They pulled into the rocky driveway and stopped the car. It was about
11:00. Graham stepped out of the car, and sniffed the air. He loved it
here. The summer with Collen had been the best time.. But he didn't want to
think about it. He quickly wiped his eyes, opened the back car door, and
lifted Bo up. She hadn't woken up once. Graham felt her head again. She was
definetly burning up.
"Come on," He gestured towards Merrill and a still tense Morgan. Still carrying Bo, he found the hidden key in the flowerpot next to the door. He could see both Merill and Morgan glancing at the forest now. He dismissed it and walked in, and flicked on the light. The place looked the same. Graham guessed nobody had been here since they had. He could see Morgan wipe his eyes out of the corner of his eye. He set Bo down on the couch.
"Wow, she's really turning red," Merrill commented."Maybe we should get her to bed,"
Graham nodded. "Do you want the upstairs or the downstairs bedroom?"
Merril thought. "Downstairs. You can keep an eye on the kids,"
"Okay. Im going to put the kids to bed. Can you see if there is any food or anything in the cabinets?"
When Merrill nodded, Graham took Bo and led Morgan up the stairs. He tucked Bo into one side of the bed without getting her undressed. Then he tucked Morgan in.
"Tell me if she wakes up ok?"Morgan nodded. Graham plugged in a nightlight.
"Dad?" Morgan added hesitantly.
"What?"
"Tommorow, if Bo's feeling better, can we go into town and buy some books? I forgot mine at home," He finished.
"Sure," Graham said after a second. "Why didn't you bring some books with you?" He was curious. Morgan loved to read. His and Bo's room was overflowing with books. He had been reading since he was 4 years old. Even if Morgan had thought they were only going away for 1 night, he still would have brought books with him.
"I don't know," he answered. "I guess I just want some new ones," His face was buried under the covers and he was almost half-asleep. Graham shook his head and backed out of the room. He went downstairs to check on Merrill and then he fell into the comfy bed in the room he and Colleen had shared. It surprised him how close he felt to crying.
"This is ridiculus," he whispered to himself as he turned over. He tosed and turned. He got up and checed on the kids. They were both fast asleep, so he felt Bo's forehead. She was still hot, and seemed to only be getting worse. He went downstairs and found a few paper cups. He filled them with water and brought them upstairs next to the bed. Then e checked on Merrill, who also seemed to be fast asleep. He sighed. He had hoped to have someone to talk to. He didn't know what to do next. He couldn't turn on the T.V,t would probably wake everyone up. He put on some hot water and tried to find some tea in the cupboards. All he could find was hot chocolate.
He smiled a bit. Morgan and Colleen had loved hot chocolate. Well, they actually just liked the marshmellows. They had invented a desert from them. They would push as many marshmellows As they could into their mugs, and when all the hot chocolate had soaked up into the marshmellows they would scoop it into a bowl and mix graham crackers and chocolate sauce in. Graham used to pretend to throw up every time they made it. Morgan used to get so hyper when he was done, they practicly had to tie him to a chair. But Morgan hadn't eaten it since Colleen had died.
Graham took the hot chocolate and sat on the couch. But he found he wanted to breathe fresh air so he walked out to the porch. He looked up untill he saw the familiar sight of the Big Dipper. He slowly walked down the steps untill he was standing at the edge of the dock, and sat down.
Merrill heard Graham come down stairs. He could hear him standing in the doorway, and pretended to be asleep. He knew Graham wanted to talk, and he didn't feel like comforting Graham at the moment. He heard the sliding door slide close, and he started breathing normally again. He flipped over on his back and sighed. He felt guilty for not talking to Graham, but he felt tired of saying something to comfort himself, and having it beaten to the ground. He was really tired, and it was about 2:00 in the morning. He turned over a couple of times,before finally falling asleep.
"Uncle Merrill? Uncle Merrill?" Merrill shut his eyes tight and tried to block out the sound. But someone was shaking his shoulder too. Finally he opened his eyes and tried to focus. He vaguly saw a shape that resembled Morgan. He jerked awake and at up.
"What is it?" He asked, sitting up, worried. Where was Graham? Why hadn't Morgan gone to him instead?
"Its Bo. I think she's having a nightmare. She's crying and wimpering, and she is really burning up," Morgan said. Merrill got up walked up the stairs with Morgan. Bo was twisted up in the sheets. She was crying and talking to someone. Merrill went over to her and untangled her from the shets. He lifted her onto his lap and tried to wake her up. Morgan had been right. She was burning up very fast, but she was shivering uncontrolably.
