Chasing Shadows Read Online Free Page A

stiffened.
    Her sister Lilly stood frozen in open-mouthed shock on the pathway leading up to the house, pointing with a trembling hand. Her wide eyes were fixed on Karen. “But you—how—”
    “Hi, Lilly!” Karen greeted brightly, looking like nothing were amiss.
    Oh no , Sarah inwardly moaned. This had seriously come back to bite her in the seat meat. Walking forward slowly, she held up her hands as if she were moving towards a startled kitten. “Don’t freak out, Lil.”
    Lilly’s swallow was audible, and she stuttered unintelligibly until she at last managed to shriek, “Holy cow!” Then she skipped excitedly past Sarah and started doing that hunched-shoulders dance she did whenever she was positively giddy, fingers jabbing the air to punctuate her excitement. “It was all true! Holy smokes, this is awesome!”
    She stopped suddenly, oblivious to Sarah’s grimace and the way Karen balked at the gleeful girl. “I have to tell someone. This kind of stuff doesn’t happen everyday. I traveled through time !” Lilly giggled, seemingly on cloud nine. So much for the heavy guilt Sarah had been harboring for weeks.
    “Whoah, hold up there.” Sarah gripped her sister’s shoulders to still her jittering, needing her full attention. “Lil, you can’t tell anyone about this.”
    The younger girl laughed, as though the idea was absurd. Then she gaped at her sibling’s grave expression. “You can’t be serious.”
    “Dead serious. Nobody can know about this.”
    Lilly’s excited gaze darted between the two girls. “You’re going back, aren’t you? Can I come? I just walked back for my toothbrush. Give me two seconds.” She made a move for the house, but Sarah held her back.
    She cringed, knowing her sister wouldn’t like what she had to say. “You can’t come with this time.”
    Crestfallen, Lilly whined, “But why not? I can sleep over at Kacey’s another night.” She threw her arms wide and practically yelled, “We’re defying gravity! Or whatever!”
    Sighing, Sarah wiped her sweaty palms against her shorts. She would not miss the heat, that’s for sure. “You just can’t.” She held up her hands in self-defense at Lilly’s suspicious glare. “I know that’s a lame excuse, but it’s too dangerous to bring you along again if I don’t have to. Hopefully, I’ll be back before anyone has a chance to miss me, but just promise me you won’t make a peep to mom or anyone else.” Lilly chewed on her lip, and Sarah narrowed her eyes. Her sister wasn’t exactly known for sealed lips. “I’m serious,” she said slowly.
    Lilly’s shoulders sagged. She kicked a pebble and watched it skitter down the path. “Okay, fine,” she huffed dejectedly. “But it really stinks to be left behind. Nothing exciting ever happens here.”
    Pulling her in for a hug, Sarah exhaled. “I know, Kiddo. I know. But I promise to bring back stories.”
    “Can I at least write about it in my diary?”
    Sarah leaned back to shoot her a look, and Lilly backed towards the door. “Fine, but I expect really great stories if I have to keep my mouth shut. And tell Leah I say ‘hi.’”
    Sarah smiled. “Deal.” She suddenly wondered how long it would be until she saw her baby sister again and swallowed. “I love you, Kiddo.”
    Brow furrowing nervously, Lilly said, “But you’ll be back soon, right? You promised.”
    “Yeah.” Sarah nodded her head decisively. “I’ll always come back.” Her sister looked relieved by the oath, but realization twisted Sarah’s insides. She was forever destined to live in Bethany, Oklahoma—maybe as a wife, or she might someday manage the pet store in the small town. But she would always return to her normal life and leave the extraordinary behind.  
    Karen, who had relaxed after the surprise of seeing Lilly’s reaction, was grinning as she waved to the young girl and stepped off the porch. She motioned for Sarah to follow and leaned in close as they walked briskly along the