and exciting.
He spent a good half hour trying to get a signal while he waited for the house to warm up. It was a waste of effort, and by the time he gave up, it was already eight in the morning. Gran never slept past six; on the other hand, she had been up half the night cooking.
Mike walked down the hall to Gran’s bedroom, and tapped lightly on her door. “Gran?” he asked softly. “It’s morning.” Mike waited a moment, tapping again, harder this time. “Gran?”
A surge of fear rose in his throat, and the third time, he banged loudly on her door with the flat of his hand. His voice was no longer quiet. “Gran! Answer me, please.”
Jenn came out of her bedroom from the other end of the hallway, looking sleepy and tousled. “What’s wro –“
“Go back in your room,” Mike snapped. Jenn drew in her breath sharply, and Mike turned to her quickly, his temper gone. “I’m sorry, Jenni,” he said, forcing a smile to his face. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I need to go check on Gran, okay? Why don’t you go back in and play Barbies?”
Jennifer’s eyes got huge as the implications of Mike’s request penetrated. With only a nod, she turned and went back into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Her stereo turned on immediately, the Jonas Brothers CD loud enough to drown out any sounds Mike would make.
Mike’s hand shook when he reached for the doorknob and twisted it. It opened easily, and that surprised him. He saw Gran beneath her comforter and breathed a sigh of relief. She must just be exhausted from their late night.
He thought about stepping back into the hallway and closing the door softly so she could get more rest, but something kept Mike staring for a moment longer. Something was … different. He wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something “off” about the way his grandmother was sleeping.
She wasn’t breathing. Her chest wasn’t rising and falling with the peaceful regularity of deep sleep.
Mike’s knees buckled for a moment and he grabbed the door frame. He took a moment to steel himself, stepped inside the bedroom, and closed the door behind him, just in case Jennifer changed her mind and wandered back down the hall. He moved over to the bed, his eyes taking in his gran’s small form, the wheelchair beside her bed, the half-empty glass of water on her bedside table, and the open – and empty – bottle of medication beside it. He saw the folded piece of stationery, the fine linen paper with the delicate rose pattern that Gran kept for years, using only on the most special occasion.
On the outside of the note, the word “Ryan” was written and scratched out with one line. Beside it, was the word “Mike.”
For a moment, he considered tearing the piece of stationery to shreds without even looking at it. He was furious. He had counted on Gran, and she betrayed him and Jenn in the most cowardly way possible!
Mike took in several deep breaths, filling his lungs with air as though he’d just finished a swim meet. He picked the letter up and sat gingerly on the side of Gran’s bed to read.
Dear Mike –
You’re the man of the family now, though it’s sooner than it should have been.
Before you and your sister leave, make sure to open the barn and Miss Nelliebelle’s paddock, and the pasture gates. Also, be sure to open the fence to the chicken yard. Take all of the cooked food with you, and all of your camping gear and weapons. Poppa has some jugs of gasoline in the garage – take them, too, just in case. Don’t forget the items of your grandfather’s we discussed last night. I hope tonight finds both of you safe at Fort Knox.
I love you both. Boy, take care of your sister.
Gran
Mike read the letter over twice more, crumpled it in his hand, and then dropped it into the small trash can. She hadn’t apologized, hadn’t tried to explain. Grudgingly, Mike respected that. She merely issued the orders in writing that Mike
He spent a good half hour trying to get a signal while he waited for the house to warm up. It was a waste of effort, and by the time he gave up, it was already eight in the morning. Gran never slept past six; on the other hand, she had been up half the night cooking.
Mike walked down the hall to Gran’s bedroom, and tapped lightly on her door. “Gran?” he asked softly. “It’s morning.” Mike waited a moment, tapping again, harder this time. “Gran?”
A surge of fear rose in his throat, and the third time, he banged loudly on her door with the flat of his hand. His voice was no longer quiet. “Gran! Answer me, please.”
Jenn came out of her bedroom from the other end of the hallway, looking sleepy and tousled. “What’s wro –“
“Go back in your room,” Mike snapped. Jenn drew in her breath sharply, and Mike turned to her quickly, his temper gone. “I’m sorry, Jenni,” he said, forcing a smile to his face. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I need to go check on Gran, okay? Why don’t you go back in and play Barbies?”
Jennifer’s eyes got huge as the implications of Mike’s request penetrated. With only a nod, she turned and went back into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Her stereo turned on immediately, the Jonas Brothers CD loud enough to drown out any sounds Mike would make.
Mike’s hand shook when he reached for the doorknob and twisted it. It opened easily, and that surprised him. He saw Gran beneath her comforter and breathed a sigh of relief. She must just be exhausted from their late night.
He thought about stepping back into the hallway and closing the door softly so she could get more rest, but something kept Mike staring for a moment longer. Something was … different. He wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something “off” about the way his grandmother was sleeping.
She wasn’t breathing. Her chest wasn’t rising and falling with the peaceful regularity of deep sleep.
Mike’s knees buckled for a moment and he grabbed the door frame. He took a moment to steel himself, stepped inside the bedroom, and closed the door behind him, just in case Jennifer changed her mind and wandered back down the hall. He moved over to the bed, his eyes taking in his gran’s small form, the wheelchair beside her bed, the half-empty glass of water on her bedside table, and the open – and empty – bottle of medication beside it. He saw the folded piece of stationery, the fine linen paper with the delicate rose pattern that Gran kept for years, using only on the most special occasion.
On the outside of the note, the word “Ryan” was written and scratched out with one line. Beside it, was the word “Mike.”
For a moment, he considered tearing the piece of stationery to shreds without even looking at it. He was furious. He had counted on Gran, and she betrayed him and Jenn in the most cowardly way possible!
Mike took in several deep breaths, filling his lungs with air as though he’d just finished a swim meet. He picked the letter up and sat gingerly on the side of Gran’s bed to read.
Dear Mike –
You’re the man of the family now, though it’s sooner than it should have been.
Before you and your sister leave, make sure to open the barn and Miss Nelliebelle’s paddock, and the pasture gates. Also, be sure to open the fence to the chicken yard. Take all of the cooked food with you, and all of your camping gear and weapons. Poppa has some jugs of gasoline in the garage – take them, too, just in case. Don’t forget the items of your grandfather’s we discussed last night. I hope tonight finds both of you safe at Fort Knox.
I love you both. Boy, take care of your sister.
Gran
Mike read the letter over twice more, crumpled it in his hand, and then dropped it into the small trash can. She hadn’t apologized, hadn’t tried to explain. Grudgingly, Mike respected that. She merely issued the orders in writing that Mike
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