Another Lovely Day in the Neighbourhood

“Bulk is missing.”

Timber looked at Moondancer. She had said it so bluntly and dry that he wondered if it was a joke.

“How do you know?” He asked.

“I met with him yesterday.” Moondancer adjusted her glasses, the glint off the sunlight hiding her eyes from sight. “Then he disappeared right in front of me.”

“...How?”

“He was there and then he wasn’t.”

“Okay, but—”

“I don’t know how to explain it better than I already have. He’s just gone.” Moondancer clenched her fists. “Though I can’t confirm it, his disappearance might be because of… that.”

Dread. An instinctual fear.

“It can’t be.” Timber tried to force the trembling out of his limbs. “That wasn’t real. It was just some dumb late middle school stuff. A-a mass hallucination!”

“That came true,” Moondancer replied. “You more than any of us should be the last one to deny it. How else could your, at the time, underage sister manage to get full property rights for Camp Everfree away from Filthy Rich?”

“It was hereditary!”

“Then it should have been held onto by a legal guardian until she came of age. Instead, you were given full operational rights immediately. That’s unheard of.” Moondancer glared into the sidewalk, frowning intently. “We all made wishes, Timber. We all got what we wanted from them. We’re just paying a delayed price.”

“It still doesn’t mean that thing is back. Bulk might have just run off! You know he gets antsy when he’s in one place for too long.”

“...When was the last time you heard from Flash?”

“...Two days ago,” Timber replied. “That doesn’t mean anything. He’s a on the road a lot and busy—”

“So busy, he can’t get back to you?” Moondancer affixed Timber with a look.

Timber had no response.

“...Bon Bon contacted me to say that Lyra is missing. I can’t get a hold of Vinyl. Nor Trixie, and you know she’s always hoping for a call from any of us.” Moondancer stood up. “I feel it relevant that everyone seems to disappear in the order we made those wishes. That means I’m next, then you and finally Bon Bon.”

“What do you expect me to do about it?” Timber asked, defeated.

“Find a miracle. Barring that, maybe tell your sister you love her.”

A moment of silence.

“...Good luck, Timber,” Moondancer said.

Timber watched her leave.

Then she disappeared.

It was so sudden. He jumped to his feet. She had been right there then just… wasn’t. It was so strange that Timber almost didn’t believe it had happened even though he had just seen it.

He had no idea how to avoid ending up just like her.

Acting fast, Timber pulled out his phone and brought up his ongoing chat with his sister. He typed out a message quickly.

Hands came down on him.

Then Timber disappeared.

The message on his phone stayed unsent.