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 with a sharp

Stay quiet.

my lips together, fighting the urge to fidget. The waiting is excruciating. How long has it been since the

thud from above snaps

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

clear," he says, but his words are grim. "You

rising from her seat and climbing the rungs

269 Lisa The Farmhouse

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

seem to melt seamlessly into. the wall, as if they've always been a part of it. Another bit of

myself out of the hatch, taking in our new surroundings. We're in what looks like an old barn, dusty sunlight filtering through cracks in the wooden walls. The air smells of hay and something earthy I

we

already know the

the 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

are we?" I ask, unable

"We did not go far.

of the

be here." Glancing around, I ask,

It certainly seems quiet.

He reaches for my arm, slapping a white bracelet onto it. 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

seems terrible. I can't

to weigh his words carefully. "Don't introduce yourself by name. Use a pseudonym, if you must. His nose wrinkles. "This

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 cluster of beat-up

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

again, I guess no one would expect to find two gnomes

Sage motions for us to follow him towards the