After eating dinner with Daan and Charlotte yesterday, Melissa went to sleep early to prepare for the big day. The big day! She woke up with a huge smile on her face, wiping clean all of yesterday’s pains and sorrows. Today she was going to the festival to wish for everything back. Her mother was coming home again. “Morning, Teddy.”

I love you. I want you to know I always love you. Ever since Melissa beat her yesterday, Teddy said ‘I love you’ a lot more. The girl thought it was a bit strange, because she never found herself loving her father more after he hit her. But Teddy was strange like that, and Melissa didn’t mind.

Despite herself and what happened yesterday, Melissa felt a warm buzz in her chest as Teddy snuggled in her arms, desperately clinging to her skin. She couldn’t hate Teddy forever. And Teddy’s feelings toward her mother didn’t matter anyway, because Melissa was the one going to the festival and wishing for everything back. “Mhm.”

The girl curled in her blankets, reserving a few more moments to clutch Teddy close to her heart. The stuffed bear grasped at her, searching for her warmth. They laid there until Melissa’s stomach growled, which meant it was time to eat.

Melissa sheared off her blankets, shivering at the unnatural cold which hung heavy in the air. Daan wasn’t in bed, probably because he woke up earlier and was eating breakfast now.

The girl stepped into the living room. Daan and Charlotte were sitting near the dining table, conversing in hushed whispers. Melissa wanted to say hello, but she stopped herself just in time. Daan was facing away from her, and Charlotte’s clouded eyes couldn’t see her, either.

Melissa crept forward, shushing Teddy with her finger. Her heart raced with a strange excitement. Daan was whispering because he didn’t want her to hear, but here she was and hear she would.

“Soon,” Charlotte said. “I don’t remember exactly when, but it should be soon.”

Daan nodded. His voice hushed. “If Melissa doesn’t wake up in time, she can help you out while I’m gone. I’ll leave her here. Once the door opens, I’m leaving her behind.”

Melissa held her breath, resisting the urge to run behind him and yell ‘no way’, because she was going with him no matter what.

“But why do you need to go? I’ve already told you I don’t need that wish.” Charlotte gripped the boy’s arm with both hands.

“You’ll be happy again, mom.”

“It won’t make me happy. Why can’t you understand? Just stay. That wish won’t change anything.” The woman’s voice was wrought with pain.

“Stop,” Daan snapped. Charlotte let go of his arm, and he continued. “We’ve already talked about this. I’m going.” However, his expression quickly softened. “Haven’t I prepared enough for this? You also went there and made your wish—there’s no reason to worry about me.”

“That place doesn’t have reason,” Charlotte whimpered. As she spoke, her entire body began to shiver. Her breath quickened as she curled in her seat, sinking into her worst memories. Daan reached over the table, clutching her hand to calm her down. They held hands for so long Melissa started to get bored.

The girl tiptoed to Daan’s side. “Hey!” she shouted, giggling as Daan and Charlotte nearly fell out of their seats. She spread her hands, revealing a childish grin. Today, Melissa was happier than anyone else in the world.

Morning, Charlotte, Teddy said, holding back a laugh. Her voice was tinged sweet from Melissa’s sudden prank.

Daan frowned. “What’s up,” he said, and Melissa frowned along with him. How dull—he couldn’t muster up a fraction of the excitement she had for this day. She furrowed her brows as she realized just how much he wanted to leave her behind and stop her from being happy, and that made her really mad.

Melissa took a seat in front of her breakfast: leftover cake, fruit, a hard-boiled egg. “I’m going,” she remarked to no one in particular. She looked around for confirmation, but they were all staring at their breakfast. “I’m going,” she repeated. Charlotte stabbed her cake.

They ate in silence. Every few seconds Melissa looked up to see if anyone wanted to comfort her, to congratulate her, or anything, but they were all robots. Her lip trembled. Even though she was surrounded by people, she was completely alone. She thought Daan and Charlotte might be different from the kids at school, but they weren’t after all. The girl focused all her thoughts on her mother and how the wish would bring her back. She rubbed her eyes, pretending the tears were dust.

As everyone finished breakfast, Charlotte finally broke the silence. “So,” she began. She opened her mouth, but her words stuck to her throat.

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Is there anything she should bring? Teddy interrupted. I don’t remember many people bringing things over back then.

“A gun would be nice,” Charlotte said darkly. No one laughed, and the woman sighed. “Bringing stuff over will just draw attention. I didn’t bring anything with me. I was lucky—the ones who did were picked off first.”

“Picked off?” Melissa asked. “They were fruit?”

The woman gave her an exhausted glance. “They died.”

“But I can’t die,” Melissa said.

Charlotte huffed, refusing to debate her warped logic. Melissa felt a twinge of anger in her chest as it seemed no one was taking her seriously.

