CHAPTER SIX: GET READY!

Lying on the floor near a window with my bag beside me, I was sleeping on my left side facing the wooden wall and for the first bedtime in my seventeen years, I was not being clothed with a blanket. Just a pajama and a long sleeved night gown. Mike was on his knees on the floor waking me up from my deep sleep and somehow I manage to open mine eyes after some sort of style he remembered from our childhood days. “Strawberry! Strawberry!” He whispers while holding my shoulder and elbow as I was lying on my left side for stomach purposes, he was shaking my body but I was half awake that time. So, to make sure I’m gonna wake up for a hundred percent, he tickles my waist and I immediately lifted up my body to sit down. My head hurts a bit for I rushed to take a seat when it is not really good for the human body when you just woke up. I slapped his face when my eyes caught that it was him who made me get up from my wonderful dream world. He put a finger on his closed mouth, shushing me not to make a sound. I grabbed my knees close to me and hugged it, I looked at him and mouthed, “Why!?” with one raised eyebrow. He replied whispering, “Sorry to wake you up but I couldn’t find Grandpa Martes’ dead body!” to my surprise, I whispered back saying, “What!?” but I guess my whisper was a loud one that some people sleeping around seemed to be moving due to disturbance.  “And one thing, Grandma finally went to sleep. I need to cook food for everyone, Grandpa’s crew are also sleeping. Would you help me please?” he whispers and I nodded. He stood up and gave me his hands so I could stand too. I gave him a sign to wait and I dragged my bag pack to me and wore it. When I held his hands to get up, I heard him murmuring silently. “Ooh, so heavy.” I sighed and threw him a strange look. “What?” he said and somebody sleeping suddenly sneezed. When he looked around and saw who sneezed, he quickly tiptoed running to get out of the room. I rolled my eyes and followed him. When I came out, he says, “Let’s go up stairs.” Pointing above us. I just nodded, sighed and rolled my eyes again. He recognized that I look tired carrying my bag with my mind still want to sleep. “Oh!” he said and took my bag from me and carried it before he starts to step on the stairs. When we got out, it was like I saw a different place. Our ship was still not moving but the chibi rocks were forming themselves into benches leaning on the deck of the ship, a stall with a stove and five poles standing like a dying flower but was holding a ball of water which was moving round and round to keep its blue light on. When I looked up, I saw something like a barrier —then I realized that the ship was inside a bubble. There were tiny green  creatures flying everywhere above our ship like fireflies but when two of them flew near my eyes, I realized that they are actually——fairies! Those two waved a hello to me and laughed facing each other with their tiny hands covering their mouths. They flew above me and they came back carrying a dead flower from my hair. I remember I haven’t taken a bath for two days now. Oh don’t laugh at me ‘coz who would want to take a bath in the middle of a freezing ocean but guess I seriously need to take a bath this day. The two fairies was flying in front of me, carrying the dead flower and they were turning around. When they stopped, the flower became a small flower pendant, shining like how their cute little wings shines brighter the more they move. They flew closer to my neck and placed it on the necklace I was wearing. I couldn’t help not  to smile, I mouthed, “Thank you.” And they both gave me a kiss on my cheeks, one on my right and the other on my left and then they flew away. I recognized that they look the same so I tried to picture out their faces on my mind so I’d recognize them when I see them again. Mike grabbed my arm and brought me to take a seat on the bench. “Look, they also gave me this but mine is red and yours is green.” He said while his head bowed down looking and holding the pendant the fairies gave him. “Yeah. It’s. . . .innovative and gleaming.” I said and I looked at his too saying, “But mine is a flower-shaped and yours is——just. . round. Why is it like that?”

“I don’t know, but before Grandma went to bed she told me that these fairies could see your destiny. They also have the ability to heal that’s why as you can see over there, Helena is now breastfeeding her puppies.” He said as he pointed Helena lying on the floor under a bench beside a pole. “Whatever is the reason for its shape, I have a good feeling that it’ll be perfect for me.” He added.

