“I swear, those damn idiots didn’t know a thing they were doing! If they had some common sense, shouldn’t they have known what the weight limit was for the crane!?”

Not long after Amaris returned fully dressed in dry clothes - a simple blue t-shirt and shorts with brown sandals - Mr. Barrett went on a rant about the near death experience with the crane once they set out. Amaris nervously rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish smile as she sat in the backseat of the truck, Katrina muttering to herself as she played with her two dolls. Mrs. Barrett softly sighed as her hand reached over to settle on his shoulder, looking on with concern and understanding.

“I know, dear… We almost lost our Amaris today because of that. But we didn’t, so let’s celebrate that for now. Tomorrow, you can go and give them a piece of your mind for everyone,” she said to him, the man chuckling under his breath.

“Yeah, I know, but still… Only reason she’s alive is because she’s not normal,” he started, Amaris lowering her hand from her neck as her expression changed from sheepish to curious. “I know how that sounds, but if she had been an ordinary girl just doing her job-”

“I’m not, so that’s a good thing, right? I wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for that,” Amaris assured, her hand also reaching out to rest over Mrs. Barrett’s on his shoulder. “Like I said before, it’d take way more than that to take me down!”

“Let’s not tempt the universe, eh, Amaris? It’s too soon!” He chuckled, his left hand moving over to pat theirs, the two women moving their hands away after. Amaris smiled and looked out the window, seeing the many small shops and establishments of the town as they drove past them. This was known as the town of Glimmerport, mainly a harbor freight and trade town. It was still a developing town, having added cobblestone streets to modernize some, and they started to build more houses as well. Though she heard this was nowhere near the modernization of the big city, Shimmercrest. She had never been there, but she knew the fastest way to get there was to either drive or take the train.

The one thing the town and city had in common was the fact that newcomers that were pulled into this world appeared there. She wasn’t sure how exactly that worked - it was just the nature of this world to bring in or invite others from different universes. It wasn’t always through Glimmerport or Shimmercrest that newcomers could arrive either… There have been cases where they can potentially appear in different areas of the world, some found wandering lost in forests, near mountains, or in grassy fields… Just like she had. Waking up in that field is the earliest memory she had, there was nothing else that she could remember. Did she have a family somewhere? Was she pulled in from a different world and something went wrong?

Just questions with no answers.

That in itself kept her from thinking about it too much, since she wouldn’t get anywhere just wondering. And those that she asked about memory loss in regard to being pulled into this world didn’t provide much answer either. Perhaps it was a rare phenomenon? Well, what did it really matter, anyway? She had a nice life here - a roof over her head, a loving family that took her in, food she can eat everyday, and a stable job. It’d be selfish to ask for more when she had so much now.

These are blessings… I should hang onto them for as long as I can.

As she stared out the window, she realized she had only really seen Glimmerport, not going beyond the town limits. There was a whole big world out there yet to be explored by her… She had been saving up money all this time, so she ought to put aside some for a trip. A short one to the city wouldn’t be that bad, and a good first step to traveling. Who knew what kind of place it was and what kind of people were there? Just the thought had her eager, deciding to see the city at least once. Oh, but maybe either Mr. or Mrs. Barrett would know what it’s like?

“Ahm, I was just wondering,” she started, Mrs. Barrett looking over at her. “What’s the city like? You’ve been to Shimmercrest, right?”

“We have, but we don’t really go there too often, Amaris,” she started, shrugging slightly. “You know that we don’t have a television so it’s a bit difficult to keep track of news around there. But from what I remember last time… It felt like there was some tension in the air.”

“Tension? What do you mean?”

“Well, mainly between the Lumians and the Connected, the ones brought here by the world.”

“It’s basically just a bunch of immigration regulation stuff,” Mr. Barrett added, scoffing some. “Lumians think there should be some regulation because of limited resources, the Connected think they should have a second chance in this world, especially if they’re refugees. I couldn’t care less what they do so long as it doesn’t mess with sales of my crops.”

