“We have waited for you both to return. We knew our children would send you back. I saw it as soon as we sent them through the walls. However, Mit and I did not know then what we know now. You both are different than any other prince and princess. We don’t know the real reason why; we just know that is a good thing. You will be able to save us all.”
Tim didn’t know what to say. He knew he was already different because he could go through the wall whenever he wanted. Was there supposed to be more he could do? And what about Anna? They didn’t know what she could do at all yet. Anna apparently had the same thought. “The only way I’m different is because I can’t do anything at all,” Anna pouted.
“That’s not true, sweetheart. I’ve seen the future, remember. I’ve seen you saving our world.”
CHAPTER NINE
Anna looked surprised for a moment and then a look of determination crossed her face. Simply accepting her fate, she calmly asked, “Okay, so what do we do first?”
All the grandparents looked at each other. Slowly they all shook their heads. “We don’t really know. We have been searching the castle for the last five years for a clue, for something that would point in the right direction. We’ve found nothing. None of us possess the powers need to find what we do not know,” Grandpa Mit explained, then he smiled, “But we do now.”
Tim realized they were looking at Tre. Tre nodded once and scanned the room. Tim looked around too. He didn’t see anything different. Nothing jumped out at him or lit up the way that doorway they had come through had. Slowly, he realized that everyone was staring at him. “What?” he asked.
Anna pointed above his head. He looked up and saw a glowing arrow pointing down at him. “But I don’t know anything! How am I the answer or the clue or whatever it is we’re looking for? I didn’t even know any of this even existed until a few hours ago!”
“Well”, said Grandma An, “before you, no one was able to use a doorway to another world more than once. In the entire history of our people, no one has ever possessed that power. The fact that you can, and that you can take people through with you, is quite remarkable. How does that help us, though, is the question.”
She looked at Tim, imploringly. Everyone else was silent, also looking at him, as if the answer would magically appear like the arrow still above his head, though the light of it was fading. Tim opened his mouth to question the staring again, but instead, he yawned. Grandpa Mit started laughing. Slowly, so did everyone else, including Tim, but he didn’t know why. Grandma Amme spoke first. “It’s been a long day for Tim, and more eventful then most of us have had in a long time. Why don’t we rest for a bit? Nothing is going to change in the next few hours, and we could all use some sleep.”
Murmurs of agreement were made by all. After sleeping arrangements had been decided, Tim’s grandparents hugged him one by one and wished him goodnight. He made his way to the room he was told he could sleep in, which, thankfully, was not the room with the crib in it. He laid down on the bed and was soon fast asleep.
✽✽✽
“Tim! Tim!”
Lost in his dream, Tim thought his mother was calling him. Then he felt someone shaking him. That didn’t seem right. As sleep slowly left him, he realized someone was leaning over him. He jumped back, almost falling off the bed. “Relax!” a voice called in the darkness.
Confused, Tim couldn’t place the voice. Everything that had happened tumbled back into his head. “Anna?”
“Who else would it be?”
Tim shrugged, wondering why she woke him up. He was still tired. She sat down on the bed next to him, the moonlight coming through the window, now shining on her black hair. “Why’d you wake me up?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been thinking,” she stopped.
Tim waited. He felt like she was trying to think of a way to say something and shouldn’t interrupt. After a moment, she continued, “With everything I know, all my parents told me, from the time I was old enough to understand, I thought I was prepared. This world isn’t strange to me; it’s as familiar as the one I grew up in. My parents thought that was the best way to prepare me to come back here. I came here, expecting this immediate change, that I’d know what I was supposed to do and that you’d be as ready as me to face the Rebels. I didn’t think much
