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"Well, this could be going better," Nate said finally, as he sat, back exposed to the rain at the bottom of the slide.
"You're really going to say that?" Sara asked, craning her neck around to look at him.
"I said it could be going better, I said nothing about it getting worse."
"That's the same thing!" Sara argued.
"It's not the same thing. Things can have the potential to get better, and get worse." Milo said, clinging onto his sister.
"Yeah!" Nate said.
Sara groaned, and awkwardly adjusted her grip in the slide, as she started to slip backwards between the weight of her and Milo.
"Well, things aren't going to get any better if we sit here," Sara said.
"There is a giant mud puddle behind me.
"So?"
"I think there is a snake in it," Nate said.
"Is there actually a snake in it?" Sara asked.
"You can't hear it?"
"Do snakes make noise?"
"They hiss?"
"Loud enough for you to hear over the rain?!?"
"Hey, do you hear growling," Milo asked, squeezing Sara tighter.
"Growl..." Sara said quietly trailing off, revealing the sound of growling in fact, coming from the top of the slide."
"I think we should chance it with your imaginary snake,"
"It's not imaginary!"
"Better the probably drowsy snake than whatever that is,"
"Be quiet it can probably smell fear," Nate said.
"What that... listen, get out or I am kicking you out," Sara said.
"I hope our parents find us soon," Nate muttered.
"Fat chance," Sara muttered as the growling turned to a sort of barking.
Suddenly a peal of thunder sounded, and the slide shook beneath them. Startled, Nate leaped out of the slide from the slide, and Sara slipped.
If there was a snake, it was crushed under Nate's weight, as the three cousins sat on each other, covered in Mud and instantly drenched by the torrential rain.
"Get off!" Nate yelled panicked, though Sara was already attempting to roll off of him. Milo close behind.
"Can we go inside now?" Milo asked, scrambling back to Sara, and already beginning to shiver. Sara scooped Milo off the ground and into her arms.
Nate stood up soaked from the mud puddle, "Just a little wet,"
"I think I sprained my wrist," Milo says quietly, the wrist in question pulled close as he holds onto Sara with his other arm.
"Let's head towards a building," Sara announces, smiling supportively as Nate uselessly squeezed water from his shirt.
"That sounds like a plan," he says.
And just as they think the rain can't get worse, it starts falling heavily. The kind of heavy rain where distant buildings fade away and you're constantly blinking water away from your face.
Without a word the trio set off towards buildings, splashing through puddles and muddling their way through mud.
Mud which stole one of Sara's shoes right off her feet. And before Sara could even turn around, the shoe disappeared into the mud. Literally no longer visible. Sara cut her losses and while holding Milo removed her other shoe with her foot and flicked it into the air, with her foot.
"Catch Milo!"
Milo giggled as he caught her muddy lone shoe, "Got it!"
"Good, now you have something to throw!"
"Huh?" Nate asked, turned to face them.
"I'm footed and dangerous!" Milo said shaking her shoe around.
Nate snorted.
"You laughed!" Milo said.
"Right so sue me," Nate said continuing on.
"You know, the mud between my toes actually feels nice,"
"Hold that thought for when we get onto the pavement," Nate said.
"Let me have this," Sara said, "But I think this is the last time I will ever be wearing these socks,"
"Rest in pieces" Milo said.
Sara watched her step as the trio left the park and crossed the street towards the nearest building. Which was closed and locked.
They walked into the building next door, which was a diner.
"No shoes no service," A grumpy woman wearing an apron said.
"Can we at least call someone?" Nate asked.
"Does this look like a charity?"
Sara stared blankly at the woman for a long moment. But she wasn't in the mood to argue (at this exact moment), especially over HER shoes so she walked right out.
"What a bitch," Nate muttered, "We were the only people there,"
"Nate!" Sara scolded, "Milo no repeating!"
"Okay!"
"Probably wouldn't have made a fuss if there had been people there," Sara pointed out.
Nate shrugged and they went next door. To a jewelry store.
The interior was carpeted a luxurious red, and despite the storm outside it was relatively peaceful, a soothing jazz playing over the speakers. It was empty, save for a woman, dressed sharply, sitting behind the counter. The put-togetherness of the situation was off-putting to the trio.
"Oh dear," she said.
"Can we use a phone to call someone please!" Milo asked. Which was probably for the best, Milo was irresistibly cute.
"Sudden storm, huh?" she said kindly, and headed towards the back.
"Here, hold Milo!" Sara said, trying to hand Milo to Nate. It was probably for the best that they stood as far away from the expensive items as possible.
"You're going to track mud everywhere," Nate pointed out, but took Milo anyway.
