"Are we almost there?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm the oldest."

"That's doesn't mean you know."

"Aron just sleep."

"No, I don't wanna."

"Aron for god's sake if you complain one more time I will-"

"Aron sweetie," Claire quickly interrupted before Cassidy could say something she'd regret."Your sisters stressed so can you please just hum or look around while we find a place to set up camp?"

The other's snickered while Cassidy grimaced. Jim was shocked by his daughter's behavior, he understood she had a ton on her plate, taking care of all her siblings but she just could snap so easily between being nice and threatening her siblings. The weirder part was none of the kids seemed phased by it, like it was normal. Doctors had said she could possibly have mental troubles so it could be something relating to that or just her being an angsty teenager.

"Fine," Aron humphed, annoyed as Emilia who was asleep beside him in the cart, rolled over his shirt." Ugh gross Emi!" he complained, trying to push her away but she was out cold.

Jim noticed Cassidy twitching again. Was it a tick of sorts? He wasn't sure why he noticed it. She'd only done it a few times in it was just a quick cock of the head, a shrug of her shoulders, and shift of her torso. None of the kids and Claire didn't even seem to notice it but Cassidy did. Whenever she twitched there was just a second that she acknowledged it before returning to normal as nothing had happened.

Another twitch and no one noticed. But following this one Cassidy made almost silent wine in the back of her throat. She tense dup for a moment before sighing." Thanks," she said towards Estelle who just smiled compassionately.

"Your welcome." she chimed, beginning to hum like a bird. The hums made a calm feeling come over everyone and once again, none of the kids noticed it but both Claire and Jim did.

"Are you doing that on purpose?" Claire asked, noticing the quickly second of confusion on Estelle's face before realizing what she meant.

"Ya," she said, the hums stopping and Cassidy twitched again but no cry followed."It's kinda like how Cass's a Seer. I can influence what other people are feeling and thinking about. Not control entirely but influence."

"Ya, and it can be really annoying." Aron stated, emphasizing the word "really".

"You got that right," Jaime added on, nudging Estelle in the arm who just rolled her eyes.

"Earlier!" Jim exclaimed, lucky that they were far from Lurge at that point."In the cave that-that was you."

Estelle nodded though she frowned."Yup," she responded frown still present Jim once again thought of his father but this time also his mother, how he only had a minimal amount of good memories of them together.

"Stop it," Cassidy ordered. Her fist clenched and she gritted her teeth. She didn't look at Estelle but continued to walk, trying with all her strength to ignore what she was thinking about, what her sister was influencing her to think about.

"Cass," Estelle started, not ending the influence that was only on Cassidy at that point and stronger than ever."I think it would be good if you-"

"No!" she yelled, tears running down her boney cheeks."Thinking about that won't fucken help!"

"Cassidy." Claire reprimanded though Cassidy didn't seem to notice.

Estelle kept strong, not ending her influence on her sister."Cass, I get you don't want to but it will be I know it'll be better if you think about it."

"It won't, okay!" she yelled again."Thinking back won't change anything! It won't change my choices! It won't change mom and dad disappearing! It won't change what happened to Rowan!" she cried out, fully balling her eyes out as she lashed out on her sister who'd stayed strong for all long as she could. The influence broke and Cassidy untensed, turning away from Jim and everyone else's shocked looks as they watched her.

"Whose Rowan?" Claire asked, worried it could be their younger brother or some other relative.

Cassidy didn't respond, she just instinctively grabbed her firefly necklace that hung around her neck."We'll camp here." she stated, not waiting or any response before she began to unpack the cart that only held four small boxes, an Emilia and an Aron. Jim kept an eye on Cassidy as she did the task in silence, laying out a few rags that they sued as blankets or sleeping bags.

"Take the littles to get firewood," Claire said, "I'm going to try to talk to her."

Jim nodded."Good idea." he turned as Claire walked in the opposite direction towards Cassidy." Wanna help me get firewood," he asked, Emilia, nodding her head while the other three nodded slowly, not wanting to go but knowing it was best. They walked out into the dark forest, a chilly breeze blowing past. Jim frowned."You guys don't have any warmer clothes?"

Jaime shook his head."No, we were wearing these when everyone went missing and we haven't found any else."

"So what exactly happened?" Jim asked, kicking up dried sticks that could be used to light a fire. All of the kids shared expressions of unsureness.

"It's fine to tell him," Estelle said."We were at Gran and Papa's anniversary party. We went into the woods and when we came back the entire party was gone. Everyone was gone. All that was left were a few things scattered across the ground that we brought with us. We started searching for anyone and after a few days came across Lurge. Ever since then we've been running from him, moving at least once a week." she explained, all frowning at the story that was their reality.

