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Tomorrow is my birthday. I’m turning 13. Mrs White’s planning the party because Dad’s too busy. Dad doesn’t like my friends, so I can’t invite them. I invite the whole apartment block though. I made these beautiful invitations, but Dad said I had to invite everyone in person, so now they are in the bin.
I decide to start at the bottom and work my way up.
At unit one, old Mrs Arrington greeted me warmly. “Kara, dear, what brings you here so early in the morning?”
“Well, my birthday party is tomorrow, and I am her to tell you that your invited.”
It took Mrs Arrington a while to figure out what I said, “Of course, yes! I’m coming! What time dear?”
“12 o’clock.”
Mrs Arrington nodded and went back inside.
I then went to unit two, where Sofia lived. But she wasn’t home, so I left a post-it on her door.
Then I went to unit four, where Mr Jones lived. He also wasn’t home, so I left another post-it.
Then I went to unit six, where Mrs Smith, gave me a box of decorations to put up around the house. “Now, I don’t mind if you want to put them up by yourself or if you want me to help.”
“Yes. Um, could you come about half an hour before?”
Mrs White nodded.
“Thanks!” I said, then turned to face the door of unit five. I took a deep breath then knocked.
The girl who answered the door was dressed in an old apron and an ankle-length dress. “Hello?”
“Um, Hi. I love your costume, you must be going to a costume party, right?”
The girl looked at me in confusion, “Aye, we art going to a costume party. But wherefore art thee here?”
“Ummmm. Sorry do you mean why am I here?”
The girl nodded, “Aye.”
“Oh, well, my birthday party is tomorrow, and I am here to say you and your family are invited.”
“Aye, we shall beest there. But our parents has’t work, so they can’t cometh.”
“Oh, ok. Well, it’s at twelve o’clock tomorrow.”
The girl nodded and went back inside.
***
The day of my birthday arrived, and the decorations were finally hung. I had blueberry pancakes for breakfast and Dad promised me that he wouldn’t do any work today.
Sofia arrived first, bringing with her and huge box wrapped in newspaper. “Happy Birthday Kara!”
Miss Arrington came next; she brought out a little box and lay in down on the table. The she wished me a happy birthday.
The Mr Jones came. He went straight to my Dad and they began talking about where they thought computers were heading in the future.
Then the new neighbours came. They were wearing the same outfits as yesterday. The who greeted me at the door came and said, “Joyous Birthday.”
Now that everyone was there, I began opening presents. Sofia’s present was a painting she’d done of me, based off a photo Dad had given her. Mr and Mrs Smith got me a cookbook, full of easy meals I could make by myself. Miss Arrington got me knitting needles so I could knit with her sometimes. After that Mr Jones stood up and said, “My present for Kara is outside.” So we all followed him down the stairs to where a brand new bicycle was waiting.
After that it was cake time. Mrs White brought out a beautiful cake from the refrigerator. It was lilac, my favourite colour with my name written in swirly writing on it. “I’ll go grab the candles.” I say, and then I run to my room.
I open my bedroom door, then I freeze. In my room were the new neighbours, rummaging through all my things. “What on earth do you think you’re doing!?” I shout.
The all look up at me in shock. Frozen to the spot. The smallest looked like she was about to cry. Then the girl who had wished me a “Joyous Birthday” said, “Well, thee seeth, we didn’t get thee a present.”
I glared at them, “Tell me the truth.”
The girl hesitated. The boy hissed something in her ear. She nodded.
“Mine own nameth is Rowena, and that gent is mine own brother Easton, and the young lady is our cousin, Heather. We cometh from the year 1707 and we art running from the International Society of Time Gem Protection, they want this.” The girl said, holding up a locket with the letters K.H. of it.
Then the boy stepped in, “Thy family, thee, thy mother, thy grandmother, and so on, have the same initials, K.H. This did belong to a friend of ours, Katie. The lady toldeth us to runneth taketh it far away.”
Then the littlest, Heather interrupted, “It’s a timeth gem. An object that has been touch by magic. We had to find Katie's ancestors, and putteth a peice of their soul in it. We wenteth to 1707 and tooketh a paintbrush from a mistress named Katharine, then we wenteth through generations finding things, and now we hath found thee.”
Then Rowena said, “But we can’t seem to find Kimberly Hope.”
I freeze, “My Mum.”
“We has't four days until thy family disappears from history.”
***
I had to help them, they were so afraid of this society that would delete a family from history, the family of their best friend. But I hadn’t seen Mum for years, after she and dad got a divorce, I hadn’t ever heard from her, I had no idea where she would be. If we find her, I’ll get to be with my Mum, I’ll get to see her for the first time in 12 years. But if we can’t find her in time. I will lose everything.
