She ended up on the roof as snow flaked her dirty blonde hair, the ice coating everything matching her pale blue green eyes. She sat facing the river with her feet dangling over the edge.
Carter had gone up to feed Freak the Griffin, and that's how she was found.
"Braelynn?" he said gently.
She turned. "Oh, hi" she smiled.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I think so. I mean, I just had the bomb dropped yesterday then today I'm here in the middle of it, but other than trying to process that I'm good. Guess it's normal" she said.
"I know how it feels" he said, sitting next to her, his feet on the inside.
She smiled. "You seem really familiar but I can't figure out why."
"I know. I've been trying to figure out the same thing" he agreed.
Realization hit her. "You said your last name was Kane?"
"Yeah" he answered.
"Did you go with Julius Kane to any of his digs?" she asked.
"Yeah that's my dad" he said.
"That's where I know you from! My dad's taken me to a couple digs that he worked with your dad on" she said, smiling.
"You were the girl with headphones in the entire time weren't you?" he asked.
"Yeah" she answered with a laugh.
Their eyes met for a second, and their surroundings were suddenly gone.
An eleven year old Braelynn was pulling out her MP3 player and plugging in her headphones. She had tried for the fourth time that week to get her dad to let her do something at the dig, and he once again had said no.
"Go sit with the other kid" she mocked her dad under her breath as she went over and sat in the desert dirt next to him.
Twelve year old Carter looked up from his book, which he had balanced on the basketball in front of him. "Hi"
"Hey. Whatcha reading?" she asked.
He showed her the cover and asked, "I haven't seen you at any of these before. What's your name?"
"Braelynn. What's yours?" she asked in reply.
"Carter" he introduced.
"Nice to meet you Carter" she said, offering a hand to shake.
He shook and said, "Nice to meet you too Braelynn."
"So, you come here often?" she asked with a grin.
"Only every day for the past few weeks" he answered with a small laugh.
"Same. Funny how we get dragged to these things and aren't allowed to do anything" she said.
"I know. My dad keeps saying I should start a game of basketball, but with who?" he agreed.
"Exactly! Mine used to tell me to bring a ball until he figured out I don't use it" she laughed.
He laughed.
"So, you actually know how to play or is that ball just a book stand?" she asked, gesturing to the basketball in front of him.
"Well..." he started.
"C'mon. I'll teach you" she said, standing and offering a hand to help him up.
He marked his page, taking her hand and standing.
"Earth to Carter? Braelynn? Can either of you hear me?" Sadie asked. Walt was standing beside her as they both jolted back to reality so suddenly that Braelynn nearly fell, Walt quickly grabbing her arm to steady her.
"Thanks" she said.
He nodded as she turned around so her legs wouldn't be dangling.
"Have you two been up here this entire time?" Sadie asked.
"It's only been a few minutes" Carter said.
"You've been gone all day. Look" Walt gestured to the west, where the sun was halfway down the horizon.
"What? It wasn't even noon when I came out here, and Carter came like half an hour after I did" Braelynn said in surprise.
"How long were you guys in that trance?" Walt asked.
"It was only a couple minutes...wasn't it?" he looked at Braelynn, second guessing as he spoke.
"That's what it felt like" she agreed, looking at down to realize the snow at her feet had risen a lot from when they had come out.
"Let's figure this out inside. Everyone's still looking for you" Sadie said.
They all went back inside.
