Change of Tide - Part 3 By Norma Ranieri

       "If I was flying that shuttle then Justin wouldn't have gotten sick." Randy said with determination. "I'd have given him a perfect ride with no bumps."

      Mark smiled. "I'm sure you would have tried Randy, but even the best pilot can't control the weather."

       "If we could control the weather, then they wouldn't have had to move from Mars, would they Grampy?" questioned Jessica innocently. "So why didn't they just spend their time trying to find a way to control the weather instead of getting ready to leave?"

       "Controlling the weather is impossible, Jessica. That would be even harder than trying to develop the technology to stop the sun from shrinking." Mark tried to explain, but he could see that Jessica wasn't convinced. He tried a different approach. "It would even be harder than you going into a toy store without asking to have something. It was way beyond their abilities."

       "Oh.... that is kinda impossible." Jessica conceded, but she looked very disappointed. There's no way she could imagine not asking for a toy so she figured she must have been wrong. But for a short time she had thought of herself as smarter than the people of Mars had been. She had thought of a solution to their problem. Now her grandfather had burst her bubble and destroyed her feeling of pride and accomplishment along with it.

       "I'm sorry sweetie." apologized Mark. "I'm sure they would have appreciated the suggestion back then." He motioned for her to give him a hug. She crawled over and practically sat on his knee as she hugged him tightly. If only his bones weren't so old he probably would have enjoyed it much more. The hug served its purpose though, and she seemed to cheer up a little. Randy meanwhile, was sitting not far away and quietly mumbling to himself.

       "Whatcha thinking 'bout?" asked his sister as she climbed down off her grandpa's lap.

       "Huh? Oh, I'm figuring out a way to control the weather." Randy announced proudly.

       "And how do you think you're going to do that?" asked Jessica sarcasticly as she flopped back down onto her mat.

       "Well, you know. Like when it rains we use umbrellas to block it and stuff?" Randy was now holding his mat over his head like one would use a newspaper to keep the rain off. "Well, I'm thinking of ways to use other things to block stuff.

       "You're crazy." proclaimed Jessica.

       "Am not!" yelled Randy sharply as he swatted Jessica with his mat. She easily blocked it and laughed, making Randy more annoyed.

       "Ahem... OK kids, time to continue the story." Randy reluctantly put his mat back in place and sat down, his arms folded before him and a stern expression on his face. Both children eventually turned their attention back to their grandfather, but not before they exchanged a final stare that only siblings could fully understand.

       Over the next two months Justin kept a close watch on how construction of the moon base was progressing. Sure enough, each week or so there was another report updating the construction status of the human living quarters. Everything seemed to have been kicked into high gear since his visit and there were no anticipated problems with having things completed on time. It was amazing how fast things were moving along now. Justin thought he'd have to check the shift schedule to see if they had hired extra workers, but that could wait. At this rate of construction he assumed they must have. He hadn't authorized any additional expenses, but any solution was acceptable at this point in the game, just so long as the base was completed on schedule.

       The one factor Justin no longer worried about was the general population's acceptance of the plan. There had been no more protests and the majority of people had found ways to make themselves feel needed throughout the moving effort.

       Some had formed groups to promote the peoples' cultural issues. It was feared that people would forget who they were in the process of starting over in a new place. They were taking it upon themselves to ensure no one would forget where they came from, and Mars would always hold a place in everyone's hearts. Generally it wasn't truly an issue since most people would never dream of forgetting their homeland. Justin also agreed for the most part, though some of the ideas seemed a bit radical to even the most patriotic bystander. In a different time and place Justin may have had to intervene for the good of the community, but with the departure date growing close there was little harm which could come from their type of activities.

       For instance, philosophers seemed to spring up out of nowhere telling stories about how there must be life on other planets. "If we can devise the technology to travel from one planet to another, then other civilizations must also have developed similar technologies. Surely we aren't the first to undergo such trial during the course of our evolution." Justin found it rather difficult to swallow the idea of the existence of other beings, but who was he to question the idea. They didn't badger people, they only preached to anyone who had the time or inclination to listen. Some even went as far as to suggest that a similar occurrence brought them to Mars to begin with. This idea did not go over as well as some of the others, but people continued to listen, if for nothing else than the entertainment value.

