Shifting Fates

“No, this was this was the third time.” Rondrio sat in a leather chair next to his parents’ queen-sized bed, which they had already occupied for the night. “I didn’t mention the first two ‘cause I thought they were… I don’t know… vivid daydreams or something? But the one today was much worse. The world was on fire. Kaname saw it too…” Rondrio frowned after thinking about it. “…probably because she was next to me.” Dad sat up in the bed. “But the voice said, ‘the fire seeks you’?” “Yeah,” Rondrio answered, nodding. “Next time you hear the voice, ask why. Maybe then you’ll understand the meaning behind all the fire.” “Then the daydreams will stop?” Rondrio asked hopefully. Dad slid back down under the covers and comforted himself on his pillow. “Didn’t say that. But it’s best to tackle one thing at a time. Pray about it.” Rondrio sank back in the chair. So the daydreams might continue anyway? After that last one, he really didn’t want to see anything else that horrific. It was bad enough when the world faded to white. But fire… “Try not to worry about it,” Mom added. “Just get to sleep soon so you’ll be ready for church in the morning.” Rondrio blinked. Oh, yeah. This is Saturday. Dunno if I’ll be able to sleep though. There’s just too much going on in my brain. Still, he said his goodnights and headed to his room as quietly as he could. At least he knew he wasn’t the only one dealing with troublesome thoughts. Maybe Kaname would be able to rest enough for the both of them. Yeah, and maybe wishful thinking would pay off one day. Kaname’s eyes snapped open. Gasping for breath, she sprang up in the sofa bed. Her eyes frantically darted around the dark room before her memory gradually seeped back in. She was fine… still in the safety of Rondrio’s home. She was… fine? Then why was her heart threatening to burst from her chest? What caused the cluster of small bumps running along both arms and the beads rolling down her forehead? Wiping the sweat away, she took a minute to control her accelerated breathing. “Was I… dreaming?” she whispered while gazing over at the small nightlight that gave the room its only radiance. Grunting, she shook her head. “Why can’t I remember? I always remember.” Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, Kaname flinched hard. A stinging pain shot up her right thigh strong enough to force a squeal through her lips. Yanking the sheet off revealed a wide, dark bruise nearly covering the length of her thigh that she could barely make out. She gasped, and the pounding in her chest grew more rapid. What was happening?! Footsteps hastily descended the stairs. Seconds later, she heard Rondrio’s worried, yet groggy, voice ask, “What’s wrong?” Trying not to move too much, she turned her head slightly in his direction. “I think I had another dream.” “What do you mean you think?” he asked while entering the room and shuffling toward the light switch. He flicked it upward. The bulbs overhead lit the room.

Kaname shook her head. Her widened eyes glued to her leg. “I can’t remember it. I can’t remember dreaming. I always remember my dreams!” She pointed to the discoloration spread wide across her thigh. “And now I have this!” Seeing the sleep drain from his face, Kaname watched Rondrio approach her with growing confusion. He kneeled next to her and carefully stared at her leg. “What do you mean ‘this’?” “Do you not see this enormous bruise?” This time, his eyes carefully studied her face, and he began to look worried. “Uhm, Kana…” “Please tell me you see it,” she interrupted, hoping this wasn’t some kind of delusion she was experiencing. Rondrio nodded. “Oh, I see it. I saw it three days ago when you got it.” Her eyes darted from side to side while her mind raced. Was she finally going crazy? What was he talking about? “Three days ago?” He nodded slowly. “Yeah… You saved my life and dang near got yourself killed jumpin’ in front of that truck. Don’t you remember?” She wasn’t sure what bothered her more: the fact that she’d nearly died or that she couldn’t remember any of it. And if she saved his life, why didn’t she remember having a dream about a truck? Sighing in frustration, Kaname clutched the side of her head. “Wait wait wait… What day is it?” Rondrio looked even more worried. “It’s Wednesday, and you shouldn’t have taken off those bandages. It’s way too early. You know that,” he fussed while standing back up. “I’ll go get a fresh wrap so you can rest.” Before leaving the room, he paused to look back at her. “Y’know, you said you might have another dream tonight.” “I did have another dream.” She shook her head in frustration. “Can’t remember it.” Sighing, he turned around. Rondrio walked back to her, sat by her side, and gently took her face in his warm palms. “Calm it, Kana.” His soft voice and gentle touch made her heart skip a beat. “Just relax.” Closing her eyes, she leaned into his hands and sighed. “This has never happened before.” “It’s alright. It’ll come to you.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb, and a small smile of content grew across her face. When she opened her eyes again, he reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. She tried not to pout. That warm hand needed to find its way back to her cheek. However, he smiled at her and whispered, “Better?” She nodded slightly. “Getting there.”

