Mari Mancusi - Scorched

She was about to find out.

Mom crowed triumphantly as she found the present she’d been looking for. Lifting it from the pile, she set it on Trinity’s lap, her face shining as she looked from the gift to her daughter. “Here you go, honey,” she said. “You can open this one early. Just don’t tell your grandpa. He thinks everyone should wait till Christmas morning.”

Trin drew in a breath, bit her lower lip, then carefully undid the wrapping. She knew she should be hurrying—they were running out of time in the real world—but it was so nice to be here—to finally be allowed to live through that stolen day—she couldn’t help but drag out the moment a little longer. Pulling off the paper, she gasped as she found an ornate golden music box inside. Lifting the lid revealed a small princess, pirouetting to a simple tune.

She looked up. “Oh, Mom, it’s your music box!”

She’d wondered where the box had disappeared to when they’d come back to clean out the house. She never would have guessed her mom had wrapped it and put it under the tree. It must have gone to charity, along with the rest of the presents.

Her mother smiled, her eyes misting with tears. “Your father gave me this,” she told Trinity. “He told me when you were old enough that I should give it to you.”

Her father. Trinity turned to her mother, realizing this might be her one and only opportunity to know. “What happened to my father?” she asked in barely a whisper.

But before her mother could answer, the room started to shake. The walls began to buckle and a long crack ripped down the ceiling. Trinity grabbed on to her mother, her eyes darting around the room, terror gripping her like a vise.

“Mom, we have to go!” she cried. “We can’t be here anymore!” The dream world was collapsing. They didn’t have much time.

“But your grandpa’s coming over,” her mom protested. “We’re about to celebrate Christmas.”

Trinity shook her head. “Mom, this never happened. It’s all in your mind, holding you trapped here. It’s time to wake up so we can escape!”

Her mother’s face crumbled. “No,” she whispered. “I don’t want to go back.”

“Mom, you have to. You can’t stay here! You don’t know what they plan to do!”

Her mom broke away, her face white and her eyes terrified. “Do you think I don’t know?” she whispered hoarsely. “I’ve always known. Your father told me. And I was going to tell you. They took me away before I could!”

Trinity had no idea what her mother was talking about, but it didn’t matter now. The carefully constructed dream world was collapsing out from under them and if they didn’t leave now, they would be trapped here forever.

“Please, Mom!” she begged, tears running down her face. “Come with me!”

But her mother only reached out, swiping away Trin’s tears with careful fingers. She looked at her daughter with fondness in her eyes as she slowly shook her head. “I was waiting to give you your Christmas,” she told her gently. “To keep the promise I made. Now I have. And I’m free to go. Now I can finally say good-bye.” She leaned forward to press a kiss on Trinity’s forehead. “I love you, baby girl. Merry Christmas.”

Trinity closed her eyes, trying to memorize the moment as best she could. A single, perfect moment to relive over and over again for the rest of her life.

“I love you too, Mom,” she whispered. “Merry Christmas at last.”

Trinity burst from the Nether, the gem’s dust seeping through her hands. She looked up to find Connor and Caleb watching her with strained faces. She turned to look at her mother. Her eyes had closed. Her face relaxed. Her mouth turned up at the corners in a serene-looking smile. Free at last, just as she’d wanted.

Two years ago, her mother had promised her a real Christmas in a real home. A family Christmas, just as Trin had always begged for. And so she’d held on, all this time, waiting patiently in the Nether for her daughter to finally come home. So she could keep her promise at last.

“Good-bye, Mom,” Trinity whispered, reaching out to trace a cold cheek with her fingers. She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come. The woman had clung to life two years longer than the universe had intended her to; now it was time to let her go. Trin smiled down at her mother, then pulled the emerald ring from her finger and slipped it into her hand.

I’m a lot like Mom, she said to herself. And the thought made her smile.

“Come on,” Connor urged, interrupting. “We have to get out of here. Now!”

Trin nodded, forcing her mind back to the present. But as she rose to her feet, something fell from her lap. She looked down, shocked to find the music box her mother had given her while in the Nether now lying at her feet. How did she bring it back with her? That should have been impossible…

“Come on, Trin!” Caleb urged. “Let’s go!”

She grabbed the box and ran, deciding to puzzle it out later, following the two boys out of the room and down the dark hallway. Emmy met them at the split, her eyes anxious and her expression grim.

They’re coming! she cried. Hurry!

“Wait!” Trinity protested. “What about the other dragons?”

Caleb shook his head. “There’s nothing left,” he told her. “The other Dracken must have come by and taken the healthy ones with them, then burned the rest so the government couldn’t extract their DNA. There’s just ashes down there. Nothing left to save.”

Trinity could feel Emmy’s horror rising within her and tried to send comforting thoughts to her dragon to ease her distress. The last thing she needed was for Emmy to lose control now. But deep inside, she couldn’t help but worry. Darius had been captured, but the other Dracken were still at large. And they had dragons at their disposal—maybe not the healthiest of dragons, but dragons all the same.

This is not over , she realized, a cold chill creeping into her bones. Not by a long shot.

But for now, there was nothing they could do. And so they raced through the parking garage, toward the elevator, getting on board and shooting up to the world above. When the doors slid open, they tumbled out the back of the mall. The sun was so bright Trinity was forced to squint. It had been so long she’d almost forgotten what it looked like.

“Come on,” Connor urged, grabbing her hand. “This way!”

She followed him to a black van parked nearby. He yanked open the door, then ushered her inside. She crawled in, her eyes widening as she realized who was driving their getaway vehicle.

“Grandpa!” she cried, throwing her arms around him and squeezing him tight—the real-life hug a thousand times better than the Fields of Fantasy one had been. She breathed in deep, rejoicing in the faint scent of tobacco clinging to his shirt. She’d have to scold him about smoking later. Right now she was just too happy to see him.

“Welcome home, kiddo!” he said with a grin.

Trinity laughed. “There’s no place like it,” she declared. And this time, she meant it.

Grandpa chuckled, then turned the key in the ignition. The van roared to life and they pulled out of the parking lot and into the night. Soon they were speeding down the highway, the mall and all its horrors fading into the distance. Emmy settled comfortably on Trin’s shoulder, resting her head against the backseat, purring happily. As if to tell her, my home is wherever you are.

Trinity watched the mall disappear out the back window until she could see it no more. Then she turned to the boys.

“So now what?” she asked. “Got any ideas of what we should do next?”