Read Online The Seventh Day by Tara Brown writing as A.E. Watson - Free Book Online
Authors: Tara Brown writing as A.E. Watson
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stilts for the snow in the winters. The underside of
it is beams, joists, and posts with hay and grass on the ground. Joey and I
hate it down here.
I run—jump to a beam—swing from
one joist to leap over another beam—drop into the exposed underneath of
the house—crawl over the old hay and dead grass to the propane tank. I
open the valve—check the line for smell, and then do the same routine
back to the door. I crouch at the entrance and listen to the sound of my
pounding heart and ragged breath.
There is nothing.
When my heart slows to a slightly more
normal pace, I tell myself none of this is any different than when I was a kid
and pretended the wolves would get me so I had to make it fun.
I open the door and creep along the side of
the house again, still listening. Hiking and hunting are the same as this. I
have to believe that.
I hurry, grabbing a fast load of firewood
and knocking at the door. I can’t help but look behind me as the door opens.
Joey looks worried until I am inside and the door is locked again. Furgus
raises his head and scruffy eyebrows at me from his bed in front of the
woodstove. He hasn't even batted an eyelash since we arrived. For him this is a
happy place.
I carry the wood over to the huge potbelly
stove and start the fire the dog is waiting for. “The smell of the burning wood
might draw people here, so we will only burn late in the day to get it warm
inside.”
As the sun sets I can’t help but feel
stressed. I don’t have any idea if we will be okay or not, if my father will
come or not, or if all of this is more serious than I can imagine. And I
already think this is damned serious.
“Can we pray before we sleep?” Lissie asks.
My head snaps around. “What?” I catch my
first glimpse of the cross on her throat. I don’t know how to pray but I smile.
“Sure.”
Joey gives me an eye roll. Lissie puts her
hands out and we stand in the living room holding hands. Her warm hand feels so
small in mine. So does Joey’s.
I close my eyes and spit out the first
words that come to me. “Dear God, uhm . . . me and Lissie and
Joey and Julia are super grateful for the help you’ve given us so far. I mean , we got lucky a couple times, so I guess thanks for that.
Please keep our parents safe and uh . . . us. Keep us safe
here and Gus—not sure how you feel about dogs, but can you keep him safe
too? Please make everyone leave us alone, except our parents.” I’m rambling. I
crack an eyelid and see their little faces are covered in tears. I nod.
“Thanks, God.”
“Amen.” Lissie mutters as Joey pulls her
hand away and hugs herself . “Can I sleep with you?”
I’m about to say no when all of their little faces turn to me. I sigh. “We can
all sleep together.”
The cabin is warm from the fire. If
anything, it’s too warm, so I open the door to the potbelly wood stove and tamp
down the wood that’s in there. I spread the cinders out, just like my father
used to and close all the drafts. “Check the windows. Make sure everything is
double-locked.”
They each take a room, double-locking the
windows and making sure all the curtains are drawn. The dim candlelight is
perfect. I doubt anyone would even be able to see it from outside with the
curtains drawn.
I place a chair under the only doorknob we
have in the house. “Our aunt keeps a chamber pot in her bedroom. You hover over
it like a toilet. It’s what we use at night, okay?”
They make a face—it’s almost the same
for all three. Julia wrinkles her nose. “What do we do when we finish?”
“Chuck it out a window.”
“What if we step in it the next day?” Lissie
asks.
“Let’s worry about that in the morning.” I
sigh, almost feeling like we are back to normal and Joey and her friends are
pissing me off back home. “Bedtime.”
We all climb the loft stairs, including
Furgus who I know is going to sleep right in the bed with us. When we get to
the top I pull the set of stairs up into the
it is beams, joists, and posts with hay and grass on the ground. Joey and I
hate it down here.
I run—jump to a beam—swing from
one joist to leap over another beam—drop into the exposed underneath of
the house—crawl over the old hay and dead grass to the propane tank. I
open the valve—check the line for smell, and then do the same routine
back to the door. I crouch at the entrance and listen to the sound of my
pounding heart and ragged breath.
There is nothing.
When my heart slows to a slightly more
normal pace, I tell myself none of this is any different than when I was a kid
and pretended the wolves would get me so I had to make it fun.
I open the door and creep along the side of
the house again, still listening. Hiking and hunting are the same as this. I
have to believe that.
I hurry, grabbing a fast load of firewood
and knocking at the door. I can’t help but look behind me as the door opens.
Joey looks worried until I am inside and the door is locked again. Furgus
raises his head and scruffy eyebrows at me from his bed in front of the
woodstove. He hasn't even batted an eyelash since we arrived. For him this is a
happy place.
I carry the wood over to the huge potbelly
stove and start the fire the dog is waiting for. “The smell of the burning wood
might draw people here, so we will only burn late in the day to get it warm
inside.”
As the sun sets I can’t help but feel
stressed. I don’t have any idea if we will be okay or not, if my father will
come or not, or if all of this is more serious than I can imagine. And I
already think this is damned serious.
“Can we pray before we sleep?” Lissie asks.
My head snaps around. “What?” I catch my
first glimpse of the cross on her throat. I don’t know how to pray but I smile.
“Sure.”
Joey gives me an eye roll. Lissie puts her
hands out and we stand in the living room holding hands. Her warm hand feels so
small in mine. So does Joey’s.
I close my eyes and spit out the first
words that come to me. “Dear God, uhm . . . me and Lissie and
Joey and Julia are super grateful for the help you’ve given us so far. I mean , we got lucky a couple times, so I guess thanks for that.
Please keep our parents safe and uh . . . us. Keep us safe
here and Gus—not sure how you feel about dogs, but can you keep him safe
too? Please make everyone leave us alone, except our parents.” I’m rambling. I
crack an eyelid and see their little faces are covered in tears. I nod.
“Thanks, God.”
“Amen.” Lissie mutters as Joey pulls her
hand away and hugs herself . “Can I sleep with you?”
I’m about to say no when all of their little faces turn to me. I sigh. “We can
all sleep together.”
The cabin is warm from the fire. If
anything, it’s too warm, so I open the door to the potbelly wood stove and tamp
down the wood that’s in there. I spread the cinders out, just like my father
used to and close all the drafts. “Check the windows. Make sure everything is
double-locked.”
They each take a room, double-locking the
windows and making sure all the curtains are drawn. The dim candlelight is
perfect. I doubt anyone would even be able to see it from outside with the
curtains drawn.
I place a chair under the only doorknob we
have in the house. “Our aunt keeps a chamber pot in her bedroom. You hover over
it like a toilet. It’s what we use at night, okay?”
They make a face—it’s almost the same
for all three. Julia wrinkles her nose. “What do we do when we finish?”
“Chuck it out a window.”
“What if we step in it the next day?” Lissie
asks.
“Let’s worry about that in the morning.” I
sigh, almost feeling like we are back to normal and Joey and her friends are
pissing me off back home. “Bedtime.”
We all climb the loft stairs, including
Furgus who I know is going to sleep right in the bed with us. When we get to
the top I pull the set of stairs up into the
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