rpg_freaks: Harry Potter 5 by rachel1987 and cowboy

Samantha Rae (

cowboy_slightly) wrote in

rpg_freaks,
@ 2006-12-05 22:40:00

Current mood:	nostalgic
Current music:	as if we never said goodbye // sunset blvd.
Entry tags:	harry potter, rpg

Harry Potter 5 by rachel1987 and cowboy_slightly
Summer vacation was growing longer with each day. The relief of no homework had long since warn off and Samantha was growing weary. She spent most of the day hanging around the house, trying to find something of any excitement. Kate had banned her from the phone a few weeks ago for talking long hour with Shawn. Even Atlas was growing tired of the lack of excitement from the Watson house.

"Who’s that from, Mom?" Sam asked. She was flipping through one of the many Quidditch magazines Robbie left around the house as she heard her mother let an Owl fly out the window. It had had a note tied around its ankle, which now sat open on the kitchen counter.

"It is from your Grandma Josie." She replied, reading a thick piece of paper. Sam could tell it was formal just by the wax seal.

"I have a grandmother?" Sam asked, growing more curious. She sat up in her chair at the kitchen counter and let the magazine fall closed.

"Of course you do." She replied, with a chuckle. "Grandma Josephine is your grandmother on your fathers side."

"What did she say? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything is fine. But we've been invited to the Watson Family reunion." She said, a smile spreading across her face. It had been almost fifteen years since she had seen her husbands family.

Her eyes grew big as she dropped the magazine on the floor. "Family Reunion?"

"Yes. You'll finally be able to meet your entire family." Kate replied. "It is a week from today."
---

That night at dinner, the Watson table was erupting with chatter. Everyone wanted to know all the details.

"Who's going to be there, Mum?" Robbie asked, his mouth full of mashed potatoes and gravy.

"Well, Grandma Josie and Grandpa Jeb. Your fathers two sisters and their husbands must be coming. You're fathers older brother and his wife. All their kids."

"And Nana, you're Great Grandmother." Mike said, his green eyes glistening with happiness.

"Where is it going to be?" Mel asked.

"Grandma Josie's house." Kate replied, as she took her husbands hand in hers. "The house where your father grew up. I think its about a seven hour drive from here."

"Are we really going to drive all that way?" Robbie said, groaning.

Mel elbowed him in the stomach. "Don’t be stupid, Robbie. We can't go any other way." She whispered under her breath.

"Yes, we are. It will be nice to see the countryside." Kate replied.

Sam stirred her mashed potatoes and gravy on her plate, disinterested in her food. Atlas sat on her lap, unknowingly to the rest of the family. Atlas wasn't allowed to sit at the table after she hacked a furball in Robbie's soup.

"So everyone start packing this week." Kate said, sounding like she was reading off a to-do list. "We need to get the car checked at the mechanics, wash all the clothes before packing, and telephone Josie to ask if we can bring anything. Oh, and Samantha, you need to get all Atlas' things together and cleaned. We have a lot of things to do before we leave Saturday morning."
--

The next morning she woke up earlier then she had the past few days. She stretched her back and yawned, noticing it was 6 in the morning. She rolled out of bed and grabbed her bathrobe as she walked to the bathroom. She took a long, cold shower before getting out, drying off and putting on her bathrobe.

She looked into the mirror, noticing how her mellow mood was effecting her. She looked thinner from not eating much food the past month. Her hair looked long and thin, and even lighter in color somehow. She was taller by a few inches, but not much.

Sam turned her back on the mirror, went back to her room and got changes into some jeans and a t-shirt. She grabbed her potions book and the essay she had started earlier in the summer, determined to get it finished this time. Her mother had gotten on her back about getting her homework done before they left on their trip, so she gladly started to finish her last essay. Unfortunately, it was for her worst class. She scratched out a few words, wondering how fish gills and wolf's bane had anything to do with one another.

It was nearly two hours later when she shut her potions book, finally finished with her essay. She let the ink dry as she cleaned her room up, then rolled it up, placing it on her bag at the foot of her bed.

The smell of breakfast crept into her room as she opened her door. She followed it to find her mother behind the stove, fixing pancakes. She took a seat at the table next to Mel, who was just finishing.

"Hey, Sam." Mel said, eating the last of her pancakes. "I have to head to work. The head of Hogsmead is coming in to see how the shops progress is coming." She got to her feet, delicately picking up her tool kit and going to the middle of the room and apparating to work.

"Eat up, hun." Kate said, as she placed a plate of pancakes before her.

"Mind if I call, Shawn?" Sam asked, pushing her plate in front if her father, who just sat down next to her at the table.

"You have to eat first." Kate replied, making another plate for her. "Then you can call Shawn and talk all you like."

When she got her plate in front of her she gobbled up her pancakes as fast as she could.
--

After finishing her pancakes she grabbed the phone and ran upstairs, missing Robbie by mere inches.

She threw herself on her bed after closing her door behind her and dialed the phone. Balina picked up on the other end.

"Hello? Balina Brisby speaking."

"Hello, Balina. Is Shawn around?" Sam asks, leaning over and opening her window to let the warm summer breeze in.

"Oh, hello Samantha." Balina replied. "Let me see if he's outside."

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rachel1987
2006-12-06 07:25 am UTC (link)

Shawn wiped his brow on his arm, leaning against the shovel that was stuck deep in a pile of dung. He dreaded working in the barn. All of the animals seemed to be very human-unfriendly, nipping at him as he walked by. Plus they all made a huge mess.

He turned, hearing a scuffle in the corner. Conor was chasing Bruce around the barn again, climbing posts and running along narrow ledges. Shawn was actually quite surprised with how well Bruce was fitting in. He got along very well with Conor, and was quite content with sitting on his shoulder as Shawn did his chores.

He wiped his face once more, chuckling as he began shoveling dung into the wheelbarrow. He filled it and began to carry it outside, before he heard Balina calling him. He groaned and dropped the wheelbarrow, before trotting to the house. “What?” he said, rather harshly.

Balina scoffed and shoved the phone at him. “Phone.”

Shawn stuck his tongue out at her as he removed a glove, before taking the phone and putting it up to his ear. “Yeah?”

“Shawn? This is Sam.”

“Hey, Sam!” He said, smiling a wide smile as he leaned against the doorway. “I didn’t think that I’d be hearing from you again this summer. How is everything going?”

“Pretty good.” came the reply from over the phone. “How about you? Are you still fighting with Balina?”

Shawn chuckled and looked into the kitchen, seeing Balina packing up her bag for work. She looked at him and frowned, before walking into the office to get some more papers. “Yeah, we are. Nothing has changed over here. I’m still working like a dog and Balina is still harping at me left and right.”

His eyes widened as he felt something climbing up his pant leg. He looked down to see Bruce climbing up, Conor on his hind legs trying to catch him. “I think that Bruce wants to talk to you… he’s climbing up my pants.” Shawn said, chuckling. He picked Bruce up and held him up to the phone, making his odd purring-type noise into the phone. Bruce them hopped out of his hand and onto his shoulder, nibbling at his ear.

“Sorry Sam, I know that you didn’t call to hear Bruce make strange noises into the phone. What’s up?” he asked, wiping his forehead on his arm again.

--

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cowboy_slightly
2006-12-06 07:40 am UTC (link)

"Nothing in particular." She replied, laying on her back and leaning her head against her pillow. "My family got invited to a family reunion."

"Well, that sounds like fun." He replied, noticing how unhappily she said it. "Doesn't it?"

"No." She replied, frowning to the phone. "That means I'll be spening the rest of the summer at my grandma's house. We won't be able to visit."

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rachel1987
2006-12-08 08:42 am UTC (link)

Shawn smirked. “Unless I hunt down your grandma’s house and find you.” he said jokingly.

“It’s a seven hour drive from my house.” Sam added. “Seven hours in the car, not doing anything.”

He chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, I know how that can be. Just take a pillow along with you and sleep.” Shawn squatted down, leaning his back against the doorway. Conor rubbed against his legs, before trotting through the open door.

“I can’t sleep for seven hours in a car, no matter how hard I try. Besides, it’s not like I’m looking forward to the destination.”

