laugh escaped her throat before she could cover her mouth.
“Wow Sean. That’s a good look for you,” she gestured toward his head. He grimaced. He knew that his face had wrinkles from the pillow and that his dark brown hair was standing up in all directions. Embarrassed, he threw a pillow at her.
“Shut up,” he said. “I didn’t get much sleep last night, as you may imagine.” She nodded, her face suddenly serious.
Sean shuffled out of the room to talk to his mother downstairs. It was no problem to convince Lucy that he wasn’t feeling well. He really hadn’t slept much the last night. Though he was dying to race back upstairs for some answers, he had to wait for the rest of the Skillman clan to leave for work and school. Once they had, he ran back up the stairs.
“All clear,” he said, as he strode past Fi to grab clothes from his dresser. “Alright if I take a shower first?”
“Of course,” she smiled. “I can’t talk to you seriously with that hair anyway.” He made a face and she laughed.
“Do I need to wear anything special today, 007?” he teased. Fi snickered, but then she nodded.
“Actually,” she said. “It would be a good idea to wear outdoorsy clothes…like for hiking or sports.” Wow, he thought. He’d only been kidding but then she was decked out like she was training for the military. Suddenly he noticed for the first time that she wore a giant knife strapped to her left thigh and his eyebrows shot up. He nodded in silence as he grabbed some layers and athletic shoes.
“Sure thing boss,” he quipped, but his mind was racing. Ten minutes later, he returned clean and dressed. “Ok, I’m ready.”
“I hope so,” Fi muttered and Sean felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Whatever she had to tell him, he was certain now that it wasn’t good. They went downstairs to the kitchen table and sat down.
“Ok,” Fi started. “So before I tell you everything, I’m going to need a very serious promise from you.” Her face was so…intense. He’d never seen her look like this before, not even at Uncle Mike’s funeral. He nodded, feeling strangely mute under her gaze.
She pushed him, her voice firm. “I’m going to need you to promise me that you will not tell anyone else what I’m going to share with you. When the time comes, we will have to tell your family, but until then no one can know. You can’t tell a single solitary other person what I’m about to tell you.” He frowned. What on Earth was she so freaked out about, he wondered? He knew that something crazy was going on out there with food and talk about war, but she was making it sound like…well, he didn’t know.
“Rachel’s life may very well depend on it,” she added. Sean’s eyes searched hers, but he saw only truth reflected in their brown depths, so he nodded.
“I swear Fi,” he said. “On my life, I swear. I guess I knew that this was going to be big, somehow,” he paused. “Go ahead, let’s hear it.” Fi pulled out her father’s journal and opened it on the kitchen table. She told Sean everything, exactly as her father had told her. They reviewed the notes and contacts and some of her training materials.
She explained her absences, describing her training with the Sensei and the animals she had trapped and butchered in the woods. She talked and talked and Sean felt himself grow progressively more and more shocked with every word. It felt like his eyebrows had nowhere higher on his head to go, but still the shock deepened. He didn’t know how to take it all in. That Rachel, his wonderful little sister was Sick because of food . And that now there would be a Famine…a worldwide Famine from what Uncle Mike had told Fi. He shook his head as if to clear it and stopped her.
“Hold on Fi,” he got up from the table and rubbed his head. He opened the fridge and grabbed a soda and popped it just as he heard a strange sound erupt from Fi’s throat. Suddenly he stared at the soda
“Wow Sean. That’s a good look for you,” she gestured toward his head. He grimaced. He knew that his face had wrinkles from the pillow and that his dark brown hair was standing up in all directions. Embarrassed, he threw a pillow at her.
“Shut up,” he said. “I didn’t get much sleep last night, as you may imagine.” She nodded, her face suddenly serious.
Sean shuffled out of the room to talk to his mother downstairs. It was no problem to convince Lucy that he wasn’t feeling well. He really hadn’t slept much the last night. Though he was dying to race back upstairs for some answers, he had to wait for the rest of the Skillman clan to leave for work and school. Once they had, he ran back up the stairs.
“All clear,” he said, as he strode past Fi to grab clothes from his dresser. “Alright if I take a shower first?”
“Of course,” she smiled. “I can’t talk to you seriously with that hair anyway.” He made a face and she laughed.
“Do I need to wear anything special today, 007?” he teased. Fi snickered, but then she nodded.
“Actually,” she said. “It would be a good idea to wear outdoorsy clothes…like for hiking or sports.” Wow, he thought. He’d only been kidding but then she was decked out like she was training for the military. Suddenly he noticed for the first time that she wore a giant knife strapped to her left thigh and his eyebrows shot up. He nodded in silence as he grabbed some layers and athletic shoes.
“Sure thing boss,” he quipped, but his mind was racing. Ten minutes later, he returned clean and dressed. “Ok, I’m ready.”
“I hope so,” Fi muttered and Sean felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Whatever she had to tell him, he was certain now that it wasn’t good. They went downstairs to the kitchen table and sat down.
“Ok,” Fi started. “So before I tell you everything, I’m going to need a very serious promise from you.” Her face was so…intense. He’d never seen her look like this before, not even at Uncle Mike’s funeral. He nodded, feeling strangely mute under her gaze.
She pushed him, her voice firm. “I’m going to need you to promise me that you will not tell anyone else what I’m going to share with you. When the time comes, we will have to tell your family, but until then no one can know. You can’t tell a single solitary other person what I’m about to tell you.” He frowned. What on Earth was she so freaked out about, he wondered? He knew that something crazy was going on out there with food and talk about war, but she was making it sound like…well, he didn’t know.
“Rachel’s life may very well depend on it,” she added. Sean’s eyes searched hers, but he saw only truth reflected in their brown depths, so he nodded.
“I swear Fi,” he said. “On my life, I swear. I guess I knew that this was going to be big, somehow,” he paused. “Go ahead, let’s hear it.” Fi pulled out her father’s journal and opened it on the kitchen table. She told Sean everything, exactly as her father had told her. They reviewed the notes and contacts and some of her training materials.
She explained her absences, describing her training with the Sensei and the animals she had trapped and butchered in the woods. She talked and talked and Sean felt himself grow progressively more and more shocked with every word. It felt like his eyebrows had nowhere higher on his head to go, but still the shock deepened. He didn’t know how to take it all in. That Rachel, his wonderful little sister was Sick because of food . And that now there would be a Famine…a worldwide Famine from what Uncle Mike had told Fi. He shook his head as if to clear it and stopped her.
“Hold on Fi,” he got up from the table and rubbed his head. He opened the fridge and grabbed a soda and popped it just as he heard a strange sound erupt from Fi’s throat. Suddenly he stared at the soda
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