User blog:Leofan13/A Clash of Two Worlds: Chapter Three

Chapter Three: Master Splinter

Leonardo took a deep breath. I could tell that he was trying his best to maintain his composure. "Okay guys," he said, "Let's go."

We entered the lair, and I suddenly felt very nervous. Perhaps the recent air of tension was taking its toll or maybe it was the realization that I was a stranger here and may not be welcome.

"Sensei!" Leonardo shouted out, causing me to jump. He place his hand on my shoulder and looked at me as if to say, "Everything will be alright."

From out of nowhere, Splinter appeared. Seeing his sons caused him to smile. Then he noticed me, and the smile faded. He immediately took a defensive stance.

"What is going on here?" Splinter asked, his eyes locked on me.

"Leo made us bring a human back to the lair!" Raphael blurted out.

Leonardo glared at his brother and then turned to face his master.

"Master Splinter," he said, bowing. "She came to us to ask for our help. Her family has been kidnapped and she wants our help to rescue them." Splinter seemed unconvinced. "Is this not a police matter?" He looked at me and asked, "Why do you not contact the police?"

This was not going well. Who could really blame him? There was a stranger in his home while he could not determine whether or not was a friend or a foe. I looked at Leonardo with pleading eyes and mouthed, "May I try?" He was hesitant, but nodded in approval.

"Excuse me, Master Splinter," I said, bowing. I figured it couldn't hurt. "If I may, please allow me to explain how I happened to come in contact with your sons and why I need their help. I assure you that I am not an enemy."

Splinter dropped his defensive stance, but still had his eyes locked on me. He seemed to be peering into my soul, which I have to admit was making me uncomfortable. After a minute or so, he took his eyes off of me. I suppose he was satisfied with whatever he was searching for because he nodded and gestured for me to begin.

"I work the evening shift at my job. I got off work at 11 pm and drove home.  When I got home, the lights were all turned off inside.  This is normal for my family and I because they are all usually asleep before I get there.  Once I walked inside our home, however, that's when I noticed that something was wrong.  It was too quiet.  Both my husband and younger son snore while sleeping and my older son is a restless sleeper so he moves around at night.  I can usually hear all of these sounds from them and take comfort in the thought that they are all safe.  However, when I got home and heard nothing but silence, I got worried.  I searched through our home for any trace of them or any sign of where they might be." I noticed the concerned looks on both Splinter's and Leonardo's faces. I think that I was getting somewhere. I continued, "I kept looking for something, anything that may offer a clue. That's when I found this."

I showed Splinter the swatch with the symbol of the Foot on it and he suddenly had a sad look in his eyes followed by an angry look. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, the angry look was gone. Then, he spoke, "This is a grave matter. Anything the Shredder does is for his own personal gain, and he does not care who he has to hurt to get what he wants."

Splinter looked directly at me and, laying his hand on my shoulder, said, "Please forgive my rash actions, Miss..."

"Lauradane," I offered.

"Yes, Lauradane," Splinter repeated. Then, he continued speaking, "You are welcome to stay with us until we can reunite you with your family. In fact, it may be safer for you to do so.  Shredder is relentless and may be looking for you as well."

"Thank you, Master Splinter," I said, "You are most gracious."

Splinter nodded. Then he turned to Leonardo saying, "Leonardo, show Miss Lauradane where she may rest. She has surely had a long journey."

"Yes, Master Splinter," Leonardo replied, bowing again. Looking at me he said, "There is a spare room in the top right corner of the lair next to my room that no one uses. You can rest there.  Now, follow me."

Leonardo led me up to the extra room. There was no door so we walked right in. I looked around the room and noted that this was not what I expected, but in a good way. It was a nice room considering we were in the sewers. There was a bed on the left side complete with sheets, a pillow, and a heavy blanket. On the other side of the room was a small dresser just large enough to fit some clothes inside.

"Well, here it is," Leonardo said. "If you need anything, just let us know." With that, he turned to leave.

"Leonardo?" I started.

"Yes?" was his reply.

"Thanks. Thanks for everything," I said.

He looked at me with caring eyes and had a half-smile on his face. "You're welcome, and good night," he said softly. "Oh, and you can just call me Leo."

"Okay, Leo," I said, smiling. "Good night."

"Good night," he said again, "Try to get some rest."

"I will try," I replied, and with that, he was gone. I walked across the room and pulled the covers down on the bed. I crawled into bed, pulling the covers back up. I will try, but sleep will not come easy, I thought to myself. Then, I closed my eyes and attempted to sleep.