“Soldier, how many of those pods are scheduled to hatch this week?”

“I believe forty, Sir. Enough for the first platoon – as long as there are no issues.”

“There better not be any problems. We spend too much money on this project and it keeps our men safe.”

“Yes, Sir” I said. The lieutenant walked out of the oval shaped building but not before stopping at the door and shaking his head at my counterpart, Durk.

“ I don’t know why he hates me, J.C.”

“Stop pouting, Durk. You know exactly why. You let the water level in here fall below three quarters last season and ruined a whole batch.”

“That wasn’t my fault! The steam prevented me from getting an accurate reading.”

I nearly fell in the floor from laughter after he made that statement. “Yeah, could that have had anything to do with you bringing Betty Stinewall in here?” Blushing, he turned his head away from me.

“You’re the reason we’re both on pond duty now. I still don’t know how you convinced me to lie for you.”

“Well, look at the bright side. If everything goes well, you’ll be a married man by October. I have to wait two more seasons.” Durk walked towards the edge of the retro pad setting off the alarm.

Lieutenant King swung the heavy metal door back open. “That’s it Durk! You are just bound and determined to have you a worldly woman aren’t you?” He pulled out his cell phone and pretended to call Betty. “Stinewall, Lieutenant King here! It’s your lucky day! Durk has decided to wed the likes of you and deal with all of your emotions instead of one of these home grown women that will be at his beckon call and will not talk back!” He was now yelling in the phone.

“Lieutenant.” I politely interrupted his make believe conversation.

“What is it Conway?”

“I thought we had movement on the pods. I sent Durk to the edge.”

“False alarm!” Durk yelled back in our direction.

“You better thank this man, Durk! I have no problem taking you off the recipient list!” Shoving his cell phone back in his pocket, The Lieutenant walked back out again.

I spent hours in front of the aquarium my mother bought me, watching for my fish to swim out from behind the trees. I had only one fish in there and he liked to hide. I always thought he feared the plastic butterflies.

I called him Gone Fish, named after my dad. That’s what My Mom always said when I asked about him – “Your Dads just gone. Get over it!”

She entertained a lot of men. I hid like Gone Fish whenever they would visit our apartment. They usually smelled like alcohol and talked too much.

There was this one guy – He was tall, had a long gray beard and wore leather pants. He drove a Harley, that’s a motorcycle and it was loud! He was my Baby Brother’s Dad or at least that’s what Mom told him. I liked him. He always brought candy for me and diapers and milk for little Mark. Momma was happiest when he was around. She would clean and sing, sometimes even cook.

Then one day his visits stopped. Mom cried a lot and I had to take care of me and Baby Mark – until there was no more Baby Mark. He just up and disappeared.

I figured he was one of the lucky ones and maybe his Daddy came back for him. 

I spent more and more time watching Gone Fish and Mother’s reflection in the glass of the aquarium. She sat on the couch – emotionless and rocked back and forth.

I prayed for my Gone Daddy to come back for me. I thought when those big men in uniforms and black vest with white letters kicked in our door that one of them had to be him.

They handcuffed Momma, who wasn’t much bigger than I was and jerked her around, pushed her out the door, she tripped over her own feet. Blood trickled from her knees after she hit the concrete.  I told them to stop hurting her. They just kept yelling – “We have that baby’s body. You’ll never get out of prison.” She still didn’t say a word.  

The nice Police lady took me to a new family. I don’t know how she found him but, my Gone Daddy was there. He hugged me real tight and cried. Tomorrow he’s taking me to pick up Gone Fish. I have decided to change his name to Lucky.

“Quiet down little ones.” Daddy always sat in the old wood rocker that was given to him by our grandmother. I was too young to remember her or any of my other family members. He never missed a night reading his favorite bedtime story. Just some nights it wasn’t to us. My younger brother Gabe couldn’t talk but he heard every word.

“There was an old man…” He started off.

“No Daddy! That’s not how it goes!” I giggled as Gabe grunted at his mishap.

“Okay. Okay. I was just making sure you were paying attention. There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She had so many cats..”

Gabe got up off the linoleum floor we were sitting on and ran over to daddy. He pointed cleverly at the book to remind him his words were incorrect. “That’s not it daddy.” I told him.

“Okay enough funning. I know you’re very serious about your stories. He went on. She had so many kids, she didn’t know what to do.” When he was finished reading, he would take us back down to the basement with the others and “untie the shoe.” That’s what he called taking the lock off of the door. I was smart and knew what it really was.

