Chapter 05
Kai struggled as the mainland authorities hauled him into the helicopter.
"Goodbye Karen." Mr. Miller said as he hugged his daughter.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Karen asked.
"I'm sure. I love you Karen." He smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek. Mr. Miller climbed into the helicopter and flew away.
"Well, do you plan on staying at your house? 'Cause I think it would be kind of freaky, since your mom died there and all. If you like you could stay with me," offered Jack.
"No, thank you. I'll be fine."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
That night, Karen cried herself to sleep, in her mother's favourite rocker, thinking about how Kai killed her. She woke up, at about quarter to twelve, to a searing heat. She was almost instantly alert. The house was on fire. She cursed at herself for leaving the fire unattended. She tried to get out the front door. The doorknob was seized. She began kicking the door, until it tore free of the screws that anchored it to the house. She ran as fast as she could to Jack's house. "Jack!" she yelled as she burst into his house. "Jack! Wake up!"
"Good morning sunshine." Jack murmured as he slowly began to sit up.
"Jack! My house is on fire!"
"What!" Jack was now fully awake. "Come with me!" he cried as he ran outside in his boxers. They jumped onto his horse, and galloped to town to get help.
"Wake up! Karen's house is on fire!" Jack hollered as he pounded on the doors of the citizens. A short while later, Jack had the volunteer fire department assembled.
They fought the fire valiantly. They threw dirt at the house, and what water they could get hold of. But their limited, age old technology was no match for the fire. A wind began to pick up, spreading the fire to the vines.
"Please God!" Jack played as he shovelled dirt. "Please send us rain!"
Shortly before 5 am a downpour began. At about 7, the fire was out. All that was left of Karen's house, however, was a pile of ash.
Karen ran to her wine cellar, which was a good distance from the house, and came back with an armful of wine bottles. She thanked each of the men as she handed them out. When she came to Jack, he put his arm around her.
"Let's go home," he said.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Good afternoon Jack." Karen smiled at him.
"Good morning."
"I made you breakfast. Oatmeal and toast." The toast was slightly burnt, and the oatmeal was slightly runny, but other than that, it tasted pretty good.
"This is good."
"Thanks," replied Karen. "Thank you for your help Jack."
"No problem. How did the fire start?"
"I just fell asleep and wasn't paying enough attention to the fireplace."
It was then Karen noticed Jack looked a little shaky. "Jack, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Well, you don't look so good."
"Yeah, I suppose your right, I could use a little fresh air. Lets go to the forest."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Jack, what's on your mind?" Karen asked. "Are you sick?" she sounded worried.
"No." He smiled. "Karen, from when we first met, you have touched my life in a remarkable way. As I've gotten to know you, quite frankly, I've." he choked on the words, "fallen in love with you." He took a deep breath, then knelt down, and held out a small box. "Will, will you marry me?"
She took the box, and inside of it was a diamond Jack had dug up from the mine himself. "Jack I." her eyes began to get blurry. "Yes! Jack Oh Yes!"
"Really!?"
"Yes!" they both pranced around the forest, giddy with excitement.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Karen! You're so lucky!" Ann said. They and about two or three other girls were measuring and fitting the pieces of her wedding dress together.
"The little speech he made, it was so, so, so." Karen sighed.
"Heart warming?" offered Maria.
"Not the best word to describe it, but it'll do."
"Who's going to be your maid of honour?" Ann asked.
"Maid of honour?" Karen asked.
"Sure, you know. Usually they are the person who introduced you to the groom, or something like that," replied Maria.
"I haven't thought that far yet. Give me time."
"Hey, does anyone here ever wonder why they call the boy, 'the groom'?" asked Ann. They giggled.
"Maybe, it has something to do with monkeys," offered Maria.
"Naah!" Ann and Karen said together.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Jack!" cried Harris.
"Harris. How's it going?"
"Good. I heard you and Karen are getting married."
"Yeah. It's kinda scary actually," said Jack.
"I'd believe that. Well, if you'd like, we could swing by the bar and celebrate."
"Naw, I had better not. Thanks anyway."
"Well, see you later." And with that, Harris walked off.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The sun had set, and on the beach, Kai washed ashore. "I'm exhausted." He thought to himself. "But I escaped." He remembered how he had managed to jump out of the helicopter, and into the sea. "Jack! Karen! I'm going to make you pay!" and before he could think another thought, he was asleep.
