Crystal City: 5188 AD

Alannah stands quietly at the bus stop.

The bus arrives but has not yet lowered to the platform level, so the travelers must wait for it to reach the loading position. The other travelers are restless, but Alannah is fine with waiting. She secretly hopes the bus will be delayed, even wishing she might miss it. It has been nearly fifteen years since the great awakening, but Alannah remains trapped, caught in a no-woman's-land between the past and the future, unable to move forward or backward. Sherina, Alannah's supervisor at the all-night diner, has scheduled an appointment for Alannah to take time off for reconstitution therapy. This therapy is widely used for those stuck in what is known as a temporal dead zone.

Alannah is excited at the prospect of discovering her past and is hopeful it will launch her into the future. Being stuck is like living the same day over and over and over again, coming from nowhere and going nowhere. Excited as Alannah is, she is also apprehensive. Getting unstuck is frightening. You never know what you are going to find. What if you find out that you are someone that you will hate? Alannah wonders if maybe it would be better to not know.

Alannah has been content to live in the now, totally. It is hard for her to remember anything from yesterday, and she has no concern about tomorrow at all. She does remember this morning's conversation though. It still makes her want to cry.

"You have to do this! It’s no longer an option, Alannah. You’re stuck, and you need to get unstuck. Look outside, sweetie. What do you see?" Sherina asks Alannah, who is giving her that mindless, doe-eyed look. "Go on, look outside and tell me what you see."

"OK. I see buildings and people. So what?" Alannah responds.

“Look closer Alannah. Are those the same buildings that were there when you started working here?”

"Maybe? I don't know. I never notice stuff like that." Alannah replies, already tearing up from the frustration of being asked questions she has no idea how to answer.

"You don't notice hardly anything, Alannah. I only see you get excited when The Princess is on the video. Other than that, the only thing you do is get up in the morning and come to work, and then go home and go to sleep. That is all you have done for years and years and years. It's all you ever do. I give you the weekends off, and you come to work anyway. If you don't get a shift, you sit in a booth until it's time to go home. That isn't a life. You're young and beautiful, and you need a life. That is why I want you to go to therapy. Reconstitution therapy works wonders."

"Things are changing; the world we know is changing rapidly, and you need to change with it. You can't afford to be stuck between tick and tock anymore. I insist that you go to this therapy, and if you don't, I'm tying you up and dragging you down there myself. Is that understood, little lady? Now get your skinny little butt out to that bus stop and go! Here is your appointment slip. I love you, sweetie. This is for your own good."

"OK. I go." Alannah responds, now sobbing uncontrollably.

The bus ascends to its cruising altitude, about 100 feet above the pedestrian pathway, and begins to accelerate to cruising velocity. Alannah will get off at the last stop past the edge of the city, so she is not in a hurry to find a seat. A dozen other women push past her to get a seat. Alannah moves out of their way and lets them pass. For now, she is satisfied just to stand and hold on to a passenger pole until the bus starts to clear out. The young woman who is piloting the bus calls out that the next stop will be at such and such a street corner in about 10 minutes. Alannah is unconcerned; her stop is at least another 40 minutes away.

Stop after stop comes and goes, and some women get off while other women get on. Soon the bus is almost empty; the only other passengers are a few school girls going to the academy at the edge of town. At last, the bus stops at the end of the line, and Alannah, now alone, departs.

Alannah walks along a cobblestone path to a small gated cottage. A small engraved brass sign at the gate reads, "Visual Reconstitution Clinic. By Appointment Only." She checks her appointment slip to confirm she’s at the right place and time. She is. Taking a deep breath, she approaches the door and enters a small room. Inside, there’s a sofa and several chairs at one end and an artist’s easel at the other. An elderly woman enters and gestures for her to sit. “Welcome, my sister. You must be Alannah. I’m Maureen. I’ll be performing your reconstitution this morning. Relax. Reconstitution therapy is much more effective when you’re calm. Breathe deeply, take steady breaths. Relax your body, let your mind open. There’s nothing to fear. Have some herbal tea—it will help soothe you.”."

