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

but Elverly cuts me

Stay quiet.

fidget. The waiting is excruciating. How long has it been since the Grand Sage left? A minute? Five? Time seems to stretch in this confined space, each second feeling

thud from above snaps

opens wider, and I blink against the sudden influx of light. The Grand Sage's face. appears in the opening, his

says, but his words are grim. "You can come

gracefully rising from her seat

269 Lisa The Farmhouse

I near

they've always been a part of it.

an old barn, dusty sunlight filtering through cracks in the wooden walls. The air smells of hay

the hell did we

want to ask, but I already know

world like an oversized metal egg with a flat top. If I hadn't just climbed out of it, I'd never believe it could fit three people inside, plus all the things that are

ask, unable to contain

faint frown. "We did not go

of the Westwood

don't seem very happy to be here." Glancing around, I ask,

It certainly seems quiet.

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.

seems terrible. I can't imagine leaving

a pseudonym, if you must. His nose wrinkles. "This place doesn't smell right. Be

of farmland stretching out before us. Horses and cows graze peacefully in nearby paddocks, oblivious to our status as refugees. A cluster

is palpable, and I can't help but share her sentiment. This place seems a little too worn

I guess no one would expect to find two

for us to