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Elana, a beautiful Shadow painted Uni, walked around
her NeoHome looking for something to do. Cameron was playing with some toys
and she couldn’t find Manuela (her petpet) anywhere. Snow was falling down heavily
so she didn’t dare go outside. So Elana laid down and soon drifted off to sleep.
Her eyes popped open and then closed a little
as she sat up coughing. There was a thick, grey haze in her house. Elana soon
got her senses and frantically ran around the house looking for her brother.
“Cameron! Cameron! Where are you!” She heard crying from the kitchen and flew
to the sound. There, she found her brother, a baby Kougra, under the kitchen
table. She gathered him up and flew as quickly as she could out the front door.
Soon she realized her dad and petpet weren’t out there, as well.
As soon as Elana was about to go in, she was
caught from behind by a Chia in a firefighter suit. “I can’t allow you to go
in there,” he said seeming calm.
“I have to! My father and petpet must be in there,”
she rebutted as she tried to pull away from the firm grip. “Please, let me go.”
The Chia shook his head and held tighter as a
crew of Chias went into her NeoHome. Moments later, two emerged from the fire
with a huge box of Neopoints. They sat them down and waddled back into the house.
Elana sat down and held her brother who was still
crying. She was more worried now than she had ever been in her life. Her father
and petpet were missing and she was the only one there that could comfort her
poor brother. Elana didn’t know what else to do but hold him and sing gently
as she watched her house burn to the ground.
As all hope faded away, a familiar face emerged
from the crowd of onlookers. It was Darius, Elana’s father and a Noil dancing
around him. She ran to him and held him tight as he stood and watched in awe,
as everyone else had been doing.
“What happened, Elana?” he whispered, eyes still
on the remnants of the house. Elana looked up at him and began crying because,
deep in her heart, she thought this was all her fault.
***
“Thanks for letting us stay here tonight, Bethany,” Darius said as he walked
in the NeoHome. “We really appreciate it.”
“Not a problem. Sorry there isn’t more we can
do to help you out,” Bethany replied with a weary smile.
Anna, an Island painted Uni, emerged from the
family room and walked Elana and Cameron up to the guest room. They didn’t say
a word to each other. Anna was afraid so ask what had happened and Elana didn’t
feel the need to talk.
As she opened the door she smiled at Elana, but
Elana didn’t want to smile. She just lowered her head and walked into the room
where she laid down on a Funky Blue and Orange Bed. Anna bent her head and closed
the door as she stepped out with Cameron, still jubilant and unknowing of what
had happened.
About an hour later, Anna knocked on the guest
room door and opened it slowly. She carried a tray with Fajita Chips and Neocola
sitting on it. She smiled and walked over to Elana who was turned over on her
side staring out a window.
“I brought you some food. I didn’t know what
you wanted so I took a guess and brought you some Fajita Chips. You usually
like eating them.” Anna’s smile soon turned into a frown. She sat down the tray
and sighed as she sat down beside Elana. "I don't know what to do, Elana. You're
my best friend in the whole world and I want to help you but you won't let me.
You've been there for me from the day we met in Neoschool and I want to be here
now, Elana. Please let me." Anna looked at Elana, eyes full of tears. As a tear
began to run from her now swollen eyes, she stood and left the room without
another word.
Elana started to think about what Anna had said
Elana fell into a deep sleep, not touching her
food, and woke up late the next day. For a moment she forgot where she had been.
She just knew it wasn’t home. She got up, stretched, and soon walked out the
door and down to the kitchen. Her stomach was groaning from the lack of food
and she felt weak. She grabbed a peach, some nachos, and a milkshake and walked
ate them sitting on the floor.
Darius walked in, not seeing Elana, and grabbed
an apple. Shocked, he jumped at the sight of her. “Oh, Elana, you scared me,
hon. Since you’re here, I’ve got to talk to you,” Darius said was worry in his
voice. “How would you feel about getting a new NeoHome?”
Elana grinned and hugged him. She knew it would
be hard to replace her other home, but he was trying his best to make her happy.
Tears ran down her face and then onto the floor.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” he teased. “I went
and paid the 1,000 Neopoints and they’re building it now. Life on Mystery Island
will be great. You wait and see,” he said cheerfully.
“Mystery Island?” Elana asked. “We can’t live
on Mystery Island! I want to live here, in Neopia Central with Anna! I can’t,
no, I won’t leave her! She’s my best friend!” Elana stormed out of the kitchen
and ran back into the guest room.
Anna went into the kitchen where Darius was sitting
with his face in his hands. “Were they sure there was no way they could make
a house in Neopia Central?” she asked, tears swelling in her eyes. Darius nodded
and a tear rolled down Anna’s face as she turned to walk away.
Elana sat thinking about the few months she had
known Anna. She remembered when they had first met. When they spent Halloween
together. When she had gotten adopted. And when they had a wonderful Christmas
together. Only 3 months had past by but so many memories had come to be. Those
would be the only memories she would have to remember Anna by.
A few days past and Elana barely spoke or ate.
She didn’t want to. It hurt to bad for her. She knew she would have to say ‘bye’
sooner or later but she wanted it to come later than sooner.
When the day came that she would leave, she was
filled with many emotions she had never really felt before. It was peculiar
but Elana ignored it as much as she could.
Anna moped around her NeoHome all that day she
didn’t know what to say to Elana. She didn’t want to say anything but “See you
soon.”
Darius called up the stairs for Elana and she
slowly flew down. There, Anna awaited her, tears streaming down her face. At
the site of her friend the tears began to fall on her face as well.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye, huh?” Anna said
looking at her feet.
Elana sighed and replied, “Guess so. I’m sorry
for the way I’ve been acting the past few days. I didn’t want this moment to
ever have to come.”
“Yeah, I know how you feel, Elana,” Anna breathed.
“I’m going to miss you so much!” With this, Anna and Elana hugged and cried
for what seemed like hours but really was only seconds.
“So I guess I’ll have to see you whenever I see
you, won’t I?” Elana sniffled.
“Guess so,” Anna replied, again looking at her
feet.
Darius looked at his watch and put his hand on
Elana’s shoulder. “We’d better get going so we can get there before it gets
very late.”
Elana sighed and hugged Anna for the last time.
She smiled weakly and walked out the door, heading for a place unexplored by
her as Anna watched until there was nothing left but hoofprints in the snow.
The End
Author’s Note: This will be my last story with Anna and Elana in it. I
hoped you enjoyed my series of short stories as much as I have. As always,
thanks for reading!
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