Beyond: Snillotia Trilogy Book One by Donna Wagner (books you have to read TXT) 📕

Tim nodded, as they heard the toilet flush and the sink turn on. They stood in the dark hallway, waiting for the door to open. When it did, and a figured shuffled into the hallway, Tim was relieved that it was Adam and not Myra. Adam continued to walk back towards his bedroom, not even noticing them at the other end of the hallway. “Adam,” Tim called, quietly, to get his attention.

Adam turned and barely looked surprised to see the two of them standing in the hallway in the middle of the night. “Why are you guys awake? You have school in the morning.”

Anna and Tim looked at each other, in surprise. “We need to talk to you. Something’s happened,” Anna said.

Adam seemed to suddenly be more alert. He came towards them and only when he was closer, did he realize there was an extra door in the hallway behind them. “What’s going on? I thought you two had gone to bed early.”

“Adam, are you saying you saw us a few hours ago?”

Adam nodded. “I saw you both at dinner. Then, Tim, you went to write your paper. Anna, Jason and Evan came over for a while, I saw you when you and Jason, uh- when they left,” Adam finished, stumbling over the end of his explanation.

Anna’s face was bright pink. A familiar wave of loathing for Jason filled Tim, but he pushed it away. “I can’t believe we’ve barely been gone. I’ll never understand how time is so different between there and here.”

Adam’s eyes widened as he finally understood what was going on. “You figured out how to get back- a different way than the portal that leads to the castle? Wait, where did that door come from?”

One question after another flew out of Adams mouth before they could even answer one. “Get Myra and meet us downstairs. We’ll explain everything.”

After Adam disappeared back into his bedroom to wake his wife, Tim turned back to the new doorway. “You can open the door now.”

The door swung open and Retep stood there, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry. We could hear you talking, and we wanted to know what was going on. I was just trying to hear a little better.”

Tim nodded. “Just tell everyone that we still have to explain things to Adam and Myra. He’s waking her now. I’ll let you know when it’s okay to come downstairs.”

Retep sighed and went back into the room and closed the door, hard. Anna winced as the thud echoed in the hallway. “I think he’s used to getting to do whatever he wants,” Anna stated, as they walked towards the stairs.

Tim nodded in agreement, hoping, once again, that having his cousin here would not wind up being a huge mistake. They went into the living room and waited for Adam and Myra to appear. It didn’t take long. Tim had a flash of déjà vous. The scene was very similar to the first night he’d been back in his house, with Adam and Myra. Except this time, Anna was awake, and she and Tim would be the ones giving the explanations. “Well,” Tim started, “I did find a way back, and I tricked Anna into to going, since I knew she didn’t want to. The first thing, to let you know, is that everyone is okay. A lot less time has passed there than here. Maybe just two weeks or so.”

Tim continued. He told them of finding out where everyone was- who the man who saved them had been and everything Ronnoc had told them and what he’d learned and suspected from those conversations. Questions were asked and Anna also gave her side of things as well. Finally, there was only one thing left to say. “Since we don’t know if Ronnoc can be trusted, we decided that this world would be the only safe place, since we kept it from him that we’d been here, that we’re older than he thinks, and that Tim has control of quite a few powers,” Anna explained.

Tim picked up where Anna left off. “Do you remember when I explained how my mom had had her room from the Y here, in that extra space in your bedroom?”

Adam and Myra both nodded. “We saw that as the safest way to get back here, and to have a place for everyone to stay, comfortably. Goldie brought the royal rooms here. I’m guessing one opens up down here and the other in the hallway upstairs. That’s what the extra door is you noticed in the hallway upstairs. I’m assuming we’ll find another door in the kitchen if we go look.”

“Wait, are you telling me my house now has an extension into my back yard? What about my flowers?” Myra asked, in shock.

Tim shrugged. “I’m sorry, Myra. I’ll help you plant new flowers.”

Myra stood up and ran to the back of the house. They heard a door open and then a shriek. Adam, Tim, and Anna jumped up to see what was wrong. It wasn’t just about flowers. Myra sounded scared. They found her frozen on the back patio, which had been cut in half by a new wall. Most of the yard was gone, as well, and right next to the new part of the house, sat Goldie.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

“Shoo! Get out of here!” Adam yelled, running toward Goldie.

“Wait!” Anna tried to stop him.

Goldie hadn’t moved. In fact, she was watching Adam with a bemused expression on her flat face. Tim watched all of this, in what seemed like slow motion. Adam seemed angry, like he wanted to hurt Goldie for some reason. Tim’s gaze flickered to Myra, still frozen, with an expression of pure fear, on her face. Before he even realized what he was doing, Tim released a stream of energy from his hand, stopping Adam cold. He was inches from where Goldie continued to sit.

“Why can’t I move?” Adam yelled, with panic in his voice.

Tim ignored him for a moment and