6 Unfamiliar Night

The rest of the day passed without incident. By the time Jacob reached his bed, his fingers were exhausted from the grueling prep work, while his mind was tired from dreaming of all the things he could do.

True to his word, Rod had given Jacob the smallest room in the inn, if it could even be called that. It reminded Jacob of some of the college dorms he had visited; tiny and spartan. The bed smelled of something weird, but Jacob couldn't really place what it reminded him of. Fortunately, there was a window to the great outdoors.

Jacob cracked the boards open, the remaining hole revealing the beauty of Leafburrow at night. The moonlight glistened, provided by three celestial objects floating in the sky. It illuminated the small shops that surrounded the town square and showed Jacob the odd couple gazing at the night sky. And what a sky it was.

The times Jacob had seen a sky quite as magnificent as this were few and far in between. Splashes of color from supernovae found themselves a home among the many, colored stars. He breathed, imagining the molecules in the air surrounding him in a breeze. His hair rustled, now, and he felt an odd sense of contentment.

Sometime later, he heard a knock at his door. He ended his mental game, letting the wind fall off. Making sure he still looked decent, he cracked open the door to reveal Angelica. "What's going on, Angelica?" Jacob whispered, careful not to disturb those whose rooms bordered his.

"Just making sure you're all settled in for the night. Wouldn't want our new cook to wake up tomorrow all sleepy," she winked. Jacob laughed, grateful for the girl's kindness. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have a place to sleep, and his belly would likely still be rebelling against him.

"I'm all good. Just enjoying the cool night. I've never seen the stars quite like this, before," Jacob mused, enjoying the confused look that crossed Angelica's face. Of course, none but him knew what a night on the Earth he knew looked like.

"Well, that's good. I'll make sure you're up in the morning. Trust me, you want to be up before I make you get up," Angelica threatened, though the warning gesture was largely lost due to her broad grin. Jacob bade her good night and resumed looking through the window.

Where was he? How could he get home? Was his family alright? Did they know he was missing?

So many unanswered questions. Questions that he didn't know how to get the answer for. He stayed up, wracking his brain for any clue to any of them. He was just about to give up and turn in when he heard a small scuffle from below his window.

A group of footsteps approached, each pair of them moving at a rapid clip. After that, a soft crash and a groan. Jacob poked his head out through his window to find a woman running from two armed men. There was enough light to see the terror in her face; Jacob supposed he'd be scared, too, if he were being chased by two men wielding knives the size of his forearm.

They approached the woman, motioning to the bag she clutched between her arms and her chest. To Jacob's horror, she shook her head. Something in the bag was important to her. Whether it was money or a sentimental item, it had made her go crazy. How was she supposed to escape two thieves?

It would've been easier to give them the bag and hope that they didn't take things further.

Jacob's blood boiled. The woman stood again, rushing off again. The two men made to give chase, when a gust of wind knocked them down. Disappearing behind a wall, the woman made her escape. Jacob didn't see her again before he collapsed to the floor of his room.