Chasing Shadows

by Ashley Townsend

  Karen, who had relaxed after the surprise of seeing Lilly’s reaction, was grinning as she waved to the young girl and stepped off the porch. She motioned for Sarah to follow and leaned in close as they walked briskly along the sidewalk.

  “Is there anywhere that is kind of secluded around here?” she whispered.

  Sarah thought for a minute. “Well, there’s a park just around the corner. It has a lot of trees and overgrowth, but it’s not exactly ‘secluded.’”

  Karen seemed to be considering it. “Does it have any public restrooms?”

  Sarah squinted an eye, and the left side of her face scrunched in uncertainty. “Well, yeah, but . . .” Her voice trailed off as she took in Karen’s hopeful expression. “Oh, no.”

  ~Chapter 3~

  “This is disgusting,” Sarah mumbled, trying to hold her breath in the small room. She sidestepped a piece of toilet paper soaking in a small pool of water on the floor. At least, she hoped it was water.

  Karen shrugged, seemingly unaffected by the smell and cramped quarters of the one room stall. Living in the twelfth century had seriously diminished her sense of smell. “I didn’t want to use the watches in broad daylight. This seemed like our best option.”

  “I still think we could have done it in my room,” Sarah replied stubbornly.

  “If we could have gotten in, your mom would have known something was up. You remember what happened last time you came, don’t you?”

  Recalling the lightning and Richter scale quaking of her room, Sarah sucked in a breath. She immediately threw a hand over her mouth as the stench assailed her senses.

  “Just hurry up before I gag.” Her voice came out sounding nasal as she pinched the opening of her nose to ward off the smell. Karen grinned, pressed a button on the watch she wore, and grabbed Sarah’s free hand.

  The room suddenly flooded with white light, temporarily blinding them both. The metal toilet seat made a clanking noise as it jiggled from side to side as the room began to tremor. The slight shaking quickly increased to a dull rumble, and then the room began to quake dangerously.

  Sarah didn’t want to grab onto anything that she couldn’t see in the restroom, so she planted her feet spread apart and held onto Karen’s hand for dear life. The earth beneath them seemed to groan in protest as the floor continued to tremble, and Sarah’s toes began to tingle, the sensation creeping over her body until it flooded every limb. Seconds seemed to stretch into minutes for the occupants of the cramped stall before the quaking lessened. The ground let out one last big shake that sent them both to their knees before everything stilled.

  Sarah pulled her palms from the floor with an “Ew!” of disgust and scrambled up on shaky legs—God only knew what was on that floor. The bright light had disappeared, and she blinked rapidly until her eyes adjusted to their new surroundings. She blinked again, though nothing was wrong with her vision. Dry leaves crunched beneath her feet as she took a step back in astonishment.

  They were in the forest again.

  “It gets less shocking after a while,” Karen said. Sarah turned and watched the redhead rise gracefully to her feet. She pulled a dried leaf out of her hair and smiled brightly, spreading her arms wide. “Welcome back.”

  Sarah looked around at the sparse woods and the trails littered with fallen leaves. All was quiet except for the wind as it rustled the highest branches of the trees.

  “I can’t believe it,” Sarah breathed, completely in awe of what had just happened. She didn’t care how many times she did that: time travel would never cease to amaze her.

  She blinked up at the fading sun, shrouded by a canopy of gold, red, and brown, and wrapped her arms around her middle against the cool wind. “We just traveled back in time a thousand years. Again,” she added in disbelief.

  Karen laughed at her slack-jawed expression—now that they were back in her world, she seemed more at ease. She stepped lightly in front of Sarah and started down a long, narrow trail that wound around the trees, obviously expecting her to follow. Sarah jogged after her to catch up. “Where are we going?” she asked, still having a difficult time taking it all in, even though she had been through this before. Her eyes darted about the woods, soaking in every detail of the autumn trees and cloudy sky.

  “We have to go to the Joneses’ to get changed into something more appropriate.”

