Well here's the next bit – hope you enjoy it and don't kill me for anything
Reviewers: Cap'n Phoenix – unfortunately he has and I also thought it was cute – Killhii2003 – sorry I'm no necromancer so I can't bring him back but hopefully this explaination will make you feel better about it.
Chapter 4 – Tuesday Morning
Blood...fear...tones of snow...Dad?...crushing...can't breath...what's going on?...a distant voice – hold on...blood...everywhere...John!...ice cold...where's Dad...female voice – will he be alright?...Dad!...blood...death...
"Dad!" John shot up from the floor and hit his head off the windowsill, "Oww...that hurt" he said slowly rubbing his head and glancing around. The others were still asleep even though the sun was high in the sky.
What had he just seen?
Before he could answer his own question there was a slight knock at the door and Parker popped his head around, "Morning Master Tracy" he said sounding far too bright and alert considering the antics of last night, "And how are we feeling this morning? Or as I should more rightly say mid day" Parker chuckled.
John shook his head, trying to get the last of the sleep out of his eyes, "Fine, I think. Just in need of a drink" he croaked out...another night up late was not doing him any good.
"Well, Miss Penelope has provided drinks for you all in the lounge but unfortunately she has got appointment which meant she had to leave early this morning. You're mother is already up and asked me to come and see if any of you were awake yet" said Parker, helping John up and avoiding his sleeping brothers.
John instantly noticed that something was wrong, "Parker, where's Phil?"
Parker glanced around, and seemed to frown, "Now this is peculiar. Last time I came up here to check on you all she was here, Master Tracy. Now where has that little scamp gone now?"
John paused and thought, wondering how the hell he was meant to know where his little sister was considering he had enough trouble at home watching Gordon and Alan at the best of times.
"Could she have gone downstairs to see mom?" he asked.
"More than likely, but she did not pass me...but then again she knows this place better than me at times. Come on Master Tracy, I'll take you to where you're mother is and we'll keep a careful eye out for Miss Tracy" he said, leading the way down the lounge.
The lounge was well furnished with cream leather sofas and wooden tables, it was a perfect place to relax in and had been designed primarily for that purpose. "Good Morning Parker, morning John" came Lucille's happy voice from the window where she was watching the great gardens of Penelope's estate.
"Good morning, Mrs Tracy. How are we feeling after last night?" asked Parker, taking care in re-fluffing some of the pillows and consciously checking to see if Phil was hiding around waiting to jump on him – she wasn't.
"I'm feeling a lot better about myself and nothing could spoil today. And I see that one of my brood has finally woken up at long last" she smiled playfully at John – like the one in the photograph that he kept by his bed – and sat down on the cream sofa, her blue dress contrasting with it nicely, "I don't think I've ever known a time when all of them have slept in this late into the day"
"I'm not the first one up mum" said John, sitting opposite his mother in an armchair.
Lucille looked up and frowned but before she could ask anything, Parker jumped in "Young Miss Tracy wasn't in the room when I found Master John awake. We had presumed that she would come and see you"
Lucille paused and thought for a couple of seconds, "I haven't seen her since last night. That's rather unusual behaviour for her" there was a tinge of worry to her voice and a slight cold fear crept into her eyes.
Parker smiled, "Don't worry, Mrs Tracy, I'm sure she'll turn up. She's more than likely just hiding somewhere in the house or off to one of her gym classes. Your Phil likes to do things on her own at times" but there was also worry in his voice, "But I'll do a quick check anyway and find out where she is. If I find the little scamp I'll call you" he said before bowing and leaving the room.
John sighed, partly wondering what had happened to Phil and also why Lucille was getting more and more nervous by the second. "Don't worry mum, she'll appear" he said trying to comfort her.
Lucille tilted her head and nodded, smiling faintly, "Knowing our Phil she will. Just when everyone is jumping to even more ridiculous assumptions about where she is. Are you okay John? You appear as white as a sheet this morning"
John knew she was trying to take her mind off Phil temporarily and for once in his life John decided that maybe it would be better if he could tell someone what exactly was going on in a dream.
He took a deep breath, "I had a nightmare last night"
Lucille sighed and shook her head, "Which one?"
The shock in John's face would have made an ideal mug shot in any teen magazine, had he already told Lucille about the nightmares?...yes that would be the most logical thing he would do. "The Avalanche" he said hoping that she would know what it was about.
"Oh god" her voice became a tiny whisper, "Your fathers death"
Suddenly vivid images of the event flashed up in John's brain.
Everything that had happened on that day...
