The Falling Darkness

Chapter 1:

It's around Thanksgiving time and the Ingalls family received a letter from Grandpa Ingalls, telling them that grandma has passed. Charles reading the letter and having a tear in his eye and hugging Caroline tight says, ''Ma, Ma" Caroline doing her best to comfort Charles brings him closer to her and then Charles says, "Pa never even told us she was sick. Now he is living by himself a stubborn old man living by himself."

"Well, why don't you bring him here?" Caroline asks.

Charles,"What?"

"Bring that stubborn old man here to live with us.'' Caroline answers.

Charles says, "I will try!"

Charles is on the train to go to his Pa. He is sitting on the train and remembering back to his childhood days. As the train director comes by to collect train tickets the director says, "Going along way?"

Charles answers, ''Yes, I'm going home!"

Charles arrives at his Pa's place and tries to convince him to move to Walnut Grove with him and his family and Grandpa Ingalls says, ''I can't son, I can't leave your Ma here by herself!"

Pa, there is nothing here for you, you are alone" Charles says.

Charles heading over to his Ma's grave and laying some flowers by her grave says, "Ma, I tried, I don't know what else to do."

Then Charles sees flames in the house. His Pa has started a fire. Charles runs into the house gets his Pa out and Grandpa Ingalls says, "Why didn't you let me die?"

"Not this way Pa" Charles says, "Not this way! you are coming home with me!"

Grandpa Ingalls, okay son, okay!

Charles and Grandpa Ingalls head back home and when they arrive Caroline, Mary, Laura and Carrie all give Grandpa a big hug and the evening is filled with laughing, singing and dancing to Pa's fiddle. The evening is progressing and getting late Charles takes Grandpa Ingalls to the siddy and Charles tells his Pa, ''We will be adding to the house for you to move in soon."

Grandpa Ingalls, "No! Not yet son!"

Charles says nothing but, "Ok, Pa, goodnight."

The next day Grandpa Ingalls and Laura or out in the field with Bunny, Laura's horse and grandpa says, ''You have a good running horse there."

Laura says, "Grandpa let me show you how fast he runs, time me from that tree on the other side of the field and back."

Grandpa as he is getting out his stopwatch says, "On your mark, get set GO!"

As Laura is running Bunny she doesn't see a wire fence in the path and Bunny trips over it. Laura falls off and hits her head really hard on a rock and is unconcious. Bunny is really bad hurt. Grandpa runs over to Laura and sees blood on the rock and the ground. Grandpa hurries back to the house to get Charles and says, "Charles it's Laura and Bunny they are bad hurt. Laura was running Bunny and didn't see a wire fence."

Charles grabbing his gun as Caroline says, ''Oh, Charles NO!"

"I don't know how bad the horse is hurt," says Charles.

Grandpa and Charles arrive at the scene and sees that Bunny is too bad off to be saved so Charles shoots Bunny. Laura still unconscious. Charles puts her on the wagon and rides into Dr. Baker's office and says, "My little girl fell off her horse and is unconscious."

Dr. Baker says bring her in and lay on the bed in the back." Dr. Baker looks at her and cleans the blood off the child's head and says that the cut is really bad and says, "She is going to need stitches." Then Dr. Baker looks at Laura's eyes and can tell there is something wrong and will be unconscious for awhile and says, "Charles, We may not know anything till tomorrow you go home and rest and come back tomorrow morning."

Charles says, "I can't leave my girl here by herself, I will take Pa home and come back after supper."

"Ok, Charles", Dr Baker says.

Taking Grandpa Ingalls home and telling Caroline, Mary and Carrie what has happened and that Laura is unconscious. Caroline sends the girls to bed and then says, ''Oh Charles,"

Charles says, "Caroline, she is going to be ok Dr. Baker is taking care of her."

Charles goes back to Dr. Baker's office and Dr. Baker says she is still unconscious but I was able to stitch her head up. You may stay with her tonight.

Charles walks into Laura and kisses her on the forehead and and says, "Laura you are going to be ok!"

Charles sits down in the chair by the bed and says a prayer for his little girl.

To Be Continued...