“Yeah, I guess not…” Shawn said, placing the phone on his right shoulder, squeezing it against his ear, as he straightened up and got himself a glass of water from the kitchen. “Do you even know these people? Have you ever met them before?”

“No,” Sam replied, sounding none-too-happy about it. “No, I haven’t.”

He gulped down the water, wiping his mouth off on his arm. “Well, at least it’s something new. I mean, you’ll be meeting a whole bunch of new family members. Family members that you never knew that you had. That has to be exciting.”

“Yeah, I guess…”

Bruce jumped from Shawn’s left shoulder, getting close to the mouthpiece and squeaking into it. Shawn shook his head and took the phone into his hand, putting Bruce on the counter. “It would be cool if I could meet some of my family members. Not that I want to, of course. My family is a little insane, if you know what I mean.”

“I don’t know, I’ll have to see. I have no idea what I am getting into. Besides, it’s not like I have a choice on going.”

“Shawn, I’m going to work.” Balina said, holding her work bag in her hand, putting her wand in it’s holder on her waist. “Now get off that phone!”

Shawn grumbled and rolled his eyes. “Sam, I have to go. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Oh… okay. Sure. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Shawn nodded, forgetting that he was on the phone, before turning it off. He turned to look at Balina, before she apparated away. With a loud grumble, he stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him. He grumpily pulled his glove on, walking into the barn to continue to empty it of animal droppings and dirty hay.

--

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rachel1987
2006-12-09 05:08 am UTC (link)

Shawn groaned as he sat down beside the lake, feeling the sun shine down upon him. He threw both of the gloves onto the grass, his hands sweaty from the day’s work. He had finished cleaning out the barn just in time to have lunch before enjoying the rest of the day with no chores.

The rustling of someone walking through the grass made Shawn straighten up and look around. A boy, no more than 11 years old, came walking through the tall grass toward him. He had blonde hair and brown eyes, with a thin face and the beginnings of a nose that would turn long and crooked as he aged. Shawn groaned and laid down on the grass, covering his eyes with his hand. “Rusty, go home.”

“Aww, come on Shawn.” The boy whined, giving a pitiful attempt at a sad face. “I haven’t been over here in ages.”

Shawn sat up, watching Rusty sit down across from him. “You were here yesterday. Look, this is no place for you and you know it. Now go home!”

This boy had been pestering Shawn every day since he had first arrived home from school. The boy and his family has moved into a farm down the road sometime during May, so the boy was still very new to the neighborhood. His family were farmers by the looks of them. Shawn didn’t know, he had only ever met Rusty.

“Come on, Shawn. Can’t I hang around a little bit? It’s so boring at home. I have no one to play with.”

Shawn grumbled and got to his feet, dusting himself off before heading inside, the boy following quickly behind like how a puppy would follow an adult dog. “Then tell your parents to make you a sibling. I’m too busy around here, Rusty. I have chores to do.”

“But I can help! Honest, I can.”

Shawn turned to him. “No you can’t, Rusty.”

Rusty shook his head, looking (almost up) at Shawn. “Yes I can!”

Shawn shook his head in return. “Look, kid, it’s too dangerous over here for you. Now go home and come back later, okay?”

The boy grumbled and picked Bruce up, scratching him behind the ears. “It isn’t too dangerous around here. I’ve never seen another animal here beside your cat and mouse and they aren‘t dangerous.”

They had reached the back door now and Shawn was holding it open while he turned to talk to Rusty. “Look, I’ve been working since sun-up. I’m tired and sweaty and I’m not going to entertain you.” He reached forward and snatched Bruce out of the boy’s hands. “Go home and come back in the afternoon, okay?”

Rusty scoffed, crossing his arms. “You said that yesterday and the day before! You always send me home and tell me to come back, and when I do you never let me in!”

Shawn rolled his eyes and shut the door, putting Bruce on his shoulder as he went up to his room. He dodged perhaps a dozen animals as he headed up the stairs and down the hall, finally reaching his room. He entered it and closed the door behind him, locking it securely.

Bruce jumped from Shawn’s shoulder, hopping along the floor until he reached his cage. He jumped in happily, munching on one of the sunflower seeds that was in his food bowl.

Shawn removed his shoes and threw them in the corner, before walking to the window. He peeked out between the shades, watching Rusty make his way back to his house. Shawn nodded and opened his window, letting some fresh air in. Then he went to his hammock and laid down there, in the dark of his room, pondering. This is what he did when he wasn’t working; he sat in his room and kept to himself. He was barely talking to Balina, Steph hadn’t visited in weeks, and he was no longer speaking to Sam on the phone.

Conor came in through the window, looking around the dark room before going to Shawn. He jumped onto his lap, curling up into a tight ball on his chest. Shawn scratched him behind the ear, hearing the feline purr softly.

--

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rachel1987
2006-12-09 05:08 am UTC (link)

Nothing had been the same since he had returned home. Balina eventually apologized, but they still continued to bicker. Balina blamed it on him being a teenager, but Shawn blamed it on her. He had taken, once again, to not eating. He never ate a meal with Balina, so he only ate when she wasn’t at home or late at night when she was asleep.

He looked down at his hand, raising it up so he could look at it as he extracted his claws and extended his fur over his fingers and hand. He flexed his fingers, feeling his fur move as a dull wind came in through the window. Conor swatted at his hand, wanting to be scratched some more. The fur retracted, but his claws stayed out as he went back to scratching Conor behind the ears.

Shawn’s desk was covered in newspapers and books. Once a week, he was allowed to ride his bike down to the local town to get groceries and whatever he wanted. He was supposed to begin to learn how to drive, being almost sixteen, but he never spoke to Balina about it. So he simply rode his bike to town, spending hours in the bookstore and the library.

Because there were so many magical beings in the area, the library was run by a squib, who had a secret area filled with magical texts and newspaper archives, as well as miscellaneous pamphlets and paperwork for the ministry. Shawn had gotten to know the librarian quite well, almost being on a first name basis with him. Shawn would walk into the library and wave to the aged man, before starting a hushed conversation about what was recent in the news.

“Shawn,” the man would say, bending over to whisper into his ear. “If your aunt ever needs any company, you know where I am.”

Shawn always laughed at this. “Nathan, you don’t have a chance.” he would then reply, before walking to the hidden magical section.

The books and newspaper clippings were all on the same topic, which had taken over Shawn’s mind during the first few weeks of the vacation. Various paperback copies of the Wolfman, Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde littered the tabletop, as well as VHS copies of each book and The Fly. A nearly broken TV and VCR sat on the tabletop as well, the 12:00 blinking at him at all hours of the day and night.

Piles of The Daily Prophet and clippings even from muggle newspapers were thrown all over the desk, filling the drawers. Numerous notebooks were around the room, all filled with notes and thoughts about his changes. Shawn had made sure to finish all of his homework as soon as possible, so he could pursuit his studies on werewolves and anamangi.

But, as hard as he searched, he could never find another case like his. He knew that there had to be more, what with his type being #0925-09. That must mean that there were eight others like him out there. But no matter how long he looked and how many people he asked, none of them were familiar with it.

All of those books had instilled one thought in his head that constantly went through his mind: that he would end up alone. Larry Talbot died in the Wolfman, the monster died in Frankenstein, the Phantom died unloved and alone in the Phantom of the Opera, Quasimodo ended up unloved and alone in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll was killed in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde after attacking his fiancé, and Andre Delambre was killed by his wife in The Fly. None of these tragic characters lived to find love, and when they did they were shunned. None of them ended up having the happy ending that they so desired. This disturbed Shawn greatly.

He didn’t speak about this to anyone, not even Sam. He didn’t want anyone to know what he was up to when he locked himself away in his room. Balina was no longer allowed to enter and Stephanie never had a reason to go inside anyway. No one besides him knew that he had bought the books or the videos, tv and vcr from a pawnshop in town. He bought them with his own money, which he had gotten from exchanging his galleons for pounds from the elderly librarian.

He glanced over at the clock, deciding that 2:30 would be a perfect time for him to take a shower to rid him of the sweat he had worked up from doing his chores for the day.

--

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cowboy_slightly
2006-12-10 08:52 am UTC (link)

Sam hung up the phone, feeling no better than before. She had hoped talking to Shawn would bring up her spirits, but it only made her miss him more.

