It was 6:30 in the morning when Harley woke up to the sound of screaming. Loud, obnoxious screaming, then stomping, then shrills of laughter. As usual it was James—probably chasing Johan, or being chased by Johan, playing silly and loud as the two loved to do. She groaned and covered her head with the pillow. The stomping carried throughout the house along with Dad’s yelling, Mom’s constant reminding, and all the typical sounds of the morning rush. She had no desire to join the chaos.
Luckily, Mom mostly left her alone in the mornings. She knew how to take care of herself and she didn’t need any help. Mostly it was her brothers that needed it. Harley was the responsible one, a title that had been bestowed on her due to the fact that she was the oldest. Hardly her choice, but that’s how it was and she had grown to accept it as fact.
Harley got dressed and brushed her long hair until it felt perfect, the crystal pendant necklace resting beautifully around her neck. In the mirror she admired her outfit, a pair of blue jeans paired with a dark denim jacket and purple t-shirt. She planned to wear her white low-tops to complete the look.
The mess of paper on her desk was a stressful reminder that she hadn’t completed her algebra practice sheet, but the morning barrage of texts from Taylor, Marcie, and Rushi cheered her up. The new boy at swim was the talk of the town.
By the time Harley went looking for breakfast, Dad had already left for work and Mom had disappeared into her office, though the sweet smell of syrup and warm pancakes welcomed her downstairs. She saw James and Johan at the kitchen table. Her brothers were playing with tic-tac-toe blocks while munching on plates of blueberries and microwaved pancakes.
“I beat you Yoyo!” yelled James as he raised his hands in victory.
Johan pushed away the blocks and frowned, pouting in his chair.
Harley rolled her eyes and sat down next to Johan. Her phone buzzed with messages and she texted her friends while eating the last of the pancakes and a bowl of brightly colored cereal.
“The bus comes in ten minutes. Get your shoes on,” said Mom as she walked into the kitchen.
James continued to celebrate as he left the table while Johan continued his pouting.
Typical teasing. Harley put her phone away and scooted closer to Johan.
“Hey Yoyo,” said Harley. “Want to wear my necklace?”
She took off the crystal pendant and held it in her hands. “It’s magic, see?”
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Harley held it up to the light and it dazzled in the sunny rays pouring in through the kitchen window. Johan beamed a huge smile as Harley put it around his neck, then he skipped off toward the front door.
“Listen, boys. Hands to yourself,” said Mom. She had James and Johan lined up at the door with their backpacks as Harley joined them. Her brothers were giggling and goofing around as usual, but a stern reminder from Mom settled them down.
“It’s time to walk calmly to the bus stop,” said Mom with a stricter tone. Then she looked at Harley and softened, “Can you please get them started, honey? I need to grab my bag.”
“OK, Mom,” said Harley. She expected the question. She also knew she didn’t have a choice.
Harley led her brothers out the door, down the driveway, and onto the sidewalk. The air was crisp, the ground still wet, and a morning fog covered everything like a misty white blanket. Harley tucked her hair behind her ears and checked her phone. Her friend Taylor heard swim practice was being moved from the outdoor pool to the school natatorium. Inconvenient for sure, but Harley didn’t mind. The varsity team practiced in the natatorium and she liked watching them swim.
An excited yell from Johan grabbed Harley’s attention and she looked up from her phone. James was running toward the woods and Johan was right behind him. They were chasing the gray bird they saw from the day before.
“Hey wait! Stop James! Yoyo come back!” yelled Harley. The excitement of the bird was too much and her yelling didn’t have the same effect as Dad—neither one of them stopped.
“Seriously?!” she complained, running after them through the damp grass, her white top sneakers getting more soaked with each and every step.
Her brothers darted beyond the lawns and into the foggy woods, following the bird as it hopped over logs, around wide-trunked trees, and on top of wet leaves. The bird finally came to a halt upon an old tree stump. Its beak was down and its feathers disheveled. Its black eyes were watchful.
“I know that’s the same bird from yesterday, Yoyo! We need to help it,” said James.
“We can’t,” said Harley, finally catching up to them but nearly out of breath. “We need to go.”
She heard the familiar roar of an engine rumbling down the road and checked the time on her phone—they were late for the bus.
“Oh great. Mom is going to kill me,” she grumbled. Inside she hoped that James would be punished while she would be spared, then she could listen guilt-free to the lecture that would be dominating their upcoming car ride to school.
She started to text her Mom but got barely two words into breaking the bad news when she heard a shriek. Alarmed, her eyes darted up.
“The bird fell in!” shouted James.
Harley panicked as she saw James and Johan leaning over the edge of the hole, standing far too close, their necks craned and looking in. She bolted toward them, running fast, her steps landing in wet leaves and mud, and when she reached them, she grabbed both of their arms with a hard grip.
“Ow!” cried Johan as he pulled his arm away.
The sudden motion threw off her balance. She felt herself slip in the mud. In an attempt to regain her balance, she reached out her hands to grab anything she could but all she grasped was air. Harley was falling in the wrong direction, toward the hole instead of away, her body awkward, her arms outstretched.
There was no breath to scream. No means to escape. The hole was a monster and she was the prey. It swallowed her completely. Harley lost sight of her brothers, then she lost sight of everything. She was falling deep into the earth.