people? Where would you go?”
“Hmm,” I reply, thinking it over. My fantasy with Sarah and myself didn’t really have a destination. It was enough just to be in a car with her. “So many options . . .”
Before I can decide, Six leans forward from the backseat. “I didn’t really get to see much of it when we were there because of all the running and fighting, but Spain looked pretty interesting.”
Sarah grins. “I’ve always wanted to go to Europe. My parents backpacked there after college. It’s how they met.”
“So Europe is your answer too?” I ask Sarah.
“Yeah,” she replies. “There are still places I’d like tosee in America, I guess. Getting locked up by the government has kinda soured me, though.”
“That is a drawback,” I agree, chuckling.
Sarah turns around in her seat to look at Six. “We could go to Europe together. Um, if you’re not too busy restoring your planet and all.”
Sarah’s so enthusiastic that Six can’t help but smile back. “That could be fun.”
“That’s where I’d like to go,” I tell Sarah, putting my hand over hers.
“Europe?”
“Lorien.”
“Oh,” Sarah replies, a note of sadness in her voice surprising me. I try to explain.
“I’d like to show you Lorien the way I’ve seen it in my visions, the way Henri used to describe it to me.”
I catch Six rolling her eyes at me in the rearview mirror. “That’s not really the game,” she says. “Pick someplace that you could actually get to without building a spaceship.”
I think it over for a moment. “I don’t know. Disney World?”
Six and Sarah both exchange a look and then start laughing.
“Disney World?” exclaims Six. “You’re so cheesy, John.”
“No, it’s sweet,” says Sarah, patting my hand. “It’sthe most magical place on Earth.”
“You know, I’ve never actually been on a roller coaster. Henri wasn’t down with the whole amusement-park thing. I used to see the commercials and I always wanted to go.”
“That’s so sad!” exclaims Sarah. “We’re definitely going to get you to Disney World. Or at least on a roller coaster. They’re amazing.”
Six snaps her fingers. “What’s that one ride? It’s supposed to be like a rocket ship?”
“Space Mountain,” answers Sarah.
“Yeah,” replies Six, and then hesitates as if she’s worried she’s about to divulge too much. “I actually remember looking that up online when I was little. I insisted to Katarina that it had something to do with us.”
The thought of a young Six investigating Disney World is priceless. The three of us share a laugh.
“Aliens,” mutters Sarah jokingly. “You need to get out more.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
NIGHT HAS FALLEN BY THE TIME WE CROSS THE Arkansas state line. Luckily, we know exactly where we’re going. The billboards started popping up about twenty miles back, the huge and hairy face of the Boggy Creek Monster inviting us to visit Fouke’s one-and-only Monster Mart. We’re close now, and the tree-lined highway is pretty desolate, so I break my own rule and really start gunning it.
Sarah peers out her window, craning her neck at one of the faded Monster Mart signs.
“Just a couple more miles,” she says quietly.
“Are you ready?” I ask, sensing some apprehension in her voice.
“I hope so,” she says.
I pull the car over just before the exit for Fouke. This isn’t exactly a thriving tourist destination. More like the kind of dinky small-town thing that bored travelingfamilies will stop off at to snap a few pictures and get a bathroom break.
“Probably a good idea to go on foot from here,” I say, glancing at Six. “We’ll want to be invisible.”
Six nods. “Agreed.”
We pile out of the car and into the dark woods that separate the highway from the town. Bernie Kosar briefly stretches his legs before taking on the form of a sparrow. He lands on my shoulder, awaiting instructions.
“Scout ahead, BK,” I say. “See what’s up
“Hmm,” I reply, thinking it over. My fantasy with Sarah and myself didn’t really have a destination. It was enough just to be in a car with her. “So many options . . .”
Before I can decide, Six leans forward from the backseat. “I didn’t really get to see much of it when we were there because of all the running and fighting, but Spain looked pretty interesting.”
Sarah grins. “I’ve always wanted to go to Europe. My parents backpacked there after college. It’s how they met.”
“So Europe is your answer too?” I ask Sarah.
“Yeah,” she replies. “There are still places I’d like tosee in America, I guess. Getting locked up by the government has kinda soured me, though.”
“That is a drawback,” I agree, chuckling.
Sarah turns around in her seat to look at Six. “We could go to Europe together. Um, if you’re not too busy restoring your planet and all.”
Sarah’s so enthusiastic that Six can’t help but smile back. “That could be fun.”
“That’s where I’d like to go,” I tell Sarah, putting my hand over hers.
“Europe?”
“Lorien.”
“Oh,” Sarah replies, a note of sadness in her voice surprising me. I try to explain.
“I’d like to show you Lorien the way I’ve seen it in my visions, the way Henri used to describe it to me.”
I catch Six rolling her eyes at me in the rearview mirror. “That’s not really the game,” she says. “Pick someplace that you could actually get to without building a spaceship.”
I think it over for a moment. “I don’t know. Disney World?”
Six and Sarah both exchange a look and then start laughing.
“Disney World?” exclaims Six. “You’re so cheesy, John.”
“No, it’s sweet,” says Sarah, patting my hand. “It’sthe most magical place on Earth.”
“You know, I’ve never actually been on a roller coaster. Henri wasn’t down with the whole amusement-park thing. I used to see the commercials and I always wanted to go.”
“That’s so sad!” exclaims Sarah. “We’re definitely going to get you to Disney World. Or at least on a roller coaster. They’re amazing.”
Six snaps her fingers. “What’s that one ride? It’s supposed to be like a rocket ship?”
“Space Mountain,” answers Sarah.
“Yeah,” replies Six, and then hesitates as if she’s worried she’s about to divulge too much. “I actually remember looking that up online when I was little. I insisted to Katarina that it had something to do with us.”
The thought of a young Six investigating Disney World is priceless. The three of us share a laugh.
“Aliens,” mutters Sarah jokingly. “You need to get out more.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
NIGHT HAS FALLEN BY THE TIME WE CROSS THE Arkansas state line. Luckily, we know exactly where we’re going. The billboards started popping up about twenty miles back, the huge and hairy face of the Boggy Creek Monster inviting us to visit Fouke’s one-and-only Monster Mart. We’re close now, and the tree-lined highway is pretty desolate, so I break my own rule and really start gunning it.
Sarah peers out her window, craning her neck at one of the faded Monster Mart signs.
“Just a couple more miles,” she says quietly.
“Are you ready?” I ask, sensing some apprehension in her voice.
“I hope so,” she says.
I pull the car over just before the exit for Fouke. This isn’t exactly a thriving tourist destination. More like the kind of dinky small-town thing that bored travelingfamilies will stop off at to snap a few pictures and get a bathroom break.
“Probably a good idea to go on foot from here,” I say, glancing at Six. “We’ll want to be invisible.”
Six nods. “Agreed.”
We pile out of the car and into the dark woods that separate the highway from the town. Bernie Kosar briefly stretches his legs before taking on the form of a sparrow. He lands on my shoulder, awaiting instructions.
“Scout ahead, BK,” I say. “See what’s up
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