"I'm... so sorry," Jim apologized though he didn't need to. He wondered how they hadn't come across anyone since then, not even another animal. It was like a loop, some endless loop that they were all trapped in.

"It's not your fault," Jaime assured him."Or I guess our dad and mom's fault."

"But how haven't you come across anyone and where are we even?" he asked,d wanting to help them in any way.

"We're not sure. The party was in Arcadia, in Grandma and Papa's backyard but when we came back from the woods, the house was gone and we were just in an endless forest." she said."There's been no sign from anyone, that anyone is even alive."

"They are!" Emilia yelled, tugging at the hem of her sister's shirt(well dress technically).

Jaime frowned angrily."Em don't start again,"

"They are!" she yelled louder this time. Estell frowned and got down on her knees, now the same height as Emilia. She cupped the girl's cheek and stared her in the eyes. Jim felt himself calming down and Emilia seemed much calmer, sleepy as well. Estelle propped her on her back in a piggyback position, standing back up.

"Em says she can hear mom and dad." Estelle explained."It's not true or at least I think it's not true but we can't be sure."

"How can't you?" Jim asked as they continued to mindlessly collect wood.

"Cass is a Seer, I have an influence on other's emotions. Of course, you both knew Cass was a seer before she was born but you didn't discover I could also do some form of magic until I was around 4. You guys suspected when she was born she'd have some sort of magic but we're not sure." she informed him.

"Oh," Jim said." Do you have any like abilities?" he asked Aron and Jaime.

Holding his brother who was basically sleepwalking by the hand Jaime shook his head."No, we don't but personally, I'm glad I don't."

"Why?"

"It's not for me, but having abilities can be a burden of sorts." Estelle sighed."It's really hard on Cass."

Jim frowned, he knew this future could be changed but worried since his daughter was a seer and there was no changing that."How so?"

Estelle's frown deepened."She knows everything about her future. Since she was six she's known how she was or is going to die." Jim felt his heart skip a beat. That was awful, having your entire life planned out before you, knowing there was no changing any of it."She doesn't talk about the visions often, you and mom always say it's better if we know as little as possible but I know it's hard for her to not have someone to talk to."

"That's terrible," Jim stuttered.

"It is, we share a room or did before this. She has insomnia which means she can't sleep a lot but sometimes I think she's just scared too." Estelle said, counting up the wood."I think we've got enough."

"How far apart are you girls?" he asked as they turned in the direction back towards the camp.

"About a year and a half," Estelle said. a year and a half. In their time three months had passed meaning Claire would get pregnant with her in the next few months. The fact was choking to Jim since they'd only discussed more kids once before and decided to wait some time so they could be in a home or apartment of their own and have some more money to support both."If Cass is right about the timing my birthday should be some time this week."

"How old are you turning?"

"15," she answered, rubbing her arms as they approached midnight, one of the coldest times of the day. Jim frowned and removed his sweatshirt, draping it over her shoulders. She smiled, pulling it over Emilia who was dead asleep on her back."Thank you,"

"You don't have to thank me." Jim informed her." About Cass, what did she mean when you were influencing her thoughts? What were you trying to make her think about?"

Estelle bit her lip, unsure whether she should answer or not."Cass has a lot on her plate. Jaime and I try to help but it's really no use. I just thought if I made her think about something she'd feel better and move past it but I think I just made things worse." Jim frowned, feeling and for his second-oldest daughter." Cass and I have always been close, being only a year apart. But recently she's just been going through some hard things with the visions, Rowan and-"

"That name, uhh Rowan," Jim said."She said something about him when she was under your influence. Who is he?"

Estelle frowned, deep in thought."Never mind," Jaime spoke for her as they neared the camp. He could see Claire sitting by the spot where the fire would be but didn't see Cassidy." They can't know about the future." he reminded his big sister who nodded in agreeance.

"Jaime's right, I'm sorry but there are some things you can't know yet," Estelle said, layin Emilia down on the hard forest floor, laying his sweatshirt on top of her as a blanket.

A frown of disappointment etched on his face, Jim walked over to claire, whispering quietly."Did you talk to her?"

Claire sighed with a shrug."I tried but she wouldn't. What did they say"

Jim sighed."I'll tell you later."

Cassidy showed up again, in her hands holding mint." Here," she said handing Claire and Jim each a twig." It isn't that good but it's edible." she told them, taking a bite of her own. Forcing a pleasant smile on her face she handed each of her siblings a piece, sitting in front of the fire Jaime had started, Aron sitting comfortably in her lap. She wrapped the sweater around him and her frown returned."This place isn't safe. I saw some of Lurge's footsteps. They weren't too fresh but he's definitely come by this way before."

"In the morning we'll move back underground," Estelle said.

