Responses
Kit: I looked back at what I'd wrote and realized to my great horror that you were correct. I adore Ry. He's such a sweet heart. So thanks to you and my love for Ry I'm making this chapter all from his POV. Thanks for reviewing. Hope you enjoy.
The air was bitter cold in the morning and evening. The days were much shorter too. Mr. Halse was short tempered any more. Serena said that was because he was no longer able to do as much in a day. Ryou just hoped he'd get over it soon. To this Serena once again reasured him her father would fall into the winter pace soon. The weekends were now spent closing holes and getting straw in easy to access places. Lilly was sure this winter would be worse than any yet. Chris said she was crazy that the gods weren't really pissed at her mother for bringing in Ryou and Bakura.
But at this moment Ryou was sitting out by the nanny pen enjoying the lull in todays work. He knew it would only last untill Matt, Lilly, and Bakura got back. That was one other thing that had shocked him. No matter where Lilly went Bakura was close behind. Matt was always following Lilly so now the three musketeers were out getting feed. Meaning it was Saturday morning. Lilly spent the night in the barn waiting on Katelyn to kid. So far it seemed to be a false alarm. But the doe was old and Lilly wasn't taking any chances. Infact she'd spent most of the last week ranting about 'idiot farm hands' who can't close a couple of gates.
"Hey Buddy!" came Serena's voice from somewhere behind him. "Your hard to find." she said coming up and sitting down on the bale of alfalfa.
"Sorry. I didn't know you were looking for me." he appologized.
"Ehh. No biggie. Just wanted to make sure you weren't stuck to a fence post somewhere." Which was apperently her biggest fear after Matt dared Chris to jump in the pond and then hug a metal fence post a few winters back. Of course Chris had done it and they had to pour warm water on his half dressed self to get him off.
"No, I've not any plans to jump in the lake." he smiled. Most of the time he just sat in silence with Serena. They had both suffered from thing most teens never dream of and found comfort with in eachother.
"Good. I'd hate to have to explain that to Mama again." she laughed. "We should probably be working on Genral Lilly's list instead of sitting here." Serena mummbled after a few moments of silence.
"S'pose." He waited a moment. "Do you think people can change?" he asked.
"No, I know they can. My grandfather used to say that the mind and heart a simple to change, if you know what needs changing." Ryou knew she didn't actually remeber this that someone had told her he said it. He'd died shortly before her memory loss and she remebered nothing of her life before. However he'd witnessed a few occasions where she'd be doing something and suddenly beable to discribe having done it before though she couldn't place when or why. Before he could say anything else the 'purring' of an engine sounded from somewhere near the house. They quickly tossed the hay into the pen for the goats and made there way up towards the house. The truck radio was turned up as loud as it went and the doors were open. Standing onto of the bags of feed was Matt who was playing an invisible gutiar and singing along.Bakura and Lilly had already had comenced distributing the bags to the proper barns and made it to the truck the same time Serena and he did.
"I'll have to show you. It's really easy. Start with something with no kick and as you get better we'll move into the ones that'll send a four year old flying." Lilly was saying. Bakura seemed to be completely obsorbed in the topic at hand because he just missed walking into the barn wall.
"What's tha'?" Serena asked. She'd often times talk with a twang, or shorten her words just for the fun of it.
"He ain't never shot a gun... Oooo We'll have to show you archery too. It's beautifull. I heard tell of a guy who shot a deer once the deer was split open where it practically gutted it's self and still managed to land in the man's pick-up." Lilly gave of a twisted grin. She loved stories with blood, guts, and gore. It had to be what made her such an agreeable compaion for his darker half. "Any of ya checked my girl lately?" By that she'd meant Katelyn.
"Ya. We were just over tossin' the girls some hay. You guys have a nice trip?" Serena asked. It was at that moment Matt jumped out of the truck."Wonderful proformance."
"Thanks. As for the trip it was nice. I've got myself a extra job. Seein' as ya'll ain't gonna be needin' me much 'round here. I'm going to load feed for folks down at the feed store. With it being a family bussiness and a few pretty lies I don't need to get a physical and all the paper work." Lilly smacked him upside the head for this announcement.
"Hold up slick. You've not given me your two week. If you just walk out I don't have to pay you for the past week. You would be abandoning your postion. Now unload some feed. I've got things todo today." Matt obeyed. Ryou had to give it to the girl. She wasn't a huge, scary looking person. She was a sixteen year old girl, with a tan year round from hours of work outside, and built like any other girl her age who's only fat was on her chest. But all this stay hidden behind a pair of patched bibbed over-alls, a worn out pair of shoes, and under a nice straw hat. But none of that seemed to make any difference when she gave an order. It was often followed through faster than the ones given from the parents.
Half hour later all the feed was unloaded and put away. Lilly dismissed everyone and went for a ride. It was a little after four everyday when she'd come in from these daily rides. Where she went only her and her mount knew. No one was allowed to follow her. She'd come back once or twice with 'critters' from traps put out in the woods. Chris said that Serena used to take these rides with her, but that had ended after the accident. It was in these silent hours that people wondered about as if nothing mattered anymore. It was nothing to find someone sprawled out under a tree in the grass with a book. Mr. Halse had a work shop off the office. Ryou would go there sometimes with Serena. She loved to sit in there. She said it reminded her of something. He'd often times before having met Serena wished his memories were wiped clean. Now he was glad for everyone of them.