"Samantha!" Kate yelled, standing at the bottom of the staircase. "Come down stairs, please."

She rolled over and pushed herself off her bed, picking up Atlas on her way down the stairs.

"Yes, mum?" She said, scratching Atlas behind the ear.

"I'm going into town to get the car checked out and to run some arrends." Kate replied, picking up the car keys from the rack. She was searching for her purse with her wand, using it to lift item off the floor. "Do you need anything for the trip?"

She thought for a second, hearing Atlas purring in her arms. "I need some more cat food for Atlas. And a new pair of jeans."

"Okay, what size are you now?" Kate asked, spotting her purse behind the sofa.

"I'll just go with you." She replied, turing towards the staircase. "Let me just throw on some shoe's and I'll be back down."
--

"Okay. First we are going to drop the car off at the mechanics, then we are going pick up some jeans for you. When the car is done, we need to go to diagon alley to pick up some supplies -while we are there we can get some cat food-, then we..." Kate trailed off. She kept talking until they reached the mechanics. Sam felt as if her head was going to explode.

"Anyone help you yet?" A mechanic said, walking up to them as they got out of the car. He was wiping his greasy hands on a rag, which was already covered in dark grease.

"I called earlier about getting my car looked at?" Kate replied, shutting the car door behind her.

"Anything wrong with it?" The man said, poping the hood and looking at the engine.

"No. It just needs a check up. My family and I are going on a road trip and I wan't to make sure everything is okay." She said, placing her purse on the roof of the car.

"Okay." He replied, pushing his rag in his back pocket, leaving a streak of grease down the back of his dirty uniform. "It will be ready in an hour."

"Thank you." Kate replied, with a cheerful smile. She gave him the keys and turned to her daughter. "Okay. Let's go shopping."
--

When they got to the store, Sam felt totally lost. She had never gotten the chance to walk around her 'new' neighborhood when they first moved to England because just after they arived, she was shipped off to Hogwarts. The muggle world was somewhat new to her, considering she spends most of her time in the magical world, and she had troubles getting used to a store where the items stood still on their shelves and you didn't have to duck from items flying over your head.

Kate led the way to the clothing department, where Sam tried on some jeans. When she found some she wanted, she put them in the shopping cart as Kate pushed it around the store, putting in random things she needed for around the house and the trip. When they were finished, they went to the cash register and checked out. By time they walked back to the mechanics, the car was done. Kate payed for the work done on the car and they made their way to Diagon Alley.

After a few hours drive to London, they parked their car in front of The Leaky Cauldron. They got out, entered the tiny, dark, shabby bar and made their way to the back. When they finally got to Diagon Alley, it was the least crowded Sam had ever seen it. It never dawned on Sam that very few wizards shopped during the summer.

"See how you-know-who scares the wizards away?" A tall, thin, decaying wizard said as Sam and Kate walked by.

Sam stayed close to her mother, as they weaved their way through the crooked coble-stone street. It dawned on her that the reason no one was here was because everyone was afraid that he-who-must-not-be-named might attack.

Their first stop was The Magical Menagerie, where they picked up some cat food and some treats for Atlas. Then they picked up some floo powder at the Apothecary and some ink and parchment at Stationers. As they left Diagon Alley, Sam was sure that the wizarding world was never going to be the same until you-know-who was gone for good.
--

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cowboy_slightly
2006-12-11 07:13 am UTC (link)

The week crept by like the begining of the summer. Wednesday night Sam began to pack for her grandmothers house. She wasn't sure exactly what the attire was going to be, so she threw in some robes along with her muggle clothes. She knew the reunion was going to last a few weeks, and by the time she got back home it would only be a few weeks until she returned to Hogwarts. That thought made her happy.

Thursday she cleaned out all of Atlas' things. Her carrying case was cleaned spotless, her food and water bowls were cleaned and refilled, and the litter box was cleaned. Sam made sure to give her a bath before they left, so she got it done Friday evening, before dinner.

Dinner friday night was usual enough. Only the talk was about the trip and not about work or recent news.

"What time are we leaving tomorrow?" Robbie asked, forking down some mashed potatoes.

"If the ride is going to take seven hours, we should leave around six in the morning. Get a good early start." Mike said, scooping some mashed potatoes on his plate.

"Bring a pillow or something to entertain yourself with this time." Mel said, eating her green beans. "I don't want a reinactment of the planeflight here."

"Sorry if I got bored." Robbie replied. "How was I to know that that guy was afraid of mice."

"Now, now." Kate said, hushing her kids. "Get a good nights sleep and make sure everything you need is packed. We are going to load the car early tomorrow morning and I don't want to have to throw something else in after everything is loaded ontop of the car."

"You okay, sweetie?" Mike asked Sam, noticing how quiet she had been.

"I'm fine, Daddy." She replied, a false smile lightening her face. "I'm just tired, thats all."

He smiled, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. "Tell me the truth, hon. What's been bothering you? You can tell me."

"Nothing, Dad."she replied, pushing some chicken around her plate, not touching it. "I've just been bored around here lately, I guess."

"Well, hopefully that will be cured when we get to your grandmothers house tomorrow." Mike replied, winking.

Sam smiled, hoping that was going to be the case.
--

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cowboy_slightly
2006-12-11 07:13 am UTC (link)

"Morning, pumpkin." Kate said, shaking Sam awake by her shoulders. "Time to get ready to go."

Sam pretended to get up sleepily, and give a large, fake yawn. She had really woken up at four, unable to sleep through the night as usual. It was now five in the morning and she didn't want her mother to know she'd been up most the night.

"Time to leave already?" Sam asked, through her fake yawn.

"We are leaving in an hour." She said, a smile across her face. "Now get up and get dressed. Breakfast will be ready soon."

"Okay, mum." Sam replied, rolling out of bed. "I'll be right down."

"Oh, and don't forget to bring Atlas' and your things down." Kate said, as she reached the door. "We need to pile then ontop of the car."

"Okay." She replied, making her bed. "I'll bring them down soon."

She closed the door behind her mother and got changed into some muggle clothes. She gathered all of Atlas' things and dragged them into the hallway, getting them out of her room. She made her bed and cleaned her room really quick before she left her room and dragged her luggage down stairs. Surprised she didnt break anything, she settled down at the breakfast table beside Robbie and Mel, ready to get on the road.

"Here." Kate said, placing a plate of eggs, bacon, and a fresh biscuit in front of her. "Eat. Then we can go."

Sam stared at her food, not wanting a bite. Luckily, when Kate's back was turned, Robbie would scarf down some of her food for her. When the plate was empty, she placed it in the sink.

"Sam." Mel said, her hands on her hips. "Atlas isn't in her cage."

"Okay." She replied, quickly cleaning the plate and putting it away on the cupboard.

As Robbie, Mike, and Mel were loading their belongings on top of the car, Sam roamed around the house looking for Atlas. When she found her in Robbies room, it was nearly time to leave. She picked up the cat, dusted the dustbunnies off her fur, and made her way downstairs.

"Got everything?" Mike asked the group as they got into the car.

"Yes." The group said in unison. Mike was in the drivers seat, his wife next to him. Robbie and Mel were in the back seat, bickering as usual. Sam sat in the back, crammed in with lugage and Atlas' things. Atlas sat on her lap, purring as Sam scratched behind her ear.

The 4-Runner pulled out of the driveway, and akwardly made its way down the narrow suburban streets. When they made it onto the highway, Sam was dozing off. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep, with six hours left on the road.
----

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rachel1987
2006-12-17 10:15 pm UTC (link)

Shawn was asleep in bed when Balina snuck in. It was early, even for the boy that got up at daybreak to finish his chores with time to spare. She walked to him and shook his shoulder softly, whispering softly. “Shawn, wake up.”

He groaned and turned, looking up at her with tired eyes. “What?” he moaned, looking at the clock.

“I just received an owl saying that I have to go on a business trip. Apparently, they need help dealing with some Erklings in Scotland.” She said as she adjusted her cloak. “Three muggle children have already gone missing because of them. I‘ll be back in a few days, alright?”

Shawn sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Yeah, fine…” he muttered. “When do you leave?”