“You would say that, dear,” chuckled Mrs. Barrett, gazing patiently at Amaris. “You should be careful while you’re over there, Amaris. There’s no telling what can happen there.”

“Wha-!? How’d you figure that out already,”Amaris asked with genuine surprise.

“I don’t think you’d ask about the city if you weren’t thinking of going. But one thing I really think you should be wary of is the Connected… You don’t know what they’re like or what kind of powers they might have. So just stay on guard, alright?”

“And if a guy touches you or doesn’t leave you alone when they’re bothering you, punch his lights out,” Mr. Barrett added, raising his hand to show a thumbs-up at her, which earned a confused stare from the pinkette. “Good whack from you should get the message across.”

“Just when they’re harassing you! She can’t go around punching people, Ethan,” Mrs. Barrett’s voice a little hushed at the last bit.

“How come we just can’t help them,” Katrina suddenly piped up, setting her dolls down on her lap. “Those, um… Connected? Why not help them?”

“Kat, it isn’t always that simple,” started Mr. Barrett, sighing some. “We can’t give more help than we can offer. There’s a limit to these things. I’m sure we’re doing the most that we can, though… Hopefully.”

“Then I’ll just make a lot of money when I grow up! That way I can do anything to help them out, or find other ways to make things easier for them!”

“That’s the spirit, Kat,” Amaris praised, grinning at the little girl. “I’ll do what I can too. We can both help them out together.”

“Yeah! It’d be better if you’re with me, Amaris,” she added, holding her hand up for a high five. Not about to leave the girl hanging, Amaris gave her the high five, Katrina’s blue eyes seemingly having a spark of motivation in them. The thought that they shared a goal, even if Amaris would most likely do it sooner than Kat, filled the pinkette with a sense of purpose and joy. And it was definitely something worth looking forward to, the little girl pretty much a sister to her. She’d have to keep an eye out for things Kat can help out with, that way she wouldn’t feel so left out or that she couldn’t do anything to help someone’s situation. There was bound to be something...

“Ah, here we are! Zack’s Diner,” Mr. Barrett announced, driving the truck into a parking space. Seemed busy enough with a couple of other cars here, but most people walked in Glimmerport. There was also how cars were still a relatively new thing in this world, or at least that’s what Amaris had heard about them. Everyone got out of the truck, Kat leaving behind her dolls as her mother helped her down. Amaris would look up at the diner’s sign, which read as “Zack’s Zelicious Diner.” According to Mr. Barrett, who had the chance to meet the eponymous owner, Zack was really insistent on going for an alliterative name for the place. Or somewhat alliterative. Even if it didn’t quite make sense.

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“Ahhh, my stomach is so full!” Amaris rubbed at her belly, sighing contently from the meal she just had. She had ordered herself a classic “lumberjack breakfast,” which was basically pancakes, hash browns, bacon, and eggs. Yeah, it was afternoon but she sure loved breakfast food - it was the most important meal of the day, after all! And with all the labor she did, she couldn’t go working on an empty stomach.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Let’s walk it off a bit,” Mr. Barrett suggested, his hand motioning toward the stores nearby. “I’ll give you and Kat some money to get yourselves something. Liv and I are going to look around too. We’ll meet back here in thirty minutes. That should be plenty of time, right?”

“Sure, and thanks for the meal. It was great!”

“And we even have some leftovers for later,” added Mrs. Barrett, carrying three white takeout boxes that held what was left of their meals. “I’ll put these away in the truck first, dear. Then we’ll go.”

Mr. Barrett would nod as he reached for his wallet in his pocket, taking out some pale blue colored bills. One with a gold-colored “20” on the corner was given to Amaris, while Kat received a 5.

“Whatever Sol you have leftover, keep it,” he told the two as they put away their money, Kat’s dress having a little pocket to the side. Amaris reached for Kat’s hand to hold onto, nodding back at Mr. Barrett.

“Thanks again, we’ll see you both in thirty minutes!”

