It's Not What You Think

Chapter 2

"What are you doing here?" Zoe asked. "Erica said you'd left with the helicopter."

"I did," Catherine said. "Just to stock up for the trip ahead though."

"The trip ahead to where?" Zoe asked.

"Oh, I don't know that I've quite decided that yet," Catherine said. "But come along, girls."

Erica seemed thrilled about all this but Zoe and Svetlana were more skeptical. "Does it seem to you a little like Catherine's been abducted and replaced by aliens?" Zoe whispered to Svetlana.

"I wish I could disagree, but honestly, kind of," Svetlana said.

"So should we go?" Zoe asked.

"Might as well," Svetlana whispered.

Catherine smiled, having been able to hear all of Zoe and Svetlana's conversation. "I assure you that I have not been abducted and replaced by aliens," Catherine said. "And I will attempt to explain everything in just a moment, but for now, just follow me. It's not a terribly long trek."

Erica, Zoe, and Svetlana followed after Catherine with varying levels of eagerness and cautiousness.

Erica was mostly just feeling relieved that she wasn't going to wind up stuck with Alexander and Cyrus arguing for who knows how long. Her mom acting a little weird and secretive was nothing new to her, even if this was a little out of sorts even for Catherine.

They reached the helicopter, and Catherine motioned for them to get on. "Shall we pick up the boys or should we leave them here?" Catherine asked.

"I think we should get them," Erica said.

"Alright, then that's decided," Catherine said. "Let's go pick them up."

Catherine flew the helicopter the couple of miles it was back to the cluster of green cabins, then landed in a way that made for quite a scene.

Ben, Mike, Alexander, and Cyrus all came running out of the cabins to see what was going on.

"Benjamin! Michael!" Catherine called out. "Come join us."

Ben and Mike looked at each other, both completely unsure of what to make of this situation.

"Come on, guys!" Erica called. "We don't have all day."

This was what finally got Ben and Mike to get moving, boarding the helicopter just before Catherine slammed the door shut behind them and lifted the aircraft off the ground.

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, what's going on here?" Mike asked, a perplexed look on his face.

All of the other kids just shrugged while Catherine just said, "Oh, not much."

"Is she going crazy?" Mike whispered to Zoe.

"No I am not going crazy," Catherine said. "I really do have a plan, though all of you do need to work on realizing how well I can hear. You would be surprised the things I know about some of you."

"I doubt it," Mike said.

"I know that you loved mashed peas as a toddler and actually thought babies grew in cabbage patches," Catherine said.

"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Mike exclaimed.

"You really thought babies grew in cabbage patches?" Zoe asked, incredulous.

"Don't believe a word that woman says," Mike said.

"It's true," Ben said. "But I bet Catherine could say embarrassing things about any one of us."