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

cuts me off

quiet.

is excruciating. How long has it been since the

soft thud from above snaps me back

I blink against the sudden influx of

words are grim.

gracefully rising from her seat and climbing the rungs with practiced

269 Lisa The Farmhouse

muscles protesting after being cramped for so long. As I near the top, I can't help but look

been a part of it. Another

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

did we

but I already know

oversized metal egg with a flat top. If I hadn't just climbed out of it, I'd never believe it could fit

we?" I ask, unable to contain my curiosity

Sage turns with a faint frown. "We did not

of the

happy to be here." Glancing around, I ask, "Are you sure it's

It certainly seems quiet.

we are parted. If anything happens, come here and press the green button on your

terrible. I can't

Use a pseudonym, if you must. His nose wrinkles.

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 cluster

Her disdain is palpable, and I can't help but share her sentiment. This place

I guess no one would expect to find two

us to follow him