Welcome back to another chapter of Random Branches! In the last chapter Lily Zenteri was born and Kyle Williams became a teenager. Leia’s remaining brothers and uncle (Canderus, Wolfgang, and Sion) also passed away. And now on with the story.
“Why don’t I live with my biological dad?” Kyle asked, “I know my biological mom’s dead. And Mom and Albus never talked about my biological dad around me, or at least I don’t remember if they did.”
James looked at Terena and sighed. “I don’t know all of the story. Your mom and I weren’t close enough for her to tell me about her ex. Albus likely knows the full story, but he’s busy with the tour for the next few months. So I’ll do the best I can. Ok?”
“Yea.”
“Your parents used to date. You weren’t unwanted. I don’t know if you were planned or not, though. Your parents split up after you were born. Your father starts stalking your mom and harassing her. And the crash that killed your mom was caused by your father. He died in the crash as well.”
“My dad killed my mom?” Kyle’s voiced cracked.
“He did. I’m sorry.”
“Oh. I had hoped he had died in another way. Or was just too busy and didn’t want me that much. Like Albus…”
“Woah. Hold up. Terena and I didn’t adopt you because Albus didn’t want to. Albus tried to adopt you. But Albus isn’t made of money and he had a two bedroom apartment and a job that requires him to move around for months at a time. Social services denied his request to adopt you. He then asked Terena and I to adopt you so that he could still be in your life.”
The two continued to talk and James answered as many questions he could about Kyle’s parents.
A few weeks later and Adama was starting school. It was a few weeks into that school year, when Kyle found a note stuck in his locker at the end of the day. He opened the letter and it read:
We have your parents and grandparents. They’re too happy. We also as a result have your baby sister. We will leave you an orphan again and we’ll make your brother an orphan as well if you do not produce the person or persons who lessened the curse. We’ll kill your baby sister as well. And your grandparents. But we’ll start with your parents. You have one week to do so.
He shakily put his stuff in his back pack and headed outside. He camped on the playground equipment and waited for the elementary school to get out. No way was he going to let Adama walk into the trap at home. Since he had a couple hours to wait, he decided to try to figure out who to go to. Albus was still on tour so he couldn’t go to him. He didn’t have either of his aunts’ phone numbers so he looked on his phone for any family members’ number or address. He’d show up unannounced if he had to.
He dialed the only one he had. Mission McDaniels. He had called her for help on a science project the previous year.
“Hey, Kyle. I’m a bit tied up at work. It’s not a good time,” Mission said.
“I’m sorry, Mission, but this is an emergency. Some guys claiming my parents are too happy have taken them, my grandparents, and Lily hostage. I don’t know what to do. They want me to find out who lessened the curse.”
“What about Adama?”
“He’s at school still. I don’t want Adama to be in the same boat I am, Mission. I can’t let him become an orphan.”
“Orphan? What did that note say?”
“That if I don’t find who lessened the curse and have them at the house then they’ll start killing. And they’ll start with James and Terena. They… they also said, they’d kill Lily.”
“I don’t know for sure who lessened the curse, but I’ve got a good idea who did. We’re going to Moonlight Falls. I’m currently in Bridgeport. You guys still live in Midnight Hollow, right?”
“Yea. Though I think we’re moving soon. James mentioned something about finding a house in Twinbrook.”
“Well, they weren’t talking near Leia then. At Wolfgang’s funeral we got talking about Darius, us old farts at least, with some of the Immortal Council of Moonlight Falls. One of the comments made was that our family used to live in Twinbrook. That that’s where Great-grandpa Sinbad and Great-Grandma Mira were born. Matias, a genie, said that the house wasn’t sold. To reduce the paper trail to the new house in Moonlight Falls. But let’s stay focused on the issue at hand. When does Adama get off from school? 3 pm?”
“Yea. 3 pm. Why?”
“It’s faster if I have us teleported to Moonlight Falls instead of me driving. Moonlight Falls is on the other side of the country. So call me when you get Adama’s attention.”