“Now.” She said, picking up her carpet bag. “There is plenty of food in the kitchen, I have left some muggle money in the office if you need to go into town. There is a list of rules while I am away, as well as extra chores in the kitchen. You can find an address where you can forward any owls to me in my office. I want you to take care of the animals and not to damage the house. There are to be no visitors whatsoever.”

“Oh, sure, I’m going to invite the whole town into the house. Come on, Balina, I’m almost an adult. I know how to watch over a house.”

Balina furrowed her brow and looked at him angrily. “You are almost sixteen, not an adult.”

Shawn rolled his eyes. “I know how to take care of a house. It’s not like I don’t do eighty percent of the housework anyway.”

Balina shook her head. “I’ll be back in a few days. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m away.”

Shawn nodded and waved her away, before laying back down. Balina shook her head as she walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

--

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rachel1987
2006-12-17 10:16 pm UTC (link)

Shawn slept for another two hours, before getting out of bed to begin his chores. He got dressed and opened his window and blinds, before heading down to the kitchen. It didn’t take him long to find a two-foot-long piece of parchment on the kitchen table: a list of rules and a list of extra chores. With a huff, he walked out the back door and into the mildly chilly air.

The sky was a little cloudy, typical for a July day in England. A slight wind cane through the tall grass and trees, making Shawn smile slightly. Balina was finally going to leave him alone for a few days. The both needed a vacation from each other.

He made his way to the lake, stopping by the shed to grab a bucket of fish for the aquatic creatures. He walked into the new dock, something that was installed no more than a month ago. Balina had taken in a bunch of plimpies and ramoras in the recent month, which Shawn had to feed regularly. Although the plimpies usually roamed the edges of the water, the remoras usually kept to the center of the lake. Balina had bought a one-man-boat for Shawn to use to get the food to the center of the lake.

Shawn threw the bucket into the boat as he climbed in. The thing was barely safe to use, but he had to feed these stupid fish. He took an oar in each hand, before pushing away from the dock. Slowly, he paddled out to the center of the lake, seeing the sliver fish swim around his boat. They seemed happy to see him every week, but he doubted it. He pulled the bucket onto his lap and began dumping the small rotting fish into the water, seeing more and more remoras swarming around his boat. These little creatures were harmless and they often left him alone when he tried to go swimming on hot days.

A sudden fizzing and clicking noise came to his ears. He looked up, seeing the plimpies come out of their burrow in the lakebed. He lifted the bucket into the boat, heading back to the dock. The plimpies were relatively harmless, what with there only being three or four of them, but they were annoying to deal with.

He got onto the dock and walked to the shed, filling the now empty bucket with snails. Shawn walked around the edge of the lake, throwing handfuls of snails onto the rocks. The plimpies swam to him, making the fizzing and clicking noises at him as he walked by. He couldn’t wait for the wet weather to return so he wouldn’t have to feed the plimpies so often; then the snails would come out on their own.

After finishing the feeding, he threw the bucket in the shed and headed to the barn. After feeding the numerous animals there, he returned to the kitchen to have some breakfast of his own.

Shawn ate a bowl of cereal, before going around the house. Yes, it was house cleaning day. Thought he past month of two, it had seemed like more and more of the animals that invaded the inside of the house had moved outside. There were still rooms crowded with creatures, but not many roamed the halls anymore.

He went around to all of the rooms, opening windows and blinds to air the place out. It wasn’t long before Bruce joined him, sitting on his shoulder as he opened windows and swept up animal droppings. Conor roamed the house, looking for a morning snack. That was probably another reason why so many of the small creatures were missing, sad to say.

By around eleven o’clock, Shawn had opened all of the windows and swept up most of the droppings. The work was far from finished, but it was a good time to take a break. He took a seat in the kitchen, drinking a class of juice while he listened to the radio. Bruce jumped into the table, munching on some crumbs that were left there from breakfast.

A knocking came from the front door.

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rachel1987
2006-12-17 10:16 pm UTC (link)

Shawn sat up and arched an eyebrow, waiting for it to knock again. Less than a minute later, there was another tap on the door. He got to his feet and walked to the door, wiping his forehead on his sleeve. He opened the door, seeing Nathan on the other side. “Hello there, Shawn.” He said, sounding out of breath.

“Uh… hi Nathan.” Shawn said unsurely. “What’s going on?”

Nathan looked over his shoulder, before walking into the house. He waited for Shawn to shut the door before explaining. “Word through town is that there are some strange things in that lake behind your house.”

“You know that.” Shawn replied. “Balina works from the ministry in the magical creatures department.”

The elderly librarian nodded, waving his hands at the boy. “Yes yes, I know that. But the lake connected to yours has some in it as well. A muggle woman came into the library this morning looking for a fish book. Says that her husband caught a mighty strange looking creature in that lake. So I thought that I wold come up here on my break and tell you before the ministry gets a hand of this. Where, heh… is Balina?”

“In Scotland.” Shawn answered, scratching the back of his neck. “But I’ll deal with it.”

“You’d better.” Nathan said, looking oddly disappointed. He placed his hat back on his head, before nodding. “Coming down to the library soon? The new issue of The Prophet came in just this morning.”

Shawn nodded as he opened the door. “Day after tomorrow, like usual. I’ll deal with the fish problem as soon as I can.”

Nathan smiled and tipped his hat, before walking to his car. Shawn shut the door before he got there.

It was nearly 11:30 now and he still had to finish cleaning the house, as well as find out whatever it was that was now living in the lake.

He groaned and picked up a mop and bucket, before going to work.

--

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cowboy_slightly
2006-12-18 12:02 am UTC (link)

"Sam." Mel said, nudging her sister awake over the back of her seat. "Want something to eat?"

Sam opened her eyes, seeing a large chicken sandwich being shoved in her face. She grimmaced, feeling sick to her stomach.

"Uhh... No thanks, Mel." She replied, pushing it away just as Atlas jumped up on her hind legs, sniffing at the sandwich through the small baggie.

"No, Atlas." Sam said, picking the cat up and placing her on her lap. She grabbed a bag of catfood from Atlas' carring case and placed it on front of the cat, who sniffed at it and reluctantly eating some. Sam could tell she'd rather had the chicken sandwich.

"How much longer?" Sam asked, looking out the window and seeing nothing but rolling hills.

"A few hours." Kate replied, trying to tune the radio. "We've already been on the road for three hours."

Uhg., Sam thought, falling back in her seat. We still have four hours left?

"You remember grandma Josie, don't you Robbie?" Kate asked, giving up on the radio and decided to start some conversation.

He leaned his head against the window, feeling the warm sun on his face as he thought. "Not really." He replied, after some thought.

"Really?" Mel retorted, spinning her head in his direction. "You were seven the last time you saw her. You don't remember anything?"

He scoffed in reply. "No. I was only seven. I had more important things on my mind at the time then remembering what my relatives looked like."

"Like?" Mel replied, waiting for an example.

"Like girls." He replied, a joking smile on his face.

"At seven?!" Mel replied, a deep frown on her face. She was about to give him a piece of her mind before Mike cut in.

"Calm down back there." He said, his hands on the steering wheel and his eyes peering at them through the rear view mirror. "There is no need to fight."

Mel fell back in her seat, folding her arms over her chest. Robbie leaned his head against the window, watching the hills rools by.

Sam sighed and let her head fall back. Bracing her neck on the back of her seat, she examined the roof of the car. She could feel Atlas eating her food on her lap. She pet her cat, noticing how big she had gotten. She thought back to when Atlas could easily fit in her pocket and could roll up into a tidy ball on her lap. Now the cat barely fit onto her lap and couldn't manage to fit into her small pockets.

"Samantha." Kate said, glancing at the uneaten sandwich in the cooler. "You have to eat! Give this to your sister, Melanie." She said, handing back a cold turkey sandwich. "Now eat."

Sam glanced at the sandwich, felling her stomach turn. She wasn't hungry, but she couldn't get by not eating it.

"Go on." Kate said, turing around in her seat. "I'm watching."

Sam unwrapped the sandwich and reluctantly ate a large bite. When she was satisfied, Kate turned back around in her seat and Sam began to feed little bits of her sandwich to Atlas.
--

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cowboy_slightly
2007-01-06 07:45 am UTC (link)

The ride was nothing more than boring. Sam sat in the backseat dozing off and on. She wasn't tired, but she was so bored she forced herself to sleep to make the time pass. She slept through the passing of the interstate and the exit that lead to the train station. The small side towns zoomed by as she nodded off. By the time she gave up trying to sleep, they had hit the more dense road and seemed to be growing nearer to a forest. They were less than two hours away.

