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Fall was Alica’s favorite season to sit in her hammock, tied to the railings of her apartment patio, and lightly doze as the sun laid a blanket over her and the wind rocked her. She’ll let one hand hang over the edge to lightly pet the small brown dog napping beneath her. Dawn would let out a small huff and doze back off. As soon as the evenings get cooler, this was a daily evening ritual, rarely disturbed. Aris, eyes beginning to roll back, was pulled aware by a buzzing in her ear. One of her eyes creaked open to see a group of bees surrounding her. She rolled her eyes and began lazily swatting at them. But they didn’t go away but they didn’t dare sting her. Deciding to ignore them, she closed her eyes again. Then the ringing in her ears began and she shot up. It was loud, insistent and continuous. She covered her ears, knowing it would do no good and tried to settle her mind to focus. Leave me be Niobe, she thought. The ringing lessened just enough for Aris to hear Niobe’s voice in her head. Hey favorite big sister. I need you to come here. I’m your only big sister. Whatever it is figure it out yourself. With that, Aris locked her mind, a trick she learned in her teens right after Niobe learned she could read Aris’s thoughts. Aris settled back into her hammock, until she felt a sudden chill over her and a tingle all over her body. Her eyes shot open but before she could counter she felt her body slam onto cold hard dirt. She curled up and groaned from the impact, cursing Niobe under her breath. When she opened her eyes, she was face to face with a girl, unmoving, with solid black eyes and ice blue lips. Aris yelped and jumped to her feet. “You summoned her?” Zania’s voice whispered behind Aris. “She wasn’t going to come otherwise,” Niobe muttered back. Aris looked around at 5 young bodies with the same look as the first laying on the barren field she found herself in. Grass began to grow under her feet the longer she took in the scene. Niobe had summoned her to the Second Realm, her domain. Similar to the world above it, though the sky stays dark and everything has a darker hue. Plants didn’t do well here without Life’s blessing so few forests and fields existed but the ones that did were cherished and by the souls who resided there. But this area was just dust and dirt with a slim river cutting through it. The grass under Aris began to cover one of the bodies in front of her before she finally turned to her sisters. She said no words, just opened her arms in exasperation. Niobe pushed Zania in front of her. Zania glared at Niobe before sheepishly turning to Aris. “So obviously, we need your help,” she started with an embarrassed grin. “I think we killed my friends.” “We?!” Niobe yelled. “They weren’t dead before you ‘helped’,” Zania turned to Niobe. “I TOLD you to call Aris, but no! Let’s let Death herself help you figure it out.” Aris let out a groan. “Just… someone tell me what happened,” she said. “Well, my friends and I heard that drinking water from the Second Realm that you could walk around without aging. And I said I knew how to get into the Realm so –“ “Wait how did you get down here?” Aris interrupted. “She abused my bees!” Niobe yelled. “Those bees are messy and were more than willing to show me a way in.” Aris shook her head. Bees were meant for those in the Second Realm to learn about what is happening in the world above, they were given the gift of moving freely between realms. But they are known gossips and love drama, of course they lead Zania here. “Anyway, yeah the bees let us in and brought us to this creek,” Zania continued. “And I didn’t want anyone to know I didn’t really need to drink the water so we all took our hands, cupped some water and took a sip. But when I drank the water, it got really hot and I blacked out.” “That’s when a swarm of bees came to find me,” Niobe said. “Apparently, ol’ girl started levitating and her eyes turned black and her friends fell to the ground and their spirits left their bodies.” “You used magic down here? We have a council meeting TOMORROW” Aris scolded. “Obviously I didn’t mean to!” Zania yelled back. Aris began massaging her temples as she talked. “Ok, is that all? That should be simple to fix. Just call their spirits back into their bodies” “Right so, that’s what I thought,” Zania said. “So I tried to do that.” Niobe and Aris went rigid. Niobea hadn’t heard this part of the story. A small, scared meow came from one of the bodies and slowly, a small gray kitten appeared. Its tail tucked and ears back, it crawled to Aris’s feet. Aris’s eyes shot back at Zania. “You didn’t…” she said. “I thought I could fix it myself!” Zania protested. Aris leaned down and picked up the scared kitten and began gently cooing. “So I tried putting the spirit back into my friend’s body