17 Middle Of Night

"I will come again on your birthday."

"Do you even know my birthday?"

"March one, right?"

Katie's mouth widened. "How do you know?"

Kinsey sighed for the umpteenth time. "Did you forget we ever ate ice cream on your birthday?"

"Oh, the most delicious ice cream in the world. Hey, you said there is a better ice cream shop near your house. You should bring it later when you come again."

Gosh!

Does this kid could only remember trivial things related to ice cream?

Kinsey exaggeratedly shook his head. Is the presence of ice cream more prominent than his existence? Seriously?

"Fine. I'll bring it to you when I come back here."

Katie smiled broadly at that. Kinsey could only sigh in resignation to see Katie was more looking forward to her ice cream coming rather than himself.

"Ah, one more thing. Don't you like singing? This is for you." Kinsey showed a rectangular silver object adorned by a mic on two sides.

Underneath was engraved the inscription 'Best Friends.' While on top, there were two circles to hang the key.

Before giving it to Katie's hand, Kinsey pulled one of the handles apart from the others. It turned out the hangers could be separated and now become two parts. Kinsey gave one to Katie and another for him to keep.

"How about we meet every day? Wouldn't it be more fun if we could meet every day?"

"How do we do it? You don't even live here." pouted Katie simultaneously; she was excited to be with Kinsey every day.

"In New York City, there is a Trinity school. I heard there is a special department for the arts. The rumor said that the famous singer came from there. I decided to go there when I am in high school. If you make it there, we can meet every day. And if we are lucky, we can be classmates. What do you think?"

"Really? Promise?" Katie held up her pinky finger.

"Promise." Kinsey hitched her pinky finger on Katie's validate their promise.

"But you still come on my birthday, right?"

"Of course," Kinsey giggled as he rejoiced in his heart, seeing Katie was enthusiastic about her upcoming birthday.

Then Kinsey got in the car and let his driver closed it for him. Kinsey opened the window of his car to see Katie. Both of them waved each other's hands while saying, 'See you later.'

Unfortunately, neither of them knew that day was their last meeting. Something terrible happened in Kinsey's life and could not come on Katie's birthday. It was the darkest and coldest days of his life.

Kinsey's biological mother, Chloeny Paxton, had left this world.

***

If time usually seemed to go so fast, now Katie felt time went so slow. She couldn't wait for Kinsey to arrive... more precisely, she couldn't wait to taste the ice cream he said was better than the best ice cream in this town.

Despite being impatient, Katie continued to live her days as usual. Go to school, play together with friends, or train along with the umbra.

The only difference was Katie's hair, which was now long down to her shoulders. Every morning, the Morse couple had to help Katie spray a brown-colored in Katie's hair. Even the umbra bought a small mirror for her. That way, Katie could make sure her hair would be entirely brown before she left the house.

And tomorrow was the day she had been waiting for. Her birthday, the day Kinsey will come, will taste the ice cream that was said to be better than the most delicious ice cream in the city.

That night, maybe because she was too excited, her eyelids wouldn't close at all. She didn't even feel sleepy at all. How strange.

Finally, Katie decided to get up and walk out to enjoy the night breeze.

Katie felt she did not need to wake her parents when she wanted to go deeper into the forest because she felt safe. Plus, her umbra will always be ready to help her if she encounters danger.

Little did she know, umbra thought she was fast asleep. So he went to downtown to do something. Katie was alone in the middle of the night - in the darkness of the forest full of wild animals.

Katie walked towards the riverbank on a low bottom. Then she sat on a rock before singing a melody. Katie sang, breathed in the air, and enjoyed the breeze while closing her eyes.

She felt she was in her favorite place, and she did not want to be disturbed by anyone. It's just that there were a pair of eyes peering at her through the bushes. It relaxed its muscles while watching Katie's movement.

The young Katie stopped singing when she felt the hair on her neck stand up. She felt a shiver ran down through her spine as if she was soaking in cold water. She immediately turned to the owner of a pair of eyes that 'pried' her. She narrowed her eyes narrowed to see whether there was anyone behind the bushes.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Umbra? Is that you?"

"Grrrr ..."

"!?"