First Quarter

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Turning

[Are you sure you’ll be okay later?]

[We can always follow you if you want.]

“I will be,” Mallory said, despite feeling the throbbing in her head. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and checked the contents of her backpack once again. Confirming that she has most of what she needed, she smiled down at them and said words of reassurance. “Don’t worry.”

[Okay, just yell if you need help. We’ll try to crawl you back in.]

[We will hear you from here. Probably.]

Mallory laughed. “Thank you.”

[Good luck.]

[I hope you come back safely.]

They swayed lightly and leaned in to touch...