That night, Cligan took Keelia upstairs to his room and handed her the Multicolored Irish Flutes. Alright, so first think of something that you’ve always wanted to see. Keelia thought. It would be cool to create a dragon, or a snake. She decided on the dragon, and she concentrated.

                “What should I play?” she asked.

                Something happy. That’s all it takes. Cligan replied. She played Learning to Fly, by Michele McLaughlin and allowed the music to take her away. Before long she looked down from what she was playing. Keelia giggled happily. The small baby dragon twirled and purred around her ankles, and she picked it up. It cooed in her hands.

                “Cligan, this is the best thing that I’ve ever seen, apart from seeing the palace and the rest of Crecklington.

                She is quite cute- Oh NO!!! Cligan stood up when a trolley dinged in the front of the row house. Then he sank down into his chair again.  

                “What happened??? Cligan what’s wrong?” she asked urgently. Cligan had his head in his hands.

                Brinely, I was supposed to remind him that you were arriving this month. He just got home, and I forgot, because I was thinking about what you said. Keelia thought for a minute.

                “Is that bad that he doesn’t know? It could be a surprise… right?”  Cligan shook his head sadly.

                He and I both struggled with the death of Fern. I took my sadness in silence. He- He got angry, and he hasn’t had a smile on his face in four and a half years. I can’t guarantee that he’ll like you, Cligan thought in response. Cligan and Keelia made their way downstairs and toward the door.

                Brinely was a black-haired boy, with pale green eyes. He was wearing a black tee-shirt and black jeans. Cligan moved forward and gave him a stiff hug. Brinely pulled himself away from his parents and his brother.

                “Who’s this?” he said ruffly towards Keelia. Eliza and Helbry looked at Cligan, who then looked at his feet.

                “You cannot be serious, Cligan. You forgot to tell Brinely?” Helbry said. Cligan nodded.

                “It wasn’t his fault, Eliza; I shouldn’t have talked to him for so long. I said some stuff to Cligan yesterday that made him forget. It was my fault,” Keelia explained rapidly.  Eliza and Helbry sighed together and turned to face Brinely. Brinely had dark circles under his eyes.

                “Brinely, this is Keelia Adene Cobell. We told you last semester that we were thinking of adopting a girl. Don’t you remember that?” Eliza said shakily. Brinely shook his head and gave Keelia a glare that hurt her.

                “She’s too much like Fern. I want her out of my house,” said Brinely ferociously. Helbry stalked up to Brinely and took him fiercely by the arm.

                “Now you listen to me young man. Keelia has lost her entire family, not just one sibling. I know you struggle with the death of Fern. But death is a natural thing. It has been five years now and I expect you to get over it! Keelia is a very nice young lady, and you will treat her as a sister. Do you understand?” he yelled. Brinely didn’t flinch, but Keelia did. Cligan went over to her and hugged her lightly. Brinely, Eliza and Helbry all stared at the quick small hug. Brinely huffed off and slammed the front door behind him. Cligan looked straight forward and through the door. Eliza came and laid a hand onto Keelia’s shoulder.

                “I think that you may be the person who opens up Cligan’s world again. He hasn’t hugged somebody on his own accord for a while,” she smiled. 

                Brinely went to school at Brinald’s School for the Genetically Powered. Keelia did too, but she had arrived in the middle of a school year, so she wasn’t sure where she would be staying during the school year. At Brinald’s School, the families could choose if they wanted to have their children have a dorm at the school or live at home. Keelia wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. “Helbry, what do you think that I should do? Stay or leave?” Keelia asked.

                “Oh, I haven’t thought about that yet. Christmas break just started, but I see how you would want to know already. I’ll send a letter to the school counselors and ask them what they think. If you go, we’ll make sure that you room with somebody that you know. You won’t be going to school this semester, it is more usual for somebody to start at the beginning of the semester,” he replied. Other than the time she had seen him yell at Brinely, Helbry was the happiest person Keelia had ever seen. It seemed that nothing, other than Brinely, could anger him. 

                The weeks of winter passed rapidly, and before Keelia could think, spring came. The flowers were bright and breathtaking, and the ice melted from the lakes and streams. Many times, during those winter months, Keelia had gone to visit the Dryads. School began in two weeks and Keelia was prepared. They had decided to allow Keelia to live in the Mickinson house for the first year. Keelia ran down the stairs. “Keelia, do you want breakfast?” Eliza asked.

                “No! I’m going to spend the morning with Hadassah! Is that alright?” Keelia said.

                “Of course, but be home by lunchtime. You said that Cligan wanted to talk to hang out with you then,” she replied. Keelia walked out into the brisk air. The streams where the Dryads live were running quickly and Keelia ran beside them. Hadassah was sitting on her moss bed overlooking the forest and lakes.

                “Good morning Keelia! I haven’t seen you in so long!” Hadassah said. They hugged tightly. When Keelia first arrived in Crecklington a few months before during the fall, she never thought that she would make any friends. But Hadassah was her best friend.  Better than Delisa even, and today, Keelia was going to take her into Crecklington. 

