Three years had passed. The world had changed. Little
by little, people had learned to smile again.
The cities had been rebuilt. Children once again
played outside until the sunset. The news no longer spoke of disappearances or
impossible creatures.
The tears had become stories. Legends parents would
tell their children who refused to go to bed. Most people no longer believed
they had ever existed.
But there were six people. Who knew better.
The auditorium erupted into applause as hundreds of
students tossed their graduation caps into the air.
Laughter echoed through the school grounds, while
parents rushed forward with flowers, balloons and cameras.
"Callie!" Ella waved both arms from across the
courtyard, almost dropping her graduation cap in the process. "You finally
graduated!"
Callie laughed. "So did you!" the two girls pulled
each other into a hug before Livia joined them, rolling her eyes.
"You two are going to make us late for pictures." Ella
grinned.
"Worth it." A camera flashed. Parents called names.
Friends shouted congratulations.
For a while, the world felt wonderfully ordinary.
"You girls!" Noah's voice carried across the
courtyard.
Callie turned just in time to see him weaving through
the crowd with Riley beside him, both carrying ridiculously oversized bouquets.
"You know," Riley laughed, handing Callie hers, "he
insisted the flowers had to be bigger than everyone else's."
"They did," Noah defended himself, "it's graduation."
Callie smiled. "You two are as unbelievable as you are
cute."
"So we've been told."
Behind them, Darren and Livia's parents chatted
happily while Darren argued with a photographer about why posing for "just one
more picture" was unnecessary.
Somethings…. Never changed.
After countless photographs and far too many
congratulations, the group slipped away quietly away from the crowd.
Their feet carried them to the same hill overlooking
the city. The place they'd visited every year.
His favourite place…
The city below shimmered beneath the afternoon sun.
Noah broke the silent first.
"They would've hated how sentimental we've become."
Causing everyone to chuckle.
"Absolutely."
Callie walked a little farther than the others. She
stopped at the edge of the hill. A gentle breeze against her face. She smiled.
"We did it…" silence, "I graduated…" she laughed
quietly, "You would've teased me for crying."
A tear rolled down her cheek anyway. "I still miss
you." The wind stirred again, warm this time almost comforting.
She closed her eyes, "But we're okay. I hope you're
too."
A sharp sound split the atmosphere. Everyone froze.
Noah frowned, looking towards Darren.
Darren's face had turned pale, "It shouldn't be
possible."
They rushed off to the marker showing a tiny tear
nearby. A thin red line appeared in the empty air.
They took an uneasy step backward when they got there.
"No…"
The line widened, just slightly. None of them could
speak.
A tiny tear, after all these years…. It didn't make
sense.
Callie stared at it, her heart pounded so hard she
thought it might burst.
The tear trembled. A single hand reached through.
Slowly and carefully. It wrapped around the edge and pulled.
Sunlight reflected off a familiar silver bracelet. For
one endless moment…
Nobody dared to then. Then, they all looked at each
other smiling and sharing broken laughs.
"You really came home, Rocco."
THE END