Tempest Relief: Chapter Three (standard:drama, 3210 words) [4/4] show all parts
Author: Ari Walker	Added: May 09 2002	Views/Reads: 2456/1903	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Three sisters must put aside their differences to carry on the family legacy.

THREE 

The morning fog was thick with moisture. Bicycles that had been left out
the night before now had wet seats, and kids grumbled even as their 
parents said 'I told you so'. 

It was interesting, Jade thought, to watch a small town awaken on a
Monday. The town yawned and stretched, and lazily opened its doors for 
business. Jade had never seen anything like it. People waved to each 
other, and offered each other coffee.  Gulls circled low, calling to 
each other. From open windows, the scent of bacon, eggs, pancakes and 
various other forms of breakfast mixed with the salty scent of the sea. 
Kids walked together in small groups on their way to school, passing 
around weekend homework for those who hadn't done it. 

Mermaid Point had a population of 450, and was one of the dozens of
small towns sitting on the rocks of the Northern California Coast. With 
dramatic cliffs, hovering Redwood trees, winding roads that led to 
nowhere, and the constant crashing of the sea, it was one of the most 
beautiful places Jade had ever seen. 

Two old men clearly in their seventies, one in a brightly colored
Hawaiian shirt, slowly sat down in front of the grocery store, 
complaining about everything and everyone. She chuckled when she 
realized they were the same men who had been sitting there when she had 
been here, twelve years ago. 

Her chuckled died, though, when she saw a familiar woman step in front
of the two old men, say something, and then open the store. She was 
twelve years older, but not much had changed about Edith Jenkins. Her 
gray hair was pulled back into a sensible ponytail, and beneath a 
battered pair of overalls, she wore a green and yellow bikini top. 

Jade's eyes narrowed. She didn't know why Edith had lied to her so many
years ago, but she intended to find out. Hands fisted, she made her way 
across the street from where she had been silently observing everyone 
and almost got knocked over when a man bumped into her. She looked up, 
annoyed, and groaned when she saw his chocolate eyes twinkling back at 
her. 

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he grinned, an arm catching her stumble. She
shrugged him off and ignored him, continuing to make her way towards 
the row of pretty gray and white Victorian buildings. 

Arthur followed her, admiring her long legs and purposeful walk. Her
curly hair bounced with each step. 

"What's the rush, Sleeping Beauty?" 

She stopped, turning slowly and glared as hard as she could. "Don't call
me that." 

He shrugged. 

"I can't call you anything else, now can I? You still haven't shared
your name with me. And here I was kind enough to be your Prince 
Charming and carry you across the sand last night." 

"I think Sleeping Beauty's prince was called Prince Valiant!" 

He chuckled. "Whatever. I was your knight in shining armor, Sleeping
Beauty. Actually," and he really got a kick out of this, because it was 
his older brother's name. "I'm your Lancelot, aren't I? Carrying the 
beautiful queen across the beach." 

"I wouldn't have needed to be carried if you hadn't hounded me with
questions until I had to faint to escape you," she retorted, hands on 
hips. Art winked and let one of his hands casually reach out to one of 
her caramel curls lying against her arm. It was just as silky as he 
remembered from last night, when she had been sprawled in his lap. 

"Well, that's not exactly fair, is it? If I recall," he said slowly, his
fingers inching their way up her arm to her shoulder. "You mentioned to 
Cody, that's Mrs. O'Reilly in case you didn't catch her first name, 
that fainting was a recurring problem with you." 


Click here to read the rest of this story (353 more lines)