Light exploded everywhere, and Bo Chez held my hand so tight it hurt. The wind roared and lightning whipped around us in the black tunnel. We shot through the darkness, faster and faster. Then Finn stood before us in the attic in a T-shirt and jeans again. A smile spread across his freckled face.
It was over. We were home. We were alive.
Finn piled on me in one leap. “Joshua! That was like a minute. I just had time to change.”
“But it’s been longer than that since we last saw you.” I peeked out the window. The rain had stopped. The yellow sun shone bright from a clear, pale blue sky, and the creek roared past the house, full from the recent rain.
Finn plucked at Leandro’s bow, and I placed it on a nearby chair. It looked so out of place in our world. Then Finn ran to the attic stairs. “Where’s Sam?”
“He decided to stay,” I said.
He nodded as if he understood.
Bo Chez put his watch to his ear and shook it. “If this thing still works, just the night has passed. It’s morning now.”
“But we’ve been gone for days,” I said.
“Different world, different time,” Bo Chez said.
“And now we have our own time again,” I said.
“So let’s make the most of it, boys.”
Finn and I nodded at each other. I felt in my back pocket for my mother’s photo. We had both been stolen away to the Lost Realm and traveled back home again. I remembered Sam’s flute and drew it out, put it to my lips, and blew. A horrible squeal burst out and a bird squawked outside my window in response. I had no idea what it said. It was the end of musical powers and malumpus-tongue for me back on Earth. About time.
I looked down at the dark sun brand on my arm and tried to once again read the words encircling it. The Greek letters made no sense to me now, but it reminded me to appreciate all the freedoms in my life. More permanent were the brands on my heart. Leandro. Sam. Charlie. I wondered if I’d meet any of them again.
Deep tiredness sank in, but more than a nap, I was desperate to be normal again.
“Still wanna play hide-n-seek, Finn?” I said.
He laughed. “Nah. How about we go outside and build our fort?”
“Can we?” I tugged on Bo Chez’s shirt.
He acted like we’d insulted him. “What, you don’t want to hear one of my stories instead?”
“Bo Chez, we’ve lived the story.”
“Then get out of here before it starts raining again.” He put his hands on his hips. “I’ll make us all some pancakes and ice cream sodas. Then we all need hot showers. And a good long sleep. Want to stay another night, Finn?”
“As long as we don’t go anywhere!” And with that, Finn took off down the stairs. “Race ya to the yard!”
But I still had one thing left to do. I pulled the lightning orb out of my pocket and handed it to Bo Chez. He put his big hand around it. We held it together, our connection between worlds and history. The orb’s blue glowed between our fingers, then dimmed, but I knew what kind of power lay hidden within it—and within me. Knowing it would still be there whenever I needed it, I let go.
I took off down the attic stairs, after Finn, and burst into the yard. Something made me stop and turn back to look up at the attic window. Bo Chez stood there, arms crossed, looking down at us through the shattered glass. Watching over me.
He broke into a grin. I waved at him and dashed after Finn under the safe, sunny sky.
The lightning was gone. For now.