I decide to start at the bottom and work my way up.
At unit one, old Mrs Arrington greeted me warmly. “Kara, dear, what brings you here so early in the morning?”
“Well, my birthday party is tomorrow, and I am her to tell you that your invited.”
It took Mrs Arrington a while to figure out what I said, “Of course, yes! I’m coming! What time dear?”
“12 o’clock.”
Mrs Arrington nodded and went back inside.
I then went to unit two, where Sofia lived. But she wasn’t home, so I left a post-it on her door.
Then I went to unit four, where Mr Jones lived. He also wasn’t home, so I left another post-it.
Then I went to unit six, where Mrs Smith, gave me a box of decorations to put up around the house. “Now, I don’t mind if you want to put them up by yourself or if you want me to help.”
“Yes. Um, could you come about half an hour before?”
Mrs White nodded.
“Thanks!” I said, then turned to face the door of unit five. I took a deep breath then knocked.
The girl who answered the door was dressed in an old apron and an ankle-length dress. “Hello?”
“Um, Hi. I love your costume, you must be going to a costume party, right?”
The girl looked at me in confusion, “Aye, we art going to a costume party. But wherefore art thee here?”
“Ummmm. Sorry do you mean why am I here?”
The girl nodded, “Aye.”
“Oh, well, my birthday party is tomorrow, and I am here to say you and your family are invited.”
“Aye, we shall beest there. But our parents has’t work, so they can’t cometh.”
“Oh, ok. Well, it’s at twelve o’clock tomorrow.”
The girl nodded and went back inside.
***
The day of my birthday arrived, and the decorations were finally hung. I had blueberry pancakes for breakfast and Dad promised me that he wouldn’t do any work today.
Sofia arrived first, bringing with her and huge box wrapped in newspaper. “Happy Birthday Kara!”
Miss Arrington came next; she brought out a little box and lay in down on the table. The she wished me a happy birthday.
The Mr Jones came. He went straight to my Dad and they began talking about where they thought computers were heading in the future.
Then the new neighbours came. They were wearing the same outfits as yesterday. The who greeted me at the door came and said, “Joyous Birthday.”
Now that everyone was there, I began opening presents. Sofia’s present was a painting she’d done of me, based off a photo Dad had given her. Mr and Mrs Smith got me a cookbook, full of easy meals I could make by myself. Miss Arrington got me knitting needles so I could knit with her sometimes. After that Mr Jones stood up and said, “My present for Kara is outside.” So we all followed him down the stairs to where a brand new bicycle was waiting.
After that it was cake time. Mrs White brought out a beautiful cake from the refrigerator. It was lilac, my favourite colour with my name written in swirly writing on it. “I’ll go grab the candles.” I say, and then I run to my room.
I open my bedroom door, then I freeze. In my room were the new neighbours, rummaging through all my things. “What on earth do you think you’re doing!?” I shout.
The all look up at me in shock. Frozen to the spot. The smallest looked like she was about to cry. Then the girl who had wished me a “Joyous Birthday” said, “Well, thee seeth, we didn’t get thee a present.”
I glared at them, “Tell me the truth.”
The girl hesitated. The boy hissed something in her ear. She nodded.
“Mine own nameth is Rowena, and that gent is mine own brother Easton, and the young lady is our cousin, Heather. We cometh from the year 1707 and we art running from the International Society of Time Gem Protection, they want this.” The girl said, holding up a locket with the letters K.H. of it.
Then the boy stepped in, “Thy family, thee, thy mother, thy grandmother, and so on, have the same initials, K.H. This did belong to a friend of ours, Katie. The lady toldeth us to runneth taketh it far away.”
Then the littlest, Heather interrupted, “It’s a timeth gem. An object that has been touch by magic. We had to find Katie's ancestors, and putteth a peice of their soul in it. We wenteth to 1707 and tooketh a paintbrush from a mistress named Katharine, then we wenteth through generations finding things, and now we hath found thee.”
Then Rowena said, “But we can’t seem to find Kimberly Hope.”
I freeze, “My Mum.”
“We has't four days until thy family disappears from history.”
***
I had to help them, they were so afraid of this society that would delete a family from history, the family of their best friend. But I hadn’t seen Mum for years, after she and dad got a divorce, I hadn’t ever heard from her, I had no idea where she would be. If we find her, I’ll get to be with my Mum, I’ll get to see her for the first time in 12 years. But if we can’t find her in time. I will lose everything.