The Clearing by Heather Davis

Author:Heather Davis
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-07-01T19:01:51+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Henry led me up the stairs of the back porch. The feel of his hand in mine was as real as the smel s of biscuits and fried ham wafting through the air, as real as the sun on the back of my neck. I didn't know how, but he real y was from another time. I didn't care how it was happening. I cared that he was standing next to me in that moment.

"Amy, please wait here," he said, and then he pushed open the back door and went in.

Through the window I could see a checkerboard-patterned kitchen floor and bulky white appliances. His mother, in a blue button-up dress and a flowery apron, paused from her work over the kitchen stove to speak with Henry. Then, she glanced up at me. She had the same sandy blond hair as Henry, the same blue eyes. I waved at her, and she waved back.

A second later, Henry came back out to the porch. "Amy, my mother would like you to have breakfast with us. Wel , I would, too," he said, blushing slightly.

"Sure. I mean, I ate those amazing biscuits the other day. If they were old, they didn't taste like it."

Henry dipped his head closer to me and said, "As best as I can figure, in the clearing, time doesn't exist. Whatever we bring there just is.

And now that you're on my side, it real y is 1944. My mother, wel , she doesn't quite understand what's happening here. So, when you speak to her, would you play along?"

I stared at Henry, not understanding. "She hasn't realized that this is the same summer?"

Henry shook his head. "She's a little confused lately, but she and Grandpa aren't aware of what's happening. I'm the one who set this in motion, so maybe that's the reason why."

"Oh," I said. "Um, do you think that's fair?"

"What do you mean?" Henry frowned.

"Wel , just that you made this happen and it affected al three of you."

His frown softened. "You would have done the same thing. It was for the better. Someday, I'l tel you more."

"Someday? Sure." I shrugged. "Does someday even exist here?"

He guided me toward the door. "I think so," he said.

I stopped and looked Henry in the eyes. "Because if this is real—if this is al happening—then I want to know everything," I said. "It's important."

"Amy, I promise. Now, though, my mother is wondering what's keeping us."

"I'm real y going to eat a 1944 breakfast with you?"

"Yesiree." He gave my hand a squeeze. "We're certainly not the Rockefel ers though, so don't set your hopes too high."

My hopes were up, though. And that was a little scary. I was about to meet Henry's family: a family that was long gone from the earth, but not ghosts. A family I suddenly, desperately, wanted to like me.

"Come on. Mother's eager to meet you."

Henry escorted me through the door and into the kitchen. It was as real as anything. Bright sun coming in through the spotless windows.

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