A/N: Oh my goodness, I didn't think anyone would read this, so thank you to those who did. I know the first chapter was a little rough, but I have never done this before, so consider that the practice round. LOL. I hope to do a little better with this one. And by the way, Thank you for reviewing. It made me smile, and gave me the courage to try again:)
Maybe it's June bug's so called imperfections that lends itself so acutely to her poignant thoughts and keen observations of the world in which she lives. She says she is too broken for the fast pace of a life outside her small town, and so she takes pleasure in absorbing the small bits of life found right here in Senoia. Things others take for granted or scurry on passed without blinking an eye at, June bug sees in poetic detail. And she uses wonderful descriptors so that I too can know the importance of a strawberry ice-cream that dances across her lips on a warm Georgia night; Or savour the delectably sweet southern goodness, and the tangy zest of a cold lemonade on a sunday afternoon.
Quite often we go to the swimming hole because it is her most favourite spot on the farm. And it is with stunning accuracy that she sketches the panoramic view before her, as though she's sketching it by heart. Right down to the frayed edges of the knotted rope swing that hangs above the still water. She needs to remember how it looks to her now, in this light, not tommorows. And I am beginning to wonder if it is a fear of change that propels her to document every aspect of her life so openly. It may sound bad to say, but if that is the case I am glad for it.
June bug and I are kindred spirits, and without her heartfelt words, I would never have known what it is to have love. A love for music, and nature, and family that runs so deeply within her core, it wraps itself around every word this damaged girl writes. It flows through the ink of her pen onto the lines of my paper, and I too begin to come alive with that love.
Beside her father's inscription on the very first page, she has glued a picture of her parents on their wedding day. She lables it true love.
On a page labeled "Jimmy," she places a dried and flattened blue bell that he picked for her while they waited for the bus on a rainy day last week.
And saved from a carnivel that swept through town a few days back, is a row of funny faced pictures Maggie and Beth took in a photobooth.
These are her treasures, her keepsakes, her heart. And I am honored to protect them.
The room is silent but for the constant tick of the clock on the wall, and the quiet conversation taking place in the room adjacent to where Beth sits with her mother and her sister, and look of utter shock upon her face.
"Otis, I would feel better if you and Patricia stayed here on the farm until they get a handle on this thing. That goes for you to Jimmy. You can sleep on the couch, at least until your parents get home safe."
"Thank you sir," the boy says glumly.
Hershel gently pats the kid on the back, and gives him somber nod. He then turns his gaze to the livingroom, where his youngest daughter continues to stare in disbelief at the snowy picture on the television screen. It will be good for her to have him here, Hershel thinks to himself. "Don't mention it son," he say out loud.
Beth feels frozen to the spot as she struggles to internalize the final images of the last broadcast. All those people...
She should have listened more closely to the strange reports that started coming out of New York days ago... the killings and random acts of horrible violence, but it just seemed so far away... A passing blip on the five o'clock news, It wasn't until yesterday when CNN went black did her family really start to take notice. Now Atlanta... My God!
Beth peers at the door, not able to help the worried knot twisting in the pit of her gut. She wishes Shawn were here to make light of it, and put her mind at ease. Seeking comfort, the timid girl quickly glances to Maggie and her Momma who sit curled together on the sofa. And she is disappointed when her own fears are reflected back at her through their eyes.
"June bug, could you please go and get some clean blankets from the linen closet for our guests."
"Sure thing Daddy," she says with a weak smile. "Oh and Daddy..."
"What is it Bethy?"
"Thank you." Beth looks to Jimmy when she says it, but it is her father she hugs and kisses on the cheek.
Beth returns from upstairs with a stack of blankets, and finds her momma wearing away the floorboards as she paces the room. Annette stops only to peer out the window. Nobody is sayin' anything, but they are all thinking it. Shawn should've been back ages ago.
Grabbing the journal from the rocking chair, Beth heads to the door. "Where are you going Bethy?" Hershel asks in a quiet voice. "I just need some air Daddy. Thought I'd wait for Shawn on the porch."
"Do you want me to go with you?" Jimmy pipes up.
"Thank you, but no," She smiles back. "I'd rather be alone if its all the same."
"Don't go far," Annette says, and the concern plastered on her face nearly breaks Beth's heart.
Drawn back across the room, Beth threads her fingers through Annette's, in an attempt to reasure her. "I will stay on the porch Momma. I promise." Then giving her mother a gentle hug she says, "Don't worry. Shawn'll be back soon."
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May 1'st, 2008
"How can a city so large fall so quickly?
From what we can gather it's some sort of desease. An epidemic similar to rabies, but a hundred times more aggressive. It's causing people to go crazy. Making them do things so horrible my mind can't even wrap around it. Whatever this thing is, it's moving fast. Atlanta is gone. And all I can think is how long before it comes to Senoia?
Daddy and Otis have spent most of the afternoon checking the fences and herding the livestock closer to the main house. He plans for us to hunker down here until this thing blows over, and he is confident that with so many sick a cure will come quickly.
Momma tries to ease our minds by telling us how nice it will be to spend some good old fashioned Mother, daughter bonding time with Maggie and myself, but her words fall flat and I know not even she believes them.
Cell service is down, and my brother is still out there.
Damn it Shawn! Only you would decide to go camping on the one weekend that the country goes to shit. Please come home safe. I love you."