Regona City: The Creed (BK1)

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

Sahara never expected things to go so well. The following days actually went by smoothly. Mrs. Kane didn't lose any of the enthusiasm she had about Sahara living with them and Mr. Kane, well he still kept his distance. He did, however, seem to have forgotten about his objections of Sahara being there as he locked himself in the barn most of the days.

School was the same as always. With the Kane's not living more than thirty minutes from the home where Sahara had stayed before, they decided to keep her in the same school. Mrs. Kane had said it was to not make Sahara have to say goodbye to all her friends. Sahara hadn't bothered to tell her that she had none.

It was in her third week at the residence, a time which was close to being a record of the longest time Sahara had spent with a family, that the bizarre event that would alter her life forever, was about to take place.

The school bus dropped Sahara off at the bottom of the hill, on which the farmhouse stood. It was something Mrs. Kane had arranged with the bus driver during Sahara's first week at the farm. Honestly, Sahara was grateful for it. Somehow even she would have felt embarrassed had Mrs. Kane picked her up from school in the rickety car, which had been temporarily fixed, that she owned.

Whispering a 'thank you' to the driver, Sahara watched the bus disappear before she began to walk up the path towards the house. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she always enjoyed these short walks after school.

With a smile she tightened her grip on her school bag, resisting the urge to skip. Over the last few days, despite a voice telling her not to hope, something had set itself alight within her heart. There was a feeling that maybe, just maybe, this was the family for her. Sure, Mrs. Kane could get over enthusiastic and Mr. Kane, well there weren't really words to describe him, but they were nice enough.

Upon reaching the driveway, Sahara shot a look towards the barn. The hole, caused by the explosion on the day she had first arrived, had been messily patched over by a bunch of planks. They seemed to have been nailed there in haste.

Since that day there hadn't been any major explosions, only a few small ones where Mr. Kane came running coughing out of the barn. Once he had claimed that he had breathed in a deadly poisonous gas and would die within five minutes. Twenty minutes later, after Mrs. Kane calmly gave him his 'last meal' of milk and cookies, he returned to the barn.

Sahara could not help but wonder what exactly went on in there and yet she dared not ask, for as Mr. Kane seemed afraid of her, she was also somewhat afraid of him. With a shrug she turned and headed into the house.

Even when she didn't say a word upon entering it, Mrs. Kane noticed as always.

"Ah, Sahara, you're back!" she beamed as she walked towards her. She was wearing an apron decorated with a picture of an apple tree filled with apples. Her hands were covered in flour and there was even a streak of it on her cheek. "You came at a perfect time. I just put and apple pie in the oven. We'll all sit down and have it before dinner. I'm sure Samuel could use some food until then and you must be hungry too. You've spent all day studying hard after all!"

Sahara shot her a shy smile to show that she was grateful.

"Do you have a lot of homework?"

Sahara nodded.

"Well then. How about you sit out on the porch and get a head start on it?" Mrs. Kane suggested. "I'll bring the pie out as soon as it's done."

Without a word of protest Sahara turned and headed for the porch, her school bag still on her back. Mrs. Kane watched her go with a smile on her face. Yet then her forehead wrinkled somewhat. The middle-aged lady could not understand how Sahara would do anything she was told. It was as though the girl had no will of her own but followed every suggestion as though it were a command. Shaking her head Mrs. Kane hurried back to the kitchen.