When I get back to Adam's after spending the rest of the day at Elara's, I find him eating dinner in the kitchen."I would have waited for you if I knew you were on your way back. Here, sit down, I'll fix you a plate," he offers.I sit with him in the breakfast nook. "No, no, you eat. I'll grab something later.""When was the last time you ate?""Oh, you know, didn't I grab something before we left for the academy?"Adam sets down his fork and knife. "You told me that you would go to the cafeteria before class. What's going on? You can't tell me that you aren't hungry after not eating all day.""I don't know. I just haven't had much

"Call if you need anything, okay? We're always here if you need us," my mom says, standing in the doorway. I glance back and her and nod before walking down the porch steps. My bag is fuller now than yesterday—I grabbed a few things. Unlike the first time, I didn't take clothes or shampoo or toothpaste; I took the picture of my mom and me from my desk. The carved necklace of the moon goddess that I was gifted is stashed inside as well.Adam's truck is parked along the side of the road. My mom waves to him, and he waves back. It's better this way. Whenever my two worlds come together, there is always some sort of misunderstanding. There can never be a perfect translation, so maybe a wave and a smile are good enough. I peer back again when I get to the car door. My mom doesn't close the front door until Adam starts his truck, but once it's closed, I know it's time to switch to the ot

I have the most wonderful dreams of the most beautiful things. Some of it is small and simple, and the rest is so very big, so very vast and infinite in nature, filled to the brim with noise and color and entities beyond my own imagination. I entered this space inside my mind and believed I must have joined the essence of the universe—I must have merged with everything, body and soul—but when I saw him, I knew that I was somewhere else other than death. I saw his face but heard words of another."You will be Luna."Sometimes I hear it specifically as a whisper or a call, but other times I feel as if the idea has entered my mind as a thought placed by the will of someone else. I am open for anyone and everyone to peer inside or leave a message. It may not be the finality and deconstruction of death, but what I'm experiencing

Adam's father is an intimidating man. He keeps to himself, is quiet, and has this certain stare that I have never seen before; it's hard but compassionate, and I see it when he looks at Adam's mother. Adam's father and I have exchanged very few words over these weeks, but that seems to be enough. Adam's mother always does the majority of the talking, even from his perspective. When he doesn't feel like speaking—which is often—she voices his opinions for him. I think Adam's father has seen many terrible things. In his stare, it seems as if he is simultaneously sifting through memories, ones that are memorable for a reason.Alexander accidentally drops his fork, and the sudden clattering sound pulls me from my trance. I must have been looking at Adam's father for longer than I thought. He doesn't necessarily look like Adam, but there are a few features that they share like thei

I watch Adam and he lays peacefully beside me, the morning sun just beginning to rise and trickle into our bedroom. Abstract shapes of yellow sun are cast over the room, rectangles stretched on the wood floor and the cream walls, and I used to stare at them before getting out of bed. But now that Adam is here with me, I can look at him like I used to. I used to lay here and listen to his steady breaths. It wasn't often that I'd wake up before him, but with my father's power, my sleep schedule has been anything but normal.It's not a new concept to me anyway—to be awake at all the wrong times.Just as I note the pleasant silence, the bedroom door slowly opens. Ester pokes her head through, sees that I'm awake, then proceeds toward me with a tall glass of concentrated vitamins. She likes to juice things for me.