Now lots of things make sense at once: the sinister garden gnomes we tried to pass by in our small backyard at home, and Dad's magical cloak, and what not! Millions of other details, pieces of the past are gluing together into a single clear picture. Our adventures with Billy were real; everything was real, and Billy knew about it and understood it. But at some point I stopped believing or something made me forget about it. Probably, she realized that I didn't take her and our secrets and adventures seriously! I just played in magic, but for her it was not a silly play, for it was real. Magic is real. How lonely she might have been! We were lonely together separated by the wall of a terrible misunderstanding or someone's dark magic spells that made me forget, for I would never leave her dealing with this unknown brand new world alone. I was so selfish and took into consideration only my problems.

Old grandpa's clock strikes noon. The sound is terribly loud as if it is already midnight. Astrid turns to Lev and her mother. Her face is grave and determined:

"Well, whoever he is, the mage will run into some trouble," she voices like clanging swords.

"I'm ready to go," Lev is helping my auntie with her denim jacket.

Astrid's face is getting softer; she gives him a tender smile looking at her man with heart eyes. But her answer is the exact opposite of her expression:

"I am going alone, and that's final," her face darkens; her words are resolute.

"Astrid, I'm not letting you go in there alone. Don't be ridiculous!" retorts Lev with indignation.

She laughs unexpectedly, "You will let me, and you know it," if any stranger happens to come into the villa at this moment, they will, no doubt, believe her words. Looking at her now, I want to be like Astrid when I grow up. I don't have magic like Billy or grandma or even Dad, but she doesn't use it now to look so vigorous and decisive!

"Besides, Billy would, probably, say, 'You will get underfoot, tail guy'," and she brushes away her dark hair just like Billy does all the time, her bracelets and earrings are jingling joyfully.

"Now I'm not sure whether these words are Billy's or yours," Lev chuckles ruefully.

She comes closer and puts her hand on his chest, "You'll have time to think about it," she's looking into his eyes. "Stay here and take care of the girls and Mom. I do need you at home, because I'm counting on you."

"Long goodbyes bring long cries," says grandma. "And I want you home at a sensible hour, young lady!" her face is serious, but her eyes are smiling. "You'll figure it out, dear. But you already know it without me, willful and cocky girl!"

Astrid winks at me and Nina. She kisses Lev goodbye, and opens the door for the ball of yarn that is tormenting with a particular desire to go out.

And once she left us, the weather changed: suddenly there is nothing left of tender and sunny morning. Everything goes dark and unpleasant; the wind picks up tossing the trees' and bushes' branches in the garden. Then as suddenly as it'd come, it diseased. Like a real calm before the storm.

Even permanently screaming and screeching seagulls that live by the river can't be heard having felt the solemnity of the situation as if giving Astrid some time to concentrate on the running and twisting red thread that is being left by the ball of yarn.

I am so scared that the whole ball unwinds before auntie's rendezvous with Billy's kidnapper, and she will never find my sister and bring her home. What will I say to our parents if it goes wrong? Cold chills go down my spine: very probably that was the exact feeling Billy had when I had made a foolish decision to go to the dark forest alone. No, I will tell them nothing and spend my life in a convent, faithful to the vow of silence.

But grandma comforts me telling that the yarn under the spell can give the guiding thread till it finds the object of search. No matter where he hides and conceals Billy whether on Pluto or in the farthest galaxy, the tread will endlessly follow the mage. The thread can't be torn.

Lev has gone to patrol the garden and the house outside.

"How about some fresh tea, kids?"

Grandma made a pot of herbal tea to 'calm the nerves'. I go to help her taking cups and other china, but when I return to the living room with a tray to lay the coffee table, I see Nina moving the heavy cauldron to the farthest corner of the living room to create some space. I had not realized until now how strong shifters could be. And despite that knowledge, Astrid preferred to go alone giving us more protection at home.

The young man refused to have tea with us preferring to stay outside. I guess he wants to be helpful not to disappoint Astrid. The conversation is heavy going, and I could hardly eat or drink anything: all food and tea seems tasteless, while Nina is nervously nibbling chocolate cookies (one by one, one by one...)

Grandma doesn't stay at the table for long. She goes to lay out shielding crystals, amulets, and little dolls made of straw or rags with buttons sewn inside their bodies and skirts: all in order to protect the garden and the house against dark mages and their evil powers.