"Bo. Bo wake up. You have to wake up. Morgan, see if theres a thermometer around here. Check your Dads room. Wake him up while you're at it," He paused and tried to shift Bo so that she would wake up.
"He's not there," Morgan replied as he stared worridly at his sister.
Merrill snapped his head to Morgan. 'Where is he? Oh never mind, can you just get the thermometer?" Merrill groaned. Where was Graham when he needed him? He carried Bo to the adjoining bathroom. Struggling, he turned on the cold water. Morgan came back with the thermometer. They held Bo steady on the toilet seat, and Merill stuck the thermometer in her mouth. It beeped and he pulled it out. 104 deggrees.
"Christ," He muttered. He and Morgan got Bo undressed and put her in the bathtub. She finally woke up. She was shivering like crazy, Merill wasn't sure putting her in the cold water was such a good idea, but he had seen Graham do it when Morgan was much younger and had a fever.
"Morgan, are you sure your father's not in his room? Can you check again?"
"He's not there. I checked,"
Merrill sighed heavilly again. "Can you check out side? I think he might be there." Morgan went down the stairs and Merrill tried to talk to Bo to keep her from falling asleep. A few minutes later, they could hear Graham taking the steps two at a time. He ran into the bathroom and knelt on the floor.
"We should take her temperature," He suggested.
"I already did. It's 104. We have to take her to a hospital."
"The nearest Hospital is at least half an hour away. We should probably wait untill tommorow. She might be better by then."
"I don't know Graham," He said, trying to hold Bo up so she wouldn't slip under the water. "Look at her, she's shivering like theres no tommorow. I don't thinkit would be a good idea to wait untill tommorow. Look, if you don't want to drive, I'll take her myself. I don't want her to get any worse."
Graham nodded slowly. "We'll all go," He stood up. "I'll get her dressed. You go find some blankets and get the car started. Tell Morgan to get in the car and not bother getting dressed," He pulled Bo out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel. Merrill ran down the stairs and pulled the blanket off his bed. He grabbed the keys of the table and saw Morgan sitting on the couch, also shivering.
"Morgan? Are you ok? Are you sick too?" Morgan shook his head and stood up. He followed Merrill out to the car and climed into the back seat. Merrill wrapped the blanket around him, and went inside to grab another blanket. He walked out side again and stooped short. Graham came up behind him and Merrill put his hand in front of him to stop him from going any further.
There was an alien standing on the other side of their car. And it was looking right at them.
A/N: This chapter is a bit messed up because my computer went kind of screwy. I will update again as soon as I fix up the next chapter.
"Come on," He gestured towards Merrill and a still tense Morgan. Still carrying Bo, he found the hidden key in the flowerpot next to the door. He could see both Merill and Morgan glancing at the forest now. He dismissed it and walked in, and flicked on the light. The place looked the same. Graham guessed nobody had been here since they had. He could see Morgan wipe his eyes out of the corner of his eye. He set Bo down on the couch.
"Wow, she's really turning red," Merrill commented."Maybe we should get her to bed,"
Graham nodded. "Do you want the upstairs or the downstairs bedroom?"
Merril thought. "Downstairs. You can keep an eye on the kids,"
"Okay. Im going to put the kids to bed. Can you see if there is any food or anything in the cabinets?"
When Merrill nodded, Graham took Bo and led Morgan up the stairs. He tucked Bo into one side of the bed without getting her undressed. Then he tucked Morgan in.
"Tell me if she wakes up ok?"Morgan nodded. Graham plugged in a nightlight.
"Dad?" Morgan added hesitantly.
"What?"
"Tommorow, if Bo's feeling better, can we go into town and buy some books? I forgot mine at home," He finished.
"Sure," Graham said after a second. "Why didn't you bring some books with you?" He was curious. Morgan loved to read. His and Bo's room was overflowing with books. He had been reading since he was 4 years old. Even if Morgan had thought they were only going away for 1 night, he still would have brought books with him.
"I don't know," he answered. "I guess I just want some new ones," His face was buried under the covers and he was almost half-asleep. Graham shook his head and backed out of the room. He went downstairs to check on Merrill and then he fell into the comfy bed in the room he and Colleen had shared. It surprised him how close he felt to crying.
"This is ridiculus," he whispered to himself as he turned over. He tosed and turned. He got up and checed on the kids. They were both fast asleep, so he felt Bo's forehead. She was still hot, and seemed to only be getting worse. He went downstairs and found a few paper cups. He filled them with water and brought them upstairs next to the bed. Then e checked on Merrill, who also seemed to be fast asleep. He sighed. He had hoped to have someone to talk to. He didn't know what to do next. He couldn't turn on the T.V,t would probably wake everyone up. He put on some hot water and tried to find some tea in the cupboards. All he could find was hot chocolate.
