by Brian Quest
While the men napped in the living room, the girls kept themselves busy doing what they did every day. They read, they drew, they listened to music and they planned what they would make for dinner. Lately it seemed like that was all they were doing, and it was starting to get old for them. They were beginning to get a little irritable, and moody, and everything else that comes with having a house full of girls who can’t do anything they really want to do. They loved spending time together, but just like all things, there was a limit.
Things continued much the same way for the next couple of weeks. They got up every morning, ate breakfast, cleaned the already spotless shelter, watched movies they had watched a million times before, made lunch, ate lunch, cleaned up after lunch, and then started the routine all over again for the evening and dinner. Each night, before bed, the entire group watched a movie together. Only they already had seen the movies so many times they began saying the lines out loud, each person taking the part of a different character. It was fun and distracting for a short time, but Andrew knew if things didn’t change soon, that would be just as exciting as watching paint dry.
One morning, while Debbie was making breakfast, Andrew gathered everyone around the table early. “Come on everyone, family meeting.”
Thomas looked at Andrew and said, “You were up and out early today! What’s up?”
Once everyone was seated around the table, food in front of them, Andrew announced, “It looks like the ground is dry enough to start working on the ranch. I think we can begin getting it all ready!”
“Really?” Connie asked.
“Really. We can get started, but it’s not exactly time to move in. I think it will take at least a week or so to get everything back to living standards. So we will work during the day and then come back here at night.” He could tell the girls all were about to speak, so he quickly added, “Just until we all can live in the house without struggling.”
“Awesome!” Beth exclaimed.
“After breakfast we all can head out there and take a look around. You know, see what all needs to be done. Sound good?”
“Yes!” All of the girls said at once.
So, after breakfast, they all saddled up and moved out, the girls excited about seeing the ranch again after such a long time away. They could see by the tracks in the ground that their dad wasn’t lying when he told them about the mud; the hoof prints now were dried divots in the ground. They rode carefully so as not to hurt their horses on the rough trail. After what felt like an eternity to the sisters, they reached the edge of the ranch.
“Look! The cattle!” Amy said excitedly. “They did good this winter!”
They all rode up the side of the pasture, taking a good look at the cattle as they went. The giant lake that had formed from the melting snow had shrunk down to no bigger than a large puddle, and the ground slowly was firming up as well. As they continued along the fence line toward the barn, the girls were getting impatient; they really wanted to go inside the house.
“Come on, Dad! Let’s get these horses put away so we can go inside! I want to see my room!”
“Easy, Beth. We need to make sure the barn is okay for the horses first. It was a windy winter and we need to make sure it’s safe. It only should take a few minutes.”
“Fine,” she said, pouting.
They made quick work of taking a look at the barn. After they determined the structure was safe, all but Keith and Stewart put their horses in the stalls. The two brothers went to circle the ranch, checking the fence line for gaps or breaks and making sure there were no other obvious signs of intrusion. While they rode off out of sight, Andrew, Thomas and the girls walked slowly through the maze of out-buildings, cabins and trees, the girls growing more and more anxious.
“Why are we walking so slowly?” Connie asked.
“Because he’s messing with us,” Beth answered.
“I’m not messing with you. I’m just giving us all the chance to enjoy the fresh air and the sights of the ranch.”
Andrew picked up the pace a little bit so the girls wouldn’t be so antsy, and within minutes they were standing on the front porch of the house. As excited as they were to get back to the house, when it came time to go in they all were nervous. After being gone for so long, they all knew there was a chance it would be a complete mess inside; animals or other humans could have gotten in and totally destroyed the place.
“Well, you ready?” Andrew asked, looking at Thomas and the girls.
Thomas was the first to answer, “As ready as we’re gonna be. Let’s do this.”
Andrew unlocked the padlock on the door and swung it open, his eyes closed. He took a deep breath, stepped into the house and opened his eyes. He was relieved to find the living room wasn’t trashed, and moved aside so the others could come in. Room by room, they inspected the house. It handled the cold winter fairly well, and aside from a good dusting and scrubbing, there wasn’t a ton of work to be done. They had left in such a hurry there were things strewn about, but all in all, it looked like home.
“The way I figure, if we come out here a few hours each day, we should be moving back in within a week,” Andrew announced, making the girls’ day.
“Really, Dad?” Debbie asked.
“Really. Now, why don’t you girls take a better look around outside? I need you to look at the trees and see if there are any broken branches that need to come down. Stick close to the house, please.”
While the girls did that, Andrew and Thomas made plans to move the bodies in the shed to a much more appropriate and permanent place. It was still chilly outside, but with the thaw came a new problem when it came to the shed. They decided to come back with Keith later in the day to take care of that problem…and never said a word to the girls about what they would be doing.
Chapter Three
Once everyone was back at the shelter, they all began making preparations for their return to the ranch. The girls began packing their things into the boxes they had packed when they left the ranch for the shelter. They were happy and a bit more than excited. On any other day in the shelter they would be moving at a snail’s pace, but Andrew was shocked with how fast they could move when they were excited!
