A/N: THIS IS EXTENDED VERSION. SO EVEN IF YOU ALREADY READ FIRST PART, THIS IS THE ACTUAL PART 1. SO 2/3s OF THIS IS NEW TO YOU. :D enjoy!
"C'mon, Martin! Hurry up and get ready! Stop being a slowpoke."
"I can't run that well in these shoes, Chris, I'll fall!"
"Well, I told you you shoulda worn your boots like us."
"Yeah, Christine's right."
"And maybe you should've warn your sweater. Not that puffy coat. It's fall, not winter."
"Susan's right too."
"I didn't ask for you girls's, Christine. And stop siding with them, Chris! As my brother, you're suppose to be with me, not against."
Chris smiled at Martin.
"Well they are right, Martin. What did you think it was gonna snow while we were out?"
Martin's joking mood fell. He stared blankly at his least favorite cousin who was forced to come along as well.
Zach.
Martin groaned inwardly, frowning. None of them had wanted the spoil sport to come along, yet Zach's parents had insisted it while they made preparations for the big dinner...which meant asking their house help to go out and get things. They just hadn't wanted Zach home while they went out for a late brunch together, since they didn't get to much.
Still, Martin wondered why Zach had to be here. He sighed, letting it go. No way to change it anyhow, so why ruin a perfect day?
It was late autumn and the Kratt family was walking together out to a farm not far outside the town they lived in. They planned on picking a live turkey for thanksgiving and the Kratt kids were all excited. Especially the three youngest ones, who had never been to the farm when they could remember. And the next day was Thanksgiving. All things considered, the holiday should go well.
Chris was thrilled to be going to see them and practically skipped alongside Christine, ahead of the others. Even Susan seemed to be hopping with ever step the took, pulling their wagon along for their turkey to ride in. Zach walked near them, acting like he wasn't enjoying the walk. Martin secretly figured he liked the peace of it though. And their parents walked behind the children, strolling on the relaxing afternoon.
The family had left their car parked back at the beginning of the trail to enjoy the cool air and nature walk through the pine forest.
Chris had stopped ahead to pick up a pinecone. When he stood and looked ahead down the trail, his eyes got wide with joy and he gasped. "The turkey farm! I see it!"
He pointed, forgetting about his collection of pinecones. All of them turned excitedly, looking.
"Can we go ahead?" Susan asked, jumping.
Their mom nodded.
"Go on" Mr. Kratt urged.
The girls squealed with delight and ran off, with Chris leading, ahead towards a large barn a few yards away in a clearing.
"Hey, I'm coming too!" Zach called, charging after them...without Martin, who was struggling to really move. Though he really tried.
"Aww! Guys, wait up! Wait for- OW! Ow, ow!"
He tripped trying to go too fast. He pushed himself up with a huff, deciding to discard the coat. After a shirt struggle wiggling out of it (with some help from ), leaving only his sweater he'd worn under it, he dropped it into the wagon Susan had completely discarded, and dragged it along as he ran to catch up.
XxXxXxX
As Martin approached, he noticed the weird smell first. Then the feathers that littered the ground everywhere- some floating through the air- and the loud commotion that sounded like thousands of people speaking gibberish all at once.
He walked for a moment and saw a glimpse of Susan as she was cutting the corner, going around the back of the barn. He jogged to go catch up with his siblings...and what he found was...was the word for it astonishment?
Martin want so much surprised as overwhelmed by the amount of turkey's he saw in the one fenced in field. Looking over the wooden, grated barrier that came up to his shoulders, was a sea of turkeys, all of them different and moving.
Martin realized he couldn't even see the ground inside and a few turkeys were wondering around outside the gate, calm and probably glad to be out of the cramped hold.
Martin blinked and looked around the perimeter, standing on one of low wooden spoke on the fence to look out over the turkeys.
Further down the fence, he saw his siblings and cousin all standing and looking with a man who must have been the farmer that worked here. Or at least one of them. He was leaning on the fence, talking, but Martin couldn't tell what about.
He made his way over to them. Zach was looking bored as he stood on the rail, leaning on the top to look out at the turkeys. Chris stood next to him with more vigor, bouncing as his eyes darted. He seemed to be the one talking to the farmer.
"And we get to take one, Farmer Gerald?" Chris asked.
Zach groaned, beating the farmer to the answer. "For the fourth time, yeah! We get to pick one for thanksgiving."
Chris grinned, not caring about the looks and tone Zach was giving him. "Cool!" he said loudly over the noise the turkeys were making.
"Which one should we get? There are so many!" Christine pointed out, blinking as she skimmed all the birds.
"That one!" Christine said, pointing into the cluster.
Martin blinked, unable to pinpoint it. "Um...which one?" he asked.
"They keep moving!" Zach said, gesturing to all the turkeys. "You can't just point- we'll have to catch them."