Jaime yawned, nodding sleepily."First sleep."

Cassidy nodded but unlike her siblings, she didn't lay down. She continued to stare at the fire, the gas under her eyes dark and obvious. She gently patted her brother's bottom, humming the tune of some Disney song to lull him to sleep."Aren't you going to sleep?" Claire asked, warming her first bitten hands by the fire.

Cassidy turned to her and shook her head."I can't sleep."

"Insomnia." Jim assumed even though he knew, Estelle informing him minutes earlier.

"Ya," she responded, staring with a captivated expression at the fire. One of her hands trailed from beneath Aaron and to her firefly necklace that seemed to hold some amount of meaning. Jim frowned and leaned against a tree, Claire falling asleep beside him. He continued to watch Cassidy noticing her consent twitches. She probably assumed he was asleep because half an hour later she sighed depressingly whispering to herself." I'm sorry," he didn't know if she could tell he was awake and that was meant for him, or if she was apologizing to someone else.

. . .

"Let's leave the cart." Estelle suggested, the next morning."It makes us go slower and doesn't really hold much."

"Ya but it holds Em and Aron, you know they can't make it all the way there," Jaime argued, leaning against the cart.

"Ess is right," Cassidy remarked, sitting on her knees by the fire which she was putting out."They'll have to walk."

Aron moaned."But it's so far."

"You'll be okay," Claire assured him."If you get tired I can give you piggyback."

Aron perked up at that but Jaime moaned once more."Don't say that. He'll never let you live it down." he informed her, unboxing the kart."Cass, what should we bring?"

"Just what you can carry without overloading yourself," she said, beginning to stand up. Jim had been watching her all morning and ever since what she'd said last night he couldn't stop wondering who that "I'm sorry" was meant for. She seemed in a better mood that morning and for what he could tell hadn't slept throughout the night though she didn't let it show. As she stood, she quickly began to button her sweater."Let's try going farther down the river this time. So we'll still have access tow after but we're further away from-" she stopped mid-sentence, twitching again but this twitch was longer. She slammed her eyes shut, and her breathe buckled as she tried to breathe.

"Cassidy, are okay?" Claire asked quickly, hoping she'd just choked up and this wasn't an attack. Sadly it was one. If Jim thought her attacks as a baby were bad then he'd seen nothing. She grabbed at the tree beside her for support and her eyes shut and opened rapidly. She was trying to open her mouth but it would shut almost immediately. At first, she grabbed with her free hand at the area where her lungs were but her eyes slammed shut and she shrieked, not in the pain her attack was causing but in some other pain.

Estelle hurried to her sister, letting her lean on her for support. Gently she stroked her cheek, staring her straight in the eye." Cass, you're okay. The pain will be gone soon, it'll be over soon. Just try and breathe." she said, voice soft and like a melody, as she tried to remain calm. Cassidy calmed down under her influence but still couldn't breathe.

"Does it heal her?" Jim asked, not entirely sure the extent of Estelle's powers.

Not breaking her stare at her sister, Estelle shook her head." I can't heal but I can help her manage the pain." she said, stroking her sister's cheek again." Cass just breathe." she said softly. Her face a shade of purple, Cassidy finally inhaled. The breath was quick and only followed by another period of being unable to do so. Soon enough she inhaled again but her eyes drooped, exhausted from at least three nights with no sleep and the exhaustion of her attack."You're okay," Estelle repeated.

Cassidy blinked a few times, trying to breathe deeply."Thank you-AH!" her thanks was cut short as more pain hit. It was not sourced in her chest but lower. Somehow it seemed more painful than her attack and her breath was cut short again as her face scrunched up tightly.

"What's wrong with her?!" Jim asked, panicked.

Estelle tried to console her sister who was clinging to the tree."Cass let me-"

"Fucken stop!" she cried, tears running down her face as gripped the tree's bark.

"Cass I can-"

"Please stop!" she cried again. Jim picked up quickly these stops weren't directed to Estelle but someone else, but that someone he couldn't lay a finger on. Her breath was cut short again as she gripped her torso, half-buttoned turquoise sweater riding up and both he and Claire noticed for the first time that her swaeter had been concealing that fact her stomach protruded out a little. Well by a little they meant a lot, like a noticeable amount. Jim froze as he was sent through a wave of realization. She was pregnant. That explained the strange mood swings. It explained the twitches which were her reaction to the baby kicking. It explained her apology. It wasn't meant for him claire or any of her siblings, it was meant for the baby.

"Are they the contractors?" Aron asked, oblivious to anything relating to pregnancy.

"Contractions and no," Jaime answered, frowning towards his oldest sister.

"Why does the baby hurt Cassie?" Emilia asked, looking upa t Jaime.

