Recap: Miri and Katie decide to confide in Sabrina. They both long to return to their own time, and they hope Sabrina will be able to help them with an idea.
I knocked lightly on Sabrina’s door. We waited.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Miri and Katie,” I whispered loudly.
Sabrina opened the door. Moonlight streamed in through her window.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s, well, it’s hard to explain.”
I glanced at Katie.
“Miri’s better at explaining than me.”
It felt strange the way Katie was deferring to me. She’d always been the louder, more confident one.
“What is it?” Sabrina motioned for us to come sit on her bed. “You both look so serious. Baruch Hashem, everything is good. We rescued Esther’s siblings, and Mr. Sanchez will help them get to Amsterdam. He’s working on helping her parents escape, too.”
“Yes, Baruch Hashem, that’s really a miracle. It’s just that we have a really weird problem.” I glanced around the room at the candelabra on the desk and the grate with the crackling fire.
“Sabrina, we need to escape from here.”
“Of course; that’s what we do. Mr. Sanchez will schedule for you and Katie to get on a boat to Amsterdam. If you tell us where your parents are, we’ll get transport for them, too. You came so suddenly after the accident.”
“What accident?” I asked.
“I guess you don’t remember the lightning storm. We assumed you were washed ashore to our house.”
Katie nudged me.
“I do remember the lightning storm. The thing is, we didn’t come from a boat on the water.”
Sabrina looked at me. “So, what did happen?”
“I honestly don’t know exactly what happened. It’s just that we were staying in this castle when it happened.”
“You’re not making any sense.”
“I know it really doesn’t make sense, but Katie and I and our families were all staying in this castle for summer vacation, and there was a big lightning storm, and then somehow we ended up here in this castle, but in a different time than our own.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you remember the clothing we were wearing? Do you remember we asked you about things you never heard of? It’s because we are from 2026, not 1497.”
Sabrina’s eyes widened. “That’s not possible!”
“I know, and I don’t blame you if you don’t believe us, but it’s the truth.”
“How could––”
“I don’t know, but we need your help. We want to go back – well, forward – to our families. We can’t stay here and never see our parents or Katie’s sister Breindy again.”
“I’m so sorry. It sounds so awful and impossible, but how can I help?”
“Is there anyone you know who is very super wise and could help us?”
“I don’t know what this word super means, but I do know of a very old, wise rav. I don’t know if he still sees people, but he lives in Toledo.”
“Do you think he could help us?”
“If anyone can, it would be him.”
“So, who knows him? How can we call for an appointment?”
“Call?”
“I forgot. You don’t have telephones yet.”
“Tele––?”
“Never mind. Who knows him? Please help us, Sabrina.”
“Well, Mr. Sanchez knows everyone. We can ask him.”
“But will he want to know why we want to see him?”
Sabrina crinkled her nose as she thought. “It’s okay. He’ll want to help. He’s that kind of person. I’ll just tell him it’s personal. Baruch Hashem, I’m so happy that he is engaged to my mother.”
“Engaged? Really? Wow, you don’t mind about that? I mean, you don’t feel like he’s taking her away from you?”
Sabrina shook her head. “I really want Madre to remarry.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I love Madre. She does so much for me. She works hard all the time sewing and designing royal clothing for the queen and the princesses. She is busy but never happy. I never see her smile since my padre died.”
My cheeks grew warm. I thought of how I only thought of my feelings, and I’d never thought of Ima’s. I hadn’t ever really given Mr. Norman a chance. Sabrina was such a great person.
“He’ll be back tomorrow for the midday meal. I’ll ask him then,” she said.
We thanked her and headed back to bed.
I wanted to feel hopeful, but just asking him didn’t guarantee anything. Sabrina had said that the rabbi was old, and he might not be willing to see people. Besides, our problem was so strange. Could anyone really help us?
I lay in bed worrying, and then a thought – a comforting thought – popped into my head. There was, of course, someone who could help us, and that was Hashem. I davened that Hashem help us get the help we needed to come back to our own time and our families. Then, I finally drifted off to sleep.
To be continued…
Susie Garber is the author of 11 popular Jewish books, including her newly released historical fiction novel The Blizzard (Menucha 2026) and recently published novel Captured (Menucha 2025). She is also the current news editor of Binyan Magazine.
