Dedicated to Nerdy_Jay_, practically my sister from another mister.

ANNABELLE

Hey, it's Annabelle. This isn't just Naomi's story, you know. I can shove in any time I want!

Anyway, you don't want long introductions, do you? You want some action! Well, your wish is my command!

Alex took Naomi by the arm and led her to the weapons shed of eternal fatality and doom, so I was left with Isaac. He was staring off into the distance, his light-brown eyes dark with thoughtfulness.

"Something wrong, Isaac?" I prodded my friend in the shoulder, making him turn to look at me. He gave me a soft smile and dragged a hand through his long hair.

"I mean... will anything ever be okay again? We're basically trapped in a fantasy world when I was perfectly fine with my old life, and we don't have a choice but to get these dang objects that will apparently save the world. I have to risk my life for a silly task I don't even want, and I have to train to fight monsters and go through trials that no one has ever completed." Isaac's voice was openly bitter, and I could feel his words sting like poison in my bones.

He scoffed and clawed at his hair again, a weird tic of his. "You agree, right, Annabelle?" he asked when I didn't jump to agree with him.

I couldn't hide the grin that split my face. To be honest, ever since I woke up in the Above, I never felt so alive. My body exploded with energy to fight these monsters and gain the entities. My heart raced in my ribs just thinking about it! Life back on the ground was boring, and I'm a girl who craves excitement. This was the perfect opportunity to do something, and not worry about responsibilities and all that totally not-exciting stuff. Oh, this is gonna be fantastic!

"Whatever," I replied, shaking my hair out of my face. "We have to do this, Isaac, whether we want to or not."

He studied my still-grinning face. "Why are you smiling like that? You love this, don't you?"

He knows me too well. Maybe it's time for a restraining order.

I tried to command my lips to stop smiling, but they disobeyed. I also couldn't stop the thrill in my veins, energy pulsing with my bloodstream, crying for the adventure to come.

"So what if I am?" I challenged. "People are allowed to have their own opinions."

"Yeah, but yours is dumb. We could die out here, Annabelle!" Isaac exclaimed at my offended look.

I want to agree with you. I don't want to be left out. I could lie and scowl and complain about all this, and you wouldn't even know the difference. I chewed my bottom lip and tried not to run and hide like a frightened animal.

I wasn't a leader like Naomi was. I was a lost follower, always looking for someone to hold my hand and guide me. Before I met Naomi or Isaac, I was always tagging along with the popular crowd, even if my opinion didn't match their own. It was quite easy, actually, scheming my way in a popular trope.

Anyone can point fingers and call what I did wrong, and ask me why I didn't stand up for myself and flaunt my opinions.

But what I would like to ask in return is what would you do in order to not be alone? To not be tossed away like yesterday's garbage just because you didn't agree with certain people and like what they like?

That was my life until I met Naomi and Isaac. Naomi showed me that it's okay I couldn't lead myself sometimes, and Isaac indirectly taught me that there's no shame in doing whatever I want and like whatever I want. They made me stronger, and one day I hope I could do the same to them.

So no more cheesy sentimental stuff, yeah?

"Maybe I need that push," I muttered before storming off, my shoes harmlessly drifting through the clouds as I walked away.

As I moved away, I mused over my options. I could do as Alex said and train and put some awesome swords and daggers to use, but I could also explore the new terrain a little. I saw Naomi staring at some wall earlier, so I could check that out.

Happy with a purpose, I spun around and walked to the wall Naomi was looking at. As I neared it, I could see some engravings on it, fresh black letters jumping out of a worn gray canvas.

They're names. Names of people. I finally stopped and stared at the list of names written on the wall. They probably didn't have any tools to carve into it, or they couldn't spare the energy to.

Elijah Jones. Ryan Callinan. Ray Callinan. I distantly saw my hand reaching toward the names, like it wasn't mine. Lindsey Sparks. Joel Risings. Meghan Free.