He heard my stomach made a sound and we both looked at my belly with frozen reactions. “I think we should probably start cooking.” He said as he stood. “Yeah.” I replied and immediately came to the stall with a stove. “But you can start eating while we cook.” He suggested while I was walking and I just nod although I didn’t have the appetite to eat breakfast in that moment. An Azarique suddenly came to me and form itself into a chair. I wasn’t freaking out anymore to see them move, talk or mold themselves into such things because I felt comfortable with their presence now. I felt safe and I realize it’s cute that they care for us.

“Thank you so much but I don’t need a chair right now. We’re going to cook food. I am standing.” I said to it and all of the sudden, to my surprise, it was gradually moving like a slime being mold and it turn itself into——a human form but its skin still has the color of a rock; dark, rough and strong. “Perhaps you need a hand.” It says and another Azarique came rolling itself to get close to us. “Garih! What happened to you? You look like a boy! Oh you are a boy. But I never knew you could turn yourself into a human form. Hey, wait. . .are you———?” it says and looked at me. Garih scoffs and shush it and it continued to roll away.

I shook my head and started to beat some eggs on the table beside the stall, put it on a coconut skull and used the wooden fork. I was ignoring him because I felt a little awkward  with his presence now that he turn himself into a human—it really looked like a man. I think it’s fine and much better if he stay on his original form—a chibi rock.

Thank goodness Mike came running holding a basket full of bottles of cow milk. “And who might you be macho man!?” he teased Garih as he lend his hand to give him a high five. “My name is Garih. I’m an Azarique rock. I fell in love with this goddess that is why I can now turn myself into a human form. Hello Mike.” He said and grabbed the basket Mike was carrying. His voice was deep and throaty that he really sounded like a real man. “What!?” Mike gasped and looked at me.

“Actually, I am just a human. A lady——” I murmured but Garih didn’t let me finish my sentence, he clicks his stone tongue and says, “I can smell feelings. I know you will too love me soon.”

I heard Mike grunts silently. “Enough, enough. Let’s get to work!” he says and started cooking. “You breathe fire too right?” he asked and turned to face Garih. “Air, fire and mud I do.” He replied and started to exhale on the stove. “Amazing! Thanks a lot Garih.” Mike said politely. Although it was pretty obvious that he was mad at Garih for some reason, he tried to sound like nothing happened. “Just pour water when you’re done cooking.” Then both of them seemed to be having fun cooking together talking about boys’ stuffs. I left them and sat on the bench near the door where Mike had placed my bag. I inhaled and exhaled deeply three times while closing my eyes and when I opened it, Miss Mata’s face were in front of me. I freaked out and screamed for a second. “Why is your face——” I couldn’t finish what I wanted to say when she pointed Mike and Garih. I sighed and she sat beside me and crossed her legs saying, “Be careful who you choose Scarlett.” She says and even I don’t know what she was talking about and why she was telling me that, I put my bag on my lap and search for my phone. “Choosing who to love is a lifetime decision.” She says and I just nod. When I finally found my phone, I turned it on and place my bag on the ground after zipping it. “Could you stop nodding!? Wait is that a cellphone?” she says and put her face close to my phone. “Yeah. Don’t tell me you don’t own one.” I replied as I was scrolling on the screen. “Sorry to tell you but I don’t have one. Why would you ever need a cellphone to know what will be tomorrow’s weather when you’re a fortune teller and the Mata of future who could see it in your visions?” she says proudly and lean on the bench. “You’re not wrong but have you ever took a picture of yourself?” I said and realized that there is no signal in the area. “I have a mirror and I can draw myself with it.” She proudly said. But one thing caught my attention was a message. There was only one so I clicked it and read what it says.

The text message:

Hello, Scarlett!

You might be reading this message unexpectedly during your good times but just know that I feel sorry for you and all your company. Your island is burnt and wherever you go, I will find you and hurt you until your Grandma surrenders her hidden treasures to me.

