Chapter 16: Farewell

            After what seems like many hours, I finally found my way to the school, the sky turned dark by the time I got here, the streets were nearly empty, except for a few stray animals still lurking, the commotion of me seems to die down, but I doubt their search is over.  I took the route back to Emily’s place, I could be happy about finally being back here, but there is too much going on for me to do that. The last walk to Emily’s place took longer than I thought, emptier than usual, I wiped a single tear off with my arm. D****t, why did I get so attached to these characters? I could have just simply stayed back, watched from the distance, and let everything unfold for me, I remember the events leading up to my first encounter, I screwed up the moment I sat at that desk, it all fell apart from there. I took the last steps to arrive at her house and reached the doorstep.

            I saw lights coming out of the house, she must still be awake then. I gave a few gentle knocks on the door, to make sure not to surprise then too much, the door opens with a response from a familiar voice, “Hello?”, Emily was dressed in her pajamas, answering the door. She was shocked at my appearance, “Jack!” She gave a hug to me and I let it happen. Footsteps were made from further inside the house. Lilly came to view, with a scorn on her face and pajamas as well, “Why are you back here?” I helped Emily to get off me, I can see she’s been crying the whole time. I looked up to Lilly, “Do you mind if I come in, it won’t be long.” Lilly crossed her arms and sees the distraught Emily, “Fine, only for a little bit.”

            I sat back down in the couch, both Emily and Lilly sat across from me, “You do have a lot of nerve showing up here after disappearing from class a few days ago. Why did you come back anyway?” I held my hands together, “I’m going to leave again, and I’m never coming back.” The news surprises both Lilly and Emily, Emily outburst her response “Why are you leaving again, after just coming back?” Lilly got up and pulled mm up from my shirt, bring me close to her, “You better have a good goddam reason for this, do you have any idea what you put Emily through, if she wasn’t here I would slaughter you Jack, for the countless pain you bring to Emily!”

            I held back my tears from this news, I hurt someone indirectly again, I didn’t mean to, the flashes of death and sadness from the interrogation came back, there were just brief this time. I look away, showing no emotion. “The Kumanjies capture me after class and I guess held me for that long, I deemed myself too dangerous to stay here, and if I continue, there will only be more pain coming. If I leave, then everything will be fixed.” She grits her teeth even harder, “If you need to leave, then why did you show up here?” I continued, “I need my stuff for me to leave, and last time I checked, you guys took it before interrogating me.” Both Lilly and Emily looked at each other, Lilly giving a nod to Emily and Emily left to another room. Lilly threw me back to the ground and sat herself back to a chair. “I can’t wait for you to be gone from our lives.” I smiled back, “You and me both.” Emily came back to the living room with a brown leather wallet, a blue touchscreen phone, and a single silver housekey in her hands.

            I stood up and she gave them to me in my hands. “Rosco tried for several weeks to get access to your phone, to learn just anything about you, he couldn’t crack it and gave up on it. He claimed that the key must do something about your teleportation, when he used it, nothing happens, and there was nothing in your wallet, so there was nothing to say of it. He gave these to me yesterday, and told me to give it back to you, if you ever came back.” Her eyes met mine, “After all this time, I still can’t read you, I still can’t tell what your thinking, and it pains me to see you leave.” I grabbed my stuff, “Why, I haven’t done anything to impress you, you should be happy to see me leave, besides I failed to be your friend.” I turned and started to head to the nearest door.

            “Then I would like to turn in the second favor.” I stopped my steps and turned my head to look at her. “What is it?” She walked towards me, stood of her toes and gave me a kiss on the cheek, she came away from me to say, “Please don’t forget about me.” I continue my path to the door, “Alright, I’ll try my best to keep that one then.” Both Lilly and Emily see me out as I stood next to a door with the key in my hands, I inserted the key to the lock and twisted it for the door to glow and swing open, I took one finally look at Lilly and Emily, and stepped to the light, arriving to the sight of the valley of doors, I'm back at Kage.

The door closes and I stood there for a good long second, replaying what just happen on my mind, “Hey Jack” I turned to my right to see Tom leaning on the side of the door, looks like he’s been waiting for me for a while now. “I see you were able to come back, good job Jack.” I was truly happy to see him again. “Let’s go get some ice cream, you can tell me all about it on the way there.” He pointed to the train waiting at the station from a distance. “Sure.”