Chapter 5

Hilltop listened quietly to me as I explained about the book Elephant Run, re-listened as I again explained about the mine, and heard me out about how I fell through the lake. At least, I think that's what happened. It's kind of hard to tell, since I passed out right after I was spat out by the lake. All the while, the skin where Hilltop's eyebrows should have been (part of the Monks' culture, you have to shave your head and eyebrows) kept climbing further and further up his broad and wrinkled forehead. Finally, he spoke.

"That is quite an interesting story," he said. Nerves and fear clenched my heart. Did he believe me? Or did he think I was a raving lunatic?

"Oh God, please tell me that you believe me!" I begged. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's all true, I swear!"

"I believe you," Hilltop said calmly. "How else would you know so much about what is going on?"

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, slumping back against a tree. I felt exhausted and I really wanted to sleep. But I doubted that I could do that right then. Even if I was able to, I think I'd just have nightmares. Its funny how you can be unconscious for a long while but still feel tired when you wake up.

"I must get back to Nick and Mya. The Japanese are still looking for them.... but you must already know that?"

"Yep," I replied. I got back up to my feet and stretched. Man, I was stiff! Maybe that could keep me from falling asleep....

Hilltop had been moving while I was stretching. He paused and looked back at me.

"Sarae, are you coming? We must reach the other end of the island before morning." He gestured to the graying sky.

"Oh! Sorry!" I said, my cheeks burning. I thought he had meant for me to stay here. I had to jog to catch up to Hilltop. For an old monk he moves really fast!

We walked (he walked, I jogged) for about ten minutes before I saw a small fire in the distance. As we got closer, it burned brighter and brighter. I stepped through the tree line to find two people around a fire no bigger than a camp stove fire.

One of them was a boy, who stood up. I connected two and two and realized it had to be Nick Freestone. Hard to tell though, because he had no eyebrows or hair; it had all been shaved off in an attempt to make them look like monk novices to hide them on the journey to free Nick's father. I could still see where they were supposed to be though. The skin was lighter there than everywhere else. His bright green eyes matched the description though. He was wearing monk robes and had simple sandals on his feet. He was really actually kind of.... cute.

The girl, who I presumed was Mya, jolted to her feet when she noticed Hilltop had me in tow. She wasn't described enough in the book; they missed out the sparkle in her dark eyes, they way she held herself and how she could look really scary and beautiful at the same time when she's ticked off. Even without any hair.

"Hilltop!" Nick exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at me. Mya backed that with her own glare. "Who is this?!"

"This," Hilltop said slowly, "is Sarae. She was thrust here from her own time by a mine that exploded."

Great, they were looking at me like I was some crazy hooligan. I knew how I must have looked; my hair was scorched in a big chunk on one side, which later when I cut it made it so that my long hair was incredibly short. My pajamas were a basic green army T-shirt and pants. The pants had a big hole burned out of one side, and the skin underneath had, at most, first degree burns - which is really lucky, all things considered. I must have looked like a total psycho.

"What are you saying, Hilltop?" Mya asked.

"That she's from the future?"

"That's exactly what he's saying," I replied, and tried to hold Mya's glare. It was like staring into a tigress's eyes as she grows more and more agitated and starts thinking about killing you. I tried to hold her gaze, but my own wavered and fell.

"That's impossible," Nick said. I lifted my eyes, and spoke in Burmese.

"Is it really?" I asked, before switching back to English. I thought quickly of something I shouldn't have known that was said in the book.

"You wondered why Colonel Nagayoshi wouldn't let you read your mother's letters, when all they contained was a worried mother's concern for her only son." I had to smirk as Nick's mouth dropped open.

"How did you know..." he started.

"As I said, I'm not from this time..."