Forsaken World (Book 1): Innocence Lost

by Watson, Thomas A.

  Since Lance was an only child, he saw Ian’s brother Jason and sister Allie as his siblings just as he did Bill and Mary as another dad and mom. Jason was the oldest at eighteen and built like the linebacker he was, a senior now and planning on college after the summer. Allie was eight and tiny with light brown hair and eyes with a cute pixie face.

  Ms. Penny was hired to help at the houses and with the kids five years ago when all the parents’ careers took off. She kept the houses in order, prepared meals, and transported the youngest kids to all the activities they were in.

  Allie spun around in her seat, looking back at them with a big smile. “So you can beat up anyone now?” she asked with a pigtail on each side of her head bouncing around.

  “That’s not what you take martial arts for, Allie,” Lance grinned.

  The happiness left her face. “So you can’t beat up Harry Kenner?” she asked.

  “What did he do to you that you want him beat up?” Ian asked.

  Looking up with puppy dog eyes, she mumbled, “He pushed me and Carrie off the swing set today at recess.”

  Leaning back and kicking his bag under the seat, Lance promised, “We’ll talk to Harry then.” Allie let out a squeal, spun around, and started singing along with Carrie and the cartoon as Ms. Penny turned up the volume.

  “Lance, Harry is ten years old,” Ian said. “You want to threaten to beat up a ten-year-old?”

  Lance shook his head and said, “No, but he can’t push them down,” Lance said.

  “I think you just want to beat up his older brother again,” Ian chuckled, kicking his bag under the seat.

  “Mark had that coming,” Lance said as Penny pulled out of the parking lot.

  Leaning closer to Lance so he didn’t have to shout over the singing, Ian grinned. “Lance, Mark is a sophomore, and you kicked his ass last month for bumping into you. Jason told me Mark is catching hell that an eighth grader kicked his ass.

  “Don’t start shit you can’t finish,” Lance said, crossing his arms.

  “You’re lucky it happened in the neighborhood and not at school. You would’ve been suspended,” Ian said, sitting back up.

  Cutting his eyes over at Ian, Lance said with a grin, “Let Mark come back to our street looking for trouble.”

  Ian grinned but didn’t answer as the singing about building a snowman increased in volume. He looked up to see even Ms. Penny singing along with the girls. “I’m hiding that damn DVD,” he grumbled and looked out the window as they drove through town.

  They lived in one of the more affluent neighborhoods with big houses spaced out on five-acre lots on the northwest side of town. Pulling in, they saw friends, or acquaintances as their parents called them, since the two only viewed each other as friends, playing in the yards and riding bikes.

  Ms. Penny pulled into the house next to Ian’s, and Carrie undid her seatbelt as Ian looked out and saw a girl in a cheerleader’s outfit practice cartwheeling across the yard. “Man, Jennifer is so beautiful,” he moaned.

  Shaking his head, Lance said, “Ian, we used to play with Jennifer. I don’t know why you won’t just go and talk with her.”

  “Man, she’s in high school,” Ian said like that explained everything.

  “Ian,” Lance said, patting his leg. “She’s in ninth grade—a year ahead of us. You make it sound like she’s a senior with Jason getting ready for college.”

  “She’s an older woman,” Ian shot back as Carrie climbed out, and Ian turned to see Jennifer turn and wave at them. With a goofy grin, Ian waved back. Jennifer was built like a cheerleader. She even had the blond hair.

  “Dude, she’s fifteen, not thirty,” Lance said, waving as Carrie closed the door and ran to her house. Carrie’s reddish-brown pigtails swung back and forth across her tiny body.

  As Ms. Penny backed out, Ian gave a sigh. “She doesn’t even know who I am anymore.”

  “She talked to you at church last week for an hour,” Lance shot back. “I wish you would just go and talk to the girl.”

  “Jennifer only came over so her friend Julie could talk to you,” Ian said.

  “So? Jennifer talked to you.”

  “Julie is cute. Why didn’t you like talking to her?”

  “I don’t like the makeup put on with a putty knife.”

