Friends
By Thomas Mc

Chapter 2 : Unexpected Meeting

Sharon and her brother Michael had been collecting wood for the lakeside beach fire-pit. Her other siblings, Devin and Caroline, had gone the other direction on a similar mission. Mom and Dad were inside the lake-house, probably doing mushy grownup stuff. As she and Michael were approaching the lake fire-pit carrying the bundles of dried wood, they were deep in a discussion that consisted mostly of "Yes you did." and "No I didn't."

They both came to a startled halt as, first Michael then Sharon spotted the young girl sitting up next to the fire-pit and staring back at them. Then the girl reached out and shook the other form on the deck next to her and a boy sat up, glanced around and was soon also staring back at them. Michael could clearly sense a combination of surprise, guilt and fear coming from both of them. For several seconds they all remained frozen staring at each other.

Unseen, Devin and Caroline, also carrying loads of firewood, had both reached the edge of the woods behind the two unknown children. Devin had sensed the two strangers and stopped just before entering the clearing. Caroline glanced over at Michael and Sharon, then back at the two unknown children. This was not good. Those two children had seen Michael. He didn't even have a shirt on to hide his furry torso.

Caroline turned to Devin and whispered. "Quick, scan the area. Make sure there are no others around."

Devin replied just as quietly. "I already have. Those two are the only others around."

"Good, stay out of sight. They've already seen too much."

Devin rolled his eyes. "I know what to do."

Out on the beach, Sharon, finally shook herself out of her stunned state, then she turned and smacked Michael on the arm. "Why didn't you notice?" She asked him accusingly.

"Hey." Michael shook himself out of his surprise and glanced at his sister. "You distracted me."

Keeping her eye on the strangers, Sharon slowly set her bundle on the ground and whispered to Michael. "Don't scare them." She cautiously approached the two unknown children on the deck. She raised her voice. "What are you doing here?"

Desmond edged closer to his sister. Madison continued to stare at the strange creature that looked like he was half boy and half lion. Neither had the presence of mind to respond to the girl that was approaching them. Both children were feeling guilty and afraid as they remembered some of the more lurid stories they had heard in town.

While Devin remained hidden in the woods, Caroline approached the deck from behind the two strangers. When she was halfway to the fire-pit, she started circling around until she was in the two stranger's line of sight then spoke. "Who are you? Why are you on our land?"

Madison was surprised when a second girl appeared to her left and tried to split her attention between the second girl and the creature. She finally managed to squeak out. "We didn't mean nothin'. We just wanted to see the lake." She put her arm protectively around her brother. "Please don't let it eat us." She pleaded desperately as she continued to stare at the creature.

Michael crossed his arms and snorted in disgust.

Caroline slowly approached. "Don't be afraid. He won't hurt you, but you're not supposed to be here."

Madison continued to stare at the lion-boy creature standing there with his arms crossed. "Are . . . are you sure he won't hurt us?" She thought about the roaring sounds she had heard yesterday and shivered.

By now Sharon and Caroline were both standing at the edge of the deck. Caroline as the oldest took control of the situation. "Of course." She spoke reassuringly to the two children. "Michael would never hurt you." She raised her voice slightly. "Would you, Michael?"

"Of course not." Michael responded indignantly.

Madison was surprised and amazed. It could talk.

Caroline again spoke up. "You need to leave right now before you get into trouble."

Michael could sense the girl's fear fading and decided to try to move a bit closer.

Caroline continued. "Where did you come from?"

Keeping her eyes on Michael, Madison pointed to the south. We're camped out over that way . . . past the wall."

Michael spoke up. "We had better take you back where you belong." He glanced up at the sky. "It's close to lunch time. People will be looking for you"

Madison felt a tiny spurt of apprehension at the mention of lunch. Mom and Dad would be looking for them. She and Desmond hurriedly put on their shoes, all the while glancing worriedly at Michael. Very soon they were all headed back through the woods towards the south wall. As they walked along in silence Desmond clung to his sister while she kept glancing over at Michael. Michael had taken up position on the other side of Caroline from Madison. And Sharon was walking next to Desmond. Neither of the two intruder children was aware that Devin was following them at a discrete distance.

~ o ~

Jacob and Linda had been sitting together on the love seat in the sunroom at the back of the house. He was reading an old science fiction book by a Doctor Edward E. Smith to her when he stopped reading and looked up. She could feel the unease in him through their bond as well as see it in his eyes.

"What is it, Jacob?" She looked at him concerned.

"I'm not sure. Something has disturbed the kids." There was no sense of danger from them so he didn't think it could be too serious. He looked over at Linda with a half grin and a shrug. "A disturbance in the force." He closed the book. "They're defiantly worried about something though. Maybe I'd better check it out." He stood up and headed toward the front of the house.

As he reached the large bay window, in the front of the house, he caught a glimpse of Michael, Caroline, Sharon and what looked like two unknown young children, disappearing into the woods on the south side of the lake near the fire-pit.

He didn't see, but he could sense, Devin in the woods near where the group had disappeared. He turned to Linda. "It looks like they caught a couple of intruders but I don't know why Michael allowed himself to be seen."

"I'm sure they have a good reason, dear. They're not feeling endangered are they?" Jacob shook his head. "Then I'm sure everything is OK and they'll tell us what happened when they get back."

