Mermania

Hopes and Ashes

Zach fetched paper and a pen as Craig pursued the web page. "Where's Mount Vernon?" the youngster asked as he copied the information from the screen. "Second! Second!" Eddie commanded, and Zach rounded first base and shot toward second. As one, the entire team jumped off the bench and out of their stupor, clinging to the fence between them and the field as they leapt and yelled to Zach. The vegetables were ready and had been for several minutes, so she searched back to the stand-alone counter in the center of the kitchen and fetched up a bowl of ham she had sliced into cubed strips. She tipped the bowl, sliding half of the ham into the wok, mixing it in with the vegetables. "Yeah, that's how she looked when she moved away." "More so than in Hawaii?" Sara relaxed against the soft leather. She was comforted, listening to the warm cadences of Xanthus's voice. Until now, the figure had been too busy tracking down McWrait's drug ring to check on the boy again. One dealer's name- Ditch- has been popping up a lot, and he intended to locate the man and follow his movements, see where they led him. He had already landed one blow against McWrait and hoped to land another for good measure. For what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; He looked a bit sheepish. "I imagine so. I'm struggling for control. Spending time as my true self will help." Mrs. Fleming, her face white, nodded behind Nyler. "Bathroom," she said weakly. "It's, er, good to be here," Craig returned uncomfortably. He leaned closer. She could smell him- an odd mixture of rosemary and horse. Rema refused to close her eyes. "Then I am at your service, Princess Sophie. But know this- it's not Peter's heart you should be concerned with. You must win the heart of the empire." I knew that was the real reason I hesitated to see them- only them. Knowing my little cousin wouldn't come bounding from behind her parents and beating them for a hug caused a heavy pressure in my chest. On top of that, I couldn't help but remember the only hurtful words ever uttered by my aunt at the hospital. I knew she's said them in a moment of agony. She had apologized later. But I couldn't completely erase the cutting words from my mind- because I believed them. I would always believe them. I yawned and stretched. "Sorry I'm not much company." Zach continued on. "Who are you holding in this one, Mom?" He had come across a photo of Kara holding a baby girl, Craig standing proudly behind her. The next day, the scenery once again changed. The mountain range gradually transformed into low, rolling hills, and the greenery came back like a welcome blanket. But what amazed Rema the most was what lay in the opposite direction, to the east. It looked like the land abruptly ended and the clouds hung level with the carriage. "For me?" Rema asked. Lilliet nodded. "Thank you." She was shocked she was being treated so kindly. Lilliet curtseyed and left. "We have company." They stood under a bus sign, as Mom had taught him that morning. In black numbers it listed the bus routes that stopped there. "Why did you want me to get so many books?" he queried. "Hmm." Uncle Ben said thoughtfully. "that's a tough one. I've never thought about that before. "The wrestling match started and he stared at the television screen, sitting on the edge of his seat, as if he was holding a lottery ticket and someone was reading the winning numbers."Oh." Lydia looked nervously at my father. He gave her a charming smile. "Here, let me." He took her fin, carefully folded it over, and wrapped it. "I've never seen a tail so flexible." "Please don't kill me," Slink said as he clawed at Xanthus's hand around his throat. Ettie and Tane didn't spare their friend a thought as they scrambled into the trees. Zach took off again, this time stepping directly into the kitchen. A town this small seemed like it could make you feel like you were slowly suffocating. Based on the local folk mingling about today, I figured the median age was around sixty. That didn't equate to good times. Screams of the dying echoed through the castle. "Night, Evan." Rita laughed. "I call him that until one day, after he turn seven, he tell me he is only 'Zach,' because he is big now. I say okay, but big boys have to take their own bath- with soap" _Zach blushed again_ "and help with dishes, and take garbage out. He say that is fine, and we make a deal. After that, he is big Zach, no more little Zachy." She beamed as she told the story; clearly she was fond of the youngster. "I think he like to take garbage out so he can play with the neighbor dog when he think I do not see." I shook Shane off. "I'm fine! I can run!" We climbed the stairs of her porch and stood in front of the door. She immediately reached for the door handle. My hand encircled her wrist and pulled her gently toward me. "Okay, Mom," he replied, darting away and out the side door before she could change her mind. "You too, Paws," Craig added. "No barking inside during the night." He paused at the light switch; "He's okay." Craig was beside the boy before she was. The boy was bent over his clenched right hand, his face screwed up and eyes shut tightly. "He sliced his hand trying to pick up that saw. Never pick it up by the blade, pal." Shane seemed like he had more to say, his mouth opening and closing like he couldn't decide on his words. "Not soon enough," he said before he bent his head and kissed me breathless. When our kiss ended, he hugged me fiercely. "I love you." "And go through all that again?" Craig spotted two more hand pruners and a sharpening stone and set them in Ben's growing pile. "You know, Ben, it's actually hard to imagine our lives being better than they are right now. We love Seattle. Kara likes her job. The business is going well. We have a good home. And on a good day I can even tolerate my brother-in-law. He tossed a pair of gardening gloves to Ben, who snorted. "So...I don't know if I want to risk changing that." She cocked one eyebrow. "Hmm, good point." She opened the door, and I gasped. The room was