Raz let out a breath, smiling. “I’m back!” 

“Welcome back,” said Faham.

Allie made a grunting noise from her spot.

Raz went to unload water bottles. “Hey, guess what I found.”

“Well, what?” Allie asked flatly.

“Guess.”

“Can you give us a hint?” Faham asked.

“No, because I don’t know either.” Raz pulled out the three bags of candy and Roy’s gift. “It’s a surprise gift and tyrkisk pebers! Do you guys wanna open it?”

“Whoa!”

Allie opened her eyes and stared at the loot intently.

Faham was buzzing excitedly, tripping over his words, “A gift, what do you think is inside? Give it a shake. Give it a shake we can guess by the sound.”

Raz turned the gift. Something within slid from one side of the box to the other. She gave it a shake. Something big-ish thunked against cardboard. You could also hear the rustle of plastic.

“Aahhh!” Faham squealed. “A card game. It’s a board game. Or maybe some lego blocks. Perhaps a plastic plane model, or-or a tank, or figurine, or miniatures. Could you give it another wiggle? I need to hear the sound again.”

Raz gave it another slow turn and a bit more vigorous wiggle. Stuff inside shuffled.

Allie snorted and rolled her eyes, but kept smiling.

“I know. It’s… No, I just don’t know. Gotta be a game of some sort. Has to be. What are you guys guesses?”

Allie shrugged. “Dunno.”

“You have to guess,” Faham insisted.

“Everyone guesses,” agreed Raz. 

Allie blew out a long breath. “Okay. It’s a book or something boring.”

“Allie try properly!”

Raz cut in, “I think it’s a chemistry set.”

“A chemistry set? Why would it be a chemistry set?” Faham asked.

Raz poked her tongue at him.

“You. You know something,” he said. 

Raz wiggled her head innocently.

“Cheat! Raz is cheating!”

“Oh no, Raz is cheating in a guessing game of what’s in the box. How will we ever recover,” droned Allie, deadpan.

“Dirty, dirty cheat-Raz. Dirty dirty cheat!” Faham buzzed with mock outrage.

Raz cackled. “Here, apology candy.” 

She gave Faham one bag and opened one for Allie, then tore open her own and popped a black hard candy in her mouth. Sweet, salty licorice goodness spread around her mouth. Her lips puckered up already in anticipation of the sour core.

Allie crunched one down, then another, then a third. Faham, meanwhile, licked on his quietly.

“Apology accepted,” he said.

“Mmmh.” Allie bit through another. “Just open it already.”

Raz set it down in a spot that both kids could see. She took a knife to the tape and tore off the wrapping paper, revealing small foldable binoculars and a big fat book titled Birdspotter’s Atlas.

Raz tried to cling onto her excited smile as she lifted the items up for the others’. “It’s uh… yeah.”

“Knew it,” said Allie.

“Birdwatcher’s Atlas,” repeated Faham. “Not many birds around to spot anymore.”

“None.”

“Yeah.” Raz sighed, setting the book down. Only then did she notice an old tape recorder and extra batteries. She picked it gingerly and pressed the play button.

Joyful chirps filled the room.

She let it play, and they all listened. Allie no longer made her candies crunch. When the chirps ended, there was a short crackle, and a different bird began making stretched out clug-clug noises.

Raz opened the book. It was full of big pictures of forests and cute little birds with a ton of information about them all. 

“There’s a note here,” she said, reading. “It says where you can find each bird on the tape.”

“How many extra batteries are there, do you think we can listen to them all?”

“Four batteries.” Raz inspected the tape recorder. “It eats one battery at a time. I think they last like a million years. Boomer technology.”

“Boomer technology,” Faham repeated sagely.

“The picture.” Allie gestured for Raz to bring it closer. She did. Allie looked at the round little red-chested bird, then nodded. “Not bad.”

“Can I see? I want to see. I wanna see!”

“I can bring you back to the sleeping corner, if you’ve had enough light, and we can all look,” Raz said to Allie,who grunted yes.

After soaking it in all day, Allie had a bit more strength and was able to crawl over so Raz only had to move her bedding. She then made her own bed and they gathered to study the birds for a bit before the night radio.

It was always on. The radio seemed to also never run out of battery, which was good, because together with today’s find, it was the last thing still working and really important for keeping up cheer and hope. Most of the day, the radio didn’t make a peep, but around evening, it often crackled to life with the news, music, and sometimes even talk shows. They weren’t usually meant for kids, but Raz found trying to figure out details about the Oor and Magogram and wizards from the hints kinda exciting. 