There was seven of us down there. We didn’t all look the same but we all had the same stench. I once asked him how he got us since we didn’t have a mommy. He told me we were all gifts from GOD. I knew who GOD was too. HE was always on the radio reading something called a BIBLE.

He kissed each one of us good night and reminded Andrew and Stacy that tomorrow night was their turn to hear the story.

“I only keep you down here because I love you so much and I don’t always know what to do. At least I don’t whip you like the old lady, right?” He would ask. I think we all knew he had stolen us from her.

Many nights I stayed with my Aunt Flora after my Uncle Sibley passed away. She was afraid of storms and couldn’t sleep when it rained. Her house sat about a mile from the prison for the criminally insane. It was closed years ago and now used as a Haunted House attraction in October.

I can remember one hot summer night. The prison alarm sounded, signaling an escape. The rain was falling and Aunt Flora curled up in a corner crying.

The lights flickered and went out. The thunder clapped. The lighting was bright enough that I could see her silhouette rocking back and forth. The heat was sweltering. The windows were up for air. The wind blew the light weight curtains back leaving the outside exposed.

“Baby, they’re coming for me.” She said.

I slammed the window shut and lit the coil oil lamp she had sitting on the mantle. I kneeled down beside her on the hard wood floor.

“Why would they come for you, Aunt Flora?” I asked. Without an answer, she reached her cold, arthritic hand out and touched my arm. Her body shook in fear.

“Being scared of storms is no reason to be housed with the criminally insane. It’ll pass soon.” I put my arm around her shoulder. She laid her head over on my chest. Her long, coarse, gray hair fell into the glass chimney of the lamp – catching fire. She jumped up, hopping around the room, pointing and screaming “Sibley, Sibley!”
My eyes followed her finger and there in the corridor was Uncle Sibley – in a ghostly form. His eyes sunken in and skin dark from the grave. He opened his mouth and wailed. I covered my ears to protect them from the piercing sound.

 I tried to grab Aunt Flora but she moved too quickly, her hair igniting the curtain. The oil from the lamp streamed across the floor creating a line of fire that separated the room, leaving me on one side and her on another.

I watched the orange flames reflect from her eyes. I ran to the front door and looked back. Uncle Sibley had his grotesque hands wrapped around her frail neck. She appeared to melt from the heat. He ingested her as if she were nourishment for his soul.

“Are you alright ma’am?” I was awakened by an officer who found me laying in the tall, wet grass. I looked around at all of the Emergency vehicles that lit up the night sky. “My Aunt Flora?” I asked.
“There was no one else in the house.” He said. “No one?” I whispered.

My Grandpa left me the old antebellum home that he owned in Louisiana. All I had to do was sign the papers.

I pulled up at the Lawyer’s office, shocked that one of the windows was covered with plywood. I walked in the front door and tripped over a tear in the rough, green, outdoor carpet that covered the waiting area.

“Are you Hal?” The man was leaned against the door frame. I stuck my keys in my pocket and reached my hand out to shake his. “I am.” I answered. “No Sir. I don’t shake hands.” He said as he took the toothpick out of his mouth. “Excuuuuse me.” I was insulted.

“Sign here and be on your way.” He handed me a pen and held the papers up to the wall.

He then showed me a picture of an ice block and some trees. “This picture is hanging in your Pa’s study, behind it is a safe and inside you will find your Pa’s ashes in a bronze urn. Here’s the code.” It was in a white envelope.

“And son, don’t look in that urn.” He waved me out of the door.

The house was still magnificent just how I remembered. I ran straight up to his study, curious if there were any other treasures inside the safe. The frame on the picture was missing, it barely hung by a tack in the wall. It was the only thing In the house out of place.

I entered the combination, nothing but his ashes were inside. I picked up the urn. It was so cold, I immediately dropped it. It fell to the ground and spilled out sending dust everywhere including up my nostrils. My body filled with pressure. I ran to the mirror to see my eyes were blood red and my skin now pale. My face became my grandfather’s. He stared back at me smiling with bloody fangs. “HAL-lelujah” He joked. I always hated the name Hal! “I knew you wouldn’t let me down. You can have my home but never my throne.” He laughed. Together as vampires, we tormented the bayou. I never had a chance to feel bad.

This is what they call a “Family Secret.”

There were mirrors placed strategically around me. Seeing my reflection from every angle gave me a feeling of superiority. I felt like that a lot though.

