A Full Quiver

It started on Sunday night, a lone car heading south on 37. True, very few marked this event, seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, little did they know that "the invasion" had begun.

As the middle child stepped from his car, his foot shod in the readiness of conquest, it was as if a light broke forth in the night. A solitary glow emerged from the darkening night, heralding a week full of wondrous events unexpected, unseen, un-looked for by the simple folk of the small town of Bloomington.

"Welcome brother" spoke out a voice from the shadows, "I trust your journey was pleasant and uneventful." The speaker emerged from the shadows and the traveler could see it was his elder brother. Benjamin the Bearded they called him; simply "Ben" to those who knew him well. "Yes, an uneventful journey indeed, but hark, we must away to the refuge of your home. There are eyes that may pierce even this darkness and the wind bears a whisper that I dare not trust."

"When do the others arrive?" asked Benjamin, as his under-aged brother drained the last drops of his non-alcoholic brew. Thomas, for so was the middle child's name, bowed his head between his shoulders. His eyes darted around the room as if some unseen evil lurked in the shadows. "Soon" he said in one breath, barely a whispered. "Nathaniel, the Painted, arrives by coach at noon tomorrow, the others are close behind."

"Then it has truly begun. I dare say I never fully believed that this day would come and now it is upon us."

"Verily, the day is here." Thomas leaned back in his chair. A broad smile overtook his face and he laughed. The shadows flickered and darted. "The evil will linger no longer, the Family Crum will soon be fully united."

"Well it's not like the stars are aligning with the planets" broke in Benjamin's wife, Michal the Wise, "you boys are really way too full of yourselves." But the men had not heard her. They were already deep in thoughts of conquest and glory; and the wind continued to whisper though it's tone had begun to change.


To be continued...