Tales of the First

“Sienna!” Charlotte sounded somewhere between stress and panic. “You have to help me, please! I don't know who else to ask.”

“Breathe, Char,” Sienna said soothingly. “What's wrong.”

“It's Ryan… my cousin. He's like you. Well not exactly like you… Oh! I don't now how to explain this.”

“Char, you're not making much sense but this doesn't sound like something we should talk about on the phone,” Sienna said. “Can you come over to my place this evening or would you prefer to meet somewhere more neutral.”

“N-no, we shouldn't talk on the phone, should we?” Charlotte sounded like she had finally remembered to breathe but was still on the verge of tears. “Can I stay over? I'm too scared to be at home right now.”

Sienna stared at her phone. Obviously whatever was going on with Charlotte's cousin scared her more than Sienna did at the moment. “I'm sure mum and dad won't mind,” Sienna said. “Lu's already staying over. I'll call them to check and then call you back.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte said. “I'll see you later.” She hung up.

“Charlotte wants to come over and visit you?” Wendy said. “That's quite the turn around. She was still terrified of you last time we spoke.”

“I think she still is,” Sienna said. “But it seems something else is scaring her more.” She told them what Charlotte had said before adding, “she sounded panicked.”

“Ryan? Is that the ginger one?” Lucy asked. Charlotte had a lot of cousins.

“I don't think so,” Sienna said. “I think Ryan has brown hair.”

“He does,” Wendy said. “He's the short, quiet one. I wonder what she meant by 'like you'? Do you suppose he has powers too?”

"Seems quite likely," Sienna said. "I guess we'll find out this evening."