"Oh my Annie, I don't mean to worry you but… this is scary" said Maddie as she sighed and she shook her head.
"What do you mean Maddie?" asked Annie as she turned to look at Maddie in confusion.
"I can't pack all my clothes in here!" said Maddie in alarm as she looked at Annie.
"Oh Maddie" said Annie as she laughed and she shook her head.
"What??" asked Maddie.
"Of course you cannot possibly pack all your clothes in one suitcase" said Annie as she laughed and she shook her head.
"Well… I mean… we need to be prepared for anything" said Maddie as she pouted.
"But not all this" said Annie.
"Hey, hey, how long are we going to be up on that Mountain anyway?" asked Maddie.
"I have no idea" said Annie as she laughed, she hadn't really asked Curtis about it, in fact, she had not really had time to speak to Curtis privately and ask him some questions.
"You know, if not for the fact that Curtis is someone you trust, I would think he's just taking us to a mountain so he can kill us and dump our bodies there" said Maddie.
"Oh Maddie, you have such a vivid imagination" said Annie as she laughed.
"I take that as a compliment my dear Annie" said Maddie as she smiled and she winked.
"Alright, let's sort out this mess of yours" said Annie as she laughed.
"Hey, it's not a mess" said Maddie as she laughed.
"Rightttt" said Annie as she laughed and she helped Maddie sort out her clothes into important and not important.
They were about to leave soon, and they were only packing the last of the things that they would need.
"Annie…" called Maddie as she looked at Annie.
"Yes" said Annie.
"Aren't you scared?" asked Maddie as she looked at Annie as she sighed, they were about to go on a journey that they did not even know its end, or if it would be successful or not, or if they would end up failing or dying, they were just getting up and leaving, all because Curtis said so.
"Well yes… of course I am scared" said Annie as she smiled and she looked at Maddie.
"But you don't look like you are" said Maddie as she looked surprised.
"Well I might not look scared, but I am" said Annie.
"What makes you so confident even though you are scared?" asked Maddie.
"I mean, everything is uncertain with this, and yet, you don't seem to look scared at all, you seem very calm" said Maddie.
"What makes you so calm?" asked Maddie as at first she was worried about Annie, Annie was the one that was weak, she had no more powers, and yet, she seemed like nothing fazed her, Annie was much more stronger than they all thought.
"Well I don't know, truly Maddie I don't know…" said Annie as she seemed to be thinking.
"I mean… I think it's because I trust Curtis, and well I know he only always wants the best for me" said Annie as she smiled.
"And well, I have you guys, the people who I love" said Annie as she smiled and Maddie smiled as well.
"I guess, I mean as long as I am with you guys, I don't think that I will be scared… because you all are with me" said Annie as she smiled at Maddie.
"I mean it's like the saying goes, there is no fear in love" said Annie as she smiled.
"You know… I always thought that saying was false, I mean… I never believed that love could make someone actually feel so safe but… but I was wrong" said Maddie as she smiled.
"And you know what, you are right, there is no fear in love" said Maddie as she smiled.
"And we will be together, forever" said Maddie.
"Even if you want to get rid of me, you can't, because we are conjoined by the hip" said Maddie as she laughed and Annie laughed.
"No, I don't think being conjoined by the hip is something normal" said Annie as she laughed.
"No, no, in this case it is" said Maddie as she laughed.
"Because we are friends for ever" said Maddie.
"Thank you for being my friend Annie" said Maddie as she smiled, she did not want to sound cheesy, but Annie did not know just how much Annie's friendship meant to her.
"Don't thank me for that Maddie" said Annie as she smiled.
"Thank you for always being here for me" said Annie as she smiled.
"Oh anytime Annie, anytime, whenever you need me, call me, in fact, you don't need to call me because I will just appear there" said Maddie as she laughed and Annie laughed.
"Can I have a hug?" asked Maddie as she smiled.
"You don't even need to ask" said Annie as she laughed.
"Aww" said Maddie as she smiled and she hugged Annie, she really wanted everything to be okay, and for Annie to get her powers back again.
"Okay, okay, I am sure that Matt and Curtis will be waiting for us already, so let's be quick" said Maddie as she broke their hug and she smiled.
"Okay" said Annie as she smiled.
"Friend for life?" asked Maddie as she smiled.
"Friends forever" said Annie as she smiled and she nodded her head.
…
"Oh Curtis, are you sure about this?" asked Lisa as she sighed and she looked at Curtis.
"Lisa, don't you trust me?" asked Curtis as he looked at Lisa as she looked very worried.
"I… of course I trust you Curtis, but you have to understand that…" said Lisa as she paused.
"How can I let Annie just go to some strange mountain just like that??" asked Lisa as she sounded very worried, how could she let her only child out of her sight just like that, to go to some famed dangerous mountain.
"Lis, we already talked about this last night" said John as he sighed and he shook his head.
"No John, we didn't talk, because I can't, I can't let Annie go just like that, she's not that strong to go anywhere like that" said Lisa as she looked at John and he shook her head and she looked back at Curtis.
"I a mother, I always worry about my child, it was better when she was right by me and I could watch over her, but now that you insist on taking Annie to that mountain, I cannot rest at ease, how will she eat, how will she sleep? How will she be taken care of well?" asked Lisa.
"Lisa, I understand where you are coming from" said Curtis as he tried his best to sound calm so Lisa would relax, he knew that she would not agree to easily, when he spoke to John and her yesterday, he knew that she would not be convinced at all.
"I understand you, I truly do… the same way you care for Annie, is the same way I care for her" said Curtis as he smiled.
"No, that's different Curtis" said Lisa as she shook her head.
"Lis…" called John as he was cut off.
"Don't Lis me, John, if you are fine with Annie going alone to who knows where, then that's on you, as for me, I am not fine with anything like that at all" said Lisa as she shook her head and John shook his head, it was not like he was not worried about letting Annie go at all, but he knew that he had to let her go, she had to find a way to get her powers back, he knew that he had to let Annie do this, and besides he trusted Curtis.
"It's not that I don't care Lisa, but Annie has to do this, she cannot stay here forever" said John as he sighed.
"Which parent in their sane mind would just let their daughter go just like that?" asked Lisa.
"Lisa, the way you care for Annie, is the same way I care for her" said Curtis as he smiled.
"We are connected" said Curtis.
"If she's hurt, then I get hurt as well, if she is happy, then I am happy, and if she is sad, I am sad as well" said Curtis.
"So believe when I say that if this was not necessary, I would not have suggested it at all" said Curtis as he smiled.
"Annie is part of me, and I am a part of her, which is why, I understand all your worries, but what if going to the Mountain would help her regain her powers, what if it worked? Would she miss the opportunity because you did not allow her to go?" asked Curtis as he smiled.
"Think about it Lisa, would you really not let Annie go and find a way for herself, just because of your fear?" asked Curtis as he smiled and Lisa sighed, Curtis was right, she was indirectly hindering Annie, but could you blame her?? She did not want her daughter to get hurt at all.
"Lis, everything will be fine" said John as he held her hand and he smiled at her as she nodded, she wondered how John could always stay calm, no matter what happened, he was always so calm, she wished that she could be like him, but that was not so at all.
"So what do you say Lisa?" asked Curtis as he smiled.
"Fine Curtis, Annie can go" said Lisa as she sighed.
"But please protect my daughter" said Lisa.
"You have my word Lisa" said Curtis as he smiled, Annie was never going to get hurt, not as long as he was here.