***
“Ariel, Ariel, wake up. Wake up, Ariel,” Ren said as he gently shook her. “Come on, Ari, open your eyes and let me know that you’re okay. Move, do something please,” Ren said, hoping he wasn’t too late.
It can’t be. I must be dreaming, Ari thought as she struggled to open her eyes. “Ren, Ren, is it really you?” she asked as she saw a blurry image of him. But how she wondered.
“Of course, it’s me, Ari. I finally found you. Ever since you disappeared, your parents and I have been searching everywhere, and we finally had a lead that took us here,” Ren said as he untied Ari from the bed.
“Mom and Dad are here together?” she asked, believing this to be a dream after all.
“Come on, Ari, snap out of it. Your parents love you regardless of how they feel about each other. You missing, brou
