The pickup rambled along the access road leading away from Sunset Bay. Alex glanced down at the twins, squeezed into the passenger seat. He was compelled to check on them every few seconds, after what had nearly been a fatal error. The episode in the store had terrified and shocked him back to his ultra-aware state, which he had allowed to go dormant. He quietly chastised himself for failing to spot the man. Henry could’ve been harmed, or worse, the man could’ve disabled Alex and then did what he wished to both twins. He could’ve killed them. Ernie seemed like a decent person, but if it had been someone else…

Alex kept the pickup steady at fifty miles per hour; slow enough to keep the twins feeling safe, yet fast enough to outrun anything that might try to engage them. Out of the rushing scenery to his right came a voice. Alex jerked his head toward the shoulder of the road but saw only the woods whizzing by in a blur. It had sounded like someone clearing their throat. He snapped his head toward Henry and Annabelle. They were staring straight ahead, their large, round helmets bobbing with every bump in the road.

Even if the twins had shouted at him, the wind zipping by Alex’s ears would’ve drowned them out. Yet the voice had sounded very near.

“Alex?” A female voice. The girl was at his right-hand side, seated five feet away, her image floating in the air and maintaining pace with the pickup. He ignored the vision.

“I know you can hear me,” she said. This was the first time the hallucination had been accompanied by a voice. A visual hallucination was worrying enough. Now, accompanied by a an auditory one, his concern was compounded. Was he going insane? Is this how it happened?

Out of frustration, Alex slammed down on the accelerator. The engine groaned and the pickup bucked. Henry and Annabelle cried out.

“Alex!” shouted Annabelle.

Alex hit the brakes and the truck skidded through gravel and came to an abrupt stop. He shut the engine off and turned to the twins. “Sorry, guys. I’m just not happy with myself.”

“How come?” asked Henry.

“Because I let the man in the store sneak up on us.” He sighed and scanned their surroundings.

“It’s okay, Alex,” said the hallucination. “I’m here to help you.”

Henry shrugged. “Yeah, but how could you know?”

Alex glanced at the girl and discovered she wasn’t just floating in the air, but there was a background behind her. She was seated on a chair in a small room. Concrete wall and floor. He looked away.

“I should’ve been more careful. That was my fault. I’m sorry.”

The twins stared up at their big brother. They both smiled.

Alex forced a grin, but it quickly faded. “It won’t happen again. I won’t let anyone do anything bad to you two…I promise.”

Annabelle grabbed Alex’s hand. “We know.” Henry placed his hand atop his sister’s.

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“Good. Let’s get home before the sun’s down, okay?”

The children nodded.

The hallucinatory girl stared, but Alex didn’t waver. She had dirty blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and hazy green eyes that seemed capable of seeing into him, of scrutinizing his thought. More of the room had become visible. Now, between Alex and her was a series of vertical metal bars. There was a door with a lock. He was unable to tell if the girl appeared to be locked behind the bars, or if he was.

Her lips parted and she began to speak. “I need you to trust-”

“Alex?” asked Annabelle.

Alex spun toward the child. “What!”

The twins jumped from their brother’s outburst. Annabelle’s eyes teared up. “I…never mind.”

With a sigh, Alex pulled his sister toward him, resting his visor against hers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I’m just…”

“Not happy with yourself?” asked Henry.

“Yes, Henry.” Alex raised the visor on Annabelle’s helmet and then, his own. He wiped her tears away, and pulled a few strands of chestnut hair from the corner of her tiny lips. “I’m sorry.” He kissed her forehead. “What did you want to tell me?”

After a hard swallow, Annabelle spoke. “Um…I…I don’t remember Mom and Dad.”

Nodding, an emotional Henry added, “Me too. I mean, me…neither.”

The weight of that statement slammed into Alex like a runaway train. His eyes met his sister’s, then his brother’s and Alex released the breath he realized he was holding. He pulled them close in a vice-like embrace.

“Believe it or not,” he said, “that’s not unusual when you haven’t seen someone in a while.” Alex wasn’t sure that was true, but in his attempt to ease their anxiety, that’s what he had blurted out.

“But they’re our parents,” said Annabelle.

Were our parents, thought Alex reluctantly.

“Yes. We haven’t seen them in over a year, though,” replied Alex. He perked up and did a quick scope of the road and flanking pine forest, then returned his attention to the children.

Tears again brimmed on Annabelle’s lower eyelids, poised to spill over. “Are they still alive?”

Hesitating, Alex pondered the consequences of his answer. To lie to Henry and Annabelle would only delay this inevitable conversation. Alex wanted to spare them pain, to spare them anguish, but he also needed them to be capable of an inner strength that children their age do not normally possess. Facing sorrow was something they would have to grow accustomed to if they were to survive.

“I don’t know,” said Alex, finally.

The twins’ chubby cheeks became wet with tears, and Alex fought back his own. “As difficult as it might be, it is extremely important to remember…if you ever see Mom and Dad, you mustn’t go to them.”

The twins, wiping their tears on their sleeves, nodded.

Alex continued, “And why is that?”

Henry raised his hand and Alex called on him. “Cause they might not be Mom and Dad anymore?”

Alex nodded. “Yes, because they might not be themselves anymore.”

“I can’t picture their faces,” said Annabelle.

A few moments of silence ensued. “Hey,” Alex said, “do you remember the time we were all sitting on the couch waiting for Henry to finish getting dressed so we could watch a movie?”

Henry’s face brightened. “The Jungle Book!”

Alex pointed toward the boy. “Yes!” Annabelle blinked her eyes clear. “And then, all of a sudden, he comes running out of his room with underwear on the outside of his pajama pants!”

The twins burst out laughing. “And Dad was laughing so hard, he spit out popcorn!” cried Annabelle.

“And then Mom started throwing popcorn at all of us!” chuckled Henry.

When the three of them had finished laughing, Alex spoke. “Now can you picture Mom and Dad?”

Annabelle frowned, but then the folds in her brow eased. “Yes, I can!”

“Yeah, me too!” added Henry.

Alex patted each of them on the head. “Good. Next time you think you forget what they look like, just remember something happy we all did together, and their faces will appear in your mind.”

The children smiled. “Okay,” they said in unison.

Alex eased back into the driver’s seat and found the girl still to his right, still watching. He held his gaze while he started the truck’s engine. Slowly, in turn, the metal bars started to fade from his view, until only the door with the lock separated the two. He didn’t look away and neither did she.

“Hang on, guys.” The pickup sped off and the girl vanished.