As the sun began to dip in the sky and the smells of dinner wafted from the house the cries of a goat broke the peace. He'd never heard a cry like this. It was nearing mid October and he knew every animal now. He could reconize most their sounds and this one was of pain. From nowhere Matt came bounding across the barn yard. He was tailed by Gretchen.
"Children Dinner.." was called from in the house and he left Matt to finding the problem. He knew Matt had more experience with such matters anyway. When he reached the kitchen where normally plates would be being handed out piled high with food he found that Ginny, Virginia was Mrs. Halses first name but she often went by Ginny, was gathering old towels and calling for Bakura. Bakura had been upstair since Lilly went out on her ride. Serena nugged him and pointed at the clock. It read 6:15. Suddenly he realized what half of the comotion was about. Lilly was late. He heard a walkie-talkie go off. It was the emergancy sound. Since the walkie-talkies reached a 2 mile radius it was the signal all the local farmers used. When the sound stopped Matt's voice was there.
"Where the hell is Lils. I need her. Kate is freaking out down here. Damn it! Go away Ana." the line cut short and Lilly answered.
"What she doin' Matt?"
"Thank God. Just get here. She's screaming and beating her head on the wall."
"Okay. I'll be there in a second. I stopped at Grandpa's to check the jars. I can see the barns I'll be there as soon as I can. Don't restrain her unless she's a danger to herself. The baby doesn't matter at the moment." Serena gripped his arm.
"She can't be serious."
"Alex, get over it. Your sister knows what she's doing. Besides that she means to the farm the baby don't matter. We don't have anything placed in it. The kid isn't pure. You know it will be meat if she don't sell it as pet." Ginny scolded. Bakura entered then. Was it possible that the when he heard the desparation in Lilly's voice he actually was nervous. "Oh Bakura, You have a weak stomach?" she asked the moment she saw him.
"No." he said with all the dignity he could muster.
"Good. Take these and go to the goat barn. Matt will be there. He's going to need help. I've called his Mom. If the baby isn't born by 10 he is to come home. Otherwise he should come home as soon as possible after Kate kids. Off you go now." she handed him the towels and chased him out of the house as if he was a bothersome cat. She then looked to Ryou and Serena. "Okay now you two we can have dinner. If they need us they'll call. Jack! Come in here and get your plate."
Dinner was hurried and quiet. No one said a word and the walkie-talkie sat in the middle of the table. Silent except Mr. Lewis who lived down the road who wanted to make sure all was alright. After dinner Serena and him dueled. He beat her easily. The night drawed on. Mrs. Halse sent them to bed. Neither being tired they went to Serena's room.
"Do you think they've got everything under control out there?" he asked once they were sure her parents were in bed. He found it amazing that they could sleep with the three teens out in the barn. Justin had stumbled in after dinner, ate a ham sandwich and gone to his room. Ryou doubted he even knew what was going on out in the barn.
"Wanna find out?" she asked. He saw the smirk cross her face and knew she was planning something.
"How?"
"Easy." opening her bedside table's drawer she produced a walkie-talkie." We turn this on. Send down two blank seconds. They'll switch the channle over."
"How do you know that?"
"Chris used to walk down in the middle of the night. That was how he'd signal us that he was here."
"You remebered this?"
"Yeah. When I saw him for the first time after I woke up that was the only thing I knew about him. Kinda werid..." Her voice trailed off there were no words to discribe her problems.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Smiling Serena did as she said.
"Go to bed Serena." Mr.Halse said through the walkie-talkie.
"Now what?" he asked.
"Get your shoes. Then come back." He did as he was told as queitly as possible. When he got back to the girls' room Serena was tying her shoe. "We're going to swing out the window on to the tree. Climb to the ground and go to the barn. Okay?"
No. Not okay. Dangerous. We are going to get caught. Then your parents will kill us.
"Yeah."
Serena went down first. Then Ryou. He was shaking and nearly fell out of the tree twice on his way down. He'd never realized how dark it got out here. There were no lights anywhere that weren't attached to the sides of barns. Those were all motion activated.
"Take my hand. I'll show you the way." Serena said. He didn't have time to respond her hand was in his. He could make out her outline in the dark. She turned toward him with her other and she touched his face. It was an odd touch.. Gentle but seemed to send electric shocks down his body. "It's okay. No need to tremble." She didn't even need to say the words the moment she'd touched him the fear was gone. They stepped into the darkness away from the safety net the house provided.
"Hey lovebirds. Running away?" The voice made them both jump. "Lilly heard your call. I had to leave now so she told me to tell you."
"Tell us what, Matt?" Serena asked quickly.
"The baby is twisted and stuck. Lils trying to readjust the baby to no avail. If the baby isn't born by sun-up Lil says she's going to have to be shot." His word fell heavy on the darkness. They hung there for a long moment. "I've gotta go. They don't need you so just go back to bed. If you can. Next time use the fire ladder." His dry laugh was the last human voice heard in the night air for a long time.