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Dear Diary;

I still have that photo that the nice man at the shop gave me. It's really blurryful, but pretty! I put it in a frame; it's on my desk next to my piggy bank. It's really fun to stare at it and try and figure out what it is. It looks like a person. Maybe an old man? Or of Humpty Dumpty? Whoever it's of, they have no hair. And they have a REALLY funny forehead. One thing I can tell for sure; they have a red shirt. I've been doodling in my notebook, trying to figure out what it could be of. There's a lot of funny looking people in my sketchbook now; I'm not a very good artist.

Mom got a look at the photo. She looked troubled over it; I wonder why. Maybe because it came from a stranger? She said it had an odd vibe, and then left my room quickly. Odd? I don't notice anything odd about it. It's just a picture, right? How can a picture give anyone an odd vibe? Especially this one; you can't see anything in it. Maybe Mom's just cautious because a door thingy spit it out? That must be it. Mom's UBER cautious when it comes to these kinds of things, you know. Something about magic and whatnot being dangerous. I think she just worries too much; magic can help people in so many ways! How can that be dangerous?

Anyway, I like my mystery photo, and I'm keeping it. Maybe I'll collect some random old photos and frame them so it can have some company! That'd be nice; I'm sure it must be lonely, being the only picture on my desk. Poor photo. It needs some friends! For now, I think I'll prop my notebook up next to it until I can get Mr. Photo some friends.

I can't help but wonder where Mr. Photo came from. There must be someone out there, mourning the loss of this photo. Photos are VERY important. Mom said that people risk losing their souls just to get lasting images of people! I don't think that's quite true, but still. I'd be sad if I lost any of my things. Maybe I'll try and find Mr. Photo's original home and let them know he's okay. I know I'd want someone to do that if I lost something.

I have to go now, diary. Dinners almost ready, and I have errands to run. Byebye!


--- Jaella Azoulai

Jaella smiled brightly as she pulled the muffins out of the oven, the aroma of banana, caramel, and peanuts permeating throughout the kitchen. Mom hadn't been feeling well lately, so Jae'd been trying to help out by taking over household chores, cooking, and making her nummy cakes and cookies at random intervals. These had to be her best muffins ever!

The purple-haired teen popped the muffins out of their pan, doing her best not to burn herself or drop any. After situating them on the plate in the pattern of a flower, she proceeded to draw smiley faces on the muffins with melted chocolate. There! With muffins as happy and yummy looking as this, Mom would have to feel better! She picked the platter of bakery confections up carefully, making her way to the living room where Mom and Dad were talking. She paused in the hallway by the open archway, hearing her named mentioned.

"She's almost an adult, Aaron, and she can barely read and write, she can't count or add, and she's, well, like a five year old!" Darcy said, her exasperated tone trailing off into a sigh as she leaned back against the couch, messing with a Rubix cube. "I know she tries to be a good girl, and I appreciate that, but...it's so difficult, playing mother to a girl who looks 2 years older than me and acts 9 years younger. It's tiring...it's not fair. Why couldn't she be like the other children? They learn in leaps and bounds; some are reading by the time they're toddlers." Aaron frowned at his sister and was about to say something when he turned, hearing a noise at the door. He turned, paling a bit as he saw who it was.

"Playing mother...?" Jaella asked, her voice small and tiny. She then forced a strained smile, walking briskly into the living room and over to the coffee table. "I....I made some muffins. I thought you might want some." she said, doing her best to sound happy and cheerful before she fled the room.

"Jaella, wa-" Aaron trailed off with a sigh before turning to his sister. "Are you happy now?" he asked, crossing his arms. "There's nothing wrong with Jaella. She's happy, and that's all that matters. And I don't see how it's so hard on you; she's not a difficult child like some of the "other children" are." Darcy was shocked into silence; she wasn't used to such severe words coming from her brother, nor had she expected Jae to overhear her. Crap, she'd dug herself into a deep hole this time, hadn't she?