Page 75 of Keeping Sarah

“Anyone know what flowers those are?” I asked, wrinkling my nose at the scent.

“Gardenias, I believe,” Ode said as we walked toward the house. “They’re strong, but they are beautiful. I always pictured having one in my hair when I got united.”

I smiled down at her. “I hope you get that, Ode.”

In front of the house sat two cars, both oversized for humans to drive.

“Why would they want such large vehicles?” Drift asked. “I was given to understand they are small and have no children, per the intel we have on them.”

“It’s a thing American humans do,” Tiger said, a source of Earthly information.

Finally, we walked up the porch and reached the front door. There were two for some reason—one made of a metal mesh and the one behind it appeared wooden. I stared at them, knowing what I had to do and yet, resisting the assignment. My body felt loose and wrong and my heart was racing out of control.

Ode said from beside me, “Knocking or ringing the doorbell, that’s what we’re supposed to do next.”

“I am aware, thank you. It is just that…if we do this, there is no going back. These people…they are important.” I stalled,turning to Ode and smoothing a hand down my blue shirt. “I still look human?”

“Yes, and you’re still speaking English.”

Before I could stop her, she leaned around me and rang the doorbell. I scowled at her, but she countered with an impatient, “We would have been here all night, otherwise.”

She wasn’t wrong. My anxiety was at an all time high.

A woman opened the inner wooden door. Brown hair, brown eyes. Just like Sarah, but taller, thinner. She wore tight black pants and a large tunic that had an elaborated picture of a cina on it.A mouse, Jac had told me that was what they called cina on Earth.

A cautious smile curved her lips as she looked at our group. “Can I help you?”

“Good evening,” I said, in a surprisingly even and calm voice. “I am sorry to bother you at such an hour.”

“No trouble, we were just sitting down to eat.”

Someone called from behind the door, “Who is it?”

The first woman did not take her eyes off of me. “I’m not sure yet.”

The second woman joined her. She had heavy streaks of blue in her dark blonde hair, and sparkling brown eyes. She was shorter than Sarah, but the resemblance was still there.

“Hi.” Her smile was far more amiable than the first woman’s. “You folks selling something?”

I shook my head and smiled politely. “We are friends of Sarah Hollinger’s—"

The tall one gasped. “What did you say?”

The short one with blue streaks in her hair blurted, “Do you know where she is?”

I nodded and kept my smile in place. “Yes, she—"

“Is she alive?” The tall one cut me off again.

“She is.”

The two women shared a look of relief and the short one began to wipe her tear-filled eyes.

“Where is she?” the tall one demanded to know.

“Safe,” I assured her. “You are her sisters, yes?”

The short one nodded immediately and opened her mouth to speak, but the tall one stood up straighter and quickly cut her off. “Don’t tell them anything, Jenny.” Her eyes narrowed on me warily. “Who are you?”

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