A Cherry in the Water

CHAP. 2

Cherry swished her spoon around the bowl, watching the oatmeal glop in sticky globs.

She hadn't slept much last night. And the little she had slept had been filled with nightmares. She had dreamed about her, Sofie, and Brielle splashing around in the pool. But whenever she tried to get out of the pool, she'd start sinking.

"How'd you sleep last night?" Gramps asked, taking a sip of coffee.

Philip was goofing off with his breakfast, making a smiley face on the table with his Cheerios, but Gramps didn't seem to mind

"Okay," Cherry replied grumpily.

Gramps raised an eyebrow and slowly turned. "Philip, what about you?"

"I slept great!" he said, looking up momentarily from his milky mess. "I fell asleep with the sounds of frogs and crickets!"

Gramps smiled. "Isn't that the best?"

Cherry rolled her eyes. Dweebs.

Suddenly, Gramps shoved his chair back. "Well kids, I have to go do a bit of work up in my office." He turned to Cherry, eyes glittering mischievously. "You're welcome to explore the place. Just don't go out by the pond beyond the edge of the property." He smiled. "Wouldn't want you falling in."

And with that he grabbed his coffee and went upstairs.

Cherry pursed her lips. "Well, why don't you go explore, Phil?" she said staring at him.

Philip nodded and then quickly ate his cereal and ran out to the old barn that sat by the garage.

Cherry sighed, reluctantly finishing her oats. She didn't like how this was going. And it was only the first day.

><)))*>

Cherry had tried to make the best of her time there. Gramps was always 'working' and Philip didn't have any interest in hanging around Cherry.

Running as far away from Gramps' property as she could, Cherry stared out at the other farmhouses off in the distance, wishing, not for the first time, that she was with her friends.

The last time she had seen Philip, he had been goofing off with the chickens. Gramps had called him in then. He hadn't, however, called Cherry in. Maybe he had thought she was already inside, holing up in her room.

But that was quite the opposite. Cherry had come to a decision. She would run away from here. To where, she wasn't exactly sure. But anywhere would be better than here, she thought.

Shouldering the pack she'd brought with her, she scrambled to her feet and ran.

When she came to the property line, she took one last glance behind her and then climbed over the fence. It was getting dark and Gramps would be getting worried. Or would he? He probably doesn't even care, she thought with a frown.

Tramping through the wood, Cherry's thoughts whirled in an angry cyclone. Why should her parents force her to be here? Because it was good for her? Why was Gramps always so busy? What did he do all day up in his office? And why were her friends going to Wild Water World without her? Wouldn't good friends wait?

Internally grumbling to herself, Cherry almost missed the large pond blocking her path.

"Great," she muttered. "Now how am I going to get across?"

Cherry was too tired to think, so she took out her sleeping bag she'd brought and laid it out on the dirty grass. She gazed up at the stars and imagined Gramps staring at the same stars, maybe, just maybe, wondering where she was. She was soon asleep.