The following morning, tiny rays of sunlight peaked through the window, playing off Zebra's copper face. She moaned, upsetbeing disturbed from her uninterupted sleep, and groggily turned over to face the wall. A rooster crowed in the distance, signifying the dawn of a new day.
"Who's yelling?" Meg whined, still half-asleep. She covered her head with the pillow, trying to muffle out the noise. She stayed in that position until a pleasant, tantalizing aroma, awakened her sense.
The mouthwatering scent of fresh baked bread, brought both girls at full attention. They threw off their blankets, padding in bare feet upon the cold, stone floor, and followed their noses. Entering the kitchen, they found Alcmene carrying a hot tray of baked goods to the table.
In daylight, they were able to get a better look at the house's interior; It was quite small, and humbling. There were only three rooms: The kitchen-entry way, and the two bedrooms, that branched off from it. There was little furniture, but that didn't seem to matter, the residents seemed to get along quite well without the crowd of numerous settings.
Sensing their presence, Alcmene glanced up, and a smile radiated her face. "Good morning!" She greeted cheerfully. "Are you two up for some breakfast? Honey and Corn Biscuits."
Meg and Zebra immediately complied and sat before the table.
Then, the front door pushed open and an old man entered. He looked tired and worn, as if he'd had a rough journey. He sighed, seemingly exhausted, as he removed his straw hat and hung it on a hook near the door. Alcmene stood to greet the man, whom Meg had guessed, was Amphitrion.
"Welcome home dear", she said as she embraced his skin-and-bone frame.
"It's good to finally be home", he said, hugging her back. "Oh, breakfast!" He collapsed into a chair and finally noticed they had company in their midst. "Well now, what have we here?"
Zebra figured now was as good a time as any to offer their proposal, and spoke in their behalf. "We're your new farm-hands. Zebra, and Megara."
Meg still flinched at her new name.
Alcmene was surprised by this unexpected news. "That's not necessary dear. We're not looking for charity."
"Too late", added Meg. "It's already been decided."
Alcmene didn't know what to say.
"We'll work hard, and bring life back to your farm", Zebra promised.
Alcmene smiled gratefully, her soft eyes growing moist.
"Your help is most welcome", said Amphitrion. "We could, most definitely, use it. There's truly no end of work on a farm. But with your help, we might actually have positive results come from that work."
There was no use in dilly-dallying, so they set straight to work; Zebra stayed in the kitchen with Alcmene, learning how to 'really' cook. That is, without the help of modern appliances and short-cuts. That night's dish; roast chicken with boiled corn. Alcmene skewered a small chicken and rotated it over the blaze of the fire. Zebra shucked corn. Due to the small crop, the corn hadn't fully matured, but it would suffice. She journeyed to a near-by stream, to gather water for the cooking pot. Bending down, where the water met the shore, Zebra scooped the cool water into the bucket. Lifting herself to her feet, Zebra raised her head and her eyes found Meg, working diligently in the field with Amphitrion. She was chopping at the soil with a hoe, to loosen up the clay and dirt. Zebra smiled to herself. Maybe they could create a life here, if worse came to worse, and their search turned up empty. She just hoped Meg would forgive her. Zebra spun on her heal and headed back toward the house, water sloshing and splashing as she swayed on each step, under the weight.
Meanwhile, Meg wiped her brow and surveyed her progress, and was disappointed by the result her eyes beheld. There was still so much ground to cover.
Amphitrion chuckled. "Seems never-ending, doesn't it?"
Meg sighed in response. She stabbed her hoe in the dirt and leaned against the handle, trying to catch her breath, or what remained of it.
"It gets better. Just wait and see. It's very gratifying to, eventually, behold the fruits of one's labor."
Meg grunted, finding it hard to believe. 'If we ever GET that far', she thought silently.
Amphitrion considered the young lady. "Don't worry, the season's still young, and I can tell; you're a very skilled worker." He commented. This caught Meg by surprise, causing her to smile, maybe even a blush. Her mood suddenly lightened. She could do this! As she thought this, a tiny figure appeared at the top of the rise. Zebra was waving her arms over head, shouting for their attention.