I spent months in a strict program and had now moved on to one that pushed me even harder. My body was firm and and off limits to anyone. However, they were allowed to touch my head. That was something I couldn’t stop them from doing. They came in, double checked my name to be sure I was who I said was. They didn’t ask for I.D. only the first and last noun that I went by. A security breach would be intolerable. I laughed at the thought. These people would never let that happen.

They wore black coats something like a Doctor’s garb but with more pockets. Their shoes clicked as they walked across the floor. I kept my eyes on them, they were quick and precise. I was impressed but I also hated to be here. You could sometimes see the desperation in their eyes especially if you were sent to see them late in the day or if a child was on their list. You had to go when you could or you wouldn’t look the same. They had special powers some learned, some gifted.

I pointed at myself when they called my name as if to question who I was. She nodded yes and I followed her first, to the back. She placed me in the chair with metal sides and had me rest my arms. Next turning on the machine, she began the process. The heated substance poured atop of me. I made a face as to say I was discouraged. “Is it too hot?” She asked. I said “No.” I think it was a little warm. I just wanted to be done.

She protected me with a white wrap and moved me fast to the next station. “Sit here.” She instructed. She reached for what could have been considered a weapon. It was soaked in a blue potion. I closed my eyes. Finally. She was finished.

“What do you think?” She questioned my feelings. Rarely does a woman do that. “I’m not sure ma’am. I will have to ask myself. Get my own personal opinion.” I tipped her and headed to the car. My only wish was that I could have had a lollipop like the three year old getting his hair cut for the first time.

We sat in the middle of an upscale New York restaurant. “I was born in Virginia to a coal miner and a coal miner’s daughter. It just wasn’t Loretta Lynn.” I laughed but I was serious.

He stared at me with compassion as he sipped his sparkling water.

I found myself bouncing my leg from nervousness

“Tell me more.” He requested.

“I had this Giant stuffed Lion my Dad gave me when I was five. It could talk, I swear it could. I still have it in my closet.”

He listened carefully.

“One Summer that Lion convinced me that My Mother was going to kill me. He told me everything – the when, where and how. I believed him.”

He crossed his legs and leaned back a tad.

“I grabbed Cruz – That’s the Lion’s name. We ran out of the screen door. I remember the sound it made when it slammed shut. Cruz’s size slowed me down. I had to drag him through the gravel driveway and then I thought of the perfect hiding spot.”

He smiled. “Really? Where was that?”

“Over by the barn. Daddy had an old ’55 Chevy hood leaned up against the wall. We slid in behind there. They never came for me. We finally just went back to the house.”

“How did that make you feel?” He asked.

“Is this a date or a session? If it’s not a date then I want to leave. Maybe it’s inappropriate for a Dr. to see his patient outside of the office.” I kept a straight face while speaking.

“No. I’m interested in you. Am I wrong for that?” He baited me back in.

“When we walked back inside. I was shocked to see that my other stuffed animals had formed a circle around Mom and Dad. They were tied up and their mouths Duct taped. My Brother stood outside of the circle and he was holding my Daddy’s Hunting Rifle. I blacked out after that.”

“You are so beautiful.” He said, making me extremely anxious so I kept on talking.

“My brother went to prison. I was tossed around from home to home. My Brother writes to me occasionally and tells me how much he loves me and that he forgives me for everything. I don’t know what I’ve done to need forgiveness.”

He looked over his shoulder and called for the waiter to bring the check.

“Take me to see your Lion. Our time here is up.” He said. I knew he was falling in love with my type of crazy.

The waiter proceeded to grab my arm. “Wait! Where are you taking me?”

“Back to your room Ms. Lynn.”

“Richard, hand me my Mink from the backseat.” I felt the need to throw the twenty five thousand dollar coat at her. I decided against it. Her wrath would have been unbearable.

She had been in such a rush to see the little resort we intended to buy. She jumped out of the Jeep as her heals sunk into the snow. “I still can’t believe you wore those.” Shaking my head in disapproval. She was so vain. Nonetheless, I loved her more than my own life.

“You have no sense of fashion.” The misty cloud from her breath seemed to be in excess, probably because she always had too much to say and so quickly.

The first cabin was used as the Business office. Marty, the realtor met us there. 

“These things are hideous, Richard! I don’t like the Green, Pink, Yellow or Blue. Disgusting!”

The few guests that were left, stared at us strangely.

“I don’t like Marty either, Richard.”

I opened the door for her so we could greet him and get down to business. Her dainty hand with acrylic nails and bright red polish quickly ascended so that Marty could kiss it. She believed she was some sort of Royal, whom she didn’t care for either.

