Lanie


    Panic instantly set in, and | shouted Ste’s name. My eyes swept the empty hallway. My stomach was a


    hot ball of fear.Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    That’s when | heard the familiar set of three giggles,


    | was so relieved | could hardly even be angry with them as three small faces peeked out of an open doorway. | swept them into


    a hug. They’d been hiding just inside what looked like a storage closet.


    “That wasn’t funny,” | scolded. “You scared me. Please don’t do that again.”


    Isaac, my sensitive boy, looked as though he might cry. ina also looked chastened. Ste, on the other hand, frowned and


    looked surprised.


    “| thought you liked Hide and Seek, Mother! It was one of your favorite childhood games, wasn''t it?”


    | paused as | studied her. “I guess it might have been. My sister and | yed it ”


    With all the rush and up and down of my emotions, | should’ve been used to going from fear to sadness and back again. Even


    so, my throat clenched at the memory of me and Selena running and ying. Such happier times, long before I’d ever imagined


    what awaited me.


    | hadn’t spoken to her in so long. How could | have let so much time pass without reaching out to let her


    and


    my mother know | was all right? Yes, | had to keep my distance to secure their safety, but there had to be some way to reassure


    them, and to find out if they were okay.


    “Mother?”


    | shook away the thoughts and looked into Ste''s concerned eyes. “I do like that game, sweetie, but it not fun to y a game if


    you don’t know you''re ying it. Does that make sense?”


    Ste’s eyes welled with tears. “I’m sorry, Mother!”


    “Shh. It’s all right. Tell you what. Let''s head back home and I''ll order some ice cream for a snack. And


    after we''re all done, we can y Hide and Seek. Okay?” | cupped my darling girl’s face in my hands. | didn’t


    want her bursting into tears, which would send the twins into a crying fit along with her. Goddess knew, I’d


    probably end up sobbing, too.


    This time, all three of them held tightly to mine or each other’s hands, and nobody ran off. Our quarters were still empty when we


    all got back, and | did my best not to show my disappointment. | didn’t want the children to sense something was wrong, but


    although ina and Isaac happily started ying with a set of stic bricks, building a castle, Ste was very quiet. | could tell


    she sensed something.


    “I''ll order the ice cream,” | told them and went to the house phone to ce the order. | might not have a fridge of my own, but |


    could still treat my darlings to ice cream in thefort of our own space. | was determined more than ever to make sure that


    these quarters, which might not be our forever home, would still feel like home for as long as we stayed here


    | did enjoy the convenience of being able to call down to the kitchen and have three small cartons of sweet treats arrive within a


    few minutes. Chocte, strawberry, and vani, the favorites of each of my three pups. Ste, however, shook her head when |


    told her the snack would be here soon.


    “I''m not hungry, Mother. May | please be allowed to go read in my room? Miss Janice says if I’m to get better at reading, | should


    practice on my own.”


    | hesitated. We didn’t have any children’s books that knew of. “What will you read?”


    Ste pointed at the big bookcase on the other side of the room. “One of those.”


    Of course | checked first to make sure that the book was appropriate, and she seemed happy with the choice of an encyclopedia


    of supernaturals. It looked boring to me, but Ste ran off with it like it was a prize.


    “Mumma,” Isaac said a few minutester from around a gigantic spoonful of chocte ice cream. “Why is


    Stellie difftent?


    | paused scooping some strawberry ice cream into ina’s bowl. “What?”


    “She''s not like us.” ina supported her twin as she eyed the treat impatiently. “Mumma, please give the


    ice cream?”


    “Sorry,” | murmured and finished filling her bowl. | sat down across from them. “What do you mean, Izzy.


    Why is Ste different?”


    | kept my voice pitched low, aware that even though Ste seemed to be reading happily in the other


    room, she could still overhear. My heart had started beating a little faster,


    Isaac licked his spoon and dug back in for another bite. “Bigger.”


    “Well, you and Allie aren’t smaller than she is anymore.”


    ina shook her head, a frown on her ice cream smeared lips. “Her with the bigger kids.”


    “Do you mean the reading group?”


    “All the bigger kids,” Isaac said.


    ina nodded. “Stellie’s got the magic.”


    Stunned, | wasn’t sure I’d heard her right. “What?”


    “Magic, Mumma,” ina repeated. “You know. Magic!”