The group didn’t have time to get a word in before the blue haired mystery teen had grabbed Anya’s arm and was ushering them into the forest, away from sight. The whole time they kept muttering to themselves, seemingly having a hushed argument about portals. After walking for at least five minutes the person let go of Anya’s arm, immediately rubbing their face with their hands and groaning. Taking a deep breath, they lowered their hands and took a deep breath. Then they turned around.

“I will ask again: what the fuck?”

“I could ask you the same thing! Why did I see you on the bus this morning? I don’t even know your name!” Anya said, crossing her arms.

“My name is Katt, I use she/her pronouns and you aren’t supposed to be here, Anya,” the person, Katt, said with growing frustration. Anya was taken aback.

“You know my name?”

“Yeah, genius, why else would I have been on… in your world?” Katt kept looking around, like she was sure something was going to attack the group. That could have very well been true, but Anya didn’t want to assume the absolute worst.

“So let me get this straight,” Lily said, moving in front of Anya as if to protect her. “You have been stalking my friend, to the point you know her name and were on the same bus as her this morning?”

“It really doesn’t sound good when you put it like that.” Katt rubbed the back of her neck.

“Yeah no shit!” Sam stepped up from the back.

Katt looked on at the group in front of her. Anya felt oddly exposed, like she would have been staring right into her soul. Logically, Anya knew that wouldn’t be possible, but who knew what magic could do. Far away, a siren was blearing loud enough to be heard from where the group was standing. The wind was still. The only sound beside the siren was the breathing of the teens.

“Okay, I know you have no reason to trust me, but you probably have about five thousand questions that I can answer but not here.” The gang nodded in agreement.

“So, how about you come to my apartment and I’ll answer your questions in the morning?” Katt seemed desperate to get out of the forest, away from the siren and away from the danger. Or maybe she was just tired, Anya didn’t know.

“I don’t know, you’re right about having no reason to trust you,” Lily said.

“Please, you have no idea how much danger you’ll be in if you stay here,” Katt pleaded.

Anya turned to her friends. Lily and Sam were suspicious, she knew that much, but she had no idea how Carla and Felicity felt about the situation. Anya threw a questioning look their way.

“You decide in the end, but I’m not sure how long I can walk or stand,” Felicity said.

Katt seemed to want to comment on Felicity’s words but kept quiet. Anya on her part could see the exhaustion in her friend. Felicity was slightly trembling, holding onto Carla for support. Her forehead had a sheen to it from sweat, and her breathing was laboured. Carla was petting their girlfriend’s back, keeping quiet. And so, Anya made up her mind.

“Okay, we’ll join you. But only to get Felicity to safety.”

Katt nodded.

“I’ll call my friend, we’ll get a move on in just a few moments. Don’t go anywhere.”

Katt pulled out a phone from her jacket pocket, moving a bit further away to make her call. Not that anyone could understand what the hell she was saying. Anya instinctively knew she was speaking in the same strange language that both the book and the letter were written in, but even she could only make out a few words, although the number of words could have been affected by Katt’s volume and accent. She was pretty sure she heard the word thirteen uttered at least twice.

Anya then decided she didn’t care enough to keep listening and diverted her attention to her friends. Carla had made Felicity sit down on the slightly damp ground, and Sam and Lily were asking her a bunch of questions in hushed tones. Anya wasn’t sure how she could help until she remembered the week old granola bar she had put in her pocket in hopes of eating it instead of school lunch. She quickly dug it up from under the receipts and coupons, throwing it in the general direction of where Felicity was sitting.

It luckily landed in her lap and not her face.

“There, to get you at least some energy.” Anya said, deciding to stay standing up, leaning from foot to foot and picking at the skin around her fingers.

Felicity thanked Anya, carefully removing the wrapper and slowly nibbling on it. Carla started stroking Felicity’s hair, looking up at Anya.

“Thanks, she needs to keep a consistent food schedule, but I think we kind of forgot in the midst of all this.” Carla said with a hint of a smile.

