Heehee!! Alright, the next update is here! I have to leave for
vacation soon though, so you guys might not get updates on any of my
stories for a long while, but I still have like another 15 to 20 days
before I leave, so I'll be rolling the chapters out as quick as I can!! Oh
well, wish me luck, hope you guys like this!!
Chapter 4,
Trapped!
The kids didn't sleep too well or too long for that matter that night. They were constantly awakened by large thunder claps and shrieking bolts of lightning. Their power was out and so they were stuck, trapped like little rats. They eventually decided that there was no longer any point in trying to sleep since they could only manage to close their eyes for about 5 minutes at a time.
Summer: Well, at least we're all together, I mean, now we can try and think of a way to get out of here. I told my grandma that I'd just come home when I was ready, so I know she wouldn't be worried about me, and all the rest of you are without parents or guardians of the sort.
Kaoru: At least things can't get much worse.
Misao: Don't say that!!! You'll jinx us all!!
And as if on cue, the moment Misao finished her sentence the generator died and the heater shut off.
Sano: Oh good lord!!! Why did you have to open your big mouth, for crying out loud, Misao!!!!
Misao: It's not my fault, Kaoru jinxed us.
Aoshi: Forget about that, we have to restore this generator or we may all freeze in this house.
Summer: But it's only the beginning of the school year, how can it be so cold?
Soujiro: Well, these storms tend to bring in huge cold fronts from the north, so all of the freezing temperatures are down here for now. They should clear up once the storm ends, but for now we need to keep warm.
Summer: Wow, that's kind of confusing, oh well; let's see if we can't get this heater going again.
They all worked hard to try and restore the generator, but to no avail. Megumi finally discovered some matches in one of the cabinets in the boys' kitchen which she lit and used to restore the heater. They were going to have to find some more stuff to burn until the generator recharged though.
Everyone sat around the heater; they had gathered a few old sheets and sat them next to the heater so that they could easily throw them on the small flame when they needed to.
Kenshin: So, what shall we do now?
Sano: As long as we don't play anymore spin the bottle; I think I'll be fine.
Everyone nodded their heads in solemn agreement.
Summer: I want to go home, and play with my dogs and ride my horses. Normally, Gram and I would be out in the barn by now, doing chores, and playing with my little siblings.
Kenshin: That sounds quite nice, that it does.
Summer: Yahiko, Suzume, and Ayame are such sweet little children. I would do anything for them.
Aoshi: It's surprising how one can take in another's children and treat them like their own.
Summer: Well, I don't know about children, but I definitely treat them as if I had been related to them all my life. I would go to the nth degree to keep them safe though.
Megumi: See though, you still care about them deeply, even though they have absolutely no relation to you.
Summer: I guess it's just my maternal instinct. But I know you all would treat them just as well. But I have to ask, since none of you have any siblings or family to look after, what do you do all day?
Aoshi: Well, we all live here together, so we kind of just hang out all day.
Sano: Yeah, either that or we just go over to Missy's house and bug her.
Kaoru: Yeah, how could I forget about that? Megumi: I love to relax in my pool, or hang out with you guys.
Soujiro: I honestly don't know what I do all day; I just sort of follow everyone around. But sometimes I'll take walks through the woods or practice my swordsmanship. I also like to just hang out with all of you; you guys have no idea how funny you are to watch.
Misao: What's that supposed to mean!?!
Soujiro: Oh, nothing, I'm just a quiet observer.
The day just wore on like that until they began to hear things that let them know that the storm was at its end. Everyone finally went to the front door to see if they really were out of the dark. The storm was indeed rolling on its way, and they began to try and find ways out of the house. Everyone split up and scoured the building from roof to basement, searching for a way out. Misao was the one to make the big discovery.
Misao: Hey everyone, come here!!! I think I found a way to get us all out of here!
They all ran to where she was, and low and behold, she was upstairs, standing next to the rather large vent in the upper corner of the wall.
Sano: That vent leads up into the attic and then out onto the back of the roof. But this is a tall house, so I don't see how we'll get down once we get out.
Kaoru: We can figure that out when we get there, but for now, let's just get outside!!
