At Night's End Page 2

  Ever got all wide-eyed in faux surprise before completing a criss-cross apple sauce motion over her heart. "Why would you ever think I would say anything to Colorado over there?” Hearing this, I couldn’t stop my outburst of laughter and Dad admonished us while hiding a smirk. Colorado was our nickname for Denver for the obvious reasons. We have called her Colorado to her face a few times, but she's so dense and full of herself that she never gets the joke. Although Dad may have been amused by us and thought Darcy was very different than us, he did support her as Darcy’s friend. Dad gave us another warning look, so Ever and I stifled our laughs and heading into the training center.

  "Hi Denver!", Ever called as we passed them heading into the building so we could start stretching. We were on the mats already by the time Denver and Darcy joined us. We try to make sure we’re always in the front of the class, but because we were late not only were we in the back of the class but we were all lined up beside each other, which allowed for Denver to whisper to us, as the trainer spoke.

  "Nice outfit," Denver had a snide way that made her voice so annoying. Denver had stick straight, dull blond hair that she wore in a severe bob. Her brown eyes were beady and close together, but she was the Mayor's daughter so that made her pretty to a majority of the guys in our class. That, with her MMA training, and being a cheerleader she had a killer body. Being the daughter of the Mayor of Hardin apparently had its perks; because that's the only thing we could ever think that would make Denver have any friends besides Darcy, who sees the best in most people. Ever, being the fun loving person she is, just smiled and said "Thank you!" but not before we noticed her roll her eyes.

  CHAPTER 2

  "Welcome Class." Mr Benton always started class this way. We all stood up. "Welcome Sir." The class responded in unison. “Shall we begin?” He stood in the front of the room as we took our positions. Even though Darcy and I started first, Denver and Ever had caught up with us, so we were all in the same level. We never went against each other in class as a rule, but we did spar with each other at home. Even though we didn’t always get along, we always made sure to be in the same level and class together. An hour and half later, all of us were exhausted and sore. By the time we climbed into Dad's SUV, we were ready for the slumber party we had planned for that night. All 4 of us had advanced to the next level, having passed our tests.

  "How was class?" Dad asked when we were all in the vehicle. Dad normally sits and watches our trainings, but the tests make him nervous. He had sat in the car during the tests tonight, and by the looks of it, had been working on the moat blue prints.

  "Ever kicked Joe Johnson’s butt" I smirked already anticipating her response. Ever was really good at the training and at the MMA, she was probably the best but, she hated to be bragged on. As Ever was growing up her mother made sure to point out the importance of being the best, prettiest, and richest, etc. Ever never wanted to be compared with her mom. However, I felt she occasionally needed to be reminded of how truly awesome she was, and that bragging didn’t always have to be a negative.

  "Yeah, well Caid took down Mr. Benton in less than ten minutes!" Ever and Darcy said at the same time. I blushed and noticed Denver rolling her eyes. She had won her match too, but it was against Shelbie who was the smallest girl in the class. Denver was good at martial arts, but because of her size, she normally wasn't paired with a larger opponent.

  "Wow, taking down the teacher! Pretty impressive" Dad said.

  I noted his puffed out chest. I knew that our being successful only further proved to Dad that he was doing the right thing by having us train. As Denver and Darcy slipped into their own little world of boys and clothes, Dad, Ever and I started playing a game Dad invented shortly after our training started. "What If" had become his favorite thing to do, and Ever would always initiate it if he didn't. Dad would present to us a variety of situations to which we would have to explain what we would do to survive the situation. This was where Ever truly excelled. No matter how much Dad tried to stump her, she could come up with plans that satisfied Dad. I think if something ever happens in the future, having listened to Ever play this game, I'd probably appoint her leader. Even under the pressure of some serious attack, I think she'd be the best for the position. She was quick to think of things others wouldn't, especially to get her out of scenarios that Dad hypothetically placed her in. I participated in the game for a while before slipping into my own thoughts as I watched the scenery slip past. I started remembering when Dad was more "normal", and Mom was still alive. He wasn't always focused on the preparation for the doom that is now imminent in his mind. He didn't buy into all the "2012" hype like everyone else. He was focused on helping Mom, and spending time with all of us. Dad found the cure for cancer before Mom died, but she was so far advanced by then it was too late, which I think is why Dad is determined to be prepared for everything so much now. December came and went that year, and Mom died the first of January. When Mom died the world did end a little for him. He tried to escape the reality that he couldn't help her by doing everything to help us. Everything he does now is so he can help us no matter what, and I think he believes he is protecting us from the harsh realities of not having our mom to grow up with us now. If we were too busy doing everything to prepare we wouldn't have the time to dwell upon her being gone. We all thought of her often though, even if it was only at night when we were alone. Dad the most. Sometimes at night I hear him talk to her when he's in the lab. He tells her about our training, and how much he misses her, which makes me sad, and I think that's part of why I humor him with all the training. After my grandparents died, things only seem to have got worse.

