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happen.
    I was so busy talking to myself that at first I didn’t notice that the trees and underbrush had thinned out. Hurrying forward, I scanned the ground in all directions, looking for any hint of the path. I lifted my gaze from the ground and stopped dead in my tracks, shocked at what I saw through the trees.
     

Chapter Four
     
    The last thing I had expected to see. My house. Well, the back of my house. But there it was. It was all I could do to keep from racing to the back door, but then I realized my legs were too tired to run anyway.
    The grin on my face made my dry lips crack, but I didn’t care. I was home. Relief washed over me in waves as I rushed forward. As I reached the back gate I was a bit surprised that Goldie hadn’t met me there. Usually the first to announce anyone’s arrival, we often had to hold her back to keep her from leaping all over people who dared to get too close.
    I unlatched the gate and walked toward the door that led into the kitchen. I wondered how everyone would react when I arrived. Would they be happy to see me or furious that I had made them worry?
    Suddenly nervous, I took the last step to the door, reaching for the knob. I took a deep breath, then released it before twisting the knob in my hand. It opened easily. Hesitating now, I slowly pushed it open, expecting to see Mom there to greet me. Of course if she had been in the kitchen this whole time she would have seen me coming.
    A quick glance into the room verified it was empty. Overwhelmed by sudden thirst, I dropped my backpack on the floor before dashing to the sink. Not even bothering to grab a glass, I tilted my head under the faucet and turned on the tap. Ice cold water rushed into my mouth and I greedily swallowed it. My thirst slaked, I turned off the faucet and reached for the pantry door, ravenous.
    The food choices were different than what I remembered seeing the last time I’d raided the pantry. I knew Mom sometimes went on health food kicks and bought only healthy foods, but finding only dried fruits, low-fat crackers, and not one box of cookies on the shelves was disappointing. I was too hungry to complain and ripped open a package of crackers, stuffing them in my mouth.
    Even though they were low-fat and low-sodium, they made me thirsty, but this time I decided to use a glass. I opened the cupboard and saw new glasses. Pulling one out, I admired the sparkling clarity and wondered when Mom had gotten them. Maybe she’d had them at dinner the night before, but of course I’d missed that meal when I’d run away.
    Shrugging my shoulders, I turned on the faucet and filled the glass to the brim with cold water, gulping it down. I set the glass on the counter and opened the fridge. The healthy food that I’d found in the cupboard had only been the beginning. There was so much fresh produce in the fridge that it didn’t all fit in one drawer, but filled the bottom shelf as well. Skim milk and non-fat yogurt occupied the higher shelves.
    Mom must be on one of her crazy diets again, I thought, wondering what yummy treats I would miss.
    Then I noticed the absence of noise, which was unusual when it came to my brothers.
    Where is everyone? Are they out looking for me? Or maybe they’re somewhere else in the house.
    I glanced around the kitchen, suddenly realizing that something was different. The kitchen table had shrunk. Yesterday it had been a long rectangular slab of oak, big enough to fit our family of six. But today it was a glass square, with only four chairs.
    That’s weird, I thought as I went to the table and ran my fingers across the glass, a feeling of unease drifting into my mind like a mist. I grabbed my backpack and headed for the stairs, wanting to get cleaned up.
    I stepped into the living room and looked at the unfamiliar furniture and the feeling of unease grew.
    Could I be in the wrong house? I had approached it from the back. Maybe it was one that just looked like mine. After all, we hadn’t