~ o ~

As they were walking through the woods, Caroline finally broke the silence. "My name is Caroline." She pointed at Sharon. "This is my sister, Sharon." She smiled at Madison. "What are your names?"

Madison dragged her attention away from the creature, they had called him Michael, to respond. "Um, my name is Madison, Desmond is my brother." She glanced back at the creature. "Ah, um, what . . . what is he?"

Michael glanced over at her. "I'm Michael, that's what I am."

"Oh, he's just my little brother." Caroline responded.

"Your brother?" Madison remarked in surprise.

"Yea, I know he looks a bit different but he's really not so bad, as brother's go." Caroline remarked, giving Michael a nudge in the ribs.

Sharon spoke up. "Where are you from?"

Desmond finally spoke. "We live in New York."

"So do we." Sharon blurted out brightly.

"Sharon!" Caroline admonished her, glaring at her sister.

"Well I didn't say where in New York." Sharon defended herself.

"Actually we live in upper Manhattan." Madison added. Then she looked at Michael. "You know you kinda look a lot like the stories I've heard about the Creature of Central Park," She looked uncertain as she scanned him up and down. ". . . only you're not as big as the stories say."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Now see what you've done."

"Hey I can't help it if I look like Dad." Michael retorted in self defense.

"Michael!" Caroline exclaimed.

Madison's eyes got wide as her mind leaped to a conclusion. "Your dad is the Creature?"

Michael scrunched up his shoulders. "Oops, I wasn't s'pose to say that." He glanced contritely at Caroline. "Sorry."

Desmond was glancing back and forth between his sister and the lion-boy as comprehension dawned.

~ o ~

Following unobserved behind them, Devin was listening to their conversation and shaking his head. This was getting out of hand but there was nothing he could do about it. Father would not be happy when he heard what had happened. He knew that his father was already aware that something unusual was going on and could already feel his concern and growing curiosity. The worst part was that once Father knew what had happened, he would probably cut their vacation short and keep them all in the lake house for the rest of the day. It looked like lunch around the campfire was out and they would be heading back home tonight.

By now the fear within the two intruders had completely disappeared and had been replaced by a combination of wonder and curiosity. That could generate questions that would be even more destructive than the fear. As he watched them he noticed that the girl, Madison, had shifted position and was now walking next to Michael.

~ o ~

Madison kept staring at Michael and he could feel the curiosity building in her. Finally she couldn't hold it back and asked. "So , ah . . . What exactly are you?" She glanced down a moment then back at him. "Are you an alien or something."

Caroline rolled her eyes as Sharon giggled.

Michael glanced back at Madison a moment. "Or something." He shrugged and grinned. "Dad always says 'I am what I am'." Again he shrugged. "I'm just me."

"Here we are." Caroline announced as they approached the wall. They stopped and she took Madison's and Desmond's hands in hers. "You know, Michael and Dad are a secret. You can't tell anyone about them. 'Sides no one will believe you if you do."

Madison glanced at each of them. "OK. We won't tell anyone." She looked at her brother. "Right Des?"

Desmond looked at Michael then at his sister and nodded his head. "Uh, hu."

Caroline glanced at Michael and he nodded in the affirmative. They meant it, at least for now.

Michael helped both of them climb over the wall and watched as they both headed back to their parents. Devin came up to join his siblings just as Madison and Desmond disappeared into the woods south of the wall. At that moment they clearly heard a distant woman's voice calling, "Madison, Desmond, lunchtime."

"We'd better get back and tell mom and dad what happened." Devin told them. The other three all groaned. They knew what that meant. It looked like their little vacation was over.

~ o ~

As soon as they got back to the lake house, the four children explained to their parents what had happened.

Michael ended with an apology. "I'm sorry father, I should have been scanning more carefully."

Jacob shook his head. "It's not your fault. You had no reason to expect intruders, and you can't be expected to keep your guard up constantly all day long. Besides I know how it is with sisters." He gave Sharon a half smile as he remembered a few engrossing, and sometimes heated, discussions with his own sisters.

Jacob got on the phone and made a couple of calls. After he was done he faced his family. "OK, everything's set. They will be here around dinnertime and we'll leave as soon as it's dark." He shook his head as he shrugged his shoulders. "I know how disappointed you all are but we just can't take a chance."

Devin spoke for the rest of his siblings. "It's OK dad, we understand."

Linda spoke up. "Looks like hotdogs at the lake is canceled so I had better heat up the stove." She turned and headed into the kitchen.

~ o ~

While they were eating lunch, Terry and Tonya noticed that both their children seemed unusually subdued. Finally Terry asked. "So what have you two been doing all morning?" Both children looked at him startled and he could swear there was a hint of guilt in their eyes.

Desmond looked at his sister as she responded. "We were just playing over by the wall."

"You both know better than to cross that wall, don't you?" He asked looking closely at both his children.

"We know that, Daddy." Madison responded.

There was no doubt about it. He was sure that his children had crossed that wall. And judging by their reactions, what they had encountered over on the neighbor's property had definitely left an impression on them both.

He thought maybe it was time to change the subject. "You both remember what we have planned for this afternoon."

Desmond immediately brightened but Madison still looked a bit pensive. Tonight after dinner Terry figured that he would have a long talk with her and find out just exactly what had happened to them over beyond that wall. For now, however, they would just finish lunch and enjoy the afternoon.

Continued in Part 3

'Beauty and the Beast' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.