Believers
“Thank You Lord for this food, the bountiful rains, and both our sons happy and healthy at the dinner table. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.” Max’s dad said grace over pot roast, mashed potatoes, and all the normal trappings of a down-home meal.
The meal was savory as was the laughter and comradery.
Martin had stories of summertime follies.
Max shared funny ranch stories from Tyler Ranch. Where he hung out during his off hours.
Max’s mother, Jacqueline, felt in heart there was no place else in the world she wanted to be. She was so proud of her boys, of her husband, of the family she had helped create.
Martin’s enthusiastic sound and visual effects of a frog scaring Tom at the fourth of July camp out ended with mashed potatoes flying in all four directions.
“You’ll be cleaning that up.” Max’s dad said still chuckling from the display.
“I know.” Martin shrugged then grinned.
After dinner Max stayed behind to help Martin clean up. “How’s Nick holding up?” Max wiped mashed potatoes off the wood paneling.
Martin was on the floor with a washrag. “We’re trying to find out how to sneak on Jonathan Fullshire’s property.”
“What are you crazy?” Max walked over and squatted down. “You need to find something seriously better to do with your time than getting into trouble. Especially trespassing on Jonathan Fullshire’s property. If his sister’s death is causing him to get you get you guys into trouble, then you better watch out. I’ll tell Mom. I understand he needs friends but,”
“But nothin’!” Martin interrupted his brothers lecture. He pulled out from under the table and faced his brother. In a forced hushed tone, “His sister hid a notebook there. A notebook full of vampire secrets.”
Max was silent, in his mind he went back to school. Eileen writing in a notebook, always writing in a notebook. Her thoughts, poetry, he remembered seeing it once. She never left it anywhere. Only once did he ever see her go to the bathroom and leave it in class. Out of curiosity he opened it and read it. “She never leaves her notebook.”
“No.” Martin mimicked Nicks words, “She never leaves her notebooks unprotected.”
The realization that that was precisely the reason it was on Fullshire’s property sunk into Max quickly. “Of course, and what place is more secure. But how do you know all this?”
“It’s in her diary. Nick took it and we read it 4th of July weekend. Nick followed her one day. It’s in the deer stand in an old metal ammunition box Buddy sold her.” Martin explained quickly.
“Deer Stand.” Max thought. “We’ve got til November to get it out. By then Jonathan Fullshire will be out there.”
“But how are we going to get it out?” Martin queried.
“I’ve got a plan.” Max looked at his little brother.
“COOL!” Martin screamed. “Nick will be so happy to get the notebook back.”
“He’s not getting it back.” Max warned and stopped his brothers early celebration. “We’re going to study it first.”
“We who?” Martin’s distrust radiated.
“Clan Eileen.” Max glared at his tattletale brother, “And we’re going to get the Vampire that did that to her.”