“No problem, this situation is kind of because of me anyway. I have instant noodles, we can hopefully make some of those soon.” The group nodded in response. The quiet atmosphere continued, no one wanting to ask any questions in the middle of the confusion.

Anya looked to the forest, seeing some birds fly around and the treetops sway in the gentle wind. A couple of rabbits ran deeper into the forest. Anya felt the need to go see what was there, around the twisting paths and surrounded by darkness. The nature was making it’s own kind of music, with the wind, the rustling of the leaves on the ground and the animals around, and Anya wanted to go to the concert.

But she didn’t. Her friends needed her there, and no matter how many exciting secrets the forest could hold, Anya was going to stay where she was needed in that moment.

It didn’t take much longer for Katt to return, her steps more certain than before. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a gust of wind from behind her as a red and blue portal opened where she had stood only moments ago.

“As I was going to say, this will take us to a place close to my brother’s apartment. It’s just a bit of walking, can you manage that?”

Felicity slowly raised herself from the ground, holding on to Carla for support. Katt nodded and started entering the portal. Right as she was about to disappear she turned back to the group.

“Put your hoods up unless you want to get arrested.” And with that, she was gone.

Anya shrugged and did as she was asked.

---

Anya wasn’t sure what she had expected the other side of the portal to look like, but it definitely wasn’t what she saw in front of her right then. Small white wooden houses mingled with tall apartment buildings, the streets paved and lined with white stone. Almost every house had some kind of greenery, both inside and outside on the streets and balconies. Despite the presence of multiple streetlights, none of them were lit, the streets basking in whatever light came out through people’s windows.

After walking for only a few seconds, Katt suddenly stopped to wave at a kid in the window of an apartment building on the other side of the street. The small girl was jumping up and down by the window, her pigtails flying up and down and she waved. Abruptly she stopped, looked behind her and pulled the curtains in front of the window. A few seconds later a small hand waved from between the drawn curtains.

Katt laughed and started walking once again.

“Sorry about that, had to inform my friend I was back.” Katt said, rubbing her neck as she continued walking forward.

“I… It’s okay.” Anya wasn’t sure why Katt was apologizing, but who was she to judge.

The group continued walking, past the scenic houses and plants and unlit street lights. No one was walking around, the swing in the nearby park swinging to the wind that was slowly picking up. Some cars were parked on the side of the street, the leaves having gathered around the tires.

Katt ushered them forward. Anya saw a narrow pathway leading to a tunnel in between two apartment buildings, tucked in the shadows out of sight, unless you were standing right in front of it. The tunnel was high, the walls made from stone on one side and planks on the other. They were completely bare of the graffiti and posters Anya was used to seeing around her grandma’s apartment building.

Before she could dwell on that any further, Katt signaled the five of them to move along and so they emerged from the tunnel into a barely lit yard, with only a single bench and trash can shelter to its name. Katt hurried to the door behind the bench, opening it pointing inside to get the group away from the yard.

The automatic lights turned on almost immediately after the teens made their way inside, Katt nearly running up the stairs to get to her brothers apartment. Anya followed close behind, with Carla helping Felicity walk up the few staircases that needed to be trekked. Luckily, Katt seemed okay with waiting, standing by a door that said “Cowhen” with her keyes in her hand.

As Anya could see Carla and Felicity starting to climb the last half of the staircase, she turned to Katt in what she hopes was a casual way.

“So are you sure your brother is okay with you bringing a bunch of people over in the middle of the night?”

Katt’s reaction was immediate. She went from faintly smiling and looking forward to where Carla and Felicity were on their way to standing completely straight and rigid without as much of a smirk in sight.

“He can’t say much these days.” Katt turned around and opened the door, leaving it open as she stomped inside. Anya looked back to her friends. Lily shrugged and walked past Anya to inside the apartment. The rest of them followed.

They barely had time to remove their coats before Katt appeared again at the door to the hall.

“I’m going to bed. Don’t touch my brothers stuff.”

“How do we know what’s your brothers-” Lily started.

“Don’t touch it!”

“But Katt-” Anya tried.

“Goodnight!” The group then heard a door slam, presumably to the bedroom.

And so, they were alone again.