really don’t want to go in there,” I told
him. “ Keith slipped his hand into mine. When he applied pressure my
stomach swooped in a completely inappropriate way. Way to crush on my best
friend in the middle of danger.
“Come on, Sydney. We’ll be okay. We have to go.”
He stared down at me and his voice became urgent, almost
panicking. “We have to get to your Mom.”
“You know. She did leave me for a whole year. And she kind of
lied about where she was. Maybe I should just let her and Nana find their way
out.”
Keith didn’t appear amused.
“This isn’t a joke. This is serious.” He pulled my
hand, but I pulled back just as hard and dug my heels down.
“I don’t think it’s a joke. She didn’t leave you.” An
unexpected sob caught in my throat and I blinked quickly to keep from bawling.
“No. She didn’t. But she loves you, Sydney. There had
to be a good reason why she left. God. I only wish my mom cared about me as
much as yours does.”
“Your Mom is at home.”
“Yes. With her new husband. And her twin babies. I’m a
leftover kid from an old life she’d rather forget.”
I shook my head. “That’s not true.
“No? Well. We’ll debate this later. You don’t jam on
your Mom when she needs you because you’re mad at her. You have to get her out.
You’re the only one who can.”
“Again. Your source of information would be?”
He laughed a short, quick sputter that evaporated into the
air as soon as it left his mouth. “Don’t ask, I have no idea. But trust me,
okay? They’re getting closer.”
“They?” I asked.
He shrugged.
“Don’t tell me. A feeling.” My fear became so tangible I
tasted it in my mouth. Sour and vile. The forest loomed in front of me,
taunting me, branches reaching for me, wanting to suffocate, strangle me. “I
don’t want to go in.”
I glanced at Keith to catch sight of his disappointment in my
weakness. Something unusual passed behind his eyes. For a brief moment his
features changed. His brown eyes sparked some serious voltage.
I pulled my hand out of his and stepped back. My
stomach flip-flopped like a fish out of water. I re-planted my feet into the
dirt and turned to stare longingly at his car.
“You can’t go home and pretend none of this is happening.
You’re a witch. You can make wishes come true, for God’s sake. You can deal.
You dealt with Jenny Truman, you stood up to her.”
“Jenny’s a stupid girl. This is a forest.” I tried not to
peek at the dark greenery mocking me.
I twisted away from him, pressing my eyes shut. “I wish none
of this was happening.”
I opened my eyes again. I looked around. Nada. No change.
Keith glanced around too and then lifted his hands in the
air. “I guess it doesn’t work all the time. Maybe it’s temporary, or maybe you
only have a certain amount of wishes or something. You know, like three or
whatever?”
“I have no idea. My mom obviously took the rulebook with her
when she split for the nut farm.”
“Institute,” Keith corrected, sounding just like Nana. I
frowned, remembering something else. “Cody mumbled something to me about wish
protocol, but he didn’t remember what he said two seconds after it left his
mouth. Too bad he didn’t tell me all the rules. Like how to stop you from
convincing me I have to go in the forest to help out my mom.”
His cheeks got spotty “Don’t sound so suspicious. It’s me.
Keith. Remember? I’m helping you.”
I glared at him. “Yeah. How do I even know you’re even on my
side? What if you’re a bad guy?”
He didn’t grace me with an answer. His features froze. Guilt
washed color up my neck and over my face.
I studied my shoes. “Sorry,” I mumbled. “I’m just scared.”
“I know. Me too.”
him. “ Keith slipped his hand into mine. When he applied pressure my
stomach swooped in a completely inappropriate way. Way to crush on my best
friend in the middle of danger.
“Come on, Sydney. We’ll be okay. We have to go.”
He stared down at me and his voice became urgent, almost
panicking. “We have to get to your Mom.”
“You know. She did leave me for a whole year. And she kind of
lied about where she was. Maybe I should just let her and Nana find their way
out.”
Keith didn’t appear amused.
“This isn’t a joke. This is serious.” He pulled my
hand, but I pulled back just as hard and dug my heels down.
“I don’t think it’s a joke. She didn’t leave you.” An
unexpected sob caught in my throat and I blinked quickly to keep from bawling.
“No. She didn’t. But she loves you, Sydney. There had
to be a good reason why she left. God. I only wish my mom cared about me as
much as yours does.”
“Your Mom is at home.”
“Yes. With her new husband. And her twin babies. I’m a
leftover kid from an old life she’d rather forget.”
I shook my head. “That’s not true.
“No? Well. We’ll debate this later. You don’t jam on
your Mom when she needs you because you’re mad at her. You have to get her out.
You’re the only one who can.”
“Again. Your source of information would be?”
He laughed a short, quick sputter that evaporated into the
air as soon as it left his mouth. “Don’t ask, I have no idea. But trust me,
okay? They’re getting closer.”
“They?” I asked.
He shrugged.
“Don’t tell me. A feeling.” My fear became so tangible I
tasted it in my mouth. Sour and vile. The forest loomed in front of me,
taunting me, branches reaching for me, wanting to suffocate, strangle me. “I
don’t want to go in.”
I glanced at Keith to catch sight of his disappointment in my
weakness. Something unusual passed behind his eyes. For a brief moment his
features changed. His brown eyes sparked some serious voltage.
I pulled my hand out of his and stepped back. My
stomach flip-flopped like a fish out of water. I re-planted my feet into the
dirt and turned to stare longingly at his car.
“You can’t go home and pretend none of this is happening.
You’re a witch. You can make wishes come true, for God’s sake. You can deal.
You dealt with Jenny Truman, you stood up to her.”
“Jenny’s a stupid girl. This is a forest.” I tried not to
peek at the dark greenery mocking me.
I twisted away from him, pressing my eyes shut. “I wish none
of this was happening.”
I opened my eyes again. I looked around. Nada. No change.
Keith glanced around too and then lifted his hands in the
air. “I guess it doesn’t work all the time. Maybe it’s temporary, or maybe you
only have a certain amount of wishes or something. You know, like three or
whatever?”
“I have no idea. My mom obviously took the rulebook with her
when she split for the nut farm.”
“Institute,” Keith corrected, sounding just like Nana. I
frowned, remembering something else. “Cody mumbled something to me about wish
protocol, but he didn’t remember what he said two seconds after it left his
mouth. Too bad he didn’t tell me all the rules. Like how to stop you from
convincing me I have to go in the forest to help out my mom.”
His cheeks got spotty “Don’t sound so suspicious. It’s me.
Keith. Remember? I’m helping you.”
I glared at him. “Yeah. How do I even know you’re even on my
side? What if you’re a bad guy?”
He didn’t grace me with an answer. His features froze. Guilt
washed color up my neck and over my face.
I studied my shoes. “Sorry,” I mumbled. “I’m just scared.”
“I know. Me too.”
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