HARMONY

Rebekah's point of view:

I stop to catch my breath, I don't have money at the moment, I used all the money in my pocket to pay for the bus. I can barely see the farm.

Maybe if I continue walking I'll meet someone going the same way.

I drag my feet with exhaustion.

I'm alone. I have no one. Everyone seems to be against me. I don't understand. I have no family? My own parents would dump me in a farm.

I spot a white car miles away in front me. It' no use anyway, I'm going forward, and it's going back where I left my Mom.

As the car gets closer, I realise who it is. Seth. The Lambo slowly comes to a stop, and he emerges out of the car.

Seth?.

"Get in," he instructs.

"What are you doing here?"

He asks back, "What are you doing here?" He walks closer.

I stay silent and remember...I'm not your real Mom.

I break down and wrap my arms around his neck.

"What's wrong?" He hugs me back around my waist. "Please talk to me."

"Just hug me please,"

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Yeah," I respond in a brittle voice.

***

And yes you guessed right, I'm in his car. I didn't have a choice, his the last person I want to see, but yet his the only one I'm seeing. When I got in I found my bag and everything inside it, safe and sound.

"Are you okay?" he asks

"Leave me alone," I look to the window holding tightly to my backpack.

Do you think I'm being dramatic? Why did I even hug him? I'm still mad at him!

"Okay…" He puts his hand on the steering wheel and right hand turns the key and starts the car.

"I'm sorry."

I don't respond.

"I had no choice, Rebekah," he continues.

I place my head against the window and my eyes looking down.

"She's not my real mom," I sadly say, "that means I'm alone in this world, no place to call home. No one. Nothing."

"You're not alone, you're never alone,"

I scoff and look out the window, "easy for you to say,"

"Wait, how did he know she was not my mom? Did Jordan perhaps know and told him?" I become suspicious.

"At the field," I look at him. "You said she was not my mom. How did you know?"

"It's a long story, but I can explain,"

"Explain."

"Let me take you to my friends' house, they know about this, they can help me explain."

"Why can't you explain?"

"Because I think you'd listen…trust…and, understand them more than me."

"Do I know them?"

"Maybe."

"Can I trust you?"

He steals a glaze at me.

"I trust you." He says

It kind of warms my heart to him say that. I don't speak for some time.

"Are they…boys?"

He chuckles, "no, they are girls."

"Okay." I nod

"So…can I?"

I nod, "yeah."

***

We drive for another 6 minutes, and drive down a street that's too familiar—and strange. I eagerly scan the area.

We get closer and closer to a grey double story house a peach pavement. The car slowly stops in front of it. Strange.

Did they know?

I turn to him, "What are we doing here?"

He looks back at me, "trust me,"

I stay focused on him for a second. He gets out, and I follow him to Micah's house.

He knocks on the door, and Micah opens. Surprisingly, Sera is also here.

Micah welcomes us with a smile, "hey,"

"You guys knew?"

Her smile fades, Seth moves more to the side facing me.

"Rebekah, come in first. It's a long, complicated story," Sera says. I look at Seth expressionlessly, then back at Micah and Sera. I walk in past Micah, like I don't know her.

"Come on," Sera gestures me to follow her down the corridor on the right. I follow as Micah closes the door.

Micah bedroom door is already opened. She enters and I follow with the others behind me. Sera sits on the dressing table chair, I sit on the bed with Micah, while Seth leans against the wall close to us.

"What's going on?" I look at Sera then at Seth. Then I look forward at the door next to Seth. "You guys knew? Wait," I stop to think. I'm shocked when I realize it. "You guys knew each other?"

"Yes," Micah confirms and I look at her with disappointment. "but it's not how it looks like,"

If you can imagine how lonely it would be to be the only human left on earth, then you will understand how I feel right now. I look down at my hands on lap holding back my tears. Everyone is just against me.

"Hey," Seth juries to kneel in front of m. He holds my in his. "listen,"

I look up at him, "who are you?"

"I…" he looks down and exhales, then he looks back at me. "My name is, Liam."

He lied to me? I stay focused on him

"We are not humans, neither are you," he reveals.

"Are you crazy?"

"It's true," Micah backs him. I look at Sera, and she nods. I look back at him, and fear sparks. I remove my hands from his and hold them against my chest.

"You are aliens?"

"Well, we are not from here so, yeah…but we are not those kind aliens. We are Meldian."

"What's that?" I ask

"Let me explain it to you," Seth sits down with his legs crossed.

