Inexperienced Heart

Chapter 6: Mira's Clue

Landa quickly looked up at Goldtin's announcement. She saw Mira's house, barely visible against the night sky. At first glance, Landa could not tell that the house had been intruded upon. But looking at it again, she noticed the broken front door. They had evidently been standing there for a while because Goldtale spoke up.

"Shall we go in, dears? Or are we going to stand here all night and gaze upon the house as if it's the most beautiful thing we've ever seen? Though I will not argue and say it isn't beautiful."

"Aren't we breaking in? I mean, it's not our house!" said Logan.

"No, we're not. We're not stealing anything. We're simply looking for clues about where Mira may be and using it as a place to sleep in," answered Goldtin.

"We're looking for clues tomorrow, right?" asked Landa. After Goldtin nodded, she continued, "We don't need to sleep in Mira's house. We can sleep in my house. Anyway, I need to see my parents. They're probably worried about me."

"That's a very kind offer, but what would your parents say about two talking rabbits and a boy you just met? Would they approve?" asked Goldtale worriedly.

"Probably. I'll just tell them the whole truth from beginning to end. I've already told the whole story a couple of times. I'll just have to do it all again."

With that, she turned and beckoned the others to follow her. Then, Landa stopped in front of her front door and rang the doorbell. Please be at home, mom and dad. Oh, no! I forgot! The hospital! They're probably still at the hospital! Oh, no," thought Landa, dread and doubt coming over her. But her worries did not last long. The door was flung open and there stood her mom with her arm in a cast and her dad sitting in a wheelchair with his leg in a cast. Her mom embraced Landa one-handed. There were tears in her eyes as she spoke lovingly.

"Landa. We've been so worried about you. When you didn't come home that night with Elliot Surfer, we wondered what had happened to you."

"Landa," said a soft voice. It was her father's voice. She went over to him and they hugged.

"Mom? Dad? That Elliot Surfer was a fake."

"What do you mean?" questioned her parents simultaneously.

Landa told them the whole story, the whole truth, just as she said she would.

Then, she introduced Logan and and the two rabbits to her parents. It seemed that her parents had just noticed them, as if they had been invisible before.

"Come inside. It's hot outside. This is Miamiforde! I'm sorry. I'm so ignorant," declared Landa's mother.

They all stepped inside the air-conditioned house and went to the kitchen where they sat down at a big round table.

"Oh my! You all look so tired and hungry! I'll prepare food for all of us straightaway. I'm sorry for asking, Goldtin and Goldtale. I don't mean to be offensive, but what would you like to eat?" said Landa's mother rather hurriedly, at the same time, running around the kitchen, looking for the right things.

"Oh! Carrots will do fine for both of us. And we do not feel offended at all," answered Goldtin, taken by surprise. He had not expected such kind and grand hospitality.

"Okay, I'll get you carrots and lettuce."

"Mom, did you hear about Mira? Do you know if her parents know?" asked Landa, intent on telling her parents all the latest news she had found out.

"What about Mira?" asked her father curiously.

Landa, Logan, and the two rabbits took turns in telling about Mira being kidnapped.