Kelly pulled to the side of the road to wave a tractor to go past her. He was speeding along at fifteen miles an hour. But then, he probably had somewhere he wanted to go.

The motor died on her car, and as she started to turn the key, a movement caught her eye.

Through the trees she saw something yellow move. This morning Vera had put on her favorite yellow dress. Kelly watched, but didn’t see it again.

Probably a coincidence, Kelly thought, then put her hand back on the key. But she didn’t start the engine. Instead, she got out, made her way through the trees and saw the yellow again. It was a person but she couldn’t see who. If it was Vera, where was she going?

Kelly stayed behind, only catching glimpses of the bright color now and then. When the figure stopped, she moved closer. There was a little mound of dirt and she stretched out on her stomach, then slithered forward to watch.

It was Vera, standing still in an area of wild undergrowth. It was like primal forest.

After a minute, Vera lifted some wilted tree branches off the ground and tossed them to the side. She bent down, then pulled. Like something out of a science fiction movie, a door rose out of the ground. Vera went down what seemed to be stairs, then pulled the door closed over her. She was gone.

It took Kelly a moment before she got up and went to the door. When she was close, she could see it, but not easily. The wood had so faded that it was the exact color of the forest.

Kelly wanted to pound on the door and demand to be told what Vera was doing down there. But she knew that demands didn’t work with her sister. Order Vera to do/say/reveal something and she would attack. Kelly knew she’d end up apologizing for daring to intrude on Vera’s private space. Never mind that Vera was probably involved in something dangerous.

Kelly turned away and headed back to her car. No, she wasn’t foolhardy enough to tackle her big sister alone. But she knew someone who wasn’t intimidated by Vera.

The last place Kelly wanted to go was Adam’s house. Which is absurd, she told herself. They were going to be family, which meant they would spend lots of time together. When he and Vera aren’t traveling the world, she thought. But then, considering how Kelly had come to feel about Adam, it was better that they would be gone.

Adam must have seen her drive in because he was standing at the door when she got out. “Kelly,” he said in an odd way. It sounded as though she was the person he most wanted to see in the whole world. He stepped aside to let her in. “Are you okay?”