Crickets chirped outside Amaris’ bedroom window, the starry night sky lightly illuminated by a half-moon. Pale blue eyes stared out into the darkness over the farm, hands reaching out to open the window. The pinkette leaned forward and rested her upper body on the windowsill, arms tucked under herself for support as the sill creaked slightly. Briefly closing her eyes, she breathed in that night air, cool and with a thick earthy scent. Her locks of hair fell over her arms a bit, down from the usual ponytail she kept it up in. Dressed in black and white plaid pajama bottoms and an azure blue t-shirt, she was pretty much ready to head to bed soon and rest up from what happened earlier in the day. As long as no one got hurt, that’s all that really mattered to her.

A soft knock sounded from her door, Amaris turning her head to it for a second. “It’s me,” said Mrs. Barrett’s voice from the other side, Amaris pulling away from the window sill and shutting it.

“Come in,” Amaris called out, walking over to sit at her bed as the door opened. Mrs. Barrett would step in, clad in black and white vertical striped pajamas, with a hairbrush in her hand as she smiled at Amaris.

“What’s up,” Amaris asked, watching curiously as the woman moved to sit down beside her on the bed. “Did something happen?”

“No.. Just…” Hand reaching out to caress the girl’s pink hair, pale blue eyes met honey-colored, the latter welling up with tears. Though the older woman started to quickly blink them away, breathing in shakily as she shook her head and set the brush down on the bed.

“I’m just glad you’re alright. Really… You have no idea how fast Ethan moved when he got that call from your work. How we all scrambled to get into the truck, and how he sped like a maniac to get to the harbor.” She chuckled halfheartedly to herself, quickly wiping at her eyes with her free hand as she felt some tears begin to spill over. “Losing you… I shouldn’t even talk about it. I should be happy that you’re here with us.”

A mixture of empathy, comfort, and some surprise from seeing the older woman’s tears filled Amaris, barely managing to offer a small smile to Mrs. Barrett. She wasn’t sure what she could say to cheer her up, not when everyone had already shown how relieved they were earlier while in town. Instead, she grabbed the hairbrush and offered it back to Mrs. Barrett.

“I.. I think I understand how scared you were,” she told the older woman, voice soft and gentle. “But we know that even an accident can’t hurt me too badly… So let’s have some hope that I’ll be okay. Also, um… M-m… Mrs. Barrett, can you brush my hair before I go to bed?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Mrs. Barrett replied, accepting the brush and taking a quick breath to calm herself further. Amaris turned around so her back was facing Mrs. Barrett, finding it difficult to continue meeting her eyes. She almost said it… she almost called her “mom.” Even when she really did view the woman as a mother to her, that damn inner doubt, that little voice in the back of her mind told her it wasn’t time yet. Some part of her didn’t feel like she was worthy to call Mr. and Mrs. Barrett her father and mother… They helped her out so much as it was, picked her up when she had nothing to her name, and the most she could do was help around the farm, take care of Kat, and work to help their expenses some. That wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough yet. They deserved so much more than that. And until she can give them what they truly deserve, she couldn’t call them her parents yet.

The moment the brush bristles went through her hair, all those thoughts flew away from her mind, Amaris closing her eyes to enjoy the sensation. It was so soothing, though it helped immensely that she didn’t have that many tangles in her hair.

“Amaris, have you remembered anything,” asked Mrs. Barrett, snapping Amaris back to attention. The woman kept gently brushing her hair, paying more attention to the lower half of the girl’s long hair.

“Mn, nothing yet… But I think I’m okay with that. I’ve made some new, good memories here, so it’s not that bad that I can’t remember.”

Though I guess I still would like to know where I came from. At least just that.

“I see… Since you have the day off tomorrow, how about you go check the train station and buy a ticket to the city? Maybe some new experiences there will help jog your memory?”

“Ah, will you guys be okay with that? You don’t have stuff around here I can help out with?”

“Don’t worry about that, we’ve been doing things on our own before we took you in. Worst case is that Ethan will have to head into town and hire some help.”

Giving Amaris’ hair one last brush through, Mrs. Barrett stopped and set the brush on her lap, Amaris turning around and running her fingers through her own hair for a second.

“Well, if you’re okay with it, I’ll head out to the city tomorrow then,” Amaris confirmed, offering a smile while simultaneously trying to contain her excitement.

“Try to be back before ten-” Mrs. Barrett’s own smile looked anxious, not fully over the accident that happened earlier. “-I know you can take care of yourself but it is your first time heading into the city. It can be pretty dangerous over there.”

“Okay, I’ll be back before ten! Promise!”

“Thank you,” Mrs. Barrett’s smile turned to some relief, getting up and taking the hairbrush with her. “Rest up now. A lot happened today, and you have another big day tomorrow.”

