CHAPTER THIRTEEN
" Here we are," Raph announced as he pulled up in front of the big, two-storey white farmhouse. It looked a little run down, since no one has been around to take care of it.
" Is that it?" Megan asked.
" Yes, it might not be your grandmother's holiday house in Palm Springs, but I've always liked it here." Raph told her.
" At least Grandma's holiday house has running water," Megan shot back.
" This place does as well…but the plumbing might not be working very well. I'll check it out." Raph led his small family into the big, rambling farmhouse.
" I think I'll clear away those vines that has grown up the wall outside," Renee decided.
" No you won't. This is your vacation, you are not to do anything understand?" Raph chided her gently.
" Okay, okay, but I would like to help out," Renee protested.
" On light chores, nothing too heavy," Raph considered.
" Where are the bedrooms?" Megan asked him.
" Upstairs, come on, I'll show you." Raph bounded up the stairs as if he were a teenager again with wife and daughter close behind.
Megan found bedroom she liked and unpacked. Then she took out a Marine Biology textbook and ran downstairs.
" I'm going exploring," she shouted out and left the house before either parent had a chance to reply.
Renee was in the kitchen putting the food they had bought into the refrigerator. Raph had turned on the electricity and was now working on the plumbing.
Megan had been out for almost an hour and showed no signs of returning anytime soon. Renee was starting to worry. There was a huge forest at the back of the house, what if Megan got lost?
Raph returned wiping his greasy hands on a rag and Renee told him her fears for Megan.
" Nah, she can't get lost. It's easy making your way home from the woods." He assured her, " Is that orange juice?" he indicated to the pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice that sat on the kitchen table.
" Yup, go wash your hands," Renee told him, " And I'll pour you a glass." Raph obeyed, heading for the bathroom.
* * *
Megan stood up and brushed herself off. She'd been sitting in the clearing reading when the sun started dipping behind the trees.
This place was peaceful, the only sounds were the birds chirpings. She had stayed out here for two and half hours, reading and daydreaming. She should have bought her journal and mini Discman out here.
She walked slowly towards the house, taking her time, when she heard a rustling noise in the trees nearby.
" Who's there?" she called out but got no answer. Thinking it was the wind, she continued on.
A dark shape leapt out from behind a tree and flew at her. Megan screamed when the thing knocked her to the ground, pinning her.
" Dad!" she cried out, " Help me!" she felt a sharp, stinging pain in her eyes and everything went black.
Raphael dropped his empty glass and it shattered the floor, " What was that?" he demanded.
Renee gave him a cross look, " Look what you done!" she said, " There's glass everywhere!"
" I heard somebody screaming out there," Raph said, " Didn't you hear it?"
" No, I was listening to the radio," Renee said pointing to the ten year old radio that was sitting on the table.
" I'm going to see what it was. You stay here." Raph said standing up. He grabbed his ancient sais from the bench and went outside. He was grateful he still kept his old sais, just in case of trouble.
He heard the scream coming from the woods, so he headed for that direction, sais at the ready.
He walked deep into the woods when he saw the still form of his daughter lying on the ground.
" Megan!" he shouted and ran over to her. He knelt down and checked for a pulse. It was still there, strong and pulsating.
She must have gotten too much sun and fainted, Raph thought, but was she the one who screamed?
There wasn't a mark on her to suggest she had been injured. Nevertheless, Raph carefully picked her up in his arms and took her back to the house.
" Oh My God, what happened?' Renee asked him as Raph laid his daughter onto the couch in the living room.
" She was lying on the ground out cold," Raph told her grimly, " Go get a cold washcloth and a glass of water."
Renee did his bidding and returned. Raph placed the washcloth on Megan's forehead.
A few minutes later, Megan stirred and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry but could make out her parents.
" Mom? Dad?"
" We're here sweetie," Renee laid a hand on her cheek, " Raph, she's burning up!"
" She must be getting the flu," Raph worried, " fainting and fever are common signs for the flu."
" I didn't faint," Megan protested, sitting up slowly. Dizziness overwhelmed he and she lay back down.
" Well, what happened then?" her father demanded.
" I was heading back home when something leapt at me from behind a tree. I felt my eyes sting and then…nothing."
" Oh Raph, she was attacked by an animal," Renee said.
Raph looked grim, " I will go and destroy it later. Let's take Megan upstairs to her bedroom. She needs fluids and Tylenol to keep the fever down." He picked up Megan and took her upstairs while Renee went into their bedroom to look for the Tylenol she had packed.
* * *
" Well?" the man demanded the mutant when it returned, " Did you find her?"
The mutant hesitated, " I found a girl…seventeen years old and was alone in the forest."
" You idiot! I wanted you to find the woman!" the man shouted. He took his wallet out of his pocket and showed the useless mutant turtle a photo, " was that the girl you found?"
" Yeah. That was her. Who is she?"
