The Crackhead Chronicles Of The Six Strange Swans

You will keep me Safe

Lauren opens the front door and enters the flat, shaking off the tired feeling within her. The rain seeps through her clothes, dripping onto the floor. She places her keys into the marble dish by the door and follow the smell of food into the kitchen which dances its way up her nose.

"Hey babe." Her husband Jonas stands by the stove. The combination of peppers and onions roast away in the wok as he adds the herbs and spices.

"Hey." Lauren gives her husband a peck on the lips before placing her bag down on the counter and grabs the ingredients for gin and tonic

"How was work?" He asks adding the finely diced chicken in with the rest of the ingredients

"Long. But it could've been worse."

"MUMMY!" Lauren's five-year-old daughter May comes crashing into her arms. She bends down and places her on her hip

"Hey bubba. How was your day little princess?"

"It was good but oh! I want some of mummy's drink!"

"Um... no sweetheart, you're too young to have this drink."

"When will I be old enough."

"When you're eighteen. So how many years is that?"

"1...2..3...4... too many!" May tries to count on her fingers. Lauren laughs at her child's innocence and places her back on the ground

"Dinner will be about twenty minuets." Lauren takes a sip of her drink and relaxes. This is exactly what she needed after a long day.

"Alright, I'm going to take my bags upstairs."

Dinner time had past, and Lauren enters the living room after just fighting the battles of bedtime with May. She stares at the picture of her family hanging above the tv. Years ago, a massive virus outbreak wipped out most of her family. The only members left of her crazy family of thirteen are her, her youngest brother Nick, her Oldest brother Michael and finally her only remaining sister and best friend Lisa. Lauren misses her family deeply. Everyday becomes more difficult than the last. Jonas sits on the sofa with the remote in his hand

"How was it?" They both have experienced their daughter's innate nocturnal instincts. They have to drag her tablet away constantly

"Why doesn't she just go to sleep? I've been in her room ten times trying to get to sleep and she was all loopy. She wasn't acting herself. And there was an empty water bottle of water on the floor." Jonas' eyes turn to shock as his brain begins to remember

"That wasn't water... that was my vodka."

"So you're telling me that my five-year-old daughter just drank a bottle of water. We aren't good at this whole parenting thing are you? I wouldn't be surprised if the cops got called on us."

"Babe I'm so sorry I forgot I left it in there. It's my fault." Lauren sits next to Jonas and snuggles up next to him with the pile of blankets shielding them from the cold

"Urg. It's okay you're lucky you're cute." Lauren kisses her husband

"I love you."

"Love you."

They turn on Netflix and watch their movie.

It is in the early hours of the morning when Lauren received the call that little did she know would change her life. She wakes up disorientated from her deep dreamless sleep, to the phone ringing on the table by the door.

"Urg, babe what's happening?" Jonas turns around so he's gazing into his wife's beautiful face

"Don't worry I'll answer it." She removes the covers off her body and goes to the phone. Her hand trembling as she picks it up