EARTH — Kaelah’s home

Kaelah peeked out the heavy curtains in the spotless den area for the hundredth time. The den window faced the neighbor’s house and was the perfect one for viewing what was going on over there. She’d been watching old Bill for years, suspecting that he was up to something clandestine and possibly illegal.

Her curiosity was like that of a young kitten even though she was no longer anywhere near young. She’d always been a curious one and her thirst for knowledge was bottomless. This was especially true when she happened to see something odd. Like five years ago on that one wintry night….

There was that noise again. Kaelah had heard it for seemingly the tenth time and her curiosity finally got the better of her. Setting aside her crossword puzzle, she got up from her comfy easy chair and walked briskly to her favorite spot. The window.

Kaelah loved to look out the window and see what was going on around the neighborhood. You might even say that it was a hobby of hers since she did it so often. She never faltered from her three-step window watching routine, approach stealthily, take four deep breaths, and part the left curtain slowly, ever so slowly. She would then peek, not stare, not even gawk, but peek and send her roving watchful eye out beyond the comfort of her own home.

This particular night, as Kaelah got up to investigate the noise, she saw old Bill unloading what looked like heavy equipment of some sort from his beat-up van into the open doors of the garage. As she looked, she saw boxes and boxes filled with mysteries unknown and also obvious large mechanical gadgets strewn about the floor space.

Kaelah shook herself out of that memory from so long ago and back into her present-day peeking session. She focused on the noises from old Bill’s house, hearing something she’d not heard in all the five years that she’d been watching.

Shouts of joy.

It was improbable that Bill’s shouts could be heard by Kaelah alone, she was sure that if anyone was listening they would be able to hear them too. There was a loud ‘YES!’ and another booming ‘FINALLY!’ and it didn’t stop there, no, not at all. The jubilation could be heard for several minutes until suddenly it just stopped. Just like that. Complete silence.

Kaelah gasped and pulled away from the heavy curtains, retreating to her special chair, ready to think and process what had just happened. Fidgeting, she picked up her pencil and puzzle, put it back down, got up, paced, sat down, fidgeted some more, until finally settling with her chilly hands under the quilted lap blanket.

What was Bill so happy about? Kaelah figured it must have to do with that night five years ago when he brought in all those boxes to his garage. She had watched carefully over the years but hadn’t really seen anything interesting until tonight. She had often wondered and tried to imagine what he’d built. But to no avail. She just couldn’t figure it out. Not without actually seeing what was over there at his house.

‘Would you like to see what Bill has done?’ a voice whispered softly in her ear, at least she thought she heard a voice. Good thing she was sitting down or she might’ve fallen down in shock.

“Who, what? Who are you?” Kaelah opened her eyes, seeing nothing but a figment of her imagination.

“We are your friends and want you to help our friends escape from Bill’s clutches. Are you willing?” the voice was so soft and inviting that Kaelah’s first instinct was to say yes and help them.

“I guess I could help you, but I’m not really able to move fast or do much of anything anymore.” her heart started beating faster with anticipation.

“That’s OK, we just need you to give us your eyes.”

“My eyes?” Kaelah chuckled, “my eyes are probably my worst feature, especially now that I’m a bit on the older side of life. You’re welcome to them, what do you want me to see?”

And thus began Kaelah’s adventure into her second sight. A slight buzzing noise accompanied by a whirring came next. Kaelah’s eyes were still closed when she began to see herself walking out the front door toward Bill’s house. How could this be? She felt herself still sitting in her easy chair. It was certainly a mystery, and she did love a good mystery.

She continued to walk, across the street, onto Bill’s driveway and into his house by the front door. It was like she was a ghost or a spirit since she could walk right through the door! She looked around and saw a normal living room, kitchen, dining area. And a large drab metal door, out of place, possibly leading to her destination. Nothing else of note was in the entryway, just that ominous gray door.

As she hesitantly approached the door, she was suddenly awakened from her trance by a hand on her shoulder.

“Kaelah, dear, it’s time for your medicine and to go to bed” a kind familiar voice woke her from the vision and brought her back to reality.

Kaelah shuddered as she shook herself from her reverie, “OK, I’m ready to call it a night, it’s been quite a day!” She rose from her chair and shuffled to her room down the hallway, wondering what was behind that mysterious door next door.

This is THE END OF the chapter but not the story.