The next morning, I woke up in my own room and Brandy was nowhere to be seen. I was wearing my pajamas even though I hadn't changed into them. My glasses were sitting on the desk next to me even though I had purposely fallen asleep with them on my face in case something came to attack us. I put them on and noticed my inhaler was sitting on my desk full of medicine, I picked it up in shock. I jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom to look at myself in the mirror. I couldn't tell if I had lost weight or not my pajamas fit me the same and I looked normal I would need a picture of myself for proof.
I ran into Brandy's room to see how she was doing. She was fast asleep wearing her pink night gown, there was no sign of her wedding dress and not a single scratch on her. Her stuff had all been packed away in her suitcase which was sitting on the end of her bed waiting to be taken to the car. I ran downstairs and found my grandpa sitting at the table slowly sipping a cup of tea.
"Oh, you're up that's good, I was about to come and wake you, your parents called me there on their way to pick you up."
"Where's Seth?" I asked looking around the empty kitchen the clock on the wall read noon which meant I only slept for six hours.
"Who?" my grandpa asked curiously trying not to smile.
"Seth, your son, the dog, where is he?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about?" he said slyly hiding his smile behind his teacup.
"Seth!" I shouted but there was no answer.
"Don't wake your sister," my grandpa said pouring me a cup of tea.
"How can you not know who Seth is?" I asked in disbelief refusing his tea.
"Bailey you must have had a dream. I don't have a son and I never have".
"That's a lie, you thought he died in Luminari but he came back with me!" I said angrily checking under the table and in the larger cupboards.
"Luminary? I've never heard of such a ridiculous place, what are you talking about? Is that one of the those places they teach you about in geography class," he asked but he was still smiling that sly smile, I knew he was lying but why.
I ran back upstairs as fast as I could and threw open my grandpa's bedroom door, there were no crazy maps or pictures of dragons, just and empty room with plain white walls and a plain gray bed, only the two photos of me and Brandy sat on his dresser, everything else was gone. I hurried back downstairs and searched the living room checking under the couches and behind the TV.
"What are you looking for?" he asked playfully as if I was a small child.
"Seth, where is he?"
"Bailey, it was just a dream," he said but I knew he was lying.
"What was a dream?" I asked as I searched. through the pantry.
"Everything Bailey it was all a dream there's no place called Luminari and there are no such things as talking dogs."
"Ahah!" I shouted from the pantry so loud I scared him, I was so excited that I ran right into the half-closed pantry door "Ahah!" I shouted again rubbing the sore spot on my arm from the doorknob.
"What are you Ahah-ing about?"
"I never said anything about Seth being a talking dog?" my grandpa made a shocked face.
"Of course, you did, you said where is Seth the talking dog?"
"No, I said where is Seth the dog, I never said a thing about him being able to talk which means you're lying."
My grandpa just sat there looking at me then he started to laugh a joyous laugh.
"You were right!" he shouted into the air "he's way too smart to fall for it!"
"I told you," I heard Seth's voice say from below.
I quickly ran to the door in the hall that led to the basement and hurried down the wooden stairs, I flicked on the light switch at the end of the stairs and found Seth sitting curled up in the corner next to Brandy's wedding dress and my elfin clothes. I gave him a quick hug then me and Seth went back upstairs to where my grandfather was waiting for us.
"Why were you trying to hide Seth from me?" I asked curiously trying not to sound too angry.
"Bailey, no matter what happens you can never go back to Luminari," Seth said in his utmost sincere of voices.
"From what Seth has told me, Luminari has become a very dangerous place and after all the trouble you caused down there it's only gotten worse."
"What trouble?" I asked stupidly.
"You kidnapped the princess and killed the queen," Seth said with an are you kidding me sort of look.
"But the queen's a ghost how did we kill her?"
"The poison Brandy threw on her made her ghost disappear and no one has seen her since," My grandfather explained his voice low and his eyes stern.
