"She's going to die; there's nothing you can do about it."
Lelee, the unicorn, declared it a matter of fact.
Namtira rested her back against the tree and sobbed into her palms.
"Surely, there's something I can do about it; she's my sister."
She wailed aloud.
"Well, maybe there's something, but it's going to be hard, near impossible.
She jerked her head up and looked up, hopefully to her beautiful, white unicorn friend.
"What is it? I'll do anything to save her, please."
She begs desperately.
"She has seven more days to live, and the only thing you can do to save her is to bring her here to this realm to save her life. We'll use our powers."
"But that's impossible. How can I do that? I only come here to talk to you myself when I sleep."
The unicorn stretched its neck and yawned.
"That's not the difficult part; the difficult part is making her believe that this realm exists and coming here after won't be hard."
"Oh no, Nenrot is not going to believe me; she doesn't believe in supernatural beings or anything supernatural for that matter."
"You said you would do anything."
Lelee reminded her.
Namtira bit her lips and scrunched her face thoughtfully. Getting Nenrot to believe her was a mission impossible. Nenrot was her elder sister, and they were the only children of their parents. Ever since their mother told them the tale of their ancestors supernatural ability to visit the spirit realm and communicate with supernatural beings, Namtira had secretly harbored the thought of the possibility that she could too, even though their mother told them that the gift had long since left their family.
Nenrot, on her part, dismissed the tale as being just that—a tale.
"Don't tell me you actually believe that fallacy of conversing with supernatural beings."
Nenrot had said, laughing hard when Namtira told her it was possible.
She never broached the topic again and kept the thought to herself.Then one beautiful starry night, she slept and found herself in another world, a world where animals spoke and strange things happened.
It was a beautiful, bright world that looked like it was taken out of a Disney movie cartoon. Words alone couldn't even begin to describe how beautiful it was; she wouldn't even try.
"Am I dreaming?"
She asked herself rhetorically, looking around.
"Yes, you are, but this is as real as real can get."
Lelee, the unicorn, answered her, appearing from nowhere. That was the beginning of her connection with the supernatural realm, and she has made friends with all the animals that lived there: birds, kangaroos, zebras, giraffes, and even the ones that humans considered wild. They all spoke and lived in unity.
Namtira went to bed every night, looking forward to each visit to the realm. She learned about her gifted ancestors and how much impact they had on humanity. The supernatural realm had been in existence for many years, and all the creatures in it were immortal. Only a few families had the gift, and it can only be activated if a member of one of the chosen households believes, which is why she could visit the real one and Nenrot couldn't. She always knew what was going to happen in the real world before anyone else. She was always excited to learn something new about the future.
Only this time, it was unfortunate news. Lelee had told her that Nenrot was soon to die; as expected, the news shattered her. According to Lelee, Nenrot was predestined to live a shorter life, and her time on earth was due in seven days, unless she could bring her.
"Is there no other alternative?"
She asked, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm afraid there's none. We want to help her, but she has to be here for that to happen."
"What am I going to do? I can't lose her."
She woke with a start as a pillow landed on her face.
"Wake up, sleepy head; you are talking in your sleep again. It's morning."
Nenrot said, smiling at a shocked Namtira from the foot of the bed.
"Nenrot, I have to tell you something important."
She said it with a note of urgency as she sat on the bed.
"What's that?"
Nenrot asked in confusion at the look on her sister's face.
"You are going to die in seven days unless you go with me to the supernatural realm. I have been going there for some time now, and I learned you are destined to die in the next 7 days unless you come with me, please."
Nenrot sat on the bed with a serious expression on her face and asked,
"How will we get to the supernatural realm? By car, plane, or ship?"
"All we have to do is sleep, and we will get there as long as you believe me. I can't lose you. Do you believe me?"
She asked desperately.
"Sure, I believe you."
Namtira heaves a sigh of relief. That was surprisingly easy.
"Dear, sister, I believe you have gone bonkers. Supernatural realm, my pancake breakfast."
She bursts out laughing uncontrollably.
"It's not funny; I'm not joking; it's true."
"Mum's tale really did a number on you; no wonder you have been talking in your sleep lately. Mum says to tell you to get ready for school and come downstairs for breakfast."
She turns around and leaves the room, still laughing out loud.
Namtira tried four more times on separate days after, to no avail. What was she going to do? She couldn't bear to lose her sister, and she got looked at in a funny way when she told their Mom.
"I think I should take you to see the doctor; I blame myself for telling you that tale. Even I don't believe it myself. I only told it to entertain you."
"That's why you don't have the gift, Mom, because you don't believe."
She cried out in frustration as she angrily marched back inside the house.
"Namtira, Namtira, where are you?"
Nenrot cried out in excitement.
Namtira was curled on her bed in sadness, trying to think of ways to get Nenrot to the realm and save her.
"What is it, Nenrot?"
She called out without much enthusiasm; it was the fifth day, and she was running out of time.
Nenrot burst in and waved a dusty old book in front of her.
"You won't believe what I saw in the attic while I was looking for a nineties costume for the drama role I was given."
"What's that?"
She asked with a faint glint of interest."
Nenrot sat beside her on the bed and began to chatter excitedly.
"It's great grandma's diary, and everything you said is there; it's true. Our family really has the gift. I sat there and read it for minutes; she outlined every single detail. I don't have the gift because I didn't believe you. Read it for yourself; she said it too: Unbelievers can never have the gift."
Namtira sits up on the bed and snatches the diary; it really was all there.
"I never knew something like this existed."
She comments, smiling.
"I never knew too; it was packed in a big old metal box, and I only looked inside it out of curiosity."
She took her sister's hand in hers.
"I'm sorry I ever doubted you; it was just hard to believe. Do you forgive me for making fun of you?"
"I was never mad at you; I'm just happy my favorite sister gets to live after all."
"I'm your only sister; what choice do you have?"
She moves closer and envelopes Namtira in a long, tight hug.
"Are you ready?"
Namtira asks Nenrot as they lay on her bed later that night in readiness to go to sleep and prepare for a visit to the realm.
"I've never been more ready for anything else."
They hold each other's hands and lay there quietly, drifting off to sleep almost at the same time.
"Welcome, sisters."
Lelee welcomed them both as they arrived in the realm. Nenrot couldn't speak as she was awed by everything she saw.
"Is this real?"
She asked, mouth wide open.
Namtira smiles and nods in response.
"That was the same question I asked too my first time here."
"It is, I can assure you, and you, young lady, have just renewed your subscription to life. Come, let us go and meet the others."
They followed Lelee as they made their way into the inner depths of the realm, marking a life-changing encounter for Nenrot.
Her life was never the same afterwards, and very soon, she began to talk in her dreams to all the wonderful supernatural creatures every single night too.