“Alright, good night.” Amaris got up and pulled her quilted cover back, climbing in and settling herself as she pulled the covers over herself. Her eyes gazed at the door, seeing Mrs. Barrett lingering by the door with a tired smile on her face. In that moment, the pinkette realized just how emotionally drained the older woman was - if the smile wasn’t enough, her weary eyes definitely showed how the anxiety of the day had exhausted her.

“Good night, Amaris,” she said softly, opening the door and flipping the light switch as she headed out. With the lamp on her nightstand beside her table now off, Amaris pulled her covers up to her chin, staring up at the darkness of the ceiling.

Please, just wait a bit more… I’ll make you both so proud to call me your daughter.

----------------------------------------

“I’m heading out now! I’ll see you guys later!” The pinkette was fully dressed in a v-neck red shirt with jeans and comfortable running shoes, hair tied up in a ponytail with the red ribbon Kat bought her. She also had a black zipper hoodie on, for the chilly morning air outside. She waved to her family, Mrs. Barrett fixing up Kat’s backpack for school soon.

“See you after school, Amaris!” Kat waved back at her enthusiastically while Mrs. Barrett helped her get the backpack on. “Be careful, Amaris. We’ll see you later,” Mrs. Barrett added, smiling and waving to the pinkette. Though, Amaris did notice the smile looked somewhat forced.

If I come back safely, she won’t have to worry as much. I hope that’s all it takes.

“Where’s Mr. Barrett, though? I didn’t see him around at breakfast,” Amaris asked, glancing around to see if he might turn up.

“Oh, he said he had to head into town to sell some of the crops he harvested at that farmer’s market. It’s always an early morning thing. Anyway, get going or you’ll miss that train.”

“Right! ‘Kay, bye!” Amaris opened the front door and closed it behind her, Sol in her pockets as she started jogging down the dirt road. This was it, she’d finally be able to go to the city of Shimmercrest! What should she expect while there? While she hoped that it’d be just loads of fun and a great chance to meet new people and make new friends, there was still that little doubt because of what her family told her. There could be nothing but tension there, thanks to the Lumians and Connected.

No, I shouldn’t worry about that. I just gotta have a good time while I’m out there, one way or another! That’s what work and Mr. and Mrs. Barrett wants, so I have to do my best to make the most of it.

The dirt road would meet pavement once it reached the first street into the town, Amaris maintaining her jog as she moved over to the sidewalk. The crisp morning air felt great against her skin, cooling her down some as she kept jogging. Though, she slowed down to a walk once she saw the train station in view, needing a little breather. Heart pounding in her ears, she took deep breaths of that refreshing air, a bit salty because of the nearby ocean.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Please, have you seen her? Anything at all would be a huge help,” said a voice, Amaris pausing and turning to where it came from. A woman, seemingly in her late 20’s or early 30’s, was holding up a photo to a pair of traveling merchants, the two in exotic clothes Amaris had never seen before. In contrast, the woman was wearing a plain, pale green dress with short sleeves, a white apron over it and her auburn hair up in a messy bun. The two merchants would shake their heads before moving along with their carts, the woman lowering her gaze and the photo with dejection. That expression, those weary eyes especially, was all Amaris needed to know that the woman was extremely worried, reminiscent of Mrs. Barrett last night. Except in this woman’s case, she looked like she was giving up hope.

Glancing to the train station, Amaris looked between the two before stepping forward, approaching the woman instead. There was plenty of time to buy a ticket and head for the city. Besides, helping this woman out was far more important than her own fun.

“Ahm, excuse me,” Amaris called out, walking toward the woman. “I couldn’t help overhearing but.. Are you looking for someone?”

The woman’s eyes and expression seemed to momentarily brighten, quickly holding up the photo she held in her hand. “Yes! Have you seen my daughter? See, this is her, right here.” Her voice was frantic, as if it was taking every ounce of her willpower to keep herself coherent. And if that weren’t enough, her hand holding the photo was visibly shaking. The girl in the picture had the same auburn shade of hair as her mother, with bright green eyes and a cheerful grin. It only took one look for Amaris to know that she had never seen the girl in the photo.

“Sorry, but I haven’t seen her,” Amaris started, sighing softly. “But I’ll help you look for her, if you’d like? Have you already gone to the police about this?”

“Y-yes, I have. They’re looking into it as it is. M-my husband’s at home, talking with an officer who’s investigating our home,” she explained, blinking quickly as her eyes watered up. “I insisted I go out and search for her.”

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“Just an hour ago. I sent her out to get the mail from the front yard.. Th-that’s all I did… I should have gone out and got it myself.” Her hands came up to cover her mouth, eyes shutting as she sobbed. Amaris settled a hand onto her shoulder, doing her best to give the most empathic smile as she could.

“You didn’t know this would happen. What else can you tell me? Any clues on where she could have gone?”