       A group of artisans who had found themselves relatively useless for travel preparations had selected a large domed hill to make a statement upon. Normal weather patterns had long ago swept away any topsoil which once covered the hill, leaving only the bare rock below. Keeping in tune with the stories of the philosophers they wanted to ensure that any species arriving on Mars after they left would have a sign to indicate there had once been others who lived there. They planned to carve an enormous face into the rock, utilizing the rock's natural contours to form its major features like the nose, chin, and forehead. The eyes were the tricky part since they knew they had very little time to dig them out, but at the same time they had to go slowly else risk cracking the entire face. On a project this big a crack could open into a chasm which would not only be an ugly scar on the face, but would be a dangerous obstacle for the artists.

       Some began to doubt the choice of rock as their medium, saying it would take too long and would be too much work to complete before the departure date. No one wanted to start a project like this just to leave it only half completed. After far too much time had been wasted quibbling over the issue, the answer was decided for them. The rock would be the only medium which would survive the cataclysm when the moon was torn from orbit around Mars. They'd have to work fast.

       In the end it became one of the most recognizable contributions to the cause and there wasn't a single person who hadn't heard about it or appreciated it's intent. The artisans wanted no thanks, except for the opportunity to see their creation from the sky and to appreciate it for themselves from the only venue that would do it justice; the stars.

       "But how will they be able to see it from space?" questioned Jessica. "The moon doesn't have any windows in it."

       "Well, I'm sure they plan to build some in it somewhere. They have to be able to see where they're going and when they get near Earth." explained Mark. "Besides, a window is a perfect way to hide a hole if you accidentally poke one in the wall while tunneling." grinned Mark.

       "I wouldn't make any mistakes," piped up Randy, "I'd do it perfectly cuz I know making any boo-boos is bad!" smiled Randy proudly.

       "You would not," retorted Jessica. "Why do you always think you know everything? It's annoying."

       "I might not know how, but I know not to make mistakes." Randy retorted strongly, and crossed his arms to show his prowess. Quite the sight on a three-year-old.

       Mark laughed. "I think you're both a bit too young to understand these things fully, but I'm very proud to see you try." Randy smiled proudly. "But you do you the one sure way of learning though, right?"

       "You're talking about school, ain't-cha grampy?" asked Jessica.

       "That's right. You can be sure Justin spent a lot of time going to school to be as successful as he was." said Mark.

       Speaking of school. The schools on Mars had been scheduled to close a month before departure. It was mainly to facilitate the packing of books and supplies that would be needed on Earth, but for the children it was a well enjoyed vacation and last chance to enjoy life in there native home. The plan had somewhat backfired, however. Parents were complaining that their children were under-foot all day long and making it virtually impossible to prepare. Before long day camps had sprouted into existence and for the children it was becoming a month long summer fair.

       "At least the children are enjoying this." commented Justin as he and Tracey reviewed the last minute preparations. "To be eight again and not have a care in the world."

       "It's not all it's cracked up to be, Justin. Trust me. My forced hiatus was no picnic. It was nice at first but boredom is a terrible thing."

       "In two weeks I don't think anyone will have the time to be bored, not even the children. How's the list of omission requests coming along?"

       Tracey leafed through her stack of papers and came up with a folder, "What you want is always on the bottom." she mumbled. "Looks like we're up to about 1500 now. Give of take 20 or so. We've been able to stay on top of the matter since the issue is one which most are fairly keen to have confirmed. I must admit I'm grateful they're coming forward and not simply leaving us searching for missing passengers at the last minute."

       "They're doing it because they feel it's the best contribution they can make. I still don't like the idea. I can't help but feel that we're going to lose more than we'll gain for this. My grandparents taught me so much, their experience was invaluable to me. Are we doing the right thing by robbing an entire generation of that opportunity?"

       "Justin, it's not our place to make that choice. Sure it will be difficult. Convincing a child of the reason why grandma and grandpa aren't coming along will be hard enough, but not the worst." Tracey sighed. "But we have a schedule to compile?"

       Justin nodded hesitantly. He couldn't shake the feeling that the situation was causing people to become cold reguarding the topic of death. Death should never become a socially acceptable means of advancement. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Drastic times call for drastic measures. That's his explanation. If asked, that's what he'd say. But it wouldn't make him feel at ease. "A schedule. Unnecessary services pack up and move first. Obviously our headquarters and the medical facilities will be the last things to go. Workmen and their families will be the first to move to the base... probably on Monday. They'll be ready for that already. We'll also get the census bureau to send out a notice to each family assigning them a particular departure day. That way everyone won't be showing up here at the same time. Should help the crowding problem we're bound to face in the departure cities." Justin was determined to finish his work and ensure the plan went as smoothly as possible, even if he didn't entirely agree with it.