"I went down there for a day, and it's gone totally insane, I think a war is about to start," Seth explained and a guilty feeling erupted in my chest, I didn't mean to mess anything up.
"Bailey please don't feel guilty, it wasn't your fault there's no way you could have known what you caused."
"So, I can't ever go back?" I wasn't too upset about this though. Frankly I didn't ever plan on going back to that looney place and even if I did, I'd make sure it was years from now.
"Me and Seth burned the daed tree as an extra precaution, no one can enter or exit Luminari through that tree anymore," My grandfather explained, and I nodded.
"Are there other entrances?"
"Oh yeah dozens, or is it hundreds, thousands really," Seth explained and my grandfather shot him the evil eye.
"But you can never, never, never, ever, go back understand me?" Seth said with a sharp nod of his fuzzy head.
"Okay."
"Good and you can't tell your parents anything about it.... or Brandy," my grandpa sighed sadly.
"But Brandy was there she knows what happened."
"When she wakes up, I'm going to tell her it was all a crazy dream and you're going to help me!"
"But I can't tell her a lie like that she'll never believe me, and what about Seth?"
"We'll tell her that Seth is a stray and he wandered to the house in the middle of the night and that we've decided to keep him."
"Are you sure we can't tell her? I know she's a little young but if we really explain everything to her then she should keep it a secret."
"It's not that we can't trust her to keep it a secret it's just that Brandy being the person she is would never stop trying to get back to Luminari a place where fairies live in tiny houses and flying horses carry people through the clouds. But she can't ever go back so it's best if she believes it was all a dream."
"But?" I said then Seth nudged my hand with his nose.
"Why don't you go wake her up and tell her about our stray non-talking brand-new dog that's not named Seth," my grandpa suggested patting my shoulder.
I walked glumly up the stairs with my hands in my pockets, how was I going to tell her such a big lie? She would surely see right through me she was really smart. I walked up to her room and saw that the door was barley a crack open, I must have left it open when I checked on her this morning. I pushed the door all the way open and saw her laying there with her hands curled into little balls. I walked up to her and ran my hand down the side of her head. Her eyes blinked open, and she yawned.
"Good morning," she said with a smile sitting up and stretching.
"Good morning," I repeated nervously.
"I had the craziest dream last night, I was kidnapped by a ghost queen and taken to a magical land, there were little trolls and huge angels, and this prince with his face all burned off, I was getting married and then you saved me but you were a horse and then we got attacked by a wolf who was really a human," She explained excitedly throwing her arms in the air as she talked.
"Wow that was one crazy dream," I stood there nervously trying not to make eye contact with her.
Suddenly the door flew open, and Seth came barging in with his tongue hanging out, he hopped on Brandy's bed and started licking her face like a real dog.
"Who's this cutie?" Brandy said excitedly petting his head, how could she not remember Seth? I guess she had never actually seen him as a dog.
"He's a stray he wandered into the yard late last night and grandpa decided to keep him."
"Wow he has the same eyes as the man from my dream," she said petting Seth's furry head as he drooled all over her.
"Really what a coincidence?" How on earth did she notice that?
"Yeah, his name was Seth, and he used to be human but was cursed by a witch," Brandy said stroking his long furry sides.
"Seth is a good name, do you like that name boy?" I asked and Seth nodded his furry head.
"You haven't named him yet?" Brandy said curiously.
"No grandpa was waiting for you to wake up, he wanted you to pick the name since you're so creative."
"Okay then I'll name you Baracus and we'll call you Cactus for short," she announced, and Seth whined.
"Just kidding Seth is your new name."
. . .
After about an hour our parents showed up, me and Seth watched through the window as their car drove down the driveway.
"Is that really her?" Seth asked in a whisper so Brandy wouldn't hear from the kitchen.
"Yep, that's our minivan," I explained a nervous feeling in my gut, I felt around in my pockets searching for the potion I had bought from Honest John, but it wasn't there I must have left it in my other pants.
