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Thursday, July 2.
We make it to our cabin in Nisswa a couple of hours ago. The weather was slightly troublesome as sheets of rain decided to pour down on us, making visibility difficult. Shay expertly drives his car along the highway with the other vacationers heading to their getaways.
The air becomes colder the farther north we go, unusual for the middle of summer. Dead animals lined the ditches. I lose count on how many deer and birds I saw, knowing that many more lay on the ground deep within the woods.
The news station we briefly listen to told us that the entire Middle East is in an all-out war. Truces are being ignored and skirmishes escalate. Thousands are dead from bombings and gunfire. Ships navigate off the coast of Japan and sail for China. Retaliation is imminent. They have threatened to release nuclear warheads.
It’s starting. That’s all I can think of. The world is already at war, and I’d be battling evil in a few days. Am I ready?
“We should try to get to Duluth a day early,” Shay says. “That way we can get the lay of the land, and if fighting starts early, we’re there. The angels should be ready to construct the Void as soon as possible. We’ll have to make sure that you’re seen all over the city. The wards around you will drop, so your Light will shine like a beacon, calling the demons to you.”
“Do you think this’ll work?” I ask.
“It has to.”
My parents take Stella into town to get groceries and ice cream, leaving Shay and I alone. We lounge on the couch, his arm drapes across my stomach. My head lies on his sculpted chest.
Our cabin is small compared to the monstrosities around the lake. It’s one of the originals, but it’s all my family needs. Fond memories of swimming, fishing, and playing tag with other vacationers flutter in my mind.
The large picture window fogs with the rain that still pelts down, leaving streaks of dirt behind. As soon the weather clears, cleaning is the first task. It always is. Even though we come up to the summer home almost every weekend, a fine layer of dust seems to settle over things.
But it’s a tradition that we all enjoy. Time spent with each other. Just like my room at home, I don’t have to share one with Stella, but we do have to share a bathroom.
“Maybe we should go to Duluth tomorrow, then?” I suggest. “We can go to Canal Park, eat at Grandma’s, walk the shore, and watch ships come in.”
“Do some tourist things outside.” I feel Shay’s head bob. “If the weather worsens, we could get a hotel room, so we don’t have to drive back. At least that’s what we’ll tell your parents.”
“Okay.” I shift from Shay’s body and reach in my back pocket for my phone. Brushing the screen, it turns on and I find the weather app. It’s supposed to continue raining all night and into tomorrow evening. The temperature today is also lowering as the day wears on.
Something strange is happening. It’s bitter cold in the midst of summer. Yes, even in northern Minnesota it gets into the nineties, but along the north shore, they do get lake effect, which lowers the temperature. Not like this though.
This is something beyond abnormal.
My parents come home from the grocery store and ice cream parlor, and then we make burgers on the grill. Dad prepares and flips the meat, Shay is out there too for moral support, while us ladies are in the kitchen prepping the salad, coleslaw, and peeling potatoes to make homemade French fries. That, too, is our traditional first night’s meal.
“Have you seen all the horrible news reports on TV?” Mom asks.
“Yes, troubling reports, indeed,” Dad says.
I don’t say anything and neither does Shay. That was the only downer to the evening.
We continue on nicer subjects and laugh, tell stories of our younger years, and I’m thankful to be with them one last time. My parents don’t know what will happen tomorrow but Stella does. She keeps glancing my way throughout the night. With a slight shake of my head, I put her off. I can’t get into it with her. Not yet.
After dinner we bring out the games. Stella chooses first and insists we play cribbage. Thirteen going on thirty. We pair off, and I play against my dad. Mom sneaks back to the kitchen, even though Shay tells her to leave the dishes, and he will take care of them after winning against Stella.
The evening draws to a close after a vivacious game of Old Maid. My parents call it a night and suggest we kids do not stay up too late. We should be in bed before the sun rises.
I grab lawn chairs and sit out on the porch and listen to the rain pounding on the wood roof. Neither Shay nor I say anything. There isn’t anything to say. He knows how I feel about him, and no words can express what I know in my heart, anyway. Besides, Shay can feel my emotions through our soul mate bond. At least I can his.
Around midnight, we hear Stella sneak out of her bedroom and join us. I have a suspicion that she needs to tell us something but is waiting for the right time. Now, we all are sitting in silence.
The calm before the storm.
“Are you ready for tomorrow.” Stella breaks the quiet first. “I know you’re planning to go to Duluth and get to the field first. Stupid on your part, Zoe.” She punches me in the arm. “And stupid for you to let her do something this reckless.” Her arm strikes Shay’s shoulder. “But I get it. I think it’s a good plan.”
That’s all she says. The three of us sit in chairs, look over the lake, and be exactly the way it should always be.