The Letter
“Hazel!” Addison screeched down the stairs, “You’ve got mail!” Her voice was high pitched, and sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Hazel got up from her spot in the middle of her bedroom floor, confused. She never got mail. Not on her birthday, not for christmas. Not even junk mail. Maybe this was her first junkmail! Then she could throw it out like an adult. Hazel bounded up the stairs, and Addison was standing there with the letter. Addison was a beautiful and skinny girl. She had pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. She looked like a photoshopped model right out of a magazine. Hazel hated her. She tried to catch the letter Addison threw at her, but it fumbled. Hazel then picked it up off the ground and raced downstairs to open it. The return address said STEPHEN HALE, a name she did not recognize. And it was from Emme, a place she definitely did not recognize. Who was writing to her? And why now?
Hazel ripped open the envelope and dumbed out two pieces of paper on her bedroom floor. Hazel unfolded the first one and it was a map from her house to this weird island. The blank ink was smeared a little and the handwriting was small and messy. It didn’t make a lot of sense, and it was kinda creepy. Who knew where she lived, and why were they sending her a map to a foreign country? Then she read the letter.
Dear Hazel,
My name is Stephen Hale, and I’m sure at this point you are wondering why I am writing to you, and for good reason. I hope I haven’t creeped you out too much, that was not my intent, but I’m not sure how to tell you what you need to know without being a little creepy. I knew your parents, Ivonne and Kael Evans. They are from Emme, as am I, and you are too. Your parents tragically died, as I’m sure you know already. Their death caused the country to be turned upside down. The thing is, Emme needs your help, the whole reason I am writing to you, although it would have been nicer to write to you on nicer terms. I am begging you to come to Emme, and help take down Yanis, who is threatening the safety of the citizens here. You are the only one who can save us. I will tell you more when you get here
Sincerely,
Stephen Hale
P.S. Yanis killed your father, and kept your mother in captivity for so long that she was begging for death.
Oh. My. God. Hazel thought. That was a lot of information all at once. Hazel ran up the stairs of her house, and yelled “I’m going to Elliot’s!”
“You’re going to see him again? What, are you two in love?” scoffed Addison, perched on the counter.
“Them.” Hazel said forcefully. “Elliot uses they and them. You know that,” Hazel added as she dashed out the door.
As Hazel left her house, she heard her foster mother, Elise yell at her to come back.
Ding dong. Elliot opened the front door, and it was none other than Hazel, his best and only friend. Her dark hair surrounded her face, and her green eyes sparkled. That told Elliot that something was up.
“Elliot!” she panted, out of breath. Her olive skin was redder than usual.
“Hi,” Elliot said. “What’s up?”
Hazel pulled out an envelope and handed it to Elliot. “Read the letter.” Elliot pulled out the map, and opened it, and Hazel snatched it from him. “The letter, Elliot.” she repeated.
So Elliot did, and Hazel watched. Elliot’s blue eyes got bigger and bigger as they kept reading. When Elliot was done, he rubbed his curly blonde hair. “You can’t go. There’s no way.”
“Elliot, I have to! Did you read the letter? People are dying because of me.”
“Hazel, don’t be so dramatic. It could be a trap. Do you know how many predators are out there, just waiting to put teenage girls into sex trafficking? And yeah, it happens in the United States, too.”
“Elliot, I’m going. And you’re coming with me.”
“Hazel-”
“Elliot, I know you don’t want to stay here all summer, listening to your parents argue every night. This could be fun, and you keep me from getting into too much trouble. Please?” Hazel made a pouty face.
Elliot considered for a minute, then shrugged their shoulders. Staying home would not be fun, especially without Hazel there. They sighed. “Fine. Now get home, before Walter comes over here to drag you home.”
Hazel rushed home, excited for the coming days. She could finally get out of this living hell DHS calls a “foster family”.
As Hazel came through the door, Addison yelled, “Hazel’s back from his house! Walter! Elise!” She was so loud.
“Addison, you know Elliot is non-binary, stop purposely misgendering them.”
“Them? He’s just one person? Why would I address him as multiple people?”
Hazel groaned and stormed downstairs. There was no getting through with Addison. Good thing Hazel was leaving her behind.