Seth began jumping around excitedly barking his head off. Brandy came running out of the kitchen her bare feet slapping the ground she jumped onto the back of the couch and stared out the window as the minivan slowly approached the house.
"They're here!" she screamed excitedly jumping on the couch.
"They're here! They're here!" Seth jumped around the couch with her barking his head off he accidentally knocked her onto the rug, and she started laughing.
"Quiet down you two," my grandpa said with a chuckle rolling into the room with two glasses of orange juice in his hands.
"I have to go to the bathroom," I lied running out of the living room.
I ran through the kitchen and down the hall throwing open the hall door and running down the stairs as fast as I could. I quickly turned on the light, but our clothes were gone. I searched the ground in case it fell out of my pocket, but it was nowhere to be found.
"Bailey what are you doing down there?" my grandpa asked from the top of the stairs Seth standing by his side.
"Where are my clothes?" I asked frantically searching behind the cobwebs and under the boxes.
"We burned them," my grandpa said, and my heart skipped a beat.
"But I left some stuff in my pockets."
"Bailey there can't be any evidence of Luminari left, we burned everything!"
"But?" I asked in disbelieve "did you really burn everything?"
"Yes, Bailey we did, now come on your parents will be here any minute and I'm sure they'll want to see you."
I climbed back up the stairs with my head hung down and tears stinging my eyes, I should have grabbed it this morning when I found Seth why was I so stupid?
I went out onto the porch where Brandy was already waiting and watched as my parents pulled up on the lawn, I could tell by the angry look that was still on my dad's face and the red around my mom's eyes that they hadn't worked everything out. Brandy ran up to the minivan with Seth as fast as they both could go. Brandy jumped into our dad's arms and Seth jumped onto our mom and knocked her to the ground.
"Seth get down!" My grandpa ordered as Seth licked my mom's face.
"Get off," my dad said angrily grabbing Seth by the scruff of his neck and throwing him off my mom, he held his hand out to her up, but she refused to take it and pulled herself up instead.
"Sorry about that he's just a little excited," my grandpa said rubbing Seth's head as he stared into the eyes of his sister, I thought it was sad he could never tell her how much he missed her I couldn't imagine being in the same situation with Brandy.
"Come inside," my grandpa said happily.
"We should really get going," my dad said rubbing the black dog hair off of his hands.
"Just stay for a few drinks besides the kids haven't packed yet," my grandpa said and my dad rolled his eyes.
"Fine, hurry up and pack your things," he ordered then the two of us went back in the house.
I hadn't gotten the chance to unpack my suitcase in the first place, so I grabbed it off the end of my bed and brought it downstairs. I found my mom in the kitchen drinking tea with my grandfather and trying not to cry again.
"Did you pack everything?" she asked her voice was shaking and her cheeks were red.
"Yes," I said glumly sitting down in the chair next to her.
"Clarence!" my dad shouted from the upstairs bathroom "Your crazy dog attacked me and now he's in your attic!"
"My dad's in a wheelchair just grab him!" my mom said letting out a huge sigh "I'm sorry it's been a very rough weekend for the two of us."
"Oh, don't worry I get it," my grandpa said finishing his cup of tea.
"Bailey, would you mind pouring us some more tea?" he asked, and I nodded getting up from my chair as Seth came running down the stairs being chased by my father.
"He's great, isn't he?" my grandpa said with a chuckle.
Seth followed me into the kitchen keeping his mouth shut which was a little strange since he normally had his tongue hanging out all the time. I set their cups on the counter and grabbed the tea pot off the stove then Seth poked me in the leg with his wet nose and dropped something on the floor. It was a tiny little bottle shaped like a heart and covered in doggy drool.
"Where did you find this?" I whispered excitedly picking it up and wiping it off with the end of my shirt.
"My dad would never burn potions he's way smarter than that, so we stored them in the attic," Seth said and with a wink of his eye as he left the kitchen.
