Enjoy, I hope!
Chapter Three:
After getting my stuff, I was escorted home by two agents. There another two guarding the front door. Uncle Matt opened it.
I hugged him.
"It's going to be okay," he said. "We'll find your dad."
After one too many close calls, Uncle Matt opted for a desk job three years ago. I was glad to see him.
"Mikey asked Rose to the dance," I said.
"Great," he said as we went inside.
"So, what now?" I asked. "We wait for more demands or someone to crack the code that oddly resembles the doodles in my notebooks?"
"You read Aunt Emily's mind?"
"Partially," I said as I put my stuff in the kitchen.
"It's probably just a coincidence," he said.
I didn't believe that for second and I knew Uncle Matt didn't either.
"Do you want to play one of Michael's old videogames?" he asked.
"I bet I can still beat you at Mario Kart," I said.
"Game on," he said with a smile.
It was a distraction. My head wasn't really in it, but I tried anyway. I still managed to force Uncle Matt off the road and hit him with a few weapons. We both managed to seriously laugh a few times. Uncle Matt was fun.
There was the sound of a commotion downstairs. Matt cautioned me to stay in Michael's room.
I waited a few seconds then heard a voice I recognized.
"Henry, you've got to calm down."
I crept down the stairs.
"It doesn't make sense," Henry said angrily. "Why does the note resemble Astra's doodles?"
"It's probably just a coincidence," Uncle Matt said.
"You and I both know that is bull!" he said. "This has something to do with her. I know it!"
"Henry, you've got to seriously calm down," Uncle Matt said. "We don't know anything for certain."
"I just want him back," he said weakly. "If Astra has any clues as to what is going on, shouldn't we look into them?"
"We don't know that for sure," Uncle Matt said. "You're too close to this. Someone else just sees a bunch of circles, we only them as Astra's doodles because we see her notebooks regularly. Think less like someone who has seen them and more like someone who hasn't. And try to relax. Okay?"
"Okay," he said.
"If I know your sister, she's probably been listening in on this whole conversation."
I came downstairs.
"Guilty as charged," I said.
"Hey Astra," Henry. "I didn't mean to get so hot. I just really want answers. I want to find dad."
"I know," I said. "It is weird they look like my doodles."
"But like Uncle Matt said, it could be a coincidence," he said.
"Sure," I said.
"I've got to get back to work," he said.
Henry quickly hugged me.
"See you later."
He then left.
"Your brother means well, but he's still new," Uncle Matt said. "This is going to be hard on the whole family."
"Is Michael coming home from Stanford?" I asked.
"No, but they've beefed up security around his dorm as a precaution," he said.
"Do you mind if I text Rose?" I asked.
"Go ahead," he said. "But leave out the part about the doodles. We don't want that to become public knowledge."
Rose had left me a dozen texts demanding to know what was going on as kids saw FBI SUVs in the parking lot. I quickly explained about dad and omitted the part about the writing. I did add that her dad was thrilled Mikey was taking her to the dance.
"OMG R U OK!?" she texted.
"Just numb," I texted back.
"I'm here if U need me OK?"
"I know," I texted.
"G2G Nichols is making rounds."
Mrs. Nichols was our French teacher. Generally nice, but she didn't tolerate cellphone use.
Uncle Matt shook his head.
"I don't know how you girls manage to avoid getting caught texting," he said.
"It's an art form," I said.
There was another knock on the door. It was Uncle Dave with a pizza.
"Did someone order a double-meat pizza?" he said with humor.
"Do we have to tip you?" I said gamely.
"Only in hugs," he said and put the pizza down.
"Come here, kid," he said.
I gave him a big hug. Uncle Dave had been retired for ten years, but he was still active in law enforcement. He taught, cowrote books with Uncle Matt, and consulted occasionally.
"Hey Dave," Uncle Matt said.
Uncle Dave gave him a hug too.
We divided up the pizza.
"How's school?" he asked me.
"Boring," I said. "I finished my math quiz in then minutes."
"Your father would be proud," he said.
"Ever think about writing science fiction, Uncle Dave?" I asked.
"I have always found the real world to be strange enough," he said. "Why?"
"We're studying it in English," I said.
"You should have fun with that," he said.
"People think it's weird that I believe science fiction could be real," I said.
"That is just their opinion," Uncle Matt said.
"When is my mom coming home?" I asked abruptly.
"Soon," Uncle Matt said. "They're just finishing up that case in Oakland."
The door suddenly burst open. Aunt Emily appeared. She didn't even greet as she rushed through the house.
I quickly followed.
"What's going on?" I asked.
She stopped briefly. "I don't have time to explain."
I kept my mouth shut even I knew what she was thinking.
Uncle Matt and Dave pushed in front of me. They climbed the stairs and I watched as they headed to my parent's room.
Five minutes later they emerged grim-faced. All three were open books to me. I searched their minds for what I needed.
"Did you find a clue?" I asked.
"I'm sorry Astralina," she said. "I need to get back to work."
She left as quickly as she came.
"Why don't you go upstairs and study?" Uncle Matt suggested.
I wasn't in the mood to argue so, I grabbed my things and went upstairs.
Except I went right instead of left to my parent's room. I went into their closet that Aunt Emily had just torn through. In the back there was a safe. I had read Emily's mind to get the code.
I opened it to find a mixture of odd things in a box with my name on it. A onesie that said: "Time Lady in Training." A tiny metal rod with a light on the top. More clothes. A gray cylinder that I chose to keep. Finally, a small box. I opened and found what had Aunt Emily so concerned.
It was a fob watch on a silver chain. There were a series of circles on it.
Emily replayed a memory in her head.
"We've all seen in," my mom said. "It was almost thirteen years ago. Look in my safe. I swear we have all seen it."
This was my name in an alien language. My father's abduction was directly tied to me.