The two finished the call and hung up.
3 pm didn’t come quick enough for Kyle. Luckily, being so close to the school means that Adama usually walked home unless it was raining and luckily, it wasn’t raining. “Adama,” Kyle said.
“What are you still doing here, Kyle?” Adama asked, “You obviously haven’t gone home since you’re wearing your back pack still.”
“Waiting for you. We’re not going home. Remember the phone calls and letters that would get our parents and grandparents upset?”
“Yea. And what do you mean we’re not going home?”
“Well, the people who made those calls and wrote those letters are at our house. They were nice enough to leave me a note. We’re going to go see some people in Moonlight Falls. I need to text Mission to let her know we’re ready. We’ll figure out what to tell the school when the dust settles. At least we have a couple of days since today’s Friday.” Kyle said and texted Mission.
As soon as Mission got off the phone with Kyle, she told her boss a family emergency had come up and she was going to be gone for unknown amount of time. Then she did a quick prayer that the paparazzi didn’t get wind of this. Things could get ugly if the situation ended up on the news.
She dialed up Nicholai.
“Mission, what do I owe this call to? I would expect your twin over you considering,” Nicholai said.
“Kyle got a note from some guys saying that Leia and Max were too happy and that they’ve taken them hostage. If the person who lessened a curse doesn’t show up within the week at the house, they’ll start killing. They said they’d even kill Lily.”
“Lily? Who’s Lily?”
“James and Terena’s two year old.”
“They’d kill a toddler to make a point?! And give the note to someone whom the curse doesn’t even apply to?”
“Well, the oldest kid not in the house is only five. I’d give it to the thirteen year old myself as well. But yes, they’d kill a toddler. I’m calling now as it’s quicker for you to teleport us in.”
“I’ll have to get permission on Kyle. We haven’t revoked permission on Rands and their decedents. But Kyle doesn’t fit those requirements.”
“He’s a thirteen year old boy, Nicholai. Teleport him anyway and ask for forgiveness. And it’s not like we’re asking him to be able to live there.”
“Fine. Where are Kyle and Adama?”
“Midnight Hollow. But Adama’s still in class. I told Kyle to text when he’s got Adama. I can’t lose my sister, Nicholai.”
“Alright. I’ll wait for your word. And they must be using non-magical creatures. I put up spells that would alert me if a magical creature crossed the barrier. Or they stopped and checked and took mine down before they crossed it. Let’s hope for the former. They’d have to be a powerful witch to take down my spells. I don’t intend on letting her die, Mission.”
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Mission then went home, explained to Jordan what was going on, and packed her bags. When Kyle texted Mission, she let Nicholai know. And soon she was in Moonlight Falls, in her old house.
And that’s it for the chapter! What will happen to the Zenteris? Will Nicholai be able to get a plan together to save them all? Find out in chapters to come.
Progress towards Max’s goals:
- Join Film career (Plumbob Pictures Backlot, may need to place it) – Achieved behind the scenes Chapter 3.1
- Max writing – Level 6
- Max charisma – Level 10 – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 3.8
- Become level 5 celebrity – 5 stars – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 3.13
- Have kid – Achieved Chapter 3.10 with the birth of Hermione
- Reach Level 10 of the Actor branch – Level 10 – Superstar Actor – Completed Chapter 3.13 behind the scenes
Progress towards James’ goals:
- Join Military Career – Completed Chapter 4.0
- Level Ten Military Career – Level 7
- Max Athletic skill – He’s at level 10, maxed behind the scenes Chapter 4.5
- Max Hardiness skill – He’s at level 8
- Buy out a business
- Adopt – Achieved Chapter 4.4 when James and Terena adopted Kyle Williams.
Progress toward’s LTW’s
- Leia – Professional Author: Earn $4000 a week in royalties – currently earning $4000+ a week – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 3.8
- Maximus – Superstar Actor – Superstar Actor – Level 10 – Completed Chapter 3.13 behind the scenes
- James – Become Astronaut – Level 7
Random Branches 