“Girls, girls, there’s no need to pack up just yet,” Andrew said as he passed their rooms.
“Sure there is, Daddy. We want to be ready!” Amy replied.
“Okay, okay. Just remember to be patient. There is a lot to be done back at the house. The dust has built up, the barn needs a little bit of fixing and the kitchen there is still a complete mess.”
“I know, Daddy. It’s okay. We will get there!”
Andrew winked at his daughter and went to the storage shed to assess how much stuff they had left. He was amazed they still had so many supplies, and was proud of his daughters for being able to keep everyone’s bellies full and still maintain a large stock of food for later. He spent some time organizing the already efficient storage area, moving all of the supplies to one side, making room for new supplies that would go underground for the next time they needed the shelter.
Each morning, everyone would gather for breakfast, and then when the dishes were done, they would take a different path to the ranch. Once there, they spent hours cleaning the house and the bunkhouses, and repairing the barn and the shed. The girls had fun, even when it came time to really do some cleaning. They sang songs as they swept all of the floors, and talked about what it would be like finally to be back in the house. They cleaned up all of the glass in the kitchen, and put anything away that hadn’t been broken by the intruders.
Once the inside of the house was clean and ready to be lived in again, and the barn and shed were done, everyone chipped in and gathered wood for the fireplace and stove. At one point, Andrew stood on the porch looking out over the ranch.
“What’s on your mind?” Thomas asked Andrew.
“I don’t know. As much as I want to be back in the house, I just have this bad feeling.”
; “Bad feeling?”
“Yeah. It just feels like something bad is going to happen.”
“That’s because the last time we were in the house we had ourselves a really lovely visit with some strangers. That feeling will pass.”
“I sure hope so. But right now I just can’t shake the feeling that we are making a big mistake.”
“I wouldn’t let the girls hear you talk like that,” Thomas said.
“Yeah, you’re right about that! I’ll keep the negative thoughts in my hat.”
The two men stood at the porch railing and watched as the girls ran around, free and having fun. They were playing tag and gathering wood at the same time, and they were quite a sight. Andrew looked at the sky and saw clouds rolling in.
“It’s about time for us to be heading out.”
Thomas looked at the same clouds and said, “Yeah, looks like rain.”
“Girls, let’s bring it in. Time to go!”
“Awww!” Amy and Beth chimed in simultaneously.
The group went to the barn and unhitched the horses from the posts on the outside. As they rode back to the shelter, they sang old range songs for the first half of the trip. During the second half of the journey they went silent, looking not only for people who could have been tracking their movements, but for bears as well. Springtime was bear time, and they knew they had to be vigilant in their watch.
The rain began falling only a few short minutes after they all were inside the shelter. The thunder was so loud it shook the ground and everyone could feel it in their feet. The girls requested a picnic style dinner, and Andrew didn’t want to ruin what had been a perfect day by saying no. So everyone gathered in the living room, the girls on the floor on a blanket, and ate what hopefully would be the last dinner in the shelter.
“So, Dad, I couldn’t help but notice the ranch is looking pretty good,” Debbie said, hinting at the fact that it was ready to be lived in.
Andrew smiled and said, “Yes, the ranch is looking quite good. You girls did a great job of cleaning up the place!” He knew what she was getting at, but didn’t want to make it too easy for her.
“Come on! Are we ready to move back?”
Andrew shrugged his shoulders and put another spoonful of stew into his mouth. When he looked back at his oldest daughter he could see she was not going to let the subject go until he gave them all a concrete answer. “Yes, I think we are. The place looks better than it has in a while, and with the weather finally warming up, we really should be there.”
“For real, Dad? We can move back?” Connie asked.
“Yes, we can.”
“Well, let’s go then!”
“Wait a minute!” Andrew laughed. “We will go in the morning. It’s getting dark out there, and if you hadn’t noticed, there’s a storm blowing through. When we get up in the morning we will take a look around. If we aren’t too waterlogged, we will leave then. I’m sure we will have to take the long way in, as close to the mountains as possible. The ground is higher, so there won’t be as much soggy mud to tromp through. We can stop in and check on Emma on our way; the path leads right to her property.”
“Tomorrow?” Connie whined.
“Yes, tomorrow. It’s only a handful of hours, so I’m sure you will live. Is everything ready to go?”
Debbie responded, “It’s been ready for days. We all have been ready for days.”
While they ate, the men talked about the schedule for doing perimeter checks at the ranch. They made a chart on some paper that Amy brought out to draw on, using the markers that came with it. Debbie remembered the paint cans she had seen in the cellar at the house and had an idea.
“Hey, Dad?”
“What’s up, Deb?’
“Do you think we could use the old paint in the cellar to paint our bedrooms when we get to the house? Fresh paint might give the old house a nice new feel.”