I know you are stranded in the middle of the ocean——the twin of the bermuda triangle. But I tell you, when you survive the tricks of the sea, you will be stopping on an island. I will meet you there and throw some things on your ship until you surrender!

A fan of yours,

Vidal Es Cuatro.

I read the message loud enough. I heard Miss Mata clicks her tongue and her anger was different, she strengthen her eyebrows and murmuring words I did not understand but her tune sounded like she felt enraged. The fairies froze from flying and the Azarique rocks rolled over to gather around us. “How—where did he get my number?” I said as I was wondering. And who is this Vidal Es Cuatro? He just sounds like number four to me.

“We need a plan.” Miss Mata says calmly and claps twice. The fairies flied over to gather around our heads and Mike and Garih came too. “What kind of plan? What—why—who is this Vidal Es Cuatro anyway!? I don’t know any person in my life who has a name so ancient and stingy like his!” I exclaimed and look at Miss Mata. “Yes, you don’t. But me and your Grandma does.” She said and one fairy came to her face murmuring with anger. It was like scolding her, waving its hands all around and all of the sudden she became crossed eyed for the fairy was floating in the air near her nose. Miss Mata sneezed and the fairy was blown away. “Oops! Sorry, but you’re too close to my eyes. Alright, alright.” She says and then turned to me saying, “She wants me to remember that they also know Vidal Es Cuatro. For years, he was the enemy of the ocean. Experimenting elements and when he fails, he threw it in the ocean which poisons the water without knowing how idiotic he’ve done.”

“We’re just done cooking breakfast in there. So, what’s with the crowd here? Is there something wrong?” Mike says and an Azarique rock offered himself to be his chair. Mike sat down in front of Miss Mata.

Miss Mata and I faced each other for a moment and then she looked at Mike saying, “Perhaps it could wait but our tummies can’t. So where is that breakfast you were saying?” She stood up and waved at the fairies to fly everywhere and they did so. Mike threw me a look which seems to be saying, “What’s going on?” and I just followed Miss Mata to the table and when I walked passed him, I tapped his shoulder twice. I don’t know if he understands what I was trying to convey but sometimes his aura is telling me to give him some space. Garih walked after me and offered himself to be my chair but I shook my head. “Uhhm. . . There’s a lot of wooden chairs under the table so,, I’d be fine with it.” I said while dragging a chair from underneath the table’s surface and sat down on it. “We could some help over there Garih.” Miss Mata says pointing the door. “Wake the people down there for breakfast. But be careful, be gentle. Remember, they’re humans.” She continues and stuff her mouth with a small boiled egg before she sat down. Garih went to the door and started singing off key with his deep, rough throaty voice while walking and he bumped into Mike. “Hey, watch it Coffee!” he exclaimed and continues to sing.

“What’s wrong with him?” he says while walking towards the table and stood beside Miss Mata’s chair. He distribute wooden plates and bamboo wood as cups to every space of the table where chairs are underneath it. “We need to eat a lot this time. We’re gonna do something.” Miss Mata says before drinking her milk in a bamboo wood. “You guys are talking about some things I don’t know. Could you just tell me that’s a female stuff so I won’t be bothering you please?” Mike says while wiping the edge of the table. Miss Mata and I stared at each other and chuckles for a bit. “Okay. But don’t you worry Mike, you’ll know later. And—we’re gonna need your tirador.” She says and winks at him.

“Oh! So this sounds like—Let’s get ready to rumble!!!!!” he shouted while raising his two arms in the air and making a fist with his hands like a strong wrestler standing in the middle of a boxing ring and light is above him making him look like a you know that precious thing you found and you feel like hearing a solemn music playing around as you see it?

We just watched him did that, the tiny fairies floated behind him dancing in the air as if they’re cheering him. “Mike, you’re just hungry.” I said.

“Yeah. Seriously.” He said when he stopped and quickly sat beside Miss Mata and started eating like a dinosaur who haven’t eaten anything for a decade. The fairies stopped and flew away with disappointed aura. It’s like they wanna play with Mike.