“See you later, mommy and daddy,” Kat chimed in, waving at her parents as the two pairs parted ways for now. Despite that Amaris was the older of the two, Kat was apparently taking the lead as she pulled Amaris along to look through some of the windows of the shops. Not that Amaris minded much, finding the little girl’s enthusiasm so cute and endearing.

“Oh! This one! I want to go into this one,” Katrina said to Amaris, pointing at what looked like a fabric shop. Though as far as Amaris knew, Kat didn’t know a thing about sewing, knitting, or anything of that craft.

“Really? Here? What made you pick this one,” she asked, curious about what caught Kat’s eye.

“Those ribbons! They look cute!” She pointed out where she saw them, a rack inside holding all kinds of ribbons of various colors. And according to the sign right above it, they were specifically hair ribbons. Pulling Amaris again, Kat led the way into the store, letting go of the pinkette’s hand to run toward the stand and start looking. Amaris approached not long after, humming to herself as she gazed at the ribbons. Her eyes wandered from the ribbons to Kat, her hair specifically.

Gotta be something that goes well with her hair.

With that shade of brown, an almost chestnut color, maybe something light would contrast well against it. Light… Of course, white would be ideal, wouldn’t it? With color in mind, Amaris picked out a white satin ribbon, holding it out for Kat to notice. The girl would take a second to notice, blinking in surprise before looking up at Amaris with curiosity.

“This one would look nice for you,” the pinkette said to her, Kat taking the ribbon from her to feel the satin of it. The girl would smile and then pick out a red velvet ribbon, showing it to Amaris.

“I’m gonna buy this for you, ‘kay? You gotta let me buy it,” she insisted, offering the white ribbon back to the pinkette. She eagerly ran toward the cashier before Amaris could say another word, surprised by how adamant she was about buying a ribbon of all things. She approached the cash register as Kat handed her five Sol bill to the cashier, an elderly woman with thick glasses and whitened hair from age. Wearing a floral shirt, pants, and an apron over it, she gently smiled at Kat as she accepted the money and rang up the purchase, giving back her change of three Sol.

“Here, Amaris! It’s for you! You gotta wear it all the time, promise me!”

“Whoa, where did that promise come from,” asked Amaris, crouching down to be at eye level with Kat. Though, once she did, the frown and worried eyes on the young girl’s face was very apparent.

“B-Because… It’s a… Good luck charm. I’m putting all my wishes and hopes that you… that you’ll be safe. I don’t want.. S-something bad happening to y-you.” Tears began to well up in Kat’s blue eyes, the girl lowering her gaze and wiping at her eyes as she sniffled a bit.

“Aww, Kat,” Amaris started, leaning forward to pull the girl into an embrace. Kat’s small arms returned the hug, sniffling and quietly crying into Amaris’ shoulder. “I’m sorry… I didn’t realize what happened earlier shook you up that badly.”

“Y-you’re my sister, Amaris.. I taught you a bunch of stuff, r-remember? It was like I was the big sister.” She chuckled a little, Amaris chuckling too as she rubbed the girl’s back to comfort her some.

“Yeah, I remember that - I won’t ever forget that in my life. Thank you for all of that, Kat. Now how about we finish up here and then see if we can sneak some dessert?”

“O-okay!” Kat pulled back and smiled, her pinchable cheeks stained and dirtied some by tears.

“Oh, goodness,” muttered the cashier, Amaris standing up to see the old woman covering her mouth as she gazed at the two. “You two are such sweet sisters… I’m sure you’re the luckiest sisters around to have each other.”

“Thanks, I feel very lucky and happy for it,” Amaris commented with a smile, setting down the white ribbon she picked out onto the counter.

“Yes, family is always important. It’s a great value to teach the young ones,” the cashier agreed, blinking away her tears as she rang up the hair ribbon. “From what I’ve heard, I’m sure you both will teach other very important lessons in the future.”

“Well, we already promised that we’d work together to make things better for people in the city. It’ll be a lot of work but I know we can do it!”