It was still dark out, so it had to be around four in the morning. The boys managed to find a screw driver and take the grate off of the vent. Soujiro and Kenshin crawled ahead, and since Aoshi and Sano were taller, they helped the rest of the girls up into the small shaft before entering it themselves. They kicked the grate out of the other end when they reached it, and found themselves in the dusty, very unused attic. Everyone began to cough slightly until the dust settled, but then they began looking for a way out from there. Summer found a small window in the back, hidden behind a large mirror. She had to keep reminding herself to stay focused, do to her lack of sleep, and mounting curiosity as to what sort of neat things could be hidden up here. She came to the conclusion that the house must have been pre-owned before the boys moved in, and so whoever lived here earlier never bothered to clean out the attic. There were old dressers, boxes, clothes, and jewelry. It was all rather fascinating, but she went back to the small window in front of her. It was locked and rusted shut, and almost unnoticeable do to the shutters that seemed to be welded shut outside, blocking any moonlight from coming in. Her nimble fingers ran and skimmed over the panes and lock, trying desperately to undo it. She rattled it, and finally, raising her arm to shield her eyes, she struck the tiny window with her foot. It shattered, hardly making a noise, but the shutters remained in tact. The only noise in fact, was the small gasp that came from Summer's mouth as she placed her hand on her cheek, and felt the tiny cut there. A small trickle of blood began to run down her face, but she ignored it. She was determined to get this window open! The others were still hunting about for a way out, so she knew she could call them if she needed help, but she wanted to give it one more try, so she raised her foot again, and dealt the shutters a hefty blow. They gave way, almost crumbling under the force of her foot. They had been so old and rotten though that they gave way without a noise. After tugging her foot free, Summer was astounded to find that the window did not lead outside, but in fact, it lead into another room! Summer wriggled through the tiny opening and stepped into the dark space, she remembered she had left a small candle in the other room so she reached back through the gap and grabbed the handle on its holder. Lifting the flickering light into the air she studied her surroundings. She was amazed by what she saw. Surrounding her were heaps of small bones, belonging to various species of bats, mice, rats, etc. Summer was a bit frightened by this find, but she guessed that the poor creatures had somehow found their way in here during storms and other occurrences and then couldn't find the way back out. But then she had an idea! If these animals had found a way in, then there had to be a way back out!
Summer scanned the rest of her surroundings, but other than hundreds of dusty cobwebs she found nothing of interest, that is, until she stumbled around a corner in the room and saw a very well hidden secret door in the wall.
Summer: (whispering softly to herself) This must have been built years ago, back during the revolution. I bet this door was a secret passage used by refugees to get in and out of the house without being noticed!
She reached out to touch the handle on the door, twisting it gently, so as not to disturb its old mechanisms inside, and the door came easily open despite the age and wear that lay thickly upon its hinges. Summer went to pear inside, holding the candle in front of her, when out of nowhere a huge shape leapt, snarling out of the darkness. Summer shrieked, attracting the attention of her friends in the next room as she threw the door shut with a bang. But the crumbling old wood was no match for whatever beast was trapped on the other side. The animal hurled itself bodily at the door and smashed through it like a knife through cardboard! Summer screamed again and ran, dropping the candle, which went out the moment it hit the floor. She was defenseless, and up against an opponent she couldn't see, let alone identify. Her friends had heard her screams, but had no idea where she was. They had failed to notice the small window which was still hidden behind the large mirror. The sun had begun to rise, allowing for small fragments of dawn light to seep through the cracks in the walls of the room where Summer was located. She was almost back to the window, when whatever it was that had been after her, leapt in front of it, blocking her retreat. Summer skidded to a halt, and tensed her muscles, sinking low to the floor, preparing herself in case the brute made a sudden charge. The beast stood snarling at her, its teeth bared and muscles wound tight, bracing its entire body for the attack. Summer's eyes had begun to adjust to the darkness around her, and she could just barely make out her opponent. Before her stood a large bobcat; it had most likely found its way into the house during last year's winter, and had been feeding off of the smaller mammals up here in the attic, undisturbed until now. Summer wasted no time in remembering the animal's condition. He was a bobcat, built for rugged terrain, and harsh climates. His senses would be dulled from malnutrition, and his claws would slide easily on this worn wooden floor. She also remembered that his eyesight and sense of smell would be much better than hers. But, the one thing that he didn't have was a highly developed brain.