The dolls are faceless. I remember Dad having told me about them: in old times they were made without faces on purpose. It was believed that dolls with no features would scare off all evil spirits and demons thus protect little children. Buttons were like protection talismans too, for Dad would mention that the word 'button' in some language literally means 'scare'. Astrid gave us two faceless dolls a year ago or so. I liked my doll so much; I even slept with it, but one day I wake up not to find her anywhere. I was so sad and worried, so Dad decided to cheer me up and bought me Barbie astronaut with gorgeous figure. Having seen my new doll, Billy laughed, saying that Dad had picked one who looks like his wife on purpose: gorgeous blond with a distinguished career.

I go upstairs to the guest room. It looks so empty without my sister. Suddenly, I see something glistening on the flour. It's Billy's silver ring. I pick it up, being down in the dumps.

I wish I could turn back time and be more sensitive to her. Complimented it. Let she put all rings in the world and shine like a Christmas tree and jingle like a tambourine. I just want her back safe and sound. I swear, if she... when she returns I will break my piggy bank and bought her a ring for her nose or belly button!

Minutes are passing and lasting like hours. For me these twenty minutes are twenty years.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing! I know that Billy needs me now! She needs you too!"

"I agree with you," answers Nina. "But Lev will catch us the moment we are in the garden. But listen!" she exclaims. I do what she said, but hear nothing. "He is in the kitchen with grandma! We have a chance!" the squirrel girl claps her hands.

"How do you know?" I asked in surprise.

"I can hear them as distinctly as I can hear you!"

"But will not he be able to hear us here talking about the escape?" I gingerly look at the door, expecting him to come in and ruin our cunning plans.

"Don't worry! He is just half shifter. Walls that are separating us prevent him to hear or smell us here."

I look down: it's too high to jump, but I will! I definitely will!

"What are you doing!" the redhead girl is pulling me back by my T-shirt.

"I'm going to jump. Can't you see?" I say with tremble in my voice; I feel that my knees are trembling too.

"You'll break your legs and spine if you do it, silly!" she whispers.

"So what do you suggest we do? We can't go downstairs without being noticed!"

Very one simple flip and Nina takes me from the floor and jumps with me on the windowsill than right into endless green of the garden. I don't dare to close my eyes this time.

She runs with her hands full with me for a while following the red thread that has become darker and damper. It is so strange and unusual that it is she who is holding me this time, but not vice versa. Nina puts me on the ground when she reaches the river bank.

I have not been to the riverside for a while. Its waters seem tranquil and placid, reflecting the grey, low overcast sky above our heads. But it is just an illusion created by the mist that is spreading its milky whiteness like a cook who spreads some cream onto the cake. Day flies are dancing senselessly over the rim of the water. My feet are already wet because of the dewdrops.

"What are you both doing here?" Astrid appears in her typical manner: from nowhere. "Go home immediately! I will toss this wild cat out on his tail!"

"Don't be angry! It's not his fault," I don't want Lev to be tossed out.

Astrid looks at the mist than at the ball of yarn. It seems to be tired and exhausted: giving two tiny jumps, it stays still.

"It is too late to change anything. Go hide in the shrubbery, or I'll throw you there with my magic!"

We do as she said, watching her through the wet leaves of the bush. The mist disappears partly revealing a tiny house resembling a bird one that is standing in the water on two dilapidated wooden stilts; from the roundish window some thin light is seen as if someone has switched on the lantern or stricken the match.

I feel with all my heart that Billy is inside the creepy birdhouse.

Without delay Astrid goes in the water and wades like a heron. When she reaches the little house, she makes a wave lift her up to the window. But the very moment my aunt is about to look inside, something throws her away as if she is a listless rag doll.

My first impulse is to run and rescue her, but Nina holds me back. Astrid jumps out the water dry and energetic to face a man who is covered in thick mist. It's hard to say if the stranger is a man or a woman. Even the patch of mist is covering his face like a mask.

"I don't want this fight. Let me take the girl, and l will not hurt you!" says Astrid.

The mage doesn't answer, but throws up his hand making a big wave run towards the young witch. She easily brushes it aside and, having whispered something, casts the mage away to the shore. The spell ties his hands and feet with a rope that was half hanging from the stilts half floating in the water.

"It's all over," I say to myself with a sigh of relief. "Now we can take Billy home!"

Nina and I are about to leave the hiding place. Astrid takes Billy from the stilts house: she seems to be asleep. Astrid gives her something in a bottle to smell, and she wakes up with a scream.

"Shhh, come down! I'm here," auntie is comforting Billy, patting her head.

"You don't understand," she cries again. "You don't understand who he is! He will let us forget everything! This time all of us! Astrid, watch out!"

But it is too late.