A Time in the Future

Sean’s *pov*

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Wake up!”
Urgh my usual alarm clock, three far too excited little voices for... Wait what time is it? Six Am! This isn’t right no human being needs to be up at this time, it’s insane. Why can’t they just sleep till at least eight, is that too much to ask?
It might have taken ten minutes worth of bed bouncing and screams until I got out of bed, but I did. Eventually. All I needed now was a sure fire way to tire them out so that they’ll sleep for a couple of hours. Regrettably it looks like we’re off to the park. Joy.
***

“Be careful!” I swear those words escape me more often than they should any normal human being, but I swear those triplets are always doing something that’s gonna hurt either them or each other. I don’t want another slide accident, it took Ashleigh weeks to get over that one and I’m pretty sure it was Benji’s fault. People accused me of not paying them even the tiniest bit of attention when I took them out, honestly I do. See right now I’m stood at the bottom of the climbing frame watching them, I’m not getting on there with them, knowing my look I’d be the one to fall off.
I still believe it’s too early to be here, it’s hardly daylight and only one other child and a set of parents happen to be here, keeping well away from me and my lot may I add. There’s something about bottle blonde hair and three kids that makes people avoid me, what do they really think I’m gonna do? Mug them?
---

It was a postcard kind of scene, a completely happy looking family, running, screaming, laughing and just generally playing. It was a heaven type of memory one where there was no trouble and all traumatising thoughts were washed away in the pure joy of the moments. It was everything that the four of them deserved, after all the long night struggles, the fights and the tears it was the time that they had been working up to for so long.

“Daddy look at me! Ima piewate kin!” An overjoyed squeal from a four year old male that had managed to reach the top of the climbing frame, one leg handing over either side.
“Clever boy, now show us how you can get down.” The reply from the obvious guardian made it seem as though he was challenging the now extremely eager child. Seeing if he could defeat him in a game that was between just the two of them.
This being until a scared scream erupted a few metres away from them, two sets of noisy tears following soon after, a shocked blonde boy spinning round to face them.

Sean’s *pov*
“Hey, hey. Sssssshhhhh, it’s alright darlings. Hmmm what’s happened?” The soothing voice soon took me over, as I bent down to the level of Winter and Ashleigh, both of them having tears flooding down their faces.
“Winta fall.” Was the simple, blunt explanation that I happened to get from Ashleigh, which really confused me about why she was crying? Sometimes I just don’t get these kids at all.
“She twip me.” Came the hiccupy reply from Winter, who now that I focused properly had grazes on both of her knees, the slightest trickle of blood running lazily down her left leg.
“Ima sowwy.” Was wailed from my other daughter, as she broke out into a fresh wave of tears. Honestly they’d cry over anything, I still don’t understand why Ashleigh’s so upset; she knows I’m not going to get mad at her.
“C’mon sweethearts it’s alright. I’m sure Ash didn’t mean it Winter. Ash it’s alright, you’re not in trouble, go and play with Benji while I sort your sister out alright?”
With that I picked my youngest daughter up from off the ground. Ashleigh being the oldest, then Benji and finally Winter. I never did get used to having my shoulder drenched in tears and I really should be used to it by now, it’s happened often enough. “It’s alright sweetheart, you want daddy to kiss it better?”
Of course my now radically hiccupping daughter only gave me a nod in reply, which to be far I wished she hadn’t, kissing cuts, grazes, bruises and whatever else they happened to get wasn’t my idea of a good time. However I slowly bent down and placed a slight peck on each knee. “Better?” Once more a nod being m only answer and I still don’t know how that’s meant to make it all better. “Go play with Ash and B...”
“Ben gone!”
What did she just say? Please let her be playing some cruel trick on me, please please please, I cannot have that happen. Benji can’t be gone, he’s just got to be hiding somewhere, please just let him be hiding somewhere. “Benji!? BENJI!?”
This can’t be happening, oh god, oh god, oh god... “BENJI!”
---

Tears streamed down the faces of two blonde and one brunette haired people, screams escaping from the oldest, while the other two just happened to look around hoping for the slightest of glimpse of their brother.

“We’re going to go somewhere nice now? Alright?” An unfamiliar voice spoke to a very familiar young male, his hand clasped within the adults that was leading him away. “You’ll love it there. I promise.”