There was nothing but shadows and flickers of a blinding light. And as far as I knew the high-pitched ringing and raging sense of uncertainty were a result of the failed premonition itself.
“Now would be a horrible time for another brain short-circuit,” I said.
“What do we do? Just barge out there?”
“How should I know?” I asked, turning the doorknob. “I’m just wondering what else can possibly happen? I don’t know about you but I can’t take much more!”
The faint click of the handle startled me. My hand froze on the metal, a gasp was held hostage by my lungs. I turned the knob further. It seemed like an eternity passed before the door was released.
I didn’t know why I was so concerned with investigation. Curiosity killed the cat.
Poor George .
Still coupled by our interlocked arms, Sadie and I pounced through the doorway like a SWAT team minus the guns or the slightest chance of defending ourselves.
The sun had set and the night sky was pitch-dark. There were no streetlights in this part of town. It had never bothered me until this moment. Panic propelled my hand against the inside wall as I searched for the light switch. The bulb lit, blinding me. When my eyes began to adjust, I saw it—a dark shadow lurking at the far end of the porch.
“What do you want?” I asked, feigning confidence.
“Uh,” said a man’s voice. “Hey.”
The faceless figure moved towards us. Sadie and I stood rigid and unable to speak. Terror obstructed my throat to the verge of choking.
Eight steps later, (I know because I counted) the shadows began to yield to the porch light. Inch by inch, our unknown visitor was illuminated.
Dusty brown military-style boots on his feet, laces loosened. Well-built legs, navy blue cargo shorts that skimmed below his knee. A white t-shirt hung to his hips, navy blue American Eagle Outfitters logo spread across his chest. Long, tanned fingers fiddled with the hem of his shirt. Strong, muscular arms led to broad shoulders. Then, there was his face.
“It’s Blaze,” Sadie said, untangling her arm from mine.
Blaze towered over us, enormous and intimidating. I knew he wasn't there to hurt us but his size was alarming just the same.
“Sorry if I scared you,” he said. “I was gonna knock but I ran into the chair and panicked.”
Probably for the first time in his life.
Standing next to my brother, my curiosity and excitement reached record levels. Blaze loomed at least six inches over me. Sadie was like a small child next to us; even I had about four inches on her.
“Don’t apologize,” Sadie said. “It has just been a weird day. I can’t believe you are here.”
I examined his face just as I had Sadie’s when she arrived on my doorstep. I saw more of Mom in him than either of us. Blaze's hair was a shade of dirty blond almost identical to Sadie’s. His buzz-cut had begun to grow back enough to notice its tendency to curl. We had that in common. His eyes were the same warm, calming brown as Mom’s. It was unsettling, like having her looking back at me again.
Blaze’s humble gaze and awkward stance made him seem less intimidating. His nervousness put me at ease. His large, muscular frame, however, was daunting. A person of his stature was born that way and his military training had enhanced it. I suspected once the discomfort of meeting sisters you did not know had worn off, there would be nothing awkward about him.
“I wasn’t sure I should come,” he said. “I have been here for a few hours trying to decide if I should introduce myself.”
“Was that you watching us in the woods?” I asked.
Blaze’s crinkled eyebrows answered my question before he could.
“Never mind. How’s life?” I asked, attempting to break the ice and change the subject.
“About as strange as yours I’m sure,” he said in a voice as strong as his stature.
I was talking to my brother. The brother I never knew existed, the brother I had never laid eyes on until now. Any