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you two doing today?”
    “Um , going to Atlantic City for a bit. Gonna walk the boardwalk. How about you?”
    She played with her hair and she looked like a little girl. That was it! She looked younger , like an innocent child. “Can I come? Please?”
    I got into the truck and made room for her. She noticed and she got in , too. Though she didn’t talk to me right away, I knew she would eventually. I made a quick call to my mom to tell her where we were headed. To be honest, I don’t think she minded once I told her Lyn was with us. If I knew my mom, she was hoping we would make up.
    Once we hit the shore , she shed her three layers of clothing. Her skin transformed before my very eyes, just like before. The rash was gone, her hair shone, and she looked back to normal.
    “God , it feels like heaven here, right?” she asked us as she hung her hand out the window. Ephraim and I exchanged looks of confusion. Where was the quiet Lyn that was falling apart before? She had literally done a total one-eighty as soon as we got away from her house. The only thing I could think was the further we got from my house the better she felt. I knew the curse was still within her but it wasn’t taking her away from me at the moment.
    “Yeah , it feels great,” I said as I pulled off Ephraim’s hoodie. It was getting warmer the closer we got to the shore. The familiar scent of salty air filled the truck’s cab and Lyn started talking. She was talking non-stop actually. Filling me in on the day I had missed at school. I just listened, happy that she was talking to me at all.
    “Why did you miss today?” she asked me curiously.
    “I just wasn’t feeling too good. I feel better now though,” I told her. Ephraim grabbed my hand and squeezed it. His touch said it all. He knew the real reason was because of the words she had said to me and her ending our friendship. I couldn’t say that to her, though. I didn’t want to ruin the moment. It was like she had forgotten all about it.
    We found a parking space close to Hala’s shop and hopped out. Lynley didn’t know that I wanted to see Hala , and I didn’t really want to tell her for fear it would throw her back into her sinking spiral. Instead she went to the salt water taffy shop and we planned to meet at the pizza place in ten minutes. I hoped I could schedule a longer meeting with Hala. I didn’t expect that she would be able to see me right away. Ephraim followed me to her place, which was open just as I had hoped. Instead of Hala standing in front there was a younger girl who looked just like her. Her long black hair was split into two braids traipsing down her shoulders. She smiled at me and I gave her a warm smile back.
    “Hi ,” I started. “I’m hoping to be able to schedule some time to speak with Hala.” Her smile faded and she put her hand up before going inside the shop, the beads swaying as she entered. I waited with Ephraim for only a few minutes before Hala came out and grabbed me by the wrist, dragging me inside with Ephraim following. She sat me down in a chair and stood in front of me.
    “Can’t say that I am surprised to see you , or happy either,” she shouted as she took the scarf off her head. “Why didn’t you listen to me?”
    “I need your help.”
    “What do you need from me? You are very unprepared and uneducated in the matters you are messing with.” She moved to her chair and took her hair down; it fell onto her shoulders and her daughter started braiding it.
    “You’re right , I am unprepared. That is why I came here to find you. You are the only person who knows how I can help them.” Ephraim placed his hand on my shoulder for support. “I need to harness my gift so that I can help my friend, Lynley. She is talking to this woman who I think is from the other side, but she isn’t a good spirit. There are things happening to her that are scaring me.” Hala eyed me and then Ephraim.
    “Who is Lynley?” she asked.
    “My sister. I