FORTY
Once Red and Bugenhagen rejoined us in the chamber we'd fought Gi Nattak in, we made our way back through the cave. As Bugenhagen had said, the spirits didn't bother us now that they'd been released, and we made it back to town without any problems. Once we were all safely back in the main tunnel of Cosmo Canyon's second level, Bugenhagen sealed the cave again behind us so that no one else could go in there. It was still dangerous even without the spirits.
Red had been quiet and oddly subdued during our return journey through the cave. He must've had a lot on his mind with what he'd seen tonight. I couldn't say I blamed him. Whatever had happened after the rest of us had left him and Bugenhagen alone outside at the base of the ridge had definitely affected him. Yuffie and Aerith hadn't said all that much, either, still wounded and exhausted from the battles we'd fought, and I didn't need to tell them to get some rest.
We spent another day in Cosmo Canyon to recover from what we'd gone through as well as plan out the next stage of our journey. We also worked on getting the buggy refueled and resupplied. It was clear now that Sephiroth had gone north, which could only lead him to the ruins of Nibelheim. That meant he'd be in the mansion, probably looking for information. I didn't like the idea of going back home, and neither did Tifa, but we didn't have a choice. Sephiroth—or rather, Jenova wearing his form like a second skin—had to be stopped.
Jessie, oddly enough, had also been acting a little strange, although she tried to hide it behind her usual jokes and cheer. But I'd noticed the worry in her eyes and how she'd sometimes rub her left shoulder or her right thigh when she thought no one was looking. And sometimes her lower back. She, Barret, Tifa, and I had just finished loading the rest of the supplies onto the buggy the next morning when I saw her checking her hair for a minute in the mirror of the little bathroom in the back. It looked fine to me, but she still seemed uneasy.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Oh!" Jessie gasped, then giggled. "You startled me, Cloud. But I'm fine. I was just giving myself a once-over. You know how us girls like to always look our best! So, we all ready to go?"
I hadn't missed how smoothly she changed the subject but decided not to press her about it. "Yeah. We've got everything on board now, so we might as well head out as soon as we can."
"Aerith and Yuffie feeling better?" she wondered.
I nodded. "Much. A day's rest did wonders for them. They're good to go now. That cave was a real nightmare."
Jessie shivered. "I don't doubt it."
"Red's been pretty quiet since then," I went on, answering her next question before she could ask it. "But I think it helped him. I hope he'll come with us, we could really use his help."
"You'd miss him as much as I would," she teased.
I shrugged. "Can't really deny it."
Jessie took my hands in hers, held them at her waist, and looked at our reflection in the mirror with a little smirk. "Cute couple, aren't we? Think we look good together, SOLDIER boy?"
"Always have," I smirked.
She gave me a gentle squeeze as we stood there together. "Cloud… I know I've made you wait while I sort things out. Hasn't been easy for me, and I'm sure it hasn't been any better for you. But thanks for being so patient. Means a lot to me. More than you know."
I nodded. "It's fine. You need your space. I get that."
"I did," Jessie went on, smiling. "But over the past month, I've been able to put a few things to rest and find a little peace with myself. I still have a lot on my mind, but I miss being close to you."
"Hasn't been the same," I agreed.
"Well, your patience is about to pay off," she grinned, gazing fondly at me. "Remember what I told you back in Costa del Sol? That after I'd dealt with some of this stuff I'd take you someplace special so we could be together again? Well, I'm ready if you are."
My heart skipped a beat. "A date? Sounds good."
"I know we've got a lot going on in the meantime, but now we have something to look forward to," Jessie giggled, nestling her face up next to mine. "Just leave everything to me! It'll be great!"
Then she touched her lips to my cheek, slipped out the door with a little wave, and went outside to see the others. At first I just stood there with my hand on my face, touching the place where she'd kissed me. It felt good, and it took me a moment to recover from the shock. When I finally did, I followed Jessie out of the buggy.
The others, except for Red, were all gathered on the steps near the main gate not far from where we'd parked the buggy. Even if he wasn't going with us, I thought Red would still have shown up to say goodbye. He had kept mostly to himself since our trip through the cave of the Gi the other night, probably thinking about his father and everything he'd learned. After finding out that he'd been wrong about him all this time, I guess Red needed some time to sort it all out.