  Sarah glanced down at her shorts and T-shirt. She shivered as a cool wind lifted her hair off her shoulders and blew it about her face. Changing was probably a wise idea.

  “It all feels so surreal,” she said, sure her voice expressed the wonder she felt over reappearing in the same forest that she and Lilly had emerged from a few weeks ago.

  “What do you mean?” Karen asked, skipping over a thick branch in her path. She tilted her head to get a better look at Sarah as they walked.

  She shrugged and let her gaze wander over their surroundings. “I don’t know. It just seems strange. I thought I’d never have to come back here again, or even get to come back. I assumed the whole time traveling episode was just a one-time thing, and I expected the king to live through his illness, not be defeated by it. And I never imagined I’d get to see you again.” She smiled fondly at her friend. “Although I am glad that happened. I was actually starting to miss you, as crazy as it sounds.”

  Karen laughed lightly, and the trees seemed to mimic the sound as it echoed through the forest. “Gee, thanks. But I’m really the one who suffered. You’ll recall I had to go a bit longer without your presence to brighten my days.”

  Sarah smiled contentedly. The light banter between friends felt good, and they lapsed into a companionable silence, playfully nudging one another with their shoulders. All Sarah’s fears seemed to have melted away once the decision was made, and she traipsed through the forest with lighter steps.

  The two young women eventually came to the end of the trail, and Sarah sucked in a breath as she stared at the modest two-story wood home. The sight of the house instantly flooded her with reminders of the laughter, tears, and every promise made during those days. One face in particular came to the forefront of her mind and caused the other images and memories to fade away, flooding her with warmth.

  She shook her head to rid her mind of Will’s memory before she became lost in fantasies of not so long ago.

  Karen stepped in front of her and motioned with a hand for her to follow. Sarah trailed behind as they tromped through the tall golden grass and made a wide arc around the house, the dry brush making a wisping sound against her exposed legs.

  “Is there a reason that we’re sneaking around?” she asked quietly.

  Karen glanced over her shoulder at her briefly. “I don’t want them to see us before we change.”

  Sarah nodded in understanding, though Karen couldn’t see her. They crept around the backside of the barn, and Karen peered around the corner, signaling that the coast was clear. They moved forward silently, and Karen pulled the large door opened. She glanced over her shoulder one last time before closing it behind them. Sarah welcomed the warmth of the building, glad for shelter from the cool temperature outside.

  “You should think about joining a special ops group of the CIA,” Sarah said, trying to lighten her friend’s serious look. She received a grin for her effort.

  “Let’s see if we can find something to wear.” Karen looked more relaxed than she had during their stealthy trek through the fields. Months of hiding out in this very barn seemed to have made her wary of being exposed on the other side of that door.

  “I still can’t believe how many dresses you have in here,” Sarah remarked, tucking a wavy strand of auburn hair behind her ear as she leaned over the open trunk in the corner. She heard Karen laugh beside her.

  “Go ahead and pick one,” she urged.

  Sarah looked through the jumble of dresses, taking in the array of colors and fabrics inside. One in particular caught her eye, and she snatched the visible corner of the dress and pulled it out to better examine it.
The pale blue velvet was stunning, and Sarah sucked in an appreciative breath as she took in the intricate white detailing, scooped neckline, and white sash emphasizing the waist. The sleeves were fitted but flared around each wrist, which were adorned with the same white lace that decorated the neckline.

  “You will look fantastic in that,” Karen commented.

  Sarah turned to look at her, unsure. “You really think so?”

  Karen nodded her head enthusiastically before snatching a brown wool dress from the stack. “I’m gonna change. If that’s the one, then go ahead and use any of the empty pens to put it on.” Sarah nodded, and Karen made her way down the center aisle between the stalls, ducking into one and closing the door behind her.

  Sarah stared at the dress for a moment longer before following the trail Karen had made across the hay-strewn floor and entered one of the empty stalls next to the goats. Not even bothering to remove her tennis shoes, she peeled her clothes off and shivered as the cool air hit her exposed skin. The pendant tapped against her chest when she moved, and she glanced down at it in surprise, having forgotten she’d hurriedly put it on when Karen rang her doorbell. What would Will think when he saw that she had kept it all this time?