"Meg! Amphitrion! Dinner's ready!" The setting sun reflected off her long ebony hair, making her silhouette appear as a shadow, stretching across the land.
Dinner? How late was it? Only then, did Meg just realize how low the sun had descended into the western sky, ducking behind the mountains. 'Wow! Time really does fly when you're having......fun?'
Amphitrion stretched his tired bones. "The best part of the working day, is the end of one", he chuckled happily, welcoming the chance to replenish.
The weary laborers entered the house, and an enticing aroma came to greet them. Alcmene and Zebra were laying the evening meal upon the table, when they took in Amphitrion and Meg's grubby state. Meg was just about to seat herself and dig in.
"Wait a minute!" Zebra interrupted. Meg paused, frozen in mid-squat. "You two are filthy! Go wash up for supper."
Amphitrion knowingly shook her head and returned outside. Meg watched after him, then looked to Zebra with disbelief. Zebra glared back, silently communicating that she'd make no exceptions. Obviously, Meg wasn't going to win this contest. She grunted, straightened her tired legs, and went to catch-up with Amphitrion.
She met up with Amphitrion at the stream, where he knelt, splashing water to his face. Meg slumped to her own knees, and angrily washed the dirt from her own skin. The cool water felt good and seemed to quiet her temper.
"Can you believe this?!" She complained. "We work all day, and before we are permitted to relax, we have to cleanse ourselves."
Amphitrion chuckled at Meg's naivety. Such was all routine to him now, though occasionally, such would slip his aging mind. "They do their job and we do ours. It's quite an sensible compromise."
Meg sighed in defeat. What was the point in arguing? Especially one she had no hope of winning.
Amphitrion rose to his feet, his bones creaking in protest. "Come. Let us claim our reward." Together, they returned to the farm house.
During dinner, the subject of Zebra's grandfather was the soul object of their discussion.
"How did your grandfather come to be missing?" Alcmene wondered, directing her question at Zebra.
After all she'd done for them, Zebra felt she could trust Alcmene, fully. So, she decided to be truthful with her, to a certain extent anyway. "He......left, to seek out his beloved wife. Up until a few weeks ago, I had no knowledge of his existence. A gentleman came to visit me, to pass along some of his belongings into my possession. I wanted to know more about the man that my mother spoke of with disgust and wouldn't let me be a part of. Doing a bit of research, I discovered no record of his passing. With Meg's help...." She sent Meg a grateful look. "We set out to uncover the truth, and our journey led us here."
Re-living the story from Zebra's words were giving Meg a headache.
"But, whydid you leave?" Amphitrion wondered. "Don't either of you have families, waiting for you?"
A familiar pain coursed through the nerves of the two, young girls. They had no family, no one would miss the space in time they had once dwelled. They only had each other, to call family. "Our parents were killed while traveling", Meg recalled quietly.
"Bandits", Amphitrion assumed gruffly.
Zebra bowed and shook her head. "No. It was an accident. It could not have been helped."
Alcmene put a hand to her heart, touched by their sad misfortunes. "You poor dears. I am truly sorry."
Meg turned her head from their gaze, not seeking pity. "This was a long time ago."
"So, what will you do, when you find your grandfather?" Asked Alcmene.
Zebra shrugged. "We're hoping, he'll be able to guide us home. We've become quite.....turned around since we arrived here."
Beneath the table, Meg clenched her fists, knowing how slim their chances were. Suddenly, feeling ill, she got to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I'm not feeling well."
Concern coarsened Alcmene's features. "Will you be alright my dear? Perhaps I should brew you some tea..."
Meg waved her off. "No, thank-you. I'm sure it's nothing. I think I just need some air." With that, Meg took herself outside.
