1986: Quebec, Quebec:
"Peter! Sarah! John! Tommy! Marie!" a mother of five whisper-shouted. "Come quick!" she shook the children roughly in their two shared beds. Only moments later all five children were up and tiptoeing down the what seemed like an endless hallway, being careful not to make a sound.
Once they were all safely out of the house Tommy was the first to speak. "Mere Mere? Where's Papa?"
"Hush now Little Tommy or you'll wake the baby!" his grandmother Adeline snipped.
Tommy shut- up he knew better than to piss off any adult, for he knew the consequences.
Suddenly Marie started crying and Mama and Mere Mere were trying to hush her "Shhhh". Tommy didn't get what did his obnoxious little three-year-old sister have that he didn't? She got all of the attention.
"Where' we 'goin Peter?" Tommy asked to his older brother Peter who was fifteen.
"Shut- up or you'll wake Papa!"
"Papa's not 'comin?"
"Hey Tommy 'member last summer when we went to Niagara Falls for summer vacation?"
"Yeah."
"Well, it's like that, only we're 'goin for a long, long time."
"And, well Papa has to stay behind… to work…"
"Oh, okay."
"Okay children, follow me!" their mother Genevieve said, leading them down the cold, cobble stone street.
The street was deserted except for an old brown, beat- up truck.
"That's our ride" Genevieve whispered, practically gasping. After they were all situate in the truck Genevieve spoke again. "Children this is Mr. Stills, I can't tell you how thankful I am that were able to help us Steve."
"Anything to help," the middle aged, tan skinned man replied.
"How is family?"
"Great as ever; my wife's doing well. And we just had a son, too…"
"Really? Congratulations! What's his name?"
"We call him Quest; he's growing fast!"
"Why didn't you tell us! I could have brought some of Tommy's old clothes!" Adeline exclaimed.
And with that the family of seven drove away down the road with their good- friend Mr. Stills at the wheel.