When Stars Go Out by Grey Ransom;

Author:Grey, Ransom;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: new order, teenagers, secret society, Christian faith, suspense, Virginia, Dystopian fantasy
Publisher: Defiance Press
Published: 2018-01-12T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Reed didn’t have much time to wonder about the pendant the rest of the afternoon. Most of his will and energy was focused on surviving each task that loomed up before him. Though the roof had been taken care of, Patton’s corral required repair, several door hinges wanted replacing, the windows needed work, and the yard cried for attention. After all that, there was still the garden. This was a large, tilled plot behind the barn that Reed had visited on his last trip to the farm. Planting new seeds, thinning young shoots, weeding around the growing plants—the garden promised to be a black hole of work, sweat, and back pain.

After several hours of chores, the teens took a break under the spreading branches of a great oak behind the house, overlooking the pond. Reed stretched out on the thick carpet of shady grass and closed his eyes, wondering again how he’d gotten talked into this. Every disgruntled muscle in his back and knees complained from the hours of bending.

The other teens, scattered around the dappled shade, seemed unaffected by the fatigue. They acted more pleased than exhausted.

“Well, we knocked out all the inside cleaning, the outside repair work, the yard, and a good bit of the garden,” Sarah listed, counting on her earth-stained fingers with each accomplishment. “That’s awesome, guys!”

“Don’t forget the barn work,” added Gabe, lying on his stomach in the grass with his head pillowed on his arms. Alec had been giving him a backrub until the twins, Luke and Lizzy, began dropping leaves down the back of Alec’s collar from the branches above. He had been forced to mount the tree to bring an end to it, and he had not returned. Hushed whispers and muffled giggles from above suggested an armistice had been reached on the terms of a story. Gabe would have to do without his backrub.

“Yes, and the barn,” amended Sarah, adding to the tally on her fingers. “Did I forget anything else?”

“Marielle and I took care of the laundry,” Lucy put in. She, Katy, and Krista had formed a massage train near the edge of the shade. Gabe looked slightly jealous.

“Cody fixed the light switch in the hall, too,” added Wilson, staring into the sky with his hands clasped behind his head.

“And Wilson got the lawnmower up and running,” Kara finished from across the circle where she was braiding Courtney’s hair. Nathan was asleep and didn’t say anything.

Sarah gave up counting. “Well, I’d say that was an incredible day’s work.”

“And I learned how to caulk awound windows!” exclaimed Ethan, bouncing up and down in the excitement of the moment. This was not a kind or wise thing to do, since he was using Elijah, propped up against the tree trunk next to Cody, as a recliner. But Elijah took it well and never even opened his eyes. His eyebrows did go up and down with each bounce, however.

“Did you?” said Lucy, smiling at the little boy’s enthusiasm. “Then I’m sure you’re practically a professional.

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