Lasted • Tuck Everlasting

The Secret

"Angus? Angus, we're back, with a surprise." Mrs. Tuck said as she entered the house in a rush. "Angus?"
Angus let out a loud snore from the couch. "Of course. Angus wake up! The boys met some people at the spring!"

Angus jolt out of bed wide-eyed. He was only in his undergarments. "What! Do they know? Do they know the secret?" Angus yelled frantically as he looked at Jesse's face that was covered in fear.

"Long time, no see Pa. Hope you're in a good mood." Jesse smiled as he silently prayed.

"Oh, Jesse! What did you get us into this time?" Angus asked as Winnie and I were set onto the ground.

"Here Pa. It finally happened." Miles said as the coat was removed from around my eyes so I could see again. I immediately started throwing punches and kicks as Winnie just freaked out.

Fear engulfed our bodies as we panicked. "Please don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me." Winnie begged as I hid her behind me.

"Children!" Angus yelled as he pointed at us.

"That's exactly what I said!" Mrs. Tuck said as she looked at her sons.

I turned around and looked at Winnie. "Winnie, nobody is going to hurt you," I reassured as I looked back at the Tuck family.

Winnie looked at Jesse with hurt in her eyes. "I can't believe you tricked me! I trusted you! We climbed a tree."

"Do they-" Angus started but fumbled over his words. "You know."

"Only that the spring is special, but they didn't drink any! So everything's fine!" Mrs. Tuck reassured.

"Know about the water?" I asked, hoping to join the conversation.

Jesse pulled Winnie from her hiding spot. "This is Winnie Foster! Winnie, this is my father Angus. Usually, he's in clothes." Jesse introduced as Winnie awkwardly smiled at Angus.

"Not true!" Mrs. Tuck said as Miles held my arm out.

"This is Charlie Foster. That is my mother and father, and the idiot they raised." Miles said as Jesse stuck his tongue out at him.

Angus paused for a moment. "Foster from Treetop. Your great grandfather and I used to fish together!" Angus smiled as he held a hand out to me. "It's a pleasure to meet you! Don't you want to shake my hand?"

My father taught me what to do in these situations. "No, I want to bite it."

"What?" Angus asked, confused.

"That's what my father told me to do if anyone tried to kidnap me!" I explained harshly as I gave Miles a side glare.

"Oh, no this isn't kidnapping."

"Well technically honey." Mrs. Tuck commented as she went through the boy's things.

"If you just let us explain-" Jesse tried to say but Miles was fuming with anger.

"No! That is a bad idea. As I've always said if anyone finds out about us-" Miles explained as I stared at him. He brought me here!

Angus groaned. "I hope this is different! You boys brought two girls here! Children change everything! No, Winnie and Charlie Foster, you have my word we are not going to harm you." He held his hand out for me to shake once again. "Please don't bite me."

I finally gave in and shook his hand. Winnie did the same as I did, although she gave him a friendly smile.

"Okay, fine! Can we please just go home?" Winnie said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door, but Miles quickly wrapped his arms around me waist and lifted me up into the air, setting me down by the dining table.

Suddenly, and idea came to Angus's head. "Well, o, of course, I know what to do! Where are my boots?"

He looked down.

"Oh, where are my pants?" Angus asked as Miles blocked my path from the door.

I quickly grew frustrated. "This is ridiculous! So, now what?" I asked as I tried to duck under Miles's arm, but he quickly caught me.

"Their mother must be worried sick!" Mrs. Tuck realised as she looked at her husband who was walking out the door. "Where are you going?"

Angus quickly protested. "Fishing!"

"Fishing? Why?"

"We have guests, Mae! We need a meal!" Angus cheered as he slammed the door behind him.

An awkward silence surrounded us. "So much for Pa knowing what to do." Miles scoffed as I finally managed to get past him, allowing me to cling onto Winnie.

"Miles, I'm warning you!" Jesse threatened as he raised a fist.

"Boys, let him go! At least he's excited about something again. All that man's done for the past ten years is waiting for you to come home!" Mae smiled as I furrowed my brows. Ten years?

The door flew open quickly as Angus already had sweat rolling down his face. "Oh boys, welcome back!" He greeted as the door slammed shut once again.

Winnie quickly raised get hand. "You've been gone for ten years? But you're only seventeen. I'm so confused!" Winnie told Jesse as he shrugged and led us to the couch.

Winnie looked at her shoes as I looked at the family, wondering what was going on. "Oh Ma, let's just tell them the truth."

"Oh Ma, let's just not!" Miles backfired.

Mae was fes up with her boys. "Miles, please." Jesse quickly walked over to Winnie. "Winnie, are you ready to hear the biggest secret ever?"

"The question is, is she ready to keep it?" Miles asked as he turned to Mae. "I trust Charlie, but how do we know Winnie won't run and tell everyone?"

"Go ahead Ma." Jesse urged his mother to start as he made sure we were comfortable.

"It's good to know you trust one of them, but they both know too much now not to tell them everything." Mae whispered as she took a deep breath.  "We're just gonna have to trust both of them." Then we were told their entire story. How they were exploring, and started to die of thirst. The Tucks found the spring, and drank some water from it, including their cat.

"But I still don't understand!" I bursted out as Winnie sat still trying to connect the dots.

Miles quickly got fed up with trying to explain everything. "Enough!" Miles said as he sat next to me on the couch, staring into my eyes. "All right.We're not aging, we're not growing, and none of us know why. Once upon a time, we drank from your spring. and now we'll never die." Miles explained as I finally understood what he was trying to say.

"And that's the story of the Tucks. The end." Jesse finished as I nodded, still looking into Miles's eyes. We stayed there for a brief moment, forgetting everything. Yet, he quickly got off of the couch, pink barely visible on his cheeks.

Winnie quickly cleared her throat. "Okay, I have a lot of questions. Starting with, where is this cat?" Everyone talked for a bit longer, but everything went quiet as I fell asleep against the couch, entering a peaceful sleep.