"It's just what babies do," Claire said, just as shocked as Jim but managing to hide it as she rushed over to help her daughter. Cassidy leaned her head against the tree, tears running down her face as she gripped at her stomach, begging for it to stop. Claire held her daughter close, rubbing her back as she cried into her shoulder."It's okay, you'll be okay."

"It hurts so much." she cried, burrowing her face into her mother's neck.

"I know," Claire said."But it's just your baby moving around, soon it'll stop."

"I don't want this baby," she sobbed, rocking between legs."I don't want any of this."

Claire couldn't respond. She was sad realizing her daughter had spent most of her pregnancy alone in the forest having to take care of her brother's and sisters and could relate with some problems she'd had while pregnant with Cassidy. But what she couldn't agree on was what she had just said. Yes at first it all seemed unfair but Claire knew immediately she'd be keeping that baby and she was excited and nervous to be a mother. Cassidy showed no excitement, tensing up when she heard her own siblings acknowledge the baby.

"Go get more firewood," Claire ordered, knowing from experience that Cassidy who was frail, malnourished, a teenager pregnant, and sleep-deprived, need some rest.

"But we-"

"Jim," Claire said, interrupting Jaime, trying to get her fiance's attention.

Jim snapped back to reality and nodded."Come on," he said, gesturing for them to follow. As they walked away his mind raced, unable to believe that his own daughter was somehow in a worse situation than he'd been in. Looking back, he saw Claire sitting down with Cassidy continuing to cry into her shirt, keeping her hands as far away as they could be from her stomach that was obvious in her open sweater and shirt. Estelle sat beside her sister, rubbing her back gently, trying to influence her in an anyway but seemed to be failing.

Once they were far enough away her turned to Jaime."Why didn't any of you tell us?"

Jaime how as still frowning sighed." Cass she..." he stopped." she hasn't mentioned the baby in months. She doesn't want to even be having it so when you guys came we didn't think to mention it."

Jim still felt angry."You guys still should've."

"I know," Jaime responded.

"I don't like that the baby hurts Cassie," Emilia commented.

"Me neither." Aron pouted.

"Come on guys don't think of it like it's hurting her," Jaime said, not wanting his siblings to hate the baby as Cassidy seemed to.

"Hey, can you two go pick up the sticks mommy wants?" Jim asked the two youngest who nodded and scurried around, picking up every stick they saw. He turned to Jaime."Is the father involved?"

Jaime turned away from his own father and shook his head. Seeing his father's fist tensing up he quickly added on."It's not like that okay it's just..." he paused, whatever he had to say painful." Rowan died right before Cassidy found out." he finally managed to say.

So that was Rowan. Jim's fist untensed and he stared with his mouth ajar. Everything Claire had feared that would happen to her was happening to their daughter."Did he know? How did he die?"

Jaime sighed."Cass hasn't really ever talked to me about it all but I'm pretty sure at the time she didn't even know. But to answer how he died it's... complicated."

"How?"

"I... I can't tell you. If you're going to talk to someone it has to be Cass, she'll know what to tell you and what not to." Jaime said, beginning to pick up some sticks.

After collecting enough, the group hurried back to the campsite. Arriving thighs seemed to have calmed down. Claire sat in front of where the fire would be, Cassidy dead asleep, head in her lap as Claire ran her fingers through her long black hair. Her leg twitched in a rhythmic pattern which seemed to be how she was dealing with the kicks. Looking at her, large stomach entirely visible he could really see she was underweight and understood why she seemed the least healthy of them all. Her entire body was nothing but bone, all of the little nourishment she got going to support the baby. Her sweater was draped over her stomach and thighs. Estelle sat next to her sister, keeping her hand on her ankle as she tried to keep her calm.

"How is Cassie mommy?" Emilia asked, dropping her twigs into the fireplace.

Claire managed a smile, still getting over the shock of the situation."She's going better but needs to rest. We can move tomorrow."

"No, Rowan..." Cassidy said in her sleep catching both Claire and Jim off guard.

Estele frowned." She's probably having a vision."

"But Rowan's dead," Jim said too simply, all the children going silent hearing the person they'd obviously been close to's name.

"Who's Rowan?" Claire asked but was ignored.

"She can hear people's thoughts sometimes during her visons." Estelle reminded them."Whatever she's visioning the person must be thinking of Rowan."

"Who's Rowan?" Claire asked again.

"The baby's father," Jim informed her, frowning."He passed away."

Claire gasped, tears flooding her eyes as she looked down at Cassidy."Oh sweetie," she cooed, wishing her daughter had it easier.

This site is so annoying to use. Sometimes I'll log on and my chapters have been posted and other times they just aren't there. I'm trying so hard to work it out and I apologize for any problems you're having with my story.