Nentarli [COMPLETE]

~ Five ~

He was still smiling as though everything would be alright, since I didn't have any experience in this area I decided to trust his judgement. My mum's words echoed in my head.

I glanced at Emy, "I don't think I have anymore questions right now, how about you?"

She sat thinking for a moment, "What's it like... over there?" She asked in a quiet voice.

"It is a beautiful place, filled with wondrous and magical things... but I cannot do it justice with words, you must see it for yourselves."

His smile widened, his thoughts must have gone to memories of the place, we couldn't help but smile back at how infectious it was. He looked at the clock a few seconds later, snapping out of his reverie.

"Almost time, we must go to my house before we leave. Would you please take one last check of your things?"

I checked my bag and Emy checked hers. I couldn't think of anything else we might need to take. We'd agreed to take our phones at least as far as wherever we'd cross into this other world.

Merkell got up and moved to the door, "Ready, then?" He gave us an encouraging smile.

We took one last look around at our home, knowing we may never see it again, then shouldered our bags.

"I'm going to miss this place," Emy said, linking her arm in mine.

"Yeah, me too," I looked around one more time and sighed heavily, "Okay, let's go before we change our minds."

I squeezed Emy's arm and we made our way out of the front door after Merkell. I locked the door behind us, which somehow gave a finality to our decision that picked at my insides. We walked over to Merkell's house.

"What will happen to the rest of our stuff, and the house?"

Emy and I looked back at it, it looked empty and deserted and I felt a lump forming in my throat. I swallowed it down before I got too upset. It had to be done, I told myself.

"I hope you don't mind but I arranged for movers to come tomorrow, so there are no dark rumours about you two going missing. They will take your things to a charity that helps people who are in need of various household items but do not have enough money."

I was surprised at his arrangement, "I don't mind, that's a really great thing to do."

Emy nodded and he smiled in what looked like relief.

"Good, I'm glad, I just thought it would be hard for you to do and you've got enough to deal with at the moment."

We both thanked him for thinking of us like that, I was starting to see more of the man my mum had painted the mental image of in her message.

We entered Merkell's house a moment later, we'd never been inside in the two years we'd lived over the road. It was bare, there were no pictures on the walls, which made sense seeing as he didn't have a family or visitors to show off to.

We went straight through to the kitchen, a large bag was sitting on top of a plant pot. I was staring at the strange set up and it took me a minute to realise why it looked familiar, but Emy beat me to it.

"That's the plant pot you were sat on when we saw you in the garden the other day, isn't it?"

Merkell smiled with a little glint in his eyes, "It is, yes."

He took the bag off, though kept the pot held down with one hand. "I had just retrieved the message from the Trokarra and saw you both coming, there was nothing else I could do so I hid him underneath this pot."