Gasping, Kaname sprang from the pillows. Her heart pounded while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. That was the most vivid dream she remembered having that didn’t involve someone’s death. Was that just a normal dream? When was the last time she’d had a normal dream… about a boy she liked, no less? Sighing, she collapsed back into the pillows. A boy she liked. He was kind of cute. “Hope he lives long enough,” she muttered to herself. “Wouldn’t mind…” Her heart beat twice. Kaname slipped into unconsciousness before she realized it. Her eyes opened a moment later. She stood on the side of a narrow road, staring at Rondrio’s back as he walked away from her. He wore a maroon, collared shirt with black jeans and carried a thick, grey book in his right hand. Gravel crunched under his weight with each step his sneakers took toward an intersection ahead. Was she dreaming again? The bright sun beamed down on her, and her head started to hurt. She thought she heard screeching. “Where…?” she muttered. Rondrio stopped. He turned his head slightly, and looked back at her. “What are you waitin’ for, slowpoke? You were the one who claimed she was hungry.” Concern filled his eyes upon paying closer attention to her. “What is it? Are you rememberin’ something?” The screeching sound returned, louder. Kaname’s head throbbed. Squeezing her eyes shut, she rubbed her right temple and tried to will the pain away. A machine roared. She opened her eyes. A speeding truck’s tires screeched as it swerved to avoid a telephone pole on the intersecting street ahead of her. But it couldn’t . Its front bumper clipped the pole, a loud pop followed, and the truck flew into a chaotic tumble with shards of glass flying in every direction. She couldn’t even scream a warning before the truck had completely crushed Rondrio’s body into the pavement. Struggling to inhale, Kaname woke up in a panic. She couldn’t even bend her pinky finger. It felt like fires raged through every bone in her body. Her head throbbed intensely. She couldn’t form a coherent thought. The pain grew worse. Only whimpers escaped her throat at first. But soon after, uncontrollable and agonizing screams filled the house. It had taken nearly three hours for Kaname to calm down and do something other than test the limits of her lungs. Rondrio felt like crap. And he didn’t want to know what she had actually dreamed. He just wanted her to sleep so he could salvage the early a.m. hours he had left. She had refused to lay back down at first, terrified of experiencing the dream again. He had lost an additional half-hour assuring her that he wouldn’t leave her side until she drifted off. Despite her protests, she had easily dozed off after calmly listening to his rambles about wanting to visit a major city one day. He had just wanted to fill her mind with something that could take her mind off the dream. Seemed like it worked with the way she was sprawled across the sofa bed. With a lamp in the corner of the living room helping out the nightlight, Rondrio silently watched Kaname’s chest rise and fall with calmed breaths. Slumped in the recliner, he wondered how long it would take for sleep to find him again.

Her nose twitched. He grinned slightly. This was the second time he had the pleasure of watching her sleep. At least she wasn’t snoring. He wondered if she actually was a little crazy. Constantly having dreams that terrified you had to screw with a person’s mind eventually. I kinda wish someone had helped her get a handle on this ability though. I really don’t wanna die. Getting up from the recliner with a yawn, Rondrio took two silent steps, kneeled next to the sofa bed and rested his hand atop hers. “This is stupid of me,” he whispered. “I’ve barely known you two days, but I guess I’ll be your target as long as I can.” Kaname squirmed and grasped his hand while mumbling random sounds. He smiled and waited. She frowned and bit her bottom lip before settling back to sleep. Grateful he hadn’t wakened her, Rondrio continued, “I’m not completely stupid, but it’s just not fair that you should live like this… running away from everyone. And since you’ve already pulled me into this madness…” He inhaled deeply and shook his head. Carefully, he slipped his hand from her grip. “Just try not to get me killed.” Battling aromas of blueberry and maple stirred Kaname from her sleep. Seconds later, her ears picked up light sizzling. Her stomach growled, but getting up wasn’t what she wanted to do. A severe throb nested near her left temple which perfectly matched the aching throughout the rest of her body. She just wanted to sleep for another twelve hours. By then, she should’ve been able to function like a normal teenager. Rapid clinking partially drowned out the sizzling. Kaname groaned and opened her eyes. A dull glow, from sunrise struggling to break into the shaded living room, surrounded her. Letting her head loll to the right, she could see Mrs. McMillan standing at the kitchen table while mixing