Semaj

by Amari A

Chapter 17

  I lie across my bad, reliving my birthday dinner with my dad. I almost thought that everything was going to be normal and fine until he brought up me being on punishment again tomorrow. Like hello, you couldn’t save that til tomorrow? Not when I’m telling you how awesome my day was. My dad lives to annoy me. It’s why I always prefer talking to my mom about my problems because he just doesn’t get it and he probably never will. Maybe it is a dad thing, but whatever the case, I just wish that it could change.

  I stare at the ceiling, looking at the stars and the moons that were painted on it. When I was young I loved to stay outside and stare at the stars, so my dad had someone paint them on my ceiling. To this day, it still calms me whenever I’m upset. Today it looks a little different though. Like the stars are arranged on it differently. I stand up on my bed to get a closer look and immediately I’m stunned. Some of the stars have indeed been rearranged but it’s odd because it’s paint that’s on my ceiling. For it to move will be impossible. I stand back to read the message and my eyes get wide.

  I can get you anywhere…it reads. I jump down from my bed and rush into the hallway and see Onyx standing by my door.

  “Is something wrong?” he asks.

  “Yes, I need you to come look at my ceiling and check something out. I need to know that I’m not losing my mind,” I say.

  He rushes into my room and we both stand on my bed. I point to the place where the message is and he looks at me with wide eyes.

  “Did that just get put up there?” he asks.

  “Yes, it wasn’t up there last night. I stare at my ceiling every night before I fall asleep and every morning when I wake up. I would’ve noticed this,” I say.

  “I need to get your dad and some of the other guards,” he says but then he stops. “You need to come with me because who knows what else is in your room that we don’t know about.”

  I nod my head and follow him out of my room. We rush down the hallway to the guards’ room and see that it’s empty. It was odd because it’s usually filled with guards late at night. It’s where they relaxed after they spent all day guarding the castle. We leave and go up the stairs to my parents chambers and in there we found my mom and dad. When they see Onyx and me they jump out of bed.

  “Is something wrong?” asks my dad.

  “Are you okay, sweetie?” asks my mom.

  I shake my head. “No, we found something really weird in my room and need you to come check it out.”

  “Okay,” they say in unison as they jump out of bed.

  We lead them back to my room and I point to my ceiling. My mom and dad turn to us and give us a look that I’ve never seen on their faces before. It seems like panic but they quickly cover it up and try to look calm.

  “How long has this been up there?” asks my dad.

  “It had to go up there when we were out. It wasn’t up there last night or when I woke up this morning,” I say.

  “And you’re sure about this?” asks my dad.

  “Of course I’m sure, I look at this every day. It wasn’t up there until I came back tonight,” I say.

  My dad looks at me and his expression softens. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know you would know. It’s just that I don’t understand how this could’ve happened. We’ve doubled the guards since you disappeared so if anyone was lurking up here, they should’ve been spotted.”

  “Where are the guards anyway? We went into the guard room first but no one was in there,” I say.

  “They are actually on patrol. With everything that’s going on, we didn’t want to take any chances with the castle, but now I see that we’re going to have to tighten up patrol even more,” he says.

  My mom comes over towards me and hugs me. “Are you sure that you’re okay, sweetie?”

  “Yes, I think so, mom. It just freaks me out that someone was in my room and no one noticed it,” I say.

  “Well you’re not going to sleep in here tonight,” says my dad.

  “Okay, I kind of figured that, but where am I going to sleep?” I ask.

  “I think you should sleep on our floor in one of the extra rooms,” says my mom.

  “Okay, well I’ll pack some stuff up and pick a room,” I say.

  “You want us to stay here while you pack?” asks my mom.

  “No, I think Onyx and I can handle it. If we’re not up in ten minutes then come back down and check on us,” I say.

  “Well, I’m going to get some more guards and we’re going to do a sweep of your entire room to make sure that nothing else is in here,” says my dad.

  “Okay, dad,” I say.

  He and my mom walk out of the room and I start to pack a bag to take upstairs to my parents’ level. I grab my secret snack stash and a couple of outfits and throw them in a sack. I look over at Onyx and he’s looking over my room. I guess he’s trying to see if he sees anything else before my dad comes back.

  “Okay, I’m done packing. It’s time to head upstairs before my mom comes down. Don’t want to scare her,” I say.

  He looks at me and nods his head. He picks up my sack for me and we head up the stairs to my parents floor. I pick the first room that’s on the floor because it’s the only one that’s not as flashy and old looking as the rest of them. I open the door and turn on the lights. The room is still as beautiful as I remember it. Everything in it was white from the carpet to the walls to the beds. I love the look because it’s so clean. Onyx places my sack down on the floor and looks the room over.

  “Nice,” he says.

  “Yeah this is the one that I will feel the most comfortable in,” I say.

  “I wouldn’t be comfortable in here. I would think that I would spill something and mess it all up,” he says.

  “I have done that before but someone always cleans it up,” I say. “Let’s go let my mom know that we’ve made it up here and then I’m going to try and get some sleep. I’ve never looked forward to dragon training so much before.”

  He laughs and we walk down the hall to my parents’ room. I open the door and my mom is pacing the floor back and forth wringing her hands together. I clear my throat and she turns to us and smiles. I walk over to her and give her a hug.

  “You can stop pacing now. I made it up here safe,” I say still holding on to her.

  “Which room are you in?” she asks.

  “I’m in the white room at the end of the hallway.”

  “Okay. I should’ve known you would pick that one. Sweet dreams, sweetheart. I think I’m going to stay up until your father comes back.”

  “Okay, mom. Well, good night,” I say.

  “Good night, Semaj,” she says.

  I walk out of the room with Onyx right behind me, as usual. I open the doors to the white room and wave good night to Onyx before I close them. I climb in the bed and look at the ceiling to make sure no weird message was up there as well. When I see that there isn’t, I close my eyes and allow sleep to overtake me because it was much needed.