Chapter 5:
Chapter 5:
Chris watched as Spot finished hanging the crude door on one of the rooms of the tree house they had built. "How come you and Rae get a real door and the rest of us get pieces of the sail?"
"Because I said so, that's why. We're married. We get special privileges."
Chris muttered a word that he had often heard Spot say when they were working on the house. Spot sent the boy a look. "We're going to have to clean up our language."
Chris made a face. "Then you'd better clean up yours. You're the one I get it from."
Spot snickered. "Point taken. What else do we have to do?"
"Finish the roof and make a sturdier ladder and we're done."
"I'll take the roof, you take the ladder."
Chris nodded and climbed down the rope ladder to construct a wooden one.
Two hours later he climbed back up the new wooden ladder. "Ladder's done, Spot."
Spot gave him a very annoyed look, because he had spent the last twenty minutes trying to figure out how to piece the last board on to the roof. Chris climbed up on the roof. "Need any help?"
"If you would be so kind," he replied thinly, clearly frustrated. Chris took the board and placed it on the roof, covering the hole in the roof perfectly. "How did you do that?" Spot asked.
"I told you, I've done this before." Chris answered.
Wrinkling his nose, he scowled and climbed down the ladder. "Well... I reckon it's time to get the girls... and Andy."
"Do you want to show Rae first?" Chris asked. "You could always blindfold her when you bring her back here."
He smiled. "Sure. She's been dying to see it."
"I'll keep Julie and the twins on the beach."
"Thanks." Spot turned and took one last look at the house that they had built, before heading toward the beach.
When they had reached camp, Spot grabbed a scrap of clothing from one of Rae's mending projects and called for her. "I have a surprise."
"What?" she asked, looking up from the sand castle that she was attempting to build with the twins
"No questions," he ordered, putting the blindfold over her eyes and taking her hand.
"Where are you taking me?" she questioned.
"I said no questions. Just trust me."
"Spot..."
"Hmm?"
"I love you," she whispered. He laughed, "I love you too, but I'm not answering your questions."
"Come on Spot!" she whined.
He stopped and pulled her into his arms. He leaned down and kissed her.
"That was nice, but I still want you to tell me!" she exclaimed after he broke the kiss.
Spot laughed. "I'm not telling you yet, Rae, give me another minute or two and I'll take the blindfold off." She pouted. "Don't give me that pout. I'm not looking at it anymore anyway, so it's not going to work," he teased.
"Spot," she whined
"Uh uh. Patience my dear."
"Fine," she said, crossing her arms. "Hurry up though."
Spot smirked. "I am, I am. Almost there.... Okay, stop here." Stepping behind her, he pulled the blindfold off. "What do you think?"
"I don't see anything." she said.
He laughed. "Look up."
She looked up and her jaw dropped. "Is that..."
He scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to the ladder. "I'd carry you over the threshold, but I don't think you'd enjoy me carrying you over my shoulder up the ladder."
She smiled delightedly. "This is so wonderful! You and Chris did this yourselves?!"
"All for you, my love," he said, kissing her cheek.
Rae smiled and slipped her arms around his waist. "I love it. I love you."
"I love you too," he said, leaning down to kiss her.
He pulled back, "Do you want to see this house or not?" he asked with a smirk.
"Of course, of course! I've been dying to see it!"
"I'm counting to five and if you haven't started climbing up that ladder I'll throw you over my shoulder and take you up myself."
With a laugh, she ran over to the ladder and started climbing. "You'd better be coming mister."
"Right behind you," he yelled.
Rae climbed up into the tree house, hoisting herself up onto the narrow platform. She walked through the door and gasped. "Wow! I thought this was just going to be one big room... but you've got three built!"
He pointed to a room closed off by a piece of the ship's sail. "That's for the kids," then he pointed to the door, "And that's for us."
'Oohing' and 'ahhing', she explored the different rooms. They were very small- only able to hold a couple of pallets and a bit of playing space in each room, but she was amazed just the same. She reached to push open the door to their room, when he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him.
"I love you," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her.
"Spot!" she gasped in surprise, smiling just a hint.
"Oh wow!"
"Look at that!"
"Jiminy," they heard from below.
Stepping back from Rae with a frown, Spot whacked his head on the wall. "Ow!"
"Are you okay?" Rae asked, snickering just slightly.
"Yeah..." Leaving the room, he poked his head out the door. "Come on up, kids," he yelled
"Yay!" the twins shrieked, climbing up the ladder one by one, with Julie at their heels. Chris was not far off.
When Ann reached the platform she leaped into Spot's arms. "I like our new house, Mr. Spot."
He smiled. "Do you like it better than our old one?"
"Nah, the old one was better. Can we take Chris and Julie with us to our old house?"
"Maybe. Depends on what they want... and what Rae and I decide after some discussion."
"Alright," she said as he set her down. She ran over to Julie and took her hand, leading the older girl as they explored the new house.
