Mandy took the picture, and sat on the edge of her bed. "This doesn't look anything like me! And I don't know anything about inventing. She has to be someone else."
Zara nodded. "Yes, maybe your many greats granddaughter. My name came from an ancestor. It's a common practice."
"What are you doing? I asked you to come down and you didn't answer," called Mom, even louder than before.
"Please go before she comes up. There aren't many places to hide," begged Zara, glancing around the neat little room.
Mandy handed the picture back, and went downstairs.
When she was finished, she ran back upstairs before Mother had opened the front door.
"Would you like to go to town with me, Mandy? I'm surprised that you're home already!"
Mandy froze, her hand on her doorknob. "No thank you, Mother. I'm going back out, I just forgot something."
"Alright, perhaps next time. I thought you might like to play with other children for a few hours."
Mandy thought fast. "I would enjoy that, but I left some things by the stream, and I don't want to leave them out overnight. I'll go next time for sure."
"I'll let you know the night before," Mother replied, then the door clicked.
Mandy sighed with relief, and opened her door. "She's gone."
Zara peered out from under the bed. Then she sneezed.
Mandy giggled, then laughed uncontrollably.
Zara crawled out, then began laughing too.
She finished, and wiped her eyes. "I was more scared than I've ever been in my life! I was sure she'd find me, and I wouldn't be allowed to go home."
"I'd never let you get trapped," Mandy assured her.
"I know you'd do your best, but scared adults can be almost impossible to handle."
"I'd find a way to get you home," she insisted.
Zara smiled. "I know you would."
Mandy began to look through an old chest. "I have something special for you. It belonged to my grandmother, and hers before her."
"Oh no, I can't take that. You should give it to your son or daughter."
Mandy pulled out a small ivory pin, with a carved rose in the middle. "I don't think I could give this to a son, could I?" she asked with a giggle.
Zara looked at it, and held it reverently. She was quiet for a long time. "Yes. You can and must, if he's an only child. He should save it for one of his children.
Mandy shook her head. "But I want you to have it."
Zara smiled. "I will. When my mom thinks I'm ready, she's going to give it to me. It's usually passed along on a wedding or graduation day. Sometimes on a birthday."
Mandy's eyes widened, and she grinned from ear to ear. "You mean we really are related? But how is that possible? If I have kids, I'll take my husband's name."
Zara shrugged. "It's the only explanation. I never suspected it, until I heard your full name."
The two girls hugged, and Mandy put the pin back in the chest before they left.
Mandy spent the rest of the day showing Zara as much of her world as possible, then went back to the huge stone window.
"Tomorrow you will come back to Gurra?" asked Zara.
"Yes. Then you can come back here the day after," Mandy replied.
They spent every possible moment together, until it was almost time for the window to close.
"I'm going to miss you," sighed Zara.
Mandy dabbed her eyes. "I'll miss you more. But since we're related, and maybe this is even the same world somehow, we might see each other again."
Zara nodded. "Mom thinks it's possible, but told me not to be upset if it doesn't work. She also let me bring you some seeds from her rosebush. She said the plant is in remembrance of our ancestor who solved the energy problem."
Mandy shook her head. "I will be upset if you can't come back. You're my first and only friend."
They hugged. "I'll try, but remember, you have to cross first. I can't risk being stranded somewhere."
"I know, and I'll be here, every five hundred days anniversary."
After the window slowly faded, Mandy planted the seeds in a circle around the spot.
Over a year later, Mandy walked through the same field. This time she had her head up all the way, but nothing was there.
The roses were in full bloom. "They grow much faster than any others," she thought.
Mandy faithfully kept her appointments, even when she was grown and had her own family. Unfortunately the gate refused to appear.
The roses continued to thrive and spread. She liked to collect seeds from the tasty fruit.
One fine summer weekend, Mandy took her youngest granddaughter to the farmhouse.
"Grandma, why do you always want to come back to this old farmhouse close to my birthday?"
Mandy took the child into the kitchen. "Can you keep a secret?"
The child's eyes sparkled. "At Christmas I'm the best at keeping secrets!"
The two walked out to where the stone window had appeared. Mandy's dog barked, happily running tight circles around them.
When they arrived, Mandy told the little girl everything.
"Are you going back home Monday, when I go back to school?" the little girl asked that night.
"Yes Honey, there's no reason for me to stay here all alone, when my family is elsewhere."
Several hours later, Mandy sat in her father's old study. She had moved the dining room table in, so she could watch the moonrise from the large window.
"I wish I could see the one that orbits Gurra again. Just one more time..."
The end!
Describe what you see:
I see an elderly lady sitting in a rustic room. Beside her is a dog. Beside the dog is a cup and saucer.
My first impression is that they're in either a study or attic. There are books and bookshelves. But there's a dining room table. A large alarm clock is toppled over on the floor. A closer look reveals roses everywhere, even on the floor. Outside is a big, bright moon.
Describe what you feel:
I feel like the lady is remembering something that she wishes wasn't over. Despite the dog beside her, she seems lonely.