Finding (The Way) Home

To The Future: Chapter 3

The next three days were a blur. Between the goodbyes, medical exams, preparations, and packing that I couldn't even think, let alone worry about what was going to happen. I had packed so much that I had used all of our bags. I may have gone a little overboard. Packing everything from my camera to every t-shirt I owned. It wasn't any thanks to Aunt Cass.

"Are you sure you have everything you would want?" Aunt Cass asks and I nod.

"Yes, if I bring anything else I think the ship won't be able to leave Earth," I say, looking over the mountain of bags.

"Are you sure?" She asks and I nod.

"Yeah, plus I don't think there's time," I say, turning to look out the window and seeing two fancy cars pull up outside.

"They're here already?" Aunt Cass asks and I nod, amused at the panic in her voice.

She comes over to me and starts trying to tame my hair, which I hadn't done anything with because I was too busy packing and making sure everything was taken care of.

"Aunt Cass, it's fine. It doesn't matter, it's only hair," I say, swatting her hands away.

"I know, I'm just worried," She says and I nod, understanding.

In the past three days, Aunt Cass started regretting signing me up. She had been apologizing constantly and making my favorite meals, even if she detested Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.

"I want you to make sure that you have your lunch," Aunt Cass says, looking through the lunch bag she had packed and repacked me at least twelve times since she first made it that morning.

It had everything that I liked. Oreos, flaming hot Cheetos, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, vitamin water, and skittles. She had added little things every time she repacked it so by this point, it was ready to burst. I was actually afraid to open it because I'm convinced it will explode everywhere.

"Aunt Cass, I have everything you've packed me and I don't think the seams on the lunch bag can take much more. Thank you for all the work but it's fine," I say and AUnt Cass takes a deep breath.

"Okay," She says and I smile, relieved that she seems to have stopped panicking for a moment.

A second later, there is a quick succession of knocks on the door. Aunt Cass sits down on a kitchen chair, seeming almost faint. I'm left to walk over to the door, my heart pounding to the point I swear you could see it through my shirt.

It only takes a few steps, but those steps feel like an eternity. When I reach out to the door, it gives me a little zap and I smile. The door always did that, zapping you for no apparent reason.

When I pull it open, Gaia is standing on the other side with her same guards and the first two human guards that we met were there as well. I step aside and struggle not to trip over my own to feet.

"Come on in," I say, embarrassment coursing through me.

Our house wasn't run down or in need of a paint job, but it was cramped. Like shoe box cramped. It was fine for Aunt Cass and me, it was only the two of us. But if you throw in any more people, that's when it started to get complicated.

They all file in, one by one. As another person is added to the front room, there is less and less space. Their large size isn't helping as one of the guards knocks their head on the door frame and has to duck to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling along with the other guard. Gaia was lucky enough that she didn't hit her head or have to duck. Soon, once everyone is in, there is barely space to move around without bumping into someone. The massive pile of luggage didn't help the spatial problem.