Kai struggled as the mainland authorities hauled him into the helicopter.
"Goodbye Karen." Mr. Miller said as he hugged his daughter.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" Karen asked.
"I'm sure. I love you Karen." He smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek. Mr. Miller climbed into the helicopter and flew away.
"Well, do you plan on staying at your house? 'Cause I think it would be kind of freaky, since your mom died there and all. If you like you could stay with me," offered Jack.
"No, thank you. I'll be fine."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
That night, Karen cried herself to sleep, in her mother's favourite rocker, thinking about how Kai killed her. She woke up, at about quarter to twelve, to a searing heat. She was almost instantly alert. The house was on fire. She cursed at herself for leaving the fire unattended. She tried to get out the front door. The doorknob was seized. She began kicking the door, until it tore free of the screws that anchored it to the house. She ran as fast as she could to Jack's house. "Jack!" she yelled as she burst into his house. "Jack! Wake up!"
"Good morning sunshine." Jack murmured as he slowly began to sit up.
"Jack! My house is on fire!"
"What!" Jack was now fully awake. "Come with me!" he cried as he ran outside in his boxers. They jumped onto his horse, and galloped to town to get help.
"Wake up! Karen's house is on fire!" Jack hollered as he pounded on the doors of the citizens. A short while later, Jack had the volunteer fire department assembled.
They fought the fire valiantly. They threw dirt at the house, and what water they could get hold of. But their limited, age old technology was no match for the fire. A wind began to pick up, spreading the fire to the vines.
"Please God!" Jack played as he shovelled dirt. "Please send us rain!"
Shortly before 5 am a downpour began. At about 7, the fire was out. All that was left of Karen's house, however, was a pile of ash.
Karen ran to her wine cellar, which was a good distance from the house, and came back with an armful of wine bottles. She thanked each of the men as she handed them out. When she came to Jack, he put his arm around her.
"Let's go home," he said.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Good afternoon Jack." Karen smiled at him.
"Good morning."
"I made you breakfast. Oatmeal and toast." The toast was slightly burnt, and the oatmeal was slightly runny, but other than that, it tasted pretty good.
"This is good."
"Thanks," replied Karen. "Thank you for your help Jack."
"No problem. How did the fire start?"
"I just fell asleep and wasn't paying enough attention to the fireplace."
It was then Karen noticed Jack looked a little shaky. "Jack, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Well, you don't look so good."
"Yeah, I suppose your right, I could use a little fresh air. Lets go to the forest."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Jack, what's on your mind?" Karen asked. "Are you sick?" she sounded worried.
"No." He smiled. "Karen, from when we first met, you have touched my life in a remarkable way. As I've gotten to know you, quite frankly, I've." he choked on the words, "fallen in love with you." He took a deep breath, then knelt down, and held out a small box. "Will, will you marry me?"
She took the box, and inside of it was a diamond Jack had dug up from the mine himself. "Jack I." her eyes began to get blurry. "Yes! Jack Oh Yes!"
"Really!?"
"Yes!" they both pranced around the forest, giddy with excitement.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Karen! You're so lucky!" Ann said. They and about two or three other girls were measuring and fitting the pieces of her wedding dress together.
"The little speech he made, it was so, so, so." Karen sighed.
"Heart warming?" offered Maria.
"Not the best word to describe it, but it'll do."
"Who's going to be your maid of honour?" Ann asked.
"Maid of honour?" Karen asked.
"Sure, you know. Usually they are the person who introduced you to the groom, or something like that," replied Maria.
"I haven't thought that far yet. Give me time."
"Hey, does anyone here ever wonder why they call the boy, 'the groom'?" asked Ann. They giggled.
"Maybe, it has something to do with monkeys," offered Maria.
"Naah!" Ann and Karen said together.
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Jack!" cried Harris.
"Harris. How's it going?"
"Good. I heard you and Karen are getting married."
"Yeah. It's kinda scary actually," said Jack.
"I'd believe that. Well, if you'd like, we could swing by the bar and celebrate."
"Naw, I had better not. Thanks anyway."
"Well, see you later." And with that, Harris walked off.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The sun had set, and on the beach, Kai washed ashore. "I'm exhausted." He thought to himself. "But I escaped." He remembered how he had managed to jump out of the helicopter, and into the sea. "Jack! Karen! I'm going to make you pay!" and before he could think another thought, he was asleep.