He smiled a bit. Morgan and Colleen had loved hot chocolate. Well, they actually just liked the marshmellows. They had invented a desert from them. They would push as many marshmellows As they could into their mugs, and when all the hot chocolate had soaked up into the marshmellows they would scoop it into a bowl and mix graham crackers and chocolate sauce in. Graham used to pretend to throw up every time they made it. Morgan used to get so hyper when he was done, they practicly had to tie him to a chair. But Morgan hadn't eaten it since Colleen had died.
Graham took the hot chocolate and sat on the couch. But he found he wanted to breathe fresh air so he walked out to the porch. He looked up untill he saw the familiar sight of the Big Dipper. He slowly walked down the steps untill he was standing at the edge of the dock, and sat down.
Merrill heard Graham come down stairs. He could hear him standing in the doorway, and pretended to be asleep. He knew Graham wanted to talk, and he didn't feel like comforting Graham at the moment. He heard the sliding door slide close, and he started breathing normally again. He flipped over on his back and sighed. He felt guilty for not talking to Graham, but he felt tired of saying something to comfort himself, and having it beaten to the ground. He was really tired, and it was about 2:00 in the morning. He turned over a couple of times,before finally falling asleep.
"Uncle Merrill? Uncle Merrill?" Merrill shut his eyes tight and tried to block out the sound. But someone was shaking his shoulder too. Finally he opened his eyes and tried to focus. He vaguly saw a shape that resembled Morgan. He jerked awake and at up.
"What is it?" He asked, sitting up, worried. Where was Graham? Why hadn't Morgan gone to him instead?
"Its Bo. I think she's having a nightmare. She's crying and wimpering, and she is really burning up," Morgan said. Merrill got up walked up the stairs with Morgan. Bo was twisted up in the sheets. She was crying and talking to someone. Merrill went over to her and untangled her from the shets. He lifted her onto his lap and tried to wake her up. Morgan had been right. She was burning up very fast, but she was shivering uncontrolably.
"Bo. Bo wake up. You have to wake up. Morgan, see if theres a thermometer around here. Check your Dads room. Wake him up while you're at it," He paused and tried to shift Bo so that she would wake up.
"He's not there," Morgan replied as he stared worridly at his sister.
Merrill snapped his head to Morgan. 'Where is he? Oh never mind, can you just get the thermometer?" Merrill groaned. Where was Graham when he needed him? He carried Bo to the adjoining bathroom. Struggling, he turned on the cold water. Morgan came back with the thermometer. They held Bo steady on the toilet seat, and Merill stuck the thermometer in her mouth. It beeped and he pulled it out. 104 deggrees.
"Christ," He muttered. He and Morgan got Bo undressed and put her in the bathtub. She finally woke up. She was shivering like crazy, Merill wasn't sure putting her in the cold water was such a good idea, but he had seen Graham do it when Morgan was much younger and had a fever.
"Morgan, are you sure your father's not in his room? Can you check again?"
"He's not there. I checked,"
Merrill sighed heavilly again. "Can you check out side? I think he might be there." Morgan went down the stairs and Merrill tried to talk to Bo to keep her from falling asleep. A few minutes later, they could hear Graham taking the steps two at a time. He ran into the bathroom and knelt on the floor.
"We should take her temperature," He suggested.
"I already did. It's 104. We have to take her to a hospital."
"The nearest Hospital is at least half an hour away. We should probably wait untill tommorow. She might be better by then."
"I don't know Graham," He said, trying to hold Bo up so she wouldn't slip under the water. "Look at her, she's shivering like theres no tommorow. I don't thinkit would be a good idea to wait untill tommorow. Look, if you don't want to drive, I'll take her myself. I don't want her to get any worse."
Graham nodded slowly. "We'll all go," He stood up. "I'll get her dressed. You go find some blankets and get the car started. Tell Morgan to get in the car and not bother getting dressed," He pulled Bo out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel. Merrill ran down the stairs and pulled the blanket off his bed. He grabbed the keys of the table and saw Morgan sitting on the couch, also shivering.
"Morgan? Are you ok? Are you sick too?" Morgan shook his head and stood up. He followed Merrill out to the car and climed into the back seat. Merrill wrapped the blanket around him, and went inside to grab another blanket. He walked out side again and stooped short. Graham came up behind him and Merrill put his hand in front of him to stop him from going any further.
There was an alien standing on the other side of their car. And it was looking right at them.
A/N: This chapter is a bit messed up because my computer went kind of screwy. I will update again as soon as I fix up the next chapter.
