BernerO, Seth, Sam, Essie, Casimir, and I all sat down at one of the smaller tables surrounding the huge rectangular one. I could hear the light rain pounding outside on the shutters. We all looked at one another for a moment, but said nothing. This time, I was the first person to say something.
“So, how’s Pleasantville?” I asked Essie.
“Pleasantville was wonderful, it truly was. It was always my home. But, well, you know. When things started to be too hard to deal with, I left for the summer. And I still haven’t really been back,” Essie explained.
I knew what she meant about leaving, but I didn’t understand the last thing she said. How had she not really been back? It didn’t seem possible. She either was or she wasn’t.
“How did you know to come here?” I asked.
“I was summoned in a dream,” she explained. “I think it was Kevin Lawver, but I’m not sure. It was just something that asked me to come this gathering. And I said yes, so I was brought here. But I didn’t come here right away,” Essie went on.