"Well, looks like the buggy's all stocked up an' refueled," Barret said as Jessie and I walked over. "We all ready to go."
"Then let's mosey," I replied.
Yuffie sighed. "What about Red? Is he coming with us?"
"I don't know," Tifa shrugged.
"He was pretty resolved about staying," Aerith added. She gazed up the stairs. "So long, Nanaki. I guess this is it…"
Barret patted her shoulder. "Jus' how it goes, girl."
"Doesn't mean I have to like it," she said.
"I know. He came in real handy at times an' was a good friend," he replied. "But we gotta respect his wishes."
Jessie nodded. "It sucks, but Barret's right."
I motioned to her and the others. "Come on. We've got a long way to go and a lot of miles to cover. Daylight's wasting."
"Lead on, Cloud," Cait agreed.
We were just heading toward the buggy when suddenly we heard a shout from behind us. "Wait for me! I'm coming, too!"
"Red!" Aerith and Yuffie gasped.
He raced down the steps and joined us in just a few quick leaps, his good eye gleaming with excitement. Bugenhagen laughed as he floated just a little behind him, and we all turned to greet them. I was glad Red had changed his mind, too. Before he could get another word in, Yuffie threw her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Knew you'd stay with us," she smirked. "I guess my sweet, winning personality finally won you over, huh?"
"Someone needs to keep you out of trouble," he teased.
Yuffie grinned. "Ha! You wish, fuzzball!"
Aerith fondly patted Red's nose. "I'm really glad you changed your mind, Nanaki. We've come a long way together."
"Indeed," he chuckled. "And our journey is not yet ended."
"Please look after Nanaki, everyone," Bugenhagen said. "He is very important to me and to all of us in Cosmo Canyon."
I nodded. "Of course. You okay, Red?"
"Yes," he replied. "I think I grew up a little, to be honest."
"Well, it's good to have you back," Jessie beamed, gently scratching behind his left ear. "I didn't wanna say goodbye."
Tifa smiled. "We're all happy to have you with us, Red."
"I belong with my friends," he agreed.
Barret pumped his fist. "Glad to have ya back on the train!"
Cait twitched his whiskers. "Aye! I didnae wanna be the only furry fella in the group, ye know. The more, the merrier!"
"Time to go, guys," I reminded everyone.
Bugenhagen laughed. "Farewell, my friends. Return whenever you have need of my knowledge. You are always welcome here, and I would be more than happy to help you any way I can."
Jessie smiled. "Thanks. It was a pleasure meeting you."
"And you, Jessie," he chuckled. Then he turned to Red. "Take care, Nanaki. Be careful out there, and fight well."
"I'll make you and Father proud," Red promised.
Once we were all back on the buggy, we got underway. Aerith took the wheel first this time, with Jessie in the front passenger seat. For the rest of the day, we drove along the winding desert roads, first west and south to make our way around the edge of the canyon, then eventually due north after we'd cleared it. The desert was vast, though, and we still hadn't left it by the time the sun went down.
After driving for maybe another hour or so, we finally stopped for the night to rest, parking the buggy behind cluster of boulders near the road. Although there wasn't much traffic out this way, I wasn't about to take the chance of us being spotted by a Shinra patrol. It would be best if we could get to what was left of Nibelheim undetected. I didn't want to think about what we might find there.
We set out early the next morning after a quick breakfast, Barret at the wheel as I rode shotgun. We'd been rotating with all the girls except Yuffie every few hours, continuing to take turns driving, and we finally reached green, grassy plains not long after midday. It still took us until nearly nightfall to reach the Running River, though. We'd crossed a few smaller streams on our way here, but this was bigger.
I didn't want to make the crossing after dark, so we stopped for the night inside a secluded clearing near the shore surrounded by trees. As uneventful as the journey had been so far, I couldn't help feeling more and more anxious the further north we went, and I didn't need to look at Tifa to know she felt the same way. We hadn't expected to ever come back, and yet here we were, on our way there.
The next day was gloomy, overcast, and rainy, making the crossing a little tricky, but we got to the northern shore of the river without any trouble. The downpour continued throughout the day, drops pattering on the roof of the buggy and sliding down the windows. An occasional flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by the rumbling of thunder in the distance. While Barret reloaded his ammo and Yuffie sat on the top bunk along the side of the buggy with her legs swinging down over the edge, I helped Jessie assemble some raspberries.