***

Seth's point of view:

"About fifteen years ago in Melda, I was eight, and you were five."

"What?..." she softly asks, more confused than before.

"We had been best friends since birth. One day, my parents were visiting yours, we were playing in the corridor and,"

She listens attentively.

"You said there's something you wanted to show me; so you led me into a room, it was filled with plants from the floor to the ceiling, and ahead, was the music tree—the life source of Musiana, peacefully asleep. I remember you asked me with that cute soft voice if I'd be your best friend forever," I smile as I remember. "You believe if we made a promise by the tree then it would be forever, because the music tree was known for granting wishes. But before I could reply, I step on a root and trip, while falling, I touched the tree, which awoken it, and it started releasing it's energy that the Menace used to locate and destroy the tree," I look down and exhale. It was all my fault. "I was outside behind the castle with you. You were glued to the same position as everyone else. Frozen," I look up. "Then, a light begun to cover you, toe to head. I tried to get it off, I screamed for you not to go. But you just vanished. Now here you are."

"I don't understand, what are you saying?"

"what I am saying is that, you are a princess and your parents; your people are dying. They need you."

She amusedly smile

Micah inquires, "what's wrong?"

"Okay, guys you win," she stands "just show me where the camera is," she walks to Micah drawers and search the uncovered shelves of clothes. We all look at her.

"Rebekah," Sera calls, and she turns. "There's no camera."

She just stands there speechlessly looking at us.

"I'm sorry Rebekah, we couldn't tell you," Micah explains.

"Why is everyone against me?" she asks

"We are not against you, Harmony," I respond.

"I'm not, Harmony!"

"But you are. You are Harmony of Musiana," I tell her.

"What!" she says.

"All those dreams you had, it was Musiana calling out to you and reminding you of home," Micah says

I add, "The voices you heard calling: Harmony, was your sister."

"How do you know about that," she asks

"Micah and Sera are one of us, most of the stuff you tell them they tell us," he says

She snaps, "what!"

"It's not like that," Sera calms her down. "We only tell the things concerning your powers and Musiana, not about your feelings or relationships. That's between us,"

"Tell me your joking, tell me this is just a dream," she panics. "What am I going to tell my mom?"

"Liam, please give us some time alone," Sera says.

"I don't even know who I am anymore, or what I am."

I get up and leave the room

***

Rebekah's point of view:

"Who in the world cursed this day?

I walk to sit on the bed again.

"My name is, Alina," Micah looks at me.

"And I am, Cari," says Sera

"So this is actually happening," I exhale looking down in thought. "I'm in a room, with my best friends for about…2 years who are not human. Not human. What in the world?"

"We're sorry harmony, " Cari says as she gets up sits next to Alina on my right. "But, this does not change anything. We are best friends forever in this world, and in Melda."

I gulp and try to look at them the way I would've before.

"So, why did you guys wait so long?" I ask.

"Well," Micah begins, "usually once a child turns thirteen, their powers would be established. But for you, your energy was too little to locate , until you were 18,"

"But I turned 18 three years ago,"

"In Melda you turned 18 two years ago. Your real age is 20 not 21." Sera reveals.

I look at them with confusion, "huh?…"

"Yep," Sera confirms.

"I don't know how to feel," I consider, "should I be happy I will finally meet my real parents? or sad because I might never see my mom again? Or overwhelmed?"

"You will be able to visit your mom again," Sera responds.

"But who's going to be here to take care of her?" I concern. They all speechlessly look at me.

"She might not be my real mom. But family is not about blood. She raised me as her own, and I grew up calling her Mom, I don't think it's that easy to wipe all that away." Tears line my eyes.

Alina side hugs me, "it's okay."

"I have a strong bond with her,, and don't think knowing she's not my real mom will change that. Maybe I shouldn't have reacted that way when she told me."

"It's okay to feel like that," Cari comforts me, " today you can sleep here if you want. Think this through, then in the morning you can give us an answer."

I nod my head whilst it's laying on Alina's shoulder.

"So does Set...I mean…Liam, have a girlfriend back home?" I ask getting up from her shoulder

"Nope, he actually spent his entire 15 years beating himself up for what happened in Musiana." Alina explains.

"It wasn't his fault," I say.

"We kept telling him that, but…he just couldn't get over it."

"But there is one girl at our school, her name is Bexy and she is nuts about Liam." Sera informs me.

"oh,"

"Yeah, don't worry about her though," Alina says.

"So if you guys are not from here, who are Mr. and Mrs. Anderson," I clarify.