Summer: (thinking quickly to herself) If I'm going to survive, then I have to outwit him. He may be used to seeing humans on two legs, and recognize me well now, but he would be confused if I were to stand on his own level, as an equal animal.
She slowly crouched down, placing her hands on the floor, and splaying her fingers out, so that her nails could act as claws, and her feet were bare, so she leaned forward on the balls of her feet, and lowered her head, the muscles in her shoulders tightening and shifting as she made these adjustments.
The animal was thoroughly baffled, but kept its aggressive appeal in place. Summer then decided that she had to let go of any fear she had for the animal, if it couldn't smell fear, or see it, then it would realize that it actually had a fight on its paws and might back down if she could make herself intimidating enough.
Summer narrowed her eyes, and bared her own teeth, growling slightly at the cat, and snapping her jaws at it.
The bobcat was definitely unsure of what to do now. Summer was gaining confidence with every second. If she could just keep this up till her friends found her, then she might make it out of here. The cat could react in one of two ways; it could either back down and run, or feel threatened or cornered and attack. Summer decided she wanted it to be able to run without further confrontation. So she slowly crawled to the side, allowing a small escape route for the animal.
Surprisingly enough, the cat still didn't move. It sat staring at her, but one more snarl from Summer definitely allowed it to come to the conclusion that she was too weird and new to mess with. It began to back down, and slink close to the wall, past her, towards the back of the room. Summer was relieved to hear her friends' voices as they discovered where she was. Misao and the others saw the cat in the back of the room and they noted Summer's position. They were afraid for her life when they saw the beast, but they managed to get Summer back through the opening without harm. Summer told them of her encounter and what she had found. They then decided that they would go back in, Summer first, since she had already established dominance over the beast, but they would bring some torches with them, since these kinds of cats were supposed to hate fire. They met back in front of the window, crawled through, and Summer this time, walked with unfading confidence towards the door, which the cat desperately wanted to exit through. She kicked what was left of it open and backed away, the animal shot through it and practically flew down the stairs into the darkness.
Summer: (peering into the darkness) Well, who wants to go first?
How was it? Please leave me some nice reviews! I'll try to update again soon!
Chapter 4,
Trapped!
The kids didn't sleep too well or too long for that matter that night. They were constantly awakened by large thunder claps and shrieking bolts of lightning. Their power was out and so they were stuck, trapped like little rats. They eventually decided that there was no longer any point in trying to sleep since they could only manage to close their eyes for about 5 minutes at a time.
Summer: Well, at least we're all together, I mean, now we can try and think of a way to get out of here. I told my grandma that I'd just come home when I was ready, so I know she wouldn't be worried about me, and all the rest of you are without parents or guardians of the sort.
Kaoru: At least things can't get much worse.
Misao: Don't say that!!! You'll jinx us all!!
And as if on cue, the moment Misao finished her sentence the generator died and the heater shut off.
Sano: Oh good lord!!! Why did you have to open your big mouth, for crying out loud, Misao!!!!
Misao: It's not my fault, Kaoru jinxed us.
Aoshi: Forget about that, we have to restore this generator or we may all freeze in this house.
Summer: But it's only the beginning of the school year, how can it be so cold?
Soujiro: Well, these storms tend to bring in huge cold fronts from the north, so all of the freezing temperatures are down here for now. They should clear up once the storm ends, but for now we need to keep warm.
Summer: Wow, that's kind of confusing, oh well; let's see if we can't get this heater going again.
They all worked hard to try and restore the generator, but to no avail. Megumi finally discovered some matches in one of the cabinets in the boys' kitchen which she lit and used to restore the heater. They were going to have to find some more stuff to burn until the generator recharged though.
Everyone sat around the heater; they had gathered a few old sheets and sat them next to the heater so that they could easily throw them on the small flame when they needed to.
Kenshin: So, what shall we do now?
Sano: As long as we don't play anymore spin the bottle; I think I'll be fine.
Everyone nodded their heads in solemn agreement.
Summer: I want to go home, and play with my dogs and ride my horses. Normally, Gram and I would be out in the barn by now, doing chores, and playing with my little siblings.