"Hand me those pliers, would you, Cloud?" she asked, her eyes on the casing she was holding in her gloved hand.
I did as she asked. "Too much wiring?"
Jessie nodded as we sat opposite each other at the small table, parts spread out on its surface along with a neat row of finished raspberries. "A bit. Gotta trim it or the delay before the blast'll be too long. Can't let the enemy get away from it. Just a touch here…"
"You think the bomb shrapnel'll work?" I asked.
"It should," she said, using the pliers to carefully snip a small piece off the end of the wiring she'd fastened inside the raspberry. "Those big red bastards are full of heat, and the pieces of them we've packed inside these raspberries'll have some of that in them."
I smirked. "You're the expert."
"And don't you ever forget it!" Jessie grinned. Then she handed me the raspberry. "Okay, Cloud. Now for the pin. Twist it around and snap it into place, but gently. Just like I showed you."
The pin was part of the grip and handle assembly that went on the top and back of the raspberry, and I locked it delicately but firmly into place the way Jessie had told me. She'd painted the outside of the casing blue and red to separate these raspberries from the normal ones, which were purple and red. Made it easier to tell them apart in a fight. Once I was done, I carefully set it with the others.
"Nicely done!" Jessie said. "Now for the next batch."
After she put the finished mega raspberries into her belt pouch, we got started on more. Red lay curled up on the floor nearby watching us as we worked, and Cait was up front with Tifa and Aerith. We were just getting started on the next set of raspberries when suddenly Tifa called urgently to us, to me, her voice oddly strained.
"Cloud, get up here!"
Jessie and I got up and hurried to the front of the buggy, where the wipers swept back and forth across the wide, curving windshield as the rain kept falling. Tifa's face was pale as she drove, and when I saw what lay ahead of us in the distance, I froze, my eyes widening. I gripped the backs of Tifa and Aerith's seats so tightly my knuckles whitened, hardly able to believe what I was seeing. It just couldn't be.
"What the hell…?" I gasped.
Nibelheim was only a mile or so away, but not in ruins anymore. It was standing, intact, as if Sephiroth's rampage five years ago had never happened. Nestled in the shadow of the Nibel mountains, it looked the same as I remembered. I'd have to check around town to be sure, but it seemed as if the place had been completely rebuilt.
"Stop me if I'm wrong about this," Jessie grimaced, her hand on my shoulder as she stood behind me. "But isn't this place supposed to be… well, ruined? That's what you told us, Cloud."
I nodded, my gaze still on Nibelheim. "You're right, Jessie. It is. I'm not sure what's going on here, but I'm definitely gonna find out. This is Shinra's doing, one way or another. Gotta be."
"How could they…?" Tifa sighed.
"Shinra wouldn't care about your memories," Aerith reminded her. "Rebuilding the town after what happened is one thing… but it's more than that, isn't it? Does it look the same to you?"
Tifa shuddered. "Exactly."
"Like I just left," I added. "It's a little unnerving."
"I'll bet," Jessie agreed.
I couldn't look away from the sight ahead of me. "We'll know more once we go into town and start asking a few questions. Tifa, remember that thick patch of woods the road passes through before it reaches the main gate? Park the buggy there. Keep it hidden."
"Right," she agreed. "I know the one. Used to play hide and seek in there with my friends when I was a kid."
"It'll be a bit of a walk, but it's not that far," I told Jessie and Aerith as I let go of the seats. "And we'll sleep in the buggy tonight. No way in hell am I gonna spend the night in that fake town."
Tifa's nod was firm. "Seconded."
Once she had parked the buggy a few minutes later, we all got out. The rain was just a light drizzle now, enough for us to ignore, although Aerith had brought that big blue umbrella with her that she'd won back in the Gold Saucer. She opened it and held it above her as Tifa sidled in next to her underneath it to try and stay dry.
A sudden click and the sound of something springing open on my left drew my attention, and I turned to see Jessie smirking at me with a large umbrella of her own in her hand. It was black, and as she stepped closer to me so I would be under it with her, I glanced up and noticed an emblem imprinted in the fabric, something like a stylish wolf's head with fierce eyes and a ring hanging from its jaws.
"Didn't think I forgot aboutcha, did ya?" Jessie quipped.
