Chapter Three
LIKE AN UGLY KITTEN
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Daria stood in the spot where their car had been parked, disbelief writ large on her face. They definitely weren't here. Suddenly she was acutely aware of the forty miles that separated her from home. It was almost as if she were looking down from a great height on the roads and highways, the towns and hamlets, the farmlands and pastures, the hills and streams that lay between her and that little room that held her books, her bed, and practically all her few worldly goods. And on that highway that ran from here to there, one infinitesimal speck, creeping along at an undetectably slow pace, held the three people who alone were her immediate family in an entire world of strangers. And here she was, an even more infinitesimal speck, standing in an empty parking space a mile off that highway, by a river, all alone.
Interesting.
So that had been them making all the racket, and then peeling out in a cloud of dust and a hearty "gah-dammit!" But why? Apparently, they'd never left the vicinity of the car. Daria searched the area for clues. There weren't any gouts or splatters of blood, no severed digits, no slain rattlesnakes with bloody fangs.
There was, however, Dad's best fishing outfit, the one with the expensive reel. Baitcasting reel, he'd called it. Actually, he'd called it quite a few other things as well, because the line got all tangled in it about every other cast. But Jake had read an article praising the virtues of that type of reel, and implying that master fishermen would use no other, and so he had sprung for it, and endured one of Mom's hissy fits when she found out how much it cost.
Daria considered the evidence. Quinn's shrieking, Mom's and Dad's yelling, the fact that they had gone, the fact that they hadn't come after her or even called her, Dad's best rod and reel abandoned, no physical traces of a serious injury at the scene.
Some mishap had occurred, probably to Quinn, something that didn't impair her vocal ability, but something serious enough that both parents had decided immediate evacuation was necessary.
Could she have fallen and fractured something? No, that wouldn't demand immediate evac. Dad or Mom would have come and gotten her, or at least bellowed for her. Most immediately life-threatening injuries Daria could think of should have left at least a little blood somewhere in the vicinity. A venomous snake bite? That would definitely qualify. A puncture wound to the abdomen? Maybe. A bite from a possibly rabid animal? That wouldn't require them to leave instantly, but they couldn't be blamed if they did. If, that was, they'd killed the possibly rabid animal and taken it with them for tests. Leaving it here for her to contend with would be uncool. Daria looked around uneasily, but no mad slavering beasts were in evidence.
Daria looked down the narrow asphalt drive that connected the riverside recreational area with the road a mile away. Poor Quinn! She said a little prayer for her sister, and for her parents too, on the chance that it was one of them instead.
Daria wondered whether she should be surprised that she wasn't much more frightened about being left here alone, or surprised to feel as uneasy as she did. Looking at it objectively, she'd known she was going to spend most of the day here, and she'd naturally planned to avoid her family as much as possible. So this turn of events just made it easier for her to do what she was going to do anyway.
So, she thought. She was here on her own, and probably would be for at least three hours. What to do?
~~~~~~~~~
LIKE AN UGLY KITTEN
~~~~~~~~~
Daria stood in the spot where their car had been parked, disbelief writ large on her face. They definitely weren't here. Suddenly she was acutely aware of the forty miles that separated her from home. It was almost as if she were looking down from a great height on the roads and highways, the towns and hamlets, the farmlands and pastures, the hills and streams that lay between her and that little room that held her books, her bed, and practically all her few worldly goods. And on that highway that ran from here to there, one infinitesimal speck, creeping along at an undetectably slow pace, held the three people who alone were her immediate family in an entire world of strangers. And here she was, an even more infinitesimal speck, standing in an empty parking space a mile off that highway, by a river, all alone.
Interesting.
So that had been them making all the racket, and then peeling out in a cloud of dust and a hearty "gah-dammit!" But why? Apparently, they'd never left the vicinity of the car. Daria searched the area for clues. There weren't any gouts or splatters of blood, no severed digits, no slain rattlesnakes with bloody fangs.
There was, however, Dad's best fishing outfit, the one with the expensive reel. Baitcasting reel, he'd called it. Actually, he'd called it quite a few other things as well, because the line got all tangled in it about every other cast. But Jake had read an article praising the virtues of that type of reel, and implying that master fishermen would use no other, and so he had sprung for it, and endured one of Mom's hissy fits when she found out how much it cost.
Daria considered the evidence. Quinn's shrieking, Mom's and Dad's yelling, the fact that they had gone, the fact that they hadn't come after her or even called her, Dad's best rod and reel abandoned, no physical traces of a serious injury at the scene.
Some mishap had occurred, probably to Quinn, something that didn't impair her vocal ability, but something serious enough that both parents had decided immediate evacuation was necessary.
Could she have fallen and fractured something? No, that wouldn't demand immediate evac. Dad or Mom would have come and gotten her, or at least bellowed for her. Most immediately life-threatening injuries Daria could think of should have left at least a little blood somewhere in the vicinity. A venomous snake bite? That would definitely qualify. A puncture wound to the abdomen? Maybe. A bite from a possibly rabid animal? That wouldn't require them to leave instantly, but they couldn't be blamed if they did. If, that was, they'd killed the possibly rabid animal and taken it with them for tests. Leaving it here for her to contend with would be uncool. Daria looked around uneasily, but no mad slavering beasts were in evidence.
Daria looked down the narrow asphalt drive that connected the riverside recreational area with the road a mile away. Poor Quinn! She said a little prayer for her sister, and for her parents too, on the chance that it was one of them instead.
Daria wondered whether she should be surprised that she wasn't much more frightened about being left here alone, or surprised to feel as uneasy as she did. Looking at it objectively, she'd known she was going to spend most of the day here, and she'd naturally planned to avoid her family as much as possible. So this turn of events just made it easier for her to do what she was going to do anyway.
So, she thought. She was here on her own, and probably would be for at least three hours. What to do?
~~~~~~~~~