       "Good idea." agreed Tracey. "I'll make sure the census people get moving and get the notices out today to give people at least a few days notice."

       "I understand those who have elected to stay have already been provided with supplies to sustain them until d-day?" Departure day had been dubbed as d-day by those who were getting tired of spelling it out all the time. The name didn't sit well with Justin, but who was he to argue with a socially accepted nickname.

       "That's right." confirmed Tracey. "Any supplies remaining are allocated to the trip. There's been some concern as to how much we will have when we arrive on Earth. It will take us several months before we can produce crops again and some feel we won't have enough supplies."

       "We'll have to make due. We'll take all we have and make it work. There's no choice there." Justin knew he sounded harsh but he also knew he was right. All the worrying in the world wouldn't create more supplies.

       D-day approached quickly and much to Justin's delight the plans he and Tracey devised fell together almost without a hitch. People had grown to trust them both over the months and Tracey was once again able to walk freely among the people. It was Wednesday and d-day was tomorrow. The current base inventory included; the full elder population along with as much water as the base could handle, personal possessions of each family, all government files, archives, and as much of everything else which made life worth living that would fit. Playgrounds near the launch site had been dismantled and the parts loaded on board. They took the closest ones because it meant less distance to tranport, but it also meant there was nothing present near the launch site to amuse people. People were crowded into make-shift shelters surrounding the launching area and more were still arriving to await their transports. The whole scene was almost cataclysmic. Scared people huddled together, unsure of what would happen next. Children had seen all they owned either packed away and given to strangers or left behind. There was nothing remaining in terms of entertainment to pass the time. All anyone could do was sit, wait, and worry. Even looking at the scenery was depressing. Most people couldn't help but notice the daily drop in the ocean's water level as more and more water was transported off the planet. The water's edge was no longer visible on the horizon; the air had become very dry and temperatures were exceeding even the warmest summer's day. Even if a playground had still existed the children would not have been able to enjoy it in the sweltering heat. It definitely didn't make the crowded conditions any easier to bear.

       Justin, Tracey, and just about all the 'important' people as they became to be called had already taken up residence on the moon and were being spared this hardship. They were of course prioritized because their work needed to be interrupted as little as possible. With the government, the Elders, and all personal effects already on the base, the only thing remaining was the civilian population. By far the largest component of the move and there was only one day left to complete it.

       Justin was pacing in his office/residence on the base when there was a hurried knock at his door. Answering it he was pushed aside as Tracey flew in and targeted his desk, instantly filling it with progress reports. "Have you seen these?!" her voice was very accusing. "There's no way we're going to get all those people up here before tomorrow! The president's going to flip, and do you know who he's going to flip on?" she crazily pointed between the two of them. "Us!"

       Last news Justin had heard was that everything was on schedule. What happened to put them behind? "All my reports said we were doing fine."

       "I know, that's what's pissing me off." blurted Tracey. "All the reports I received said the same thing, but my own sources on the planet paint a totally different picture. How many people did your report tell you were still down there?"

       Justin ruffled through a couple of papers which were now buried beneath two inches of Tracey's. "Ummm... approximately 1000 who are confirmed passengers. The others are staying."

       "As far as the officials are concerned that's true." conceded Tracey. "There are indeed about 1000 confirmed passengers, but there are 10 times that many who thought they were going."

       "I don't understand." gammered Justin. "Everyone was accounted for through the census information."

       "Apparently someone decided not to bring everyone who wanted to go. For starters, none of the reform colonies have even been informed of the trip. They decided trouble-makers weren't allowed. There are also reports that many people have received departure instructions telling them to be here on Saturday"

       "But that's two days after we leave!" blurted Justin.

       "Exactly my reaction." Tracey agreed authoritatively. "Someone has planned to not bring everyone along."

       "This whole thing has been one lie after another. The Elders never intended to take everyone." Justin was starting to feel sick to his stomach. "And they've all been safely on board for days now, the smug little hypocrites. God, and we've been helping them do it. How many people ARE they planning on bringing?"

       "I've no idea. I only know this much because I started to do my own math.

       "Who else knows about this?" Justin sounded very worried. Nothing unusual for him, but this was different somehow.

       "I haven't told anyone else yet, but that doesn't mean no-one has figured it out for themselves. Why Justin? Why does it matter?" Justin picked up the morning newspaper. He hadn't had time to look at it at all over the last few weeks, he'd been too busy. As he suspected there was a full itinerary printed on the second page.