"I don't remember them living in a forest?" Kate said, looking at the directions.

"The house isn't inside the dense part of the woods. It's more inside a clearing. Remember the lake?" Mike replied, stopping at a red light. Just up the road there was a fork; one path going left and one going right.

Sam looked around, noticing how familiar this place felt. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she knew she had been here before. "Mum. Have I ever been here before?"

"No, not that I know of." Kate replied, not giving it much thought. "Why do you ask, hun?"

"I just have this feelling I've been here before." Sam said absent-mindedly. Her brows were furrowed as she searched her surroundings for something that would spark a memory.

"It's probably just Déjà vu." Robbie replied, looking through a quidditch magazine.

As the light turned yellow, she had the sudden urge to take the path on the right at the fork in the road. To her dissatusfaction, they veered left, taking the route more around the woods. She peered through the rear window of the car, memorizing the road and knowing she had been there before.
--

The last few hours of the ride was long and windey. The last hour was turned into madness as the two-roads merged into one. They had to constantly pull over and let cars go by. When the road becaome less surrounded by foliage and the trees became more spead out, Mike knew it was only a little longer.

"Melanie." Mike said, turning his head over his shoulder. "Get up. We are nearly there."

Melanie lifted her head from her arm, and moaned. "What? How much longer?"

"Only about 15 minutes." Mike replied, his usual smile on his face.

Just as the road seemed to grow wider and go back to a two-lane road, they made a sharp turn into a narrow drive. A long, straight diveway lead to a three-story, Victorian-Style house. It looked like there was a thick forest behind and to the sides of the house, with a few tree's here-and-there in the front yard. The loose gravel drive went right up to the front door and curved to a large car port, where two or three cars where already parked. They pulled just infront of the front door. Before the engine could be turned off, a tall, lanky, white-haired women ran out of the front door. Mike was the first to great her.

"Hello, Michael." Josie said, wrapping her arms around him. "Oh, I've missed you."

His smile grew three times as large and cracked open, showing his teeth. "I've missed you too, Mother."

"Oh, Kate." Josie said, letting go of her son and giving her daughter-in-law a hug. "How have you been?"

"Wonderful, Josie." She replied, hugging her warmly. "And you?"

"Oh, fine. Fine." She said, smiling from ear to ear.

Robbie, Melanie and Sam piled out of the back of the car, stretching their legs. Atlas jumped out after Sam and became very interested in a large grasshopper. Sam picked her up before she could go and get herself lost on the unfamiliar territory.

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cowboy_slightly
2007-01-08 06:45 am UTC (link)

"And where are my grandchildren?!" Josie said excitedly, spotting the trio. She rushed to them, giving them all hugs. "You have all gotten so big!"

"Well, it has been 15 years." Robbie muttered under his breathe. Mel elbowed him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Sam smiled, not knowing what to say to her new found grandmother. She gave her a hug and heard the story about the last time she had recieved a picture of Samantha.

"Has anyone else arrived yet?" Mike said, starting to head towards the house with his family.

"No, not yet. Greg will arrive soon with his wife and son. And the girls will be here tomorrow afternoon."

"Where's Grandpa Jeb?" Mel asked politely.

"Oh, he's working in the barn out back." She replied, waving her hand in the direction of a large, red barn near the lake. "He is fixing the motorboat."

"So, Grandma," Robbie said enthusiastically, walking behind her and throwing his arms around her neck, talking into her ear, "any chance we may be able to fly brooms around here?"

She smiled and patted his cheek, "Sorry, hun. There are other residents around the lake that arn't witches or wizards. It's much to risky to fly."

His lips twitched in disappointment as he let his arms fall off her shoulders and to his side. Mike pat his son on the back hard, and told him to help get the luggage off the top of the car. When they were done, they all grabbed their bags and entered the house.

The inside of the house was much bigger than the exterior led you to think. After walking inside the house, you were welcomed by a large wooden staircase. To the left is the kitchen, where the smell of bacon and sasuage could be smelt throughout the house, and to the right was the dining room. To get to the living room, you had to either walk through the kitchen or the dining room. There were large french doors in the back of the house surrounded by windows to let the wonderful view of the lake into the house. A small room was to the left, the door closed. Josie said they had to add that room when Nana came to stay with them after her husband passed away. She has troubles walking upstairs, so her room had to be added on the first floor.

"Now, all the grand kids will be sleeping upstair on the third floor." Josie said, leading the group into the large living room. "The boys in one room, the girls in the other. You and Kate will stay in your old bedroom, Mike. Hopefully there is room for everyone."

"Wow, grandma!" Mel gasped, taking in the view of the lake. "The lake is beautiful! What a gorgeous view you have here."

"Yes, it is wonderful isn't it?" She replied, gazing at the dark lake. "It was what made me want this house in the first place."

"Josie, this place looks wonderful." Kate said, looking around at the spotless room. The adults began to talk as Sam, Mel and Robbie stood like statues.

During the conversation, Josie turned to them and replied, "Why don't you kids put your things away upstairs and go out to the lake?"

"That sounds like fun." Mel said, glad to be excused from the room. They picked up their bags and lugged them up the wooden staircase and found their way to the attic.
--

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cowboy_slightly
2007-01-08 06:45 am UTC (link)

At the top of the narrow stairs that led to the attic were two doors; one to the left and one to the right. Mel and Sam walked to the right, Robbie to the left. Both girls were glad to see comfortable beds. As they plopped their things on the bed, Robbie shrieked from the other room. Sam threw the door open and ran into the other room with Mel close behind her.

"You scared the crap out of me!" Robbie yelled, facing a corner of the room. He was at the foot of his bed, yelling at something five feet away.

"You okay in here, Rob?" Mel said, her heart in her throat.

"This little monster scared me, thats all." He said, pointing to the corner. "I got onto my bed, layed down, closed my eyes, and the next thing I knew I opened my eyes to see that thing hovering over me; inches away from my face!"

"Uhhh..." Sam said, looking at the corner at which he was pointing. She didn't see anything and neither did Mel.

Robbie groaned. "Come on. Show yourself. I know your there!" He said, swatting at the corner. Atlas walked into the room and immediately went deffensive.

"Robbie, you need to rest." Mel replied. "You must have been seing things." She turned her back and walked back into her room.

Sam walked over to Robbie and sat on his bed. "What was it you think you saw?"

He looked really confused. He was scratching his head, looking at the corner. "I know I saw something. I spun up after seeing it, screamed, and saw it throw itself at this corner."

"You okay up there?" Mike yelled up from the bottom of the stair case.

"Yeah!" Mel yelled from the other room. "Robbie got scared of a spider or something."

"Shut up, Melanie!" Robbie yelled, crossing his arms over his chest. "It wasn't a spider."

"Than what was it then?" Mel said, poking her head into the room. "A boggart? A rat? A clown, maybe?"

"Shut up." He said again. "All I remember were these two huge blue eyes staring at me."

"Well, when you'r done fighting up there come down and join us at the lake." Mike said.

Sam and Robbie heard Mel reply an okay and follow her father's voice down the stairs. She turned to her older brother and said, "Whatever it was it's gone now."

"Yeah." He said, still scratching his head. He looked completely baffled.

"Wanna go down to the lake?" Sam asked, getting to her feet and picking up Atlas.

"I'll head down later." He said, sitting down on his bed.

"Suit yourself." She said, walking to the staircase. "Later! And if it comes back, call me."

"Will do, half-pint." He replied jokingly.
----

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cowboy_slightly
2007-01-19 01:55 am UTC (link)

Sam stepped off the back porch, looking at the vast bit of land before her. There was at least thirty feet before you hit the lake. Trees were everywhere and grew in bunches around and across the lake. A good sized dock was perched at the end of the lake, where her parents, grandmother and sister were standing, looking into the dark lake. A huge tree grew at the start of the dock, casting some shade on the group. She couldn't help but feel that this place seemed slightly familiar.

"What scared Robbie?" Kate asked, walking towards her.