  Giving up with a sigh, Ian leaned down and grabbed his bag as Ms. Penny pulled into the driveway. As they climbed out, Ian looked next door to see Jennifer doing flips across her yard. Lance got out and grabbed Ian’s arm, pulling him into the house. “Come on, man; I’m watching,” Ian said, walking backward as Lance pulled him.

  “No, you’re undressing her with your eyes,” Lance corrected. “Wipe your mouth; you’re drooling.”

  Wiping his mouth with his forearm, Ian turned around to climb up the steps as Ms. Penny held the door open for them. “What a woman,” Ian mumbled as Jennifer ended a cartwheel landing on the ground in the splits.

  They ran upstairs and changed then carried their dirty clothes back down. Ms. Penny was waiting at the bottom of the stairs with a laundry basket. “Lay out your clothes, and start your homework. I’ll have supper ready soon,” she told them.

  Running back upstairs to Ian’s room, Lance closed the door as Ian dove on his bed and pulled out his school backpack to unload books. Walking over to his bed in Ian’s room, Lance did the same. “Ian, you’ve kissed Jennifer before, so I don’t know why you’re scared of her,” he said, moving over to a small desk that Ian’s parents had put in the room for him.

  “Lance, it was on a dare, and I was nine,” Ian cried out as he moved over to his desk as Lance pulled out his laptop, cellphone, and tablet, getting ready to start on the mountain of homework.

  Laughing, Lance said, “Well, you chose Jennifer over the frog,” as Ian dropped into the chair at his desk, pulling out his electronics.

  “I’d eat the damn frog now to kiss her,” Ian moaned. Seeing Lance laughing but getting to work on homework, Ian sighed and started his.

  Both boys were very driven for their age, but the drive was also fun. Of the two, Lance was by far the most driven, and this really helped Ian stay focused. Ian could get sidetracked easily, but with Lance leading the way, he accomplished what they set out to do. Where Lance was driven, Ian was a risk-taker, which was why Lance didn’t dominate everything they did.

  In sports, Lance followed through with the play while Ian made changes when it wasn’t going his way. The only area where Lance moved faster was Scouts. Lance was a Life Scout, and Ian was a Star Scout.

  The boys sat quietly doing homework with Ian looking out his window to see Jennifer do a few more flips then go inside. With a regretful sigh, he looked back down and continued working on his chemistry.

  “Boys, come and eat!” Ms. Penny called from downstairs.

  Running down the stairs, they saw Ms. Penny at the door. “Boys, eat good, and remember to take your bath before bed,” she said, stepping over to them. They each hugged her as she kissed their cheeks. “Jason is going to put up the food, so you two get back upstairs after supper, and finish your homework.”

  “We will,” Ian said as she smiled and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. They watched Ms. Penny climb in the van their parents bought her to haul the family around and back out. “Think Jason will tattle if we play X-box?” Ian asked, watching Ms. Penny drive away.

  “Hell yeah,” Lance said. “With what the parents are paying him to babysit us at night, I’m sure he’ll make up stuff.”

  “I’ll put gas on his balls if he does,” Ian said, turning around and heading to the kitchen.

  Sitting at the head of the table, Jason looked up at them, grinning. “Hey, squirts.”

  Lance grinned at Jason. “Douche.”

  Throwing his head back, Jason’s shoulder-length brown hair bobbed as he laughed. “I’m not Mark.”

  Jason was over a foot taller than Lance and wider at the shoulders than both boys standing side by side. He was on a full scholar
ship to Louisiana State University for football, and it really showed in his body. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, and thighs the size of trees, Lance thought people were crazy to line up against Jason, but be damned if he was going to show he was scared. “Didn’t say you were, Ooops.” Lance grinned, and the laugh fell off of Jason’s face.

  When the boys were younger, they overheard the mothers talking, and Ian’s mother explained Jason was born because she forgot to take her pill; that’s why there was such an age difference between the kids. Mary and Bill referred to Jason as “Ooops.” The boys immediately started calling Jason Ooops when he was irritating, just not when a parent was close. “Keep on and I’ll punt you like a football,” Jason said, narrowing his eyes.

  Ian laughed. “You’re a lineman and running back; you don’t know how to punt.”

  Lance sat down as Allie bounced into the dining room. “Alright, mac and cheese,” she cheered, throwing her arms up.