" My granddaughter."
" Here we are," Raph announced as he pulled up in front of the big, two-storey white farmhouse. It looked a little run down, since no one has been around to take care of it.
" Is that it?" Megan asked.
" Yes, it might not be your grandmother's holiday house in Palm Springs, but I've always liked it here." Raph told her.
" At least Grandma's holiday house has running water," Megan shot back.
" This place does as well…but the plumbing might not be working very well. I'll check it out." Raph led his small family into the big, rambling farmhouse.
" I think I'll clear away those vines that has grown up the wall outside," Renee decided.
" No you won't. This is your vacation, you are not to do anything understand?" Raph chided her gently.
" Okay, okay, but I would like to help out," Renee protested.
" On light chores, nothing too heavy," Raph considered.
" Where are the bedrooms?" Megan asked him.
" Upstairs, come on, I'll show you." Raph bounded up the stairs as if he were a teenager again with wife and daughter close behind.
Megan found bedroom she liked and unpacked. Then she took out a Marine Biology textbook and ran downstairs.
" I'm going exploring," she shouted out and left the house before either parent had a chance to reply.
Renee was in the kitchen putting the food they had bought into the refrigerator. Raph had turned on the electricity and was now working on the plumbing.
Megan had been out for almost an hour and showed no signs of returning anytime soon. Renee was starting to worry. There was a huge forest at the back of the house, what if Megan got lost?
Raph returned wiping his greasy hands on a rag and Renee told him her fears for Megan.
" Nah, she can't get lost. It's easy making your way home from the woods." He assured her, " Is that orange juice?" he indicated to the pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice that sat on the kitchen table.
" Yup, go wash your hands," Renee told him, " And I'll pour you a glass." Raph obeyed, heading for the bathroom.
* * *
Megan stood up and brushed herself off. She'd been sitting in the clearing reading when the sun started dipping behind the trees.
This place was peaceful, the only sounds were the birds chirpings. She had stayed out here for two and half hours, reading and daydreaming. She should have bought her journal and mini Discman out here.
She walked slowly towards the house, taking her time, when she heard a rustling noise in the trees nearby.
" Who's there?" she called out but got no answer. Thinking it was the wind, she continued on.
A dark shape leapt out from behind a tree and flew at her. Megan screamed when the thing knocked her to the ground, pinning her.
" Dad!" she cried out, " Help me!" she felt a sharp, stinging pain in her eyes and everything went black.
Raphael dropped his empty glass and it shattered the floor, " What was that?" he demanded.
Renee gave him a cross look, " Look what you done!" she said, " There's glass everywhere!"
" I heard somebody screaming out there," Raph said, " Didn't you hear it?"
" No, I was listening to the radio," Renee said pointing to the ten year old radio that was sitting on the table.
" I'm going to see what it was. You stay here." Raph said standing up. He grabbed his ancient sais from the bench and went outside. He was grateful he still kept his old sais, just in case of trouble.
He heard the scream coming from the woods, so he headed for that direction, sais at the ready.
He walked deep into the woods when he saw the still form of his daughter lying on the ground.
" Megan!" he shouted and ran over to her. He knelt down and checked for a pulse. It was still there, strong and pulsating.
She must have gotten too much sun and fainted, Raph thought, but was she the one who screamed?
There wasn't a mark on her to suggest she had been injured. Nevertheless, Raph carefully picked her up in his arms and took her back to the house.
" Oh My God, what happened?' Renee asked him as Raph laid his daughter onto the couch in the living room.
" She was lying on the ground out cold," Raph told her grimly, " Go get a cold washcloth and a glass of water."
Renee did his bidding and returned. Raph placed the washcloth on Megan's forehead.
A few minutes later, Megan stirred and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry but could make out her parents.
" Mom? Dad?"
" We're here sweetie," Renee laid a hand on her cheek, " Raph, she's burning up!"
" She must be getting the flu," Raph worried, " fainting and fever are common signs for the flu."
" I didn't faint," Megan protested, sitting up slowly. Dizziness overwhelmed he and she lay back down.
" Well, what happened then?" her father demanded.
" I was heading back home when something leapt at me from behind a tree. I felt my eyes sting and then…nothing."
" Oh Raph, she was attacked by an animal," Renee said.
Raph looked grim, " I will go and destroy it later. Let's take Megan upstairs to her bedroom. She needs fluids and Tylenol to keep the fever down." He picked up Megan and took her upstairs while Renee went into their bedroom to look for the Tylenol she had packed.
* * *
" Well?" the man demanded the mutant when it returned, " Did you find her?"
The mutant hesitated, " I found a girl…seventeen years old and was alone in the forest."
" You idiot! I wanted you to find the woman!" the man shouted. He took his wallet out of his pocket and showed the useless mutant turtle a photo, " was that the girl you found?"
" Yeah. That was her. Who is she?"
" My granddaughter."