Rescue Nova

Twenty Questions

The next morning, Kimberly was the first one awake. She went to the guest room to check on Nova before doing anything else. The girl was still sound asleep. Kimberly returned to the master bedroom to get ready for work.

While she was in the bathroom brushing her hair, Leila came in to use the toilet. That was all she was planning on doing at this hour.

"Is she still asleep?" Leila asked.

"Yes. She'll probably be up soon, though. When were you planning on getting up?"

"Whenever she does."

"Are you sure you don't want me to call out? It's still early enough for them to get a substitute."

"Let whoever that would be sleep. I'll be fine with her and the other way around."

"Okay." Kimberly stepped aside so that Leila could wash her hands. "I'll leave breakfast in the microwave."

"Thank you. I'll set my alarm to check on her in an hour," Leila told Kimberly as she left the bathroom.

•••••••••••••••

Nova woke up scared as usual. When she remembered where she was, she calmed slightly. The memory of Kimberly was soothing. Nova hoped she'd come in the room soon. In the meantime, Nova decided to take advantage of the fact that she was out of headspace this morning to think things through.

Where am I going to go when I leave here? I have to be somewhere Brian would never think to look. He'd think to look at homeless shelters, so I can't go to one of those. I think I'll leave the area. I know he's searching all over this and neighboring cities. He always said I'd never last on my own, so maybe if I just left the area, he'll think I'm dead when he doesn't find me, and he'll stop looking.

Nova was pulled out of her thoughts by the need to use the bathroom. Settling on the plan to leave the area, she got up to go to the bathroom that Kimberly showed her before bringing her to this room last night.

•••••••••••••••

Leila reached out and turned off the alarm that she set to check on Nova. She got up and made her way to the guest room. This was still earlier than she usually got up. She was not a morning person. Neither was Kimberly. Had school not started as early as it does, she would sleep much later, too.

Leila walked down the hall to the room Nova was occupying. As Leila was about to knock on the guest room's door, she heard the toilet flush. So she waited by the bathroom door instead.

Leila expected to hear the sink as Nova washed her hands, but the girl came out right after flushing the toilet. Nova had never been taught to wash her hands after going to the bathroom. She'd never really be told to wash her hands at all unless they were very noticeably dirty. The girl knew nothing at all about germs.

Nova came out and was startled to see the stranger.

"Hi," Leila said, smiling.

"Hi," Nova replied, looking nowhere near unruffled by the introduction.

"Sorry to surprise you. I'm Leila, Kimberly's girlfriend. She went to work. She'll be back this afternoon. I was just coming to check on you. Are you all right?"

Nova nodded, not feeling comfortable enough to express all her concerns at the moment.

"I'll bet you're hungry, huh? Why don't you go wash your hands so we can have breakfast?"

•••••••••••••••

Nova said nothing as they ate, and breakfast was almost over, so Leila decided to initiate a conversation. She started with the clothes issue.