“Have a seat Mrs. Hollis.” He said.

“I prefer to stand.”

I knew it was because she deemed the place as dirty.

“I guess you haven’t told her yet?” Marty directed his question towards me.

I shook my head “No.”

“Told me what, Richard?”

Marty reached over and pressed the discreetly hidden button between F7 and F8 on his keyboard. The back wall opened up.

We followed Marty down a Metal, Spiral staircase. Felicia tightly grabbed hold to my arm, lifted each leg and removed her shoes for safety purposes. She stumbled nearly having the accident she wished to avoid.

Placed in the center of the basement was a glass safe holding a valve filled with a violet liquid causing the room to glow in a perfect purple.

“What is this?” She whispered.

“Do you like this color my love?” I asked.

“Maybe.” She winked at me causing me to fall more in love.

“We’re not hear to purchase the place. I have a surprise for you. Marty sells life, Felicia. What he has in that valve will let you live an eternity. You and I both together forever. Your beautiful skin will never age.”

“I have to think about it.” She said.

Back at the top of the steps, she turned and lunged at Marty causing him to tumble all the way back to the bottom.

“Well, is it accident proof?” She asked.

I ran back down to take his pulse. Marty was gone. “You idiot. Why would I drink a serum that is not fool proof?” Putting her heals back on, she looked up at me “I’m a fine wine, better with time and the fact that you don’t know that, well… it disturbs me. Who in their right mind buys life from a guy named Marty, anyways?”

“Barbara, look! That’s a German Spy plane flying over. They’re probably on to us. Put your hand down. Don’t be so conspicuous. Now everyone’s going to know we’re CIA!”

“I was just trying to block the sun so I could see better, Teresa. I told them not to pair us together for this mission! You are so dang paranoid!”

“Look coming there – The man in the blue. He’s about to take us into custody.”

“He isn’t taking me anywhere! I haven’t forgotten my training.”

“Neither one of you can barely remember your name.”

“Huh, What’d you say Bundesnachrichtendienst? I know a member of the BND when I see one.”

“I didn’t say anything….. I was wondering if you ladies would join me for a bite of lunch at this lovely Cafe?”

“Sure!”

“I see you aren’t as paranoid as I thought, Teresa.”

“Shut up, Barbara! You should never turn down a lunch date with a Handsome Gentleman.”

“Will you ladies excuse me while I take this phone call please?”

“Now what? I’m sure he’s talking to his superiors for further instructions.”

“Just be quiet.”

“Yes, son. We were having a good time until I went in to a Souvenir shop and left your Mom and Aunt Teresa alone for five minutes. A plane flew over and now they think they’re back in the Agency. Clearly the Shock treatments didn’t work. I don’t why the Government insisted on wiping their memories clean once they retired, anyways. We’re probably going to have to cut this trip short. In the meantime, I’ll just slip them a sedative. …. … …Yes, I know… but we’re not going to stop living our lives. I made promises to your Mother that I still need to fulfill. … I love you, too.”

“It’s your turn to pick Jeremy. What do you want to play?” Now, in college we reverted back to our childish ways. Asking me to choose the next game was just another way to poke fun at my intellect.

I humored them. “Duck, Duck, Goose.”

I stood up from the log Rebecca and I shared as a seat. The Campfire gave off enough light that we could make this work.
“You all know the rules but, we’re going to switch up the chase. Whoever I choose as “The Goose” will not chase me around this circle but will follow me into the trees or wherever I chose to run. Everything else, exactly the same.”

“Nooo… That sounds dangerous.” Of course Jillian would disagree seeing as she was prime candidate for “The Goose” having broke up with me for my Best friend Rob.

Rob- that lush, slurring his speech agreed with her. However the others were down for an adventure. “Majority rules.” Bugging my eyes, I glared in Jillian’s direction.

One by one, I tapped their shoulders “Duck… Duck… Duck…. Duck.. Goose!” I took off into the forest with Rob close behind. The light from the fire dimmed, the terrain became a struggle. I heard a loud thud when Rob tripped over a pile of branches that littered our path and then I heard his body being drug off into the night.

“Okay put the mask on him and start filming, Jillian’s next and then we’re done.” We all had an agreement to rid our lives of the disloyal ones and to make one heck of a movie. The Blair Witch Project was Child’s play next to the “Gruesome Goose Gathering.”

I kicked him in the side with my steel toe boot. “Duck!”