“So, how does this work?” Alannah asks. “What is visual reconstitution? Do you look into a crystal ball? I’m not entirely sure what we’re doing today.”

“It’s quite simple,” Maureen replies. “I’m a seer. I can peer into your consciousness and see images of people, places, and things stored there from your past experiences. People are the easiest to find because you have the deepest connections with them. I will draw their portraits, focusing only on their faces. I’ll sketch the faces of those who were close to you, both physically and emotionally. As I draw and you watch the face take shape, it will sharpen your memory and help it reconstitute for you. While I draw, you’ll tell me who I’m sketching, share your memories of that person, and recount the history that ties you to them. This will help rebuild your connection to those memories.”

Maureen takes a fresh sheet of paper from a drawer and secures it to the easel. With a sharp pencil, she swiftly sketches the eyes, nose, mouth, and hairline. A face soon takes shape. After refining the details with the pencil, she uses colored chalk to add color to the face, lips, and eyes. “Please tell me when you recognize the face, and then you can share the history that this face brings to your memory.”

"I don't know. That looks like me. You have drawn a picture of me. Or does that mean that I have a twin?"

“Wonderful. The initial test is done. I always start by sketching a portrait of the subject. If the image of you I pull from your mind aligns with the person I see before me, it confirms I’m linked to the right consciousness and that your self-image is accurate. Continuing would be futile if this test fails. If I’m tapping into the wrong consciousness, you wouldn’t recognize anyone, as they wouldn’t belong to your past. If your self-image is skewed, any subsequent images I draw from you are likely to be more fictional than factual, which would get us nowhere. You’ve passed this test. The face on the paper matches the person sitting on my sofa. This session will be successful. The drawing is complete. You may take it if you’d like.”

“Thank you so much,” Alannah says, smiling. “I don’t have any photos of myself, let alone a drawing. It’s lovely. What’s that number you wrote after my name, 1875? What does it mean?”

“1875 is the date associated with this image. This drawing depicts you in the Earth year known as 1875, in a place called California. That was a long time ago—roughly twelve thousand Earth years, in fact—and no place called California exists anymore. Yet, in your memory, this place, this time, and this version of Alannah still endure. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to see it within you.”

“None of that makes sense to me,” Alannah says, her face showing confusion. “You’ve drawn me as I am now, and now is all I know. I don’t understand what 1875 means, and I’ve never heard of California or a place called Earth.”

“Let’s move forward and see what we can uncover. This next sketch will help guide your mind back to California and piece together fragments of that memory record. Then you can start connecting the dots and making sense of it all.” Maureen begins sketching another face, one that closely resembles Alannah but isn’t quite identical. As she completes the drawing, she labels it 1855, leaving the space for a name blank. “Take your time, dear. Have some tea, let your memories flow back naturally. There’s no rush. Give it time and let it come to you.”

Alannah examines the sketch for a long while, sipping tea, walking around to view it from different angles, studying it up close, then stepping back to see it from across the room. Sitting down again, she tries to relax her mind and let memories flow, but nothing surfaces. Despite the resemblance, this picture depicts a stranger. Logic suggests that this young woman, who appears to be her age, is twenty years older, as the date 1855 on the sketch indicates. So, who is she?

Alannah suddenly tenses, her eyes widening as if she’s seen a terrifying ghost. “Mother!” she exclaims, gripping the sofa to steady herself. A wave of dizziness and nausea surges through her. An overwhelming emotional weight settles over her, cloaking her in deep sadness. A choking grief tightens her throat, forming a painful lump that leaves her unable to speak.

"Relax Sweetie," Maureen says, sitting next to Alannah on the sofa, holding her and steadying her, also holding a pan in case Alannah needs to throw up. "This will be uncomfortable for a few minutes. It always is when the dam bursts and the memory flows. Lie down if you need. We are not in a hurry. Take your time."

