by G Sasaki
The boy dropped his hands with pouted defeat. “Okay…”
Nicole yelled out, “Mom, will you play with him? Me and Ava are going down to the beach!”
In the distance, Mom’s faint voice answered back. What she said was anyone’s guess. Nicole said, “Just keep playing with your toys. We’ll play later. I promise.” She turned to Ava. “You ready?”
Ava nodded. As the girls left through the hall, Ava turned and waved to the boy. She always had warm feelings for him, like he was her own brother. “It was nice to see you, Jeremy!”
Still crushed by denial, Jeremy uttered, “Yeah….”
Outside, Nicole and Ava gripped a rope as they stepped down to Pirate’s Cove. Their feet landed on the sand of the beach under the huge cliffs where Nicole’s house rested above. On this sunny afternoon, the beach was totally empty. It was the middle of the week, after all. Nicole and Ava stepped through the sand, allowing it to tingle though their toes. Throughout their trip down, Ava inconspicuously gripped a brown leather journal.
Nicole plopped down and sat Indian-style. Ava sat next to her and together, they faced the ocean. The seconds that passed stretched longer than they actually were. Time seemed to freeze and Nicole wished it would just stay that way. The sun’s rays hugged them and tried their best to calm their aching hearts. Ava broke the silence. “I always liked coming here with you.”
Nicole had been susceptible to crying lately. Ava’s statement only perpetuated that tendency. Nicole broke down.
“Don’t cry.” Ava stared at the horizon, at the rippling ocean in front of her that echoed for eternity against the blue sky. “I was thinking… you know what I always liked about looking out at the water? No matter what happens, no matter how life changes, it will always be there. It will always be the same. If I could just sit down and look out at the ocean all day, I would.” Ava wore a reflective, peaceful smile; a stark contrast to Nicole’s visible anguish. She continued, “When you miss me, look out at the ocean. Just like it, I’ll always be there.” Ava gritted her teeth and blinked away the tears that begged to see daylight.
Nicole buried her eyes into her hands. She couldn’t bear to comprehend Ava’s words. Her palms dug against her eyes when Ava said, “Look at me.”
Nicole wiped her tears and looked at Ava. Past her long eyelashes, her blue eyes gazed admirably back. Ava said, “I don’t want you to ever regret anything. What we’ve been through, all the fun times we had… I want you to look back and smile. It would break my heart to think that everytime you think of me… it will cause you to cry.” Ava’s soft cheeks wrinkled but Nicole could see the despair she tried desperately to hide.
Nicole’s voice cracked. “You’ve always made me smile. That won’t stop.” Nicole’s uneven lips did their best to smile at Ava.
“See?” Ava said, “You look so much better when you smile.”
Nicole chuckled. Ava said, “I got you something. It’s just something little…” She gripped the edges of the brown leather journal and revealed it to Nicole. The sunlight reflected and showed off its shiny smooth leather. Ava nodded at Nicole, encouraging her to take hold. So Nicole grabbed it. It felt soft, plump with pages, and weighed heavier than she thought it would. She flipped open the cover and blank white paper stared back. Ava said, “You’ve always been so adventurous. Your life is going to be so exciting. Now you can write all the great things you do in this journal. You won’t be able to tell me about them but when you write it down, it can be like you’re sharing it with me.” The corners of Ava’s mouth struggled to support a smile. She stared admirably at her best friend, hoping she liked the gift.
Nicole scrolled through the pages and landed on the inside cover. There, a handwritten phrase rested: “My love will never leave you. We will always be best friends. February 23, 1999.” Those words were so nice. But they stabbed mercilessly into Nicole’s weakened heart. She gasped for air as grief overcame her to the point she could no longer control.
Ava scooted toward her and wrapped her arms around her. Nicole buried her face in Ava’s shoulder and mumbled, “I love you so much.”
Ava took a deep breath. The air tucked away in the cove always felt so fresh. She couldn’t help but feel guilty for taking little things like that for granted. Ava closed her eyes and embraced the feel of Nicole rested against her. Her arms squeezed harder, wanting to be with her for as long as she could. If only this moment could last forever. If only time could freeze right here and now. Those stubborn tears trickled from Ava’s eyes and crawled down her cheeks. Ava rubbed Nicole’s scalp and whispered with her trembling voice, “I love you. Just don’t ever forget me.”