Andy hung close to Spot. "Are we sleepin' here t'night?"
"Yep. From now on we sleep here."
"How will anyone find us if we ain't sleeping on the beach?"
Rae exchanged a glance with Spot.
"Well um Andy... that's a very good question... Maybe one Rae can answer." He shrugged at her helplessly.
"Andy, I doubt anyone is going to be looking for us at night. Even if they were I don't think they could see that far."
"Oh..." Andy shrugged and skittered off to explore the room. "Which one is mine?"
"You and me get to share this one," Chris said, pushing aside one of the curtains.
"Oh.... Neat! I don't like sharing my room with Ann anyway."
"HEY!" Ann yelled.
Andy poked his head out the door and stuck his tongue out at his sister.
She blew a raspberry at him and then flounced off into the room that she and Julie were going to share.
Rae giggled. "Some things will never change."
Spot smiled. "Not at all."
* * *
Later that night they all sat around the table that Spot and Chris had managed to build. Noticing Ann's and Andy's huge yawns, Rae said, "I think it's some little ones' bedtime."
"But Miss Rae..."
"I'm not tired..."
"No arguing with Rae," Spot commanded sternly.
Pouting the twins walked toward their rooms. Ann stopped at the door to her room, "Are you going to come tuck us in, like you used to do at our old house?"
"We can do that," Spot said with a nod and a smile.
She grinned at him and walked into her room.
Grumbling, Andy trudged into his. The big kids got to stay up!
Chris saw the look on his face. "I'll be there in a minute Andy. I'm pretty tired myself." Andy sighed but looked a little less mad, and he went to bed.
"Thank you Chris," Rae said after Andy had left.
"It's no problem. I am tired." Chris said, standing and grabbing his plate and Andy's and took them to the small counter. "G'Night."
"I guess I should go to bed too," Julie said, standing. "Night."
"We'll be in to say goodnight in a minute." Rae said.
She nodded and disappeared behind the curtain.
Rae moved over closer to Spot and snuggled up against him, "That was almost too easy."
Spot smiled. "But you know one of them will be up with us in minutes, like always."
She sighed. "I know."
"I reckon it's we should tuck them in before one of them DOES wander in, wondering where we are." Spot pulled her to a stand and they walked into Ann and Julie's room.
Rae knelt beside Ann's bed and pulled the blanket up around the little girl's shoulders. "I love you Ann," she whispered, kissing her forehead, "Good night and sweet dreams."
"'Night," she murmured with a huge yawn.
"Sleep well," Rae whispered, brushing a lock of her from the girl's face and standing.
Spot did much the same goodnight routine and glanced at Julie. "She's out like a light. Faster than I reckoned."
Rae tucked the blanket tighter around Julie and nodded. "Let's go tell the boys goodnight." He nodded and they headed into the boys' rooms.
Chris was already fast asleep as they knelt beside Andy's bed.
Spot ruffled Andy's hair. "Night, little man." He kissed the top of his head.
"I still ain't tired Mr. Spot," he said with a yawn.
Rae smiled. "You will be in the morning if you don't sleep now." she said, kissing his forehead.
He sighed and rolled onto his side. "Night Miss Rae, night Mr. Spot."
"Goodnight, sweetheart," Rae said.
Taking Rae's hand, Spot led her from the room. "Well.. that was easy enough... I hope Ann's nightmares will end tonight... Because you sleep too hard and she wakes me up instead," he said with a grin.
"You're just jealous that I can sleep through her nightmares."
"That I am."
"I'm sorry," she whispered, pulling his head down and kissing him.
He smiled, kissing her back. "No you aren't. I know you're happy to sleep in through it," he teased.
"You're right," she said with a smirk.
* * *
Chris packed up a sack in an old scrap of fabric. Spot, passing by the little room, poked his head in.
"What are you doing, Chris?"
"I'm going to look on the other side of the island. Maybe there are people over there."
"I don't think so." Spot firmly shook his head.
"Aww, come on, Spot! Someone needs to go find out, and you have to stay here with Rae and the girls."
"First of all, I don't HAVE to stay anywhere.... I trust them. And second, I said no."
"Spot..." Chris started
"No," he said firmly.
"Why not?"
"Because I said so... Besides, you don't know if any of those snakes are still around."
With a frustrated sigh, Chris threw the bag on the floor and pushed past Spot, "I'm going to go sit on the beach."
He sighed in frustration. 'That kid is a problem,' he thought.
Later that night after everyone was asleep Chris grabbed the sack that he had earlier thrown aside and crept toward the ladder. As he passed the girl's room Ann stepped out, sleepily rubbing her eyes, "Where ya goin' Chris?"
"Nowhere, just go to sleep Ann," he replied gruffly, flitting his hand towards her.
She nodded wearily and walked back into her room.
With a nod to himself, he left the tree house, swinging himself down the ladder and out into the forest.