something in a bowl. Pancake batter? Eggs? Either scent would’ve been a welcome addition to the delicious aromas flooding the air. The front door’s knob rattled. Startled, Kaname looked in its direction. Keys jangled on the other side before the lock gave with a click. It slowly opened inward with a low creak, letting more light flow inside as Rondrio’s father tried to enter as quietly as he could. “Oh, you’re already awake,” he said upon seeing her. She nodded and tried not to visibly react to the new smell he brought in with him. The overpowering aroma of fresh coffee was something she never really cared for, particularly now that it shoved the food scents aside after only a few seconds. Still, she was definitely awake now. Might as well try to get up. Groaning, Kaname pushed herself up into a sitting position. No part of her body agreed with moving. It even felt like each individual strand of hair on her head ached. “Oy…” she moaned. “How are you feeling?” Mr. McMillan asked while rounding the sofa bed and walking into the kitchen. “Like absolute rubbish,” she admitted. “I think a jackhammer ran wild in my head.” “This, too, shall pass.” Mr. McMillan set his Styrofoam coffee cup down on the kitchen table and lifted the dark cap from his head, revealing short, graying strands beneath. When he turned around to hang the cap on the wall just inside the kitchen, Kaname’s head tilted slightly. She hadn’t really paid attention yesterday, but there was no mistake whose son Rondrio was. It felt like she was seeing Rondrio’s future a few decades ahead of time. “Don’t push yourself too fast.”

Flipping her unruly hair back, Kaname rubbed her eyes. “I won’t.” A yawn slipped out that she tried to cover with her hands. “But I will help get your living room back in order when I feel a little stronger.” “No, you won’t,” Mrs. McMillan quickly called back while pouring the contents of her bowl into a frying pan that instantly began sizzling louder. “The only thing you need to focus on is recovering from last night.” Kaname slumped a little. Their night had been ruined because of her. However, she wondered if Rondrio’s mom was still mad about that slap. What mother wouldn’t be? Getting further on her bad side was not the plan for the day. Scooting to the edge of the bed with the least amount of effort possible, Kaname cautiously swung her legs over the side rail despite several pains flaring up in her arms and legs. This wasn’t new, but it wasn’t getting any easier to deal with. When her bare feet touched the carpeted floor, she hesitated. Would she even have the strength to stand under her own power? Exhaling slowly and deeply, Kaname pushed off from the bed with a groan. Her right leg trembled, but she was able to get her balance after a second. Standing hurt like crap though. Both legs ached so badly that she wanted to fall back in the bed. “Are you okay?” Mr. McMillan asked after taking off his windbreaker and hanging it on the back of a chair sitting at one end of the kitchen table. “Don’t know yet,” Kaname responded with her eyes glued to her feet. She still felt shaky and didn’t want to risk taking a step just to end up kissing the floor. She needed to distract her thoughts while enduring the pain now working its way up the middle of her back. “Is Rondrio up yet?” “Probably not.” Mrs. McMillan floated around the kitchen, setting dishes on the table filled with round pancakes, plump sausages, sweet-smelling muffins, and crispy hash browns all while tending to the contents of the frying pan that looked like scrambled eggs. Kaname closed her eyes and inhaled the mix of aromas. She smiled. The sight and smell of kitchen was enough to make Kaname’s mouth water. Mrs. McMillan continued, “He didn’t get much sleep so I planned to wake him after I finished cooking.” “I can wake him,” Kaname offered through a wince. A quick, sharp pain had cut through the bottom of her right foot. Standing at the stove with a big spoon in hand, she looked back at Kaname and asked, “Can you even handle the stairs?” Could she even handle a step? Kaname’s legs felt a bit sturdier but only a bit. She could feel the couple’s eyes on her as she slowly slid her left foot across the carpet and toward the threshold into the kitchen. Her eyes squinted shut. Aches ravaged her legs and thighs, but she still stood. There was no way she could take on that staircase yet. “Maybe…” she rasped. “Maybe if I give it a few more minutes.” Mr. McMillan nodded, took a sip from his coffee cup, and then helped Kaname carefully sit back down on the sofa bed. She hated feeling so helpless during these times. Her head dropping, she began to gently massage her upper thighs while Mrs. McMillan continued preparing breakfast. In the back of her mind, Kaname kept telling herself that the pain wouldn’t last much longer. It always went away. She just had to keep it together long enough for one of those warm muffins to find its way inside her stomach. After a couple bites, everything would start to feel much better.