"Whoa, there, redhead. Don't smudge the Sharpie." A voice with a faint accent jerked me back into reality. I felt like I was so far away when I read the names, like I could peek in at the person's life. There were questions that no one could answer, like if Meghan was Ryan's cousin or friend or if Elijah liked to pull pranks or lighten a situation or if Ray never saw the bright side of things and lived on the dark side of the world.

Yeah, I could ask, but that would be creepy. I don't think people like talking about the dead, either.

"You used a Sharpie? You didn't even make graves?" I turned around, my eyebrows raised. A boy with a very dark complexion stared at me with creamy brown eyes, unblinking.

He smirked, a corner of his mouth twitching. "You can't put stones on clouds. Besides, the bodies never come back. Our mission is far too important to retrieve them, anyway." He rubbed his neck, making his delicate chocolate-colored curls part like a waterfall around his hand. "It may seem cruel to you, but it's the truth. You'll learn to deal with it as you get used to life here."

"I understand." I surprise myself with my own voice. I mean, seriously, how could I understand if I've been here for less than a day? But it did make sense, about the gravestones-on-clouds and not being able to retrieve the bodies.

I bet they don't need corpses when their memories are like a lit torch, always burning in everyone's minds.

The boy nodded and cleared his throat. "I'm Julian, by the way," he greeted. "You are the friend of the blue-haired girl, right?"

"That blue-haired girl has a name, you know," I snapped. What was up with these people and her hair? "Her name is Naomi, and she's the greatest friend anybody could ask for."

"Bright colors attract monsters. Once you all see it for yourselves, you'll see why we make a big deal about it." It was like he read my mind. Julian's eyes bore into mine, daring me to break his stare. "You need more faith, more trust. Although I can't blame you for lacking both."

"Oh, I'm the most faithful person on the planet." I grinned and swept past Julian, away from the looming wall of names that tells a tale of life and death just with first and last names.

Suddenly, a shout split through the air. "It's them!" a guy shouted. "The other group! The other seekers!"

My breath got caught in my throat. There was another group of people? Like us?

"We used to be one group," Julian explained as I hurried after the horde of people running towards the doors. "But a girl, Marissa Sawyers, disagreed with our ways and started another group elsewhere. They're a strange bunch, and when I say strange, I mean really strange."

Psh. I can handle strange. Heck, I handle strange every time I look in the mirror. I slowed down as I reached the edge of the crowd, but I elbowed my way through to the front to get a better view. I didn't even feel guilty as people muttered curses at me under their breath.

"'Sup, guys. Any luck?" A person threw open the towering doors and strode inside, their cloak swishing against the clouds. I couldn't see if it was a boy or a girl, since their whole body was covered. A black, thick cloak hugged their body, and the hood was pulled low over their face, so what wasn't hidden by the hood was masked in shadow.

The person had midnight-black jeans on, and black boots that reached almost to the knee. Cloak Man/Woman looked as sneaky as a black bear in a blizzard.

"That's Marissa, the leader," Julian whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "She believes that covering ourselves completely will make us appear practically invisible to the monsters." He snorted. "Bull."

"I just knew you couldn't keep away from my fabulousness enough." Low and behold, Alex strode up to Marissa-the-Faceless-Cloak, his grin stretching across his face. "Hey, Marissa. What's the occasion?" He then gasped and laid a hand on his forehead, closing his eyes like he's about to faint. "Oh, how I should've known! You want to marry me, don't you?"

"Buffoon!" Marissa cuffed him right on the head, balling up her fist and slamming it into the side of his skull. Alex made a strangled noise before he stumbled backwards, a hand massaging his head.

"You say that every time we come here. I have no time for you and your arrogance, Alex." Marissa huffed and folded her arms. If I could see her eyes, I bet she's glaring at him.

"I have a far more exciting and important matter." She threw a hand up and snapped her fingers. "I want to challenge your people of the Above!"