Manu ke jhadte hi mummy ne apni ankhe kholi aur thodi nirash ho gayi.Woh boli, “Kya hua?” To Manu ne bola, “Ho gaya mera.” Mummy ne bola, “A...ha chalo chalte hai.” Manu bola, “Abhi apka kaha hua hai?” Mummy ne bola, “Tum rehene do ab. Nahi hoga tumse sirf 2 minute mein jhad gaye aur badi badi baate kar rahe the.”Mujhe lag raha tha ki mummy ka abhi mann tha aur bhi karavane ko. Itne mein Manu bola, “Main apne ek dost ko bula lau jo uss din holi par aaya tha?” Mummy ne jyada effort na laga ke. She was 18; the age of independence. Outside it was a clear, dark night, with a cold wind and a pale yellow moon. Her brother Thomas, two years her junior, tagged along after her, already dragging his feet. She’d used a combination of bribery and blackmail to coerce him into accompanying her. He'd never actually go through with it, she knew, but talking him into even this much made her revenge better. Thomas dressed as the approximation of a ghost, blotchy white makeup covering his face. I took off my jacket as the heater was working well in the house, and now it was pretty hot. My t-shirt was actually covered in sweat now, so I took it off. Now I was in my bra and jeans. Mom looked at me and then stared at my boobs for a while.I looked at her and smiled and said, “It isn’t the first time you’re looking at them!” She quickly snapped out of it and got back to unpacking. She took out some clothes and a sexy black bra and underwear along with jeans and a t-shirt. I got close to. And the kicker was that with that portal gone, they had no way of getting back ... to Earth. Well, no direct way, at least. They were effectively stranded here—wherever "here" was, exactly. Which was actually a very good starting question to ask. So, he did."So if we're not on earth, where are we?" You are on Crossroads." And that is another world—another planet like earth?"Elizabeth hemmed and hawed a bit but eventually answered affirmatively. "Essentially, yes."Tory stared at his.