Zebra, guiltily, watched her as she stepped out. The sound of the door shutting behind her, vibrated withing Zebra, Like a judge's gavel passing a sentence. So be it. Zebra knew she was guilty of up-rooting Meg from all she had known. What was left than to confess? Meg needed a minute alone, that much was certain. Zebra would go to her in due time.
The elderly couple looked to Zebra, questionably. "Will she be alright?" Alcmene asked.
Zebra smiled, awkwardly. There was no reason to spread the impending gloom. "Ya, I'm sure she'll be fine" 'At least, I hope she will', she prayed silently.
Darkness had settled in. The tiny blades of grass tickled Meg's sandal exposed toes, as she made her way to the top of the hill. When she reached her destination, she sat herself down. A slight breeze swept in. Meg pulled in her legs and hugged them to her chest, resting her head atop her knees. The wind stirred her long, auburn hair across her shoulders and she shivered. What was going to happen to them now? Every passing moment decreased their chances of ever returning home to the modern century. Even 'if' Julius Sanders was there, in that area and time, that was still a lot of ground to uncover. How would he even be recognized? Zebra had only seen him in pictures, never in person. Somehow, as Meg gazed at her surroundings, she felt more alone than ever. She couldn't say why she seemed so homesick. Her life in the modern century was anything but happy. Every day was just routinue. But she always took comfort in the familiarity of it all. She knew where her life was going, and that seemed to be enough. Here, she wasn't sure about anything. One had to keep on one's toes, at every turn, in order to survive in this wilderness. Meg sighed and tilted her head to the sky. The moon shown large and bright, almost close enough to touch. The sight was quite breathtaking. At least some things never changed, no matter where or when you were in the world.
Zebra found Meg, exactly where she suspected she would be. Tentatively, she approached the lone figure. When Meg didn't acknowledge her presence, she sat beside her on the cool grass. She looked to Meg and sensed her distress. Licking her lips for courage, she proceeded to express her regrets. "Meg.....I'm sorry. I know this is no excuse, but....I didn't mean for it to go this far."
Meg stayed silent, her attention fixed on the stars.
"Meg, please! I can take any punishment you can dish out, but not your silence. I need you, Meg." Tears clouded her vision as she waited for a response.
Surprisingly, Meg chuckled and shook her head in self-criticism. "You always were one to turn the tables of guilt."
Zebra's face was aghast in shock.
"I'm not upset with you Zebra. I'm just not sure of what to do now. And, to tell you the truth, I'm a bit afraid of the unknown."
A smile finally broke across Zebra's face. "Oh Meg, I'm scared too." She wrapped her arms around Meg's neck in relief, with her usual blubbering. "But remember; when we're together, we can do anything!"
Meg nodded her agreement and pulled back. "Just promise me one thing...."
Zebra waited, ready to comply to whatever Meg requested.
"The next time you decide to plunge, head first, into the jaws of fate....Count me out!"
Zebra was able to giggle, and wiped her tears. "Deal." With that straightened out, their arms around each others shoulders, they returned to the farm house and retired to bed.
Meanwhile, in the modern century, Mr. Elwood was growing impatient. Why hadn't his client contacted him about her final decision on the house? Her scheduled time had expired some time ago. His company was starting to get anxious. Finally, he decided to contact Ms. Sharp, himself.
He looked-up her number in his planner and dialed. After about the 8th ring, he closed his cell phone in frustration. He even tried talking to her in-person. His fist was getting sore from his constant banging on her apartment door. When there was no answer, he sought out the building's landlord. (At least he was home)
"So, you haven't seen either of them all week!?" Mr Elwood asked the building's owner.
"Nope", the grungy man responded, scratching his backside with intense fingers. Inside, Mr. Elwood cringed. He was obsessed with cleanliness and order, and judging by this man's behavior and outward appearance, he didn't follow any bathing rituals. "Their rent is due here pretty soon too. If you see them, remind them for me. I can't have irresponsible kids as tenets."
Mr. Elwood rolled his eyes, he had enough to worry about, he couldn't be bothered with such inconveniences. Never-the-less, he assured the slob that he would pass the message along. That is, if he ever found her.