Melanie cried in front of Oliver's grave. No matter what she did, how much she remembered… Oliver was still dead. She gave a particularly loud sob.

  “Oliver! OLIVER!”

  Her heart was breaking. It had been breaking since that moment during the burial, when the shock had passed, and Primrose had hugged her, and her whole world fell apart.

  Suddenly, Melanie felt an embrace. It wasn't a physical feeling. More like someone was hugging her heart. It reminded her of flower fields, of endless blue skies and peace. It felt like a reminder that someday, the storm would end, and that everything would be alright. Melania sniffled, hiccuped, and wailed again.

  “It's not ok,” she sobbed. “Nothing will ever be ok again…”

  …

  Emerald closed her eyes as Melanie shook. She didn't want to be here, in a graveyard with a wailing woman, a woman who had seemed so happy just a day before.

  But somehow Emerald could feel that Melanie needed someone. And nobody else was here, so somehow Emerald had to be that person. Even though she was from decades in the past, and nobody could see or feel her. Even though she didn't have the faintest idea on how to be that someone.

  “Somehow,” Emerald said to herself.

  …

  Primrose jolted to the entrance of the graveyard not too far away from M. You could hear her weeping in the distance. Primrose heard the footsteps of the police officer behind her. She stopped running.

  “Stay back,” Primrose protested, “you being there would make matters worse.” Primrose continued to sprint to M. “M!” Primrose shouted.

  “Go. Away.” Melanie demanded. Primrose hasn't heard the voice of Melanie in months and the first words she heard was Go away.

  “B-bu-but it's me, Primrose, your best friend.” Primrose stuttered.

  “A friend wouldn't give me to the police.“ A tear flowed down Melanie’s face.

  “No, no, no you don't understand. I just want to” Primrose reaches out for her friend who is not even recognizable.

  “I said, GO AWAY!” Melanie turned her head to Primrose. Primrose gasped.

  “Look at what you've done to yourself! Just for a dream that will never come to life.” Melanie lets out a treacherous scream. She slowly gets up and approaches Primrose taking a step after every word she says.

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  “You don't understand what it's like to lose your everything!” Melanie screams out. “He will come back and he will love me like he always did and we will get our happy ending.”

  “Oilver would have never wanted this for you. And even if he magically came back. He wouldn’t want you because you’re not the Melaine I loved that was my best friend. You’re a monster. A thing no one will ever love” A tear runs down Primrose's face.

  …

  Emerald stared at Primrose, too shocked to even gasp. She glanced at Melanie, who was trembling.

  Melanie's fists clenched and unclenched, but she said nothing. Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.

  “Police! Everyone stop what you're doing.” The voice came from a few feet away, and Melanie jerked. With a final, broken glare at Primrose, she fled into the forest.

  Just then, a woman entered the graveyard. She wore a blue suit with some kind of black armor that only covered her chest. She had a metal badge clipped to her shoulder, and Emerald could see that it had words on it, though it was too dark for her to read it.

  The woman also wore a blue hat and a belt. There were many things on the belt that Emerald didn't recognize. So this is what a police officer looks like in the future, Emerald thought. She was surprised that the police officer was a woman. She had never heard of a female police officer before.

  “Where is she?” The woman asked Primrose. That was all Emerald had time to hear before she felt an odd tugging. She took a step back. I should follow Melanie.

  She turned around and ran into the woods where Melanie had run. She followed the tugging, and soon caught up to Melanie, on her knees and sobbing again under a tree.

  After a minute, Melanie sniffed and wiped her nose. Then she got up, not bothering to brush the dirt off her knees. “I'm on the run,” she said duly. She stared off into nowhere. Then sniffed again and started walking deeper into the forest.

  …

  Kasen took a step forward and face-planted into the ground. What did I just trip over? Kasen thinks to himself. Kasen turned around and sat up.

  “Emerald?” Kasen was baffled. Emerald layed on the ground, her eyes closed. Kasen turned and placed his hand on her cheek. “Emerald, Emerald! Please wake up!” Kasen started to shake her a bit. Kasen looks around for help but no one is around. Church has started. Kasen freaks out.

  Do I ask for help and risk revealing our powers?

  Or do I figure it out myself?

  Kasen had already made up his mind. Kasen slams open the church doors to everyone in the pews and the minister stares at him.

  “I NEED HELP EMERALD IS PASSED OUTSIDE,” Kasen shouted.

  To Kasen Emerald’s life is much more important than anything else in the world.

  …

  Kasen knelt on the ground as he held onto Emerald’s hand as she laid in her bed. Emerald’s father kept giving Kasen odd looks but he didn't care. Roselle stood next to Kasen, her eyes began to water up. James hugged his mother and rubbed his mother’s back.

  The doctor walked in with Rueben and Kasen let go of Emerald’s hand. Everyone sighed in slight relief since it had been hours since Rueben left for the doctor.

  “Kids, do you mind leaving the room?” Emerald’s mother muttered.

  James, Rueben, Kasen, and Roselle the room but James and Rueben stayed in the hallway where Roselle and Kasen left the house. As they walked out Roselle turned to Kasen.

  “Kasen, what's wrong with Em?” Kasen paused and turned to Roselle slightly flustered.

  “You want the truth?”

  “Of course, I want the truth!” Roselle lightly shoved Kasen.

  “You promise you won't think I'm crazy?”

  “I promise?” Roselle said, confused.

  “Emerald and I are time travelers.”

  “Ok that's just unbelievable,” Roselle said.

  “No! It's true, almost every time we touch we time-travel! And last time we time-traveled I came back but,” Kasen paused, “Emerald didn't.” Kasen tried to give his most serious to Roselle.

  “Wait… you're serious?!” Roselle put her hand on her forehead. “Why hasn't Em told me about this?” Roselle looked and mumbled to herself. She looked back up at Kasen, “okay how do we get her back?” she asked.

  “That's the thing,” Kasen scratched his head, “I have no idea.”

  …

  Emerald walked a few steps behind Melanie. Melanie has been walking for hours, silent and stony faced. Emerald was starting to get worried.

  The time travel never lasts this long, she thought. And I haven't seen Kasen at all.

  She sighed and looked up. Melanie was still walking. She looked so… lost.

  “I'm so sorry,” Emerald whispered , even though she knew Melanie couldn't hear her. But then Melanie slowed. She sniffled, and a single tear ran down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away. It was the first sign of emotion she had shown since they started walking.

  “There's a small town a little bit further,” she said. Emerald startled, then realized Melanie was talking to herself. “I can rent a room and hitch a ride there,” she continued. “And buy some food of course.”

  Food? Emerald thought. She couldn't eat like this– at least she didn't think she could. She couldn't pick anything up, so she probably couldn't eat either. What happens if I get hungry? Will I even get hungry like this? Will I starve if I do? The kernel of worry in her chest grew a little bit more.

  Kasen, she thought. Where are you?