"Well it's a long story," Cari responds

"Make it short," I tell her

"We did something like...Hypnosis" Cari says

I shout in shock, "you hypnotized them!?"

"We had no choice," Alina claims, " but don't worry, we didn't disturb anything in their brains."

"We just made them take us in as their nephews," Cari says.

"What do you mean us?" I skeptically look at her. "Aren't they Alina's aunt and uncle?"

"Well, I also stay here," Cari reveals.

"But what about your mom?" I inquire

"She's not real, she's a creation of digital art powers by Drew," she responds.

"Who's Drew? How come she looks so real?"

Cari responds, "that's why it's a power."

"You will meet everyone once we go home," Alina says.

"A part of me wants to freak out that there's probably aliens in front of me but the other part feels like I can trust you, meet my parents," I say

Alina smiles, "you can trust us."

"Yeah," Cari giggles, "we're not aliens."

"Does Liam stay here too?"

"Mm-hh…" Cari confirms.

"oh. And you guys have powers?" I clarify.

"Yes." Alina says.

"Do you know how my parents look?"

"Somehow I think I'm asking too many questions."

"Not really, but I think Liam knows a little more about them than we do," Alina suggests.

"yeah," Cari says

"Can I go talk to him?" I ask, and Cari nods.

"Sure, we will wait for you here," Alina says

"thanks" I get up and head out of the room to find Liam.

As I'm walking, I spot him through the window standing by his car, looking lost in his thoughts. I open the door and go up to him.

***

Liam's point of view:

" Liam" she calls, and my heart skips a beat. For the first time in 15 years, she calls my name with that beautiful voice of hers. I love it.

I turn around, "hey," I smiles

She clearly looks nervous as she puts her hands behind her back, "this is awkward." She shyly smiles looking down.

"I know."

She lifts up her head with her eyes still looking down and her lips slightly parted. Then she looks at me. Our eyes meet, I stay focused into her eyes— I guess I surprised her, she starts to pull back.

She's shy?...

She looks away, "I…I'm sorry about how I reacted earlier," she glances at me over time to hide her shyness. I smile.

"Why are you smiling?"

I try to look serious again, "nothing."

"Oh, will you forgive me?"

"What?...o-oh, yeah, it's okay."

"I don't remember anything at all about my childhood," she walks to lean her back on the car next to me.

"Well, you look a lot like your mom." I look at her. "Especially your brown eyes."

"How do my parents look?"

"They look a lot like you, just that your parent's colour is different from yours. And your sister Harmony, you guys look like twins especially the fact that you guys have the skin." I tell her

She turns to me with excitement, "I have a sister? Am I the oldest?"

I chuckle, "no, she's the oldest."

"Oh," he excitement fades a little. " I've always wanted to have a big sister anyways. Wait." She turns to me. "How come we have different skin colours but we are a family?"

"In Melda, a child's colour is random, but the children look the same as their parents through, facial features, or Patterns on their bodies etc." I explain

"Oh," she wonders, "I guess that explains a lot."

"What?" I ask

"I have diamond patterns along my spine, I've always wondered what it was, it couldn't come off no matter how much chemicals I used," she says

"Oh, you can never get rid of things like that, they are a part of you." I look at her

"But you guys do look like us somehow, right?" She asks

"What do you mean us?" I clarify.

"I mean like humans" she clarifies

"Well...not really, it's not everyone in Melda that has human-like colour." I look forward at the house.

"We have all types of colour like: green, blue, white, grey, and so on."

She looks up at me and when I try to look at her she looks forward.

"Oh…" she says in thought.

"I know she accused me of being racist, but maybe now she will understand that I don't believe in race. I had no idea what she was talking about earlier."

"So this world of colour is real?"

"Yeah,"

"Are there countries there? Or everyone is just Meldian?"

"There are countries to define which part of Melda you come from, but other than that we are all one."

"So what language do you guys speak?" she asks

"We are multilingual but, Meldish is our first language. A lot of young people in Melda prefer speaking English so, don't worry."

"Do I have to learn it?"

"Meldish?" I clarify.

"Mm-hh." she nods.

"If you want to," I tell her

"Say something to me in your language," she challenges.

"Okay, umm..." I think

" Cecilinte, Mi tau?" I ask and she looks at me puzzled.

"What does that mean?" she asks

I smile, "I can't tell you."

She playfully smacks my shoulder, "come on."

"You have to find out for yourself," I insist.

" I will just ask Micah and Sera then," she responds.

