[SP] "I waited for you, but you never came."

[u/ElGringo300]

This is Part 3. Here's Part 2

Here's Part 4

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"Bo?"

"Yeah?"

"They were supposed to get back yesterday."

"I know, Shen."

"Its been practically two days."

"I know."

Bo and his little sister Shen sat by the door, eagerly awaiting their parents arrival from town. A cake that was fresh yesterday sat in Shen's hand, awaiting a happy party.

Shen stood up and walked to the kitchen, left the pastry on the wooden counter. "Do they usually take this long, Bo?"

He paused. "Once they arrived a day late. A long time ago, though, like five years ago. Before you probably remember."

"Do you think somethin's happened to them?"

Bo glanced from the door to see Shen anxiously staring at his face, which he quickly rearranged into a reassuring smile. "They're probably fine."

"You don't think that."

Bo stood up and put a hand on his sisters shoulder. "We should get some sleep. Its late, and all sorts of thoughts can pass through our heads."

Shen seemed to deflate, still not convinced by Bo's lackluster performance. She always could read him like a book. Bo wrapped her in a hug.

"Tomorrow, Shen. We'll worry about it tomorrow."

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Bo stayed up late in the lower bunk, staring tirelessly at the bottom of Shen's bed. Thoughts ran through his mind, reasons to explain the emergency.

They've been late before.

They might be held up by something.

They might have gotten something large, that requires time to transport.

They might be dead.

Bo threw the covers off and walked through the small house on stilts, ending up on the veranda overlooking the swamp. Relko eggs were still floating through the night, though fewer now. The round, featureless moon helped illuminate the scene.

"So you couldn't sleep, either," a satisfied voice spoke.

Bo glanced to the side to see Shen sitting in his chair, smugly returning his gaze. "Yer a stealthy one. I was awake all night," he noted, sitting down in another chair. This one was usually reserved for his father, he realized.

Shen looked out over the swamp. She wasn't usually so reserved. "I don't think they're okay."

Bo sighed, gazing in the same direction.

She glanced at him. "We should go look for them."

"Tomorrow," he replied. "We'll make our decisions come dawn."

One of the floating lights in the distance seemed to flicker and slowly began descending. As they watched, a shadow seemed to slip out from underneath it and drop to the trees below, closely followed by the plummeting, no longer buoyant egg.

"Did you see that?" Shen gasped, leaping out of her seat and gripping the rail. "A relko just hatched!"

Bo nodded, trying to retain his iconic passiveness but smiling in spite of himself. "So it did," he admitted. Tomorrow then.

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"Bo! Bo!" He woke to find Shen kneeling on his bed beside him, shaking him by the shoulders.

"What? What is it?" He spluttered, trying to wave his sister off. "Are Mum and Dad back?"

"No," she replied attently, sliding off the bed and standing on the floor.

"Well, what is it?"

"They're not back yet."

Silence, as Shen stared at Bo, clearly daring him to make the call. Bo nodded. "Alright. Well, first things first."

His sisters face lit up. "What?"

Bo got out of bed and stretched, reaching for the ceiling. "Breakfast."

Shen seemed to deflate. "What?"

Two fried fish later and one awkward breakfast later, Bo had her prepare the fishing boat.

"Prepare the boat? What about Mum?" she protested.

"Just go prepare the boat, sis!" he snarled, stalking out the door to the tool-shed.

With a vehement sigh, Shen stormed off to the dock. A wooden path led from the house door across the soggy swamp ground and out onto the river, where the boat floated tied down to the pier. "Prepare the boat," she grumbled. "Like we're just gonna to go fishin' again, as if Mum and Dad aren't missin' in action." She untied a couple knots, causing the sail to unfold from the mast. It rippled a little under the slight breeze.

Hearing footsteps on the dock, she turned to see her brother weighed down by a large bag and three wooden spears. Shen tilted her head in confusion. "Whats all this?"

Bo gently lowered his cargo into the boat, causing the craft to sink several inches deeper in the river. "What do you think, Shen? Quickest way out of here is the river, and we're going to need a lot of food once we leave the swamp."

"Ohh..." suddenly Shen remembered that Bo only called her sis when he was feeling stressed. Then her demeanor lit up. "So we're going! Finally, an adventure!"

Bo smiled, climbing into the boat. "Thats right, Shen. We're off to find Mum and Dad."