“Th-that’s the thing… I found the mail to the side of our house, and I couldn’t find her anywhere, not in the house or in the yards.”

“Hm… There has to be something else… But don’t worry! I’ll check out the eastern part of town, we can cover more ground around here. What’s the girl’s name? So I know what to call her if I see her.”

“Amelia, her name’s Amelia. She might be a little wary, so please be patient with her,” the woman stammered out, wiping at her cheeks and under her eyes. “Thank you, thank you so much for this. If you find out anything, let the police know right away.”

“I will!” Amaris nodded assuredly, moving her hand away from the woman’s shoulder before heading east on the street they were on. This was a whole lot bigger than she had expected it to be… It was pretty obvious from what the woman told her that this was most likely a kidnapping. But there wasn’t enough evidence to say for sure. Either way, Amelia was missing under strange circumstances, and she needed to be brought home as soon as possible. Picking up her pace to another jog, Amaris kept an eye out for any kid with auburn hair. But as it is, most kids were heading out to school at this time, or were already there to attend classes. The only ones she could see were older-looking kids that were running late, some outright sprinting to get there in time.

Up ahead, she could see the lighthouse more prominently, taking a moment to debate whether she should check it out. Well, if someone did kidnap Amelia, they’d go someplace out of the public eye, wouldn’t they? Or so she assumed. Still, kids could wander anywhere, so it’d be worth checking anyway. Changing direction to head north and follow the trail to the lighthouse, Amaris kept her jogging pace steady, breathing rhythmically to maintain it. However, up ahead on the trail was another girl, seemingly about Amelia’s age. Only difference was that this girl had long blonde hair, a long-sleeved purple dress, a white ribbon around her waist, and a pink backpack.

And she was chasing after what looked like a gleaming emerald-colored butterfly.

I’ve never seen one look like that before.

“H-hey! You! You have to head over to school now! You’re going to be late,” Amaris called out to the girl, who didn’t even turn around to acknowledge her. No, the girl just kept chasing that butterfly, giggling and laughing as she did. Maybe she didn’t hear? Taking a quick breath, Amaris pushed herself to run toward the girl, stopping right in front of the girl. However, that was when she noticed the girl’s hazel eyes… They were distant and glassy. The blonde girl had paused when the pinkette stood between her and the butterfly, momentarily blinking blankly up at her.

Then clarity crossed her features, confusion in her eyes as she took a wary step back and looked around, finally realizing her surroundings. “Why.. Why am I here,” she muttered, biting her lower lip.

“Hey, it’s alright,” Amaris said slowly, crouching down to be more eye level with her. “I’m lucky I caught you in time before you ended up too far from town. What’s your name? I’m Amaris.”

“R-Roxanne.”

“Roxanne? That’s a very pretty name. What were you doing chasing a butterfly when you should be going to school?”

“I, um… I don’t remember,” Roxanne replied, looking down as her hands clutching the straps of her backpack. “I just saw it and it was my favorite color and…”

“It’s okay if you don’t remember. I’ll walk with you back to town so you can head on to school, alright? Just give me one second.” Amaris stood up and turned around, seeing that the butterfly had landed on the outer wall of the lighthouse. On a closer inspection, the thing was much bigger than a normal butterfly, and it was releasing sparkling dust with every flap of its wings as it rested.

Interference… Abandonment.

Did… Did it just talk!? Amaris’ eyes widened at what she just heard, quickly looking over her shoulder at Roxanne. However, the girl only stared back at her with worry and confusion. So she didn’t hear that? It was only Amaris that heard it? That voice was monotonous, void of emotion whatsoever, but it was loud enough that even the younger girl could have heard it. Regaining her composure, Amaris’ pale blue eyes narrowed some, slipping off her hoodie and holding it in front of herself. Slowly and quietly, she stepped closer to the butterfly… Then threw her hoodie at it, the creature caught under it as it fell to the grassy ground. Amaris rushed over and carefully picked it up, ensuring the insect was trapped within the hoodie as she held it up like a sack.

“Okay, now let’s get you to school, Roxanne,” she said with a small smile, walking and gesturing for the girl to follow. Roxanne hesitated for a second, but figuring going back into town was better than staying out by the lighthouse, she followed after Amaris. Though she did keep a respectable distance from Amaris, still wary of the young woman.

“Roxanne, I do have a question for you… Have you seen a girl with reddish-brown hair and green eyes? Her name’s Amelia.”

“Oh, Amelia? Yeah, I know her. I played with her yesterday, after school. Why?”

“She’s missing… I’m trying to help her mom find her.”

“Missing?” Roxanne’s eyes widened after hearing that, looking down at the road in disbelief. To think that the girl she just saw and played with yesterday was suddenly gone like that. “I.. I haven’t seen her since yesterday… Sorry.” Roxanne would pick up her pace, walking closer to Amaris now as she looked up with pleading eyes. “You’ll find her, right? Please find her, and soon!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not the only one helping here. The police are on the case too, so we should find her quickly enough!”