  “You’re not a cheerleader today, Allie,” Jason said. Like the boys, Allie had many activities, and so did Jason, but he could drive himself to them now and didn’t need Ms. Penny.

  “I did a double off the uneven bars, bubba,” Allie proclaimed with a grin, climbing in her chair.

  “Thank goodness you’re off the balance beam,” Jason mumbled with a cringe.

  “I’ll say,” Lance coughed. “At her last meet, I passed out when she slipped and landed on her crotch.”

  “I threw up,” Jason said, standing and loading plates up. “What are you two doing Friday?”

  Ian and Lance looked at each other then at Jason. “Playing X-box,” Ian answered.

  “Good, you can do me a favor Friday,” Jason said, handing Lance his plate.

  “What?” Lance asked, glancing at Ian.

  “I’ll tell you Friday.”

  Sighing, they waited until Jason was done setting the food out then held hands and said grace.

  Chapter 2

  March 10

  A knock on the door pulled Lance from his sleep. Lifting his head, he looked at the clock and saw it was six a.m. “Get up, boys. It’s Thursday, but it’s your Friday for school,” Ms. Penny called from the hall.

  “I’m up,” Lance called back, yawning. Throwing his feet out of bed, Lance leaned over, tapping Ian. “Get up before she comes in.”

  Tossing his covers off, Ian sat up with a grumpy expression, yawning. “I don’t like Ms. Penny seeing my morning wood.”

  “Why do you think I get up so fast?” Lance laughed, pulling on his pants.

  As Lance dressed, Ian went to the bathroom to brush his hair and teeth; then, the two swapped. When they were done, they found Ms. Penny in the kitchen, setting plates at the counter. “You boys eat up,” she said and walked over to start brushing Allie’s hair.

  Walking in carrying a mug the size of a milk jug, Jason stopped at his plate. He took off the bacon and biscuits and put them on Ian’s plate. “What are you drinking, Jason?” Ms. Penny asked.

  “Protein shake,” he said, taking a gulp, then started shoveling scrambled eggs down his throat.

  “I wish you wouldn’t,” Ian mumbled. “Your farts can kill a water buffalo.”

  “Just because I got mine with one shot and you didn’t, Ian, is no reason to be a baby,” Jason grinned with a mouth full of food.

  “That double rifle almost broke my shoulder on the first shot, and it didn’t help that everyone was yelling at me to shoot again!”

  “Cape buffalo are called ‘black death’ for a reason,” Lance said, grinning. “I really didn’t want to see one alive up close.”

  Finishing his plate off, Jason carried it to the sink. “Squirt, you’re lucky you hit it in the heart before the guide had to shoot it. You know how much Dad spent on that safari for us?”

  “I’m lucky I hit the stupid thing the second time,” Ian mumbled. “It felt like someone shoved a spike in my shoulder when I pulled the trigger.”

  Jason turned around and drained his massive mug then lowered it, wiping the chocolate froth off his face. “Your girlfriend didn’t do much better,” he said, grinning at Lance.

  “Hey, mine died with one shot,” Lance shouted.

  Jason took the top off his mug. “Because it ran into a twenty-foot-deep ravine as it charged you, breaking its neck,” he said as he turned around and rinsed it out.

  Shrugging as he started eating, Lance said, “Not my fault he was stupid.”

  “I got my impala with one shot, bubba,” Allie cheered, throwing up her hands.

  Walking over with a grin, Jason said, “That you did, little ladybug,” and leaned over, kissing Allie on the head as Ms. Penny braided her hair.

  “Jason, you be careful. There’s reports of riots in Nashville,” Ms. Penny said.

  “I don’t have to go into Nashville, Ms. Penny. The recruiter is meeting me at school for me to sign the papers,” he said, looking up at her. “I’ve only heard about riots in New York and Los Angeles. What can they riot about in Nashville?”

  “It’s everywhere overseas, and the government is blaming it on people worrying about that rock that hit us a week ago,” Ms. Penny answered as she finished Allie’s hair.

  Grabbing his keys off the wall, he said, “Just shows that they are still searching for intelligent life here on Earth.” He walked over, patting Ian and Lance on the back. “You two don’t get in trouble.”