I shook my head. "Not a chance. Thanks, Jessie. Where'd you get it? Back in Cosmo Canyon when we resupplied?"
She nodded. "Yeah. Figured it'd come in handy."
"Interesting design," I said as we got moving. "A wolf, right? Never really seen one like this before. I like it."
"Thought you might," Jessie laughed. "Pretty cool, huh?"
I thought it was. "Yeah. Does it have a name?"
"Fenrir," she answered. "That's what the shopkeeper told me when I asked him about it. It represents strength."
"Appropriate," I agreed.
Jessie smiled. "It sure is! Anyway, as you know, I've got a symbol—the phoenix—so I thought I'd try to find you one, too. I'm really glad it strikes your fancy, Cloud. I was hoping it would."
It definitely had. "I could get used to it."
"We'll have to make you some new gear with it someday, then," she suggested, an extra bounce in her step. "Once this mess with Sephiroth and Jenova is over, that is. Something really cool."
"Sounds good," I agreed.
When we reached the town gates, I stopped for a minute, thinking about the last time I had come through here. The memories of that day five years ago filled my mind, and I shivered, knowing Tifa was almost certainly thinking about the same thing. Hesitantly, we walked into the main square with the others and stood there a for a moment, staring at the impossible. But there it was, just the same.
"It's like it never burnt down," Tifa murmured. "Look, Cloud! Even my house is still there, right across the way."
I saw it, too. "Yeah. I don't understand it, either."
Barret frowned. "Sure you remembered right, merc? Or did ya jus' get a bit too wrapped up in tellin' us your story?"
"The hell's that mean!?" I snapped, whirling to face him.
"Maybe you got jus' confused," he shrugged. "It happens, man. All a dream, maybe. Might wanna think 'bout it."
I closed the distance between us in under a second. "Not a chance, Barret! I can still feel how hot those flames were, smell the smoke, and hear the screams. I didn't make it up!"
"That ain't what I—" Barret started, stepping back.
"I know what I saw that day!" I went on, shouting right over him as my heart pounded furiously with anger and fear. "Sephiroth burnt this town to the ground! That's what happened!"
Jessie gently took my arm. "Easy, Cloud. We believe you."
At first I just stood there, still worked up without knowing entirely why. But the idea that my memories might be wrong scared me, and as much as I hated to admit it, I knew they were still foggy in places. And the truth I suspected might be in the gaps between them frightened me more than I'd realized. Maybe that was why I'd lashed out at Barret the way I did. I hadn't meant to, but it was almost like instinct. Not like the other times I'd been irritated with him. This was different. As if he had set off a part of myself I hadn't known was there.
"Sorry, Cloud," Barret apologized. "Didn't mean to get ya goin' like that. If you say this place burnt down, then that's what happened. Don't know what the hell's goin' on, but I'll help ya."
I took a breath to calm myself and nodded. "It's fine. I got a bit out of control myself. Don't really know why."
Jessie took my hand in hers. "No need to apologize. I know it can't be easy for you to be back here, and that's bound to put your nerves on edge. Besides, we all talked about this back in Midgar at Aerith's house, remember? How Shinra could have easily rebuilt this place as part of a coverup. And they wouldn't have hesitated."
"Wouldnae been the first time, either," Cait added. "This happened with Kalm, tae. Years back. Jessica's right, lad."
"It did?" I wondered.
He nodded. "Aye. A bombing operation that went wrong."
"I heard rumors about that back when I was at Shinra," Jessie said. "It happened a couple years before I started working there, but that's all I know. Reeve didn't tell me much when I asked him about it. Probably to protect me. The less I knew, the safer I'd be."
Cait twitched his whiskers. "Aye, that be what he wanted, lass."
I gazed uneasily at the town square. "Let's take a look around. But I think we should split up. We'll cover more ground faster that way. Tifa, take Yuffie, Red, and Cait and find out what you can."
"Right," she agreed.
"The rest of us'll do the same," I went on. "But nobody goes inside Shinra Manor yet. We'll save that for last."
Tifa nodded. "Meet back here in an hour?"
"Yeah," I said. "Be careful."
"You, too," she replied.
Then she led her group straight toward her house. Mine was there, too, and I made a mental note to check it later. Since the inn was closer, I decided to go there first. As I'd expected, Gramps wasn't there when I led Jessie, Aerith, and Barret inside. The guy standing behind the front desk was one I'd never seen before and didn't remember from when I'd lived here. He looked up when we approached.