Minutes later, we heard babies’ cry and footsteps getting closer. The door opened widely and mothers carrying their babies on their chest, children and elders came out panicking, running like zombie apocalypse is after them. Their faces were like moving slowly as they scream with their eyes wide open and their hands on the air like waving for help. They almost slip from running with their shaking feet.

“What happened to them?” I gasped as I quickly stood up. “Looks like Garih failed to wake them up in a proper way.” Miss Mata says before swallowing the last part of her bread. When everyone realized how the surroundings looked like, they all froze and their heads facing above, looking around as they turn around with their lips mouthing, “Oh my!” , “Where are we?” , “Wow!” , “Awesome!” , “Magical!” and the children and teens murmuring, “Are we in our dream world?” , “Fantastic!”

Miss Mata left her seat and stood in the center with her hands crossed in her chest saying, “Actually, we’re stranded in the middle of the sea. These are Azarique creatures. They are the guardians of this enchanted ocean. We are trespassing a private property but don’t y’all worry because your Grandma Fuchsia is friends with these guys.” The elders ignored the surroundings and just sat down on the chairs of the table. Their faces turned emotionless and they exhales deeply before reaching what food they’re gonna eat from all the dishes on the table. I offered my seat to an elderly and sat on the bench where Helena was breastfeeding her puppies underneath. “Hi, Helena.” I said as I placed my hands beside my knees. Helena was happily wagging her brown tail. I looked around, staring at what everybody’s doing thinking about what would happen to these people, to these children if nobody was there to get them away from those villainous people? It’s weird not having Grandpa around although Mike’s cooking tastes almost the same, it’s different when he’s around. I wish I visited him and Grandma more often when I had the time.

And one thing that couldn’t fade from my mind was the text message I received from an unknown number whom sent me a puzzle scenario. What kind of treasure was he talking about? He just burned my grandparents’ coffee shop and the mystique island. The Strawberry’s Coffee Shop made my grandparents wealthy that people from other countries visit the Rue City just to experience tasting the coffee and buying books of my Grandma as souvenirs.  Some malls around the globe even asked my grandparents to franchise the Strawberry’s Coffee Shop and even though my grandparents says no to them because the coffee shop made the Rue City whole, the world didn’t gossip false advertisements or fake news about us.

I don’t know how to get information about what is going on in the world today. There’s no signal in the middle of this wide ocean. I was deeply thinking about how. . . . Until an idea just popped up in my mind. It’s painting a picture of a messenger bird having a rolled paper tied in its claws. And yes! But we’re in the 21^st century yow so, perhaps tying a camera in it would work much better these days.

Ever experienced suddenly thought about a great idea and without knowing you just said something out loud and everyone around froze to look at you——oops! So awkward. Sometimes I wish everybody could think what I am thinking but it would be embarrassing if I’d think about pooing whenever a fart all of the sudden just comes out.

“So what kind of enchant did you just learned?” Miss Mata says while walking closer and sat beside me. She looked like a goddess wearing a simple white gown with pearls all over, with her dark skin, braided hair and peach colored lips, she looked gorgeous which made me wonder—of all the men in the world, why is Miss Mata still single?

“What?” I shook my head blinking my eyes twice and faced her.

“You were murmuring something.”

“I am? I did? Uhhm. . .”

“Yeah.” She chuckles. “I’m guessing you were thinking about something.” She added while snapping her fingers in the air and fairies flied closer to her and she whispered to them which made them fly around the ship, chose a family to guide what to do.

“Guessing!?” I exclaimed. “You’re a witch who sees some things under our skulls and chest!”

“Woah! Why are you angry?” she says and held my shoulders. “Your eyes!”

