Page 25 of Rescuing Sara

“R-Robin Master,” the girl choked out. The light through the window was just enough that Sara could see she had dark hair and eyes like her best friend Marcy Brooks. “My neighbor lied to me. He said he was going to take me to my mother’s store, but he brought me here!

“Same thing happened to me,” Sara told her. “‘Cept it was Mr. Joe, someone who works with my grandfather.”

“My mom always said never to get into cars with strangers,” Robin wept. “And I didn’t! It was Mr. Hobart, my neighbor. I thought he was nice. I want to go home!”

Her voice rose and the other girls stirred in their beds, so Sara gently but firmly put her hand over Robin’s mouth. “You gotta be quiet,” she hissed. “You don’t want to talk to Sir. He’s kinda scary, but sometimes, his bald head is so shiny, it looks like a bowling ball or that he waxed it.”

Robin laughed, then slapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she hissed.

“That’s OK,” Sara whispered. “But come with me. I want to show you something.”

She rolled out of bed and Robin followed. Stopping long enough to reach under her own bed, Sara pulled out a folding three-step ladder. She’d found it there the day after she was brought here. Sara took Robin’s hand and led her to a far wall where she unfolded the ladder. “Are you afraid of heights?” she asked.”

“No,” and a tiny note of confidence entered Robin’s voice. “I can climb trees and everything.”

“OK, that’s good,” Sara said. “I think the steps are wide enough for both of us if we scrooch together and hold on to the railings.”

Robin frowned. “Why are we gonna do that?”

“I wanna show you something. You go first.”

Nodding, Robin carefully climbed the ladder and stood as close to one of the rails as she could. Just as carefully, Sara climbed until they were standing side by side.

“There,” Sara said, pointing out the small paned window. “What do you see?”

“Stars, moon.” Robin’s voice trembled again. “My mom calls that a New Moon, but I don’t understand what that means. My science teacher said the moon is millions of years old so how can it be new?”

“I don’t know either,” Sara admitted. “But do you see that big golden building nearly reaching the moon? The one with the big golden ball on top?”

Robin stared so long, Sara wondered if maybe she needed glasses or something. Then she gasped, “It’s the Sunsphere! Momma and I like to go up to the Observation Deck on the fourth floor and we drive all the way from Maryville just to go up there. You can see forever from there!”

“So, if we can see the Sunsphere, that means we’re in Knoxville,” Sara told her. “My mom used to say there was only one like it in the world and it’s here in Knoxville.”

“Are your momma and daddy gonna come get you?” Tears ran down Robin’s cheeks and Sara had to fight the urge to cry right along with her.

“No,” she said, gripping the ladder’s railing so hard it hurt. “They both died, but my godmother Danni will find me–us–and take us home. Where’s your dad?”

“They’re separated,” Robin told her. “He works all the time so I don’t see him too much.”

“My godmother Danni writes for a newspaper and is really, really smart,” Sara told her. “And she knows lots of police officers and she’ll help them find us. We just need to hang tough until they do.”

“Hang tough?” Robin asked. “What’s that mean?”

“Means be brave,” Sara said. “That’s what Danni always tells me when I’m scared. And she and your parents are gonna find us.”

A soft moan came from one of the beds and Sara canted her head, listening and waiting. When she was sure that the other girls were still asleep, she whispered, “We better get back to bed in case someone comes to check on us.”

She let Robin go down first, then followed, folding the ladder and tucking it under her arm. After putting a finger to her lips, they crept back to their beds and Sara slid the ladder back into place.

“Do you think they’ll come get us by Christmas?” Robin’s sleepy voice sounded on the verge of tears again.

“You betcha,” Sara assured her, using another one of Danni’s helpful phrases. “But we gotta hang tough.”

“Hang tough,” Robin repeated, and a minute later her slow, breathing assured Sara that her new friend was asleep. Only then did Sara allow herself to cry. She hadn’t wanted Robin to see how scared she was.

So, burying her face in her pillow she prayed the words she’d prayed every night since being brought here.

Hurry, Danni. Please, please hurry.

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