"Welcome!" he said. "Can I help you?"
I frowned. "This town burned to the ground five years ago. I know it because I was there. So what's going on?"
The guy shook his head. "Don't say things like that! I was born and raised here in Nibelheim, and I can tell you that nobody's ever tried to destroy it. I'm afraid you must be mistaken."
"Liar," I spat.
"Excuse me?" he growled. "That's awfully rude. Now leave. I have a lot to do, and you're getting in the way."
I reached across the desk. "I'm not finished yet."
"Cloud, let him go," Jessie urged, gently taking my arm and gazing intently at the guy. "He's told us all we need."
I did as she said, letting her guide me to the other side of the room, and immediately saw the thoughtful, knowing expression on her face. I knew she'd seen something. "What is it, Jessie?"
She lowered her voice. "He was acting. I'm sure of it."
"How could you tell?" Aerith wondered.
"It was in his voice, and his eyes," Jessie explained. "His words felt a bit forced, you know? Like he was just reciting lines he'd prepared. He's a pretty good performer, but not good enough."
I nodded. "Nice catch."
"Thanks," she smiled, her eyes dancing. "Guess it's pretty handy to have a former actress like me around, huh?"
"You're the best," I told her, and meant it.
Jessie smirked but couldn't keep from blushing. "Exactly!"
Then Barret motioned to us. "Guys, over here!"
We followed him to an open door to the left of the desk. Inside was a large kitchen, probably for making the breakfast the inn served every morning. That, at least, didn't seem to have changed much from when Gramps had owned the place. But the tall, shambling figure in front of us was definitely new, and I didn't like it at all. A man, but shrouded in a thick, black hooded cloak, his face lean and drawn.
"Re… un… ion…" he muttered softly to himself. If he had any idea we were there, he didn't show it. "Must… go…"
"Reunion?" I wondered.
Jessie shivered. "I don't like this…"
Then Aerith pointed to the back of his hand. "Look there. He's got a tattoo, just like Marco. This one's a 6."
"I see it," I nodded.
"Talk about creepy…" Jessie murmured.
Barret scratched his head. "You was right, Cloud. Somethin' weird's definitely goin' on here. Hell if I know what, though."
"We'll figure it out," I assured him.
After leaving the inn, we went across the main square to my house. On the outside, it looked just like I remembered. And like then, people still seemed to leave their doors unlocked. While I'd still been living in this place, the people had trusted one another. It was a small town, and everyone had known each other. But now, I found that same practice a bit odd, especially with the cloaked figure we'd just seen. And I had the distinct feeling he wasn't the only one here.
A woman was living in my old house, alone, but it wasn't my mom. She was around the same age, though. The place didn't really look very different inside than it had when I'd lived here. Even the rooms were in the same places as before, although the furnishings were a bit different. The woman was busy working in the kitchen when we went in, and she gasped in surprise when she finally saw us.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Sorry, you startled me. We don't get a whole lot of visitors out here. Can I help you?"
"Yeah. I grew up in this house," I told her.
She smiled. "Oh, I see. Well, do look around if you like."
"There's one problem," I went on. "I lived here until I was fourteen. When I came back, the whole town was burnt town."
"What!?" her mood changed instantly.
I didn't budge. "You heard me."
The woman frowned. "That never happened. I've been here in this house for a long time and would've known. Now please leave. We don't need you people spreading wild rumors here."
I glanced at Jessie, and she gave me a slight, knowing nod in return that told me all I needed to know. Another performer. We left then, the four of us heading back outside, and looked around town for any more clues. After about twenty minutes or so, we met Tifa and the others by the main gate just as we'd planned. She went right over to us, holding a sheet of paper in her gloved hand as she did.
"Cloud!" she called. "We've had an interesting time, to say the least. Have you found any men in black cloaks?"
I nodded. "Yeah. You?"
She shivered. "A few, including some in my old house! Or at least, a copy of it. Looks like we were right. Shinra rebuilt this place to try and cover up what happened here five years ago."
"I knew it…" I grimaced.
"Noticed anything odd about the people?" she asked.
Jessie folded her arms in front of her. "They're actors, part-time by my guess. Only needing to perform when people start asking questions they shouldn't. Which is why they're not so good at it."
