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“You’re going to reset, aren’t you?” David said with a smirk. “Full mind wipe.”

Marla smiled and said in a very maternal tone, “You boys haven’t left much choice, now have you? You revealed yourselves, lost devices, made a mess of the whole process. And you scared a child.”

Benjamin tried to defend himself, but Marla cut him off. With a simple wave of her delicate hand, the boy quieted.

“Now,” Marla began. “First things first. Say goodbye to them, Sarah.”

Before Sarah could open her mouth, David and Benjamin were gone. Sarah blinked and looked around, confused. There was no sign of either of them as if they never existed at all.

Marla looked down at Sarah, her smile warm and comforting.

“Close your eyes,” Marla commanded gently.

Sarah complied and suddenly she felt like she was floating…

When she opened her eyes she was in her bedroom, lying on top of her pink sheets. She was fully dressed and her shoes were still on. Sarah blinked a few times before sitting up and looking around the room. It was definitely her space, the same room she’d always known.

The alarm clock on her dresser blinked 12:00.

Sarah jumped up and ran downstairs. In the living room, her father watched the news while her brother sat on the couch, his face buried in his cell phone. From the kitchen, she heard her mother washing dishes.

“The power is on?” Sarah asked.

Her father turned and said, “Oh yeah, it came back on about an hour ago. Probably just a little glitch with the transformer outside.”

“Sarah,” her mother said entering the living room, wiping her wet hands on a dishtowel. “Are you feeling better? Do you want dinner now?”

“How long was the power out?” the little girl asked.

Her mom shrugged, “Oh maybe half an hour? Your brother had a panic attack for nothing.”

Her mother asked once again if she wanted dinner, and Sarah absently nodded yes.

As she headed toward the kitchen, Sarah felt something in her jeans’ pocket. It was a tiny piece of paper, but the paper looked old and not from her time. Just like the notes she received during the blackout. She unfolded it and saw the neatest cursive writing she’d ever seen, even more perfect than her teacher’s. The note read:

“Sarah,

You’re a brave girl. You did the right thing by asking for help when you knew things were getting out of hand. Just remember, you are the only one who remembers.

Be well,

Marla

PS: When your time comes, your position will be waiting for you, and I know you’ll be an asset on our team.”

Sarah’s forehead crinkled at that last part. For a brief moment, Sarah thought she heard Marla’s voice whisper in her ear, “You’ll see.”