The girl would have to go home soon; she couldn't leave her mom. Her mom would worry.

Acily tried to think like Tamryn. What was it like to have someone waiting for you, what was it like to have a mother who cared?

She had to get it into her head that Tamryn wouldn't abandon her mother, even though Acily's had abandoned her. This girl had a life to get back too, she wasn't dropped off at the shop with no hopes of going back. No, she stumbled here on accident.

"I better get going..." Tamryn mumbled. "Can I come back tomorrow?"

"Yes! Of course!" Acily said. It was a comfort to know she would be back soon. She wasn't ready to let this new and exciting thing go, even if wanting it made her selfish. She wanted to support this girl, to show her the things the she herself hadn't seen when she had first arived.

But now it was time for her to go.

She led Tamryn out of the shop and down the road to the Gate. The Gate had been around for centuries, when the people of Mindful had wanted to see what other amazing things were out there. Upon discovering the Mindless, they were sorely disappointed.

Why would anyone to live in such a drab place?

When they arrived in front of the Gate, she noticed something was off. The color wasn't as white as usual, a bit gray and murkey, like something dark was under the surface. Tamryn noticed the change too.

"Is it supposed to look like that?" She asked nervously.

Acily shook her head. Tamryn walked over to it and stuck her arm through.

"It feels... weird." She moved further in, until she was half in and half out.

Then she screamed.