Jim took the locket from Josh as he climbed out of the lake. Jim was filled with anticipation, but was also worried that the memories had been destroyed while sitting in the lake. He tried to force open the locket that held the memories that Sarah had recorded 2 long months ago, but as much as he tried the latch had rusted shut. Despite this, Jim continued to struggle with the lock, but to no avail. Josh said "It won't work. It's so badly rusted that you'd have to take it in to a jeweler to have it fixed. Don't worry; the recordings should still be in tact."
Jim quit his struggle and simply held the precious charm in his hand; thinking about what memories might still be in there. "We should start looking for her." Jim said getting up quickly in his eagerness and grabbing his things. "Why so eager all of a sudden?" Josh said with a slight chuckle, grabbing some dry clothes to change into. "Just knowing that she's really here and that it wasn't a miscalculation gives me hope. That's all." Jim said as Josh changed behind some nearby trees. Jim, being impatient at this moment, kept nagged Josh to move faster, as if Sarah was suddenly going to board a ship and leave.
They made their way to town after hiding the longboat behind a group of thick bushes. Once they entered the streets, they knew at once that finding Sarah would be an endeavor. It was incredibly lively and was so crowded that Jim and Josh got separated twice before even stepping onto the crowd. After having found each other amongst the sea of people, they found an inn to sit down in.
"If she is here there's no way we are going to find her in that crowd." Josh said, taking a sip of his drink.
"Don't say that. We just need to find someone who can help us out. Maybe someone who's seen her." Jim said anxiously, leaning in his chair.
"Are you looking for someone?" said a friendly and familiar voice from behind.
Jim and Josh turned to see who had spoken out to them but were in such surprise that they couldn't believe who it was. They were looking at a boy of about 18 or 19 years old, he was carrying dishes that he had just picked up from a table behind them, he had webbed fingers, and red fins for hair. Josh looked him over and once realizing just who this person was, quickly looked down to his food. The boy said again "Are you looking for someone?"
"Umm…yeah we're looking for a girl. She's a friend of ours." Jim responded, still trying to discern who he was looking at, and slightly dumbfounded. "Do you think you could show me what she looks like or just tell me maybe?" the boy said politely. Jim took the picture of Sarah, Josh and himself, out of his luggage. He looked at it like the dear treasure it was before giving it to the boy to examine.
The boy looked at the picture for only an instant and his face lit up. "So, you guys are friends of Sarah's then?" Jim and Josh jumped in a thrill at the mention of her name. "Yes! Do you know her!" Josh asked, not able to contain his joy. "Of course I know her, although I've never seen her with hair that long.", Said the boy. "What?" Jim said rather confused. "Well, in the two months that she's been here she's never had hair that long. First time I saw her, her hair looked a lot like a guy's. It's a little longer now though" said the red finned boy.
"Josh! Bring those dishes in here and get to the mechanic's garage. You have a customer over there!" said a cook from inside the kitchen. "I'm coming. I gotta go. Well, I hope I helped you guys." said red-haired Josh. He walked into the kitchen and left out the back door. Jim looked at Josh quizzically and Josh was looking away. Jim said "Josh…was that…?" "Yes it was me ok! When I was accepted to the academy I dyed my fins green ok! They used to be red." Josh responded in a rushed voice.
"If that was you…he sure looked a bit older. At least three years older." Jim said in an analyzing voice. "Jim, I think we may be in an alternate reality." Josh said in a rushed voice. "What?" Jim said looking at his friend skeptically. "Think about it. We are in a reality where I never went to the academy and stayed here on Saldinar to work at a mechanics garage. Plus there's the fact that we are three years into the future. It's the only explanation we have at our disposal!" Josh said rather convincingly.
The two of them left the inn to start their exasperated search again. They were wandering through the crowd of people asking if any of them knew where to find Sarah. Almost everyone knew who she was; they all said the same thing, "She's a very sweet girl. And so pretty too even though she wears such boyish clothing, but no one knows where she came from." Jim was about to go find Josh and give up. Jim trudged back in a state of hopeless exhaustion to where he last saw him. He sat down on a bench in front of the inn and pulled the picture from his pocket.
Jim sat there thinking about all the stuff that happened at the academy and he wondered just how long they would have to be here until they could go home bringing Sarah with them.
In the corner of Jim's eye he saw an old alien woman drop a basket full of groceries she had just bought. Jim stood to walk over and help her pick up her produce, when a girl with hair that just barely graced her shoulders, and wearing the baggy clothes that Jim had lent to her the last time he saw her knelt down and started picking them up off the ground. "Here you go, Mrs. Wenters." The girl said in a voice that went over you like the first rays of sun as it rises. "Thank you so much, Sarah." Said the woman as she and the girl stood up.
"Sarah…Sarah!" Jim thought to himself, as tears of joy brimmed his eyes. He wiped them away quickly as Sarah waved goodbye to the woman she had just helped. She started to move off down the street, and when Jim finally stopped shaking is surprise and bliss he pursued her. "Sarah. Sarah!" Jim called after her as he maneuvered through the crowd to meet her.
Sarah turned to meet his gaze and gave him a sweet smile. "Oh, hello." She said to him. Jim felt for an instant that something was wrong, but this didn't stop him from embracing her as the crowd passed them by. "Sarah! I can't believe we actually found you. I though it would take forever." Jim said holding her tightly. Sarah was in a state of astonishment and was very confused. She tried to speak but was muffled out by Jim's grip holding her face so close to his chest.
Jim felt as though time had stopped for only a moment; a moment that was as fragile as glass. Sarah began to wriggle her way out of his arms and once she broke through his brace like embrace she stepped back, slightly befuddled. Jim took a step closer to her and said "Sarah, come on. We have to go find Josh and tell him it's time to go home." Jim took her by the hand feeling scars from where she had cut her hands on the cliff side. Just as soon as Jim had taken her hand, she pulled it away. Jim looked at her, but just as her eyes met his, he felt a sharp pain on his cheek.
Jim put his hand to where Sarah had struck him and looked at her in shock. "Sir, I don't know who you are or how you know my name, but you should know it's rude to do something like this to someone you don't even know!" Sarah said, in an angry and shaking voice. All of a sudden the moment that Jim had felt emerge early had been completely shattered.
Sarah raced off down the street, and Jim simply stood there completely unaware of what had just occurred.