Lost Together

Chapter 17

The unknown woman already noticed the two siblings, but before she could get closer to them, Jack forcefully pulled Alma up on her feet and then ran away with her.

"Behind that tree!" Jack hissed and rushed over to a tree and hid there, pushing Alma against it.

Alma whimpered in fear, but then Jack turned her quiet.
"Don't say a single word!" he whisper-shouted and then in the next moment, Jack used that silence to hear if the woman was coming closer.

They heard how the woman took another step forward and Jack prepared himself to shout over to her.

"Don't get close!" he eventually said, his voice shaking slightly. "We just want to find a new home."

"Well, then you're at the right place!" the woman said and giggled. She had a warm and calm voice. "There's no need to be shy."

Jack glared back down at Alma and whispered: "Don't tell anyone what happened here, do you understand?"
Alma nodded, while tears were still forming in her eyes.

Then the two slowly stepped out from behind the tree and looked over to the woman.

She was tall, had dark skin and her black, curly hair was tied up into a bun. She wore a big green and white dress, with puffy sleeves.

"I am Miss Bunting." she said and smiled at them.

"Bunting...like the bird?" Jack asked and slowly let go of Alma's arm, who then carefully brushed over it with her other, wing-like arm.

"Yes, exactl—" Miss Bunting gasped, when she saw Alma's wing. "So it's true. You really are an ymbryne."

The woman hurried over to Alma, at which Jack just rolled his eyes.
"Let's get you inside the house and get your arm fixed." Miss Bunting said and started walking, but Alma pulled on her dress.

"We can't go yet! We lost our brother and we need to find him." Alma said and pointed into the direction they came from, even though she wasn't quite sure if that was really their way. "Can you help us?"

"Oh, why, yes of cour—" just as Miss Bunting wanted to reply, they saw Myron coming, running towards them.

"Speak of the devil." said Jack.

"I...I thought I would never...see you again!" Myron said, panting. "I swear, I was completely lost! There were trees everywhere!"

"Well, of course there are trees. This is a forest." Jack grumbled, slightly annoyed.

"Are you alright? You look kind of battered..." Alma asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine! I'm fine! Wait...ow..." Myron put a hand on his head. "No, actually, I'm not. I have a headache. Yes, a really bad one. It's probably still from when I accidentally ran against a tree..."

"Oh, then you all need to get a little fixed!" Miss Bunting laughed a little and Jack looked up, suspiciously narrowing his eyes. "Come on! I'll show you the way!"

//

They walked up to a big house, which no one would ever expect to see in the middle of a forest.
But there it was—their safe place, their hiding spot, their new home.

Miss Bunting walked up on the porch and turned around, smiling at the three siblings.
"Welcome in the year of 1867 on Saint Swithin's Day, July 15!" she said and then waved towards the door. "Come in, come in."

All their mouths fell open and the three wouldn't move.
"We're in the year of...1867?" Jack said, who had to ask again to be sure of what he just heard.