Sorry it's been so long. not to worry, here's the next chapter!
Thanks for the feedback. I will be doing the long version.
Kenn.
Back in the living room Jesse was still fast asleep. Steve couldn't believe his friend had slept through the commotion. He went over to the couch to make sure it was nothing more than sleep that had been keeping Jesse silent. Up close, Jesse looked peaceful and Steve was relieved to see the steady rise and fall of his chest.
"Should we wake him up?" asked Amanda.
"Yes," said Mark, "He has that bump on the head, and he did fall asleep pretty fast and deep. Besides, I fear his wrath if he finds out later that he missed out on some kind of excitement."
"Good point, Mark," agreed Amanda. She'd seen Jesse falling down tired at the hospital, yet refusing to leave. He hated to miss out on anything, even work. Sometimes she could see a bit of that enthusiasm for life in CJ. It was an overwhelming source of pride for her that her son seemed to be adopting the best traits of these three men.
"I'll give you the honor, Steve," smiled Mark, gesturing in Jesse's direction.
Steve shook Jesse awake. Jesse opened his eyes and awoke with a start.
"What's. going on?" He asked, taking in the looks on his friends faces. Amanda smiled at him. Mark was looking him over, a worried expression on his face. Steve looked thoughtful. "Guys?"
Steve pushed Jesse towards one end of the couch and let himself drop onto the other. Amanda unfolded CJ's sleeping form onto an armchair and took up residence on another. Mark pulled a coffee table up to the couch and sat on it's edge, opposite Jesse. He proceeded to check over the young doctor.
"Jesse," said Steve, "We have some explaining to do, followed by some searching."
"OK." started Jesse. He was still not fully awake. He quickly checked himself, hoping to hide his confusion in front of the others.
"Let's start with you. This woman you saw, was she hurt?" asked Mark, who had finished looking Jesse over and was now seated in a chair.
"I don't think so.. No, she wasn't. I would have helped her if she was, but she was just scared."
"And you saw her come to the beach house?" asked Steve.
"Yeah. Well, no. Well, I saw her go towards the beach house."
"And she told you to look for a girl and a backpack," added Amanda.
"No, she told me to look for a girl. The girl had on a backpack, which didn't seem too important to finding her daughter, but. maybe she wasn't looking for her daughter."
"Certainly asking you to find a little girl sounds better than 'Please mister, my gun is out in the rain. Could you go get it?'" said Steve.
"Steve," warned Mark, "There could very well be a little girl out in this weather somewhere."
"I don't know dad, if this woman really needed help, why didn't she come to the house? Why didn't her daughter show up either?"
"Those are good questions, Steve, but you do remember what it was like out there, don't you?" asked Amanda. "Anyone out there would have had trouble making it down here."
"True enough," admitted Steve.
"Guys, we've been over this already. What happened now? Why all the questions?" Jesse interjected.
"Well, Jesse," mark answered, "It seems someone, be it Jennifer or someone else, has found shelter from the storm here."
Jesse was silent, trying to decide which one of his questions to put forth first. Before he could say anything, Steve spoke.
"The power went out and dad ran into somebody, and the backpack has gone missing. Then we found a mess upstairs. It looks like whoever is here is bleeding."
"Well, then we have to help them," said Jesse, "HELLO? Where are you?" He yelled.
"Jess!" yelled Steve, trying to get Jesse to quiet down. His head was beginning to throb. "Don't you think we've tried that? Dad and Amanda don't think our visitor is hurt too badly, so they can come out anytime."
"Then why. Oh.. You don't think the gun." "Why else would they take the backpack, unless they wanted the gun back?" said Steve. He was about to continue when the lights went out again.
Thanks for the feedback. I will be doing the long version.
Kenn.
Back in the living room Jesse was still fast asleep. Steve couldn't believe his friend had slept through the commotion. He went over to the couch to make sure it was nothing more than sleep that had been keeping Jesse silent. Up close, Jesse looked peaceful and Steve was relieved to see the steady rise and fall of his chest.
"Should we wake him up?" asked Amanda.
"Yes," said Mark, "He has that bump on the head, and he did fall asleep pretty fast and deep. Besides, I fear his wrath if he finds out later that he missed out on some kind of excitement."
"Good point, Mark," agreed Amanda. She'd seen Jesse falling down tired at the hospital, yet refusing to leave. He hated to miss out on anything, even work. Sometimes she could see a bit of that enthusiasm for life in CJ. It was an overwhelming source of pride for her that her son seemed to be adopting the best traits of these three men.
"I'll give you the honor, Steve," smiled Mark, gesturing in Jesse's direction.
Steve shook Jesse awake. Jesse opened his eyes and awoke with a start.
"What's. going on?" He asked, taking in the looks on his friends faces. Amanda smiled at him. Mark was looking him over, a worried expression on his face. Steve looked thoughtful. "Guys?"
Steve pushed Jesse towards one end of the couch and let himself drop onto the other. Amanda unfolded CJ's sleeping form onto an armchair and took up residence on another. Mark pulled a coffee table up to the couch and sat on it's edge, opposite Jesse. He proceeded to check over the young doctor.
"Jesse," said Steve, "We have some explaining to do, followed by some searching."
"OK." started Jesse. He was still not fully awake. He quickly checked himself, hoping to hide his confusion in front of the others.
"Let's start with you. This woman you saw, was she hurt?" asked Mark, who had finished looking Jesse over and was now seated in a chair.
"I don't think so.. No, she wasn't. I would have helped her if she was, but she was just scared."
"And you saw her come to the beach house?" asked Steve.
"Yeah. Well, no. Well, I saw her go towards the beach house."
"And she told you to look for a girl and a backpack," added Amanda.
"No, she told me to look for a girl. The girl had on a backpack, which didn't seem too important to finding her daughter, but. maybe she wasn't looking for her daughter."
"Certainly asking you to find a little girl sounds better than 'Please mister, my gun is out in the rain. Could you go get it?'" said Steve.
"Steve," warned Mark, "There could very well be a little girl out in this weather somewhere."
"I don't know dad, if this woman really needed help, why didn't she come to the house? Why didn't her daughter show up either?"
"Those are good questions, Steve, but you do remember what it was like out there, don't you?" asked Amanda. "Anyone out there would have had trouble making it down here."
"True enough," admitted Steve.
"Guys, we've been over this already. What happened now? Why all the questions?" Jesse interjected.
"Well, Jesse," mark answered, "It seems someone, be it Jennifer or someone else, has found shelter from the storm here."
Jesse was silent, trying to decide which one of his questions to put forth first. Before he could say anything, Steve spoke.
"The power went out and dad ran into somebody, and the backpack has gone missing. Then we found a mess upstairs. It looks like whoever is here is bleeding."
"Well, then we have to help them," said Jesse, "HELLO? Where are you?" He yelled.
"Jess!" yelled Steve, trying to get Jesse to quiet down. His head was beginning to throb. "Don't you think we've tried that? Dad and Amanda don't think our visitor is hurt too badly, so they can come out anytime."
"Then why. Oh.. You don't think the gun." "Why else would they take the backpack, unless they wanted the gun back?" said Steve. He was about to continue when the lights went out again.