Strange City Magic

2: Breaking and Entering

"His whole crew could be in there," Loren said, gesturing toward the innocuous face of a sky-blue colonial home with a rusty red pickup parked sideways in the front lawn.

"Miri was sure he was working alone," Su said. "Are you in?"

She slid off the bike and shouldered her pack. "Came all this way, didn't I?"

Zira looked confused, but she jumped off the bike in a shot and marched alongside Loren across the perfectly manicured yard. Su hung back, leaning cooly against her bike, giving them lead time.

"Who is this guy?" Zira whispered. They rounded the side of the house, ducking underneath the windows as they went. Everything remained perfectly silent.

"An old friend."

They found a wooden porch in the back, the only feature of a rectangular and otherwise expressionless backyard. Loren climbed the stairs, then paused to fish a large silver flashlight out of her bag. "Are you ready?"

Zira nodded, and Loren kicked the door beneath the lock. Hard. There was a surprisingly quiet crack, and the door fell neatly open, leading into an ultra-modern kitchen. It was replete with dazzling white tile, and oversized cooking utensils hanging artistically from hooks on the walls. Silver finery lay carefully arranged atop the island counters, and a single bowl sat in an otherwise spotless sink.

"You're good at that," Zira said.

"Practice." She let the flashlight drop to her side. "Lights are on."

"Are there people around?"

"One bowl," Loren said. "One person." She opened one of the cupboards onto rows of cereal boxes, oat bread, and several jars of peanut butter. She swung open the freezer to find it packed. A bag of french fries, tubes of sausage links, two tubs of ice cream, and coffee grounds. She immediately snatched up the container. Colombian, dark roast. Loren slid it into her bag and patted it carefully into place.

"Is that what we're here for?"

"We could make a fortune sweeping through here," she breathed, then shook herself. "Let's see what Su's found."

The only exit led to a short hallway that opened up onto an office (empty), a sitting room (empty), a closet (filled with brooms), and the living room. There they found Su, running her hand along the rim of a massive TV hanging on the wall. "I think it works," she said.

"Let's not test it."

The rest was unremarkable. A paisley loveseat and two print armchairs encircled the screen, flanked by an oak bookshelf, a spiral staircase, and a small side door—which presumably lead to another broom closet. The three women convened on the carpet, and carried out their conversation in whispers.

"I've never seen anything like this before."

"It's so normal. Lived in, almost."

"But it's empty. The entire neighborhood is empty."

Zira's head bounced back and forth between her two companions as they spoke.

"If it's not a copy" Loren said, chewing her lip, "and it's not new, then—"

One of the hallway doors opened. A loud creak filled the house. Footsteps ran along carpeted floor. The three women froze in place. It was already too late to run.

"Hey, mom, I made it home as fast as I could." The voice was unfamiliar. Whoever it was, they were a few short steps from the living room door.

Loren swallowed, blinked, and then several things happened all at once.