Ava held Nicole in her arms as the two overlooked the ocean.
A little over a week later
As Nicole sat, her eyes felt heavier than usual. The entire row of chairs sat empty except for her. The walls dimmed a dark shade and the room scorched like a furnace. People with chattering voices surrounded her and invaded the silence. The men wore suits and the women… looked nice, she supposed. Many faces passed but she didn’t bother looking at a single one. Her eyes bounced around, never really settling on anything. Nicole couldn’t really feel anything.
Jeremy’s tiny body climbed the seat next to her. “Hi.”
Nicole snapped out of whatever trance she was stuck in and glanced at her little brother. A suit and tie wrapped his body. Nicole whispered, “Hi, J.”
Jeremy nervously fidgeted with his fingers. He looked at Nicole, then looked away. This wasn’t something he was used to. His soft voice said, “I love you…”
A smile unexpectedly forced its way onto Nicole’s face. “I love you too, Jeremy.” Jeremy thrust forward and wrapped his arms around Nicole. She hugged back and closed her eyes. With her eyes closed, the sounds of chattering grew in her ears until it became deafening. To avoid them, she reopened her eyes and again settled on the sight that crushed her soul.
Feet in front of her, Ava wore a pink dress. Her straight blonde hair flowed to her shoulders and a slight smirk resided on her face. She rested on her back and her eyes were closed. Her arms crossed on her chest with a flower in hand. Ava was at peace.
And the coffin she lay in was propped open.
From her chair, Nicole looked at Ava’s face. This was the last day she would ever get to see it. From now on, Ava would exist only in pictures. Her life, what made her Ava, would only exist in her mind.
Jeremy unlatched himself from Nicole. Nicole said, “Thanks pal,” Jeremy smiled, climbed down from the chair, and tottered away.
Nicole looked at the prayer card in her hand. Ava’s bright squinty eyes looked back. Of course, a smile graced across her face. Underneath, tiny black letters read, “January 15, 1985 – March 2, 1999”
Nicole continued to sit alone at the wake. She would stay there the rest of the day, staring ahead, keeping to herself.
The next day, Nicole stood in the family room in front of the fireplace. On the mantle, surrounded by pictures of herself, sat a picture of her and Ava. They were little girls, in Kindergarten. That was the last day of class and the two embraced as summer awaited. Their faces rested against each other. Nicole and Ava. The smiley pair that couldn’t be separated. Nicole stared through the picture. And felt miserable. What would she do without her best friend? They had spent nearly every day of their lives together.
Now, she was alone.
Later, Nicole held the rope and walked down the slight decline to the empty beach, where she and Ava had been just days before. Her feet again traipsed against the sand. She sat in the same spot as before and faced the ocean.
Nicole placed the brown leather journal on her lap and opened the cover. The first page was dauntingly blank. To the left, on the cover, she once again read Ava’s message. “My love will never leave you. We will always be best friends. February 23, 1999.” She took a deep breath. She wanted to relax. She had to stop crying. So she pulled a pen out of her pocket. Underneath Ava’s message, she wrote, “I�
��ll never forget her. She’ll always be with me.” Nicole slammed the journal shut, unable to handle the thought of any more. She placed it next to her and looked out at the ocean.
Nicole hugged her knees and freely cried. What was the point of holding back? Would she ever stop crying? Would she ever stop hurting? Her entire body tensed. The pain of losing Ava hurt more than she could handle. She couldn’t feel her heart. It felt like it had blackened and turned to stone. She struggled to breathe and her lips shuddered. “Ava… I don’t know how I can live without you. I always thought we would grow up together. You’ve always been there for me. I was always happy when you were around… I hope you know how much you mean to me. You’re my best friend. You’re my sister…” Nicole stopped and pushed her face against her knees. “This is stupid,” she mumbled to herself. Her fists clenched. Rage pumped through her veins. Her brain felt like it had swelled to three times the size. Nicole thrust back her head and let out a primal scream. “Why did she have to die!?” Her voice echoed across the water.
