As Andrew and I walked up my front steps I was aware of everything: our fingers intertwined, our footsteps echoing in the cold night, his jacket across my shoulders, I was even aware of the letter and feather in my back pocket.

When I had sat down in my seat next to Andrew, the movie already having started, he leaned in close and whispered,

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Because you look really pale."

"Oh well um-" I didn't want to tell him about Mother Goose because I didn't want him to think I was crazy, like I myself do. So I just said, "I ran into someone. I don't know, it was just really weird."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah- yeah, I'm fine." That was when he grabbed my hand and our fingers were interlaced for the rest of the time.

Before I opened the door though Andrew grabbed my other arm with his free hand.

"What?" I said

"There's something different about you. Something different than the girl at school I see everyday."

"I rarely see you at school."

"I go out of my way to see you everyday." I felt my cheeks go hot.

"You do?"

"Of course."

"Well-" Before I could finish though, Andrew touches my face with one of his hands and kisses me on the cheek.

I felt warm as he kissed me, butterflies fluttered in my stomach. When he pulled away my cheeks were bright red.

"Wow," I said in a small voice. That was probably the stupidest thing to say at that point in time.

He smiled. "Goodnight Caia."

He turned and started walking down the driveway and made it to the sidewalk before I called out,

"Andrew!"

"Yeah?"

"Here. Your jacket." I took it off my shoulders and handed it to him

"Oh. Thanks. Well I hope to see you at school." He went to turn away but I kissed him on the cheek and smiled when they flushed pink.

"You just might." I turned and ran up the drive way to my house but looked back and smiled at Andrew who was still standing there watching me. Then I opened the door and went inside.

My father was still in his study, the rest of the lights were off though. I decided not to disturb him.

Instead I ran up to my room and locked the door. I was ecstatic that Andrew had kissed me but soon my mind redirected itself to the letter in my pocket.

I pulled in out and set the feather on my desk. I gently opened the envelope and pulled out a very formal looking piece of paper. It read,

Dear Caia,

Though you may or may not know it yet, you are a very special girl with a special purpose.
Whether this excites you or not, you are about to experience a big change in your life.
You are to use the magical feather I gave you to transport to The Protector's Castle on Tuesday at 8:00am. Please do not be late.
Wet the feather and then whisper the location, spin the feather, and you will be teleported.
Here you will join other young girls at your age who are also very special. You will be trained by The Protector for your purposes.

Many Good Wishes,
Mother Goose.

"Wow." Was all I said.

This was a lot to think about. I mean Andrew alone could stop me from going.

Oh will you stop. He's probably just trying to make you feel better.

I've had enough pitty to last me a lifetime.

Exactly because you're pitiful.

Well that wasn't very nice.

Oh shut up.

No you shut up! This voice inside my head was really mean. Wait- voice inside my head?

That's it. I'm going crazy.

I mean honestly. This is probably all just a stupid dream, I'll wake up tomorrow and Andrew and I will only be friends, there will be no freaky lady dressed up as mother goose giving me letters about a secret gang or whatever, and Cassy will still be alive.

I should just go to sleep. Maybe tomorrow things will go back to normal.

----------

When I woke up I immediately turned and looked on my desk, the letter was still there.

This can't be happening.

I looked at my alarm clock and it read, 2:03 a.m. Well what harm can a magic feather do? I'll do what it says and if nothing happens fine, I'll just go back to moping around. But about Andrew...

You didn't have a chance with him anyway, you never will.

This time I agreed with the voice, accepting my slow mental downfall into insanity as a gift of closure.

I got up very quietly and found my backpack. I dumped all of my stuff onto the floor. I got dressed into a white shirt and the same jeans I wore last night. The first thing I did was put a spare hoddie in the bottom of my backpack, alway have a spare hoodie.

Next I grabbed my brush, an extra pair of clothes, my toothbrush, my phone, and my phone charger. I stuffed all that into my bag then looked around my room.

Books.

Always bring a book, or maybe two, or three. I only grabbed two books and my e-reader though. I put them in my backpack and crept downstairs, careful not to make a sound.

When I reached the kitchen I grabbed my hidden stash of sour patch kids, pringles, a Take 5, and a bottle of rootbeer. I went back upstairs and put them in my bag.