The radio crackled to life in the middle of duck noises. Slow pompous music began playing.

“There’s radio today!” Faham cheered. 

Raz clicked the tape recorder off and put the book away. She grinned. “A really great day.”

Allie made an agreement sound.

The song was a bit of a downer though. It was long-winded and slow, and made Raz think of church. Not at all like the usual songs.

“That was the March of the Lost composed by Ji Wung and performed by the Found Voices orchestra of New Europe. On behalf of the Earth Public Station, I thank you for the thoughtful piece of art. You’ve captured the emotions of all nations in your song. You have,” said the deep soothing voice of the radio mister. 

“Now, we’ve heard the emotions of our fellow refugees, we’ve heard the official Magogram stance, and we’ve learned the Association’s true colors. But let's take a break and listen to the thoughts of an ordinary wizard of Oor, someone who should be familiar to most folks here at New Europe. I’m speaking, of course, of none other than, Miss. Ndevel, our local liaison of the Healers Beyond Worlds, a philanthropist, savior, wizard extraordinaire, and overall gorgeous human being. It is an honor, as always.”

“Mr. Jonathan, please,” said an amused voice of a mom-aged woman. She had that accent that all mages had, one that made their words feel weirdly heavy no matter their voice. “One more word of praise and I’m leaving.”

“Wizard!” Faham whisper-shouted, excited.

“Awesome,” Raz whispered, shooting him a grin. Tonight was extra lucky!

Allie hissed them to be quiet, her eyes focused.

“I will respect your request,” replied Mr. Jonathan, ”but I will have you know that it is difficult to hold back.”

Miss Ndvevel chuckled softly. “Thank you, for being you. I needed…” Her tone went serious. “My apologies, Mr. Jonathan, it would be selfish to speak of my needs tonight.”

“Please, it has been quite the day for you too, I’m sure.”

“Classic Twinday,” she sighed. “Chaos happens, wizards fuck shit up, and Magogram decides to use it as an excuse to punish everyone else.“

“Am I to understand that you do not agree with their decision?”

“I could not come up with a more idiotic and less psychopathic move if I had my soul removed. I could not come up with a more direct violation of all the duties of Magogram if I tried. How this went through? I just cannot… Why do you think we’re protesting? No one with a soul agrees with this.”

“I’ve got to say, the Oorian response has been touching. Thank you.”

“This is nothing. If the vrizac pinnh o Revaz–”

“Excuse me, you’re slipping back into Sovereign. Can we keep it in English for our listeners?”

She cleared her throat. “Riots. I do not threaten High Circle with riots, but I say there will be riots on the streets of Magogram unless they renege this.”

“Strong words.”

“And I will speak stronger ones before this is over. Ending all evacuation efforts because one mentally broken altered accidentally hurts a Magogram brat, after thousands and thousands of similar incidents get swept under and forgiven, is…” Her breath trembled with anger. “I won’t let this stand. I won’t. And millions agree with me.”

“Thank you.” Mr. Jonathan took a deep breath. “Thank you for your friendship. And thank you for your time, Miss. Ndevel. I’m sure your words have given courage to those of us who fear we stand alone.”

“Plenty of us honor the duties, even if Magogram forgets them. That much I promise you. Farewell, Mr. Jonathan. May we meet next under more auspicious fates.”

“Take care Miss. Ndevel… And she is gone. Miss. Ndevel, gentlefolk. I do hope her words provide some hope to what may feel like a second end to many. Whatever happens, we must remember that many Oorians stand with us in this tragedy. And, in the spirit of that solidarity, let’s turn to a piece that echoes resilience and friendship across the worlds. Up next, we have the Call of da Resonance by the Punk Bards Fucklaws. Stay tuned for more news and topical interviews, and let the music give you hope.”

“Ayyyyyyeee~ I feel my brother caaaall,” began the handsome wizard man’s voice. “Acroooss Un the infinite, from a world faaar faaar awaaaaayyy-yyyy…”

The song sounded so brave and uplifting.

They listened to it quietly.

Then, the radio mister continued with some news about this altered refugee who had assaulted the Magogram wizard. A law wizard had arrested him. It sounded like everyone had different opinions on what should happen to him.

