Chapter Six

Despite the way Stalin acted, Callisto still understood where she was coming from. He knew it wasn't easy to be in her situation, and the people around her, even her own mother, had to be very patient and understanding.

The sun had already dipped down on the horizon, and the owls were hooting from the forest nearby when Callisto arrived at home. The fireflies were spreading their intermittent lights, and crickets chattered. Callisto looked up at the crescent moon in the eastern sky, as if it was guiding him through the dark.

"Did we not tell you not to stay outside at night?" Dorothy asked, seeing Callisto enter the door of the living room with an indescribable expression on his face as if he was carrying the weight of the world.

"Mom, please, I'm tired," Callisto replied, indifferent to hearing his mother's scolding. He continued walking towards his bedroom and noticed Ruth sitting on the stairs.

Ruth's knees were inside an extra-large violet t-shirt she was wearing. Callisto climbed the stairs and sat down beside his sister. He didn't say anything, as if they both could understand each other's silence.

"Please, brother, don't leave us again." Ruth suddenly hugged Callisto. "Mom and Dad were so worried about you, and I am worried about you too."

"I'm sorry, Ruth. I didn't mean to leave you like that. It just rained, and the house was far, so I decided to stay in Linley's house. I'm alright, so don't worry," Callisto explained, gently stroking his sister's head.

Callisto realized what he had done. He was enjoying his life, while his parents couldn't sleep worrying about him. He knew he had to apologize to them for his actions.

The sad expression on Ruth's face faded, hearing her brother's explanation. She smiled and climbed on his back. Callisto stood up and continued to the kitchen with his sister. He hadn't eaten anything, and he was so hungry.

"Brother, can you tell me what happened? Why are you sad? Did your girlfriend break up with you?" Ruth asked.

"No, I'm not sad, Ruth. You're too young to understand this, but sometimes there are misunderstandings that grow between people," Callisto replied.

"And did someone misunderstand you?" Ruth asked, watching Callisto eat his food.

"I'll tell you what happened after I finished eating," Callisto said. "Go and play there with your dolls for now."

Callisto continued eating his food while his sister went to the living room and climbed to the couch where her parents were lying, having a movie marathon and snacks. The smell of cheesy popcorn filled the room.

After having his dinner, Callisto washed the dishes, then he dried his hands. He continued to the living room, but his parents weren't there anymore. They probably got inside their room and had a rest.

"What are you watching?" Callisto asked, approaching Ruth.

"Brother, look!" Ruth pointed at the television screen. "That man is so bad. Look at what he is doing to that woman. Brother, I'm afraid he's going to kill her."

Ruth jumped from the couch while covering her eyes. She walked and bumped her head on her brother's knees, which made her cry. She was just a kid to understand the show, which wasn't suitable for children. Callisto wondered why his parents left her alone there.

"I'm sorry, come, let's watch something else," Callisto said, changing the channel.

The other one was much worse than the first. All the shows need strong parental guidance, so even Callisto, as a sixteen-year-old boy, wasn't suitable to watch them. But despite his age, he felt like he was so mature already, and he didn't wish to grow up so fast because that would mean his parents would grow old fast too.

"Let's just read a book, brother," Ruth suggested. "I don't want to watch horror movies. They are scary."

"Stop ordering me around, okay?" Callisto asked in a nice way. "You are younger than me, so you need to show respect and always say the word "please" if you want me to do something. Don't act like you're a boss."

"Sorry, brother, I will not be disrespectful again. So please turn off the TV and please read me a story instead," Ruth replied, rephrasing her sentences.

"Alright." Callisto turned off the TV. He stood up and walked towards the bookshelves. Then he found a very interesting book entitled "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," by L. Frank Baum.

Callisto put the book on the small desk, while Ruth immediately sat down on the floor next to it, excited to hear the story. Callisto turned on the electric lamp by the desk. He stood up and turned off the light bulbs in the living room, making a cozy atmosphere.

Callisto sat down on the floor next to his sister, and then he started turning the pages. There was an illustration in the book showing a little girl named Dorothy. Callisto and Ruth laughed, knowing that this girl had the same name as their mother.

After a few moments, Callisto felt sleepy, so he closed the book, but Ruth was upset because they were already in the exciting part where Dorothy and her house were in the air and they were about to meet the munchkins.

"Let's just continue reading it tomorrow," Callisto said, putting the book back on the bookshelves.

Ruth didn't say anything as she grumpily continued to her parents's room. She opened the door and slammed it, waking up her parents, whose voices could be heard outside, asking her what happened.

"What a spoiled girl." Callisto let out a long yawn while walking towards his room. "My parents never let me do just anything I wanted when I was a kid, but look at her; even if she's not their real daughter, she always acts like she was entitled to everything."

Callisto lay down on his bed, but he couldn't fall asleep, thinking about a lot of things as he looked at the ceiling. He stood up and opened the window to breathe some fresh air. As he opened the window, he saw Mt. Octover, the tallest mountain in the town, where he was supposed to go hiking. He didn't know when he could get there.

Down to their open-air verandah, awash in the cold moonlight, two shadows could be seen. Callisto suddenly slammed the window as he wasn't supposed to see what his parents were doing there.

"My love, don’t worry so much about our son. He knows what he’s doing," Sebastian said as he approached his wife from the other side of the porch. "We should be happy instead. Callisto isn’t acting like a child anymore."

Dorothy sighed deeply. "I know, but a mother can’t help worrying about her son. There are so many dangers in this town. I could never forgive myself if we lost our only child, Sebastian."

"Relax," Sebastian replied gently. "Don’t say such things. We’re not going to lose anyone. Do you remember what you told me? Stop thinking about things that will only make you worry."

Sebastian sat down beside his wife. "We came here to relax. So, what if we go hiking tomorrow?" he suggested.

"But my love, no one goes there. It’s dangerous," Dorothy replied in a worried tone.

"Not as dangerous as you think. Some people have gone there before. Our son even insisted on going, risking his sister’s safety just to see it. I want to know what makes that mountain so special," Sebastian said.

"What else can I do?" Dorothy sighed again, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I can’t argue with my husband’s plans. It’s exactly why you chose this place for our vacation. I know we came here to relax, but it seems—"

"Enough of that," Sebastian interrupted, placing a reassuring hand on his wife's shoulder. "You’ve already said it, so there’s no need to worry anymore." He pulled her close, wrapping her in his arms, to make her feel that she wasn't alone.

Dorothy’s thoughts raced as she felt the warmth of her husband’s embrace, sending an electric sensation through her veins. He hadn’t changed. She knew he still loved her more than anything, willing to ignore anyone who stood in their way. Dorothy could only hope he would always remember the good memories they shared.

It felt like only yesterday that they were young and in love, meeting each other on cold, starry nights like this—sneaking in and out of their homes, evading their strict parents. It seemed like just yesterday that they were fighting for their love, ready to risk everything for each other—not thinking of what they could gain, but what they could give.

But yesterday wasn't today, and things could change in an instant. Even so, those memories remained unshaken. Though their minds may falter with time, Dorothy and Sebastian knew deep in their hearts what truly mattered—the love and history they shared.