When Mrs. McMillan began raking the eggs from the frying pan and onto a platter, she said, “I’ll go get Ron.” “No, please,” Kaname piped up. “I’ll do it.” “You really shouldn’t—” Mr. McMillan started. Kaname shook her head and pushed off from the bed again. Standing straight up hurt less this time, but another pain—like a sharp needle quickly poking at the same spot on the sole of her foot—struck and made her wince. “I can do it,” she said unconvincingly to herself as well as them. Still, she ignored the pain enough to shuffle towards the kitchen again. The couple watched silently as she entered the kitchen and rounded the corner, heading for the stairway. Never had a flight of carpeted stairs looked so intimidating. Inhaling deeply, Kaname reached out and rested her hand on the polished wood banister. Under her breath, she muttered, “I can do it.” One challenging step at a time, Kaname scaled the stairs with nearly a vice grip on the railing. Her feet and legs cried out with the extra effort needed for each step, but she eventually made it to the top without assistance. The feeling of victory was short-lived when she thought about the return trip she’d be making soon. But before that… She looked around, wondering which room was Rondrio’s. Having not ventured into this part of the house last night, it was completely unfamiliar to her. One of the four doors in sight was wide open and apparently led to a bathroom other than the one she’d used to shower in. Of the remaining three, only the one to her immediate left was slightly ajar. She walked with a slight limp to the door, pushed it open a little wider, and peered inside. Shut curtains kept the room dark. Reaching inside and along the wall, her fingers found a switch that she flipped up. The dim ceiling light flickered on. Kaname frowned at the fixture. One of the bulbs must have been blown or something. Still, it was enough light to spot Rondrio’s leg half hanging off the side of the twin-sized bed while he laid face down into his pillow. Smiling, Kaname entered as quietly as she could while taking in the room itself. His walls were plastered with numerous stickers of sports teams and posters of fictional characters. She recognized a couple of the characters from cartoons, but the rest were lost on her. At scattered points around the room were pictures of him and his family. Her eyes focused on one frame in particular hanging on the wall above the dresser’s mirror. It was a family photo with Mr. and Mrs. McMillan appearing considerably younger, both standing on either side of a child that appeared no older than three who sat in a cushioned, gold high chair. Her smile widened. Little Rondrio looked so cute with his round cheeks and that puffy cloud of black hair perched on his head. However, more interesting was the pair standing behind the chair. Two other children, a girl and boy probably in their pre-teens, smiled widely at the camera. The girl wore denim overalls covering a white t-shirt and had her hair done up in several pigtails decorated with colorful barrettes. The boy’s t-shirt had a sports logo on it that Kaname couldn’t recognize because the high chair partially covered it. His hair had been neatly trimmed into a low cut not long before the picture was taken. Her eyes narrowing, Kaname carefully plucked the photo from the wall to get a closer look. This boy didn’t really resemble Rondrio or his father much. She wondered why.

Rondrio inhaled deeply and turned his head to face the wall. Remembering that food awaited them, Kaname hung the picture back in its place and quietly tipped over to his bed. Gently sitting on the edge, she rested her hand on Rondrio’s head and slowly stroked it. “Thank you,” she whispered before patting his head lightly with her palm. Rondrio stirred with a snort. Kaname giggled. “Wake up, you.” She nudged him continuously until he rolled over with a groan and finally looked at her through sleep-addled eyes. She grinned widely. “Good morning. Do you know that you snore?” Rondrio stared at her silently for a couple seconds. Then he asked, “Do I smell muffins?” “I’ll eat all those muffins if you don’t get up,” she immediately responded. Groaning, he turned back over and tried to bury himself under the covers. “Better not touch her,” he mumbled in a daze. Was he still asleep? Kaname lowered her lips closer to his right ear and softly asked, “Touch who?” “Don’t… touch Kana. My friend…” Her brow arched. Kaname sat up. Was he dreaming about her? “He called me Kana…?” He had called her that in her dream as well. Inhaling sharply, she shoved him hard and flinched at the pain that flared through her arms. Rondrio jolted awake with a loud grunt. He quickly looked around with widened eyes and spotted her smirking face. “What?!” he shouted. “What are you doin’ in here?” “Attempting to be nice. There are a lot of muffins downstairs that I will eat if you don’t tell me what you were dreaming about.” He narrowed his eyes at her and grumpily responded, “Stay away from my muffins.” Giggling, Kaname stood up. Dizziness struck her hard. Her legs buckled. She fell backwards. Rondrio caught her as she flopped across his bed. Her eyes squeezed shut, she moaned and rubbed her temples. The throbbing just wouldn’t stop. “Stupid dream…” she muttered. Sore spots all over her body continued to assault her as well, but at least she could tell the pain was gradually getting better. Though, she would have to be more cautious with how she moved around for the rest of the day. She opened her eyes to look up at Rondrio staring at her with worry all over his face. “You probably shouldn’t have walked up here.” She nodded. “Believe it or not, it’s usually worse than this after the second dream.” He frowned. “You gonna tell me what’s supposed to happen this time?” She didn’t want to, but what good would it do to hold back? She slowly sat up while he shifted around to sit next to her. “We were walking,” she explained. “A truck came out of nowhere, jumped the curb…” Seeing the images again in her mind choked the rest of her sentence. She didn’t have to finish it anyway. Exhaling deeply, Rondrio stood up and offered a hand to help her. “When will it happen?”

