“We must be on our home world,” she said. “Just not a part of it we’re accustomed to. The portals decided where to put us and I don’t know about you but I’m really happy they let you enter where you would find me and save me.” She lowered her head to my shoulder. I heard and felt her sigh of satisfaction.
“I’m not sure we are on earth.” I spoke it quietly knowing how absurdly insane it sounded.
I felt her head move and glanced down to find her staring at my face. Our eyes met, she blinked giving me the distinct feeling she knew something I didn’t but desperately wanted to know.
“It must be, Stanton. How could we possibly be anywhere else?”
“How could portals or gates exist that transported us here?” I kept my voice quiet and emotion free.
She shrugged. “Don’t know but do know that I’m both hungry and very tired.”
“Yeah me to.” I stood and immediately missed the heat.
But she joined me and together we assembled a hot meal with chamomile tea and ate it all. After the cleanup progressed without conversation then when we finished Margaret took my hand and led me into the sleeping chamber. The rest of the night was amazingly better than the entire previous day.
I awoke and it was still dark as a cloudy midnight. Margret slept, and I sat up to look out the small round window behind us. Part of the sky was a black arc and the remainder was filled with stars. The two halves fit together, which was not a surprise. The surprise was the arc. It was very gradual and well defined and looked like it rose up into the heavens. I swore it could not be a normal part of the planet I lived on.
“It’s a mountain range,” Margaret spoke softly against my ear.
“How did you know?”
“That you were thinking about the scene you see in the distance?”
I nodded, smiled and said, “I was yes.”
“You’ll see more and understand more once we get closer, I think. So come back here so we can sleep.”
Which I did with a mind reeling with information both illogical and perhaps awe, inspiring. At that moment I changed my mind and concluded we were on earth in a time and place beyond my ability to imagine. How I got here is the most important question now.