Chapter One: The News
The sun was hidden behind dark clouds and Alex O'Connell sighed with disappointment. He sat on the front steps of the mansion his family shared with his Uncle Jon. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the sky opened up, pouring down rain, just as Jonathan stepped outside to stand beside his nephew. "Are you coming inside?" he asked, taking a seat beside Alex who shook his head. Jonathan sighed seeing Alex's fishing gear scattered in the driveway. "I'm sure he's doing something very important. You know you're dad." He said. "Uncle Jon, I give up. Dad never feels like doing anything with me anymore. But when Fiona wants to play, he always does." Alex sighed, kicking a rock. "Well," Jonathan said, "Fiona's still little. She's only four. She doesn't have friends that she can play with like you do." Alex stood up angrily and stomped into the house. "He was mine first Uncle Jon! So were you! She just came along like a queen or something and took everyone. I hate her!" Jonathan followed him in and closed the doors behind him. "Alex," he said, entering the library where Alex had settled into a chair with a book, "Fiona is just a little baby. You're twelve now. You don't need your parents to watch after you every minute like she does." Alex rolled his eyes. "He loves you both the same and you know that." Jonathan finished. There was a moment of silence before Alex answered. "I guess you're right Uncle Jon," he said, thoughtfully. "I don't hate Fiona. I love her, I do. But sometimes I just feel like she's more important than me to everyone." "You know Partner," Jonathan began, "I used to feel the same way about your mum. She followed me everywhere. My parents always seemed to love her more. And then when they died, I was twelve and she was eight and everyone was so worried about her. They were my parents too and I needed someone to worry about me too. But I knew that she would need me very soon, and I was right. Because just three years later our granddad died and then grandmum died of a broken heart and I had to watch out for both of us. " Alex had listened very closely and as soon as Jonathan had finished talking, he stood up and started off toward the stairs..
"Where are you going?" Jonathan asked.
"To check on Fiona." He ran up the stairs. Jonathan smiled. As soon as Alex reached Fiona's room there was a knock at the front door. Jonathan shuffled to the door and opened it to find a police officer waiting.
"Can I help you sir?" Jonathan asked, nervously.
"Are you Jonathan Carnahan?" the officer asked. Jonathan nodded. "Is something wrong?"
"Well, " the officer began, "there's no easy way to say this. Your sister and her husband were in an accident. They've both died. As the words floated to his ears Jonathan could feel himself becoming dizzy.
"I'm sorry," the officer said. Alex came quietly down the stairs holding Fiona's hand.
"Thank you," Jonathan said quietly, and closed the door. Then he sank to the ground against the wall and passed out.
The sun was hidden behind dark clouds and Alex O'Connell sighed with disappointment. He sat on the front steps of the mansion his family shared with his Uncle Jon. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the sky opened up, pouring down rain, just as Jonathan stepped outside to stand beside his nephew. "Are you coming inside?" he asked, taking a seat beside Alex who shook his head. Jonathan sighed seeing Alex's fishing gear scattered in the driveway. "I'm sure he's doing something very important. You know you're dad." He said. "Uncle Jon, I give up. Dad never feels like doing anything with me anymore. But when Fiona wants to play, he always does." Alex sighed, kicking a rock. "Well," Jonathan said, "Fiona's still little. She's only four. She doesn't have friends that she can play with like you do." Alex stood up angrily and stomped into the house. "He was mine first Uncle Jon! So were you! She just came along like a queen or something and took everyone. I hate her!" Jonathan followed him in and closed the doors behind him. "Alex," he said, entering the library where Alex had settled into a chair with a book, "Fiona is just a little baby. You're twelve now. You don't need your parents to watch after you every minute like she does." Alex rolled his eyes. "He loves you both the same and you know that." Jonathan finished. There was a moment of silence before Alex answered. "I guess you're right Uncle Jon," he said, thoughtfully. "I don't hate Fiona. I love her, I do. But sometimes I just feel like she's more important than me to everyone." "You know Partner," Jonathan began, "I used to feel the same way about your mum. She followed me everywhere. My parents always seemed to love her more. And then when they died, I was twelve and she was eight and everyone was so worried about her. They were my parents too and I needed someone to worry about me too. But I knew that she would need me very soon, and I was right. Because just three years later our granddad died and then grandmum died of a broken heart and I had to watch out for both of us. " Alex had listened very closely and as soon as Jonathan had finished talking, he stood up and started off toward the stairs..
"Where are you going?" Jonathan asked.
"To check on Fiona." He ran up the stairs. Jonathan smiled. As soon as Alex reached Fiona's room there was a knock at the front door. Jonathan shuffled to the door and opened it to find a police officer waiting.
"Can I help you sir?" Jonathan asked, nervously.
"Are you Jonathan Carnahan?" the officer asked. Jonathan nodded. "Is something wrong?"
"Well, " the officer began, "there's no easy way to say this. Your sister and her husband were in an accident. They've both died. As the words floated to his ears Jonathan could feel himself becoming dizzy.
"I'm sorry," the officer said. Alex came quietly down the stairs holding Fiona's hand.
"Thank you," Jonathan said quietly, and closed the door. Then he sank to the ground against the wall and passed out.