"Jessie picked right up on it," Aerith added.
Tifa smiled. "I'm not surprised. She'd know what to look for better than any of us. And she's right. We've got proof."
"Let's see it," I said.
She handed me the paper. "This is a note Yuffie and I found laying on top of a desk in what used to be my room. They even put a piano in there just like the one I used to have. Anyway, according to the note we found, Shinra's been watching Nibelheim ever since the incident. They know about the cloaked men and what they are."
I read over the note with Aerith, Jessie, and Barret looking on. The text wasn't long, but it explained a lot, and my already firm grip on the paper grew tighter as I kept reading. It confirmed what we'd suspected, although I'd hoped I was wrong. But I wasn't. I could almost feel myself frowning. From the corner of my eye, I could see Barret scowling down at the words while Aerith scanned them uneasily. Jessie's glare was both angry and worried at the same time as she read.
Sephiroth Copy Activity Report:
Unfortunately, no Sephiroth copies have left town this quarter. Hojo's alterations to the few known survivors of the incident appear to have had the effects he told us about—drastic changes in personality and behavior, mental breakdowns, increasingly erratic speech patterns, and more. As I previously reported, they appear to be sensing something. But all they do is mumble Sephiroth's name or something about a reunion while showing no other signs of activity or awareness.
Confidential Performance Report:
A total of eight people have visited Nibelheim this quarter so far. But fortunately, none of them seemed to know what happened here five years ago. So no one knows we restored the town as best we could to the way it was before the incident. Our staff and their families who moved out here know only that they were asked to help rebuild a town that had fallen to hardship and have no idea that it was destroyed. They deliver their lines to outsiders well enough, although they could use a little improvement in their technique. I don't see any problems at this time.
"Goddamn…" Barret muttered.
"Bastards," Jessie spat.
Tifa sighed. "Shinra experimented on the survivors… turned them into those men in the black cloaks. Cloud, do you think that… Zangan could be one of them? That they did that to him?"
"No way!" I assured her. "He's far too strong for that. He'd never let that happen to him or you. I remember him, Tifa. He was a good man, tried to help people. I'm sure he got out safe."
She relaxed. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Cloud."
"I knew those men didn't smell right," Red said. "Less than human. More like… Jenova. Her scent is unmistakeable."
"They sure gave me the creeps," Yuffie shuddered.
Barret glanced at me. "So what now, merc?"
"We search the mansion," I decided. "But not all of us. Barret, head back to the buggy with Yuffie, Red, and Cait and wait for us. We won't be long. Jessie, Tifa, Aerith, you're with me."
Once the others had left, I led the girls to Shinra Manor. It stood as tall and grim as I remembered as we paused outside the gate to look at it for a moment. The yard was overgrown, and two more of the strange men in black cloaks wandered nearby, oblivious to everything going on around them. The old mansion frowned darkly at us, and I couldn't say I was looking forward to going inside it again.
"You just love taking me to these spooky places, don't you?" Aerith teased. "The Train Graveyard, a cave full of ghosts, and now a haunted house. Anything you're not telling us, Cloud?"
Jessie laughed. "Maybe it's a fetish or something."
"What?" I blinked.
"Oh, you just had to remind me of the Train Graveyard, didn't you, Aerith?" Tifa shivered. "That place was freaky…"
Aerith took my left arm. "Sure was. But we'll be fine."
"Yeah, Cloud'll look after us," Tifa agreed, holding my right.
"This'll be fun!" Jessie giggled from behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist. She peeked over my shoulder. "Better stay close to us in there, Cloud. We need our hunky bodyguard."
I sighed. "You know I will. Now we'd better get moving."
"After you!" Aerith added.
Once the girls had finally let go of me, I opened the gate. It creaked loudly in the afternoon air. We followed the path across the large front yard, the girls talking with each other as we went, but when we reached the shadow of the mansion, their voices drifted away. Even Jessie grew silent, taking my hand for a moment to reassure herself.
"Ready?" I asked.
She nodded. "Let's go, Cloud."
With her at my side and Aerith and Tifa close behind us, I opened the mansion's front door, memories of what had happened here so long ago filling my mind. For a moment, I stood there, my gaze on the dark entryway and my thoughts on the past. Then, with some effort, I shook off my momentary paralysis and led the girls inside.
