SPEAKER_01 1:05

Chapter 3 I don't know how much time passes, but when the highly patient Peev snorts in my ear, I realize I probably dozed off with my arms around his neck. I sit up and rub my tear crusted eyes as Peev gives me the please can we go out now look? Poor guy, he probably needed a walk a long time ago. He can't make you stay inside, can you boy? I say with a kiss to his head. Maybe I should just let you pee in the living room to make a point. P lowers his head and whines, clearly correcting me. I grin. I know, you're right. It's just so tempting sometimes, you know? He stares at me, and I can tell that he is not tempted in the least. Okay, buddy, let's go get that walk. Once I say the magic word, the one that I think he likes even better than food, my giant friend leaps up into motion. He lunges for the door with a bark, and I shush him as I grab his collar and open it. Hush boy, let's not make this more dramatic than it has to be. Peev chuffs in response, and we make our way back to my dad's office. Even though it's the last place I really want to be. Mostly I hope that by now there's no one else in there with him. He's been working from home the past couple of weeks, and all sorts of people keep showing up to see him. People I've never met before. Which is saying a lot since I've spent a pretty good amount of time at his office over the years. When we reach the doorway, I exhale hard. It's just him, thank goodness. I notice his eyes are still glued to the computer screen, and that same symbol sits in the upper left corner of the document. My curiosity sparks, but I push it back. I can't tackle everything at once. Peev needs to go out, Dad. He clicks the document closed, but doesn't look at me. Okay, Coral, but don't be gone long. I try to hide my sigh. He needs some exercise, or he's gonna be a real pain to deal with later. My dad turns to me and says Fine, walk him around, but stay close by. Okay. I wish my eyes were like lasers, that they could scan his face and identify what's so different about him. A little burst lights up in my mind as much feeling as memory, an echo of poundings in my heart and late night shouting that disappears into mist before I can grab hold. I bite my lip and shake it off. Won't do any good to get upset now. Then I back myself out into the hallway and hurry to the leash drawer. Can't leave time for Dad to change his mind. Peev stops his happy dance long enough to let me hook the leash to his collar, and then he drags me to the door. When I open it, he rushes into the hallway, his tongue lollying and his face full of puppy joy. I step out behind him, and when I turn to close the door, I notice something unexpected at my feet. A small box, wrapped in a brown parchment-like paper, sits just outside the threshold. I pick it up, surprised at its weight, and flip it over to look for a shipping label. There's nothing. But a small note is tucked into one of the seams. I pull it out and then gasp. It reads Four Coral. That's it. No other clues. I turn the package back over and shake it a little. The rattle tells me there's something metal inside. I start to open it just as Peev decides that he's had enough. He barks and lunges down the hallway, almost taking my arm off. This poor guy, it just isn't his day. Hold on, boy, I tell him. His eyes say that he most certainly will not hold on. I purse my lips thinking Time for countermeasures. You want a treat? The ears go up and the feet stop. He studies me and I flash him a big smile. Give me a second, Peev. I'll even grab you an extra one. He takes a few steps my way, and taking that as an agreement, I stuff the box into my pocket and lead him back into the apartment, grateful that I hadn't closed the door yet. Holding my finger across my lips, a sign that I know that Peve understands, I run into the kitchen, grab two treats, and hurry him back out the door. In the hallway, I scratch behind his ears and give him one of his rewards. Then I guide him into the elevator, out the front door, and into a little courtyard on the side of our building where I know Mr. Dobbins, the doorman, can't see me. After I get my big furry friend to sit, I plop down on a bench and give him the second treat. As he happily chomps, I pull the mystery box out of my pocket, feeling a little stunned, like I somehow forgot my own birthday. I carefully peel away the parchment paper, in case I want to search for more clues later, and lift the lid. A note with my name on it lies on top. And as weird and fluttery as it makes me feel to be known, there's no way I'm reading it before I see what's inside. Moving the note aside, I find the oldest, oddest compass I've ever seen. At least I think it's a compass. There's a needle in the center and the four possible directions with hash marks in between. But instead of north, south, east, and west though, there are four symbols I don't recognize. Honestly, they don't even look like letters. What in the world? I sit there feeling a little deflated. Sure, a compass is cool, but I'm not even sure that's what it is, and I definitely don't know how to use it. I don't really know what I wanted the surprise to be, but it suddenly feels like this wasn't it. I set the box beside me and drop my chin into my hands with a huff. In the final stages of treat enjoyment, Peev lifts his head and studies me. Eyes concerned. It's okay, boy, I tell him, remembering the note. I give his ear a quick scratch and then I open it. It says, Change awaits in every direction. A shiver dances across my shoulders, and for a second I feel the weight of unfamiliar eyes. I look all around me but see no one, and the shiver passes. I tell myself, I'm being silly. I'm a random kid in a private courtyard. There are no eyes. Below the cryptic message I see an address. I don't recognize the street, but a wave of gratitude washes over me that it's in New York City. Whipping out my phone, I type the address into my GPS, pretty much ready to search this minute. But then I see how far it is. It's like twenty minutes one way. And all of my nerve clumps up in my throat. This will take some planning. Stowing the compass in the note in my pocket, I grab Psleash. Let's go, P boy, I say. The happy relief in his face makes me want to hug him again. What did I ever do to deserve such a sweet, patient friend? Wheels turning, I walk him around the block, trying to come up with a reason for Peev and me to go out again later. Disappointing, old compass or not, I know this address is going to burn a serious hole in my pocket until I figure it out. He stops at his favorite fire hydrant, a bright yellow one on the street behind ours, that has somehow looked freshly painted for my entire life. As I wait for him to finish making his mark, a city bus flies by. The bright turquoise banner looking like a long splash of water, spanning the whole side of the bus and catching my eye. A series of clocks seem to look back at me, each one smaller than the last, until time literally disappears at the back of the bus. A gasp flies past my lips, and I think my heart skips a couple of beats.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Hi everyone, this is Lucy again. Um, just to recap on chapter two and chapter three, some thoughts that I had was that we start to see um Coral make a wish at the end of chapter two, saying that she wants to belong to someone or even something. And towards the end of chapter three, we want we start to see her um enact change to make this happen by her going out and following the compass in the letter that she got. And I just found this really interesting and and unique and cool how she um is starting to go after what she wants in a sense. Um, some questions that I have at the end of chapter three would be that was this box kind of a response? This letter that she got was a response to her wish. And um is this journey that she's about to take going to help her solve whatever she um is feeling? And yeah.