The older farmer nodded, smiling with humor. "Yep. We'll all have to work together to get one of those! How about we try grabbing one of the ones outside the fence, then?"
Chris nodded, taking it as a challenge. "Yeah!"
"Boys against girls! The first team to grab a turkey wins and that's the one we take home!" Susan stated, giving Zach a pointed look which he sent back.
Martin wondered if that meant something.
"But that's not fair," Christine pointed out, "There's three boys. Only two of us."
Gerald stepped in. "I have an idea. My little girl could help you out. I would, but I'm not as fast." he joked.
The farmer turned and called towards the barn. "Sarah! Come'er, darling!"
Not even three seconds later, a stormy grey-eyed brunette girl about 8 years old (wearing worn jeans, an orange shirt, and boots with her hair tied in a pigtail) came running around the front of the barn towards them. She grinned when she saw them and waved.
"Hi! I'm Sarah. I guess you guys are here to get a turkey. I saw your ma and dad in the front yard. They said they'll wait for you. I'm Sarah."
"You said that already" Zach pointed out.
Martin gave him an unimpressed look before turning to Sarah. "Hi. Yeah, my brother, sisters, and cousin are about to get one. I'm Martin. That's Christine, Susan, Chris, and Zach."
Chris, Susan, and Christine waved respectively. Zach nodded to her ever so slightly.
"But it's an uneven competition. Could you be on the girl's team, sweetie?" her dad asked.
Sarah nodded happily. "Sure."
Zach huffed. "That still doesn't seem very even...but whatever. We'll still beat you."
Susan gave him a teasing smile. "You are so on, Zach."
Martin was ready to start. "Okay, okay, let's start alr-"
"On your mark get set go!" Chris rattled off, taking off across the field no sooner, scaring a few turkeys in the process.
The others stood staring for a moment before they also ran off.
Now, saying you're gonna catch a turkey and actually trying- Martin found- were two different things. But he was more surprised by the fact that Zach was running beside him and keeping up.
He decided not to bring it to the other's attention. "Okay," he said as they ran after Chris, the girl's team running off towards a group of turkeys a few yards away, "We gave to work together. Try aiming for the same turkey."
Zach nodded. Wow, he seemed really fixed on beating the girls. Martin knew he was competitive, but what was that about?
"Look! Chris is about to grab one!" Zach said, pointing ahead.
Chris was chasing one down and he was close. He was right behind the turkey, but it kept dodging him and veering ever attempt Chris made to grab it. Martin had to admit, it was fast. Also, it was a rather big bird- a little over half the four year-old's size. It was also really pretty with all the colorful feathers, more so than a few Martin had looked at individually.
And Chris seemed determined that that one would be his.
So the two older boys helped him. Martin had to work with Zach in order for them to finally have caught it.
Zach blocked it long enough for Martin get it. The turkey just stood there afterwards and Chris sat beside it, petting it happily. He looked up at them, smiling. "He's just sitting here. After we caught him, he just...stayed.
"But did we win?" Zach asked.
"Nope."
"What?" Zach said, turning. Sure enough, the girls were already standing there, their turkey with them.
Susan had said it, smiling cheekily. "We watched you guys get yours after we got ours. Sarah knew exactly how to catch one!" Christine smiled.
Susan nodded, walking over to Zach."You lost, Varmitech."
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Zach said, stuffing his hand in his pocket and pulling out something. He thrust it into Susan's hand, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. Susan took her prize- a...candy bar.
Martin blinked. "You guys made a bet?"
Both nodded.
"Girls won. So I got the chocolate bar" she winked, putting it in her pocket.
"Aww. Does that mean Thomas isn't gonna go home with us?"Chris asked sadly.
"I see what you did there." Susan giggled.
Sarah smiled. "Not necessarily. You guy's turkey looks better than ours."
Martin looked at his younger brother. "Wait...you named the turkey?"
Chris nodded. Zach snorted, looking at Martin. "Wait, your brother doesn't know, does he?"
"Know what?" Chris asked, frowning.
Martin frowned too. "You know what, let's not make a big deal out of it...so which turkey are we taking?"
"That one" Christine said, looking to Chris's. "I think he's the best."
Chris grinned. "Yes!"
Sarah nodded, letting the one they caught go. "Okay. I'll tell my dad you got the one you wanted. That was fun! You should come back some time! Com'on."
A/N: I abuse the privilege of italics :B I can't stop it now that I've figured them out. Also, excuse any grammar mistakes or writing edits I missed and didn't take out before posting. I was rushing a little...
If this one is received well, I'll post part two soon enough...even if it isn't thanksgiving anymore. Also, I hope everyone (whether you celebrated or not) had a nice Thursday Turkey Day! ^^ mine went well, how was yours?