Kaname shook her head slightly and took his hand. “Not sure. You were more dressy than usual and carrying a grey book.” His hands steadied her as she stood, but she still managed to stumble into his chest. Rondrio didn’t budge. He braced himself against her until enough strength returned to her legs. She pulled back but still held onto his arms for support. When she felt steady enough to stand, Rondrio released the grip he had on her right arm and pointed toward his dresser. Her eyes followed the same direction. Resting on top of the dresser, between a spiral notebook and a handful of small booklets, was the same thick, grey book he would be carrying. “It’s a Bible.” She recalled how he was dressed. “Oh… You were walking to church… or from it.” Rondrio nodded slightly. “Which means it’s probably gonna happen today.” “That might explain why I was lagging behind you,” Kaname thought out loud. Rondrio’s brow creased. “I’m not totally awake, so…” Inhaling, she stared into his eyes. “I don’t really do the church thing.” “Ah… gotcha.” Rondrio stepped to Kaname’s side, raised her right arm and ducked under it so she could better balance against him like a crutch. She half expected him to be offended or defensive, but he just threw his left arm around her waist and responded, “You’re still not getting my muffins.” It felt kinda weird. Outside of family, Rondrio had never eaten breakfast with anyone at his kitchen table before. He rarely even sat at the table anymore. Yet, the way he and Kaname sat across from each other—enjoying Mom’s delicious food and talking about everything from the food to the shelter where Kaname had been crashing since she’d come into town—seemed almost normal. As odd as the sensation felt, Rondrio chose to go along with it. After filling his belly as much as he could, Rondrio started washing the dishes while his dad and Kaname cleaned up the living room, starting with folding the bed back into the couch. Off in her room, Mom began getting dressed for church. Rondrio hoped he wouldn’t doze off during service. He still felt incredibly tired, and it wasn’t just because of last night’s lack of sleep. In the past three days, he’d experienced a lot of weirdness that had been playing on his mind constantly… especially since he had no real answers for most of it. Still, Kaname’s presence had partially filled a gap left by his older brother and sister when they started college. It was nice to have someone closer to his age to talk to. By the time Rondrio finished with the dishes and set them in the sink rack to air dry, the living room was back to its natural order. Kaname sat in the recliner watching TV, looking as if she still needed to rest her body. In her lap was a plastic bag containing the bathing suit. For some reason, it made him wonder if the stuff she had back at the shelter could also fit in a bag. That shelter was known to house runaways as well as the homeless who had next to nothing. He didn’t like the thought of her being there even if it happened because of her drifting. Then he opened his mouth to voice that opinion.