  The first year was all about selling his business and research, our house and finding a "suitable" new home. Mom's parent's stayed for the first six months to help Dad get us settled, but eventually grew tired of Dad's increasing strangeness and went home. Before they died, the visits became only on holidays. Then with each passing year, the teachers and the classes started. "McCaid, I want you and your sister to be able to survive should anything ever happen." At ten years old, I didn't fully understand but I knew my daddy would never have me do something that wasn't beneficial. I also remember Mom asking me to always stand by him and nodding my head in agreement. As I grew up, I began to understand more that Dad was more paranoid than anything, as all of his plans were fun and interesting, I never complained.

  Darcy didn't really complain either, unless the training or classes affected her social life. Darcy was definitely the more popular of the two of us, but her personality really made it hard not to adore her. She was bubbly and silly, even if she was my annoying little sister. She really was just like how Dad described Mom to be. Dad says I have some of Mom too, like the silliness and the ability to go with the flow, but both my Dad and I know I'm more like him.

  Each of us also gets individual training in special areas, depending on our interests. Darcy is currently learning how to sew clothing and other necessities, and basic lifesaving skills. I have taken up hunting, bee keeping and woodworking. So far I can make a killer stool, but my teacher Henry Hollington says I show promise. Dad makes sure to find us masters in the different areas to teach us, to ensure we have the best of the best training. The thought of Henry made me smirk. Henry is twenty years old and was raised in the Amish community which he left two years ago to see if he liked what he calls the "English world". He has been with us for one year. Currently his sole purpose in life right now is to teach me wood working, but he helps out around the house doing different things, such as caring for the bees and collecting the honey from them. He lives in a cottage on the property. Somewhere outside of my subconscious state, I heard Ever snicker.

  "She must be thinking about Henry again." to which my Dad groaned.

  "Am not" but my protest was only halfhearted. Ever loves to tease both me and my dad endlessly about Henry. He is awful handsome, and such a sweet guy, but because he is the best Dad tolerated him, but kept him at a distance with al
l these rules:

  1) No more than two hours of training a day.

  2) Never be out of sight of the property without first telling someone where we were going.

  3) No hanging out socially ever.

  Kill. Me. Now.

  "He's too old for you." Dad goes to the same response whenever Henry was brought up, even though he was only two and half years older.

  I never mention the fact that Dad had been four years older than Mom, but I kept it in my back pocket just in case I ever needed it. My mom and dad met when mom was a sophomore in high school and dated the whole time Dad was attending community college. Dad said he asked her to marry him a hundred times before she said yes. Dad always tells the same story. "I knew I wanted to marry you mother the first time I saw her. She was radiant, so funny and full of life. Everyone always wanted to be around her. I asked her all the time, but she never said yes until after I had graduated with my under graduate degree. She said she wanted to make sure we both knew what we wanted."

  I remember asking my mom once why she didn't say yes the first time. She said she had wanted to, but was afraid that Dad would change his mind once he was in college. Mom said that because she was still in high school when he was in college, she was sure he would find someone older.

  "Besides, I never wanted to be someone who got married at eighteen. I wanted to have more life experience, but your father, well he changed those plans." She was always beaming when she recanted their story. They got married two days after my mom graduated high school. My dad tells me her parents were not happy, but thought that Dad would be good to her, and they grew to appreciate how he treated her. I think Dad's not afraid of the age difference between Henry and me really, just the idea of losing us, and not being able to protect us.

  "Besides," Denver decided she needed to interject her opinion into the conversation, "he is so old fashioned and doesn't know a thing about clothes." Denver's voice sounds like nails on a chalkboard most of the time anyway, but when she said annoying things it just made it a hundred times worse.

