The portal I walked through felt like I was walking through a door; a door to reality and what my life really was. That whole time I was with the Smashers and Robin, whom I called my true family, was all for naught. I automatically assumed that being in a whole different world would mean that everything was infinitely better, but I guess I was wrong.
Not to my surprise, the portal had opened just as where the portal to the Smash dimension had opened in the first place. And of course, it was in my runaway place, the secret garden. The garden Robin and I treasured for so long before we were cruelly separated, and then reunited once more. But it wasn't a treasure anymore, not to me. It was a bad dream now, nothing more.
I left hastily, weaving through the trees and the bushes. Each thing I saw would look no different from the garden at the mansion. I focused my eyes on the road, which was directly ahead of me.
That road held so many memories. They may not have been great ones, but nonetheless it's the truth. I neared to the exit of the forestry and before I knew it, I was on the road again. I had forgotten what my own neighbourhood looked like, after not thinking about it very much. It looked the same, yet different. It was most likely the effect of passed time.
I wondered if there was much of a time difference between the two dimensions, as I walked down the same path I had always known. Maybe my family had moved, or the so much time had passed that they won't recognise me anymore.
I accidentally lost my footing, and I unknowingly used the staff in my right hand to keep me from falling. I hadn't noticed before hand, but Willow had come through the portal with me. I felt conflicted however; I didn't know whether I was happy or sad. I had dragged my only friend into my problems, but he was still a friend by my side. I gripped Willow harder, and increased in pace so I could get out of me current clothes. It was another bad memory; when I first woke up in the mansion.
I eventually reached the front of my old home, and the first thing I noticed was the door. It was wide open, as were all the other windows of the house. Something suddenly occurred to me, and I ran to the side of the house to where the stable was.
Hoping and praying that I was going to see Paloma again, improved my mood a little. I rounded the corner and the stable door was wide open, with a bouquet of flowers tied to the fence. To my dismay, Paloma was gone.
I should have known better than to have ever had my hopes up, for anything. In the end it's always crushed by a weight of despair. It seemed that I hadn't obviously learned my lesson yet. But in the end I don't think I well ever stop hoping, because my human nature wouldn't let me.
I trudged back to the front of the house. The nearer I got, I heard a television blaring, and it sounded like it was the daily news report. I stopped at the front step, and readied myself for a reuniting that may be the worse in my life. I breathed deep, and slowly entered.
To my left was the living room where my family, Jayla, mum and dad, were all sitting on the couches together. They all sat next to each other, huddled as if they were preserving warmth. Dad sighed, and turned off the television, as I quickly hid behind the doorway.
"Well, there goes another report... maybe she-"
"Don't you dare say it Cory. You don't know for sure."
"Yeah well, neither do the police."
"It's fine, mum. I know... I know she's gone. And it's all my fault."
Are they... are they talking about me? It couldn't be true. They didn't love me like they loved Jayla, they probably didn't even care that I left. Even just after two minutes I still hadn't learned that "hope" was poison to the heart, because I was doing it again. Hoping.
"Oh Jayla. It isn't your fault, you had nothing to do with-"
"But I did! If only I had been a better sister to her, I know she would still be here right now. I know it!"
Oh please, no Jayla. Even though her voice was a little different than when I had last heard it, it was clear that she was suffering. It... it sounded like they all were.
"I HATE myself! Why did I treat her like that!? I never really wanted her to leave!"
"Jayla, sweetie... just calm down-"
"No! She's gone and I... I never told her that I loved her!"
At the first sound of those words, my feet took over and I sprinted into the living room where Jayla stood, facing mum and dad. Her eyes were red and her face was distraught. I dropped Willow onto the ground, and I ran for an embrace with my little sister.
"I love you too, Jayla!" I cried into her shoulder. I knew what I just did, and now I am even happier that I am where I am supposed to be, with my real family. Away from the people who had the gall to lie to me for a whole year. At least these people weren't lying; they were downright honest.
"Who... who are you?" my mother choked out. I was a little taken aback by the question, but soon realised they probably didn't recognise me by my new appearance. I let go of Jayla, and she still had tears trickling down. I smiled to her before I turned around to face my parents.