Kenshin: That sounds quite nice, that it does.
Summer: Yahiko, Suzume, and Ayame are such sweet little children. I would do anything for them.
Aoshi: It's surprising how one can take in another's children and treat them like their own.
Summer: Well, I don't know about children, but I definitely treat them as if I had been related to them all my life. I would go to the nth degree to keep them safe though.
Megumi: See though, you still care about them deeply, even though they have absolutely no relation to you.
Summer: I guess it's just my maternal instinct. But I know you all would treat them just as well. But I have to ask, since none of you have any siblings or family to look after, what do you do all day?
Aoshi: Well, we all live here together, so we kind of just hang out all day.
Sano: Yeah, either that or we just go over to Missy's house and bug her.
Kaoru: Yeah, how could I forget about that? Megumi: I love to relax in my pool, or hang out with you guys.
Soujiro: I honestly don't know what I do all day; I just sort of follow everyone around. But sometimes I'll take walks through the woods or practice my swordsmanship. I also like to just hang out with all of you; you guys have no idea how funny you are to watch.
Misao: What's that supposed to mean!?!
Soujiro: Oh, nothing, I'm just a quiet observer.
The day just wore on like that until they began to hear things that let them know that the storm was at its end. Everyone finally went to the front door to see if they really were out of the dark. The storm was indeed rolling on its way, and they began to try and find ways out of the house. Everyone split up and scoured the building from roof to basement, searching for a way out. Misao was the one to make the big discovery.
Misao: Hey everyone, come here!!! I think I found a way to get us all out of here!
They all ran to where she was, and low and behold, she was upstairs, standing next to the rather large vent in the upper corner of the wall.
Sano: That vent leads up into the attic and then out onto the back of the roof. But this is a tall house, so I don't see how we'll get down once we get out.
Kaoru: We can figure that out when we get there, but for now, let's just get outside!!
It was still dark out, so it had to be around four in the morning. The boys managed to find a screw driver and take the grate off of the vent. Soujiro and Kenshin crawled ahead, and since Aoshi and Sano were taller, they helped the rest of the girls up into the small shaft before entering it themselves. They kicked the grate out of the other end when they reached it, and found themselves in the dusty, very unused attic. Everyone began to cough slightly until the dust settled, but then they began looking for a way out from there. Summer found a small window in the back, hidden behind a large mirror. She had to keep reminding herself to stay focused, do to her lack of sleep, and mounting curiosity as to what sort of neat things could be hidden up here. She came to the conclusion that the house must have been pre-owned before the boys moved in, and so whoever lived here earlier never bothered to clean out the attic. There were old dressers, boxes, clothes, and jewelry. It was all rather fascinating, but she went back to the small window in front of her. It was locked and rusted shut, and almost unnoticeable do to the shutters that seemed to be welded shut outside, blocking any moonlight from coming in. Her nimble fingers ran and skimmed over the panes and lock, trying desperately to undo it. She rattled it, and finally, raising her arm to shield her eyes, she struck the tiny window with her foot. It shattered, hardly making a noise, but the shutters remained in tact. The only noise in fact, was the small gasp that came from Summer's mouth as she placed her hand on her cheek, and felt the tiny cut there. A small trickle of blood began to run down her face, but she ignored it. She was determined to get this window open! The others were still hunting about for a way out, so she knew she could call them if she needed help, but she wanted to give it one more try, so she raised her foot again, and dealt the shutters a hefty blow. They gave way, almost crumbling under the force of her foot. They had been so old and rotten though that they gave way without a noise. After tugging her foot free, Summer was astounded to find that the window did not lead outside, but in fact, it lead into another room! Summer wriggled through the tiny opening and stepped into the dark space, she remembered she had left a small candle in the other room so she reached back through the gap and grabbed the handle on its holder. Lifting the flickering light into the air she studied her surroundings. She was amazed by what she saw. Surrounding her were heaps of small bones, belonging to various species of bats, mice, rats, etc. Summer was a bit frightened by this find, but she guessed that the poor creatures had somehow found their way in here during storms and other occurrences and then couldn't find the way back out. But then she had an idea! If these animals had found a way in, then there had to be a way back out!