"That's cheating."

"Okay fine, so how am I supposed to know what it means?" she asks

"By going to Melda," I say

"You think it's that easy?"

"I know it's not easy." I look at her. "But it's your home." I look forward. "And you are the only one who can save Musiana."

"You want me to go with you into a world I've never heard of, with a person I met like a week ago? Who happens to be not human, and somehow I am not human." She exhales. "How can I?…" she looks at me and I look back at her. "I'm scared," she says.

"It's okay, I understand." I look forward. "If the menace manage to destroy Musiana, they can take the music tree and use it to make dark music which means chaos for Melda and earth."

"Make me believe that I'm not human." She turns to me. " Make me believe I can trust you. Make me believe I have parents out there who need me. Make me believe this whole mess!"

I lift up my arms and loosen my beaded necklace. She looks eagerly at what I am doing. I open the brown, wooden pendant. A white light flashes out of it, and a picture appears inside the light, she stares eagerly.

Rebekah's point of view:

I stare at the picture. A cute little, three to four years old girl in her beautiful, little peach gown. Tears form. It's me. With my cute little face and an afro puff decorated with dark pink flowers.

The picture changes. Now there's a king on a throne, a queen beside him and two little girls in front of them smiling at the camera, I a little taller than the other.

"Is that my sister, and my parents?"

"Yeah."

Then another picture. Five kids, on some huge, brown, sunflower-like plant. Three boys and two girls.

"That was when we went to the park with Zack and Max.

"Who are they?"

"Max is Jordan, my brother."

It made me slightly angry hearing him say, his brother. Just reminded me of the fact that he lied to me.

"Oh, and Zack?"

"That's my cousin." He closes the pendant.

"Do you believe me now?" he puts his necklace back on.

"Maybe,"

"Okay," he moves closer and grabs my hands in his. A white light shines.

"What in the world?..." she says in shock.

He looks at me, "See this?"

I look back.

"You're not human," he concludes and let's go. My hands glow in pink light, music notes fly out of my hand in line and circle around me. They lift me up in midair. Liam flies up with me.

"you can fly?" I ask him in shock

"it's something I mastered," he says

"I wonder…"

"Can Jordan fly?"

"Yes."

"so that's how he did it,"

And then the music note begin to disappear.

"The energy is running out," he says

"How do I get down!?" I panic.

He laughs, "you will have to fall."

"it's not funny!" I shout with desperation. I fall, but before I hit the ground he catches me, like how a man carries his bride, and our eyes lock in a way that even when I try to look away, I can't. He lands on the ground but doesn't let me go.

"Is je tupere hava Kenta." He smiles

"What?"

I Really feel left out. I don't understand his language.

"You are very-"

"Harmony!?"

We startle at Alina's call. Liam gently puts me down and my legs finally touch the ground

"I see you guys are already in the mood to play with your powers," Alina says

"I was just showing her a little about her power," Liam says

"Mmm... Come on harmony dinner is ready," she informs.

"Only harmony?" Liam asks

"And you rai." She rolls her yes and Liam laughs. All of us go inside.

"Where is your aunt?" I ask

"They went to visit their family member," Alina says as we make our way to the dinner table

"Oh," I say

Cari is already sitting down and we join her.

"Did you tell headmistress," Liam asks Cari

She looks at him, "yes, I just finished telling her,"

"Who's headmistress?" I inquire. As we all sit down.

"She's the headmistress at our school in Elphia," Alina explains.

"Oh. So, where is Jordan? Doesn't he stay here?"

"Well...no, it's complicated but you will surely see him tomorrow," Liam responds.

"Oh,"

"Come on eat up guys," Alina urges.

***

After eating we all say goodnight to each other. Liam makes his way to his room at the end of the corridor, while Sera and I follow Micah into her room.

"This house has a lot of rooms," I say while laying down on the bed in between Cari and Alina.

"Not really, it only has 3 rooms, one for Mr. and Mrs. Anderson upstairs, and the two spare ones. Before Liam came, Cari used that room he is in."

"When did Liam come here?" I ask

"This month," Cari responds

"Oh,"

"Should I get another blanket?" Cari inquires.

"I think this one is fine," I comment, " it's kind of hot today."

"Yeah, I agree with her," Alina says.

"Okay then."

"Goodnight girls," Alina switches off her light and gets comfortable laying on her left side.

"Night," we respond. Cari switches off the light on her side.

"I hope tomorrow won't be so bad. I hope mom is not so worried about me."