"I don't know." Sam replied, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hands. "All I know is that it surprised him and dissappeared."

"Well, I'm sure it was nothing too bad." Kate reasured her. "Your Uncle Greg just called to say he's close." She added, changing the subject.

"Really? I didn't hear the phone right." Sam asked, letting Atlas jump out of her hands and roam the grass for bugs.

"It was right before Robbie yelled." She replied, sheilding her eyes from the sun as well. "Your room comfortable?"

"Yes, very." She said, looking at the lake.

"Well, why don't you go exploring." Kate suggested. "I will call you when brunch is ready."

"No, its okay." She replied. "I'm not hungry."

Kate rolled her eyes, knowing there was no way she could get her daughter to eat. It was a losing battle. She turned on her heals and made her way to the house, admiring the porch before entering.

Sam wondered around the lake a little, trying to put her finger on why this place seemd familiar. She walked onto the sturdy dock, hearing her footsteps echo beneath her. She turned around and took in the view of the house before her. It really was rather beautiful. She could see the door to the red barn was open and the very butt of the motorboat sticking out. Her grandfather could not be seen, but she was sure he was in there working on the boat like her grandmother had said. After leaving the dock and the lake, she walked to the forest, trying to see if there was any interesting wild life. Other than a weird looking fish at the rim of the lake the butts against the forest, nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Samantha!" Josie called from the back porch. "Come inside for some brunch, dear."

Sam sighed, knowing her mother wouldn't approve of her disobeying her grandmother. Deep in her mind she knew that her mother had sent Josie to call her in for brunch, knowing she would obey.
--

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cowboy_slightly
2007-01-19 01:56 am UTC (link)

"Have some eggs, dear." Josie said, piling eggs on her plate before she could give an answer. "And have a cinamon roll. And some bacon, too!"

Sam glanced at her full plate, felling queasy just looking at it. But she put on a happy facade, smiling and thanking her grandmother for the meal. She ate as much as she could, trying to stomach the thick food.

"So, Samantha," Josie said, smiling at her granddaughter. "Do you want to go bike riding when you're done? Or perhaps you would rather go on the motorboat?"

"Bike riding sounds fun, doesn't it Samantha?" Kate said, smiling at her daughter.

"Uhh... sure." She replied, not knowing what to say. She thought it was rather odd of her mother to volunteer her for something she rarely did since she moved to England.

"Well, when the whole family get's here I would love it if you went around with the video camera." Josie suggested, sipping tea from a delacate-looking saucer. "Would you like that, Samantha?"

"Uhh, I'm afraid I don't know how to use a video camera." She replied, trying to worm her way out of it. "And technology confuses me."

"Oh, its simple, really." Josie replied. "You are a smart girl. You will catch on really fast, I assure you. I will teach you myself."

"It's settled than." Kate said, looking rather happy. "Samantha will video tape the reunion."

She glanced at her mother, giving her a stern look. Her mother knew very well that she woudn't want to video tape, but her mother went along with it anyways. Sam finished her plate as fast as she could, wanting to get out of the room before she was volunteered to do another thing she didn't want to do.

"May I be excused?" Sam said, with pleading eyes.

"Yes, honey." Kate replied. "Leave your plate in the sink to soak."

"Oh, the bikes are in the barn. You can ride your Aunt Kimberly's old bike." Josie suggested. "It's the yellow one with the black seat. Ask your grandfather if you need any help!"

"Thank you, Grandma Josie." She replied and rushed into the kitchen to get out of the room. She put her dished in the sink and went out the back door, letting it slam behind her.
--

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rachel1987
2007-01-19 08:51 am UTC (link)

Nothing could have prepared Shawn for how much work it was going to be to clean those animal rooms. It took him half an hour to forty five minutes to clean one room. The walls were covered in dirt and animal fur and the floors were covered in scat. The furniture and animal beds were torn apart and disgusting.

He continued cleaning until 2:30, which is when he cleaned himself up and ate lunch. After having a quick sandwich, he went out to the lake to see which animal was missing. He grabbed a check board from the shed, checking all of the current numbers. It seemed that a few of the remoras had gotten away the last time he counted. He stood at the end of the dock and looked into the murky water, trying to find the silver fish.

All of the other animals were counted for, so it had to have been a ramora that had gotten away. It made sense really, all a ramora is is a silvery fish with antenna type things sticking out of it’s head. It didn’t look too suspicious, but someone on the lake would definitely think that it was rather strange.

He sighed and looked up at the lake, seeing a hole in the bushes across the lake. A plimpie has just ran through it, carrying a large ramora in his mouth.

Shawn groaned and threw the check board onto the ground, stepping onto it as he walked to the boat. He pulled the oars out and began rowing himself to the other side of the lake, keeping his eyes on the hole in the brush. After fifteen minutes of rowing, he finally made it to the hole.

He jumped out of the boat, landing knee deep in mud and leaves. He grabbed onto the boat and pulled it along behind him, climbing out of the mud and onto the rock bed. He took his wand out and cast lumos, illuminating the small area for a moment. He could see that the plimpies had torn a hole through the brush, making a hole just large enough for one of them to fit through.

He looked around, before casting a concealment charm, something that Balina had taught him to do whenever they broke a hole in the fence. He smiled at his handiwork, before turning back to jump into the boat. He pushed the boat away and rowed back to the dock, before heading to the house.

He crashed Balina’s office, taking out a piece of paper and one of Balina’s typewriters. He quickly typed up a official looking notice, stating that there was some sort of strange fish living in the lake. “Although the fish isn’t dangerous,” the letter said. “We do believe that it is in your best interest to leave it alone. We are sending out officials to trap the fish and eliminate it from your ecosystem.”

After rereading it a few times, he took the letter to a Xerox machine that Balina had installed so she could Xerox pages from her animal books as proof of something or other. He made one hundred copies and threw them into his empty book bag, before walking out to the shed.

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rachel1987
2007-01-19 08:51 am UTC (link)

By now, both Bruce and Conor had taken in interest in what Shawn was doing. They were trailing alone beside him as he took his bike out of the shed, throwing his helmet onto the ground. Bruce climbed up Shawn’s pant leg and onto his shoulder as Conor hopped onto the carrying rack that he had on the back of his bike.

Shawn locked up the house, putting his house keys and wallet in his pocket, before mounting the bike. He headed east, down a little dirt road that lead toward the town. About halfway down the road, he turned off and down a narrow path that lead to the larger part of the lake. The path that he was taking was usually used as a run off system, guiding all of the extra rain to the lake. While the truly wet season had yet to happen, the system had left narrow paths that were used for jogging and, of course, bike riding.

He made his way to the first house, biking through tall grass and muddy land that send mud spraying everywhere when he rolled past it. Conor sat peacefully on the rack behind him and Bruce clutched to his shoulder, not letting go for dear life.

After ten to fifteen minutes of riding, he finally reached the first house. He gave himself a breather, leaning against a tree to catch his breath before walking up to the door. No matter how often he rode bikes, he never found it easy to bike through mud. It always slowed him down, making him have to work harder to get through it.

He walked up to the door and knocked on it, waiting for a few moments as he heard a shuffling inside the house. An elderly woman came to the door, holding a dish rag and a plate. “Hello.” she said, her voice old and shaky.

Shawn nodded at the old woman, reaching into his bag for one of the flyers. “Good morning, ma’am. I am from the city council and I was sent here to give everyone on the lake one of these.” He pulled one of the flyers out and gave it to her, waiting for her to scramble to get her glasses on before taking it. She read over it, moving her lips as she read the words.

“Oh, I see…” she said, sounding a bit worried. “Is there anything we should be careful for?”

Shawn shook his head. “Not at all. The fish is harmless as long as you leave it alone. If you happen to catch an odd looking fish from the lake, just throw it back. It’s just protocol that we send a letter around to warn all of you kind folks.”

The old woman smiled and nodded, folding the paper and placing it in her apron pocket. “Thank you, young man.”

Shawn nodded again. “Have a good day, ma’am.” he said, before turning around and walking to his bike. He jumped onto it and began riding east again, heading toward the next house he had to visit.

--

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cowboy_slightly
2007-02-09 05:48 am UTC (link)

"You in here, Grandpa Jeb?" Sam said, knocking on the large, red barn doors.