Summer scanned the rest of her surroundings, but other than hundreds of dusty cobwebs she found nothing of interest, that is, until she stumbled around a corner in the room and saw a very well hidden secret door in the wall.
Summer: (whispering softly to herself) This must have been built years ago, back during the revolution. I bet this door was a secret passage used by refugees to get in and out of the house without being noticed!
She reached out to touch the handle on the door, twisting it gently, so as not to disturb its old mechanisms inside, and the door came easily open despite the age and wear that lay thickly upon its hinges. Summer went to pear inside, holding the candle in front of her, when out of nowhere a huge shape leapt, snarling out of the darkness. Summer shrieked, attracting the attention of her friends in the next room as she threw the door shut with a bang. But the crumbling old wood was no match for whatever beast was trapped on the other side. The animal hurled itself bodily at the door and smashed through it like a knife through cardboard! Summer screamed again and ran, dropping the candle, which went out the moment it hit the floor. She was defenseless, and up against an opponent she couldn't see, let alone identify. Her friends had heard her screams, but had no idea where she was. They had failed to notice the small window which was still hidden behind the large mirror. The sun had begun to rise, allowing for small fragments of dawn light to seep through the cracks in the walls of the room where Summer was located. She was almost back to the window, when whatever it was that had been after her, leapt in front of it, blocking her retreat. Summer skidded to a halt, and tensed her muscles, sinking low to the floor, preparing herself in case the brute made a sudden charge. The beast stood snarling at her, its teeth bared and muscles wound tight, bracing its entire body for the attack. Summer's eyes had begun to adjust to the darkness around her, and she could just barely make out her opponent. Before her stood a large bobcat; it had most likely found its way into the house during last year's winter, and had been feeding off of the smaller mammals up here in the attic, undisturbed until now. Summer wasted no time in remembering the animal's condition. He was a bobcat, built for rugged terrain, and harsh climates. His senses would be dulled from malnutrition, and his claws would slide easily on this worn wooden floor. She also remembered that his eyesight and sense of smell would be much better than hers. But, the one thing that he didn't have was a highly developed brain.
Summer: (thinking quickly to herself) If I'm going to survive, then I have to outwit him. He may be used to seeing humans on two legs, and recognize me well now, but he would be confused if I were to stand on his own level, as an equal animal.
She slowly crouched down, placing her hands on the floor, and splaying her fingers out, so that her nails could act as claws, and her feet were bare, so she leaned forward on the balls of her feet, and lowered her head, the muscles in her shoulders tightening and shifting as she made these adjustments.
The animal was thoroughly baffled, but kept its aggressive appeal in place. Summer then decided that she had to let go of any fear she had for the animal, if it couldn't smell fear, or see it, then it would realize that it actually had a fight on its paws and might back down if she could make herself intimidating enough.
Summer narrowed her eyes, and bared her own teeth, growling slightly at the cat, and snapping her jaws at it.
The bobcat was definitely unsure of what to do now. Summer was gaining confidence with every second. If she could just keep this up till her friends found her, then she might make it out of here. The cat could react in one of two ways; it could either back down and run, or feel threatened or cornered and attack. Summer decided she wanted it to be able to run without further confrontation. So she slowly crawled to the side, allowing a small escape route for the animal.
Surprisingly enough, the cat still didn't move. It sat staring at her, but one more snarl from Summer definitely allowed it to come to the conclusion that she was too weird and new to mess with. It began to back down, and slink close to the wall, past her, towards the back of the room. Summer was relieved to hear her friends' voices as they discovered where she was. Misao and the others saw the cat in the back of the room and they noted Summer's position. They were afraid for her life when they saw the beast, but they managed to get Summer back through the opening without harm. Summer told them of her encounter and what she had found. They then decided that they would go back in, Summer first, since she had already established dominance over the beast, but they would bring some torches with them, since these kinds of cats were supposed to hate fire. They met back in front of the window, crawled through, and Summer this time, walked with unfading confidence towards the door, which the cat desperately wanted to exit through. She kicked what was left of it open and backed away, the animal shot through it and practically flew down the stairs into the darkness.
Summer: (peering into the darkness) Well, who wants to go first?
How was it? Please leave me some nice reviews! I'll try to update again soon!