A Great Leap (First Draft) - Outer Realms Book 1

Chapter 1

"MUM!"

The world was warm, soft, dark and smelled faintly of feet. Mikayla squirmed further into her bed, pressing her back into that of her husband. The cold air pressed against her face, threatening her bubble of serene comfort so she pulled the covers around herself a little tighter.

"MUM!"

"Freddy," Mikayla grumbled, "They're calling your name, hun."

"I wear the pants in this house," Freddy mumbled back.

"Then put them on and deal with your children."

"Your children too."

"Pregnancy and labour, babe. Come back to me with stretch marks."

"Let me sleep in and I'll make breakfast."

"I'm still sore. I just don't think I can get out of bed yet."

"Doctor said you're fine and you haven't taken any painkillers in over two weeks."

"Throw in a load of laundry and a run to the shops on your way home."

Freddy groaned. "Fine. Just put the heat on for a bit while you're up."

"Fine, but you're dealing with the next problem at school."

"You can't quibble all morning- You could actually."

"MUM!"

"I'd smother you all in your sleep if I didn't love you," Mikayla said as she rolled out of bed and pulled on a dressing gown. She quickly tied back her auburn hair as she shuffled sullenly into the hall, stopping to jab the controls for the air conditioning with a finger, sending hot air humming through the ducts. She saw flickering lights out the corner of her eye and looked up the hall to see the television in the games room on. She padded up the hall to investigate.

Curled up in one of the air chairs was Mikayla's youngest child, a rake thin boy with untidy black hair hair and dark skin inherited from his father. His bare torso and arms showed several cuts and scrapes in various stages of healing. His eyes were wide and in them danced the light of the television, and in his hand he held what remained of a sandwich. On the small table beside the armchair sat an empty glass and the remote.

"Benji," Mikayla hissed, "What are you doing up?"

"Got hungry," Benji replied quietly though he did not whisper, "Then I got bored, then I got thirsty and then I got hungry again."

"Do you have any idea what time it Is?"

"Ten past five. Can you yell at the person knocking on the door? They made me wake you up and I'm trying to listen."

Mikayla glanced at the television, seeing a nature documentary and, looking closer at her son, she saw headphones sitting in his ears she surmised were connected to the television wirelessly, barely visible in the light of the television. She managed to suppress a smirk until her back was turned and went back down the hallway to the front door.

Looking through the window and turning the outside light on, Mikayla saw a man she knew pacing on the stoop. He was tall, bulky and going a little soft around the middle, with a lined face, glasses and grey hair. He wore faded jeans and an old, fleece lined jacket to ward off the frigid, early morning air that steamed his breath. He was hunched in on himself, his hands deep in his pockets and he seemed distracted.

Mikayla wore an expression of deep confusion as she opened the door, shivering against the cold breeze that entered. "Shaun? I don't want to sound rude but what the hell are you doing here? I have to get up soon to get the kids to school and that's difficult enough on a full night's sleep."