A few minutes pass and Alannah says, "No, I'm fine." Alannah sips some more tea and steadies herself on the sofa. "It was just a shock to have that memory return so suddenly. I wasn't prepared for that. I do remember a little now. You can write 'Akasha' at the bottom of the picture. That was her name, at least I know that much. I do not recall much about her except that she died. I don't think I ever got over that. She was much too young to die, and she died for no good reason. I guess that is why I forgot about her. The pain of her passing was just too great. Why can't I remember more than that?"

"You may take this sketch home with you as well. Put it on the wall next to yours. Day by day as you look at it more will be remembered. There are more in you that I must draw, more that you must remember. Are you ready to continue?"

"Yes. Please continue. I'm kind of getting excited about who I'm going to meet next." Alannah says, sitting up straight now and not looking so sick.

For the third time, Maureen busily sketches the details of a face, an extraordinarily beautiful young woman. Alannah remembers quickly this time. Before Maureen can finish adding the color Alannah knows who she is.

"Label that one "Elina." That's my little sister Elina. Oh my God, we used to fight all the time. I think I was jealous of her because she was the beautiful, sexy one, and she was jealous of me because I was the oldest and got to do everything first. When I got my first makeup, she stole it. When Mom made her give it back, she broke it so I couldn't use it. I told her about a boy I liked, and then I catch her in the woods with him. She could have enticed any boy in town into the woods with her, she was so beautiful, but she picked the one she knew I liked. Fight as we did we were also very close. Mom was harsh with her. I think she was jealous of her too. So many times I would come to her defense and get Mom to leave her alone. What has become of my sister Elina? Is there any way I can find her? What about my Mom?"

Maureen pauses briefly, as if retrieving distant information. "Your mother is gone, not as you knew her. Her essence persists, but as someone else, with no memory of being Akasha. Unless her memories are restored someday, we cannot find her. Elina remains Elina—a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—but her descendants are not with her. They exist in separate domains. Like you, she is alone. With some effort, I can provide her address, but I cannot guarantee she will be ready to reconnect. Reunions across domains are challenging. She may not recognize you or understand why you believe you know her."

As Maureen sketches for the fourth time, the youthful face of a teenage girl emerges. The eyes, nose, and mouth are only faintly outlined before Alannah recognizes her.

"Brionna! That's my annoying little sister, Brionna. She was the youngest in the family and got away with everything. She did things Elina and I would have been punished for, but Mom just overlooked it. She was the most frustrating little pest, but I adore her. Is she in another domain too? Can I locate her?"

"Yes, I sense that Brionna is still Brionna. She also has a group of descendants, and most of them are with her. The same warning applies: we may locate her, but she may not recognize you. Study these sketches frequently, and more will gradually be revealed to you."

Maureen rolls up the Brionna sketch and hands it to Alannah, who adds it to her growing collection of drawings. Once again, she sets up the easel to draw.

""I have another sister? Wow! My family must have been large." Alannah giggles..

Alannah stops laughing as the sketch takes shape.

"That's a funny looking woman. I don't remember her at all."

"That's because this is a man. This domain contains only women, so you haven't seen a man up close in thousands of years. They do look a bit unusual."

"Stop! Stop drawing!" Alannah exclaims, her face showing shock. "I do know him, and I've seen him recently. Look at any magazine or newspaper, or turn on the video—you'll recognize him too. Why is he in my memory? Who is this man to me?"

Maureen continues sketching to refine the image, then gasps in shock at who she has drawn. "Oh, my! This is John of Penny Lake. He's been all over the news. John of Penny Lake is your father. You have a famous father, Sweetie."

"A famous, despicable father. I don’t know why, but I deeply resent that man. I felt it even when I saw him on video. Something about him just infuriates me. I don’t feel anger toward the others, Princess Penelope or Princess Anahere, but he triggers some painful memories. You don’t need to give me his picture or address. I know he’s in the Penny Lake domain—everyone knows that. I have no intention of going there to meet him."