My skin suddenly was freezing but my head felt like a boiling water in a kettle. Mike rushed to help Miss Mata calm me down. Mike was panicking to see my eyes turn dark. Then he remembered that the Azarique fairies has the ability to heal but when they tried to heal me, nothing happened. . . I just fell asleep. When I woke up, I felt like I was so light and when I looked at my body, I was floating in the air. I turned around and saw myself—my flesh body beside Mike. The fairies talked to Miss Mata and told her that it was not sickness or something. So, Miss Mata looked into my memory to search something that might be useful for her to understand what was happening to me. They made my body lie on the bench and then she placed her oiled hands on my forehead. She closed her eyes and was grunting and moaning like being in a serious pain. When she stopped, her eyes opened and gasped——breathing heavily staring on the ground. “What happened to you Miss Mata!? What did you saw?” Mike asked, his voice broke and was about to cry. “Mike! I’m right here!” I shouted but nobody could hear me even the fairies and Miss Mata. I was starting to think, what kind of mata is she that she couldn’t see me? Then I realized. . . .I became a ghost.

“Is she dead? How are we gonna tell this to her grandma?” Abuelito Kiko came closer and held my hand which fell and was swaying almost on the ground, Helena was licking it and sniffing. “But wait! She’s alive! Oh, you’re making me have heart attacks kids.” He says.

“Abuelito,” Miss Mata called while her voice sounded about to cry like Mike. “I don’t know when is she going to wake up.” She continues.

“What are you talking about!?”Abuelito Kiko exclaimed, his face was really mad that it turned reddish.

“She is not dead. Although her soul is somewhere around here, I can feel it. But we must hurry up before her soul can no longer come back to his body.” Garih  said who suddenly showed up between the backs of Mike and Abuelito Kiko.

“You know that her soul is here? But. . .but why can’t I see her!?” Miss Mata shouted, kneeling down in front of the bench beside my head, her head is facing Abuelito Kiko with tears falling down to Helena’s nose. Helena sniffed Miss Mata’s cloth and whimpers. Her puppies fell asleep and when she realized it, she gently pushed them closer to the wooden wall one by one using her nose.

Garih tapped Mike’s shoulder. “I do not know. Perhaps someone has summoned the contrary of your abilities. A villain witch!” Garih whispers while he walks beside the bench where my body was lying down and slowly turn himself back again into a rock but in now in a shape of a bench.

“What are you doing!? Garih! Garih!” Miss Mata shouted with her hoarse voice touching Garih became a stone bench. Sobbing, she was punching the bench with her light fist.

I wanted to comfort her and tell her that I am right here and that even I’m not certain what to do, I will be back——whatever happens to me, even I would become a rock, a piece of sand or a snowflake that melts and evaporates when the warmth of the sun says hello. . . . I can’t just leave you all.

I whispered to her ears saying, “Miss Mata, I hope somehow you could hear me. I just want to tell you that I’m right here.” But it seemed like she couldn’t hear me so, I tried placing my hand to her shoulder as I continue to speak. “You saw my memory Miss Mata, I hope you saw what I was thinking about earlier because it is important for our safety.” And after what I said, I felt like something is pulling me from above.

I guess Miss Mata heard me. She wiped her tears and stood up from kneeling down. She looked up and saw a dark smoke moving like a tornado outside the bubble barrier. “My cousin us here. This means only one thing!” she fiercely said. “What is that?” Mike gasped pointing the smoke. Then an Azarique fairy with a long golden braided hair came to them and she made herself big enough like a human,  like my size. “Oh! Where did you come from!?” Mike freaked out to see the fairy showed up from his back. Miss Mata turned around to see who was it and looked at her from head to toe saying, “You can turn yourself into a big one? Like our size?”

“Yes, I can. But only the chosen ones like Garih and I.” she says while flying to float in the air above Miss Mata. “I am Rasmiah, a soldier Princess of Azarique Fairies. So, this cousin of yours, what does she do? Why is she trying to break our barrier?” she continued.

Miss Mata stands fiercely, ready to fight. Angrily stared at the dark tornado. “She is a Kala witch. Jheval, a soul thief and an eye eater. I cannot defeat her, she took my eyes before that’s how I died a century ago.” She says and Mike placed Helena’s puppies into their basket.