  Just let it go, Sarah reprimanded herself, shaking her head over how easily her thoughts turned to him. Forcing back whatever thoughts or memories might surface, she quickly pulled the dress over her head and let it fall gracefully to the floor. She made sure that the sleeves covered her watch before gathering her clothes in her arms and exiting the stall. The dress fit her slender curves and five-foot eight-inch frame perfectly. She couldn’t help but wonder if Karen, who was a few inches shorter than her, had purchased this dress with her in mind.

  She found Karen leaning over the trunk and sifting through the mass of clothing, her brown cloak swishing about her heels. Sarah walked up beside her and dropped her own clothing inside the trunk. Karen hardly seemed to notice as she continued her search.

  “Aha!” she cried suddenly, startling Sarah. She pulled something out from the mess of dresses and proudly held before her a cape of the same blue as Sarah’s dress.

  “You’ll need this to keep warm,” she said, tossing it in Sarah’s direction so she could close the trunk’s lid with both hands. Sarah caught the cape and fingered the soft fabric for a moment, then draped it over her shoulders with a flourish. She wrapped the looped ends of the cape around the gold, button-shaped ornaments just below her collarbone on either side of the dress. Swaying back and forth, she smiled as the fabric swished from side to side. Her tennis shoes peeked out beneath the hem when she did so, but she didn’t think anyone would really notice.

  “If you’re ready, then we can go.” Sarah started and glanced up at Karen, who was standing beside the barn door, her hand poised on the wood.

  “What do you mean?” Sarah asked, her heart picking up a beat at her friend’s words.

  Karen stared at her oddly, as though the answer to her question was obvious. “To town, of course.”

  “Why do we need to go there?” Sarah asked casually, trying to hide her anxiety. She felt a confusing mixture of excitement and fear over the possibility that she might meet the one person whom she had neglected to say farewell to. She wanted so badly to see Will, but she also dreaded the anger that would most likely be directed at her over her abrupt departure. She just hoped that he hadn’t lost his faith in her completely during her absence. But like they said, absence makes the heart grow fonder. . . .

  Sarah shook her head to dispel the wishful thought. Maybe he hadn’t even noticed she was gone.

  “We can’t exactly do any investigative work from the Joneses’ barn,” Karen said, forcing Sarah’s mind back to the present conversation. Karen opened the door a crack and peered outside.

  “We’re good,” she said quietly, pulling the door open just enough for them to slip through. She closed it and crouched low. Sarah mimicked her stance and awkwardly dashed to the edge of the woods. Though she felt ridiculous, she didn’t dare question her friend’s methods, since Karen had mastered the art of sneaking around undetected. An escaped “witch” could hardly run about town with a target painted on her back without picking up a few tricks along the way.

  Once they entered the tree line, they both straightened and began walking briskly through the thicket. Sarah’s legs were longer than Karen’s, so she had no trouble keeping up with her clipped pace.

  Sarah pushed a branch out of her way and was caught off-guard as it swung back to smack her in the face. She hastily swatted it away, accidentally slapping herself in the process. She loudly blew away a wad of dried leaves that had collected on her lips and watched Karen’s retreating form, none the wiser. Feeling terribly awkward compared to Karen’s graceful movements, she was grateful that her friend was unaware of her embarrassing gaffe. Sarah collected herself and silently pulled once-dry leaves from her mouth as she moved past the offending branch, giving it plenty of space.

  “Isn’t it a long way to town?” she asked, deciding to duck under the next branch rather than risk personal injury in her attempt to move it from her path.

  Karen looked over at her and grinned, her green eyes sparkling. “I told Seth that I needed to go into town and had him hitch the wagon for me earlier. I left it somewhere around here. Pretty crafty, huh?”

  “Then I guess you were really betting on me coming back with you.”

