The little boy sticks his tongue out at his mother. Poking his nose, she comments, "I'll need to send that photo to your Granny." They keep turning pages and looking at more photos. The little boy laughs at his mother's silly photo from her older years. "Mama, what's that?" The boy points to a photo of his mother and a very messy-looking creature. "Oh…. " Her voice is sad. "That's Mo, he was my parent’s dog. He'd followed me into a mud puddle." She gives a sad chuckle. "He was a good dog…." She smiles, seeming to get lost in memories. "Mama? Can I get a puppy?" The little boy has turned the page and is looking at other photos of his mother and the dog Mo. "Ah! Well, you’ll have to ask your father." She quickly turns the page. "Oh!" She seems surprised by the photos she sees there. "I didn't know Mom kept these.” She laughs at something - but boy, wasn't nice to hear the sounds of laughter. "What is funny, Mama?” The boy didn't seem to understand what made his mother laugh. "When I was a little girl, your grandma had the prettiest dresses. I loved looking at them and touching them, but…" she pauses, seemingly for effect. "I was not to wear them." "You wore them, didn't you?" the little boy giggles. "Oh, I did more than wear them." She chuckles. "I tied the dress in knots and ended up ripping it, but I was so proud of myself and felt so pretty. So your grandma, rather than getting mad at me, took out her camera and did a photo shoot with me." "So you didn't get in any trouble at all!" the little boy exclaims, in awe of his mother. "Oh no. I was lectured later, but that memory stuck out to me more than the lecture did." She gives the boy a long hug, then he wiggles out of the hug and turns the page. "A baby! Who's that Mama?" His mother giggles. "That's your Uncle Bill. " The little boy touches the photo with his dirty fingers again. "You don't look so happy in this photo, Mama." "I wasn't happy about having a baby brother. I wanted a sister so badly. “ She sighs. "But he grew on me…." she giggles. She turns the page and tells stories of her and her brother's escapades of tree forts, pillow castles and movie nights. "Even though I wanted them to send him back, he ended up being my best friend." "Can I have one Mama?" He looks at her. Her hand went to her stomach. "One what, Little One?" "A baby! Boy or girl, I don't care, I just want one." His mother hid a smile. "Maybe soon, my little one." She turns the page, and they look through birthday parties, family trips, and school days. Then the boy stops his mother. "Mama, is that you? You look like a princess!" His mother giggles. "That's my grad dress." "Who's the boy in the picture?" The little boy once again touches my pages with his sticky hands. His mother laughs. "That's your dad! He was my date to grade." The little boy bursts out laughing. "He looks so silly!” "I guess we all did back then." She ruffles her son's hair. “Were you and Dada in love in that picture?" He looks up at his mom. She pauses for a moment. "Yes and no. He was my best friend. But we went to different colleges so we didn't date until we were done. And about six months later…." she flips the page. “He asked me to marry him." The little boy looks at the picture. "Woah, that's a pretty garden!" His mother giggles. "Yep, he picked our favourite spot in town. He wrote me a letter and got me flowers and this ring." She shows her son her ring. "Woah! It's pretty!" "Your daddy has good taste,” she chuckles. "And then….” She turns the page one more time. "Your daddy and I got married." She had filled two pages of all the photos of the wedding day that I'd been keeping safe for her. Her son giggles and laughs at all the funny pictures and talks about how nice his mother looked. Then they reach the end of my pages. "Where's the rest, Mama?" She points to the other book on the floor. "Our other pictures are in these books. Or on mommy's laptop or phone." She giggled. "We can look at more later; for now we should clean up this mess." The little boy stacks the other album on a pile of books next to his mother. She carefully puts all the others back onto the shelf. I wonder for a moment if I will get forgotten again. I've been pushed to the back of the shelf before. But rather than putting me back on that shelf, she carries me to the table and takes pictures of the memory she found. Then she moves me to a different shelf. Will I be forgotten on this shelf? Maybe. But I don't mind because I helped someone to remember things today; what more could I want? Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!

