Ship of Souls

effect then says, “Let’s just say my college savings account ain’t what it used to be. But enough of my family drama—where exactly are we heading?”
    “Back to the park,” I say.
    Keem bars my way with his never-ending arm. “Hold up, D. If you mean the park where you nearly got killed a little while ago, NO WAY!”
    “But I have to go back!”
    “Why?” asks Nyla.
    I look at Nyla, then Keem, and try to decide what to say. “I—I left something behind.”
    “I brought your book bag,” Nyla says.
    “I know—and thanks. But…there’s something else. Someone else.”
    Keem laughs a little. “You got an invisible friend I don’t know about?”
    Nyla reaches across me and smacks Keem on the arm. “Quit playing, Keem. D’s serious.” She turns her beautiful black eyes on me. “Who’s missing, D?”
    A few hours ago, I wouldn’t have called these two my friends, but now—after what we’ve just been through—I feel like I owe them the truth. There’s an ice cream shop at the end of the block. I lead us over there and sit down on one of the wooden benches. In the summertime this place is always packed, but it’s still too cold out for people to line up for ice cream. Nyla and Keem sit on either side of me.
    After taking a deep breath, I say, “Yesterday I found this bird. I thought it was injured, so I brought it home with me.” Keem’s looking at me like I’m crazy, so I keep my eyes locked on Nyla. “But it turned out not to be a bird at all.”
    “What was it, D?” she asks in the slow voice reserved for little kids.
    I try not to get irritated. Would I believe this story if it wasn’t already happening to me? “It was a being from another realm,” I say calmly.
    “Psssshhhhh.” Keem gets up from the bench and runs his hand over his shaved head. “I ain’t got time for this.”
    “Then leave!” says Nyla with much attitude.
    Keem looks at me the way I sometimes look at Mercy when she’s getting all of Mrs. Martin’s attention. “It’s true!” I yell at him. “You think I’m making this up?” I grab my pant leg and lift it to show the bandage on my ankle. “You think that… thing was after me ? It was after the bird!”
    “Right—the bird that’s not a bird. I think you need to take your meds, D.”
    Nyla flies to her feet. “You know what, Keem? Just go. I thought you were someone decent—I thought you weren’t like all those other guys.”
    “I am decent—but I’m not crazy! You believe this crap?”
    Nyla puts her hands on her hips. “I was there , Keem. Something tried to get D.”
    Keem can’t deny that, so he tries to come up with something else. He turns to me. “OK, so where was this bird while you were getting dragged across the park?”
    “It flew away just before the thing grabbed me.” Keem rolls his eyes, so I rush on and add, “But it knew something was wrong!”
    “So it flew off to safety and left you to fend for yourself? Some friend,” he says.
    I don’t have an answer for that. Nyla sits down on the bench and starts rubbing my back. Even she’s at a loss for words. Then I hear a familiar voice in my ear.
    “He’s right. It was a foolish mistake—they set up a decoy on the far side of the meadow. As soon as I got there, I realized what I’d done. I’m so sorry, D.”
    I spin around and find the bird perched on the top rung of the bench. Her feathers are changing color again, but I’m too relieved to care. I pull her to me and hold her close to my heart. “You’re safe! I was worried about you.”
    “The nether beings cannot harm me. They hunt me only so that they may keep me from my mission.”
    “ Our mission,” I say and lean down to press my lips against the bird’s head. I’m filled with such joy that I forget Nyla and Keem are watching me. “Uh—I want you to meet my friends.”
    Keem and Nyla are staring at me with their eyes open wide. At first I wonder if maybe I’m the only one who can hear the bird speak. Then the bird turns to face them and says, “I must thank you two as well. You made a valiant effort to save my host.”
    At first, Nyla and Keem are too shocked to say anything. I try to reassure them that what they’re seeing and hearing is real. “I know it must seem weird, but…”
    Nyla reaches out a hand and touches the bird’s orange feathers. “Is it—a parrot?”
    Instead of answering, the bird silently morphs into a purring orange tabby cat. Nyla freezes, then lets her fingertips