"...It's me, Iquiss-"
...That isn't my name.
"Who? Tell us who you are," dad said sternly, like it was almost a threat.
... But what's my name?
"Ingrid." At mention of the name, my head turned behind me to Jayla, whose eyes were wide. "It's really you, isn't it?" she squeaked out.
"Yeah... it's me," I smiled to her, in which she smiled back. She breathed slowly, before pulling me into another hug where she cried more.
"I'm so sorry for everything Ingrid! I-I never really meant to hurt you like that! I didn't want you to l-leave me, ever!" She ranted on and on, saying one thing after another. I just smiled, hearing the words I have longed to hear for so long.
"Ingrid!?" My parents jumped out of the couch and joined in the group hug. Mum and Jayla were weeping just as much as each other, and dad just held all of us close.
"Oh Ingrid, my little girl..."
"What happened to you?" Dad asked softly, knowing that I wasn't an intruder in their family. I broke away from them, and I laughed a little.
"Well, it's a long story really." There was no way to put it. I didn't have the confidence to.
"That doesn't matter right now, because you're home again." Mum spoke up. "We are so... so sorry for everything. You never deserved to be treated like that, Ingrid."
"Do you think maybe... you could forgive us?" Jayla asked nervously. I looked at all of them, what with their teary eyes and happy faces. I brought them all in for another big hug.
"I forgave you guys ages ago." Of course that wasn't the truth, but it felt like I did. I felt as though I held no resentment to these people, who took me in and cared for me all these years.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"How do I look?" Jayla asked me as she twirled her flawless dress in front of the mirror, whilst I sat cross-legged on her bed.
"Just like a princess, milady."
"Aww shucks, you flatter me dear sister." We both laughed and joked, something we had never done before with each other.
"You know, I always wanted to do stuff like this. With you I mean," she spoke. My chest fluttered at her confession, and it made me happy.
"If you wanted to, then why didn't you ask me?"
"I was too scared too. Since we're 3 years apart, I thought you wouldn't want to..." I walked up to her and gave her an awkward side hug.
"Age shouldn't matter, we're sisters after all!" She smiled a cheesy smile, and nodded.
"Girls, are you ready? We're going to miss our reservation!" Mum called from downstairs. Jayla and I responded in synch, and raced each other down to meet with mum and dad.
"You're girlies look beautiful!" Dad exclaimed, but quickly added on, "If any boy asks you out, just let them know I have my shotgun in the garage." We all laughed before walking out of the front door, and into the car.
After our emotional reuniting earlier in the day, which turned out to be in the morning, mum and dad said we all had to go out for dinner tonight to celebrate my return. Jayla was in charge of dressing me up and doing my makeup, which was some great sister-bonding time.
Dad wouldn't tell me where we were going for dinner, despite me purposefully being annoying. Eventually, dad pulled up into a car park and I saw that we were in the most expensive restaurant in the city. Mum says its only expensive because "good food doesn't come cheap."
...Maybe they really do love me...
We sat at a candlelit table by a window, where the most gorgeous view of the night sky and the stars could be seen. We talked a lot, and they asked questions about where I was and how my hair changed colour. I told them I explored all kinds of new places far from home. As for my hair, I told them I bleached it.
"Hey, going back to that age thing back home Ingrid? You missed my 13th biiirthdaaay," Jayla suddenly brought up and laughed cheekily.
"What? Really? What day is it?" I asked. After all this time, I never knew what time it was, what day it was, or even what month it was. As far as I was concerned, I am pretty sure I didn't know what year it was either.
"Ingrid," dad put his hand on my shoulder pretending to be dramatic, "The month is September. The date is the 13th, and worst of all..." he stared in the distance to add affect. "The day is Monday."
"Nooooooo!" I joked along, throwing my hands in the air like it was the end of the world.
"That means your birthday was only a week ago!" I exclaimed in realisation.
"That's right! So, that means you owe me a present," Jayla smirked. I pretended that I was greatly offended.
"What? But I thought my presence was gift-worthy enough!"
"Hmmm... not quite." She stuck her tongue out and we kidded all night long.
These people are my real family. They love me.
~ ~ A/N ~ ~
Here's a chapter, since it's been a long time since I updated. :)