When I was done I looked around my room just to make sure I didn't forget anything when I spotted it. The journal Cassy and I made with each other before she left.

On the day when her mom told me she had died I came home and threw it across the room. I wanted to destroy it so bad, but I couldn't bring myself to do it even if I did want to.

Instead I shoved it under my bed along with the small framed picture of her and I. I gave her the exact same one before she left. I told her to keep it by her side so she'd never forget me.

"How could I ever forget you?" She had said.

I told her I loved her as she got into her family's car.

"I love you too Caia, and I always will." That was the last thing she ever spoke to me in person other than goodbye which she screamed out the car window as her and her family drove off down the street. I wonder what's happened to that picture now.

"I love you Cassy, and I always will," I said outloud, and the sudden noise made me jump.

I didn't even realize I was crying. The tears came and I let them. I went to my backpack and put the journal and picture on top before closing it.

The tears were still falling as I sat down at my desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil.

Dear Mom, Dad, and Jackson...

I'm sorry that I didn't talk things over with you, but I've been offered an opportunity to help a lot of people, including myself. I don't know when I'll be able to talk to you guys again, but don't worry. I haven't been kidnapped or anything, I promise. I just need to figure some stuff out. Please tell Andrew I said thanks for making me feel better, but sorry, I can't go to school. I hope to see you all soon and I love you all soooooo much. Please don't worry.

Love,
Caia

I folded the letter up and set it on my pillow after making my bed.

I stared at myself for a long time in the mirror above the bathroom sink after I had put on my favorite hoodie and converses. The tears had stopped falling but I still felt an ache in my heart. I bent down and washed my face. When I stood back up, I made a promise to myself.

I will be strong.

For Cassy.

I grabbed my backpack and touched the letter in my back pocket.

After turning on the water and saying a silent prayer to God that whoever is behind this won't kill me and my family, I wet the feather and spun it.

"The Protector's Castle," I whispered.

To my surprise, a blue portal appeared and I actually stepped through it, but not before I looked at the clock which read 7:34.

----------

When I stepped out of the portal I had to blink a little to take in all that I was seeing.

It was a castle alright, I'll just say that for right now.

I looked around and heard voices off to my right. Not wanting ofiicially to be seen, I took a step and immediately regretted it because I stepped in a pool of water or something and fell flat on my back.

Smooth. I thought to myself

"Oww..." I groaned, but it came out more like a gasp. The fall knocked the wind out of me.

The voices came into the room I was in and I looked up, sadly, to see a a couple girls rushing towards me. My shyness kicked in and I looked around fratically to see if the portal was still there. It wasn't.

Of course it wasn't.

"Are you okay?" A thin girl was stadning over me. She had blond hair and green eyes.

I didn't say anything.

"Hey. Hey are you okay?" She looked more worried now, so I shook my head. Half to answer the girl, and half to shake myself out of the daze I was in.

"Yes? No? Can you talk? Were you asked to come here too?"

"Y-yes."

"Yes what? Yes you're okay?"

"Yes."

"So obviously yes you can talk?"

"Yes."

"Were you asked to come here too?"

"Yes."

"Jeez, Fawn. Calm down with the twenty questions." A girl said from behind Fawn.

"Well," she started standing up, "My name's Fawn. What's yours?" She reached down and offered me her hand, I gingerly took it.

"C-c-caia." I stammered. "Caia."

"Well Caia, nice to meet you." She introduced the girls that were with her.

"Hi." I said almost like a whisper

Wow I really need to work on my communication skills.

"Well welcome to the Protector's Castle I guess." She said looking around "I still have no idea why exactly we're here. So you got the letter and magical feather too?"

"Ye-yeah." I said

"Well so did we." She gestured to the other girls.

"Wh-what do we do now? I asked to no one in particular

"We don't know. We were looking for Mother Goose before we heard you fall. Want to come with?"

"S-sure." I didn't fancy being around too many more people, but Fawn seemed nice enough so I agreed.

"You know, you don't seem to talk much." I shook my head.

"Well that's alright. Hopefully you'll warm up soon. Lili's barely said a word." She and the other girls started walking down the opposite corridor from which they had come.

And I ran to catch up.