She let herself in, searching for the bicycles. Odd items were everywhere. A large bircage sat in the corner, surrounded by boxes with RED WOOD DYE written on them. A large, red umbrella was open and stuck to the roof of the barn. She could see a set of stairs leading to a second story of the barn and a small office in the back with the door closed. Through the window she spotted a toy airplane flying around the room by itself. She shrugged it off and went to finding the bike. It wasn't until she reached the back of the barn did she notice they were shoved behind a bunch of cardboard boxes on the second story. She climbed the narrow set of stairs and pulled it out, dusting it off as she rolled it downstairs. She didn't bother to grab a helmet because she couldn't find any.

After dusting the bike off and testing the air in the tires, she got on and road around the barn, trying to get a feel for it. It wasn't too bad, she concluded. She decided to ride the gravel drive down to the street, knowing it would get her away from her parents. She then circled around and made her way back to the house. She pedaled hard, trying to go as fast as she could up the drive, then turned around and went back as fast as she could. Just as she reached the main road and turned around, an old red pick-up pulled into the drive. She swerved off the gravel road and steared into a tree, knocking herself over the handlebars. The car screetched to a stop.

Sam could hear the car doors open and two pairs of footsteps run to her. She opened her eyes, felling the itchy grass she landed on. Her body began to ache a little.

"Are you alright?" The older man said, as the younger one pushed the bike off of her and helped her up. She could fell blood on her knee and palm of her hand. The bikes front tire was smashed in and was laying in its side.

"Uhh..." She said, confused as to what had happened. It all happened so fast. "I think so."

"Why were you going so fast?" The younger man said. He looked about the same age as Robbie. "And so close to the road, too."

"I don't know." Sam replied. She shook her head, felling her forehead for any scratches. She knew she hit her head on the tree when she flew over the handlebars.

"Well, lets get you back to the house." The older man said. "Get into the car. Eli will put your bike into the back of the truck."

"Thanks." Sam replied, walking to the car. "Are you Greg?"

He nodded in reply. "And this is my son, Elijah." He added. "You're Mike's youngest, right?"

"Yeah." She replied. "I'm Samantha. Sorry about all this. I shouldn't have been going so fast."

"It's okay." He said, with a smile. "Let's just get you to the house. And hold your hand up so it wont bleed so much."

"Thanks." She said, holding her hand against her chest. Greg opened the door for her and she hoped in. After putting the bike in the back, Eli got in the passanger seat as Greg started the car. He drove up the drive and parked next to the car port. Josie, Kate, Mike, Mel and Robbie ran to the car, noticing the crumpled front tire of the bike in the back of the truck.

"Greg, What happened?" Kate said, sounding frightened.

"I just fell off my bike." Sam replied for him, sliding out of the car after Eli. "No big deal."

"Oh my gosh!" Kate gasped, her eyes growing large. "You're bleeding! Get into the house this instant and let me clean that off."

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cowboy_slightly
2007-02-09 05:50 am UTC (link)

She rolled her eyes, knowing her mother was over reacting. She followed her mother, hearing Josie greet her eldest son and grandson. Her mother dragged her to the front bathroom as she grabbed her wand from her purse. Kate used it to clean Sam's knee and palm, then bandaged it. She searched her forehead for any scratched, but only found a large bump.

"I'm fine, mum." She faught. "Really. I just ran into a tree."

"Samantha." Kate said, grabbing her arms and shaking her. "You could have been hit by that car! What were you thinking, riding that bike so close to the road."

"But, I-" She tried, but was broken off by her father, who had heard the story from his brother.

"Are you okay, Samantha?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She replied. "Please stop fussing over it."

"I don't want you riding so close to the road again. Do I make myself clear?" Kate said sternly.

She nodded, wanting to get out of the bathroom. She got up and tried her best not to limp as she exited the bathroom and made her way to Robbie, who was introducing himself to Eli.

"So, you're bunking with me upstairs in the attic." Robbie said, pointing up.

"I guess." He replied, pulling his bag into the house. It looked heavy and Robbie was more then happy to offer a hand in helping him carry it upstairs. She followed them, felling like a third wheel all of a sudden.
--

"So you think you saw something in here?" Eli said, his eyebrows arched as he looked at Robbie. "What was it?"

"I told you." He replied, sick of being looked at like a freak. "I have no idea. All I remember was it's big blue eyes and it leaping to the corner."

"Told you he was nuts." Mel said, from the doorway. She had told Eli about Robbie's freak out during dinner. The whole family sat around a huge, circular table at dinner, getting to know eachother a little better. It was the first time Sam had ever sat at the dinner table with her grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle and cousin. For some reason she couldn't wait to see the rest of her family tomorrow.

"Not nuts." Eli said, laying on his bed and stretching out on his back, "Just a little excited. It was probably just a a reflection off the window or something."

"Whatever." Mel muttered under her breath. She spun on her heels to get changed into her pajamas. Sam had already changed and was sitting on the foot of Robbies bed.

"Do you know any of our family?" Sam asked Eli, who was staring at a dark spot on the ceiling.

"Well, I've met them all, if that's what you mean." He replied, turning his head to face her. "I see Aunt Kim all the time. We live in the same town. Her family's nice enough. But I've only met Aunt Jody once. She moved to America just after the last time you visited. Said she wanted to be free like Mike."

Sam smiled, wanting to meet her. "Do we have any other cousins?"

"Yeah, a few." He replied, turning to lay on his side. "Aunt Kim has 3 kids, one older and two younger then you and Jody I think has a five-year-old boy. But I'm not sure."

Sam glanced at Robbie, who was fixated with the corner of the room the 'mystery guest' has jumped to. His eyebrows were furrowed as he glared at the corner, as if he were trying to see through to the outside.

"Don't strain yourself, buddy." Eli retorted, Snapping Robbie out of his transe. "You look like your'e gonna hurt yourself if you keep that up."

He smiled bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll drop it. It was probably just a reflection." He said, more to himself then to Eli or Sam. He pulled back the covers and got in bed, feeling that it was so hot he would probably push the sheets off later in the night.

"Well, I'll let you guys get some sleep." Sam said, getting up from his bed and closing the door behind her after turning the light off. She looked at her watch and noticed it was almost 11:30. It was amazing how time flies.

"Anything materialize?" Mel asked. She had already gotten into bed and was reading a book about hand-made brooms.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

cowboy_slightly
2007-02-09 06:05 am UTC (link)

"Nope." Sam replied, rummaging through her bag for her toothbrush. "I'll be right back. I have to brush my teeth."

"Be quiet." Mel reminded her. "The walls are paper thin here. You could hear a mouse three rooms away."

"Uhh... you don't happen to remember where the bathroom is, do you?"

"Down the stairs, second door on the left. Next to Mom and Dad's room." She replied, not even looking up from her book.

She nodded and quietly closed the door behind her. She crept down the stairs, making sure to look out for the basket of newly washed sheets at the foot of the stairs. The corridor was dimly lit and all the doors were closed tight. After finding the bathroom, she quietly flicked the light on and let her eyes adjust to the bright light. When she was done brushing her teeth, she quickly washed her face with a bar of soap and dried it off, knowing it had to be nearly midnight by now. Closing the door quietly behind her she made her way back up the stairs, where when she was half way up, she heard a pair of footsteps behind her.

Freezing in her tracks, she was afraid to turn around. When she stopped walking, the steps behind her stopped as well. She recalled not seeing anyone downstairs when she was in the hall, and had no idea who it was. After making a decision to keep going, she took two steps at a time and rushed up the stairs and shut the door behind her, never looking back.

"What's going on?" Mel asked, seeing the fright on her sisters face.

"I swear I heard someone follow me up the stairs." Sam replied, trying to catch her breath.

"It was probably nothing." Mel reasured her, flipping to the next page of her book. "But if you did hear something, you and Robbie must have eaten something funny today."

Sam rolled her eyes, sure she has heard footsteps behind her. It's kinda hard not to notice when there are two sets of footsteps when you are the only one in the room. She decided she was going to tell Robbie about it tomorrow as she jumped into the nearest bed, where her stuff was.