but then her body like melted and then reformed and yeah… she’s a cat.” Aris gently set the kitten back on the ground and let out a sigh. “But then Niobe got here and we tried doing your spell and then stopped breathing and started turning blue and that’s when she summoned you.” “Let’s just fix the easiest part first, where’s the spirits for the ones who’re still human?” Niobe held up her fist and opened it to reveal 5 marble sized orbs. She dropped them to the ground and stomped on them, a dark cloud was released, and each began to form human-like figures. As their faces began to form and match the ones on the ground, Aris noticed the fear in their eyes. None of them could be older than 17. Aris could see their lips moving but she couldn’t hear their voices. “Guys, please relax,” Niobe said. “Just do what we tell you and we will get you all home, ok? Please find your body and sit by it.” The ghosts did as she asked. Niobe always complained that spirits talked too much whenever she visited the Second Realm. She learned how to tune it out last year, which helped but being the only one of her sisters who could hear them always made her feel isolated. But some of it made for good story telling later. Each ghost found their body in the gras that continued to take over and sat beside it. Aris began wringing her hands, she had only done this spell once before and it wasn’t nearly as many people, and it was in her own realm. Her powers were strongest in the Second Realm and she preferred to keep her magic there when possible. She almost suggested they move the bodies but there was no efficiency in that. Aris held her hands out to her sisters and without hesitation, they held onto her. Aris could feel a surge of energy in her hands as her sisters lent their magic to her. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind. The crowd around her watched and her skin began to glow green and when she opened her eyes, green light seemed to shine out of them. Aris never remembered this part. Powerful magic, if you set the intention correctly, will overtake you and as if on autopilot, will guide you to do what you need to. Aris let go of her sisters and one by one, kissed the foreheads of each ghost and body. She sat in the center as each ghost meddled back into their bodies. The blue crept off their lips, they’d take a loud gasp and fall back into a deep sleep. Aris’s eyes closed again, and her skin returned to its natural hue. When she opened her eyes again, each kid was gently breathing on their bed on green and Zania and Niobe sat next to her, a gray kitten in her lap. Aris allowed herself to fall back into the grass. “How do you feel?” Niobe asked. Aris didn’t answer, sleep had already taken over. Zania placed her hand on her forehead and immediately snatched it back and began blowing her fingers. “She’s burning,” she said. “Yeah, she really shouldn’t be doing magic down here,” Niobe said. She wet her hands in the river and patted Aris’s face. “I’m sorry,” Zania whispered. Niobe stood up. “I know, tell her that later. For now, how are we getting thee kids home before the council finds out what happened here?” Zania jumped to her feet. “Can I borrow Cerberus?” Niobe was immediately annoyed by her excitement. “Cerberus is a legendary protector of my realm, not a school bus.” “I have seen you ride him for fun several times.” “The answer is no; he can’t even go to the Second Realm.” Zania huffed. “Just teleport them.” “I can’t do that yet.” Niobe stared at the scene before them for a while. She didn’t like cleaning up messes. That’s Aris’s wheelhouse. She glanced at her dozing sister; she looked pale and exhausted. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a dog whistle and blew into it. Before long the ground shook at Cerberus came bounding over. The 100 foot-tall lowered himself in a playful crouch before gently nuzzling the nose of his middle head into Niobe’s stomach. Niobe laughed and wrapped her arms around as much of his nose as she could. The all black, pit faced dog laid down with a thud. “Hey Cerber baby, we need a ride home,” Niobe cooed as she went to each head to pet. “I will say, there’s only room for two in the carrier I have up there, and Aris and the cat are getting the other seat.” “Well wait, how are my friends and I going to get there?” Zania asked. Cerberus lowered 2 heads and held his mouths open. Zania’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.” “He won’t swallow you, probably.” Niobe smirked. She picked up the kitten off Aris’s lap and as gently as she could began levitating Aris off the ground and up into the basket strapped to Cerberus’s back. “You’re lying, we could all fit up there. This dog is huge.” Cerberus huffed. “No offense CB.” “Maybe, but your options are mouth or walk.” Zania, grudgingly, levitated her friends into Cerberus’ mouths, 2 each and she held her breath as she climbed into the last one. As Cerberus ran, a wave of hot, wet, horrid smelling panting would hit her and she swallowed her vomit at least twice on the way. Finally, Zania almost jumped out of Cerberus’s mouth as they approached the Tower. The deep blue, hexagonal building was so tall you couldn’t see where you ended. Surrounding it were buildings but not as grand. Translucent, gray bodies wandered about telling stories of their previous lives or descendants. Some were patiently waiting for friends or family to finally come through. Zania forgot she was covered in slobber as she took in the City of Spirits.       