Little Fury: Book 1 of The deadly Little Thing Trilogy
Little Fury: Chapter 12

The next week passes fast. It’s the same day every day. Harry wakes us up; Marcus and I do our best not to fall down the stairs with shaky legs. We eat breakfast with him and Beth. It’s a pretty quiet morning routine. None of us have the energy or strength really to hold a conversation. But when Sunday rolls around, Harry doesn’t wake us up at 7 a.m. Instead, I wake up at 9. I stare up at my ceiling, confused. I’m unsure why I got to sleep in. “Marcus,” I call out to him.

“Yeah?” he responds to me, still half asleep.

“Why are we still asleep at 9? Did Harry forget about us?”

“I doubt it. Maybe we get Sundays off?” Marcus questions.

“Maybe? But I got a distinct impression that the trying to kill us was going to be an everyday occurrence until we are deemed lethal.” I loudly ask through the wall we share.

I instantly regret talking to Marcus when I hear heavy footsteps on the stairs. I groan and fling my arm over my eyes. My door opens, and Harry pops his head in. “Sunday is the day of rest, Little Ava. So how bout you two just enjoy it and stop being smartasses. Yes?”

“Seems like a good idea to me,” I tell him all fake sweetness.

“We’re going to the mess for breakfast today, so get up and dressed. I’m hungry.” Harry’s head disappears from my doorway, and I hear him crack open Marcus’s.

“Ava,” Harry’s head says as it appears in my doorway again, “Hurry up, lass, Marcus is already up and dressed.”

“Harry, it’s Sunday; I’m tired and way too early for you to be Scottish.” He chuckles and closes my door. I hear him make his way back down the stairs. My door opens again, and this time, Marcus pokes his head into my room.

“Let’s go, Ava! I’m hungry.”

Jesus, these two are annoying this morning.

I throw on a pair of jean shorts, a black T-shirt, and my Converse from my floor. Then I’m out my door and down the stairs. I pull my shoes on as I walk across the main floor to the front door. I can see Harry and Marcus already on the golf cart waiting for me. I hop down the steps and climb on to the cart.

“Someone’s feeling very little pain this morning,” Harry comments.

“Yeah, I feel pretty good, actually. I think maybe my legs are getting stronger. My abs still hate you and Theo, but it’s getting better,” I say as I tie my shoes.

Marcus mumbles something under his breath that I don’t quite hear but I think it was something like “lucky”.

We pull up to the mess hall and head inside. There are quite a few people in here today. I can hear ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ by The Verve over the sound system. I don’t know who controls the music for the mess and other buildings, but I’d assume it’s Parker. Or maybe every building just plays their own? Not sure why this is something I need to think about but there it is.

We each scatter when we get to the food stations. I replace Marcus and Harry sitting with Parker and Wes. Marcus is already inhaling his French toast and sausages, while Harry has toast and a coffee. I give him a look, showing I’m clearly judging his breakfast choice. “I’ve been up for three hours already. This is my second breakfast,” he informs me.

“Ah yes Hobbits such as yourself do truly enjoy second breakfast.” I deadpan.

Wes and Parker both bark out a laugh. Harry raises a red eyebrow at me in question. Marcus just shakes his head with a small smile as he continues eating.

“Ava you would think someone as smart as you would know not to make fun of the guy who decides how many crunches she does in a day. Besides, the Hobbits were onto something with a second breakfast and elevenses.”

I lean over the table and offer Harry my fist. He promptly bumps it back. “Respect, old man,” I tell him, then plop back down to finish my breakfast.

“What are you two going to do with your day off?” Parker asks us when we are leaving the mess hall.

“I think I’m going to go for a swim today,” I announce.

I look over at Marcus; he grins and nods, confirming he thinks this is a splendid idea.

Parker and Wes both nod in agreement with Marcus. “But let’s go to the pond, not the pool,” Wes says. “Summer’s ending, and pretty soon, we won’t be able to use the pond.”

“Okay, I’m going to change and grab a few things. I’ll see you guys in a bit.” As I start towards the house, Marcus catches up to me.

“Do we have snacks to bring with us?”

“Dude, we just ate.”

“I’m a growing boy, Ava; I’m always hungry.” Marcus smiles as he nudges my shoulder. I laugh and take off towards the house in a full sprint. Marcus gives chase, and he catches me quickly. He wraps his arms around my waist and tackles me to the ground. He lands on top of me and instantly starts to tickle me. “Marcus, Marcus, stop; I’m going to pee myself,” I yell at him through my laughter.

“That’s the point Ava,” he says as he laughs at me and keeps tickling me.

I squirm under him and manage to get a leg free that I get in between us and I’m able to push him off me. He flops onto the ground, and we just lay there looking up at the sky as our laughs taper off.

When we’ve stopped laughing, we get up and finish the trek to the house where we replace Harry and Beth sitting on the porch talking with each other.

“Done fooling around, you two?” Beth asks us.

“It’s all Marcus, he doesn’t like it if I beat him. And I would have beat him to the house if he hadn’t tackled me and started tickling me.” I inform them.

