Emily and Jordan stared at each other in silence, neither of them willing to be the first to speak first.
Emily bit the inside of her cheek, feeling uncomfortable with the long drawn out silence.
Jordan looked too shaken too speak, he was yet to process all that had happened.
He didn’t know if he was surprised about the magic the cube possesses or that Emily had known all along and had been coming here in secret for days and gotten to even know one of these strange beings that could kill her if they wanted to.
She didn’t know what they were like, or anything much about their customs and culture, and she just behaves and speaks however she likes around them.
He was too scared to act out of line and be punished for it.
“Emily” at last, Jordan had spoken, his voice still shaken with fear and shock, “Who is he?
Where are we?!” Emily flashed a shy smile, “We’re in Elven city, Jordy.
And don’t worry, they’re really nice here, I promise!” She held up her pinky finger, proposing a pinky promise to him, but Jordan remained resolute and unmoved, “Emily…
how did we get here?” Emily withdrew her hand and nervously fiddled her fingers, “I told you…
it’s the ruby cube” She slowly took out the cube and placed it on the table, and Jordan watched the cube give off its soft glow.
Emily sighed, “I think this is why my grandma liked it so much…
it’s magic.
It helped her get many stories and she told me” Jordan narrowed his eyes at the gadget before him, “No…
it’s…
just a toy” “Why are you so scared?” Emily huffed, she stood up on the chair and looked down at him, “I brought you here because you’re my best friend in the whole world Jordy, and I didn’t want to hide it from you.
I want you to like what I like…
and…
I like this place” Jordan pushed himself out of his seat, “I don’t like what you like, Emily.
You should have told me first before taking me here.
I don’t want to be here.
I don’t like being here” Emily’s eyes widened, tears threatening to fall, “Well I didn’t like it when all you did was play with this stupid toy all day without even thinking of me!
I never said anything!” Jordan gritted his teeth, “Emily, take me home.
I want to see my dad now” Emily sniffled, a tear fallen from her face, “No!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, “No!
Trust me!
Believe me!
You’ll like it here, Jordy.
I promise!” Jordan folded his arms, unwilling to bend, even though he was hurting.
A part of him wanted to stay, an adventurous part, but everything else in him thought of the dangers he might put both himself and Emily in, and not just them…
what if the parents come back only to find them missing.
Emily was on the verge of bawling her eyes out and throwing a tantrum like a toddler, but she stood her ground, occasionally letting the tears fall freely down her face and her voice being too cracked to carry on.
“I…
want to go home” Jordan whispered softly, but loud enough for Emily to hear over her sniffling and heavy breathing.
Emily wiped the snot and tears from her face and got down.
She grabbed the cube and roughly handed it to Jordan.
She sniffled and said in a low croaky voice, “The story’s over” In less than a second, Jordan had been carried back through a portal.
After a few minutes, Gabe strolled in with a basket full of crops and food.
He whistled melodiously as he closed the door behind him.
“Would you two care for some soup?
I’ve got something special for today, whaddya say-” Gabe turned to see Emily alone at the table, sitting on the chair, but her head on the table and her hands around her head.
“Um, where’s Jordan?” Gabe asked, slowly setting down the basket in a corner.
Emily sniffed, and mumbled while her head was still flat on the table, “He left.
Ran away.
He couldn’t trust his own best friend” Gabe felt his heart clench at that, “What happened?” Emily brought her head up and rubbed her red puffy eyes, “I…
I told him how I felt and then I got mad and then I said things and he didn’t want to stay so I yelled and, and, and…” Emily choked and spluttered on about the incident and Gabe lent her his shoulder to cry on, comforting her by gently rubbing her back in a soothing circular motion.
Gabe shushed her when she finished, “Emily, not everyone can be as brave as you” He wiped another fallen tear from her face, “Some people are okay with new things like you and me” Emily hiccuped and Gabe softly placed a hand on her red flushed cheeks, “And others need time to adjust to all this” “It can all be very overwhelming for someone” he continued.
“O-Overwhelming?” Asked Emily.
“Too much” Gabe explained, “It can be too much for someone to handle.
They might see or think things that you didn’t see or didn’t thought” Emily giggled at his attempt to be silly by playing with words, Gabe smiled and poked her nose playfully, “It was good of you to listen to him and take him back home…
at least he can have some time to really sit down and think” “You think he’ll come back?” Emily asked, hopefully.
Gabe smiled, “Well, if he’s who you said he is, then I know he’ll be back.
He’s brave too, you know?
Just in a different way” Emily smiled, “Thanks Gabe.
I hope he comes back soon”.
She scratched her head and muttered, “Because I can’t get home without the cube” Gabe snapped his head back in her direction and nearly screamed, “WHAT?!”