.....
TODAY	Civilian population begins boarding space station. Please only board on the days you have been assigned by the census bureau.
Thursday	Boarding continues
Friday	Boarding continues
Saturday	Boarding continues
Sunday	DEPARTURE DAY Last minute boarding
..... [Something about everyone having their boarding passes ready before boarding and other procedures] .....

Justin shoved the paper under Tracey's nose.

       "People think we're leaving on Sunday! Everyone's been lied to. They simply sent out boarding passes for today to those they wanted to take, and gave everyone else different days." Justin's knees were shaking. He couldn't believe the gall of the Elders. How could they think no-one would notice? How could they think they would be able to get away with it? "Tracey, we have to warn them! The people have to know they have to board today!"

       Tracey was dumb-founded. "But... but how will we get them all on board in one day!?" Then the situation really hit home. "What about the living quarters?"

       "Huh? They said they were all done...." Justin's words trailed off. Were they really done or had that been a lie as well. "Oh my god. If they didn't intend to bring the people, why would they have bothered to build rooms for them?" Justin KNEW he should have checked on the number of staff to see if it had increased back when he originally thought of it. "These reports are probably all lies too!" Justin screamed as he threw the entire pile of progress reports across the room. "It's all been one big lie after another! And we helped them!"

       "Justin! Calm down. We have to think and we have very little time to do it." Tracey always was the centered one, but Justin could hear in her voice that even she was unsure now. "Who can we trust?"

       Justin sat on the floor shaking his head slowly from side to side. "I just don't know anymore. It's all so confusing. One minute we feel like everything is under control and will work out, the next we're spiraling out of control again."

       "Think Justin. Who else is in the same position as us? Who else has been used as a pawn? We need all the help we can get."

       "Zigfried. Peter Zigfried has been heading the supply shipment division. There's no way they would have told him the truth. He'd be too tempted to leave food behind."

       "Then we have to find him. Where's he stationed?"

       Justin thought for a moment. His brain was still trying to focus and come to terms with this new roller-coaster ride he was on. "I think Green 7... maybe 8. I've only been there once."

       "8 is closer. We'll check there first." She scooped up her papers from Justin's desk, probably taking a few of Justin's along with hers but neither of them really cared about that now. They hurried for the door but jumped back as it opened for them just before they reached it.

       "Hello Justin, Tracey. I think we need to talk." It was Chris Forrester. The Elder's head flunky.

       "Sorry Chris." interrupted Tracey. "We're really in a hurry right now. Don't have time to chat." She started to push her way past him but came to an abrupt stop when she felt Chris's strong hand on her right shoulder, and the hands of several strangers on her left, one of whom was standing directly in her path.

       "I'm afraid I must insist Ms. Jarvey." His voice was stern and not at all accommodating. Tracey slowly took a few steps back beside Justin and the two of them walked back into the office, just ahead of the mob.

       "I really don't like the look of this, Tracey." whispered Justin.

       "You always were a master of the obvious." she sighed.

       "Do you think they know we've figured it out?" asked Justin earnestly. Tracey didn't even bother to respond. To her the answer was obvious and she was beginning to wonder how Justin ever managed to live long enough to find his way out of his mothers womb.

       "What's a womb?" asked Jessica innocently.

       "It's ummmm..." Mark was stumped. The last thing he wanted to be doing was turning the story into a lesson on where babies come from. Especially for a 3 and a 5 year old. "Oh, ummm, did I say womb? I meant 'room'. You know, like your parents' room. Lots of little babies sleep in the same room with their parents until they get old enought o move to a room of their own. Tracey was just wondering how he lived to be old enough to get his own room." 'Phew!' Mark thought to himself. I can't believe I got out of that one unscathed.

       "Oh! But wouldn't his mommy just carry him out like all mommys do?" Mark wasn't in the clear yet.

       "It was a figure of speech sweety." Mark explained.

       Jessica scritched her head in the manner which made her appear to be 5 times her age and intelligent beyond her years. "So it was just a rhetorical synonym?" Mark blinked. What in the world was a rhetorical syno-whatever?

       "Uhm, yeah. Exactly." He agreed without the slightest clue of what it was he was agreeing to. Where in the world had she heard that from? She's only five! Mark knew he was supposed to encourage her, but it was a little disheartening when he didn't know what it was he was encouraging.

       "What are the mean men gonna do to Justin and Tracey?"

       Mark looked down at Randy who'd been quiet until now. "Well, they weren't really mean, they were just doing their jobs..."