  “Why? Would that hurt your bonus from Mom and Dad?” Ian asked with a scowl.

  “Nope.” Jason grinned then turned around, heading to the back door. “But it would from Mr. Johnathan and Ms. Sandy.”

  As Ian watched Jason walk out, he turned to the monitor that showed the view of the camera looking over the backyard and swimming pool. “I can’t believe your mom and dad are giving him a bonus if we stay out of trouble,” Ian said, watching Jason walk around the house and leave the screen.

  “When have we ever gotten in trouble?” Lance asked, carrying his empty plate to the sink.

  Ms. Penny cleared her throat. “Would you like me to remind you? I can start by the year or severity.”

  “No ma’am,” they said in unison.

  She smiled. “Go get your backpacks, and I’ll meet you in the van,” she told them, helping Allie down off the bar stool.

  As they loaded up, Carrie ran out of her house and across the yard at the van. “I was coming to get you,” Ms. Penny said, smiling.

  “I know, but I can’t miss the start of the song,” Carrie smiled, climbing in. When she buckled her seatbelt, the singing about building a snowman started.

  “I’m breaking that DVD,” Lance mumbled to Ian.

  “It’s the third one, remember? They wear them out, and I didn’t know you could do that with a DVD,” Ian said.

  When the girls got out, they hit stop, wanting to kill the damn snowman. “What do you think Jason is going to ask us?” Lance said as Ian sat back down.

  Shrugging, Ian said, “Have no idea, but I’m asking for money.”

  Nodding, Lance grinned as Ms. Penny pulled up to the school. “Now that is a great idea.”

  As the boys climbed out and closed the door, a big man walked toward them as Ms. Penny pulled off. “Ian, Lance,” he said, stopping beside them.

  “Hey, Coach,” Ian grinned.

  “The Scout meeting is cancelled Saturday. We’ve had more teachers no show here and at all the schools in town. Until everyone quits freaking out about this meteor, the council wants to postpone all the local Scout meetings.”

  Both boys groaned. “Can’t we, like, have a little meeting?” Lance asked.

  The coach laughed and pulled out two envelopes, handing them over. “Here are your merit badges, and at our next meeting, we’ll have the ceremonies,” he said as they took the envelopes. “Are your parents back?”

  “No sir,” Lance said, taking his envelope. “They get back next Friday.”

  “Boys, you stay close to home. We’ve not had any trouble in town, but Nashville is reporting a fe
w areas of disturbance mostly in the bad parts of town, but it could spread.”

  “We’re playing X-box tomorrow,” Ian said since they had Friday off while the teachers had to come to school.

  As the coach walked away, the boys opened the envelopes, and he said, “Wish I could do that tomorrow.”

  Ian pulled out three round cloth patches, and Lance pulled out four. “How many does that make for you now?”

  “Eighty-eight,” Lance said, smiling and putting the patches back. “You would have that many if you would’ve kept at it.”

  “I’m happy for the seventy-nine I have now,” Ian said, shoving his envelope in his backpack. “Let’s get chemistry over with,” he groaned as the bell rang.

  At lunch, they were sitting across from each other in the cafeteria, staring at their food. “Am I supposed to eat it?” Ian asked.

  “I’m waiting to see if it moves first,” Lance said, poking at the slop with his fork, expecting it to jump or at least squeal.

  Pushing his plate away, Ian said with revulsion, “I’ll wait till I get home.”

  Looking up as he pushed his plate away, Lance asked, “What do you make of all this talk of riots?” Everyone near them became quiet.

  “Just like the principal said, people freaking out finding out we aren’t the only life out there,” Ian said.

  A girl leaned over the table, looking at Ian. “My dad’s in the Air Force, and he said Europe’s going crazy,” she told him.

  “I rest my case, Amy,” Ian said, grabbing his juice box off his tray.

  “But I heard him tell my mom that people were dying in these riots,” Amy said.

  “Since when do people not die in riots, Amy?” Ian said, stabbing his box with the straw. “In civics, we had to watch the news, and one reporter said the rioters in New York were attacking the police like they were the ones who created the meteor.”