"Maria!" Beatriz gasped, embracing her younger sister tightly. "Don't ever do that again!" she cried. She tried to frown, but found that her face would not obey her. She was just too happy that her sister was alive and well. How could she be angry?

The girls aura was so happy that it made her smile with sisterly love. "I'm so glad that you found her"

"Thank you so much for helping me!" Beatriz said, releasing Maria and giving this strange girl a hug despite herself. When she did, something nagged at the back of her mind. She smelled like someone else, didn't she? Surely, this was Beatriz's mind playing tricks on her.

Her aura was crazy happy and she hugged her back. "Anytime." she said. When she released her she said, "You know I think that your in my grade. Im new here. My name is Anna Saint"

"Oh," Beatriz said. "My name's Beatriz, and this is my little sister, Maria." She reached out a hand for Anna to shake. "Welcome!"

Anna knew if she didn't shake her hand it would be rude. So she she did briefly, trying to time it right when to let it go. She was thankful when Beatriz let go her cold hand. She hated seeming weird because she was so cold.

"Say thank you," Beatriz commanded Maria. She obeyed, somewhat reluctantly. Her wandering eyes were watching the ducks. Beatriz sighed.

"Can I pet them? Pweese?" Maria begged, clasping her hands beneath her chin. Beatriz sent her away with a wave, and soon Maria was off running.

"So, what grade are you in?" Beatriz asked, turning back to Anna. "Maybe we'll have some of the same classes."

"11th" she said smiling at little Maria. She almost sighed out loud, wishing she could have

children

"Really?" Beatriz said, smiling. "So am I. If you need anything at all once you get to school, just let me know. I'll be glad to help." She glanced back at Maria, who was happily scaring the ducks away. She sighed. If only they could stay. "We have to get going. But see you around, okay?"

She smiled at her. "Thank you so much. I appreciate it. See you" she said before heading to walk to the other side of the park and continue her search.

Beatriz called her younger sister away from the ducks, and they walked home. She couldn't look for her sister now. She would probably come sulking home, anyway. Why bother looking?

After looking for a couple more hours, finding only one boy who was too shy to talk to her, she gave up her search and headed home. Her brother was reading some new books he'd bought at the bookstore. She reported her finds, or lack thereof, and left out the part about the girl. She could almost sense the brother had come in contact with her so she didn't want to make him upset

Anna breezed along as she walked the sidewalks with exaggerated slowness in her eyes but a somewhat normal pace for humans. She hadn't seen anyone yet and she was halfway there but she kept optimistic.

"Yay! Duckies!" Maria cried as soon as they reached the park. She released her sister's hand and dashed forward, waving frantically at the birds. Startled by her appearance, they flapped their wings and rushed away. "Duckies?" Maria echoed.
"You have to be slow, and gentle," Beatriz said. "You should probably give them food, too." She sighed inwardly. She didn't have anything ducks would like. Maria peered at her with her innocent, big brown eyes, begging for help.

Anna arrived at the park, hearing some little girl scream 'duckies' and they all flew away. She smiled softly. Sometimes she would feel a maternal side to her, only once in a decade or so, but it was there since she was so old

"I'm sorry. I don't have any food for ducks," Beatriz said. "Maybe some other time?"
The look on Maria's face was so heartbreaking, Beatriz had to clear her throat and look away. "Come on," she said. "Let's keep walking, okay?"

Anna was sad to hear the girl didn't have any duck food and wished to get some for the girl. But she didn't know that place so she couldn't buy her some and give them to her. She sat on a bench in the center of the park and looked around, profiling everyone.

"Let's walk this way, okay?" Beatriz said, practically dragging Maria along the path. She was very stubborn when she didn't get her way. Beatriz sighed, rolling her eyes. The real reason she had wanted them to take a walk was just to get away from her crazy dad. Now she wanted to find Rosi. Whenever she was angry, she usually hung around by the statue in the middle of the park.

Anna looked for guys but only a couple cute ones walked by. But they were all together. She felt their auras and it was so...she didn't like it. So she kept watching and waiting.

Beatriz finally sighed, throwing her hands up. Rosi wasn't there. They would just have to head home.
"Maria, let's go," Beatriz called over her shoulder. She waited to hear Maria padding behind her, but only heard silence. She whirled around.
There was no sign of Maria.

She was drawn out if her concentration on the search for boys when she felt an aura of panic. That same one had just been a mix of emotions but it was now scared and frantic. It was a girl who had been with the little girl she'd heard earlier. She waited to see what the girl would do before offering help. In the mean time she began to search for the littlegirl.

"Maria?" Beatriz called out, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Maria!" her voice grew more panicked, more frightened. She walked to the nearest bush and shoved the branches apart. Sometimes Maria would decide to play hide and seek on her own. Surely, she must be doing htat now? Beatriz reasoned.
But she was wrong. Maria was not there.

Anna finally located the girl. She was hiding behind a tree, seeming very giddy. What did she have? Nothing living, for she couldn't feel it. She didn't focus on that and went up to Beatriz. "Are you looking for someone?" she asked her innocently.

"Yes!" Beatriz said frantically. "I'm looking for a little girl named Maria. Have you seen her anywhere?" Beatriz peered around the girl, hoping her younger sister would be hiding behind her. But she wasn't there. She tried not to let her disappointment show on her face.

"I did see a little girl go in this direction. I'll help you look for her" she said smiling. When she smiled, her brother and her looked so much alike because of the way they smiled and their dimples.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Beatriz said. A thought flickered at the edge of her mind, about how this girl looked like someone she had met, but then the thought was gone. She shrugged it off. She probably went to the same school or something. Yes, that was it.

Anna headed towards the little girls aura, keeping tabs on the girl's sister. She peeked around a tree and saw the girl where she knew she'd be. She then looked back at Beatriz, pointing behind her