Landed Wings

chapter 32: REPORT



ASHLYNN

I wake up to with a queasy feeling in my stomach.

“It’s today Mocha.”

“I know Princess.”

“I’m scared Mocha.”

“I know that too. Look at me Ash.”

I open my eyes and look at him.

“You will be fine. And I’ll be there. Truly this time.”

I walk out, leaving him behind. I went through the same

process as yesterday in the shower, but when I get out, I

blow-dry my hair. If I was SkyBound, I would have just been able to take a quick flight but here they need machines to help then dry the hair fast. There are still a lot of preparations to make. I have to do my hair, and my makeup. It’s already eleven o clock, and my performance is at seven. That leaves me eight hours. My hair takes twenty minutes to dry. I still am not used to it, this red, brown, black. Mocha says it looks hot though I don’t know if I believe him. Everything looks hot to him. I walk into the kitchen and grab some cereal. There are Astro Circles, Sky Pebble’s, and the good and old-fashioned Peanut Butter Nest Crunch. Peanut Butter Nest Crunch it is. Mocha comes out of the bedroom.

“Are you done?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, I’m going in. Wait, are you about to eat that? Why do you like that stuff?”

“How can you like something called “Sky Pebble’s? The

cereal looks like asteroids - it’s so cliché.”

“Yeah but Nest Crunch turns to mush as soon as you pour the milk.”

“I love mushy cereal.”

He sighs and shakes his head sadly.

“There’s no teaching good taste.”

I copy his head movement.

“You don’t know what you’re missing.”

I grin at him as I pour my cereal. He rolls his eyes and walks into the bathroom.

“Yeah, I’m missing mush.”

He mutters it, but I still hear. I roll my eyes and grab the

Almondmilk out of the fridge. I pour a liberal amount because I like my cereal to swim. I grab the remote and plop down on the couch to put on the news. I’ve been out of touch for a while. I flip to the news channel. Nothing really exciting. Someone’s exotic bird was stolen, some woman tried to fly-walk her cat, a girl was missing…I choke on my cereal. It’s Raven! I turn the news channel up louder and the reporter is talking about a girl named Raven Drave who went missing from Valor Town two days ago. There’s been no sign of her since yesterday morning. Her face pops up on the screen. Then mine does and the reporter says that, “another teen who was in fact a friend with Raven went missing weeks ago. The authorities think that there may be a connection between the two disappearances. Sky Patrol doesn’t have any leads, anyone with information on any of the two missing girls should contact the missing person’s hotline at …”

What does this mean? Why is Raven missing? Mocha walks out of the shower.

“Mocha! Raven is missing!”

“Who’s Raven?”

“One of my best friends? The twin?”

“Oh, oh yeah, Raven. What do you mean missing?”

“I mean she’s missing. Gone, it was on the news. It can’t be a coincidence, her missing so close to this gala.”

“Why would they take Raven?”

I know just who he means. Only they would’ve done it.

“I don’t know…to send me a message? To convince me its better to go home?”

“That would make sense…Ash, if you found out that she had Raven would you give up and go home to save her?”

“Yes! In a heartbeat.”

“Your mother probably knows that. We need to tell Ginger.”

“What about Raven? ”

“I don’t know…we’ll figure it out when after we talk to

Ginger.”

He walks over to the phone and dials her number.

“Hello?”

“Ginger, it’s me Mocha. There’s a situation.”