“I’ll root for you from here in Glimmerport.” The cashier smiled back and gave Amaris her change, the pinkette accepting it and picking up the white hair ribbon.

“C’mon, Kat, let’s head out for some dessert. What are you in the mood for?”

“Oh! Ice cream! Chocolate ice cream!” Amaris would chuckle on hearing that, grabbing the bottom of her own shirt to wipe Kat’s cheeks a bit.

“There, can’t have you go out with your cheeks dirty on that pretty face, right? Let’s go.” Kat would smile at that and head for the door, stopping and waiting for Amaris before going outside. From there, the two would head out - though not before Amaris waved at the cashier before leaving - and walked toward the closest ice cream shop. The two girls would look at each other and grin, exchanging the ribbons they bought. Hearing Kat blatantly express that she considered the pinkette a sister was… well, it left her feeling overjoyed. She personally felt proud to be her sister, thankful that such a nice kid was willing to show her little things like how things worked in this world… and how to feel.

Waking up in that field with no memory also left her an emotionally blank slate too. She vaguely remembered having this sense of having to do something, something really important… But whatever it was couldn’t be recalled, especially once she wandered onto the Barrett’s farm. That sense just faded the longer she was around the Barrett family, until it was completely gone.

Was it really that important then? How could I forget it so easily if it was?

“There it is! Ice cream, ice cream~” Kat sang as they approached the shop. It wouldn’t take long for them to order their flavors, though Amaris was mindful to have Kat use a bowl instead of a cone to prevent a mess all over her hands and dress. Kat had obviously picked chocolate, Amaris going for chocolate chip cookie dough. Sitting outside at a small round table, the two ate their ice cream as Kat started to tell Amaris what she did at school.

“How did I know I’d find you two here?” The girls tensed up at that familiar voice, turning their heads to see Mrs. Barrett staring at them with a small smirk and her hands on her hips. Mr. Barrett wasn’t too far behind, though he simply grinned and laughed on seeing the girls with ice cream.

“Guess you called it, Liv,” he chuckled as he joined them.

“Yes, and if this was a bet, you would have lost,” she said with a small wag of her finger at him.

“Ah, hey, what brings you here so soon? I thought we still had time,” said Amaris, nervously chuckling.

“Call it mother’s intuition. But I hope you know this means no more sweets for the rest of the day.”

“R-Right… That’s only fair.”

“Now c’mon, let’s head back to the truck and go home. Take your ice cream with you.” Mrs. Barrett motioned for them to get up and follow, the girls following instruction and walking back to the truck at the diner. However, once they got to the truck, Mr. Barrett tapped Amaris’ shoulder, a gray velvety box in his hand that he was offering to her.

“The missus and I got you this… We hope you like it,” he muttered in a low voice, reaching over to rub the top of her head. Stepping away, he walked around to get into the driver’s seat of the truck, everyone else getting in with Amaris quickly helping Kat up into it. Once settled inside and her seatbelt was strapped in, Amaris opened the box to find a simple silver necklace with a red gem pendant. Kat seemed to notice and stared with wide eyes, dazzled by the beauty of the gem.

“I know we said we’d get you anything but.. We also wanted to surprise you, Amaris,” Mr. Barrett explained, rubbing the back of his neck. “But if you don’t like it, we can return it and get you something you’d actually want.”

“Oh! No, this is great as is. I’m really glad and happy that you two got me something like this,” Amaris quickly replied, closing the box. “Really, you didn’t have to but I’m grateful for it.”

“We’re glad you like it,” Mrs. Barrett replied, smiling gently. “I noticed that you didn’t have any jewelry, so I thought it’d be nice to get you a little something. I think a girl should have at least one piece of jewelry they can wear.”

Did you get this for me like how Kat got me the ribbon?

Amaris didn’t want to ask, figuring it best to just appreciate what they got her. Besides, it wasn’t like the answer would stop her from wearing it anyway. It was a gift, after all.