       Tracey quickly stuffed the pile of papers she was carrying in a heap behind the desk. She shuffled and scattered the papers remaining on the desk in hopes the men now following her into the room would think these were the ones she had been carrying. Maybe, if she was lucky, these creeps wouldn't realize the difference. If they got their hands on the evidence they'd incinerate the lot of it before she was able to make more copies. Chris had told them to make themselves comfortable, they were going to be here a while. Justin and she watched the men suspiciously as they wandered around the room, checked through folders, emptied trash cans, took Justin's entire file cabinet, and finally requested the keys to his desk. The use of the word request is probably not very accurate since there was an underlying tone that made it into more of an order. Justin's hands were not very steady and as he reached to pass Chris the keys they slipped from his fingers. Perhaps Justin thought Chris had a hold of them already or maybe he just didn't wish to cooperate, but in either case they fell, right behind the desk and onto Tracey's papers.

       So much for hiding the evidence, she thought. She glared at Justin. If looks could kill, he'd have died twice instantly.

       "You idiot." snapped Chris. Justin was frozen like the perverbial deer in the headlights. Chris ignored him and pulled the desk out from the wall himself. Naturally, he immediately found the papers. "Justin, what a sloppy filer you are." He motioned for one of his flunkies and a young man quickly darted over with a cardboard box in hand. The two of them piled the papers into the box and it was removed from the room.

       Probably on its way to the incinerator, thought Tracey.

       It was 10 minutes before Chris was finished digging through Justin's desk and was satisfied that there wasn't anything in there worth while. That is aside from the bag of Jelly-beans he had already snagged and put into his own pocket. The other men had all left except two security guards who were positioned to either side of the door.

       "We have what we came for." Chris smiled. "Now what shall we do with you two?"

       "Us?" stammered Justin. "Whatever do you mean? I don't understand any of this. We have a job to do and you people are digging through my office and taking what you please! How do you expect me to finish my job?" Justin was pretty dumb sometimes and right now that was a good thing. For once in his life he knew what was going on but was able to act as if he didn't and no-one thought the wiser. He knew he couldn't let Chris know exactly how much he and Tracey had figured out. It was bad enough Chris now had all their proof, he didn't need to give him a confession as well.

       Chris unfortunately wasn't about to fall for it. "Cute Justin. You don't need to admit to anything." He picked up the lamp off the desk and dug a small square box out of the bottom of the stand. He rolled it between his fingers eyeing it thankfully. "These little babies have been more useful to us in the last three months than I can begin to tell you. You see, they record conversations. It has been indispensable to us for deciding who we like, trust, or just don't give a shit about. Needless to say, those members of the last category have departure slips for next Saturday. But I'm sure you two already figured that out, being as smart as you are." he chuckled. At least we'll assume it was a chuckle. It actually more closely resembled a cackle, but who are we to judge.

       "What are your plans for us?" Tracey could be very blunt at times, but it was usually only when she knew small talk would be useless.

       "Oh don't worry your pretty little head, Tracey." He caressed her cheek as he spoke to her which caused Justin's blood to boil. "You both are coming with us to Earth. The condition you are in when you leave this base, however, is your own choice. You can cooperate and walk off with everyone else. Or you can cause trouble for us and be carried off feet first. I'm sure the gardeners wouldn't mind some high quality fertilizer." His smile was so disturbing. It wasn't just because they knew he was actually taking pleasure in all this, but that superficially he simply looked scary with his wide toothy grin.

       "Are you threatening us?" blurted Justin.

       Chris laughed. "My dear friend, I am doing nothing of the sort." His expression instantly turned to one of pure seriousness. "I'm simply telling you how things are." He jestered toward the door, the smile returning to his face almost as quickly as it had left a moment ago. "Now if you'll follow me. My two friends here..." he pointed to the two guards, "shall follow along behind you to ensure you don't get lost. We'll be honored to take you both to your new quarters."

       "How long do you intend to keep us prisoner?" Tracey wasn't falling for Chris's false chivalry. Quite the contrary. It infuriated her. The last thing she would do is fuel his intent to downgrade this entire situation into a voluntary dismissal.

       "Only until we have left Mars and there is nothing left for you to meddle in." he quipped. "Now, I do have a schedule to keep so if you wouldn't mind hurrying. You know how things are; things to do, people to murder." He smiled again, this time directly in Tracey's face.

       Tracey smiled back at him this time, taking him quite by surprise. "When you see me next, you'll wish you'd left me on the planet." She seemed to swallow hard and in a fluorish even Chris couldn't have expected, she spit in his face. She turned and marched out of the room. Justin couldn't stop himself from grinning foolishly and quickly darted out the door after her before Chris had a chance to turn on him.