Mel turned off the lights and relaxed in her bed, said good night and fell asleep. Sam couldn't help but feel as if she were being watched. She lay down in bed and fell asleep soon after.
----

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

rachel1987
2007-02-13 05:43 am UTC (link)

It took Shawn all day to bike around to the different houses around the lake. He passed out nearly all of his flyers, giving one to everyone that he passed. Many people asked him questions about the strange flounder that was roaming the lake, but a few just read the paper and passed along.

It was nearly eight o’clock when Shawn arrived at home. He knew that there was one last house that he had yet to visit, but that would have to wait for the next day. He had had enough of a hard time finding his way home, he would never be able to find the last house in the darkness.

He wheeled the bike into the living room and locked the door behind himself, before heading to the kitchen. His legs ached and his back hurt from being hunched over all day. Bruce was placed onto the kitchen counter as Shawn flipped the radio on. The static filled the room, before an old jazzy music came in through the stereos. It was the only music station that they could seen to be able to pick up this far away from town. His toe tapped against the floor as he pulled a skillet from the cabinet.

Conor jumped onto the counter and curled up, watching as Shawn turned the stove on. The skillet was placed over the dull flame, before he walked over to the fridge to grab two eggs. None of them had eaten since they left the house earlier in the day, so all three of them were pretty hungry. Shawn filled the animal’s food bowls as the eggs cooked on the stove. Bruce and Conor ate quickly, emptying their bowls before Shawn sat at the table with the skillet and a fork.

“I should probably write Balina…” Shawn muttered, lifting a forkful of egg to his mouth. “She should know about this. Know how dumb it is to keep those stupid fish here.” He spoke to himself, moving the eggs around the pan with his fork. Conor mewed and jumped onto the table, eating some of the eggs from the pan. Shawn didn’t seem to notice, he just kept pushing the eggs around mindlessly.

Once all of the eggs were gone, Shawn cleaned up and fed all of the other animals before heading to his room. He undressed and pulled on his pajamas, before taking a seat in his hammock by the window. He ran a hand over his leg, feeling all of the cuts that he had gotten while bicycling through the brush.

He sat quietly in the dark, listening to the crickets chirping out his open window. Conor hopped onto his pillow by the window and Bruce jumped into his cage, settling into his sawdust bed. The feline’s soft purring filled the room as Shawn looked down at his hand, a frown on his face as he flexed his fingers. Slowly, his claws protruded and his thick brown fur covered his hand. He looked at his feet, watching them stretch and contort into canine like paws. No longer did he feel the pain of his muscles and bones shifting to form his new limbs. When he had control over his changes, there was no pain. It was when his body gave over to the changed involuntarily, then he felt the pain course through his body, making every inch of his body tingle and ache.

Nathan came to warm Shawn of the strange creature that was caught in the lake, while the strange creature was standing right in front of the old man. Shawn held both of his hands up, comparing them. He sneered, his lip curling and his nose wrinkling softly. He hated this side of himself, the side that came out at night or in the dark. This was the side where he knew that this beast hid. When the sun went down, he became angry and fierce and dark.

He shook his head softly, trying to clear it of all of these angry thoughts. His fur and claws retracted immediately, and he pulled a blanket around himself. Those thoughts always freaked him out. He got comfortable in his hammock, before closing his eyes. As hard as he tried, the thoughts kept returning to him all through his dreams.

--

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

rachel1987
2007-02-13 05:44 am UTC (link)

It took Shawn a little longer to find the house than he expected. While he could have just followed the lake to their backyard, he ended up getting lost in a dense forest of trees. After half an hour is bicycling in circles, he found himself on the road.

He turned right and went in that direction until he came upon the driveway of the Victorian-style house. As he looked up the driveway, he saw a few cars parked in the driveway and in the garage. “Man… these are rich people…” Shawn thought to himself as he cycled up the driveway. “Multiple cars… huge house.”

After a while, he got off of his bike and walked it up the drive. The driveway wasn’t made of concrete, but of free stones that were slowing him down as he rode. The rocks crunched under his feet as he walked, making the occupants of the house know that they had a visitor.

Conor lifted his nose to the air and sniffed, his ears perked. He jumped from the bike and pounced around, walking to the foliage on the sides of the road.

“What’s up, bud?” Shawn asked as he stopped to wait for Conor to return to the bike. “Found a mouse or something?”

The feline ran up to Shawn and rubbed against his let, pawing at it softly. Something was obviously bothering him.
“I know that your hungry, but this is the last place. Maybe we’ll get something to eat here.” Shawn reached down and picked Conor up, placing him on the seat of the bike. But Conor wanted nothing to do with the bike. He jumped off immediately and ran into the bushes, clearly off to find something.

Shawn shook his head and walked the bike up the remaining hundred feet of the driveway. No one seemed to be at the front of the house when he got there, so he put down the kickstand and left his bike in the shade under a tree.

He walked up to the front door, grabbing a flyer from his bag on the way. He knocked on the door and cleared his throat, waiting for someone to answer.

--

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

cowboy_slightly
2007-04-06 02:49 am UTC (link)

"Hello young man." Josie said, wiping her hands on her apron. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually." He replied. "I was sent here by the city council to hand out these flyers."

She opened the screen door and stepped out, thanking him as she took the flyier from his hand. She scanned over it, noticing that the description of the fish seemed oddly familiar.

"Do they know what kind of fish this is?" She asked.

"Uh, no ma'am. But they do know they are not dangerous." He replied. "But it is best that if you do see one, to leave it alone. And it is probably not a good idea to swim if you see any of these fish near your docks."

"But if they aren't dangerous-" Josie started.

"Hey, Grandma." Eli said, sneaking up behind her and opening the screen door. "What's the problem?"

"There's no problem." Josie replied, handing him the flyer. "But there seems to be some mysterious fish in the lake."

"Mm-hmm." Eli said, reading it. "Well, these things aren't dangerous. They are basically suckerfish with almost no teeth. All you need to do is keep the kids near the shallow water."

"Uh, yeah." Shawn said. "But how did you know that? It's not on the flyer."

"Uh... well..." He said, trying ot think up something quick.

"Thank you young man for stopping by." Josie said, trying to cover up for her grandson's flub. "I promise to call this number if I see any of these creatures."

"Uhh..." Shawn was very confused as to why they were acting to weird. "It was nothing. Just doing my job. Have a nice day." He turned around and was about to walk to his bike when a lound shreek and a splash came from the back of the house.
--

Earlier that morning, but after breakfast, Sam had been handed the video camera from her Grandpa, who showed her how to use it. It was simple enough. Push the red button when you want to record and press it again when you want to stop. Look through the eye hole when you are shooting so you know what you are filming.

"Go outside and film some of the lake." Grandpa Jeb suggested. "Greg, Mike, Robbie and Melanie are going on the boat. Why don't you join them."

"Okay." She replied, picking up the clunky video camera. She walked onto the back portch and hopped the steps, hearing the door close behind her. She turned the camera on and walked around the yard, taping her brother, sister, father, and uncle back the large motorboat into the water. It bobbed like a cork on the water.

"Wanna come, Sam?" Robbie asked, hanging off the side of the boat as it settled in the water. "You could get some really good footage."

"Uhh... no thanks. I have to go find Atlas." She said, backing away from the large prepellers. "You wanna take the camera?"

"Naw." He replied. "I'm gonna be too busy water skiing and learning to drive the boat."

"Okay. I'll be sure to get some of your mighty falls." Sam joked. "And don't crash the boat!" She added, as they turned on the motor and pushed off the dock. As they zoomed out to the deeper water, Sam video taped them, zooming in on their happy faces. She got some of Robbie learning how to water ski and him biting the dust a few times, before turing off the camera, setting it down on the porch, and going off to find Atlas. The cat had ran off last night after dinner and hadn't been seen since.

"Atlas!" Sam called, wandering around the back yard. "Atlas! Where have you run off to?" She knew that her feline had just recently grown acustomed to climbing trees and getting herself stuck in them, so she began walking towards the woods surrounding the house, looking up in trees for her cat. Just as she neared the woods, she spotted her, sitting on a branch high up in a tree. "Atlas. How did you manage to climb up there?"

The cat meowed in response, clinging to the branch with her claws. There was no way to tell how long she had been up there, but it was obvious that she wanted down, and didnt know how to do it without getting hurt.

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