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“He didn’t do anything!” the child chases after Oscar. “Uh, he, uhhh…” “

Does he think Oscar is going to hurt Burn? I mean. No but … no. Oscar would never…

“Oh! We got lost and Burn’s going to help us …until we…get back home…”

Would he?

I chew my lip and …

…

Wait.

Why are there so many children?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” The child – Alessio even more a child than before? somehow? bows. “We’re extremely grateful that you’ve allowed us to infringe on your hospitality this long, the grounds are exquisite and it was a pleasure to be graced with your presence.”

“What the Abyss punk?” Burn says. “And what happened to your voice? It actually got squeakier?” he pluts Oscar’s sleeve. “Hey. I need smoke.”

“Who are you? What are you?”

Who dat?

Another child glaring at Oscar.

Grimme chuckles. “He’s sure popular.” She whispers.

“He meant no disrespect!” Alessio squeaks, pushing himself in front of … the new child… where did these children come from?

Nithel? I think? He’s all glowy and young now? And looks unsteady? “We are terribly lost, I’m afraid. All of us.”

Oh no. when Burn realizes how many kids replaced our companions …

Alessio ducks behind Nithel, finally acting his age… his current age… and pulling at Nithel’l shining hair.

“Do you know where my parents are?”

Burn looks towards the voice. “WHO’S THAT?” Oscar shushes him and pushes him into the couch.

“What happened to you? Really Burn. You look like you’ve seen a ghost… um.”

“Is that a spider?”

Grimme stops before the words finish leaving the other stranger-child’s mouth.

Seriously. Where did the children … wait. What if…? No way. Unless?

Alessio makes a hurt-pup sound.

Grimme wipes her foot on the carpet wrinkling her nose. “Ew. All gushy.”

“More detail than I need…”

It.

It just.

Pops back up.

Grimme opens her mouth.

“Sh!” Burn doesn’t know. Burn doesn’t need to know.

The … um. Child with a scaly hand? Weird mutation but Burn has claws soooo. – picks up the spider. Gently. Like it’s a cracking egg. “Can I keep him?”

Alessio peeps out again and then tip-toes closer, tugging Nithel – floods I hope it’s him – behind. “What is it? What’s it eat? Can I hold it?”

“Jar.” I whisper to Grimme.

She nods and slips back out of the room.

“No. And it doesn’t matter!” The … I need to get their names – growls and desperately scrambled for a large book.  “It could be poisonous and kill us.”

Grimme comes back with the jar. I take it. “Is it poisonous?”

She shrugs. “How should I know? I’m not a bug scientist.”

“Cool!” Alessio oohs. “Is that why you shifted your hand when you picked it up!? I’m immune to most poisons I could pick it up!”

Nithel shakes his head, holding up his free hand, and pointing at younger Ohel. “But if you smash it, it may just come back again. Larger.”

He gives Alessio and the other boy an equally pointed look. “Do not test that. Don’t.”

“Is it hated in your world because it’s different too?” Alessio asked, staring up at him with wide, inquiring dark eyes.

“Not because it’s different…” Nithel says, “Different helps us grow. But their bites kill people. My father-in-law… almost died, because of a bite. He lost a leg. I don’t want any of us to get hurt.”

Great. Just great. I nervously hold the jar.

The book-holding child glowers. “If you’re not affected by poisons, throw it out the window! Because some of us are.”

“Not out the window!” Grimme thunders.

“I have a jar! And it has a lid.” I hold it out. “You can put it inside with some … leaves from the fountain.” Yeah. Good. Enrichment and stuff. “Inside this jar. Now.” Before Burn takes notice.

 

BURN

“Okay. Just ignore them. All of them. And tell me what’s happened.” Oscar says soothingly.

“I … But… Smoke. Can I have some smoke?”

I feel a hard rod in my hands.

“Staff.” Oscar says. “There’s too many kids for smoke.”

“There should be two kids.” I say.

Silence.

Well. Not silence, everyone is still yelling.

“Alright then. Just … start from the beginning.”

Crap. I need to remember what I was doing today, in the past, so that he doesn’t know I come from the future because he made me listen to that story and I am not wrecking my life that much…

…

“You do remember how this started? Right?”

“Um…”

“Burn. Are you having another memory lapse?”

“Um…”

How did this all start? Actually?

I was … “I was scouting… I was in… I was near …”

No. nononononono not again…

“Hey. Calm down. Just tell me what you do remember and we can fill in the gaps later. Okay?”

“Um. Tripped. I think.” Can’t tell him about the hole in reality. “Yeah. Shifting Lands. Fell into a bit of a nomad caravan.” Believable. But … what actually happened. “Um. Cave in?” pretty sure there was … “I…”

What happened next? When did I even meet everyone?

“Hey. Stay with me. It’s okay. You’re safe. It’s all over.”

“No it’s not! He said something about trials and …”

“Who.”

“I don’t know! He was just a creepy voice and I never saw him. But then things happened … and Nithel died but he came back and now he’s weird and …”

“Hey. Hey.” Oscar wraps his arms around me and I want to push free. But I also want to stay here until my thoughts get clear.

“Just keep going. Okay? Anything you remember.”

“’Kay Oscar. Wait, where’s Grimme?”

“Um… handling your guests?”

“Why is that a question?”

Silence.

I push against Oscar’s chest. “Why is that a question?”

“Just a small disagreement. She’s handling it. Ms. Sonja is helping.”

“Well. If Search is helping. I guess…”

Oscar hums, pulling a blanket off the couch and around my shoulders. “I’m not a baby!”

“I’m well aware.”

And now he’s messing up my hair. Not that I’m good at keeping it tidy.

“So. Ready to try remembering again?”