Hello readers! I've had the idea for this all summer and it all came down to getting it online. Here it is!
Fall
"-3-2-1! Ready or not, here I come!" a ten year old John Watson called to his hidden sister. They had been playing in that park ever since their mummy had gotten frustrated with the two high energy children and set them free to run around the park while she caught up with her weekly writing quota. That was almost four and a half hours ago. John wasn't worried about his mum getting mad at them for staying out to long, as long as they made home for supper. This was going to be their last game before heading back home, which was within walking distance for small feet.
In the time they spent at three park that day, they had played tag, explorers (a make believe game in which the siblings pretend the park was a jungle), had held races, contests, and lastly they played tag.
It was a game John had never been fond of. Harriet, even though she was merely seven, was a master at the art of hiding from her family. John didn't stand a chance. He never did when it came to tag. The worst part was that he never gave up, and to get out out of whatever uncomfortable position Harry found herself in she had to give herself away.
That was not going to happen this time. This time they were both set on winning. This time no one gave up. That was fine at first, but as minutes turned into an hour, John was seriously worried about the smallest Watson.
"Harriet? HARRIET!" John cried, stumbling over a tree root as the day turned into dusk. The familiar lump of panic grew in his throat. It was the same panic he had felt when his three year old sister caught the flu and ended up in the hospital.
John was normally a very calm person. He could face down a bully without fear. He could make his parents stop shouting at each other just by calmly mentioning how thin their townhouse walls were. But when something was wrong with his baby sister, all sense of normalcy flew out the window.
"HARRY! HARRIET WHERE ARE YOU?!" John shouted, tears threatening to form in his ten year old eyes. He was shaking with panic when he heard a noise above him. Slowly, John looked up.
In the quickly dimming light, the fall leaves gave no clues as to what made the noise. The sound had been to loud to have been naturally made by the tree, or a small woodland creature. He was about to move on until he heard,
"Give up, Johnny! I'm not coming down until you give up!" Harriet was sitting at least three meters (or fifteen feet) up in the air, swinging her legs.
"Harry, come down. Please. You're going to get hurt. Mommy's going to be mad. We've got get home for dinner!" John cried.
"I'm not coming down until I win this bloody game and that's that!"
'But I already found you!"
"Only because I let you. You found me but you can't tag me to get me out, meaning the game is still on. We both know you're a rubbish climber. Give up, and I'll come down," the devious girl called.
"I hate you sometimes, you know that?" John sighed just loud enough for his sister to hear. He wasn't going to climb up and get her. Nor was he going to give up. Even at ten it was against his principle. What was also against his principle was letting someone in his care get injured. If he gave up, he might be able to get Harry down before dark. If he didn't, who knows when she was going to get down. She couldn't stay up there forever; they both knew it. Think, John! You need to get Harry down from there! She needs you! Just give up. No! Don't give up! Dad always says you've got to stand up for your beliefs.
So conflicted in his mind, John slumped against Harry's tree until his elbows were on his knees, hos arms were hanging in between uselessly, and his head hung down. Even in the dim light Harry knew that position. It was the position daddy always took on the front step after he and mummy had and argument.. It was the positron of a man who'd surrendered to hopelessness. Harry realized what she was doing to her older brother and wanted kick herself. She made John Watson hopeless, and he had surrendered. John Watson never gave up. Harry realized she made him do this, and she'd do anything to fix it.
"J-Johnny?" A small voice called to her brother.
"Yeah, Harry?" He asked, not getting up or moving at all.
"... I'm scared..."
That brought his attention and focus back from where ever that had been. He shot up and before she could blink, her brother was standing a foot from the tree with his hands cupped around his mouth.
"It's going to be okay, Harry. You've just got to climb down. Don't look down okay, Harry? Don't look at me, just climb. That's it. Nearly there. One branch at a time. Come on, Harry, don't worry, okay? You're almost down," John encouraged.
She was nearly down. She was going to be safe before dark. She was about a meter (a yard) off the ground! But as she grabbed down for the next branch, Harriet lost her grip and fell.
"HARRY!" John shouted as the world seemed to slow down to a crawl. Harriet screamed as she fell, and as she landed hard on the forest ground. John knelt by his fallen sister, swearing that he would become a doctor one day.
"It's going to be alright, Harry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I should have caught you, I know. Don't cry, Harriet, please. Don't cry. I'm your big brother and I'm going to take care of you, I promise, I'll always be there for you," John cried. He took a deep breath and calmed down. "Alright, Harry, we've got to get you home, and that means moving. Do you feel anything broken?"
"M-my l-left leg and arm hurt," Harry answered.
"Alright," John said in a soft calming voice. He went to her right side and continued to saying, "I'm going to help you up from this side. Don't use your left leg, okay? We're going to stand up on three. One, two, three!" He lifted his sister up, carrying most of her weight.
It took at least a half an hour to get home. By then it was dark and their parents were panicking. The parents rushed their little girl to the hospital. She went home with two casts, a wheelchair, and orders to never go climbing in a tree at dusk.
One of the only orders Harriet Watson will ever follow.
"You both should be more careful. John, you're Harriet's big brother, meaning you have to watch over her. Even after a fight. Harriet, you have to listen to John. You might not always like what he says but you've got to know he's trying to help you," Mrs. Watson lectured.
"But what if he's just being stubborn!" Harriet asked, pouting.
"Well listening to him will most likely she better than falling out of a tree. I trust his judgment," Mrs. Watson replied, eyebrows raised.
"Yes mummy," Harriet sighed.
"Oh! what am I going to do with you two!"
"I don't know, mummy, but I do know one thing!" John said.
"What's that, dear?"
"I won the game!"
Holy cow that's longer than I expected it to be. I hope you enjoyed it! Please review, favorite and or follow!