Druids of Novinha

Part 9 - Strangers, Squirrels, and MS Paint

"Here you go, mom." My mom, Margaret smiles when I set a steaming cup of tea beside her.

"Thank you, Vic." She pulls me into a hug. "Did Ori head into town yet?" she asks. "I thought I heard the door open earlier."

"Yep, she left just a minute ago." She turns back to the computer, where she's designing something in MS Paint.

"Oh, and your father asked if you could help him out in the back, something about squirrels?"

"Of course! I'll head up there now." I turn and walk up the steps, thinking about her request. What could he need help with that involves squirrels? And why does he need my help? Before I can head outside and get the answers to my questions, someone knocks on the front door. "Hello?" I ask, opening the door. There are 2 girls standing there, they look about Ori's age, maybe a bit older. "Are you Ori's friends?" I ask.

"What?" The shorter one asks. She has brown hair that goes down to about her waist, and there are a couple leaves in it. She has green eyes and is wearing black pants and a dark green hoodie. The taller girl has blond hair up in a bun, brown eyes, and is wearing a plain yellow shirt and galaxy pattern leggings. "Who's Ori?" the brunette asks. 

"Who are you?" I counter. The taller girl takes a half step forward.

"My name is Alaina, and this is Rei." She gestures to Rei, who gives me a small smile. "We don't know where we are, or really how we got here. We were..." Alaina hesitates, and I tilt my head in confusion. She sighs. "I know it sounds crazy, but we fell through some sort of portal." At my doubtful look, she starts talking faster. "We were reading this book, and it started to glow and move, then we were in this weird black and purple tunnel! Then we fell into that clearing over there-" She points to the side of the house. "And then a girl with red hair walked out, so we thought that you might be able to help us!"

Okay. She was right, it does sound crazy. But they at least saw Ori walk out, and they don't seem like they're lying. "Vic!" I hear my mom yell from the basement.

"Yeah?" I yell back. I can hear her climbing the stairs.

"Who's at the door?" She walks into the kitchen, putting her cup in the sink.

"Uhhhh," I hesitate, and mom comes to stand next to me. "That's Rei, and that's Laina." I point to each of them in turn, and they both give a little wave. "They claim to have fallen through a portal into the clearing where we were gonna plant tomatoes."

A spark of green light flashes from Rei's hand, and I feel my eyes widen. Celia's hands glow the same color when the carves, and so do mom's when she tends the garden. Rei looks confused and kind of shocked, but Laina nudges her and looks over to me. 

"So, uh, what city is this? I don't remember a forest this big anywhere near home," Rei laughs nervously. 

"We're just outside of Potosi," Mom says. "Where are you guys from?" she asks.

"Wait, Potosi like in Missouri?" Laina asks. I glance at mom, and I can tell she's wondering the same thing I am. Where's Missouri?

"Um, no, Potosi in the kingdom of Novinha." Mom states. 

"What?" Rei asks, and her hand sparks again. Laina looks at Rei. 

"You remember Narnia, right?" She asks Rei, and Rei nods. "I think this is kinda like that, and she means Novinha as in Druids of Novinha. The book we were reading."

"What!?!"