4

The first Day it All Changed that Adaline and Milo remembered seemed to come slowly, creeping up in the form of small decorations, gifts of flowers, colorful clothing, and smiles on strangers’ faces. It was wonderous to see all of it for what seemed like the first time.

When the Day it All Changed finally arrived, the twins were loaded into a carriage with Mrs. Iddonea, Silas, and their neighbors and neighbors’ children, and they set off for the next town over.

Milo and Adaline were excitedly pointing to the flowers on the side of the road. Silas was busy talking to Mrs. Iddonea. One of the neighbor’s children, about twelve, spoke up.

“You see that mountain right there?” He pointed to a small mountain, turned bluish by the distance. “Our town used to have a temple up there, but it closed its gates. I remember going there for Day it All Changed until I was seven.”

“Cool!” Adaline said. “Why did it close?”

The boy shrugged, then taking a mischievous tone of voice said, “They said they couldn’t take care of it anymore, but I’ve heard grown-ups saying that mortals were never meant to go there in the first place.”

Milo turned his head. “Why not?”

The boy grinned. “Because it’s haunted!”

Milo shrunk back at the thought. Adaline immediately rebuked the boy with a “That’s not true! There are no such things as ghosts.”

The boy sat back and shrugged. “There’s no way to know unless you go there yourself.”