The Night When They Arose

I pulled into the yard. Lance’s car was already there, I parked beside his car. I turned off the car and went into the barn. “Hey Lance!” I shouted.

“What, do you think you were doing? You could have killed yourself.” His voice came from behind.

I turned around to look at his face. “You could have died too!”

A devilish grin crossed his face. “I know how to drive. You still didn’t answer my question. What were you thinking?”

“You almost hit me with your dumb car!”

“My car is dumb?” He looked over his shoulder to glance at his car.

“Or maybe it’s you...” I whispered.

“Excuse me?”

I looked up. “Hmm?”

He rolled his eyes. “Right. What are you doing Ms. O’Brian?”

“That’s none of your biz Lance.” I wanted to tell him he almost killed me, but this wasn’t the time. I walked out of the barn. “Speed maniac.” I said under my breath.

“What was that Alice?”

I looked back. “Oh nothin’.” I continued to the house.

I trudged up the ramp. The door was wide open, when I stepped inside Travis was on the computer. “Travis you better not be reading my emails!” He laughed. “TRAVIS!!” I ran over to the computer. He was reading my email from Harold. “Get off of there you idiot!”

He got up from his chair and raised his hands like he was innocent. Ya right... “Hey you’re calling me the idiot!? You don’t know what how to talk to your step-dad!” That was it.

“Travis you blow head! He is your step-dad too! And you are the idiot of the family you know that! And it will never change.” I sat down in the computer chair. The email read:

Dearest Alice,

That would be great thank you. I will not be in until late April or some other time along those lines. I’ll notify you when the time comes. Your mother is quite lonely without you here.

Best wishes
Harold

Wow that was odd. I typed back:

Harold

I can’t help but feel like your right about mom. Travis seems to be reading my emails before I do, so you’ve already invited him yourself, he doesn’t think that the step-dad rules apply to him, so I need to rear him in on that.

Alice

Well what else was there, oh two more emails from my mother. Blech I’ll read them later. I clicked off of the inbox. Hang on Travis didn’t open them... Might as well check them out. I thought to myself.

Alice,

That’s good to hear. Are you sure that the plane ride was alright? Travis oughta know better than that. I did not raise you two to be disrespectful. That’s too bad that you have an enemy hun.

Talk to ya later - Mum

My response:

Mom,

Thanks how are you? The plane ride was good! Chill! I know but Travis is the idiot of the family. (We all know that...) He almost tried to kill me! (My enemy that is).

Love ya Aly

I read the other email she had left me.

Alice,

I know that you don’t have to report to me. And Travis, well just let Travis be Travis.

Mum

My response:

Mom,

Ok, just wanted to let ya know. Travis is Travis, a blow head!

Aly

Now time to get on to homework. I went into my bag. All that was there was empty. “You kidding me!”

My Dad walked in. “Who’s kiddin’ ya hun?”

I looked up from my empty bag. “Oh nothing, I’m just smart― I have no homework.”

He chuckled. “Well now, you need somethin’ to do. — Why don’t you go out for a ride? Lance could acc—”

I cut him off. “No Lance, noo!”

“Why not hun?”

“He almost hit my car!” I exclaimed.

“Oh dear,” he stepped outside. Oh dear was right! “Lance Barker!”

“Yes sir!” Lance came running up to the house. “You called sir?”

“Yes I did Lance.” My dad looked at me. “Now what is this, you almost hitting my baby girl?”

Lance looked at my dad confused.

“You almost hit her car...”

Lance looked over in my direction and flashed me a smile. It sent shivers up my spine. “Oh that, sir.” He looked back over at my dad. “You see sir; I wanted to test out Alice’s driving skills, since she is from New Jersey.”

My dad snapped. “Now yes she is from Jersey, but that does not mean you challenge a female!” My dad looked at me. “What if she got hurt Lance?”

Lance looked down. “Sorry sir, I will take the young miss out for a ride.”

My dad hit Lances shoulder. “Now that’s a boy! — Alice go put you riding outfit on!”

Lance looked up from his feet. He flashed that smile again. “I am already dad... Let’s go.” I huffed under my breath.

“Alrighty then you kids have fun.” My dad said as we left the house.

“Oh ya fun right how can I have that?” I said as soon as we were five feet from the house.

Lance bent down and whispered in my ear. “Because you’ll enjoy where I’m taking you...”

It sent shivers up my spine. Is he going to kill me? I thought to myself.

“You know you should stop shivering for your own good. — We both know that you aren’t cold.” He led me over to Bay Berry and Thunder.

“Well, how would you know I was cold?” I said as I grabbed Bay Berry’s halter from the hook outside of her stall.

He sighed, as he did the same. “I’m telepathic... You know you’re pretty screwed up.—”

You fuckin’ kiddin’ me! You’re the screwed up kid if you ask me! I thought to myself. “Ok then what did I just think?” I said he was such a liar. We put the halters on the horses.

“I said you were screwed up, because you’re mind is different from your dad and brother’s minds.”

“Oh.” I looked down feeling retarded. We walked over to the tack room. Travis was in there. We brought the horses in and started to groom them. Lance laughed.

“Soo you two love birds going on a date?” Travis stated as I started to put the saddle on Bay Berry.

My jaw dropped, Lance knew what he was going to say! “No we’re not, Master O’Brian.” Lance retorted.

“Oh continue on then.” Travis said as he left the tack room.

“Lance, why do you address everyone so formally?” I looked over at Thunder, he was already saddled. I was just putting on the saddle!

“Oh umm— because I feel like it..? I don’t really know. Your Dad and brother appreciate it. It makes Travis seem more important — well that’s what he thinks...”

“Ha you’re serious? Travis important hell no!” I laughed.

“I am serious, to you maybe not, but your brother is important. Your dad would have fallen apart when your mom left him. Travis helped him through that rough spot, since he didn’t care that your mother left them for a celebrity...”

My mom not important to Travis! She gave him life! I was shocked. “How long have you worked for my dad?”

“I started working the day after you left, with your mother. They suffered the most because you weren’t there to make them smile.”

Wow they actually missed me? Well daddy did but Travis? No.

“Are you ready to go—” He came around Bay Berry. “Oh I guess not... Here let me help.” He went on to the opposite side that I was on, I passed him the girth.

“Thanks Lance.” He deserved some courtesy.

“Ya no problem, Miss —”

“Lance, call me Aly or Alice, no Miss O’Brian crap.”

“Alright Aly.”

Finally saddled up we headed out side.