Chapter one: Dreams and notes ∿Natasia∿ I woke up in a cold sweat, gasping for air. I had dreamed of my best friend again. “Just a dream” I reminded myself as I got out of bed and pulled open the curtains in my room. The sky had the colors of morning splashed over it. It looked like a giant had decided that the sky was his canvas, and he then painted it with morning hues. The words “I’m sorry Natasia.” Sounded in my head. I slapped my forehead with my palm a few times, trying to make the words go away, but they don’t. I tried to forget the dream. . . But I couldn’t. ------ I had been in an area where dead black trees grew, their spider-like arms branching out everywhere. And there was fog surrounding everything. I had called out for my best friend, but I couldn’t find him. I had looked everywhere, certain he was there. I had finally found him, but he was walking backward, looking at me with tears in his eyes, as well as rolling down his face. “I’m sorry” I had heard him say, over and over, it echoed and doubled, the words turning into noise that made me cover my ears and cry out. I had tried to go after him, but I couldn’t move, the trees were wrapping their branches around me! I called after him once again, then the ground opened up from underneath him and he was gone, his scream piercing the noise and making everything silent as a tomb. I tried to scream but the trees covered my mouth, muffling it. I’d lost my best friend... forever. Then I’d woken up. I felt a tear go down my face, and I looked at the garden that he and I had planted. Memories of us taking care of it, the soft gasp of a child as a ladybug landed on her nose, a hearty laugh of a boy as he made silly faces. It pierced my heart deeper than a knife. Why had he gone? Where had he gone? I tried not to think about him. Conversations, words, came to mind, “He’s gone, so forget it.” "It only hurts more if you think about him." “He’s not coming back . . .” “Us police can’t waste any more time looking! Two years!" “We’re stopping now.” “Even us, his parents, are going to accept that he is gone.” “Please Nati, don’t make yourself miserable!” “He won’t come back, ever.” “Stop trying. He’s gone for good.” “Accept it.” But I couldn’t. I could not accept that he was gone. He was not dead! I refused to listen. And though my family and practically everybody else had given up, three of my closest friends and I did not. Now it has been four years, and a few days or so. He would be thirteen now, thirteen and a few days. I’m twelve. I rub my eyes furiously. His name came to my mind: Marcus . . . My best friends, Elizbeth A, Elizabeth B, and Valentina have made a pact: Never give up on Marcus. We were all really close to Marcus, and now we refuse to give up on him. But it is getting so hard! His parents have had twins-- Mia (girl) and Luka (boy)--who are now two, and everything Marcus’s parents do revolve around the twins. The room that once belonged to Marcus has been wiped clean and made into a playroom. When I visit--which is not often, but I go there to babysit sometimes--I see nothing, no trace of Marcus. The turquoise paint that used to cover his walls has been replaced by cream. All the pictures of him: Gone. His clothes have been donated, and all his toys and gadgets have disappeared. At first, I thought they had simply wiped him from existence, but they didn’t take all of him away. There’s a picture of him, in the basement on their Ofrenda--a place where they put pictures of deceased family members--and his picture is there. Another way to find him is to look at the yearbooks of our school. There you will see child Marcus’s smiling face. He was a grade above us. I met him first, our soccer teams were against each other in kindie. From then I introduced him to Elizabeth A, Elizabeth B, and Valentina. He’s a year older, so he is the oldest, then Elizabeth A, then comes Elizabeth B, Valentina and I am the youngest. We all have nicknames: Elizabeth A: Beth. Elizabeth B: Lizzie Valentina: Vally. Me--Natasia: Nati. And Marcus: Mar. I heard my door open and my mom came in. She had dark brown hair with gold and red natural highlights, kinda like me. She was Mexican, but she had fair skin and brown eyes. “Good morning my beautiful girl,” she said softly “Hi mommy” I replied “Breakfast is almost ready, come downstairs soon, ok?” “Ok, mommy.” She has had two surgeries within a few months, and she had a lot of health problems. I take care of her most of the time, but I also have school. I don’t go to a real school. Because of the pandemic, I go to digital school. I have some friends here in California. There’s Elizabeth A, Elizabeth B, Valentina, Emery, Penelope, Alica, and Junie, and also Lucia. I have a lot so I’m only naming a few. I miss hanging out with my friends and family. I mean, we still video chat and text, but… It’s never the same. End of chapter one, Part one! Next: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/550258102/
It's been three years since 12-year-old Nati's best friend, Marcus Jackson Isaac has gone missing. All she wants is him back. But when a mysterious note shows up in the middle of the night, saying that he's in danger, is she up for the task? She calls her friends and recruits them to help get him back. But, when the task seems harder than expected, and new powers come to the girls, will they be able to control them, and save not just their friend, but the entire world? Or will they fail to control them, everyone they ever knew and loved... Forever? Find out now, in Coming Home, a book by @Mermaid685 and @sugerhamster36d Credits to: My friends @sugerhamster36d and R.E.A* for helping write this Gacha Life and Pixlr for the thumbnail COVID for inspiration (Hey smth good came out of Covid-19 pandemic!) If 10 people see this I'll post part two of chapter one *she is not on scratch sadly
