Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush.
8. The Reprieve
It had been a few weeks since the boys had arrived at the farm. The days had begun to blend together for them now. Every day was filled with long hours of work, and little time to play. It frustrated them that their work was never done. It just kept coming. After all, it was a farm. There were always animals who needed feeding, horses that needed grooming, crops that needed tending to, and so on.
The only satisfaction that they felt, was in knowing that the summer was already halfway over. Yes, they were halfway there, and they had manged to survive thus far. They were grateful for the laughter they shared, and the few stolen moments that they could play a game or have a contest. But, they still longed for home.
Thankfully, there were fewer confrontations with the farmer, and they spent much more time unsupervised. Needless to say, they were mastering the art of watching each others backs. Each day, they took turns being the "lookout". There were a few snags along the way, but the farmer had maintained enough distance, that they sometimes went unnoticed. Even Sebastian warned them when the farmer was nearing now. He even alluded as to what sort of mood he was in.
Better still, they had finally come to know the housekeeper, Anna. She was definitely their favorite person at Slate's Acres. She would always stop to talk to them about their day, and offer words of encouragement. In general, Anna was like a substitute mom for the boys.
She always had clean work clothes ready by morning, and their dress clothes for church magically altered to fit. She noticed that they had grown since they had first come to the farm. and jokingly commented that they were going to eat them out of house and home even if it was a farm. She kept a special hiding spot inside the bench in their room where she left snacks from Helga in case they were still hungry. She seemed to telepathically know when one of the boys needed anything at all, and they adored her.
Farmer Slate was also aware that the summer was halfway over. He said that he would give them a reprieve in hopes that they would become comfortable with the strenuous daily routine. In reality, the Farmer was watching them interact with one another. He was learning each boy's personality and along with it, their strengths and weaknesses.
Kendall could be too big for his britches. He felt he had to put him back in his place sometimes. His strength was that he was a good leader. His weakness was that he didn't like to feel vulnerable or unable to lead his friends. If Kendall couldn't be there for his buddies, he would break.
James believed he was too good for the farm at all. He preferred the finer things in life. His strength was his humor, charm, and loyalty. His weakness was hard smelly work. If James was forced to 'rough it', he would crumble.
Carlos could be reckless. His strength was his optimism and loyalty. His weakness was discipline and confinement. If Carlos became separated from the others, he would grow catatonic.
Logan could be a 'know-it-all'. His strength was his vast knowledge. His weaknesses were many. He was insecure, indecisive, and easily intimidated. He was the "weak link". If Logan was abused, the others would do anything to protect him.
He smiled to himself knowing the great lengths they would all go, to stay together.
Little did they know, that they would soon be working harder than they could ever imagine. But first. . . he would give them the reprieve he promised. . ."
They couldn't believe how liberating it was to be out and away from the farmhouse, the crops, the barns, and especially Farmer Slate. True, they were still technically on his land. . . but they could overlook that for the moment. The boys were in high spirits this summer day. The weather was good. Not too hot or humid, and they were given freedom to explore the land as long as they stayed out of trouble.
Helga packed a large picnic basket full of sandwiches and other goodies. They brought a wagon to tote the basket, fishing gear, and other odds and ends. They even remembered to bring a camera to commemorate the occasion. It felt good to wear swim trunks and shorts for a change.
The first clearing they reached was a grassy area with tall surrounding trees, but it was too close to the main entrance, so they continued down the lane. They were curious about what was beyond the cluster of willows that they could see from their window. Sebastian mentioned that there was a nice lake that the boys would enjoy swimming and fishing in.
"Wow!" said James, "this guy sure has a lot of land!"
It was hard to imagine a whole other world beyond the land they had worked for the past few weeks. A silver sheen glistened through the trees, and they spotted the lake's reflection.
"There it is!" Carlos announced. "An actual lake right here, the whole time!" It was a nice size, and Carlos wanted to jump in right away. "Come on!" he called.
"Don't you guys want to keep going and see what else is out there?" Kendall asked hopefully, tipping his cap to the side for emphasis.
"I do," said Logan.
"I'm with these guys," added James, walking toward Kendall and Logan. "We have to pass this way to get back, anyhow."
"Oh, poo. All right." Carlos pouted.
He had discovered the perfect willow on the edge of the lake that he wanted to swing from and jump into the lake. He guessed it would just have to wait. They walked along, hoping the wagon wouldn't become too difficult to pull through the terrain.
"Let's just leave the wagon here," Logan suggested.
"What if animals eat our food?" asked Kendall.
"We can find some heavy rocks to place on top of the basket to secure it," Logan replied. After securing the wagon full of food and fishing gear, they continued their hike.
"It's k-kinda of dark in there, " Carlos said in a small voice, pointing to the wooded area before them.
"Yeah. . . " agreed Logan, "what if there is coyote or other hungry creatures?" he asked with big brown eyes.
"Well," said Kendall with a mischievous grin "that's exactly what we're gonna find out."
James smoothed his hair nervously, not wanting to let on that he was afraid. Carlos reached into the wagon and put on his leather hockey helmet. . . just in case.
It was nice and cool in the dense brush. Oddly enough, there was already a nice worn pathway. It was almost as if someone had walked there many times. It led them through the woods quite easily. Just then, there was a rustling from the bush beside them and a strange chirping noise among the many other nature sounds.
"W-W-What was that?" asked Carlos, moving closer to James.
"I believe that was some sort of weasel," Logan said wisely.
"N-Not a bear?" Carlos asked with concern.
"I believe that Sebastian would have said, 'Have a nice outing, and oh by the way, beware of the bears!'" Kendall said, rolling his eyes.
"It is a little creepy over there," warned James, pointing to trees that were completing enveloped in darkness. The morning mist was still hovering over the ground.
They came to a fork in the path. While Kendall and Logan dared to move on, James and Carlos veered off to avoid it.
"Hey! Look at that weird bird over there!" Carlos said, desperate to avoid the darker route.
James followed Carlos, also wishing to take the less spooky path. They'd hoped that the other two would follow their lead. . . but they did not.
"Uh-oh, where are they?" asked James. The last thing he wanted was to be separated in the woods.
"I don't think they can be too far," said Carlos, spinning in circles.
Suddenly, a voice from a. . . . . tree? It called, "I'll get them!"
James and Carlos squealed, and ran in the opposite direction. They collided with Kendall and Logan who had come to find them.
"The-The tree talked to us!" Carlos exclaimed frantically.
"What?" Kendall asked skeptically.
"It did!" James said, nodding his head. "It said; 'Get them!'"
The boys crept past the talking tree ready to bolt if it spoke again. Kendall spied something red behind the tree. . . and it was moving.
"It is. . . a man in a red plaid shirt!" Kendall said matter-of-factually. "Actually... it's a whole bunch of men!" he squealed in surprise.
They finally got a break! Or did they? Thanks for reading!
