it; I bolt forward, passing confused-looking pedestrians as I make a beeline for the docks. Soon I can see the outline of the pier in the distance, dark against the sun that’s glistening off the water. And there… yes, I can see them. Two, by now familiar, female figures. It’s a minute to nine; all I can do is pray that they’ll see me coming and wait.
I sprint the rest of the way to the pier, kicking myself all the while for telling them to go away. As I get closer, I see that their backs are to me, and they’re facing out towards the waves, shielding their eyes from the glaring sun with their hands. “Hey!” I yell as soon as I’m in shouting distance. They don’t seem to hear me, and I can see Samantha extending her hands, as if she were praying… or casting a spell. Her skin has gone red again. “Hey!” I shout again, tearing across the wooden planks as I reach the end of the dock.
Finally, I seem to have gotten their attention. Josie is the first one to turn to look at me, raising her eyebrows slightly when she sees me jogging towards her. She nudges Samantha on the arm who then lowers her hands and turns in my direction. I think I see the hint of a half-smile on her face when she realizes I’ve changed my mind, and I’m willing to let her have the satisfaction, considering how narrowly I almost missed them. “I’m sorry,” I say, breathless as I slow to a walk and close the distance between us. “I’m sorry. I almost didn’t make it.”
Samantha quirks an eyebrow at me. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“If you think I’m saying I’ve had a change of heart and want to come with you after all, then yes,” I reply without missing a beat. My face feels a little flushed, both from the exercise and from the embarrassment.
Samantha’s smile grows. “I’m glad to hear it. I had a feeling you might end up coming here after all.” She holds her hand out to me, and I can see the honesty in her eyes. Not hesitating this time, I reach out and take it, giving it a short, firm shake. “You made the right choice, Millie. Seriously.”
I nod, still breathing hard, and the sense of relief that washes over me is enough to make me agree with her. “Well,” I say, trailing behind them as they return to the end of the pier, “what happens now? Horse-drawn carriage? Flying carpet?”
Josie chuckles. “Don’t you think that would be a little cliche?” She turns to Samantha, who nods and extends her arms again. I watch as her skin turns red, the color rippling up her arms to her elbows, her palms beginning to glow with an eerie light in a matching shade of crimson. I glance behind us. If someone happened to pass by, they would be in for one hell of a sight. But there’s nothing to worry about; the marina is deserted, and even on the farther docks there’s hardly a soul to be seen.
Overhead, a seagull shrieks down at us. For a moment, there’s just the silence of the pier, the lapping of the waves, and my own heart beating in my ears. Then I notice a tingling sensation in my body. It starts in my fingers and then begins to vibrate upwards, growing stronger each time. Seconds later, my eyes widen as I stare down at my body. If I hadn’t seen everything I’ve seen in the past day, I would think I was hallucinating. I can see through my legs. Underneath my feet, which have gone translucent, I can make out the shape of the boards we’re standing on.
I snap my head back up, panicking a little, and grab Josie by the arm. “It’s okay,” she says, nodding down at her own legs. They’re turning see-through as well, as are Samantha’s. “Just relax. It will be over in a minute.”
Fighting my instinctive reaction to freak out, knowing already that at this point I’m better off just sitting back and enjoying the ride, I drop my shoulders and let the sensation wash over me. Soon, the planks under my feet are changing color, going from brown to vibrant green, and I can see the shapes of grass blades becoming clear. It’s like a Polaroid photograph that’s slowly developing in front of my eyes, except instead of the changes