Maureen smiles as she completes the sketch. "I believe I’ve earned my fee today. This memory reconstitution has been successful; you’ve recalled a great deal. I sense one more significant man in your stream of experience, likely a husband, but his timeline is complex, and I can’t form a clear image. He seems to be a blend of multiple figures, so I apologize for not sketching him. I think this sketch of your father may reveal why you’ve been stuck. So, take this sketch as well. In time, you may uncover the source of your resentment toward your father and work to mend that relationship. It might also explain why you ended up in a women’s only domain. Many here have unresolved issues with their fathers. I suggest addressing this. Resolving your issues with your father could lead to a more fulfilling life in another domain."

"That won’t be necessary. I’m perfectly happy living here with the other women, father issues or not. And no, thank you—you can keep the John sketch. He’s on every magazine cover I see. One last question before I leave: if my sisters are great-grandmothers, where are my children? Did I have kids on Earth?"

Maureen frowns and says "I sense that you were pregnant, but you did not survive childbirth."

"No sweetie. Your baby was born alive. You died in childbirth." Maureen replies.

"Died? What do you mean by died? I’m alive, so how could I be dead?" Alannah asks, her face showing deep confusion.

"Oh, Sweetie! I didn’t realize you’d forgotten so much. Of course, you’re alive because that’s the only state you can be in, but it’s a matter of perspective. Let me explain. Earth exists in a different dimensional framework from ours. The Earth’s dimensional framework is invisible to us here, and we are invisible there. It’s called a level 3 framework, while we’re in a level 5 framework, and the two cannot physically interact—they’re dimensionally out of phase. You existed in physical form on Earth, and when that form stopped functioning, you transferred your physical form here."

"From their perspective, the empty shell you left behind on Earth was dead. To them, you had died. When you arrived here, you took on the same physical form you had there, but you left most, if not all, of your memories behind. You didn’t recall being Alannah on Earth, so you were unaware that you had died there. I’m sorry for revealing this so abruptly. Like everything else you’ve learned today, it will take time, but you’ll adjust and eventually understand."

Alannah rides the bus home in a daze, as if entranced. Everything feels unfamiliar now. Gazing out the window as the bus glides 100 feet above the pedestrian walkway below, everything seems wrong. There should be horses, carriages, and wooden buildings, not structures of glass and steel or hover cars weaving through the sky. Recalling her identity and past life has left her without a clear sense of self in the present. She feels a bit lost.

Sitting in a booth at the diner, Sherina brings Alannah some pie and ice cream to lift her spirits. Alannah has sunk into a state of melancholy, deeply longing for a mother and sisters she hasn’t thought of in thousands of years. Her memories now flicker between Earth in the 19th century and her new domain of Crystal City, which, in Earth time, seems to be around the 139th century. What has happened to her family? What has become of Earth? Who is Alannah, truly? Are Alannah of Earth’s past and Alannah of Crystal City even the same person? Is this all a dream? Is it some kind of joke?

"Sherina. The diner is empty. Come sit with me. I need to talk."

"Of course, Sugar. Whatever you need, I’m here for you. I know how tough this is. I’ve seen many go through it. You’ll piece it all together soon, I’m certain," Sherina says as she sits down with Alannah.

"Tell me about—this. Where are we, really? What is this place, Crystal City? I vaguely recall arriving here, and you were there to greet me and help me get this job. But it was all different then—horses and wooden buildings, not this modern city of glass it has become. Why didn’t I notice any of this before? When did it all change?" Alannah asks, her face etched with deep concern.

"Baby, you were lost in your forgetfulness. That’s common around here. Most of us were in that state until the great awakening. Then many of us started to remember, and lately, with all the news about the planet being prepared for repopulation, it’s been nonstop on the news. The customers and other workers have been talking about it constantly too. But you, Alannah, would just zone out and go about your work as if nothing was happening. That’s when I knew we had to get you into reconstitution therapy to recover your memory. I’m sorry it’s been such a shock to you."