The young girl slowly nodded, an anxious smile on her face in hope that they’d find Amelia safe and sound. As they were approaching town again, Amaris could feel the butterfly fluttering around within her hoodie, desperate for escape. Well, she supposed that was normal for any living thing caught like it was, but the fact it talked was beyond normal. She just hoped that she hadn’t imagined that part. Once back in town, Amaris escorted Roxanne until they got to a street Roxanne recognized, knowing where to go to get to school from there.

Turning to look up at Amaris one more time, she smiled sincerely at the pinkette. “Thanks for bringing me back to town. I know the way from here. I hope you find Amelia soon and bring her home safely!”

“I will!” Amaris grinned and gave a thumbs up at the girl with her free hand, Roxanne smiling back more broadly before turning to run to school, waving back at Amaris. The pinkette waved back before lowering her arm and then glancing to the hoodie in her hand. Right.. Maybe she should let it free now.

Might be better to do that where I caught it. Kinda looked like it was leading Roxanne away from town, but I could be wrong.

If it was indeed all in her head, then it’d just flutter away like a normal butterfly, wouldn’t it? Least that would solve that and she can get back to searching for Amelia. She turned on her heel and took off in a sprint, wanting to get back to the lighthouse as soon as possible. Dashing through the streets, it took her a couple minutes to get back to the lighthouse, the girl slowing her pace down to a stop as she panted for air. The butterfly was fluttering around in the hoodie much faster now, probably agitated from being shaken around during the run. Amaris would open her hand just enough for the hoodie to fall open, still gripping it as the butterfly finally escaped out.

It indeed started fluttering away.. In an almost straight line. Amaris watched it closely, walking after it as it flew around the lighthouse. But in this direction, she knew that this was where the ship graveyard was at. Ships that couldn’t be salvaged or repaired were sunk here for the local wildlife, some of their parts above the water level during low tide. As she neared the cliff edge, guarded by a rail for tourists, she peered over to look down, seeing some masts sticking above the water.

Yeah, it still looks creepy.

Focusing back on the butterfly, she jumped over the rail and carefully searched for a safe way down the side. Her eyes caught one part that seemed kind of sloped, not as steep or an outright drop. Still, she had to risk jumping down some parts, something she’d have to do now that the butterfly was heading down to the ship graveyard. Gathering her courage, she headed over to the sloped section, careful not to walk too close to the edge, until she moved herself to sit down on the edge. Letting herself drop a few feet, she landed on a large boulder jutting out of the wall, sliding off and down the slope some to another sizable rock to stop her momentum.

Once she was close to the water, she took a breath to brace herself before stepping into it, the chill running up her legs, her spine, and then down her arms. Goosebumps formed on her skin, Amaris rubbing at them with her palms to warm up some. Deciding to just get it over with, she pushed forward faster until she was able to properly swim in the chilly ocean water. Keeping in mind to control her breathing lest she hyperventilate from the cold, she swam onward to keep up with the butterfly, which flew and landed onto a mast with part of a ship’s hull still attached.

With a relieved sigh, she swam for the hull and climbed up onto it, the moldy wood creaking some under her weight. Looking toward the mast, she gasped when she realized that the butterfly was no longer there, quickly glancing around to find the thing. But it was nowhere to be found, as if it just vanished into thin air.

“How…?”

She slowly stepped closer to the mast, listening carefully as best she could despite the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. The wood would still creak, but it didn’t seem like it’d break from her almost painfully slow steps. Although, the surface was slippery from the seawater and algae. Once she was close enough to the mast, she looked around it as best she could, wondering if the butterfly simply crawled behind it. But it still wasn’t there, alarming the girl that something didn’t feel right about this.

A loud crack echoed through the graveyard, the sound right beside Amaris, startling the girl as she backed away from it. To her shock, the space next to the mast had a crack running down it, seemingly floating in midair. The more she stared at it, the more the cracks spread out and spiderwebbed. It wasn’t long when it began to crumble away and fall apart, revealing a black space within, distorted white sigils floating inside.

No one in their right mind should jump into that, no matter how curious they were. It was ominous, the circumstances of that disappearing butterfly and the location made an anxious feeling well up in the bottom of Amaris’ stomach. Anyone should back away from this fractured gate, and that was exactly what Amaris began to do. But she stopped, staring into that open fissure in the air. There was something in there… Something that was drawing her in, urging her to go inside. Before she even realized, she had taken a step forward, as if a siren song was pulling her in. She managed to stop herself from taking another step, looking back at the lighthouse. Would anyone know she was here?

But before she could think about it too much, she jumped into the spatial rip. It was either now or never.