Darkfall
Part One.
Chapter 1
Cole Hewett's freckle-covered nose just cleared the green paint of his dad's truck window. He peered out as they drove along the one-way road leading to the Kindergarten entrance of McLaren Consolidated School. His six year old aqua blue eyes caught everything; the tall teachers flapping their arms at the scared little kids, the crying mothers, the bored dads. He felt the seat beside him bouncing again.
"Callie, stop bouncin'," he grumbled, turning to look into eyes exactly the same shade of startling blue. His twin sister had been crazy excited about this day for weeks. Cole - not so much.
He didn't mind because he loved books and drawing and games and stuff, but he'd heard the older kids talking at church and he knew there was other stuff like sitting very still in a really hard desk, going to the chalkboard when you didn't know the answer, eating food you didn't like and, worst of all, really mean kids. It was that last one he fretted about. Cole had never met anyone who didn't like him and he wasn't sure what he'd do when he did.
He was used to being free, riding in the saddle in front of his dad up into the hills to check the cattle, playing with Callie in the barn chasing the chickens and best of all, climbing the cottonwood tree out back behind the house to lay sprawled along the biggest branch watching the squirrels and birds eat the sunflower seeds he stuffed in his pockets to feed them.
"Okay, guys," his dad said in his too loud voice as the truck rumbled to a stop. "Now, you two be good, you hear? I'll be right here at 12:30 to carry you home. Your mom and I will be missing you something terrible."
Cole knew when his dad sounded like that he was trying not to be sad. He'd heard that same sound at Grandma Jennie's funeral and when Nana Jean was sick in the hospital. He knew he didn't have to say anything just like he always knew what Callie was going to do. Whenever Cole was quiet, Callie filled in the blanks. She jumped into their dad's lap and hugged him real tight. "We'll miss you somethin' terrible, Daddy. Here be kisses from me and Coley to last til 12:30, right Coley?"
"Right," Cole grinned. We'll draw you pictures, okay Daddy? 'Member you promised to watch out for Snap today while I be gone. He'll be kinda missing me, I'm thinkin'."
Cole had left his blue heeler puppy tied in the barn so he wouldn't run after the truck when they drove off. Heelers like to chase trucks and bite onto the back bumpers. "You'll let him loose when you get back home, right?"
Albert Hewett nodded his head, "Of course I will." He looked at these two children, the miracle children he never thought he'd have and wanted to just turn the truck around and take them back home. He didn't want to make this trip. He wanted the years back when his children never left his side, where he had the answers to all their questions about 'Why?' and where he could protect them from a the world that would start shoving its values down their innocent little throats.
He and his wife, Sarah, hadn't been able to have children for years and had about given up when, one day, after a checkup at the doctor for what she thought was stomach flu, his wife came home with the most beautiful smile on her face. He'd never seen her so peaceful and happy. Cole had been the firstborn, with Callie following three minutes later. These two children were the lights of Albert and Sarah Hewett's lives. Where Callie was never still, bubbling and full of questions, Cole was quieter and had the heart of a saint. He couldn't see a hurt animal without trying to save its life and he never had a cross word for anyone.
Albert could see himself and he could see Sarah in both of them. Albert was so afraid of what the world was going to show these two. He hoped they would be strong enough. All he could do today was open the door of his truck and send them on their way.
He watched his son bounce out, hitting the ground, kicking up dust. Albert reached up for Callie and lifted her down, straightening her pretty blue dress with the white sash. Sara had wanted to dress them in the same shade of blue to match their eyes, but Cole had begged to look different. He had on stiff brand new jeans and a red and white striped polo shirt. Callie's long blonde hair was braided, tied with matching blue bows while Cole's short curls had been slicked back and parted to one side. Albert laughed, knowing Callie's braids would be undone and Cole's curls a tangle by the end of the morning.
Albert reached for their hands. "Don't go with us, Daddy," Cole said quietly. "We know just what to do. Mom brought us last week, 'member? We go to the lady with the green clipboard. That's our teacher, Mrs. Harris."
Albert understood. The kids wanted to try this on their own. Smiling, he helped them slip into the straps of their colorful new backpacks with their names printed across the back flap and handed them each the lunchbox they had chosen filled with all their favorite sandwiches and treats.
Albert leaned against the truck door and watched the twins walk bravely along the sidewalk and up to the teacher with the green clipboard. He saw Callie slip her tiny hand into Cole's. Whatever happened today, they would have each other. They would always have each other.
Albert Hewett had so many hopes, so many dreams for his children. He watched as Callie and Cole got in line. Cole, standing still and quiet, well as still as six year olds can stand, cocking his head to size up the other children in his class, and Callie bouncing as usual, as if to say she was ready to get this job of learning and growing up on the road. The class walked into the building and the twins looked back once to wave.
Driving home, Albert had to smile remembering Sarah this morning. "I can't go with you to take them, Albert. I'll blubber like a baby and embarrass us all," she said. He knew she'd be waiting on the front porch, her hand to her eyes against the morning sun, the other hand clutching her apron. He could tell her how happy and brave they were on their first day at school. He would let Snap loose, do his chores and wait for his kids to come home. He didn't know what life had in store for his children; all he could hope was that they found love and happiness with as little pain as possible. He wiped a tear from his cheek.