“You wouldn’t have beat me, Ava. The fact that I caught you proves that” he informs me giving me a big grin as he walks into the house.

We spend the afternoon at the pond, jumping off the dock and swimming. Wes and Parker joined us shortly after we arrived. We swim out to the floating platform in the middle, where we flip and do cannonballs off it into the water. The day is warm enough that even Beth and Harry join us. They float on tubes, having ‘no interest in exhausting ourselves while climbing in and out of the water.’ Their words, not mine. Harry joins us on the platform at one point, ‘to show us young’uns how it’s done.’ Again, his words not mine.

The sun starts to go down before any of us make our way back to our homes. We’re all tired after our day in the water, so Harry suggests we go to the mess for dinner so that none of us have to cook or clean up after. He heads towards his house, and the rest of us head to our place.

“If one of you wants to come to my place, the spare bedroom has another shower.” Harry calls back to us.

“I’ll grab my stuff and come to you. Ava can use my bathroom to shower and get ready for dinner.” Beth yells back to Harry. “That work for you guys?” She asks us.

“Yup,” we both say at the same time.

She grabs her things and heads to Harry’s.

They’re waiting for us on the golf cart when Marcus and I leave the house.

“Ready to go?” Beth asks us.

“We are. Is the water really hot at Harrys?”

“No more than ours, why do you ask?”

“Oh, just cause you look really flushed, and I know I look like that after a really hot shower.”

Harry makes a noise like he’s choking.

“You, ok?” Marcus asks him as he raps him on the back to help him cough up whatever has him choking.

“Yeah,” cough, “I’m fi” cough. “Fine, just choked on my air there for a second,” he tells Marcus, who is still hitting him on the back. “You can stop hitting me kid. I’m good. Promise.” Marcus nods and gets on the golf cart with me in the back seat. Beth glances at Harry who shakes his head with an incredulous look on his face.

“Let’s go. I’m starving. You hungry Bethy? Work up an appetite today, maybe? “

She groans. “Yeah, but I think maybe my exercise of choice was a mistake.” Harry throws his head back and lets out a loud crack of laughter. She shakes her head and looks straight ahead.

I turn to look at Marcus, and he shrugs his shoulders. “Old people are weird,” he mouths at me, and I grin and nod in agreement.

The mess always does up a huge meal for Sunday dinner—things like roast chicken, or a big beef roast, or lasagna. Tonight, there is a huge on-the-bone ham with scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese, salad, fresh buns, dilled carrots and roasted squash. I load up my plate. Harry still shakes his head at me sometimes, saying it’s an impressive sight to behold, watching the amount I eat. I think it’s funny. He’s tried more than once to out-eat me. He has yet to do it. Theo, on the other hand, can eat three times as much as me, and I think that’s far more impressive. The dessert is coconut cream pie, which is my absolute favorite. I eat two pieces before finally pushing my plate away as I lean back into my seat and give my food belly a loving swat.

“Nice, Ava.” Marcus laughs at me.

“What! It was really good. I’m just showing my appreciation for the people who made the food so well.”

Harry and Beth laugh at us, but my stomach is too full for me to laugh with them. So, I just give them a goofy smile.

“All right, everyone done?” Harry asks.

‘Yup” Marcus and I say in unison again.

“Then let’s go.”

“I think I’m going to walk back,” I tell them. “I ate way too much, and I feel like I need to walk some of it off before bed.”

“Seems like a good idea,” Beth says. “Marcus, you walking with Ava or riding with us? Like I even need to ask.”

He rolls his eyes at her. “I’m walking with Ava.”

“Alright, see you kids in the morning. 7 a.m. Come on, Bethy, I’ll give you another ride. “

Beth flushes pink at his words.

“Seriously, old people are so odd.”

We walk in silence listening to the night sounds. The mountains are beautiful any time of day, but I love them best on a night like tonight. Clear sky and a full moon. The moon is so bright tonight that the mountains remind me of a painting I once saw on TV, painted by a guy with crazy hair.

It takes us about 20 minutes to make it back to the house. Harry is still here; we can see him and Beth in the living room talking. Harry says something to her, and Beth looks up at him and bites her bottom lip. Harry drags his thumb along it, forcing her to let it go. I cock my head to the side as I watch them.

“What? “Asks Marcus.

“Oh, nothing; Harry and Beth are talking, is all.” Marcus stomps up the stairs and flings open the door, kicking off his shoes and heading into the living room. He drops onto the couch, grabs the remote and turns the TV on.

“Well, I better go, don’t stay up too late you two or tomorrow is going to hurt.”

I groan at Harry’s words and give him my best-annoyed smile, and wave once at him as he heads out the door.

“You ok Beth?’ Marcus asks our caregiver.

“Yeah, I’m good hun thanks for asking. ‘Kay kids I’m heading to bed. Don’t stay up too late or you will regret it when 7 a.m. comes early tomorrow morning.”

“I’m tired, Marcus. I’m going to go upstairs, get ready for bed, and read for a bit. Night.”

“Night Ava.”