The path to Amy's house wasn't far, and soon Nora found herself staring at the back of the little girl's house. She could just see a swing set on the other side of the fence, but lucky for her, there was a gate. Unlucky for her, she heard Amy playing in the backyard with the family dog, Scott. The two were running, chasing one another and the sound of the little girl's laughter sent a strange thrill into Nora. Somewhere, deep down, she wanted to play with this girl, a sensation and instinct she hadn't had in a long time.
She shook it off, 'What do I do? I can't go in the front...."
As she was wondering what to do, the door to the house opened and Amy's mother appeared. "Amy dear, lunch!"
"Okay!" The girl skipped back inside and the dog collapsed back next to its house. Nora breathed a sigh of relief, but she now had a new problem. How could she get in? Opening the door, she'd be heard and their kitchen butted up to the mud room where she hoped the girl had some clothes laying around to be washed. She could also chance the stairway once inside, going up to Amy's room. She'd just have to pass by the kitchen. But even before that there was the door.
As she surveyed, she noticed a Doggie door. That was her only hope. As she opened the gate, the dog perked up and lifted his head. Nora hissed. "Easy Scott...."
The dog's tail thumped as it stared at her, it gave a little half-bark, too tired to get up or chase her and she was glad. If it had barked a lot, she would have had a lot of attention. She stole up to the house, and looked at the Doggie door. She'd just be barely small enough to fit through, unless she used the watch again to become smaller, and she didn't want to do that. Lifting the flap, she began to squeeze through, but her robe was in the way.
~Crap!~ She thought to herself. The only way through would be to loosen it and come through without the robe, which meant being naked. But she had to do it. She did so, feeling her small heart pounding as she squirmed and squeezed through, bringing the robe, free, with her.
Once inside, she was in the hallway. She could see the stairs up, and the mud room to her right, but straight ahead she could hear the family in the kitchen. Her heart raced as she quickly thought about where to go...