Without much nature, architecture became the beauty of the Second Realm. Buildings from several eras were spread all over. And although dull, color poured from the city. Cerberus strolled through the city and stopped at the steps of the Tower. Here, every soul’s fate after life was decided. Lower levels held cruel punishments and the more righteous lived in luxury at the top. White and gray marble steps lead up to oversized black double doors with a tree with no leaves carved carefully into it. The tree split in half as the doors opened and cloaked figures came out and kneeled in front of Cerberus. Niobe slid down Cerberus and landed gracefully by his side.       “Stand please, this is so dramatic,” Niobe addressed the figures. They all stood up in unison, hands rigidly by their sides. “Can you guys find a room for these kids and my sister to rest in? And alert me as soon as they wake up.” The figures bowed and moved quickly Cerberus to carry everyone inside. Niobe turned to Zania and smiled. The kitten clung to her shoulder desperately, but Niobe didn’t seem to notice. Zania grabbed the shaky creature and held her to her chest.       “A little early but welcome to the Second Realm!” Niobe took Zania’s hand and led her inside the Tower. Inside was a long hallway with one door at the end, when they approached it, Niobe told Zania to open the door. Zania hesitantly opened the door to an abyss of white, no walls in sight and a dim glow, she stepped in and noticed in the center of the room there was a fountain with glowing orbs flowing within the water. The door closed behind her, she looked around for Niobe but not too hard. She was being pulled to this fountain. She stepped closer and realized she recognized the marble sized orbs in the water, souls. The cat in her arms began to squirm and broke free, taking off towards the fountain. Zania followed and looked down into the water, but it wasn’t her face she saw. She was looking into the eyes of a beautiful woman with long brown braids and golden eyes. Freckles spread all over her face and neck and she seemed surprised to see Zania there. Zania looked towards the kitten and saw it pawing at the water. Its reflection showed a red headed girl, her friend Katelyn, before she was a cat.       The kitten reached too far and fell in, Zania screamed and reached into the water for it, but the kitten’s form was already melting. When Zania fished it out, her hands only held a small marble. She put the marble in her jean pocket and faced the fountain again. The woman was scowling now. Her golden eyes shimmered in anger and the sides of the fountain began to crack. Water began pouring out, too much water. Zania ran to the door but was met with a wall, it got darker as the water rose up her legs. She began screaming and banging on the wall where the door once was. Walls appeared and began closing in on her. The water was up to her torso.       Zania tried to slow her breath and close her eyes. You need calm for magic, chaotic thoughts, chaotic intentions, chaotic magic, Aris’s told her that a million times. The water reached her neck, and Zania allowed a single tear to escape. She didn’t want to die here. The tear rolled slowly down her face until it dropped into the rising water grazing Zania’s chin. But it didn’t rise any higher. The water stayed still, and it took Zania a while to realize she wasn’t underwater yet. Zania! Zania! She could hear Niobe’s desperate voice screaming in her head. I’m here, Zania thought. I don’t know how to get out, I’m scared. And suddenly it hit her, she was terrified and she began sobbing. A gross, ugly loud cry and as she cried the water began to drain. Soon, Zania’s hands and knees were on the ground as she gulped down air to keep crying. A door opened and light creeped into the now small room. Zania couldn’t hear Niobe running to her but didn’t hesitate to lean on her when her arms wrapped around her. “Hey,” Niobe said. “You’re ok now, it’s ok. What happened?” Zania sputtered something that resembled words and Niobe grabbed her face. “You have to calm down, I can’t understand you. Take a breath.” Zania collected herself only for a second. “I saw the Third Realm.”