I tossed my bookbag next to the trash can. The lights were so dim and worn out, the wall in front of me cast a wavering shadow. At least it matched my mood. Happy about summer. Upset about Korey and Dorothy leaving.

Luckily for me, Dorothy should arrive soon.

Dust puffed up in my nose from the neglected corner of the room, beside the fridge. I pulled out my stuffy binder and tore out months of assignments.

“You’re not keeping anything, J?” I heard my mom's snarking voice.

“Not really,” I murmured, and dropped the papers in the newly bagged can. I didn't want to turn around.

“Not even your report card?”

I froze.

“You didn't throw it away, did you?” she asked. “If you threw it away—”

“I didn't!” I grunted. “I swear. I'll have to find it first.”

Someone knocked on the front door, taking my mom's scrutiny away from me. I only then saw that she was in her pajamas. At least she could relax.

Mom walked through the porch room and opened up the door.

“J, your friend is here!” she shouted. Good thing I wasn’t in the living room a few feet away, or the walls would’ve caved from the noise.

I had changed my clothes from earlier. Would’ve been embarrassing talking while being completely drenched. I tied up my hair, brushing the rest behind my ears, and hurried to the door.

The washing machine whirred in the porch. Combined with the pouring rain, I wondered how my mom could even hear Dorothy’s quiet voice.

Her content frown soured once she saw who also arrived. Next to Dorothy was Conner, my sister's equally vampiric boyfriend.

“Variana!” Mom called behind her. “It’s him!”

Unlike Dorothy, who was trembling from the uncomfortable rain, Conner stood proud with a smile across his pale face and inky, soaked hair.

“Elaine,” he greeted and handed my mom a huge, glittery gift bag.

“Wipe your shoes, please,” she said.

“Yes, ma'am.”

He squeezed past Dori, who stood with her knees together, rubbing her arms through her track jacket. Her straightened hair frizzed up.

“Oh no!” Mom said. “Come inside, honey.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Actually, I wanted to stay outside,” she said, quietly. “Can I talk to Jack?”

Mom nodded.

After a few minutes, I got my bookbag and walked into the backyard with her. The yard, in fact, where the tree fortress loomed the most. More wild roots and tall grass filled the space from the house to the edge. It didn't help that the darkest clouds hung over that part, too. The rain had stopped a few minutes ago, apparently.

My shed looked as creepy as ever, just standing there, yards away.

I looked over to Dorothy.

“Why did you wanna stay outside?” I asked.

“Strangers,” she said.

“Oh. Where's Jamie?”

“Sleeping. He was really tired. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

She had an awkward smile and messed with her fingers.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Can you come to my mom-mom’s house with me?” she blurted. “Jamie said he would, but I want you to go too.”

“Me?”

“Yeah! My mom said you can come, as long as I call her twice a day… and she wants you to call her, too.”

“But the feathers. I think all of those were in this forest. If we leave, then we can't look at them.”

“I found some, remember? At mom-mom’s. I found like six of them. And Jamie found some in our backyard.”

“Then sure, I’ll go. There's probably nothing else here, anyway.”

Squawk! Squawk!

A crow swooped over the house and landed in the damp grass next to me. In their beak held a small plastic bag with a chocolate cookie and a sticky note inside. Okay. Dust peppered their coat, and they had the same giant feather from earlier. It was definitely the same crow.

I knelt down and felt its head with my thumb. It was weird looking at an animal eye-to-eye.

I held out my hand, and they dropped the stuff from their beak into my palm.

Dorothy opened the bag as I studied the feather.

“It’s a note,” Dorothy said. “But it's in… Russian? Greek?”

She bowed down and handed it to me. A lilac sticky note with foreign writing in sparkly, blue pen. I flipped it over and saw the same thing, but written in terrible English handwriting, but who am I to judge?

Like my notebook paper? I hope Kreili Bluehouse is nice. That’s the crow.

I read it to Dorothy.

Dori squinted in confusion like her mom told her she was secretly a wizard and then went to get groceries.

The bird krooed.

She scratched the back of her neck, looking out at the backyard like someone was there.

I shrugged.

Chitter! Squawk! the crow demanded.

“I don’t get it,” I said. “Sorry.”

The bird whimpered, I think. She suddenly took off, flying across the yard and over the treetops.