Sitting next to the lake was a large willow tree with limbs blowing gently in the breeze. A small bund of flaming red hair was gently mixed in with the green leaves on the willow tree. Humming to herself and rocking a stuffed monkey the child played as if there was no war going on. She had seen more than anyone ever should and was finally returned to her own body. The years in someone else's body had made her wiser but she was still the small child from when her grandfather tried to take her away. Memories of that day are too vivid for her to try and suppress. Her parents joked in the kitchen and told her she could play outside as long as she stayed within the yard. A strange man comes up to her claiming to know her and her parents. Then her mother ran out so fast that she seemed like she was flying. Up to that moment, the girl had not known magic was real, it was just a fun bedtime story her parents told her to get her to sleep at night. They lived s

"Hey sleepy gills, you ready to go home?" Claire's voice cooed as if she were speaking to a child. Frank tried sitting up to find something was holding him down. He blinked away the groggy feeling of waking up from much-needed deep sleep. Reaching for his eyes he realized the heavy pressure he felt was indeed holding him in place. Looking down he found the two girls Ivan had just been holding were laying on top of him fast asleep. Frank tried looking around to find Claireor even Ivan but couldn't. They were under a tree in what seemed to be next to a wheat field with a light breeze blowing through the field. The sun looked as if it were about to set but was fighting to continue sharing its blazing heat with the world. Beautiful colors danced and blanketed the sky as if they had been painted across Frank's line of sight. Claire finally stepped into his view sweetly smiling down at him before she stopped in her tracks. Her face quickly turned to something Frank couldn't understand and

As soon as the veil was fully sealed Lilly felt herself sway to the side but fully fall as Brayden was quick to catch her first. She looked into his eyes with a faint smile before using his strength to fully stand and continue with the plan. "As you all know Brayden and I are still stuck as teenagers." She glanced to Brayden who only smirked and shrugged before winking at her. 'There is something seriously wrong with you.' Lilly said while trying to gather her thoughts. 'Like I said before, teenage Lilly is cute. Plus you've got more stamina now.' Brayden said with a straight face as if he weren't just talking about their sex lives in front of their parents. "Anyway, we're going to go back to I guess redo a little growing up. Since Claire is gone we'll need someone to play mom." Lilly says trying her hardest to keep the blood from having a family meeting in her face. "How about we all just go together and then we can keep a closer eye on you?" Jessica suggested, holding onto James. The

Maybe that's really why your throat is so dry? Lilly said leaning against the wall next to Brayden. Brayden scoffed then inhaled another drag. Pretending to ignore Lilly. "You know you can ignore me all you want but we both know I'm not going anywhere." Lilly said leaning forward and looking into Brayden's eyes. "That is a threat and a promise." "That is the only thing I can depend on." Brayden said looking down and putting out the cigarette before flipping them both and caging Lilly between himself and the wall. "You stink." Lilly said pretending to cough before smiling up at Brayden and laughing. Brayden shrugged then stated, "Never stopped you before." He leaned in within inches of Lilly's face almost breathing each other's air. "Well if we're where I think we are you're technically too young to be smoking." Lilly said smirking up at Brayden and removing the remaining cigarettes from his back pocket. "Well, technically I'm older than most of the cigarettes on this earth." Brayden

"No matter what you say I will not risk anyone's life," Brayden quickly closed the distance as he spoke. "Especially your life. For something as simple as a pastry, no matter how delicious they maybe.""I get you're trying to be all macho right now, and possibly turn me on but I am actually really upset about the orange rolls." Lilly looked into Brayden's eyes trying to hold in her own laughter at the ridiculous conversation. "So you admit that this is turning you on." Brayden asked leaning in closer to Lilly forcing her heart to race."You would take that part out of everything I said and turn it on me." Lilly rolled her eyes trying to hold back the blood from rushing to her face. "My point is they were the first ones Nia got to help me make, ever. I couldn't even try them.""Look I will go out and buy the ingredients right now and we can make some. Maybe the familiar flavor will help my mom's memory." Brayden said looking to the entrance to their hideout.