“Law magic sounds really interesting,” said Faham. “Do you think they control natural laws or–”

“Shut. Up,” snapped Allie.

Faham made a startled sound. “Wha-wa… I… Ahm…”

Allie glared at him, her fists shaking, eyes burning with tears.

“Allie…” Raz said, but found her voice choking under emotion. 

“S-sorry, what did I say?”

Raz cleared her throat, but she failed to make her voice clear, “They stopped rescuing people.”

She tried to keep her breathing steady and blink away the blurring world.

“That’s…” Faham paused, confused. “What does it mean?”

Allie kicked an empty bottle, screaming. “Means we’re dead!”

“It doesn’t,” Raz said. It couldn’t.

“Nobody’s coming for us.”

“Allie, you can’t say that!” cried Faham.

Raz’s nose twitched. She hated Allie’s tone. “Shut up.”

“We’re dead.”

“Allie, stop.” Faham sobbed.

She shouted something back in return.

“Can you…” Raz clutched her head. “Shhh! I’m trying to think!”

“Nobody’s coming. You heard it! There, listen…”

The radio mister spoke in the background and explained how neither Association nor Magogram had commented on their ‘controversial statement’.

“He said it again,” said Allie, grinning an ugly grin. “What’s there to think about?”

Faham was crying non-stop now, begging for them to stop arguing.

Raz snarled at Allie. “Well maybe you should try thinking for once? Huh?! Stupid!”

“Idiot! Moron! Stupid-stupid Raz!”

Vision swimming, chest so tight she could not breathe, Raz wheezed a tiny scream in Allie’s face and stood and stomped out and into her room. 

Allie shouted something at her so Raz put hands on her ears and shut her eyes. Her breath came in quick shallow gasps, making her dizzy. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t do anything but rock in place and hold herself and hope it went away, but it felt like it lasted forever, and she feared it might never go away.

But then, slowly, her breathing calmed. A smoldering heat replaced helplessness. Stupid Allie, she thought, stuupid, always getting mad over dumb things and making Faham cry for no reason. For a moment, she hated no one as much as Allie. For a moment, she wished Allie was gone and it was just the two of them.

But that thought made her chest hurt and her eyes tingle. Raz wiped snot and tears on the old bedsheet, then sneezed at the dust, and continued crying.

Two muffled voices joined her in the other room.

Raz went blind with tears. She didn’t want Allie gone. She didn’t want anyone gone anymore ever. She just wanted everyone back, mama and papa most of all. Raz whimpered, clutching the pain in her chest. It hurt. She wanted them back. They promised. They would never ever promise to find her and not keep their word. And she wanted granny too and neighbor Eve and Tom and Mark from school and their parents too, and everyone else. She just wanted people she loved back, was it too much to wish for?

Her face was puffy and wet again. Raz wiped it on the same dusty sheet and sneezed all over again.

She didn’t hate Allie. She loved Allie and Faham. She hated those stupid Magogram and the idiot altered criminal whose fault it all was and everyone who said they stopped evacuations. 

Why couldn’t they have rescued just a few more and found them? It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t they get to live in Oor and meet wizards and get help and food and all that stuff? Did they do something wrong? But Raz had tried so hard to do everything right. She had done everything like the radio mister taught.

She pondered what she could’ve done wrong or differently, until her thoughts were all so fogged up they didn’t make sense anymore.

“It’s no good,” she whispered to herself.

Oh, her eyelids were sleepy too. And she was a bit chilly. Faham!

Raz clambered up on numb legs. She needed to make sure Faham wasn’t cold. But she didn’t wanna talk to Allie, so she eased the door open all sneaky-sneaky and peeked at the sleeping corner.

The two were quiet. Good.

Raz tip-toed over, hesitated a little bit, and then settled back into her spot between them. She looked at the new dark green areas around Allie’s closed eyes and felt a pang of guilt. It had been a dumb argument.

“Sorry,” Raz whispered to her sleeping friends. She didn’t know what was going to happen to them, or if anything would ever happen to them, but she didn’t want to lose her two most precious things. “Sorry, I really love you. Don’t be mad when you wake up please.”

Allie’s neck moved. Her lips trembled. The bigger girl mumbled as if she was sleeping and reached out to take Raz’s hand.

From the other side, the sniffling little ball of blankets reached out to hug her.

Raz’s heart leapt up high. She sucked in a sniffle and held them back. She was so glad to have them.

Chapter 1 continues...