Andrew smiled, “I think that is a great idea. First we need to get everything from here put back into the house, but I don’t see why you couldn’t supervise your sisters while us guys get some work done.”
“Great!” Debbie looked to her sisters and said, “I saw some yellow paint and some light green paint. Those will brighten up the bedrooms nicely!”
The girls began their own conversation about who wanted what color in their room, and then they started talking about changing the layout of their rooms. The guys couldn’t believe how much four girls could talk. They just seemed to go on and on about the paint and the furniture. If the men had been talking about the same thing, the conversation would last probably only a minute, two minutes, tops.
“When I was in the storage container I noticed a whole huge container filled with yarn,” Connie said.
Andrew swallowed his food hard and then said, “That was your mother’s yarn. She said she wanted to make everyone their own special blanket for down here.”
“Well, she taught me how to crochet. Could we bring it back to the house so I can make those blankets?
Andrew struggled for a moment at his daughter’s question. His first instinct was to say no; thinking his wife would want to use the yarn. Then he realized that that option never would happen. So he put on a smile and said, “I think that would be nice. We can bring the yarn to the house.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Connie was so excited she left the living room and ran to the storage container to look at the yarn. The container was big enough for her and Debbie to both fit into, so there was enough yarn to make blankets for everyone. As she picked through it, she organized the yarn into piles; one for each person.
After their nightly movie, Andrew stood up and said, “Well, it’s getting late and we have a big day tomorrow. I think it’s time for us all to turn in.”
Everyone moved from the living room to their bedrooms and soon the only light in the shelter came from the twinkling lights that still were strung in the girls’ bedrooms. They found it hard to get to sleep, excitement taking over. They felt like it was Christmas all over again. Eventually they unplugged the colorful little lights and lay in their beds, wide awake. They whispered back and forth to each other about what it would be like to be back in the main house. They talked about painting their rooms and about how much they actually were going to miss the creature comforts of the shelter. Debbie even suggested they move some of the solar panels and batteries to the ranch so they could use the refrigerator and oven and even the TV. Even though they had watched their movies a million times already, it was nice to have family movie time each night and they didn’t want to lose that new tradition.
It took a while, but the whispering slowly tapered off and finally everyone in the house was sleeping soundly. The storm even stopped, almost as if it, too, was tired and needed the rest. Dreams ran rampant in the shelter that night, and they were happy ones…had by all. Sandra even came to Andrew in his dream and let him know that he was doing the right thing. He woke with a gentle touch of her hand, and the concern from the day before seemed nothing more than a memory.
Chapter Four
At first Beth thought she somehow was startled awake by the dream she was having, but quickly realized it was something in the shelter…her father. She could hear his voice through the closed door of the container she shared with Amy. He sounded frantic, but she couldn't tell what he was saying. She tiptoed to the door, and opened it just a crack. She knew her father didn’t like eavesdropping, so she didn’t want to get caught trying to hear what he was saying. It became obvious to her he was yelling.
“Hurry up!” Andrew shouted just as she saw Keith and Stewart running past her door. Knowing something was horribly wrong, she opened her door all the way and ran to her father in the living room.
“What’s wrong, Dad? What happened?”
“I need you to go wake your sisters and get right back in here.” Andrew looked at his daughter and could tell she was confused. “Now!” he shouted, startling Beth.
Beth ran to her room and woke up Amy, telling her to
hurry into the living room. Then she went into Connie and Debbie’s container and woke them, telling them to hurry as well. She was scared, and part of her had no desire to hear what her father had to say, but the other part of her knew it was in her best interest to do what her father said. So she hurried behind her sisters into the other room.
When all of the girls were together their father said, “There’s a fire at the house. We need everyone to get to the barn and get on their horses. We need to try keeping the fire from spreading.”
In a panic, all four girls ran back to their rooms, threw on their clothes and shoes and hurried back into the living area to get their coats. All eight of them then quickly went to the barn to get their horses. The rain still was falling, but only lightly. Even so, it made for a very long and cold ride out to the living area of the ranch. From the tree line they could see the flames pouring out of the windows of the main house.
“Daddy! Look! It’s all burning!” Amy cried.
“I know, Baby. I know.” Andrew tried so hard to sound calm, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. He kicked the side of his horse and it took off in a fast trot. Everyone else followed suit and soon they all were at the barn. The horses were getting very antsy because they were in the direct line of sight of the house. So they hurried the animals deep into the barn and secured the doors.
“Beth and Amy, you are too small to help and it’s much too dangerous. I need you girls to run to James’ old bunkhouse and stay put. Stick close to the windows and get right out of there if the fire spreads. The rest of you, we have to grab the buckets and try to keep the fire off the trees.”
“Andrew, that’s just way too much fire for us to put out on our own,” Thomas observed.
“I know, but we can keep it from spreading.” Andrew turned back to Beth, “I need you to take your sister now!”