I quickly split up the remaining tea in three cups and made sure to put the potion in only two of them and I marked the one without the potion with a lemon slice. I brought the three cups into the dining room and gave one to my grandpa and held my mother's hostage until my dad accepted his.
"Dad, I made one for you and it's really good," I said with a smile.
"Thanks" he said "but I'm fine."
"Come on this is the best tea in the world, I won't let you leave without at least tasting it," my grandpa said with a smile and my dad headed for the chair next to my grandpa on the opposite side of the table.
If he sat over there then the whole plan was ruined, luckily Seth jumped right in front of him and stole the seat next to my grandpa and began licking his face leaving my dad no other choice then to sit next to my mom. He sat down and I gave them their teacups. I watched as they both took a sip. My dad spit his back in his cup and my mom's face went sour.
"Yuck!" my dad said wiping his tongue off with a napkin.
"What's in it?" my mom asked scrunching up her face and setting the cup down.
"It's a special recipe made from assorted kinds of dirt. We loved it during the war we drank some with every meal."
"Most people make tea out of leaves," Dad said coughing.
"But dirt is made out of decomposed leaves and leaves grow out of dirt so it's basically the same thing," my grandpa said happily taking another sip.
"They're really not," my mom said wiping off her mouth.
"Did you pack your suitcase?" my dad asked, and I nodded, "then go get your sister it's time to leave."
I ran upstairs and into Brandy's room, but she wasn't there, her suitcase was gone, and her clothes were all packed. I checked under the bed and in the closet to make sure she wasn't playing games with me.
"Ready?" she asked from behind me, and I jumped in shock.
I turned to see her standing in the doorway holding her suitcase.
"Where were you?" I asked noticing that her hands and face were dirty.
"I was in the bathroom," she said but she had a strange smile on her face.
"Dad says it's time to go," I told her, and we went downstairs.
I found my mom and dad waiting at the end of the stairs my mom still looked sad and my dad was still angry.
"Say goodbye to grandpa," my dad said then we both ran up to him waiting with his arms held open.
"By Grampy I love you so, so, so, so, so, so much," Brandy said kissing his cheek, she got down on her knees and began rubbing Seth's head telling him he was a good boy.
I approached my grandpa slowly and put my arms around his neck, "Goodbye," I whispered in his ear.
"Remember our deal you can never tell anyone," He whispered back, and I nodded.
I got down on the floor to say goodbye to Seth and he attacked me, he threw his paws on my shoulders and stuck his face in mine similar to the first time we met instead this time he wasn't growling he was licking my face. He licked and licked until my entire face was covered in slobber and I was laughing uncontrollably.
"Get off!" my dad shouted as I laughed yanking Seth off of me.
We waved goodbye to Seth and our grandpa then followed our parents out the door and onto the porch. I lugged my suitcase along with me searching for some sign that my parents had changed but they were still as miserable as ever. My dad unlocked the doors and me and Brandy climbed into the back of the minivan and threw our suitcases behind us.
"When can we visit grandpa again?" Brandy asked excitedly.
"Soon," my dad said trying to start the car he was so angry he couldn't get the key in the hole and he was getting even more frustrated finally my mom took the key from him and carefully placed it in the ignition.
"What did you guys do?" Brandy asked as my dad pulled down the driveway.
"We'll tell you guys when we get home," Dad said pulling onto the main road.
My mom looked to my dad then started crying she hid her face in her hands so we couldn't see but Brandy still noticed.
"What's wrong with mommy?" she asked.
"She just has a headache."
The potion didn't work my parents were acting worse than ever before they hadn't made up, they were going to get a divorce and me and Brandy were going to be split up. It wasn't fair, I was ripped off and cheated by a man named Honest John. Sure I also tricked him, but he had no way of knowing that. I crossed my arms in frustration and stared out at the countryside wondering when I would ever see it again.
. . .
When we got home my mother started to make dinner and my father helped, I sat at the kitchen counter waiting for them to say anything while Brandy played at the kitchen table with her Legos. My parents refused to talk to each other and hardly made eye contact, that night at dinner things were just as awkward as yesterday's breakfast, it was insane to think that I had been in this house yesterday, it felt like I had been away for years.
