The week leading up to Friday was the strangest Mira could remember.
Her mom was suddenly… nice. Not fake nice, either She packed Mira's lunch with little notes "Have a good day my love" and cooked actual dinners instead of reheated leftovers. She even asked if Mira wanted to watch a movie together one night.
At first, Mira thought it was some kind of trick. But every time she braced for an argument, it didn't come.
It wasn't just her.
Zoe's mom, who usually worked late without so much as a text, surprised her with a shopping trip for new sneakers.
Leo's dad started taking him out for ice cream after school.
Ash's foster parents asked if he wanted to go to the arcade.
Even Jayden whose parents usually acted like they won a prize if he stayed in his room got invited to a family board game night.
It was like the universe had flipped a switch.
---
By Wednesday, Mira's resolve had started to crack.
She was sitting on her bed, pretending to scroll through her phone, when her mom knocked and peeked in.
"I made cookies," she said. "Still warm."
Mira blinked. "You… made cookies?"
"Don't look so shocked. I used to bake before I had you, you know." Her mom smiled faintly.
They ate them together at the kitchen table, the warm chocolate chips melting on Mira's tongue. For a moment, the idea of running away to a possibly cursed island felt ridiculous.
She almost texted the group to call the whole thing off.
---
The others were having second thoughts, too.
Zoe admitted it on Thursday at lunch. "My mom's been so… normal. She asked if I wanted to go to the lake this weekend. Just the two of us. We haven't done that in years."
Leo frowned into his sandwich. "My dad actually asked about my art project. Didn't make fun of it, either."
Even Jayden hesitated. "It's weird. I almost feel bad."
Ash didn't say much. He just kept sketching. This time it wasn't the island—it was five small figures standing at the edge of a dock, staring at black water.
---
That night, Mira sat on her bed with the coordinates in one hand and her phone in the other. She didn't know what to do.
She could still back out. They all could.
The warmth from the past week felt fragile, like something that would vanish if she reached out too fast. But maybe, maybe if she stayed, if she played along, it could last.
---
Friday afternoon, everything broke.
Mira came home to find her mom sitting at the kitchen table with an envelope in front of her. She looked… determined.
"We need to talk," she said.
Mira's stomach tightened. "About what?"
Her mom slides the envelope across the table.
"I've been thinking a lot about us, About the way things have been and I think a change would be good for you." she said staring at her.
Mira opened the envelope and pulled out a glossy brochure.
"Saint Helena's Catholic Boarding School". She read out loud
Her heart dropped. "You're kidding right?.."
Her mom shook her head. "They have small class sizes, strong discipline, structure. The kind of environment you need. You'll live there during the week and come home on weekends."
"I don't need to be shipped off to some...some nun prison!"
Her mom's jaw tightened. "It's not a prison. It's a chance to get on the right path before things get worse."
"Worse?" Mira's voice cracked. "You've been acting like everything was fine all week! Baking cookies, watching movies... Just for what? You tricked me right?..."
"No, i just wanted us to have a good week before we talked about this."
Mira's chest burned. "So it was all fake? You were just softening me up?"
Her mom didn't answer. And that was worse than if she had.
I hate you!...
---
The same thing happened to the others.
Zoe's mom sat her down that night and told her she will be moving in with her aunt "for a while, to get her head on straight."
Leo's dad mentioned a military-style youth camp.
Ash's foster parents brought up "a specialized boarding program for troubled teens."
Jayden's parents said they were talking to "a counselor who works with strict private schools."
By the time the group met at their usual spot behind the storage shed Saturday morning, the guilt from earlier in the week was gone, it all Burned away.
"This is bull," Zoe snapped. "They've been planning this the whole time."
"They wanted us to drop our guard," Jayden said, kicking at the dirt. "And we did."
Leo shook his head, still stunned. "They acted like they cared... Like they actually wanted to hang out with me. And then…" He trailed off, clenching his fists.
Ash closed his sketchbook with a snap. "So...We're still going, right?"
Mira looked at each of them. The hesitation was gone. This wasn't just about the island anymore.
"Yeah," she said. "We're going."
---
That night, Mira parked in silence. She didn't take much just enough to make it look like she was going on the school camp trip.
Her mom knocked on the door at one point, but Mira didn't answer, she didn't trust herself not to say something she couldn't take back.
When she finally lay down, she stared at the ceiling for hours. She thought about the cookies,The movie,The way her mom's smile had seemed real.
She thought about how fast it had all been ripped away.
---
Out on the ocean, Mirage Island stirred again. The air above it shimmered faintly, like heat on asphalt.
The tide rolled in, heavy and slow, as if the sea itself was holding its breath.
By this time next week, the island would have visitors.
And they wouldn't be able to leave.....