Shadow Of The Past Trilogy ∞ THE DISPLACED

21 ∞ admission

Day Five ∞ Tuesday

MICKMI WAITED until Gina had finished eating her salad before she slid the map over to her.

Gina raised her brows. "What's this?" She picked up the paper and studied it. "Did you draw this?"

"Aye. Daniel helped me to remember."

Gina's eyes grew bigger. "This is a world map. But this isn't quite what our world map looks like. I mean, at least not now—"

"It is my world map."

Gina's eyes flew up to meet Mickmi's. "Your...?"

"My Earth."

"What on Earth—" Gina stared at Mickmi. She had difficulties processing the implications of what had just been said. "Your Earth? You mean... you come from a different planet?"

"A different Earth." Mickmi watched her with a slightly worried expression.

Gina exhaled sharply. "I... I knew that you were different but... I never went as far as thinking extraterrestrial..."

"I know not whether I am from a different planet. I am from Earth... You see the similarities. But I am from a different time, a distant future." Mickmi pointed to the number she'd written on the map. "That is the year I am from. I came here by accident." She picked up the Tribune and handed it to Gina. "Look at the headline, and the story on page six."

Gina swallowed her shock and scanned through the main news story. "So that crash was you?"

"Aye."

She turned to the story about the freak storm. Her mouth opened slowly. "So that's..."

"That is how I got here. I can not go back. But..."

Gina looked up at Mickmi. She could see the pain on her face, and she felt for her. "But?"

"But even if it were possible... for me to go back—" Mickmi turned her eyes to the trees bordering the yard "—I wish to stay here, in your time." She closed her eyes for a moment, then looked back at Gina who was staring at her, shaking her head slowly.

"I can't – believe it." Gina had to give herself a pinch to confirm that she was not dreaming something fantastic. She winced, feeling it loud and clear. She took a deep breath and picked up the map again. "So this is where you're from?"

Mickmi nodded once.

"Where exactly?" Gina said before she could stop herself. "No... Don't tell me. Don't tell me anything more, Mickmi; I know too much already." She met Mickmi's questioning gaze and reached over to grab her hand. "Believe me, the less I know, the better. Just count yourself lucky that Danny found you and no one else. Just be careful, okay?"

Mickmi nodded gratefully.

∞

"Here she comes," Nathan said.

Danny was servicing an Oldsmobile after lunch when he heard the familiar sound of a VW bug engine approaching. But he remained focused on unscrewing the drain plug on the engine. Then he positioned the pan so that it would also catch spills from the oil filter, before rolling out from underneath the car.