Oops, I totally forgot to post this yesterday. >.< Sorry about that.
*************
Maeve stepped inside, letting the door close behind her. Despite the gloom of a typical Seattle day, it took her eyes a minute to adjust to the darker room. When they did, the sight surprised her.
Kira was in a cage-like contraption, rattling the sides in a desperate attempt to break free. She had various cuts and scrapes all over her body, and was wearing some sort of uniform. Beside her, a shorter dark-haired girl had wormed her arm through the bars and was fiddling with the lock. Maeve didn’t recognize her.
“Kira!” exclaimed Maeve, running over to her friend. “What are you doing here?”
“Maeve?!” Kira asked, staring at her. “What are you doing here?”
“I was on my way over to your house, and some government guys were talking, and they said you had snuck into an office, and something about ‘maybe we’ll finally have a winner after this’, and I – ”
“What?” Kira gasped, looking wide-eyed at the mysterious girl next to her. “You don’t think they-?”
“After your house,” replied the girl, “they would want to avenge you. I bet they’re out fighting right now.”
“There’s a huge fight over the border right now,” Maeve offered, though she didn’t know what they were talking about.
“The keys are on the door,” Kira said quickly.
Maeve swiftly got the keys and unlocked the cage. Kira and her partner in crime stepped out. Kira ran over to hug Maeve, and when she stepped back, Maeve noticed how much older her friend looked. She must have been through a lot in a short time.
“This is Lynnea,” Kira said, putting an arm around the girl standing next to her. “She’s a crocheter.”
Maeve looked dumbfounded. “We’ve got to get out of here, but you have got some explaining to do.”
Lynnea locked the cage again and put the keys back on the door. “They’ll just think this cage was vacated.”
“Not the guards, though,” Kira pointed out.
“We’ve got to get away before then!” Maeve said, opening the door. The trio climbed quickly down the fire escape. When they got to the trellis, Maeve took off her life-saving scarf. “Do either of you have one?”
Kira removed the scarf that had revealed her as a knitter in Crochet and Chocolate. She handed it to Maeve, who tied a tight knot in the two. Lynnea added her pineapple mini-shawl to the end. When the ‘rope’ was tied onto the fire escape, it was still ten feet from the ground.
“I’ll go,” said Maeve, feeling more comfortable with the fire escape after her experience earlier. She slid down the scarves, ignoring the rug-burn feeling that erupted on her hands. Then she dangled above the pavement. “Swing me over,” she called up to Kira and Lynnea, nodding towards the trellis.
Kira obliged, and Maeve went careening over to the roses. She leaped onto the trellis, praying that it would hold her. She impaled herself on a few thorns, but managed to keep from falling. From there, it was an easy climb down to the pavement.
Kira slid down next, and Maeve caught her so she wouldn’t have to do the trellis-climb. Then it was Lynnea’s turn. But at that moment, a fire truck came zooming along the street. It would be there in less than ten seconds.
Lynnea yanked the scarves off the fire escape and hollered, “Catch me!” Then she sat down and slid off the edge.
Kira and Maeve rushed over to catch their friend, but Maeve tripped and fell, causing her nose to start bleeding again. Then Lynnea fell on top of her. They got to their feet, Lynnea tying the scarves around her neck, Maeve pinching her nose yet again.
“Come on,” Maeve urged, starting to run. Kira and Lynnea followed her. Maeve led them all the way to just outside Lakeview Park. “Let’s see what’s going on.”
*************
We’re nearing the end! Yay!
No idea what I’m going to post every week after this, though…not yay.
Have a nice day!
(I’m channeling my inner poet.)
[…] Part Thirteen […]
Those must be some strong scarves.
I think your next book should be “The Fiber Wars” – all about people who like acrylic yarn vs. people who like wool, and how they are finally brought together by … dear me, how could two such diverse groups ever be reconciled? Finding the answer to that question would be a task worthy of your talents. 🙂
Oh dear, that would be difficult. Perhaps it should be the sequel. 😉
(I, myself, am all for acrylic – I’m allergic to wool.)