“Ron, lend me a hand.” He turned around. Mom walked into the kitchen with her pumps clacking across the laminate. She was fiddling with another one of her hoop earrings again. He never understood why Mom had so much difficulty fastening those things on her right ear. While he assisted her, Mom directed her attention to Kaname. “Are you ready to go?” Confused, Kaname broke her attention with the television. “Hm?” “I’m taking you to get your stuff from the shelter.” After a quick, raised brow of surprise, Rondrio carefully snapped his mom’s earring shut and took a step back. Guess he didn’t have to voice his opinion after all. Kaname’s face showed she hadn’t connected the dots yet. “Why?” she asked. “We can’t let you wander around unsupervised, regardless of your dreams.” Mom gestured toward the sofa. “So you’ve got a place to sleep, at least until we sort out this thing with your ability.” Rondrio still didn’t understand why Mom and Dad had received the information about Kaname’s ability so calmly. Folding his arms, he leaned back against the wall with a curious look. “Why aren’t you and Dad more freaked out about this?” Glancing at him before turning to head back to her room, his mother frankly replied, “She’s not the first girl to have powers.” Rondrio twitched but couldn’t say a word. He had never heard anything about people having powers before Kaname. Who else had some kind of supernatural ability? Looking down at his hands, he wondered if he was starting to develop one with all the weird things he had been seeing lately. “I guess I have no say in this?” Kaname muttered, sitting on the edge of the recliner. Rondrio’s eyes narrowed. He walked over to the sofa and plopped down. “You’re complaining?” How could staying in a shelter possibly be better than an actual house? “Do you really hate bein’ around people that much?” “It’s safer my way,” she defended. “Safer? How?” He scoffed. “From everything you’ve said, it’s only been safe for the janitor at the school, and you don’t even know why he’s still alive!” She didn’t respond. He was right, and she knew it. “You need to stop running. No matter where you go, people are gonna be there. And they might be in your next dream. So stop running from your power, and face it. Find out how to control it.” “How?!” she blurted out. “How do you control dreams?!” Rondrio shook his head. “I don’t know yet. But what I do know is that we’re gonna find a way to make your dreams skip me just like they did that janitor. And we can’t do that if you run off somewhere.” Sighing loudly, Kaname flopped back in the recliner and shook her head. Whatever frustrated thoughts swam through her head, she chose not to voice them. She wouldn’t even look at him. Whatever. He needed to get ready for church anyway.

Leaving her in silence, Rondrio hurried upstairs and into the bathroom to turn on the shower. While heading back to his room to gather his clothes, he wondered about that janitor again. Would Kaname have just drifted through town and be somewhere else now if she hadn’t dreamed about him? Grabbing a navy blue polo shirt with a wide, black stripe above the torso from his closet, Rondrio tossed it back on his disheveled bed with a frustrated sigh. Would he have ever met her? Maybe not. What good would dwelling on “what ifs” make now? It was a stupid waste of time, and he silently berated himself for thinking about it. What mattered was the present and dealing with things as they came. Snatching a pair of black jeans from a hanger, he tossed them back on the bed as well and hurried to the shower. The whole time the hot water beat down on his flesh, Rondrio kept wondering if there was a chance Kaname would really give up and run away. If there was one thing he wanted her to understand and accept, it was that she didn’t have to continue wandering alone in the world. Would her stubborn butt actually accept his words if he rephrased them better next time? Would there be a next time? Frustrated, Rondrio shut off the shower and towel-dried himself as fast as possible. But by the time he’d put on his jeans and rushed downstairs, Kaname and his mom were gone. Of course they were. His dad, who was all dressed in his navy blue suit and matching necktie, stood patiently in the living room but hesitated to reach for his keys after noticing Rondrio. “What’s wrong?” he immediately asked. “Nothing…” Rondrio answered. He shook his head. “I said something to Kaname, but… I didn’t say it right.” Dad shrugged. “Do better next time. Now hurry up and get dressed. I’ll go start the car.” With a nod, Rondrio ran back the way he’d come. He guessed that since he had been walking in Kaname’s dream, he and Dad wouldn’t be in danger on the road. However, when he entered his room, that worry was pushed aside. He stopped and stared at his bed. Sitting on top of the shirt he’d laid out was a perfectly round, reddish-orange light. “What are you…?” he whispered to himself with narrowed eyes while cautiously stepping closer. The thing looked like a tennis ball-sized sphere made completely of swirling flames, but it didn’t move from that spot. “Am I really hallucinatin’ or…?” Curiously stretching out his hand, Rondrio wanted to touch it. He had to know if it was real. As the tips of his trembling fingers reached its surface, the flames scattered without a sound and disappeared. No voices. No vanishing world. Nothing on fire. Rondrio exhaled deeply. He grabbed his shirt and noticed something odd in the spot where the sphere had been. Near the armpit of the right sleeve was a hole bigger than what he wanted to deal with. At first, Rondrio thought the flames had burned through the fabric, but the shirt didn’t look or smell singed. It actually looked worn through, with a few strands dangling around the edges. When was the last time he had worn this thing anyway? He tossed the shirt back on the bed. Dealing with that could wait. He reached into his closet and snatched out a maroon shirt instead. Rondrio really didn’t want his dad getting upset with him so he hurriedly dressed himself, slipped into his shoes and grabbed his things. In a flash, he was downstairs and out the door.