“Link-up complete.” The four heroes shared a look, and suddenly they each knew the other’s names and what element they represented. “We don’t have much time; you need to put a stop to this to fix what has gone wrong. You need to stop him from going on a rampage; then either get him to give up the power the Owl has given him, or take it from him by force. After that we will teach you to undo the damage you and he caused. What have you learned about him that you can use to trap him?” Flint spoke first. “He was afraid of the fire; maybe I could make a circle of fire that would at least keep him from running away again.” “I can always freeze him in place too, once we get him to stand still.” Ice Raven suggested. “Alright team, and then let’s save our city!” Rose Thorn took charge, and as Flint watched her, he couldn't help but notice how much she moved like Penny. It couldn’t be…could it? He looked to Ice Raven; his joking tone and confident movement couldn’t belong to anyone else but Trevor. And the self-reliance of Mighty Mage couldn’t be anyone but Sophie. Flint was sure he was looking at his friends behind the superhero masks. Before they took off to fight Heart Breaker, he had to test it. So he offered the group a high five; all three looked at him skeptically and high-fived him. Then he lowered his hand, and they all gave him the low five; at that, they started to laugh and locked pinkies. Knowing they were fighting as a team of friends, they surged in confidence and jumped into action. It didn’t start terribly well. Mighty Mage quickly learned that her fan could be used to more concisely control the wind and that if she threw it, it could grow like a glider to help catch someone from falling. She had to use these wind powers to catch Flint, as he lept like his friends without thinking. He was momentarily distracted by her help, making him misdirect his first attempt at the fire circle, which in turn knocked Ice Raven down. Thankfully, Rose Thorn was fast on her feet and caught him with a flower. Flint caught her blushing at saving her crush, but she shook her head and got the team back on track by calling out orders. She was used to moving people around in photo shoots, and her friends easily followed her lead. Soon Flint had a semi-circle of fire ready, waiting for Mighty Mage to lead Heart Breaker into the trap. Ice Raven made ice barricades to keep the crowds back. And Rose Thorn blocked the path away from Mighty Mage with vines, so there was no chance of escape. Soon Heart Breaker was entrapped in the fire ring, and Ice Raven quickly encased his feet in ice. The boys kept their focus on the fire ring and ice trap because, even though it seemed like magic, the fire needed constant attention and the ice was melting from the heat. The girls tried to talk to Heart Breaker. Might Mage started, “Look bud, we know this isn’t you; you’re hurting and someone took advantage of you.” “We want to help you, but you need to help us first.” Rose Thorn swung down from her vine Lasso. “You need to let go of the power she gave you. You don’t want to hurt anyone, do you?” Heart Breaker fought against the ice around his feet. “No, I don’t; but when she left me, it made me so mad! And I just want her to hurt as much as I do; she can’t be okay, can she?” Mighty Mage looked to Rose Thorn. “Sorry girl, I don’t think he’s going to give it up voluntarily.” Rose Thorn sighed and wrapped him in the vine. Mighty Mage used a gentle wind tunnel to pull the metal from his body, and as the metal left his body it formed a solid ball of metal again. Flicker’s voice came to Flint while he was tending the fire. “You need to burn it to ash, Flint.” Flint noticed that Flicker’s voice is slightly different than the Elements combined. He turned his focus to the piece of metal floating on the wind platform that Mighty Mage had made. Once he started lighting the metal on fire, Ice Raven kept Might Mage’s wind platform cool to avoid creating some kind of fire-wind tornado. While they did that, Rose Thorn helped the poor boy out of the mess of vines and water that he had found himself in. He was sobbing; she felt for him so she gave him a flower which, if nothing else, made him smile. Soon the metal burnt red and faded to ash. The four heroes stood together. “Alright Elements, tell us what to do,” Rose Thorn called out. “The method is simple - each of you holds out a hand.” They stacked their hands on top of each other. “Good, now each of you uses your power.” They did and, within seconds, lights of pink, blue, purple and orange came shooting from their hands. This caused the puddles, leftover ice, charred marks from buildings, vines, and any other damage done by Heart Breaker to disappear. As the four friends shared a confident smile, they were quickly bombarded with questions from the public. The group looked to Rose Thorn. Rose Thorn looked to Mighty Mage, who winked at her. “Alright, everyone, back up!” The crowd did as Mighty Mage said. “Give our friend here some room to breathe; just like the rest of us, he has gone through a lot today. Can we have the paramedics look him over? We have no idea what damage Crazy Owl Lady can do.” Once that was taken care of, Mighty Mage gestured for Rose Thorn to come and take charge. “Look, we know you have a lot of questions, but so do we. This all just happened to us too. Let us go and learn more about this, and we will give a press conference in a few days. If you want us to give these to the police we will, but if you choose to trust us and let us work as a team to fight for you, we will do that.” Rose Thorn stood tall and strong. “We love Arcadia; it is our home too, and we want to help to keep it safe.” Flint offered his hands to Ice Raven and Mighty Mage, who stood on either side of him. “We clearly were chosen for this job, so let us help you until we have proven we can’t anymore.” Ice Raven took the hand he was offered and offered his hand to Rose Thorn. The four heroes raised their hands in unison, then carefully took off, making sure to balance Flint so that he didn’t fall. After a short distance, they landed on a roof. “We gather that the four of you already know each other, so we can skip the whole ‘keep your identity a secret even from each other.’ But you must keep the rest of the world unaware of who you are; it’s too great a risk. And never let the public know that you know each other’s identities.” “That would make sense,” Flint responded. “Sorry, I had a hunch and had to test it, and I think it worked for our best. We are quite the group.” Everyone nodded and agreed with him. “So we saw. You did quite well, but we will need to train to make you even better. For now, here is what you need to know: the piece of jewellery you were given holds your element; tap it twice for your costume to come on and off, and tap once to talk with your element. We will start training later. For now, you need to go eat something; your elements will drain you of your energy. Always remember to eat after a battle or after training sessions. Maybe even carry a small snack with you if you can.” The four friends jumped down from the roof in different directions, and they all tapped their new elements twice and returned to their normal street clothes. As they met back up, Trevor looked at Andrew and Penny. “So when were you two going to tell us you could dance like that? It was amazing!” “I guess we just didn’t think about it, we’ve been dancing since we were kids.” Andrew shrugged. “Everyone in our class knows, so we never need to bring it up.” “Oh! That explains the class shipping you two - I’ve been trying to figure out why since I moved here!” Sophie’s eyes lit up with revelation. Both Andrew and Penny burst out laughing, “Yep, that’s a big part of it. That and the fact that our families are so close. And that likely won’t change until we find real dates,” Penny explained between laughs. This gave Andrew an idea. “Say, Trevor, you could help Pen out with that…. I would happily give up my Thursday with Pen if you wanted to take her out on a date.” Andrew winked at Penny, who stared at him in shock. “Oh! Well, that would actually be great. What do you say, Penny? Will you let this bird take his favourite flower out on a date?” He blushed; maybe he noticed Penny the same way she had noticed him. “I really would, Trevor…. But the pun - really?” She giggled blushing immediately. “Hey, puns are the best part of writing!” He acted offended, but he was too happy to really be upset. “Hey now, if Trevor and Penny are going to go on a date, then….” Sophie walked closer to Andrew. “Hey fire boy, wanna go on a date on Thursday?” Trevor and Penny laughed at Sophie’s direct approach. Andrew dumbly grinned. “That would make me so happy.” The four friends shared a laugh and awkwardly stared at each other. “Well, for now, let’s just hang out and have some fun. We can work out date details later. Come on, the gallery has a coffee shop inside, so we can get our snack and still check out the exhibits and get some inspiration.” Penny locked arms with Sophie and led the way. She just knew they were in for a great adventure. Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!

Most children hate going to bed, but not Joey. Bedtime couldn't come fast enough for him. He would speed through his bedtime routine, pick the shortest stories for his parents to read to him, say the shortest prayer he could, and then drift off to Dreamland. "Good evening, Joey!" A boy made of clouds floated down to him. "Louis!" Joey ran to give his friend a hug. "Good to see you made it safely, my friend." Louis took Joey's hand and led him deeper into Dreamland. "Where are we going tonight?” Joey asked excitedly. "I had two ideas - we could ride dragons or battle aliens in space?" Louis smiled as they drew close to the dream portal. "How about…dragon rides in space!" Joey flipped, smiling brightly as he did. "This is why we are best friends." Louis pulled them through the dream portal, and soon they glided on the backs of dragons through space. They were in an army of well-trained fighters. Then a man's voice called out, "Men, we are nearing the target! Be ready for landing." Louis and Joey quickly guided their dragons toward the planet they were to attack. "Now remember, men, we are here for the treasure, nothing more.... If they give it back peacefully we leave; if not, we fight!" The men cheered as they landed and left the backs of their dragons. They watched as the aliens left their mushroom-like palaces and walked toward the group. "You have something that does not belong to you." The general looked down from his noble dragon. "We do not intentions on returning it, so leave or we shall be forced to defend our home from the likes of you!” The small alien sneered. "Ha! With our best, we shall easily reclaim what is ours!” The men cheered on the general. No one was louder than Joey and Lou. The aliens sneered and soon formed together as one, becoming a huge beast, and making the dragons look small. “Men! Battle positions!" The general called. "Louis. Joey. Find the treasure! Then sound the retreat!" The boys saluted and then flew off, getting lost in the slew of dragons and men so that the aliens did not notice their departure. "Where to, Joey?" Louis asked as they snuck farther behind enemy lines. Joey scanned the land below them. "Look, there is a group of aliens over there, while the rest are in battle. Think they are hiding something?" So the two boys flew the dragons low and let the dragons breathe fire, not to kill the enemy but to