  Ever and I rolled our eyes at her comment, and Darcy coughed down a giggle. Darcy would never admit to Denver that she thought Henry was nice and handsome too. Unlike Ever, Denver was only over on the weekends, so she didn't get to know any of the masters (what Darcy, Ever and I called them). Ever more or less lives with us full time. Ever's mom, Kryst was a socialite that worried more about what party to attend than about her daughter, and her dad was pilot who preferred the air than being anywhere near Kryst. Ever's only comment about her childhood was that it just training to be a part of our family. Which really means in Ever's terms that she’s just as weird as we were. At our house even Ever has her own room that connects to my room through a secret door between our large closets. She does go home at least once a week, usually Thursday, for a "family night" that consisted of TV dinners in the living room with her mom and the maid. Dad doesn't mind her living with us, his thoughts were the more the merrier. He would probably let Denver stay if she wanted, but Denver enjoyed the perks and the status of living in the Mayor's house.

  CHAPTER 3

  As we pulled into our garage, Darcy spoke up, "So what's the movie for tonight?"

  "How about a classic like Casablanca?" Dad suggested, but only received a chorus of groans and mumbles. Dad always suggested classics that were older than him even. Denver suggests the newest chick flick before I suggested a horror movie. Everyone finally agreed to watch my choice. As Ever went to set up the movie, Denver and Darcy headed to the kitchen to get the soda and popcorn, and I went to grab the blankets and pillows.

  "Well girls, I'll be in the lab if you need anything." Dad excused himself so he could go work on who knows what. Dad's lab was in the basement, in one of the locked rooms. Dad still worked some to create new technologies not only in the medical field, but with things like the moat, and air purification system. Who knows what Dad was planning on working on tonight? Sometimes, I think he goes down there, because its familiar and he can think while being alone.

  "Night Dad" both me and Ever stated, and we heard a muffled "Night Dad" from the kitchen too.

  "Night girls" Dad hollered back as he descended the stairs to his laboratory.

  "So, where are the guys at tonight?" This was the first thing out of Ever's mouth, once Dad was out of hearing range.

  Ever was always curious about Henry and Micah. Micah was another master that shared the guest cottage with Henry. The guest cottage was closer to the woods than our main house was, and had about four bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and three bathrooms. Right now, the guys were the only ones who lived there, but Dad sometimes made hints about having more masters move in.

  "In the guest house I guess, they're off this weekend, but I don't' think they planned on going out anywhere."

  "Oh." Ever's attempt to hide her disappointment that they wouldn't be around the main house was a failure. As much as I thought Henry was cute, Ever thought the same about Micah.

  Micah was Darcy's master for first aid training. Micah had been a medic in the Marines for four years before getting out because of an injury he got during one of his tours overseas. He didn't really talk too much about his private life, and we didn't really push it too much either. Micah and Henry shared the guest house, but the other masters came in only on the days they had to work with us. Micah was twenty-two and Dad hired him off the street one day as he saw him wandering around town. They had struck up a conversation on the side walk, and after Dad explained to him why he was interested in hiring him, Micah was all gung ho for the idea, and he's been here ever since. He has now lived with us for the past six months. Micah was tall, with broad shoulders, blond hair, freckles, green eyes, and a lazy smile that made it impossible to not laugh with him whenever he was around. I totally could see why Ever was interested in him, and from the not so secret glances he stole at Ever I assumed he was interested in her too. My dad's strict rules unfortunately applied for Ever too, who never really resisted Dad's rules since she got to live here with us, and was treated just like me and Darcy. Ever jumps between mine and Darcy's trainings, but has not really found anything interesting enough to get her own individual master, other than the first aid training. Dad offers her the opportunity almost daily, but she always turns him down. "I'm a jack of all trades, and a master of none." The quote tickles Dad and makes me and Darcy laugh at the play on the word master. I'll have to suggest to Dad quietly to suggest to Ever that he could get her a strategy and logistics master. I think that Ever would totally get into that, or even have him offer to be her master in what he does down in the lab.

  "Are we ready to start the movie?" Denver and Darcy had changed into their pajamas and were handing out the drinks and bowls of popcorn.

  "Just about." Pushing play and turning out the lights, Ever climbed into the pull out couch with the rest of us, and snuggled up to me. We had chosen an older scary movie about vampires and werewolves, one we'd not watched before. As we were waiting to get through the old previews, we were discussing the plans for the weekend. Denver had cheerleading practice, so Darcy was going with her, and then Ever and I were going to hang out at the house and get first day of college outfits ready. We were about to start the first semester of our college careers. We decided to stay and attend the local college for the first two years to appease Dad. Finally the movie started, but it ended up being slow in the beginning, so within thirty minutes Darcy and Denver were fast asleep. Ever was sharing her blanket with me, so we could hide our faces during the scary parts, and right before the climax of the movie, there was a knocking on the window right behind where we were sitting on the couch.