"To answer your questions, Crystal City is what we call a domain, a perceptual bubble where we can experience life in this form. When you arrived, it was the late 19th century on Earth, and this town was designed to reflect that era because that’s all we knew. As newcomers kept arriving, the town evolved with the progress they brought. It gradually transformed from wood buildings and dirt roads to paved walkways, steel buildings, and hover cars floating above us. Our physical form here is the same as the one we had on Earth, manifested in this dimensional framework we call level 5."

"This framework has additional dimensions that the Earth framework lacks. Here, it’s much easier to manifest our thoughts into form—a level of manifestation nearly impossible on Earth. To experience life there, you must be born into a physical form as an infant and live as that entity. There’s a process we’ve developed for this. When you undergo it, you gradually forget your prior existence and adopt that form as your own. When you leave that form, typically because it dies, you manifest here in the same form because that’s what you know—it’s who and what you have become."

"So this is Heaven? Are we spirits?" Alannah asks.

Perhaps indirectly, your spiritual core remains the same, yet you are just as physical here as you were on Earth, existing within a different dimensional structure. Many on Earth believed that upon the end of their lives there, they, or their spiritual essence, would journey to one of two destinations: either a Heaven of unending joy or a Hell of ceaseless torment. What they didn't realize is that there are actually thousands of places to go, and this realm is simply one of them.

Realms of unending joy and realms of ceaseless torment exist, and souls can manifest in those places if they believe they belong there. However, most of us find ourselves somewhere in between, as that is the appropriate place for us based on our level of conscious development and the kind of life we wish to experience. For a reason you no longer recall, you chose to come here, and I am certain you had a valid reason.

Few of us actually recall leaving our physical body on Earth and arriving here. Most of us simply find ourselves here with little to no memory of our past lives on Earth and continue living our lives here as if nothing came before. We call this a veil of forgetfulness, and for most of us, it is beneficial. It shields us from the melancholy you are currently experiencing—missing loved ones we have left behind or yearning to reunite with others who have chosen different realms.

Although other dimensional structures exist within which we could reside, this one, which we call level 5, is where we go between our journeys to Earth. Our life form evolved on Earth, which is the source of our physical form, our origin, our home, and the place we return to when we leave level 5. While a few ascend to higher levels, most of us, after some rest, relaxation, and a recharging of our essential energies, return for another lifetime on Earth.

Then everything changed. There was a great cataclysm on Earth, one that we refer to as the Great Influx. At that time, within just a few short minutes, all life—every living thing on Earth and throughout the entire solar system—died, extinguished in an instant. Since that time, everything has been different, and all the rules have changed.

One of the most significant changes is that we now need our memories back. Forgetting where we came from and then returning to Earth after a brief stay here was acceptable before. However, after the Influx, there was no Earth to return to. Without life there, it became invisible to us, and we could not locate it. We now live here permanently. Therefore, it is essential for us to remember who and what we are and why we are here so that we can progress with our lives. Otherwise, we become stuck, as you have been, simply reliving the same day repeatedly, waiting to return to a life on a planet that no longer exists.

Fifteen years ago, a group of individuals from the Penny Lake and Powder Junction realms embarked on a joint mission to rediscover Earth and make some fundamental adjustments to our domains so that we could prepare Earth for repopulation. Those adjustments led to the great awakening, where many of us began to spontaneously recall who we were and why we were here. Others, like yourself, lost in their forgetfulness, required some assistance—reconstitution therapy—to lift the veil. That is what you have just experienced."

"Alright, now for the challenging part," Alannah says, mustering her courage to ask the tough questions. "Pick up that magazine over there, the one with The Four on the cover."

"Okay, Sweetie, I got it. What's about them? Those are the guys I was just talking about who rediscovered Earth. They're on the news all the time these days."

"Do you see the tall guy in the middle?"

"Yes, that's John from Penny Lake. He's like the grandfather of the group. What do you want to know about him?"

"Everything."