warn them. It worked - they scared the aliens and they scattered. Joey and Louis landed and their dragons guarded them while they looked around. The aliens tried to attack the dragons, but the dragons’ skin was thick and, alas, weapons seemed to be too weak to do any real damage. The boys found a secret entrance to a cave. As they went deeper and deeper, they found so many other planets' treasures…. "They’re Space Pirates?" Joey asked Louis. Louis gave him a smile and a slight nod. "Aww, Louis, this is a great dream!" They found earth treasure - two jewelled coins. Not only did the coins look cool, they were also powerful. Placing them into Joey's bag, the boys raced out of the cave, jumped on the backs of their dragons, and took to the sky, flying back to the battle. Louis and Joey reached the battlefield. "Joey, there!" Louis pointed to the general. Joey flew close to the general. "Sir, we have them!” Joey carefully gestured to his bag. “Good work, my boy!" The general sounded the alarm, hoping the aliens wouldn't notice they had the treasure. “Men, take to the skies!” The men quickly flew out of the battle, and soon they were cheering the success of the mission as the word spread about what Louis and Joey had done. The boys moved to their spot on the edge of the group. They were busy celebrating their win when suddenly Joey's dragon cried out in pain and threw Joey off his back, and Joey found himself falling. The world of Dreamland started to fade, and fire and coals started to take their place. "I got you!" Louis called out as he and his dragon caught Joey. "This is Dreamland; nobody gets hurt in Dreamland,” Louis stated as he flew his friend back to the crew of dragons. "Louis, what was that?" Joey looked at Louis with eyes full of fear. Louis gave him a smile. "Don't worry, my friend, it's just the Land of Nightmares trying to claim one of mine." Louis smiled and flew past the rest of the men following the general home. Louis opened the portal back to the mainland of Dreamland. They landed safely on the clouds. "Land of Nightmares?" Joey looked concerned. Louis patted his head. "Don't worry, my friend, nightmares only have power if you let them. So have no fear." Louis opened the portal and Joey found himself back in his room. The next night as bedtime came, Joey’s parents were shocked by his behaviour. He made bathtime take as long as they would let him, picked the largest book he could, and prayed for everyone he could think of. His parents tried to find out what was wrong, but he refused to tell them. When they finally said goodnight, Joey fought to keep his eyes open. He tried to stay awake, but soon his eyes got too heavy and he fell asleep. When he opened his eyes again, he wasn't in his room in Dreamland. He was somewhere new; it was dark but also on fire. If he’d been afraid before, he was terrified now. Too scared to move or scream, he just stood frozen in fear. Then, the lava-like ground came together and made a huge monster. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the dreamer finally come to visit me!” The monster’s voice made the ground shake. Joey quickly fell to the ground, his body shaking from fear. "What, too weak to fight or even scream?" Joey looked at the beast - he had rarer shape teeth and eyes that looked like they could see right through him. And the beast was huge! The monster threw his head back and laughed. "This is going to be so fun!" His smile was wicked as he came closer to Joey who was still frozen in place. The beast opened his mouth, revealing a portal like the ones in Dreamland, only this one didn't look like any fun. In a flash, Louis came breaking through the sky. "Leave my friend alone!" Louis has wings?! Joey had never seen wings on his friend before. Louis also had a sword drawn, ready to battle. "Oh look, it's one of Dreamland's little games!” The beast laughed again. “Ha! Look at him! You can't stop me when the dreamer is weak like this!” The beast's voice seemed louder now. "Be quiet, you!" Louis charged at the beast, trying to stop him from taunting Joey any longer. "Joey! I need your help! We can beat him together! You are brave enough - I know you are!" Louis threw Joey a sword. It hit the ground with a horrid sound. "Joey, please! I can't do this without you!" Joey blinked. He looked at the sword, then at his friend fighting against his nightmare beast. He blinked again, forced his arm to move, and touched the sword; but he couldn't lift it. Louis looked at Joey. "Joey, have no fear! Your nightmares only have the power you give them," Louis called to him again. Joey tightened his hand around his sword. He raised his arm high above his head. "Hey! This is my dream and you're not in charge here!" Louis's light shone brighter. "Ya, you heard him - get lost!" The beast shrank a bit…. But he still laughed. Joey's arm dropped a little. Then…. "No! I'm not afraid of you! You can't rob me of my fun time with Louis!" Joey yelled so loud that he shook the Land of Nightmares. The beast fell to the ground, and parts of the sky started to fall, showing the blue sky of Dreamland. "Wah! Louis what's happening?" “You're beating your nightmare! Keep it up!” Louis offered Joey his hand, Joey took it, and the two flew through the sky. As they flew, more parts of the nightmare fell away. Joey felt braver, and he knew that with Louis on his side he too could defend Dreamland. Did you like what you read? Do you want to get notified when I post a new story before my Facebook or Instagram followers do? If you do, click the Login/Sign Up button at the top of the blog post and you will become a site member and get notified when I post a new story every Friday! Or you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram and get updates later on in the day!