“So, how old are you this year?” Rasmiah says which made Miss Mata groans and rolls her brown eyes.

“Jheval is breaking the barrier you guys made to take the souls around us. Scarlett’s soul is somewhere around here. Somehow I can feel her presence but if anything happens to her, I will not forgive myself.” She breathes deeply before she continues to say, “I don’t know what’s gonna happen to me if Fuchsia finds out about this when she wakes up.”

“You’re a witch! Why not make her sleep until Scarlett wakes up?” Fairy Rasmiah suggested.

“I don’t trust my abilities anymore.”

“I’ll do it.” Proudly, Rasmiah says with her cute soft voice—almost nasal. And flied all the way to the door to search for Grandma.

Miss Mata sadly bowed down her head, her hands are making a fist and Helena stood beside her to place her fist on her head which made her calm down to feel Helena’s soft fur and opened her palm to head pat her. She stared at Helena and thought about an idea to make her a giant one to at least get rid of Jheval. “They say you’ll never know how strong you can be until you face a fight.” She says when she looked at Helena and Helena murmured, stood straightly.

“What do you say if I turn you into a flying giant dog Helena?” and Helena barks her yes.

“That’s our good girl!” she says and Abuelito Kiko who was standing near my body’s feet says, “You got this Helena.” And Helena nodded at him.

“But first we have to take the Rue City citizens to safety. We gotta need some place to hide.” Miss Mata says and Rasmiah showed up out of nowhere saying, “I’ve got an idea!” she exclaimed which almost give Abuelito a heart attack. “Please. We know you’re a fairy with so much abilities but don’t just show up out of nowhere. You’re giving our Abuelito a heart attack.” Mike says while slowly standing up from sitting on the ground taking care of Helena’s puppies. “Oops! Forgive me Grandpa of Rue City.” Rasmiah bowed like a Japanese person giving thanks, asking apology, making a request or asking someone a favor.

“Where do you think you’re going puppy!?” Mike freaked out when he saw a puppy escaping from the rectangular basket. The white puppy with its tiny black paws ran to her mama dog and Helena kissed her puppy and placed her mouth on its fluffy ears like whispering something and her puppy jumped happily, barked three times before going back to their basket.

“So, here’s my idea people of Rue City. Listen up!” Rasmiah called and they gathered around her. “My Azarique fairies has the ability to breathe under water. Our pixie dusts are different from the pixie dusts of land fairies that you can find in the woods. When we dive in the water, we transform into mermaids with ragged wing edges like a Comma butterfly you can find in the land. We are more powerful if we are inside our bubbles and in the water. And since you guys are humans, you can’t breathe in the ocean. .that is why I and my fairies are going to put you all into a bubble. And put you under the ocean——there’s a surface deep down there where you can be safe. The Azarique rocks will be with you.”

“Question!” an old woman raises her hand which caught everybody’s attention. “Are you gonna put us in a bubble one by one or all together?” she says that made everyone blinked their eyes twice, wondered about it too.

“All together and inside, you will have your own bubble. But don’t worry, each of you will be given a temporary ability to control your bubble and one fairy to protect you inside your bubble in case of emergencies.” Rasmiah replies and everyone got excited to have a temporary power——an ability to control something. Then she called all the fairies to help her.

“What about the animals?” Mike asks who was trying to make the puppies fall asleep.

“Abuelito Kiko will be in a bubble with them.” Rasmiah says while moving her hands in circles to make a magic bubble.

“Why not the whole ship come with us inside a bubble?” he says.

“We can’t. There are two souls in this bubble. If the bubble where we put the ship is gonna go down there, Jheval will follow this even under the sea And if she steps in our ocean, the water will be poisoned.” Rasmiah says.

“There are two souls in here!? Who’s the other one?” Miss Mata was shocked to hear what Rasmiah the soldier fairy princess just said.

“Her Grandpa!” she shouted while pointing my body using her lips. The people went noisy talking to one another, happily floating in the air inside their bubble, waving hi and hello to everyone with a big smiles on their faces.

