Family is Forever

Chapter 7

The five learnt a few things things about the small farming town they wounded up in: it was called Baileyville, there's less than 150 people living in it, and the town did not have a bus station, a car rental place, or anything of that sort.

The sun was just overhead as the five walked out of woods onto a large field which led to the back of a farmhouse. Katt, who took the role as leader, walked up to the door and knocked. An older lady with bouncing gray curls opened the door.

The lady didn't seem threatening. She had a kind, wrinkly face with a twinkle in her coffee brown eyes. She was wearing an apron covered in flour pink flannel dress, wearing cowboy boots. She obviously was the farmer's wife. Katt had a strong feeling this woman wasn't a monster in disguise.

"Hello dearie," she said at Katt, "can I help you?" Katt looked in the house and saw an older man - probably get husband, Katt though - reading a magazine with a tractor on the front of it. The aroma of the house smells like the wife has been cooking all day day, with the smell of delicious food coming from the kitchen.

"Hi, ma'am," Katt said, flashing a dazzling smile, "me and my friends are kinda lost." As she talked, the old lady looked over at the boys and Sapphire, who were standing a few feet away from the front door. The woman invited them all in. Katt looked at her friends, shrugged and motioned them to come in. They all walked into the small farmhouse.

The farmhouse had a tiny living room and a kitchen/dining room. They had a staircase in the living room that led to another floor that none of the five went up. They all stood in a small group at the doorway until thebwife, who introduced herself and her husband as Mae and Joe Smith, called then in for dinner.

The meal was simple enough, but it made the five hungry, since they haven't really eaten since the day before; steak, mashed potatoes, macaroni salad, and an apple pie cooling off on the windowsill. Mae made everyone a plate, then they all sat down at the dining table, which could hold about eight people.

While they ate, the Smiths told the five friends about their childhood and about the town. When Alex brought up a bus station, both Mae and Joe shook their heads.

"A car rental?" Katt suggested. She may not have a licence, but she did know how to drive from lessons with her dad. And Jason said she was doing really well.

"You can always go up north," Joe suggested, "to a town that does."

"No thank you, sir," Sapphire said, standing up. "We need to go to West Virginia, and going up north is a distraction."

"Well..." Mae said, "do you children know what a tandem bike is?"

"Yeah, one of those bikes for two people," Ace responded, "you got some?"

"Two," Joe sakd, "but we don't have any single bikes, I'm afraid." Katt looked over at Sapphire, who nodded her head. Joe then got up and led them to basement, where he showed them two bikes.

They were clearly old. They were red, but had the paint chipping and had rust on them. But, they looked sterdy enough to ride. Each had two black seats and a wired basket in the front of it. Alex and Ace took one, Katt and Jasper took the other, and Sapphire went ahead to open the door for them. They wheeled the bikes away from the house and waved goodbye to the Smiths, who were standing at the doorway, waving goodbye.

Once they were far away from the farmhouse, Sapphire turned into a crow and flew above their heads. Ace and Alex were on one bike, Katt and Jasper on the other. They didn't stop ledaking until they passed by two signs: "Thank you for visiting. Come again!" and then another that said, "Welcome to Blackville, West Virginia!"

The group had done it. They made it to West Virginia.