Before Melissa could complain, her blood chilled. Goosebumps pricked her skin as a cold crimson glow pulsed behind her, washing her vision with a sickening red. The girl tried to turn around, but her body couldn’t move.

“...It’s here,” Charlotte murmured. Her words melted the worst of the cold, just enough for Melissa to turn her head. On the center of the door to the outside was a dark red splotch. The mark looked eerily similar to frozen blood, pulsing with rotten crimson glow as it expanded across the door. Seared onto the wood were dark burnt marks, forming strange letters and words that Melissa couldn’t recognize.

The door swung open. Instead of outside, all that awaited them was a black, swirling void.

Charlotte stumbled to her feet. “The door,” she muttered. She staggered sideways, pressing against the wall as she slid to her knees.

Melissa gulped. Her goosebumps weren’t calming down. She was scared. The door was the color of frozen blood. The freezer. “Mommy,” she whispered. Teddy buried her head into Melissa’s chest, and the girl began to breathe again.

Daan grit his teeth, psyching himself up by clenching his fists tight. He stepped with deliberate, heavy strides, eventually reaching his mother’s side. “Mom, calm down. So this is the door?”

Charlotte’s gaze snapped onto his voice. Her expression was painted with terror. “What…?”

“The door,” Daan said louder, almost shouting. “The door to the festival!”

“Who—who are you?” Charlotte babbled. Her voice rose to a scream. “My eyes! I can’t see! What did you do!” The woman began to shriek, pushing and clawing against the boy’s chest.

Her screams cut away as Daan hugged her tight. “Mom,” he pleaded.

A minute passed before the manic glint in Charlotte’s eyes faded. She patted Daan’s back and took a deep, shuddering breath. “Baby.” Daan nodded, burying himself in her arms.

Charlotte took a few minutes to collect herself.

The vortex in the doorway churned with indiscernible darkness. Charlotte reached forward, plunging her arm into the doorway. “See?” Her hand was stopped by what seemed like a brick wall. “Only you two can go.”

What? I can’t go with her? Teddy asked. She muttered to herself, her voice hushed with despair. Of course I can’t go. Because I already made my wish. I-I thought if Melissa went I could just go with her. Am I stupid? She’ll be alone.

“You can go,” Charlotte reassured. “Because you aren’t human anymore, remember?”

Teddy froze. That’s right, she remarked with what sounded like relief.

Daan held tight onto Charlotte’s arm. Only now could Melissa see the fear in his expression. Deep down, he didn’t want to leave Charlotte behind. Melissa couldn’t quite relate to him, because she wanted to leave. No one was waiting for her, and she didn’t have a home. She was jealous of Daan, because his mommy was alive, even if she couldn’t see a thing.

The boy finally spoke. “Wait for me.” His words were wet with tears. “Stay safe while I’m gone.”

Charlotte nodded gently. There was no reason to try to convince him to stay now. “You two can’t die, okay?”

That’s right, Melissa realized.

“That’s right!” she suddenly shouted. Daan and Charlotte flinched. “We can’t die, ‘cause I’m gonna bring back mommy, and—and Daan’s gonna wish your eyes back!” Her overwhelming optimism cut through the oppressive atmosphere, and even Daan couldn’t help but smile at her logic. In Melissa’s eyes, it was soundless proof. They couldn’t make a wish if they were dead, so they couldn’t die.

Charlotte blinked away her tears. “Of course.” She pulled them both into her arms, hugging them tight enough to hurt. “Everything will be alright.”

A nostalgic embrace. Melissa closed her eyes, and Charlotte turned into someone else. The girl felt her mother’s skin, that nostalgic warmth, holding her so tight and so close to her heart that they could feel each other breathe and their hearts beat together.

She sighed, allowing all the tension in her body to melt away.

“Yeah,” the girl whimpered. “Everything’s alright.”

Melissa realized why she was always so happy when her mother was alive, even though she was always hungry, even though her father still hit her.

This warmth.

For a single moment, Melissa didn’t mind staying here, if it meant she could stay in her mother’s arms forever. This was her home, more than that filthy apartment, more than anything else—her home was inside her mother’s arms, cuddled so close they could breathe as one.

But then Charlotte let go, and the girl opened her eyes.

Her mother wasn’t here, and neither was home.

Charlotte. Thank you. This time Teddy meant it.

Charlotte nodded, gently pushing them toward the void. Daan took a deep breath, giving his mother what might have been a happy smile, though her clouded eyes couldn’t see it. The woman squeezed Melissa’s shoulder. “Protect them, Teddy. Promise me. Make sure you protect them.”

I will, Teddy promised.

Before they touched the swirling darkness, Melissa glanced behind her one last time. Charlotte had fallen to her knees, her expression draining pale.

Before Melissa could say a word to comfort her, the world faded away.