Gisela

[Acalewia]

Going Home

"How long has it been since you've been home?" Derick asked after they had drove the rental car several miles. Gisela was quiet.
"Define home first,"
"Funny. You know what I'm talking about,"
"My village? I was in my teens when I left. Germany...," she thought a moment. "A few hundred years. I think," Derick shook his head.
"You do realize that a lot may have changed since then?"
"Ya think? I may be old, but I'm not senile," Derik grinned. "Say it and you'll regret it,"
"Wasn't going to,"
"Sure...,"

The bantering continued as they travelled deeper into the German countryside. Although Gisela threatened Derick several times if he said "padiddle" one more time. Gisela had usually traveled alone before now. And she had prefered it. But Derick didn't know she knew he'd insisted on coming with her and had convinced his superiors that her mission, her duty, was a matter of national security. She looked out the window as she slowly was lost in her thoughts. Yes, Gorgozon had attacked a navy ship, but he'd also attacked several times during the Civil War. Then, the Americans insisted she go home and let the men handle war. Now they wanted to help her. At least since the middle of the past century. Gisela was so deep in her thoughts that she hadn't realized the car as stopped and Derick was speaking to her until he shook her.
"What?" She asked, returning to the present.
"I don't speak German. What is he saying?" A police officer was standing at Derick's window. Looking in front of them, a sign said "Road Closed".
"He says that all the roads are closed going south. Either we can go back where we were heading from or we can go to...," She trailed off and addressed the officer in German. "That is the closest town? Verrat is the closest town?"
"On this side of the mudslide, yes,"
"Mudslide? In Germany?"
"It happens. Seems this area is bad or it. This is the first time we've had one cover all the roads though,"
"Gisela...," Gisela translated to Derick.
"So we either go all the way back or we detour to Verrat until they get the roads cleared,"
"I don't want to go all the way back,"
"Neither do I, but I don't want to go to Verrat either," She blurted the last part. "But we have no other choice but to go there," she added quickly, mentally smacking herself in the head.
"Why...," Gisela had turned back to the offcer.
"How long until The roads are cleared?"