even realize I had slept any longer than you did."
"I dozed off for a little bit before the alarm went off. I guess it wasn't enough time for us to get anything else from the pendant."
“You sure you don’t want me to drive for a little?”
“No, I’m okay. I promise."
There’s awkwardness between us that I can’t break. I can’t shake the feeling that Zoë is angry with me. The things we learned last night were intense, more intense than either of us had expected. The journey that lies ahead of us is incredibly daunting. I have a lot of fear inside of myself, and I’m sure Zoë does too.
My biggest concern right now, however, is the fact that my best friend—the only person in the world who knows everything about me and understands it all—is pulling away from me right when I need her most.
I lean back in my seat and look out the window, cradling the backpack on my lap. The grass along the side of the highway is covered in frost, catching the light of the morning sun with a twinkle as we speed by.
I reach my hand up to the pendant and rub my fingers over the bumps the knot forms before squeezing it in my fist. The pendant once again warms under my touch and emits a soft glow. I can’t help but smile as I am flooded with happy memories of a family I once knew, yet lost along the way. I see three little girls dancing together in a field, and I am the youngest. I can’t get enough of my older sisters. Clara’s cascading curls that bounce around her shoulders as she twirls fill me with envy. Anna’s deep connection with all animals and her ability to calm them so effortlessly makes me wish she could teach me how to do it.
My mother tirelessly tends to the animals on our small farm, collecting milk from the goats and eggs from the hens. Heat warps the air as it escapes from the barn where my father welds metal into saleable shapes. This is how we were before that night that changed us forever.
Feeling tears beginning to well inside me, I close my eyes and swallow hard, desperately hoping that they will recede. I turn my body toward the door and nuzzle myself into the corner between the seat and the door.
I feel Zoë’s eyes on me but I ignore it. Somewhere along the way I drift into a light sleep. I don’t dream at all. My brain just powers down and rests, something I don’t often experience.
I have no idea how much time has passed when I feel the car come to a stop. I open my eyes and look around. We are in the parking lot of a rest area along the side of the highway. Without a word, Zoë gets out of the car and walks toward a picnic area at the opposite end of the parking lot.
Confused and still half asleep, I lean forward in my seat and watch her walk away. Something is obviously bothering her it’s clear that now is the time to press her. I get out of the car and follow her, taking the backpack with me. “Zoë!” I call out to her.
The loud, gusty wind combined with the sound of the cars rushing by on the highway drowns out my voice. She reaches a bench and sits down heavily, planting her elbows atop her knees and her face in her palms. I increase my speed to reach her faster. I sit down next to her and wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. I lean my forehead into the side of her head and say, “I’m sorry that you have to be involved in this.”
After a long moment she sits up and I pull my arm away. “Do I exist only to protect you?”
“No, Zoë, no. You exist because your parents wanted you to exist. Not because of me.”
“Why am I three months younger than you then? Why am I not a hundred years older than you?”
“Maybe they weren’t ready to have a family until then.”
“Your dad said that this was the best chance that’s ever existed to break the curse. They were waiting for the perfect moment to create something that could link them to you and go undetected.”
“Zoë—listen to what you’re saying. Your parents love you more than anything. They have never treated you like you were just a thing made to