"John! Look out!" screamed Jeff from behind the thirteen-year-old as the snow came tumbling off the mountainside.
John barely had time to look behind him before snowballs the size of boulders came crashing down in all directions around him.
"John, hold on" came Jeff's voice once again, but this time it was closer.
Turning John saw Jeff just in time to latch onto his outstretched arm. John couldn't quite believe that he was looking on his father for the last time.
They continued down the slope, avoiding as much of the falling snow as they possibly could but now rocks and tree branches were getting caught up in the forward motion of the tumbling snow.
Thunder would never sound quite the same to John after hearing the sound of tree's snapping as if they were twigs and rocks bouncing off each other and smashing together as if in some sort of mad and deadly dance to try and stop the worst but failing every time.
John turned his head to look over his shoulder and felt the boiling fear in his heart freeze in a heartbeat.
A section of stone had fallen off one of the boulders that was rolling towards them and was heading straight for Jeff.
"DAD!" he heard another voice shout and he realised that Scott wasn't far behind them.
The collision was a sickening crunch and both John and Jeff feel down to the ground, blood splattering the white snow and their bodies.
"John! Dad!" shouted Scott just stopping beside them and instantly regretting it.
The snow encased over the top of all three of them and nothing could have prevented it.
Slowly a trickle of light fell into the air pocket where Scott, Jeff and John were. Scott didn't want to look up in case it was his imagination playing tricks on him.
He had to keep it together in case John woke up once again. His younger brother had been out for most of the time but when he had woken up it had been a strain to see him look so frightened.
John's breath was irregular and all three of them were cover in blood.
Jeff hadn't spoken or moved at all. Scott knew in his heart that he was already dead but he had told John that everything was all right and they would all get out of it alive.
"Hey, there's three down here" called a faint voice from a distance.
Scott looked up as best as he could and saw the tiny end of a scout camera that was used to search through debris to find people who could still be alive.
He carefully shook his brother's arm, coxing him awake, "Come on John! Wake up! I know it's cold but they're here to help us! Please wake up John! John!"
John shuddered involuntarily and looked across at his mother, "I'm sorry" he said seeing the hurt in her face.
She smiled, "You don't need to be sorry, John. No one could have stopped it if they tried. I'm still thankful to this day that my two boys survived" John hadn't noticed that she had moved from her sitting position and now had her arms around him in a loving embrace.
John nearly choked, he didn't want to believe that he had been there when his Dad had died and what made it even worse was that Jeff had died trying to protect him.
Tears should have fallen from his eyes but not came – he had no idea as to how to behave. But the warmth of his mother's skin and her breath on his cheek made him feel only worse.
There came a rather sharp knock on the door and instantly both were alert, "Come in" called Lucille with a tear strained voice.
John extended his hand to her but she quietly shook her head and mouthed 'I'm okay' and went towards the door.
Before she could reach it, Penelope burst in and John stood up.
Penny was not her smart normal self, her pink suit was covered in mud and her usually neatly styled hair looked as though it had been just dragged through a hedge backwards. "Lucy, I'm so sorry" she sobbed virtually falling into Lucille's arms.
"Penny? John go and get Parker!" his mother's tone was one of concern.
"No need to Mrs Tracy, I met Milady just as I was coming back to the main entrance" said Parker appearing and helping John to get Penny onto the sofa.
"What on earth happened to her?" asked Lucille, kneeling down and using some of her nurse training to check that she was okay.
"I have no idea...here help her drink some water. She appears to have run the whole way here but I've no clue as to where from" said Parker, signalling John to get a glass from the side.
John wasted no time and filled the glass almost full with ice water, which he hurriedly passed to Parker. The liquid was no sooner past Penelope's lips than her eyes opened and quickly she searched for Lucille.
"It's okay Miss Penelope, you're safe" said Lucille, smiling gently.
Tears fell from the blue eyes, "Oh God, I'm so sorry Lucy" she said again.
"What about? Penny you've been going on about being sorry, what are you trying to tell me?" asked Lucille.
Penny's words made John's heart fall and fear well up in all of his senses, and by the looks of Parker and Lucille they felt exactly the same though their knowledge was greater than his.
"Philadelphia's gone! I tried to stop him but he overpowered me. She was heading back from Gym class and he grabbed her. It happened so fast. James took Phil away...I'm sorry"
In the silence that followed, John could only hear two words going around his head in a repetitive pattern, 'Philadelphia's gone'.
To Be Continued...
A.N Rather sad chapter that but I had to do it – and I'm still not going to bring Jeff back to their timeline.
Interesting twist, am I right?
Review and I'll see what's happened to Phil.