"Well, let's see. As I understand it, he arrived just before the turn of the 20th century, Earth time. He was training with the domain host for Penny Lake to become a host and manage his own domain. Then, in the 22nd century, Earth time, the Great Influx occurred, and that changed everything. Some domains doubled or tripled their members overnight. It was chaos."

"During the Great Influx, one of the children who arrived at Penny Lake was a fifteen-year-old girl named Sally. She and John formed a father-daughter bond. Sally, along with her boyfriend, discovered the missing planet Earth, determined what had happened, and devised a way to restore it. Their adjustments to the dimensional frameworks revived life on the planet and triggered the Great Awakening. As a result, they gained widespread fame. That was about fifteen years ago. Sally and her boyfriend, now divorced, have a teenage daughter known as Princess Penelope. Recently, Sally adopted another teenager, an Aboriginal girl who serves as the ambassador to those called The First Ones.

We call her Princess Anahere. The media refers to them as princesses because domains like this one and Capitol City have embraced this family as their unofficial royal family. They are extremely popular and very famous here. Many magazines focus entirely on the lives of the two princess girls, and they have a substantial circulation.

"Do you think any of them will ever come here?"

"I'm not sure. That could be an issue for us if they visit, given our privacy laws. In Capitol City, they're swarmed by media and paparazzi taking photos and videos. That behavior is illegal here. Approaching someone uninvited could lead to arrest and jail time. Our discreteness protocol is essentially our core principle. Despite their popularity, I'm not sure if our people could resist bothering them if they come. We'll see if it happens. So, why all the interest in them?""

"Well, it turns out that John of Penny Lake is my dad."

"What? Really? Oh my gosh! Seriously? Wow, girl, you could be famous too. That's incredible news. So, why the glum expression?"

"When I first realized he was my father, I was overwhelmed with feelings of hatred, pain, and resentment. I despise that man, and I don’t know why. That’s why I hoped none of them would come here. He can’t anyway, since he’s a man, but I’m not sure how I’d react to the girls, considering I’m basically a relative. It’s a lot of complicated emotions, and I don’t think I can handle them right now."

"I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Even if they visit Crystal City, it’s unlikely they’d come to our diner. You should head home and get some rest. Things will get easier in a few days as your memory gradually returns. Your shift starts at 6 AM. Don’t be late!"

In her apartment, Alannah tosses and turns, unable to find restful sleep. New memories flood in, especially through her dreams. In one dream, she recalls her mother describing herself as a double Indian. Her maternal grandmother was an Indian from India, and her maternal grandfather was a Native American, also called an Indian in those days due to a mistake by ancient explorers. So, she was a double Indian. These ethnic labels now seem trivial. What difference could they possibly make? Alannah finally drifts into a few minutes of peaceful sleep when her phone rings. Still half-asleep, she knocks it onto the floor while trying to answer and stumbles in the dark to find it. It’s Sherina on the line.

"Girl! Get your ass down here in a hurry. You're not going to believe what is going on here."

"Huh? My shift doesn't start for hours. Why are you calling me now?"

"I’m serious. You need to get down here now. You must have some kind of powers or be a prophet. You won’t believe who’s sitting right where you were earlier, eating the exact same pie and ice cream."

"Sherina, this better be good. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Princess Anahere. That’s what I’m talking about. She’s in the diner right now, sitting exactly where you were just a few hours ago, eating the same pie and ice cream from the same pie plate and ice cream bucket. This can’t be a coincidence. This is destiny. Get your skinny self down here right now! You have to see this!"

"What?! Princess Anahere? Oh my gosh! I think this is a really bad idea, but I’ll be there in a flash. You know you could go to jail just for making this call, right?"

"Yes, but I also know you ain't gonna tell. Hurry your ass up before she leaves."

Alannah steps off the bus a block away and quickly dashes to the back entrance instead of using the front door. A dozen curious onlookers are gathered at the back of the kitchen, peering at Princess Anahere through a crack in the door. Sherina is hushing them to prevent the Princess from noticing the crowd.

