Down End Road

Me, Alex, my mother and father all sat at the round wooden table eating pork belly roast with green bean casserole and cheesy mash.

The conversation was quiet and sparse and I could tell my parents were getting antsy about me leaving to the manor again. I looked at Alex and he gave me the ghost of a nod. I inhaled a deep breath before looking to my parents expectantly.

"Who is the descendant of John Adams?" I blabbed. Several things happened after that. My father choked on his wine and my mother dropped her knife and fork, chipping her plate. I heard a loud clatter in the adjoined washing room and turned to see Maria had dropped the washing basket.

"We are not talking about this Myra." My father commanded sternly. My father stood to go dish himself so more food but I immediately jumped out of my seat.

"What do you mean we aren't talking about this." I yelled. "Do you mean we aren't going to talk about it like you didn't talk about the order for eighteen years, or do you mean we are just going to sit on the information that the portals are dying and the only one who can save them is their descendant." I ranted.

Alex looked wide-eyed and uncomfortable. I glanced down at my feet and swallowed the lump in my throat. "I- I can't- I don't want to be the reason why a whole world, a beautiful bio-diverse world filled with intelligent and loyal... monsters, dies." I admitted.

I heard the scrape of a chair as Alex came to stand beside me for support. My father followed his movements and frowned. "You don't understand Myra, if you do this just know that we cannot have any part in it, we already had our hearts broken and broke many others. We cannot have that happen to our own daughter." My mother conveyed.

She looked at me with pleading eyes, silently begging me to give it up and back down. To let the portals go to ruin. I lowered my eyes to the ground and sucked in a sharp breath. "I'm sorry, but I don't feel that way." I said. I heard my mother shuffle her feet as she turned toward my father, away from me. "I love you both, so much, but I can't let a whole series of worlds die just because I'm afraid." I said, hoping that it sounded sure.

"We refuse to be apart of this again." My father stated, I turned ready to leave. "But, we don't want you to do this completely clueless, so I will tell you this. Miss Wilson, I don't know if she works there anymore, but she helped us a lot back in the day." He hinted gruffly.

I turned to meet their gaze. My mouth dropped slightly as I looked between them. Before I could think a second thought, I rushed to them and engulfed them in my arms. Giving them a possible final goodbye...

For a while, I didn't plan on dying. "Thank you, so so much. I love you, and I promise to not let you guys down." I pledged, my face buried in their warm embrace.

"It's not being let down we are worried about sweetheart. It's about you getting hurt." My mother clarified. "Please be careful!" She demanded tearily. I squeezed her in reassurance.

"I promise."

With that promise in mind, me and Alex drove back to the manor, with new game-changing information.

-----------------------

"Miss Wilson." I yelled. "Miss Wilson." I sang again. Me and Alex had dashed to the library as soon as we'd arrived. Miss Wilson had information we needed. And possibly advice.

"Miss Wil-" I stopped with a startled fright as Miss Wilson appeared toward me in a blur of speed. Her dark afro streaked with silver looked crazier than usual but her dark burgundy suit, cream satin blouse and matching burgundy pants, were nothing short of elegant.

"Stop yelling we are in a Library." Miss Wilson hissed in warning. Her amber eyes narrowed in fury. I almost took a step back. Almost. Alex placed a comforting arm round my shoulder, obviously sensing my agitation.

"We're sorry Miss, but we need to talk, in private, preferably now." Alex apologised. I looked around us to see more than the average student here. And when I said more than average I meant there were actual students here. Two or three were dotted around the room. Either lounged in the chairs with thick volumes balanced in their laps or hunched over books placed on the study bench.

I looked toward Miss Wilson confused. "There are... actual people here." I said. Miss Wilson clucked her tongue and narrowed here eyes. Never had I seen her in such a crotchety mood.

"Well yes dear. This is usually the place where the younger years come to study for their exams. They may not come often or regularly but they do come." She chided. I nodded still a little boggled by the sheer idea of people physically coming here. "Lets adjourn to my office shall we." Miss Wilson commanded, and began to walk away.

We traveled through several mazes of bookshelves, then twisted down narrow isles I was sure hadn't been used in over a decade, before we finally arrived at a little hole in the wall place.

The door had several carvings on it. Including the infamous order of Hamilton's symbol, the tree of knowledge. But it was a little different, for on it was a dragon twisting it's way around the tree.

I felt eerily pulled toward it. She opened the door, to reveal a clean, dust free room. The space was busy and eclectic filled with books. Books stacked into piles so high they reached the low ceiling that Alex had to crane his head low in hopes to not hit his skull. Miss Wilson ushered us to three seats.

One was a rich red armchair, another a deep blue velvet fan chair, while the last was a simple yet elaborately carved oak dining chair.

I cautiously sat down, my hands fisted in my pockets. As Miss Wilson lowered herself slowly into her seat, my patience snapped into ribbons, along with my tact apparently. "We know you helped my parents." I blabbed.

Alex breathed a barely audible weary sigh. Miss Wilson sat down and remained silent for a few moments. With narrowed eyes she looked between us. I gingerly turned looked to Alex then back to Miss Wilson. My confusion written plain as day on my face.

Just as I opened my mouth to break the silence, Miss Wilson exploded. "This. Is. Wonderful." She exclaimed clapping her hands together and abruptly standing out of her broad throne like seat. "You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this." She continued.

"Years. Years, I've been waiting for someone to ask enough questions to figure out the truth even only a small part of it. And now, I have you two. Some of the most influential and powerful people in the society. You two could help me. Yes! Yes, yes, yes! We can look at the archives, I can show you my research and-"

I hopped out of my seat and clutched her wrists to stop her movements. "As... great as that sounds." I started, "all we really need for tonight is a name, and for you to calm down. Please." I added then end for good will.

Miss Wilson inhaled deeply, then with a loud exhale, collapsed into her seat. "Yes, I understand, sorry I can get a bit carried away." She apologised, I waved it off with a smile and flick of my wrist. "It's just... I always knew you would be the ones to figure it all out. Well not always you Alex. No, I never thought in a million years you would find out, well that was up until you and Myra grew close. Well anyways, you two are just so clever and Myra your curiosity is just exponential and well, I am glad it was you two who found out about me." Miss Wilson explained, with a beam.

I nodded my head, sympathising with her situation. "We want to talk about this for sure, but for tonight I think we'll start off with a name. We need to know who the descendant of John Adams and Abigail Adam's is." I explicated.

"Oh... Well I'm sorry to tell you this dear, but I don't know who they are. Your parents were the only ones, I believe. Never told anyone anything really, which is more annoying now than ever." She grumbled the last part. I nodded and turned to Alex with a strained look.

"Well maybe we can come by tomorrow and try to figure out who it is then." Alex offered. Miss Wilsons whole face brightened and she nodded eagerly.

"Of course that would be marvellous." She exclaimed. Miss Wilson escorted us out of her office and brought us to the library doors.

As me and Alex strode side by side finally having no secrets between us -or less- it finally felt like the world wasn't tipped on it's axis.