Chapter 2

Marabell hit the asphalt of the highway, landing on her knees, she gasps as pain shoots through her kneecaps but Marabell is tough so she collected herself and stood, dusting herself off, she glanced around, she did not recognize where she was until she saw parents and her sister, pulling into a parking lot on the side of the road- more like a rest stop – they stepped out in there hiking gear, ready for a large walk and they where prepared to spend days walking.

Marabell was stunned silent as she saw herself, well her past self, climb out of the car, that’s when she realized where she was. The sight of her parent’s death.

Nausea hits like a steam truck to her guts and she gags for a few seconds, full of disgust. When she is done, Marabell wipes her mouth on her sleeve, then follows her family into the pine tree woods.

Dread rattled around in Marabells chest -seeming to try and escape her- as she continued to follow her family through the trees, next to them a mountain stood proud – well looming is a better word – threatening to fall upon them. Past Marabell looked frumpy; she did not want to come on this trip ha! If only she knew! Present Marabell thought to herself, then she saw her sister tell her parents that she needed to pee, then veer off the trail, the family stopping to wait for her, now was Marabells chance. She quickly followed sister into the woods, Marabell quickly caught her sister and dragged her into a bush with a hand over her mouth, she squats down taking her sister with her, she turned her sister around and put a finger to her lips. “Please be quiet.” Marabell pleaded with sister, her voice cracking, but she had no time for emotions. “I need to make this quick.” She said taking her finger away from her mouth and take a deep breath. “In ten minutes a very big landslide will crush you, mum and dad, please, I beg you save them, I don’t care how but please save them.” Marabells voice cracks multiple times, her sister nods, Marabell releases her sister. “Go.” She says, pointing to the trail and her sister takes off back to their parents. When her sister is gone, she looks to her feet, to see that the cut on her toe is gone, she chuckles to herself. “Well, I guess it was too good to be true.” She was sad but not depressed, though she should have, but she didn’t, it was bittersweet, and she would remember, but it would all be the same, she knew this for certain.

***

Marabell woke with start, tear tracks marred her cheeks she had been crying in her sleep, she slowly dragged herself out of bed, sore from a bad sleep she dragged her butt into the living room with a smile, remembering her dream, knowing it would be one of many dreams to come, suddenly an idea struck her like a lightning bolt to the brain, she needed to find the mail man, she jumps up and races to her room, throwing on clothes like it’s the Apocalypse and to Marabell, it feels like it, throwing on shoes like her life depends on it, but I reality it was her family, or her sister to be exact, Marabell had a theory, she believed that her sister was the mail woman from Christmas eve, yesterday, and she needed to find her, at that moment she spotted the mail woman – her maybe sister – walking down the street. “Wait.” Marabell cried, the woman stopped and turned to face Marabells panting form, tears trailing her face. “You found me.” She said, voice cracking, Marabell nodded “I did, Fiona, I found you.” Fiona raced forward and embraced her, and she embraced back, “I missed you so much.” They said in unison, then laughed as they pulled apart, tears tracking their faces. “Let’s go home” Marabell said linking her arm in her sisters and they walk back to their home where they where always meant to be.