Jo's Journey by S. E. Smith

a large cow. As they neared the surface she thought she saw the shadowed shape of an alligator moving quickly away. A few moments later the air bike popped up, moving silently across the dark water. Manota pressed a button, turning off the lights. He drove through the tall cattails growing along the edge of the lake and up onto more solid ground before opening the clear outer shell and letting it drop off behind them.
    He had ordered her to stay on the air bike while he took care of clear casing. Pulling the air bike several feet further up the side of the lake, he made sure the ground was solid enough to set it down without there being the danger of it sinking into the muck. Once he was satisfied, he had stepped off the air bike and walked back down to where the clear shell lay opened. He quickly pulled it further into a small clump of undergrowth. Returning, he had brushed a gentle kiss across her lips before sliding back in front of her.
    Jo had wrapped her arms back around his waist, tightened her thighs against his and held on as the air bike lifted upward into the moonless sky. Then, she was flying like she had never flown before. The warm summer air pulled at her neatly braided hair, pulling several long, silky strands free. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, imagining that this is what it must feel like to be a bird. She opened her eyes to search out familiar areas. She pointed out the different tourist areas and amusement parks that littered the region so he would know to avoid them. She showed him where the interstate and the Florida Turnpike were, explaining what they were used for as they passed over them. In the distance, they could see planes landing and taking off from Orlando International Airport.
    Slowly, she pushed the heartache for Manota and her sister to a corner of her mind and heart until she could deal with it. She needed to focus on the tasks ahead of them. The first thing she needed to do was convince her parents that she and Star needed them now more than ever. The only way she could help Star now was to bring their parents back. They would do what they did best, wrap Star in their love, listen to her, and support her.
    “There,” Jo said, letting go of Manota’s waist long enough to point out a tall building in the distance. “That’s our condo complex.
    Manota nodded and turned the black air bike toward where she was pointing. The navigation on it would have guided them there but it was nice to see the building they would be landing on before they did. He circled around the top once before gently setting the air bike down on the gravel roof. He climbed off and held his hand out to help Jo as she stepped off. Her legs wobbled for a moment.
    Manota smiled. “I need to cover the air bike. Give me just a minute,” he said, reluctant to release his hold on her hand.
    He didn ’t want to admit that he was nervous as hell about meeting her parents. His biggest fear was that they would refuse to return with them and he would have to either take them by force or leave without them. He would not allow Jo to remain though. She would have to accept that in the end.
    “ The door is locked,” Jo called out as she tried the entrance to the roof. “I should be able to pick it, though,” she added.
    “ I have a device that will unlock it,” Manota said as he finished pulling the silk screen cover over the air bike.
    Jo looked around in surprise but stepped back as Manota pulled a small cylinder from a clip on his belt. He aimed it at the lock which glowed for a moment before dissolving into a molten mess. He replaced the small device back where he got it and pulled the door open.
    “That works,” Jo said quietly with a shake of her head. “Though, the way I was going to do it wouldn’t have left any evidence of someone being here,” she added dryly.
    “ True, but we would have been late. From the research I have done, it does not set a good example to be late the first time I am to meet my