Cole Hewett's freckle-covered nose just cleared the green paint of his dad's truck window. He peered out as they drove along the one-way road leading to the Kindergarten entrance of McLaren Consolidated School. His six year old aqua blue eyes caught everything; the tall teachers flapping their arms at the scared little kids, the crying mothers, the bored dads. He felt the seat beside him bouncing again.
"Callie, stop bouncin'," he grumbled, turning to look into eyes exactly the same shade of startling blue. His twin sister had been crazy excited about this day for weeks. Cole - not so much.
He didn't mind because he loved books and drawing and games and stuff, but he'd heard the older kids talking at church and he knew there was other stuff like sitting very still in a really hard desk, going to the chalkboard when you didn't know the answer, eating food you didn't like and, worst of all, really mean kids. It was that last one he fretted about. Cole had never met anyone who didn't like him and he wasn't sure what he'd do when he did.
He was used to being free, riding in the saddle in front of his dad up into the hills to check the cattle, playing with Callie in the barn chasing the chickens and best of all, climbing the cottonwood tree out back behind the house to lay sprawled along the biggest branch watching the squirrels and birds eat the sunflower seeds he stuffed in his pockets to feed them.
"Okay, guys," his dad said in his too loud voice as the truck rumbled to a stop. "Now, you two be good, you hear? I'll be right here at 12:30 to carry you home. Your mom and I will be missing you something terrible."
Cole knew when his dad sounded like that he was trying not to be sad. He'd heard that same sound at Grandma Jennie's funeral and when Nana Jean was sick in the hospital. He knew he didn't have to say anything just like he always knew what Callie was going to do. Whenever Cole was quiet, Callie filled in the blanks. She jumped into their dad's lap and hugged him real tight. "We'll miss you somethin' terrible, Daddy. Here be kisses from me and Coley to last til 12:30, right Coley?"
"Right," Cole grinned. We'll draw you pictures, okay Daddy? 'Member you promised to watch out for Snap today while I be gone. He'll be kinda missing me, I'm thinkin'."
Cole had left his blue heeler puppy tied in the barn so he wouldn't run after the truck when they drove off. Heelers like to chase trucks and bite onto the back bumpers. "You'll let him loose when you get back home, right?"
Albert Hewett nodded his head, "Of course I will." He looked at these two children, the miracle children he never thought he'd have and wanted to just turn the truck around and take them back home. He didn't want to make this trip. He wanted the years back when his children never left his side, where he had the answers to all their questions about 'Why?' and where he could protect them from a the world that would start shoving its values down their innocent little throats.
He and his wife, Sarah, hadn't been able to have children for years and had about given up when, one day, after a checkup at the doctor for what she thought was stomach flu, his wife came home with the most beautiful smile on her face. He'd never seen her so peaceful and happy. Cole had been the firstborn, with Callie following three minutes later. These two children were the lights of Albert and Sarah Hewett's lives. Where Callie was never still, bubbling and full of questions, Cole was quieter and had the heart of a saint. He couldn't see a hurt animal without trying to save its life and he never had a cross word for anyone.
Albert could see himself and he could see Sarah in both of them. Albert was so afraid of what the world was going to show these two. He hoped they would be strong enough. All he could do today was open the door of his truck and send them on their way.
He watched his son bounce out, hitting the ground, kicking up dust. Albert reached up for Callie and lifted her down, straightening her pretty blue dress with the white sash. Sara had wanted to dress them in the same shade of blue to match their eyes, but Cole had begged to look different. He had on stiff brand new jeans and a red and white striped polo shirt. Callie's long blonde hair was braided, tied with matching blue bows while Cole's short curls had been slicked back and parted to one side. Albert laughed, knowing Callie's braids would be undone and Cole's curls a tangle by the end of the morning.
Albert reached for their hands. "Don't go with us, Daddy," Cole said quietly. "We know just what to do. Mom brought us last week, 'member? We go to the lady with the green clipboard. That's our teacher, Mrs. Harris."
Albert understood. The kids wanted to try this on their own. Smiling, he helped them slip into the straps of their colorful new backpacks with their names printed across the back flap and handed them each the lunchbox they had chosen filled with all their favorite sandwiches and treats.
Albert leaned against the truck door and watched the twins walk bravely along the sidewalk and up to the teacher with the green clipboard. He saw Callie slip her tiny hand into Cole's. Whatever happened today, they would have each other. They would always have each other.
Albert Hewett had so many hopes, so many dreams for his children. He watched as Callie and Cole got in line. Cole, standing still and quiet, well as still as six year olds can stand, cocking his head to size up the other children in his class, and Callie bouncing as usual, as if to say she was ready to get this job of learning and growing up on the road. The class walked into the building and the twins looked back once to wave.
Driving home, Albert had to smile remembering Sarah this morning. "I can't go with you to take them, Albert. I'll blubber like a baby and embarrass us all," she said. He knew she'd be waiting on the front porch, her hand to her eyes against the morning sun, the other hand clutching her apron. He could tell her how happy and brave they were on their first day at school. He would let Snap loose, do his chores and wait for his kids to come home. He didn't know what life had in store for his children; all he could hope was that they found love and happiness with as little pain as possible. He wiped a tear from his cheek.