Chapter Two

Change of Plans

The four waited at the bag collection area for Cu. He was in the checked luggage area that was under the plane. They waited for about three hours and later Cu was coming in his cage. He barked with joy to see Ben and Saoirse. A man from the airport came up with a dolly and slide off the cage from the dolly. Ben had open up his carry on to get his waist leash, once he open up the cage to let out Cu he was surprised with Cu jumping on Ben and giving multiple licks to the face which represents love. "Cu I missed you too, ok now get off me." Ben said with a smile. As time went by they sat in the terminal again to board a small plane which they were able to take Cu with.

Hours and hours went by and Conor began to get very impatient. Him and his mother Granny were at the terminal waiting and sitting for their next flight out. "My God, how long does it take to get on a plane here?" Conor said with frustration. "Relax my son, things are not the same here like they are back home. You got to remember that America is a bigger country than Ireland." Granny said as she reads a lifetime magazine. "I guess you're right mum, I will shut up about it. Well at least the kids are enjoying themselves, they sure do like those planes." Conor said as he looked over to see Ben and Saoirse looking outside to runway and seeing all of the American made planes take off and land.

Things were going quite alright until the airport employee came on the loudspeaker giving bad news to anyone who was heading towards to Pennsylvania. "Attention everyone in terminal five." Where they were waiting. "There have been issues due to many reasons why we are announcing this. Anyone on flight to Pennsylvania has been delayed for…...well….surprisingly a week from issues to the runways in Pennsylvania and of course weather conditions. We highly apologize and will offer full refunds to people making one way trips and half refunds to people who are delayed. To do so please show us documents and/or papers such as boarding passes and anything else with your payment method to the terminal five desk, we will write checks for American dollars only. Thank you for the misunderstanding." As soon as the loudspeaker went off, Conor rushed to the desk with documents already in his hand to present to the man behind the counter. "Conor what in God's name are you doing?" Granny demanded as she slowly rushed to catch Conor. " I will not wait in line for hours and hours to get a few pieces of paper." Conor explained. "We are going to stay in the city here instead of going to Pennsylvania, I heard that this place has a lot to offer." Conor said to Granny. Granny nods and walks back to the chair she was sitting in.

After a few minutes Conor got a few thousand worth of American dollars in his hand and begins to walk back to the seat that Granny was sitting on. She was looking through the lifetime magazine while Ben and Saoirse were looking outside to see the planes, unaware that they are staying in New York instead of going to Pennsylvania. Cu on the other hand was with the children, guarding and following them everywhere they went. "Whoa, look at that Saoirse." Ben pointed to the large airport vehicle that was pulling the plane of the runway. "I never knew a car could do that." Ben commented. "Ben how many planes are here?" Saoirse asked. Ben put his hand on his chin and thought about the question. "Maybe about 20, no 10, goodness I do not know that one Saoirse." Ben responded. Saoirse smiled at Ben and told him it was ok that he did not know. "Kids" Conor called. "Come here for a moment, we have something to tell you." Ben called for Cu to come with him and Saoirse came along with them. Once they had gone to Conor they were told that they had to stay in New York. Ben and Saoirse were surprised but not upset, they actually thought New York would be better because of the stories they heard about it.

So they left the airport and went outside to the pickup and drop off area. They stood there looking into space wondering what they should do next and of course where they should go next.

"What kind of place is this? This place is filled with cars and people, many people and many cars. Trash everywhere all over the streets and sidewalks, goodness this was supposed to be the land of opportunity, not the land of filth." Granny complained.

"Mum please calm down, look I know that this place is not what home is like but let's try to be positive about it." Conor says.

Ben looks around to only see some yellow cars driving about. He calls out to Conor and questions the yellow cars and why they look the same.

"Dad, those cars. A lot of them are yellow and have these weird things on top of them, what are they?"

Conor looks at the yellow cars that have the words taxis on top of the yellow cars. They see people wave to get these cars to stop and then tried to do it themselves. Conor waved and waved but no one stopped for them. After a half and hour of waving and Conor's arm cramping up a miracle had happened. A black stretched Lincoln limousine pulled up to the family and the driver rolled down the window on the front passenger side. He scooted over to see who he had stopped for.

"Is your name Conor?" The limo driver asked.

Conor replied politely

"Why yes, I am he."

"Well someone by the name of Don sent me down here to pick up hmm let's see." The driver paused as he looked over his paperwork and continued to speak once he knew what to say next.

"Two children, adult male, adult female and a…...dog?" The driver questioned.

"Yes this is our dog, we brought him all the way from Ireland." Conor replied.

"Well it doesn't say anything about a dog but who cares, the dog is family if it's with you. Let me get your bags and then all of you could get in and we will be on our way."

The driver stepped out of his limo and proceeded to the sidewalk where everyone was with their bags. Soon after the car was loaded up Conor asked the driver where they were going.

"Excuse me um sir, where exactly are we going?"

"Well this Don fella wants us to go to the Plaza hotel down in Manhattan, should take us a bit to get there, because of the traffic that we are having and also with all of these protests. Anyway let's not waste anymore time and hit the road."

Moments after everyone is in the back of the limo, they are surprised to see what it has inside. Luxury style seats, a little fridge, filled with various amounts of drinks, a TV in the corner with a VCR player that was state of the art with various of movies that are out on VCR tapes, a small radio that is tuned to the local radio stations, a small car phone that can connect to the driver himself or out to the public and of course a automated tinted glass window that blocks the driver's view to the back. There was also a switch to roll down the tinted window so that the passengers in the back can see the driver and the road ahead of them. Ben and Saoirse are curious to see what is in the back of the limo since this is their first time (In my theory) that they have been in a limo and start to play with the radio and TV set. Conor explores the fridge to see what is inside. He opens the fridge to see that there are five bottles of water in plastic small bottles, two small glass bottles of whiskey with three small glasses inside, a freezer that contains small ice cubes that looked like they have been there for days. He also sees five small orange juice packs with one straw in a plastic wrapping glued to the side. He thinks that everyone would be thirsty, especially Cu who had his dry tongue sticking out with a demand of water. Conor grabs two bottles of water, two glass cups, two juice packs and a couple of ice cubes in one glass. He gives the juice packs to Ben and Saoirse, a bottle of water to Granny and puts one of the glasses on the floor and pours one of the bottles into the glass. Cu scoots over the cup and takes a lick into the cup, Conor pours more water until Cu was satisfied with the amount of water he had drinked. He lays down in the middle of the limo. Ben and Saoirse look out to the window of the whole entire city, all the tall building surprise them that this place is far more different from home. They sip into the juice packs with the straw that was provided to them and think about what adventures lies next. Saoirse wonders different. She feels a presence in the limo other than her family that are already inside. Something different, was it the driver. No she thought. Than who was it or what is it that is making her feel this way. Suddenly she hears a voice, her surroundings go mute, apart from her mother's voice this one was different, a voice that sounds very different and something she never has heard of before.

"Beware" the voice says "Beware the shell is near, the shell will haunt you, will take you and you will never return, selkie child." The voice fades away and she begins to hear her surroundings once more. She looks at her family to see if they had heard the same thing, but they did not. She takes a deep breath, relaxes herself and begins to hum the Song of the Sea. She smiles with joy knowing that her mother is watching her and keeping her safe. Now knowing a possible threat is lurking over her and possibly her family. She continues to hum while sipping the last drip of a cold orange juice pack.