"Can we get a dog like Seth?" Brandy asked shoveling mouthfuls of spaghetti into her mouth, how long were my parents going to let her be in the shadows when were they going to tell her the truth.
"No, our apartment's too small," my dad said dumping more parmesan cheese onto his spaghetti.
"What about a cat? Can we get a cat?" Brandy asked but my dad shook his head.
"It'd claw up all the furniture."
Brandy just sighed "can we get a fish?"
"We'll think about it."
"Yes!" Brandy cheered eating some more spaghetti and staining her whole face orange.
I didn't know how much more of this I could take I couldn't eat I could hardly hold onto my fork, I felt like I was going to vomit why wouldn't they just say it.
"So, dad what did you guys do this weekend?"
"I'm going to bed," my mom said pushing her chair out from the table and heading down the hall.
"What kind of fish do you want?" my dad said completely ignoring my question.
"A big one but not too big," Brandy said.
She held up her hands to show how big she wanted it. I couldn't force myself to eat another bite, so I dumped me and my mom's plates together and put the leftovers in the fridge to eat tomorrow then went to bed. My own bed was so welcoming I don't think I've ever been more comfortable. I was about to fall asleep when I realized I had forgotten to brush my teeth.
I dragged myself back out of bed and went to the bathroom, I quickly brushed my teeth listening as my dad put my little sister to bed. I heard him tell her through the wall that he loved her and that she was very special to him.
"I love you too," she said then the light went out and my dad left.
"So, champ how was your visit with grandpa?" he asked from behind me I could see him in the mirror leaning in the doorway.
"It was fine," I mumbled rinsing off my toothbrush in the sink.
My dad was about to say something, but he stopped and looked away "good night and don't let the bed bugs bite," he said then he went into the master bedroom with my mother.
I put my toothbrush away and went into me and Brandy's room I crawled into bed but couldn't fall asleep I felt like crying after everything I went through. I was stuck in the same place I started.
I felt like I was forgetting something, I ran through my nightly routine in my head and realized I had forgotten to put the cap back on the tube of toothpaste, and my dad gets really mad when I do that. I climbed out of bed, put my glasses back on and headed to the bathroom, I opened up the cupboard and found the toothpaste sitting on the shelf next to the cap. I picked up the little blue cap and gently screwed it back onto the tube. I left the bathroom and was heading back to my room when I heard the gentle hum of my parent's voices. I gently tiptoed over to their room and got down on the floor listening through the crack at the bottom of their door.
"Why did you do this to me?" My dad asked and I could hear in his voice that he was crying.
"I'm sorry," my mom said tears in her throat.
"I love my life, I love my job, I love our little house and our children, I love.......you? Why do you have to take that away from me," my dad cried "why don't you love me anymore?" My dad sounded like a little kid I had never heard him talk like that before.
"I do love you, more than anyone else and I don't want to leave you," my mom said choking back tears.
"What about Teddy?"
"Teddy is nothing I don't love him. I love you and the love I have for you will last forever."
"I love you too, just as much as the day we met, our wedding day was the happiest day of my life," my dad said then they both started crying.
"Let's stay together," my dad cried.
"Alright but you realize things can't go back to the way they used to be?" my mom said.
"Let's just stay together like this forever" my dad said happily.
I crawled away from my parent's door trying as hard as I could not to make noise, I quietly opened up the door to my room and slipped inside. I punched the air in celebration yes it worked! I shouted inside my head. They were going to stay together we were going to stay a family I couldn't believe it, I had never felt so happy in my life.
I crawled back into bed with a huge smile on my face, trying to settle down and fall asleep. I had only just gotten back from Luminari but it seemed like it happened years ago. Luminari was thousands of miles away from me in my cozy apartment with my happy family. I pushed it to the back of my head and chose not to think of it, like it was just a dream. A big crazy dream.