"Good. You're here" Sherina whispered. "You have the floor. I'll sit back here and watch."

"Are you serious? I can’t go out there!" Alannah whispered back.

""Destiny is calling you, sister. Go for it!" Sherina whispers, handing Alannah the order pad.

Alannah stands frozen behind the counter, trying to appear calm, hoping Princess Anahere doesn’t notice her flushed face and sweaty palms. Suddenly, her anxiety vanishes. The Princess is crying, tears streaming down her face, her hands and legs trembling uncontrollably. In a surge of empathetic understanding, Alannah’s heart softens. She thinks to herself, Oh my God, the Princess is experiencing the same thing I am. That’s what I looked like sitting in that same booth just hours ago. Maybe this is destiny. Filled with confidence, Alannah approaches the table.

"Is there anything I can get you miss? I just started my shift." Alannah says.

"No ma'am. I'm fine." Anahere responds.

Alannah returns behind the counter, feeling proud of herself, but suddenly freezes as her anxiety surges back. Another figure, who has been shadowing Princess Anahere from the darkness, steps into the diner. It’s Princess Penelope. Penelope slides into the booth next to Anahere, and they embrace, weeping together.

Both of them? Alannah thinks to herself. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, it’s both of them—at my table! What if they order something else? What if I trip and fall? What if I wet myself? What if I get a runny nose? Oh God, if you exist anywhere in this world, I need help now. I know Penelope is going to order something, and I’ll walk out there, fall flat on my face, and then wet myself—I just know it.

The two young girls cry for a while, then talk and laugh. Princess Anahere tosses a few coins to Princess Penelope, who, as Alannah dreaded, signals her to come take an order. The fear of an anticipated event is often worse than the event itself. Alannah approaches the table, takes the order, and returns behind the counter without tripping, wetting herself, or experiencing any nasal mishaps. She scoops a generous double portion of ice cream, serves it to the Princess, and returns safely behind the counter without any humiliating incidents, all while hearing hushed whispers from the back room and wishing they would be quiet. Whew! Mission accomplished.

The calm lasts only a moment before fear grips Alannah’s heart again. Princess Penelope, who had barely noticed her before, suddenly turns and locks eyes with Alannah, then whispers something to Princess Anahere. Anahere grabs the ticket, reading Alannah’s name written on it. Both girls then stare directly into Alannah’s eyes. Alannah stands frozen, unable to speak or move, but fortunately showing no outward emotion. Holy heck! They recognized me, she thinks. How could they possibly know? Unable to hear their conversation, she distinctly sees them mouth the name John multiple times by reading their lips. They know! They know who I am and that I’m John’s daughter! What can I do? Nothing! All I can do is stand here like a statue and wait for destiny to crush me like a brittle twig.

The two girls leave a few coins on the table, sparing Alannah the stress of having to settle the bill herself. Then, hand in hand, they walk out of the diner. As they leave, Alannah can't help but notice that both girls intentionally avoid looking at her. Good, she thinks. I don't want to talk to them, and they clearly don't want to talk to me. Maybe they won’t tell Dad who they saw. But someday, I know I’ll get that phone call—summoning me to Penny Lake for an audience with Dad. I just hope I’m ready when it happens... and I hope it doesn’t happen too soon. It’s going to take a lot of getting used to.

After all the drama has settled, Alannah asks Sherina for another day off. There's a lot to process, a lot to reflect on. I guess I’m really unstuck now, Alannah thinks to herself. I wanted to move forward instead of being trapped in the same day over and over, but I didn’t expect things to change this quickly. It’s been a bit too much for one day. Today, I’m hoping absolutely nothing happens. Tomorrow, then, will be the first day of my new life—and the first thing I’m going to do is find Elina.

Calm now, confident and unafraid of whatever destiny may bring, Alannah sits in a booth at an all-night diner, in the heart of a domain called Crystal City—one of thousands of other domains drifting in the middle of who-knows-where—and enjoys some pie and ice cream.