“Martes’ soul is still around here?” Rasmiah nodded. Miss Mata gasped and shook her head, she couldn’t believe that she didn’t knew Grandpa never left the ship when he died.

“Why not cover the whole ocean with bubbles?” Mike sounded so genius but Rasmiah groans and rolled her eyes saying,

“The ocean is too big! Even if I ask all of my fairies to help me cover the ocean, we won’t succeed. We’ll die if we try to. And if we die, you won’t be able to eat fishes again.”

Jheval the Kala villainous witch, who turned herself into a dark tornado, was trying to get me out from the bubble of our ship. My soul was up side down sticking on the bubble from above where Jheval is trying to swallow the bubble to pop it and eat my soul but it’s not an ordinary bubble you can destroy——it’s an enchanted one.

I could see everyone from up here, I couldn’t move no matter how hard I try to. My hands are stuck on my side, on my lap. I became powerless to move. My eyes were searching for something around and realized that I wasn’t alone whom Jheval was trying to get. No wonder with all her might she tries to break the barrier! To my right side, meters away, was Grandpa’s soul, up side down sticking on the bubble from above too. I tried to shout and call him with all the voice I had. “Grandpa! Grandpa! Can. You. Hear. Me!? Grandpa!!!” although my voice sounded so awful for being a ghost, I tried to sound normal so somehow he could recognize my voice. Then thank goodness I heard him shouted back. “Scarlett! Your. Necklace!!!” I could clearly hear him but I didn’t understand. I tried to think deeply, to remember something about any necklace. And after a minute, I got it! Grandma gave me a necklace before we apart from each other when she sent me to the secret tunnel. So, I looked down to my chest but there was no necklace hanging. I stared at Grandpa for a moment hoping he’d understand that I don’t have the necklace with me. “Neck! Necklace!!” he shouted again and I wasn’t sure if I’m gonna get an idea just by staring at myself down there on the ship where Mike is kneeling down beside my body trying to talk to me. I looked at my body from feet to my hair and stopped when I recognized that the necklace Grandma gave me was in my body but the pendant the fairies gave wasn’t. “The green flower pendant!” I exclaimed. And I think I was loud enough that Grandpa heard me. “Make. A. Wish!!!” he shouted. I felt weirdness to do it because when Mike and I were little kids, whenever we see a shooting star or find a piece of our eyelash on our faces, it’s when we make a wish. . . .but since we’re in the middle of sea, where an enchanted place can be found, guess there’s no weird thing here ‘coz this is a whole different world.

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply before making my wish. “I wish——this is all just a dream!” then I opened my eyes but nothing happened. I was thinking maybe it’ll take a moment but after counting a minute in my mind, still nothing. So I tried wishing again. “I wish———” I exhales deeply. I was thinking about wishing to come back in my body but half of me wants Grandpa back to life too. I want Grandma happy and the people of Rue City too for the sake of Strawberry’s Coffee Shop even it’ll not include  me around anymore. I still don’t know where my parents went that they didn’t come home in our house for a month and why my cousins stopped showing up visiting me. I don’t want Grandma to feel alone like how I felt when I was in my parents’ house or feel the loneliness when she was twelve. I don’t want her to see herself in the mirror without Grandpa in her back just like in the picture frames around the Strawberry’s Coffee Shop. I can’t imagine how painful it would be to can no longer hear greetings, complement, complaints, cries and laughs of your lifetime partner. Grandma suffered too much pain in her youth and I don’t want her to ever think about killing herself because of screaming “This is enough!”

I stared at them one by one. To Mike who’s always had by back, who would always shows up to save the day. To Grandpa who looked after Mike and I, who always cook the best dishes. To Miss Mata who always had Grandma’s back. And to the people of Rue City who supported my grandparents’ Strawberry’s Coffee Shop and who always stay like as a one big family. Then I closed my eyes, not knowing that there were tears falling already. “I wish Grandpa Martes will come back to life!” and that’s the last thing I remember I’ve done.