Emerald (The Protector) - undergoing editing

Chapter 14

Sarah woke to see sunshine peeking through the windows. Stretching her arms over her head, she turned to look at the others. Geoffrey's head was thrown back and a loud snore escaped his mouth. Sarah grinned, he reminded her of her dad when he fell asleep on the couch watching the golf. Julian's eyes rolled around behind his eyelids and he twitched in his sleep, obviously dreaming. Emerald, on the other hand, was wide awake. She grinned at her friend.

Careful not to disturb the others, the girls made their way over to the small dining table and sat down. Sarah yawned as she tried to make her hair look less like a birds nest.

"What time is it?" she whispered.

"Around about noon I would think, judging by the sun anyway. I don't wear a watch."

Sarah wasn't wearing one either, normally she had her phone to check the time, but that was still sitting on her bedside table at home.

"Tea?"

"Yes please." Sarah poured the other girl a cup before sitting back down. "So what's the plan?"

Emerald looked over at the men "Well, I think we should still make our way towards Peak Ridge, " she said quietly, "though whether or not we will actually go into town will depend on what we find out along the way."

"What do you mean?"

"Strange things are happening Sarah and I know you feel them too. We can't just go in to town, they will know we are strangers, well you are at least and I haven't been there for a long time. I don't even know if anybody who knows me is still alive or at least living there anymore."

"Well, we won't know if we don't try and whilst I am very comfortable in this cottage, I would like to go home."

"I know, and hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later, but Sarah, I can't promise anything when I don't know what is going to happen."

"I know Em, I certainly don't blame you for this situation. You didn't make those men come to the house and attack us."

Emerald wrung her hands together "I know but..."

"No buts Em, it wasn't, isn't your fault. I will get to go home, and I have a feeling Geoffrey and Julian will help us."

"I don't know Sar, I kinda get the feeling they know more than they are letting on."

"Oh don't worry, Em, I was thinking that too, but I still get the feeling that we can trust them, though I have no intention of telling them all our secrets just yet."

Emerald grinned at the other girl "Okay, fine, shall we wake them, have some lunch and then head out?"

Sarahs answer was to start ladling out the pasta dish the pot had so nicely made for them. The smell of food and the sound of the ladle hitting the plates was enough to rouse the others out of their slumber.

"What is this concoction?" Geoffrey sniffed his plate.

"Pasta, with a yummy tomato and meat sauce. Have you not had it before?"

"No, I can't say I have."

Sarah had to laugh at the way they were trying to eat the slippery pasta.

"Twirl it around your fork." She showed them how it was done.

Emerald was also having difficulty, but was more successful than either Julian or Geoffrey.

"Tastes good" she mumbled between bites.

"This will give us lots of energy to keep going this afternoon. How long do you think it will take us to reach Peak Ridge?" Sarah looked at Geoffrey.