Something in the night

Posted on Sun Jan 10th, 2021 @ 7:39pm by Commander Caressa Melanick

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Melanick Cabin
Timeline: Shore Leave

Caressa started to pull off the covers to the furniture, while the wild creatures ran amuck through the cabin. Things were a bit dusty, but nothing that a little elbow grease could fix. She loved it here and missed it. She had called ahead and had the hot tub cleaned, so that she would not have that to worry with. She grabbed a padd quickly and placed an order for some fresh food, the canned items that she had where still ok. She perused the cabinets, checking for any last additions to the order, of course adult libations made the list. She rolled up her sleeves and went to work.

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She had just finished an exceptionally long shower, after a busy afternoon she crawled onto the uninhabited side of the sofa. The supplies had arrived and been placed in the proper spots. The horses had arrived from the boarding location. They looked great; she was excited to ride the next day. Fall had to be one of her favorite times of year. Gavin and Galena had been on hyperdrive since they arrived. After baths, they had sprawled out on the sectional and fallen asleep. Reluctantly, she got up and picked the children up one at a time and took them to bed. