Finding Freya

It Started Badly Then It Got Worse

[A\N] Hi everyone! New chapter up! Tell me what you think. I've got another story that I'm writing at the moment and it's called I Love You, Cedar Blue. The first few chapters should be up soon hopefully. It's a summer romance novel, in case you were wondering. If you want to read it, go to my profile and it should be there. :)

- Chloe

Meeting the Walkers started badly, mainly because Dad got lost trying to find the quickest way there. They live in the east of the town. The government built identical homes there to hide ex-servicemen and their widows. We live in the south of the town by the sea. The Walkers house is close to the National Park, which is full of scrub, wildflowers and native fauna.

We found the house soon enough, there were two silver life size twin cannons in the front yard. Mum was a bit shocked when she saw those.

Mrs Walker welcomed us on arrival. Ellie was right about the Lieutenant Colonel about being upset with lateness.

The Walkers' dining table was decorated with little Australian flags and candles. In pride of place, behind the head of the table, above a maple dresser, hung a picture of the Queen, lit by a small wall lamp.

A large tapestry hung on the side wall. There were soldiers on horses, stabbing the enemy straight through the heart. There were dead bodies and decapitated heads rolling around the hillside, done in neat little stitches.

"It's truly wonderful," declared Mrs Walker, as we sat down for dinner. "Isn't it?"

The horses reared with foam-flecked lips and wild eyes.

"We're into war," she confided. "It's in our blood."

Mrs Walker was so sweetly pretty with her cinnamon curls and soft pink cheeks and her faded blue gingham apron, that when I heard those steely words, I felt like I was watching a badly dubbed film.

"Travis," cried the Liuetenant Colonel. "Get your sister! She knows what time it is, I'll deal with her afterwards." He gazed around smugly, looking satisfied as though he had all of life conquered.

Travis opened a door at the far end of the lounge room. "Gemma," he called. "Dinner's on!"

"Gemma's been studying very hard." said Mrs Walker. "She wants to go into the army as soon as she graduates. She even took a summer school class on Military Warfare. Topped her class."

"She was the youngest in her year." said the Lieutenant Colonel proudly. "She outsmarted and outperformed everyone in the practical unit. She's a fighting machine, that girl. She can strip and load a gun faster than the flick of a lizard's tongue."

Gemma strode through the kitchen door. She was small and petite with a long, dark plait hanging limply over her shoulder. She was dressed in army fatigues and wore a black beret on her head.

"Everyone this is Gemma." said Mrs Walker, introducing her daughter.

"You're late girl!" shouted the Lieutenant Colonel.

"Sorry, Sir." she said.

"Gemma, this is Ellie's family. You've met Ellie before. This is Ellie's mum, Kara. Ellie's dad, Barry. Her sister, Freya and her brothers, Lachie and Nate."

She gave a quick hello to everyone before pulling out her chair next to me.

"I know you," she said to me. "You go to my school."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said. "I'm in the year below you. You hang out with Krystal Henderson's younger sister, right."