She panted heavily and looked back at the ocean. The calm waves gently rushed in. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky swirled with red and yellow. The sound of falling waves and the sizzling sound of receding water helped Nicole relax. “You were the best person I ever knew. I love you, Ava.” Remembering her promise, she tried her best to smile. It wouldn’t work, but Ava would have appreciated her effort.
Nicole didn’t know how long she stayed at the beach that day. But she may as well have been there the rest of her life.
38
Mike stood at the door of the boy’s room. Jeremy sat on the bed and stared at him. Neither could find words over the puzzlement clouding their minds. Mike uttered, “Jeremy?”
The initial shock of the door bursting open had settled. The bare features of Jeremy’s bat-like face twitched as he asked, “How did you know where to find me?”
“Hailey found a journal at the hospital…” Mike glanced around the room at the blue walls, at the sports paraphernalia. And something clicked. “…is… is this your house?”
“Yes…” Jeremy looked at Grace, who stood with Mike in the doorway. The way they stared made him uncomfortable. The shrieks escaped his mouth and only Mike could understand, “This is the house where I grew up. It was my home... until I got sick and had to go to the hospital.” Jeremy analyzed the back of his hand. Pale and pink, it still burned slightly from when the nurses ripped out all his fur. When he was human, he had lost his hair from being sick and now, he figured, it was natural to be without fur too. Even though the world hated its transformation, it was a blessing for him. He confessed, “As much as everyone wants to change back, this has saved me. I’m not sick anymore. I’ve been cured.”
Mike said, “You’ve been cured? From what?”
Grace scrambled to keep up with the conversation. She could only guess what Jeremy said based on Mike’s responses.
Jeremy continued, “I didn’t have long to live. I could feel myself dying. Everyday that passed, I knew I was closer. But when we started to change into this…” Jeremy held out his hand and puffed his muscled chest. “…I couldn’t feel it anymore. I’m… healthy. I don’t have to stay at the hospital. And now I can fly. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me… I don’t want to go back.”
Mike looked into Jeremy’s human eyes and pondered the unthinkable: what if what happened two weeks ago was a good thing? It couldn’t be, he figured, not with all the suffering that resulted from it.
Jeremy continued, “I came to find my sister. To tell her that I’m alright. I thought she might be here. But I don’t know where she is.”
Meanwhile, in the office, Hailey held the pages of the journal in her hand and scanned through them. The whole stack was almost totally filled with notes. A few pages toward the end remained blank, but for the most part, it looked like Nicole had written on most of them.
An odd buzzing noise grew in the distance. Hailey lifted her head and stood totally still. Then she heard it: the clear sound of screeching bats. It shot through the silence and drowned her in panic. It seemed to come from the front of the house. What’s going on out there? Hailey kicked her feet into action and left the office behind, all while gripping the mysterious pages.
In the hallway, she saw Mike, Grace, and… Jeremy? Before she had the chance to inquire or even think further of it, she burst through the open door of the room across the hall, apparently the master bedroom. A big bed sat to the side but more importantly, a tall, wide window peeked to the front yard. Closed curtains concealed the sight but light managed to spill in. As Hailey moved, she yelled, “Do you hear that? Something’s going on!” Mike, Grace, and Jeremy scrambled through the hall and joined her. Hailey gripped the thick cloth and flung the curtains open.
Again? The Washington High bats had been reintroduced to the Unstables, who had just arrived. They fought as intensely as before, throwing their weight into every swing and snarling with every bite. Blood flowed like a fountain and the war returned. Just as quickly as she’d opened the curtains, Hailey slammed them back shut.