  Karen shrugged. “I was certainly hoping that was the case, but I would have understood if you couldn’t. This isn’t real life for you, and it’s not your responsibility.”

  “I feel like it is,” Sarah quietly replied. She spotted the wagon through the trees, pointing it out to her friend, and they stepped into the small clearing. The horses seemed agitated at being left alone for so long and pawed eagerly at the ground.

  Climbing into the wagon seat beside her friend, Sarah inhaled a steadying breath, taking in the scent of pine and autumn forest with it. She had forgotten how good the air smelled here. “I promised I’d help, and I will.” She squared her shoulders. “Plus, I believe in you and know you’re right about Cadius. I’m not quitting this time . . . unless, of course, our lives are in imminent peril,” she was sure to add.

  Karen’s small smile was filled with gratitude. “But I would understand.”

  The corner of Sarah’s mouth tipped. “I know you would.”

  With a nod of her head, Karen picked up the reins and urged the horses onto the road.

  ~Chapter 4~

  Sarah was glad she’d thought to wear the cape; the air was crisp as they drove along the narrow road, and she resisted the urge to shiver against the freezing cold seat. They neared the edge of town, and she tried to keep her growing trepidation hidden. Karen would certainly ask her what was bothering her, and she didn’t want to go into detail about the questions she didn’t have answers for.

  Maybe he won’t even be in town, she told herself, trying to find comfort in the dismal words. How could she feel so conflicted about something that shouldn’t have mattered in the first place?

  Karen pulled the horses to a stop just outside of town, and Sarah’s heart lurched anxiously at the sudden interruption. But Karen just slipped the oversized hood up to cover her striking red hair, tugging it down to shield her eyes. She seemed to move in painfully slow motion as she ensured her disguise was secure, taking her sweet time to tuck a few silken strands beneath the hood. Right knee bouncing and knuckles turning white as she clutched the edge of the bench seat, Sarah told her pulse to slow even as her anxiety mounted at the delay. She was desperate to keep moving and just get this afternoon over with.

  Just as Sarah was getting ready to throw herself out of the wagon and run the rest of the way into town, Karen finally seemed content with her disguise and picked up the reins, urging the horses through the town gates. Letting out a pent-up breath, Sarah wriggled in her seat and told herself not to stress over events that might not even take place. But she couldn’t keep herself
from wondering what his reaction would be when they saw each other for the first time in months, though it had only been mere weeks for her. He might yell at her and question why she had left their friendship behind like she had. Or maybe he would be overjoyed that she was back and take her in his arms . . .

  Sarah sucked in a breath and tried to keep her thoughts from running away with her. Karen tended to keep to the shadows when she was in town, anyway, so she really had no reason to fear a surprise encounter.

  The wagon stopped suddenly, and she glanced up. Catching sight of the sign for the livery, her heartbeat resumed its erratic pace. “Seriously?” she muttered dryly.

  “Don’t you want to see him?” At the incredulity in her friend’s voice, she turned to look at Karen and caught the confusion in her eyes. Sarah swallowed hard.

  “It’s just, um, we didn’t exactly part on the best of terms.” Well, that wasn’t entirely true. The last time she had seen him, Will had practically spelled out his feelings for her by giving her the necklace she now had tucked into her dress. But she was unsure what the time apart had done to his opinion of her and was afraid to find out.

  Karen’s face registered understanding. Her eyes softened. “I had forgotten that you didn’t tell him that you were leaving. But maybe that won’t matter to him because he will be so happy to see you and fall madly in love with you all over again.”

  Sarah rolled her eyes, though she grinned at her friend’s attempt to encourage her. “I told you, we’re just friends.”

  “Yeah, right. Or maybe you’re the Seth in his life and are completely unaware of the love burning inside of him.”

  Though she said it lightheartedly, Sarah could sense her discouragement.

  “Well,” Sarah began, sorry for the forlorn look on her friend’s face, “if he never comes around to see what a gem he has in you, then who needs him? And then we can put glue in his shampoo or burn his house down.”