Tangled

Unshift 269

Unshift 269

269 Lisa: The Farmhouse

LISA

The entire world shakes and shudders, and I wake with a jolt. "Earthquake!"

"We landed, you idiot." Elverly scowls at me. "Next time, don't use me as a pillow."

"Don't take her vitriol seriously, Lisa. She's the one who covered you with a blanket." The Grand Sage nods toward me, and I glance down, surprised to see a flannel fabric about as large as a baby's blanket. She yanks it off me with a huff, folding it and tucking it under her arm, where it disappears.

I blink.

"Where did it go?"

*Dimensional storage, The Grand Sage tells me, pushing different buttons. The vibration of the room ceases. "Stay here. I'm going to check on matters, and the cloaking device isn't enough to cover everyone outside"

A hatch above us creaks open, letting in a sliver of light that makes me squint. I hold my breath, not daring to move as the Grand Sage maneuvers his way between Elverly and me. His robes brush against my arm, and I catch a whiff of something herbal-sage, maybe?

Funny. Sage for sages.

my

As he climbs, I can't help but stare at the rungs he's using. Were those there before? I wrack brain, trying to remember if I'd noticed them during our journey, but come up blank. It's possible they were there all along, hidden in the shadows of this cramped space.

But it's more probable that they popped out of the wall when he was pressing one of those many buttons.

The Grand Sage's feet disappear through the hatch, and I strain my ears, trying to catch any sound from above. The silence remains unbroken, broken only by my own shallow breathing and the faint rustle of Elverly's clothes as she shifts in her seat.

"Do

whisper, but Elverly cuts me off

quiet.

How long has it been since the Grand Sage left? A minute? Five? Time seems to stretch in this confined space, each second feeling like an

soft thud from above snaps me back to the

the sudden influx of light. The Grand Sage's face. appears in the opening, his

words

gracefully rising from her seat and climbing the rungs with

269 Lisa The Farmhouse

for so long. As I near the top, I can't help but look down, curiosity getting the better

seamlessly into. the wall, as if they've always been a part of it. Another bit of magic? Or some kind of advanced technology? The line between the two seems

our new surroundings. We're in what looks like an old barn, dusty sunlight filtering

we magically land

I already know the explanation will be over

I hadn't just climbed out of it, I'd

I ask, unable to contain

with a faint frown. "We did not go

the

here." Glancing around, I ask, "Are you

It certainly seems quiet.

Elverly gets the same treatment. "This is in case we are parted. If anything happens, come here and press the green button on your bracelet. It's programmed for the next destination. Don't wait for any of us, even if you're the only

I can't imagine leaving them

carefully. "Don't introduce yourself by name. Use a pseudonym, if you must.

my feet feels surreal as we exit the barn. My eyes dart around, taking in the vast expanse of farmland stretching out before us. Horses and cows graze peacefully in nearby paddocks, oblivious to our status as refugees. A

surveys our surroundings. Her disdain is palpable, and I can't help but share her sentiment.

again, I guess no one would expect

us to follow him