"Let's get you dried off," the woman said, fetching a roll of paper towels, "This isn't ideal but hopefully this will do!"
"Thank you," Milo said, wiggling his way out of Nate's grasp to grab the roll. However Sara grabbed it first, and distributed sheets from the roll to her brother and cousin.
"I can do it myself," Milo insisted, (despite still hurting his injured arm) as Sara rubbed the paper towel over his hair, "Worry about your own stinky feet!"
"Alright alright!" Sara said scraping mud off her feet and sticking it in the trash the lady had graciously brought to them.
"So how did you three end up here?"
"We were playing in the park, and we kind of lost track of my dad," Sara explained, "He umm,"
"He got carried away by a helicopter!" Milo interjected, jumping into the air for emphasis, then wincing at the pain the sudden movement caused, "He told us to wait for him at the park!"
"And then the rain came," Nate said.
"He got carried away by a helicopter?" the woman asked in surprise. Not really disbelief, all sorts of strange things happened in Danville, but it was still unexpected.
"Yeah, a helicopter, hooked the back of his shirt and went off," Nate said.
"Yeah, so we want going to call him, to to let him know where we are." Sara said.
"Mom's at a arkeeteck convention!" Milo said, "So she can't come,"
"Aunt Laura and Uncle Joey might be able to pick us up?"
"Yeah, if they've managed to escape the bear, but what's the backup backup?" Nate asked.
"Veronica?" Milo suggested.
"Veronica's a good plan," Sara agreed.
"Veronica?" Nate asked.
"Our babysitter!" Milo said, "She's really nice, and tough!"
Nate shrugged, "Okay,"
"You're all prepared,"
"Dad always says if your not prepared you won't be able to call people," Milo said.
"I... see..." The lady said, "Well our phone's a landline behind the counter."
"You two stay here," Sara said, as she followed the lady behind the counter.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Nate snapped, but did as he was told.
"do you know your dad's phone number?"
"Yep!" Sara said, dialing it by muscle memory (though she almost tripped up and dialed 911).
The phone rang, but no body picked up.
"I'm going to call mom!" Sara announced, "
"Why?"
"Maybe dad will call her!" Sara explained, already dialing the next number. This time someone DID pick up.
"Brigette Murphy speaking,"
"Mom!"
"Sara? Is everything okay?"
"We were at the park and we lost dad and he isn't picking up his phone,"
"Ok, just a moment sweetie," Brigette said, clearly excusing herself from her current engagement on the other end of the line, "Have you called Aunt Laura or Uncle Joey,"
"I was going to call them next," Sara said, "I just wanted to let you know in case dad called you,"
"Good thinking sweetheart," Brigette said, "Where are you now?"
"At Shining Stones next to the park."
"The Jewelry store?" Brigette asked in surprise, "Alright, if I hear from your dad I'll let you know. I'm going to call your aunt and Uncle, do you know where they are?"
"They got chased away by a bear," The jeweler gave Sara another odd look.
"Okay," Brigette said, "I'll still try them. Sit tight and don't move,"
"Okay!" Sara said, "We'll try! Oh and Milo says he thinks he sprained his wrist."
"Good to know." Brigette said, "Be good okay,"
"We will," Sara said, "Bye mom, I Love you!"
"I love you too,"
"I love mom too!"
"Milo says he loves you too," Sara said.
"Tell him I love him back,"
"Mom loves you back Milo,"
"I love her more!" Milo said.
"Milo says he loves you even more,"
"Tell him I don't think so," Brigette said, "But I got to go, so bye,"
And she hung up to phone.
"Mom says she doesn't think you do," Sara said.
"I do too!" Milo insisted.
"What about me, do you love me?" Sara asked.
"I love you this much!" Milo said, spreading his arms wide.
"I love you this much!" Sara said, her spreading her arms, "Look their bigger than yours!"
"No fair,"
"Oh boy," Nate groaned.
"Nate! How much do you love me?" Milo asked, staring at him with his big brown eyes.
Nate couldn't resist, and spread out his own arms, "I love you this much!"
"That's a lot!"
"It is," Nate agreed.
"How much do you love Sara?"
"This much," Nate said pinching his fingers together.
"Hey," Sara said, not insulted in the slightest, "Like I'd want your love anyway,"
"Nooo...." Milo cried, "You have to love each other,"
"We do little brother, we're just kidding," Sara said, as the three sat on the floor by the door, Milo snuggled between Nate and Sara, waiting for whatever happened next. Whether it was parents, or a wild animal or food or rocks they would just have to wait and see.
But for right now, things were pretty alright.