       Chris wiped the saliva from his eyes. The traits which had attracted him to Tracey four months ago were now pissing him off. He swung his arm in a wide arc making contact with the lamp and sending it crashing to the floor. "Just one more shattered light." he muttered. He shrugged off the feeling, straightened his shirt, and stormed out the door behind the others.

       Tracey guessed it was about 2:00 in the morning. She guessed because the guards had taken everything Justin and she had; watches, coins, jewelry. Anything they remotely suspected might aid them in escaping. Justin had practically worn a path in the floor from pacing for hours, but he'd finally managed to fall asleep. She wasn't sure how restful a sleep it was, but it was sleep none-the-less and it was definitely helping him to pass the time more easily. He didn't do well caged like an animal. Claustrophobic she thought it was called, or something like that. A fear of small places. She was starting to understand that all too well herself by this point. The walls seemed to be everywhere, closing in until even the shadows were crowded. She sat in the corner, her knees pulled up under her chin. If only she knew a way out of here. Gods, she was on the moon! There isn't even a window she could climb out. Climb out and go where? Into the void of space? That would be real smart. There was no place to go. Departure day was tomorrow and most people didn't even know. She couldn't stop thinking about all those people. How they'd be sitting in their homes making final preparations to travel to the city to catch their transport. How suddenly they'd feel a rumble similar to an earthquake. Their house would shake. The wind would begin to howl worse than any winter storm. They'd run outside to see what was happening, and then they'd realize. Too late to do anything about it, they'd realize they were being left behind. They'd have only a few minutes of grief before the atmosphere was ripped from the planet and their souls were delivered to the oblivion.

       Tracey had never felt such guilt in her life. If only she had realized what was happening sooner she may have been able to do something about it. But now she was stuck in this putrid holding area and not able to do a thing! She was so mad she pounded her fist against the floor. She wasn't sure if it was the resonating hum of the metal in the floor or her own small yelp she emitted because of the pain, but one of the two things disturbed Justin enough that he grumbled a little and rolled over in his sleep.

       She lifted her hand and strained to see it in the dark. A thin line of dark fluid inched its way down the side of her wrist from a small scrape on her finger. "Blood, the liquid of life" she mumbled. So fragile, yet so resiliant. It keeps us alive, yet can't survive without us. A small amount gathered and formed a drop on her wrist and fell, making a perfect red circle on the thigh of her pants as it soaked in. Most people didn't think twice about a bit of spilled blood. It was strong enough to replenish itself. Tracey couldn't stop thinking about the amount of blood which would be spilled tomorrow and she felt much of it would be on her hands. It wouldn't be her own this time. It would belong to the population of Mars. The blood spilled would be enough to turn the very ground itself red. Mars; the red planet.

       She sat back against the wall. She was a little calmer now, at least physically. She'd had her chance to rant and rave, even if it was in silence. Her head slowly tilted back until it came to rest against the wall and her mind was swimming in thought as she drifted off to sleep, totally oblivious to the small drips of blood which slowly continued from the cut on her hand.

       "Isn't it time for your afternoon naps now?"

       "Awwwww!" The response was in stereo as both Randy and Jessica voiced their disapproval.

       "But we're not tired." offered Jessica.

       "And the story's just getting to the good part! Mommy never lets me hear stories with blood and guts and stuff in em!" added Randy.

       "You both know the rules about naps. Besides, I'm not about to tell you the nasty stuff before you go to sleep. You'll have nightmares for a week. Plus I need a cup of tea and a break. My mouth is so try." He placed his hand over his throut to enhance the effect. He didn't really need a drink, but he figured if he dipped into the children's compassions maybe they'd go take their nap a little easier.

       "But what about Tracey?" questioned Jessica. "She might bleed to death while we're gone!"

       Mark shook his head. "Don't worry. I'm sure she had a band-aid around somewhere. Now off to bed with you both. I'll have a snack ready for you when you wake up."

       The children trudged out of the room and down the hall. Lisa's old room now had a sturdy set of bunk-beds in it and was the perfect place for two young children to take an afternoon nap. Mark knew they could find their own way so he didn't think twice about remaining in his cumfy chair and just resting his head. He'd have to think of an ending before they woke up. He'd forgotten how inappropriate the true story was for such young ears. He yawned and slouched a little farther into his chair. Maybe he'd have a nap of his own.