Hailey looked at her friends. Grace’s eyes were unsure, rapidly searching for answers. Jeremy froze, terrified to consider their situation. Even Mike’s eyebrows furrowed in a deep look of concern. It was assumed the ordeal with the Unstables was over. Hailey’s Chosen One spiel seemed to end it. But here they were, yet again, fighting their friends outside. The horrid sounds of pain and death ravaged at their ears. With unrest swallowing the room, Hailey spoke. “We have to leave here. Jeremy…” He broke out of his panicked state and snapped his eyes onto hers. It was strange to see that fear dwindle so fast, but encouraging. “…I’m guessing those pictures of the little boy on the fireplace are you. If that’s true, then you grew up here, which means you know the area. There’s got to be a way out back we can sneak out. We can go hide in one of those little caves on the beach.”
Jeremy nodded, and, through Mike’s translation told Hailey, “Everyone follow me.”
Before she left, curiosity forced Hailey to slightly pull the curtains open a crack and peer out the window. Through the parade of brawling bats soaring through the air and dominating the ground, she saw a man calmly walking through it all, untouched by battle. Of course, it was him: Victor. His red hair stuck out through the blur of brown and his confident strut through the battlefield irritated her. Would someone kill him already! Hailey stepped from the window and announced, “Let’s get out of here.”
Jeremy led the way as Hailey, Grace, and Mike followed behind. They zigzagged through the hallway, into the family room, and into a sunroom at the back of the house. Jeremy unlatched a sliding glass door and moved it open. The outside air flung itself at them and the clear sound of war erupted at their ears. They slipped through the door and stayed concealed from the flying bats thanks to the height of the house. Jeremy led his friends down the stairs of a wooden patio to a slope of grass. They moved closely to the edge of the cliff overlooking the beach where Hailey and Grace had been just minutes earlier.
They kept on following Jeremy as he led them through an alternate path to the beach. Once they arrived, no one would find them. As her feet raced, Hailey worried for Dave and the rest of the Washington High bats who relied on her. She felt somewhat guilty for abandoning them but nothing she could do would stop the fighting this time. They were facing a threat she could apparently no longer crush. She could only hope they would be alright.
When they arrived at the beach, they snuggled into a cave along the wall of rock that edged the sand. It lied on the far side, away from the well-known, publicly used dirt path, so if Victor came looking, he likely wouldn’t find them. Moist rock covered and surrounded them and a gentle stream of water flowed in. As Grace sat next to Hailey, she eyed the cluster of paper Hailey had been holding onto. “What is that, Hailey?”
“I found it in the office.” She turned to Jeremy, “Do you know what these are?”
Jeremy spoke to
Mike, who said, “Those pages belong to his sister’s journal.”
Hailey nodded, eager to hear more. In some way, she still believed this would lead to Alex. Regardless, it was all they had to go on now. “What did she write in here? What was it for?”
“Nicole’s best friend gave it to her. It was the most important thing in the world to her. She only wrote in it when she had something important to say.”
After Mike finished translating, Hailey looked at the thick stack in her hand. Apparently Nicole had a lot of important things to say. “We have time. We’ll go through it all. Everyone take some pages. If you find something that could help us, let me know.” Hailey split up the pages and distributed them.
Mike took a stack and silently scoffed at the idea. A war was being waged just above the cliff and they were going to read through this girl’s journal? To him, it seemed pointless. Grace and Jeremy followed suit and took their own sections to read.
Hailey kept the back pages for herself. Whatever happened most recently would probably be the most insightful. Little did she know, what she was about to read held the answers to everything.
39
One Month Ago- Umboi Island
Nicole and Courtney followed Tolrik, the old man from Opai Village. The flat, desolate land around them held barely any trees, a direct contrast from the lush forest covering most of the island. The landscape reminded Nicole of the plains of Africa. The sun seemed to take its heat to another level and the rays went out of their way to target them. Nicole exhaled. The puff of air from her mouth created a cloud of heat that brushed against her face. They had been hiking through this dry heat for at least an hour. Straight ahead of them, about a hundred yards away, a jagged natural rock formation swirled into the sky. They seemed to be headed in that direction. That must be the cave, Nicole thought. The palm trees that sprouted up here and there seemed to watch them as they hiked closer.
Tolrik’s nimble old body led the way. To him, this whole situation made no sense. When Tolrik asked Nicole how she had obtained this knowledge, she smirked and declined to answer.