                “Do you really think that I’m allowed?” asked Hadassah.

                “Yep! I asked Laurelin earlier at tea yesterday. We try to get together every now and then,” Keelia responded. Hadassah’s red hair was braided in multiple braids that day, and Keelia and she had tried to get Hadassah’s mom to let them do her hair. She had refused though, sadly. Keelia led Hadassah through the woods and onto the trail.

                “I’ve never seen this part of the wood. Only the grownups are allowed to come here usually,” Hadassah said. Keelia looked around them. It really was beautiful that time of year. The two of them traveled to Crecklington. Keelia hadn’t ever been in this part of the town in the middle of spring. There were flowers twined in wreaths and poles.

                “This place is so cool!” said Keelia. Hadassah nodded.

                “When will you get to see your real family again?” Hadassah asked, and Keelia suddenly felt homesick. She wouldn’t ever see them again, not unless- she snuck away and visited them.

                “Never, unless I sneak away, which I don’t think that I should,” replied Keelia slowly, although the idea stuck. If she was careful- no, she couldn’t do it without being caught.  Keelia and Hadassah walked around the marketplace marveling at all the different kinds of fruits and jewelry and school supplies. Then, after they were done with that, Keelia took her to the music shop to meet Mr. Thisgy.

                “Good morning children. Keelia! Is this Hadassah? The dryad you’ve told me so much about?” asked Mr. Thisgy. Keelia nodded. “Fascinating. Do you like music, Hadassah?”

                “Yes, I love it, though I’m horrible when I’m trying to play it,” Hadassah said. Mr. Thisgy took Hadassah around the shop and showed her all the amazing instruments. Hadassah’s favorite was the flutes.

                “I wonder if I could play them. It would be awfully fun,” Hadassah said longingly as they spoke after walking back to the woods.

                “I’d love to stay longer, Hadassah, but Cligan said that he wanted to talk to me soon,” Keelia said. They hugged tightly. “Soon I won’t be able to come and visit you as often. School starts in two weeks, and I’ll probably be stressed with school. But now that you know the way to Crecklington, feel free to visit me on the weekends,” Keelia said. Hadassah smiled and nodded and Keelia began her trek back to the Mickinson’s home. Keelia wasn’t sure whether to call the Mickinson’s home ‘home’ yet. She wasn’t sure when she would be comfortable enough calling Eliza and Helbry, ‘mom and dad’.

                When she arrived, Brinely shouted at her. “Why didn’t you do all your chores? I’m trying hard to be nice to you, but when you don’t do the things expected of you, it tips me over the top,” he yelled. 

                “Well, Brinely, I think that you get tipped over the top a little too much. Every single time that you see me, you yell at me. I’m also trying to be friends with you, but you’re making it impossible for me to even try!” Keelia answered. She was trying to keep her voice even, but she just didn’t feel like she belonged in the Mickinson home. Every time Eliza or Helbry asked her something they had a pain in their voice, no doubt from remembering Fern. Brinely shouted at her, and Cligan had been busy studying for entrance exams for his new school. Other than Hadassah and Delisa, Keelia didn’t have any friends. Everie Wackson was a friend she guessed, but she didn’t see him very often. She hadn’t been over to the Howells in almost a month, and they hadn’t checked on her. Keelia missed Samuel and Mabel, and her parents. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t go and visit them, but she would have to live with it. If she became missing, they would definitely guess where she had gone. She entered Cligan’s room. Cligan stood up. You’re early, great. Um- How are you today, you left early this morning, was everything OK? he thought.

                “Yep, I was just going to visit Hadassah, and show her around Crecklington. Are you alright? You look worried,” Keelia said. Cligan had dark circles under his eyes, he hadn’t had them in a few weeks. And his eyes looked watchful and frightened.

                You should sit down. Keelia looked around Cligan’s room to make sure nothing significant had changed. Same dreary colors, but nothing was different. Colors had become a main factor in Keelia’s life recently since she was a Musicton. Once she had sat down on his desk chair, he told her the news. The king and queen and Inspectors have a suspicion that somebody is trying to dull the world. Keelia had no idea what that meant, but clearly it wasn’t good.

                “And that means?” She questioned.

                It means that there are bad people out in the world of the Sustainers, we don’t know who yet, that are trying to make the world colorless, Cligan said. Keelia sucked in a breath.

                “What do we do to stop it?” She asked.

                We play a lot more music. They’ll most likely try to manipulate people’s thoughts in Crecklington, the main source of life. We’re not sure what to expect.

                “What will happen if they succeed?” Keelia said in a small whimper. Cligan thought through a sigh.

                I don’t know. Keelia missed her family. She needed a hug from Samuel. What would happen when and if the world turned colorless? What would happen to the people on the other continents?” How would a small band of rebellious Sustainers be able to ruin the whole world? If that happened, there wouldn’t be any life in the world, only black and gray, and maybe a little bit of white.