He walked for an hour before he decided to sit and take a break and get his bearings. He sat down against a tree and closed his eyes when a little voice startled him. "Where are we going, Chris?" Whirling around, he saw Ann standing behind him.
"What the? We? No, no, no... Not we. I'm taking you back home. Why are you here anyway? I told you to go back to bed."
Her lower lip began to quiver. "I'm sorry, Chris."
He sighed, exasperated. "Don't start crying now."
"Are you mad at me Chris?" she asked, trying very hard to keep her tears from falling.
"YES!" Chris yelled, standing up and storming away from her. He walked a few more steps before he cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
"Chris?" Ann looked like she intended to step over to him, stopped, and then crept over to him slowly. "Are you okay?"
"I hurt my ankle." Chris said.
She sat down on her knees next to him. "Did you trip on something?"
"I stepped on something and fell off." Chris said. "Listen, you've got to go back and get Spot."
Ann yawned and protested, "But there are monsters in the woods."
He sighed. "No there aren't. We're in the woods now, and we haven't seen any monsters."
"But there are! I heard you and Mr. Spot talking about them!... And Miss Rae will be mad if I go in the woods by myself again."
Chris sighed. "Ann, there are no monsters..." he stopped when she yawned again. "You'll never make it, you're too tired. Why don't you get some sleep and then you can head back in the morning."
She nodded and crawled over to him, resting her head on his lap. A few minutes later, she was fast asleep. He smiled slightly and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. She was a cute kid, even if she was annoying. Resting his head back against a tree, he sighed. Now what? Rae and Spot would kill him.... if they could find him. He glared at his throbbing ankle. "There goes my chance of getting back."
* * *
"Mr. Spot, Mr. Spot," Andy said shaking Spot's shoulder.
Spot groaned, rolling onto his back. The sun was barely even up. "What is it Andy? Ain't it early for you to be up?"
"Chris isn't in his bed."
"What?" Sleepily, he sat up. "Are you sure he isn't off using the bathroom?"
"He left sometime during the night, Mr. Spot."
Spot groaned. "I'm gonna kill that boy..." Grabbing Rae's arm, he pulled her to her feet. "Wake up, Rae. C'mon, wake up."
"What?" she mumbled, trying to hold her head up.
"Chris's ran off."
Her head snapped up, "Are you sure?"
"That's what Andy says."
Julie poked her head in the door, yawning, "Where's Ann?"
Rae stared at her. "What do you mean?"
"She not in our room, did she come in here last night?"
"No..." Rae looked at Spot. "Do you think she went off with Chris?"
"With the way those two argue?"
He shrugged. "It's possible."
Rae nodded. "Andy and I will take the beach, you and Julie..."
"NO! You and Andy and Julie are staying here, I'll go find them."
She gave Spot a look. "And why not?"
"Because there are these really big snakes out there. I don't want any of you getting..."
"SPOT!"
He stopped. "What?"
"What's this about a big snake?" she asked, her hands on her hips.
"Uh... I didn't say anything about a big snake.. did I?"
Julie and Andy nodded.
"Alright mister, spill," Rae said, glaring at him.
"Uh... well..." Spot scratched his head. "When... um.... Chris and I were building the tree house... a snake- a giant sucker, too- sorta fell out and might have killed me...."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"
"Um.. I didn't want you worrying?" Rae crossed her arms and glared at him. "I don't know! You just had a lot on your mind! I don't know why I didn't tell you..."
Rae held up her hand to stop him. "We'll finish this later. Right now we have to find Ann and Chris. Julie, Andy stay here while Spot AND I go find them."
They nodded at her, wide-eyed. "Yes ma'am."
* * *
Ann sat up and yawned. "Chris," she said, shaking his shoulder.
"What?" he muttered gruffly, not pleased at being awoken.
"It's morning."
He groaned. "That's nice. Now let me sleep some more."
"But we gotta go back before Mr. Spot and Miss Rae find out we're not there."
With another groan, he sat up, shaking the leaves from his hair. "I guess you're right."
He stood and tried to walk only to fall back to the ground in pain. "I can't walk Ann. You are gonna have to go get Spot and bring him back here."
Ann stared at him, wide-eyed with fear. "But I..." She pointed back. "But I.. I'm scared! I can't do it by myself!"
Chris sighed. "Ann I can't go with you."
Her bottom lip quivered, but she straightened as dignifiedly as a scared little five year old could. "Okay then... Um... what way do I have to go?"
"That way," Chris pointed.
Ann glanced back at him. "You just stay right there, Chris. I'll find them fast, okay? I ... I think..." And then she scurried away.
"Be careful," he yelled. Seconds later, Ann was returning, with Spot and Rae at her heels. Chris stared at them in disbelief. When she said fast, she meant fast!
"I found them! I found them!"
Spot stood over Chris and glared down at him, "You have a lot of explaining to do."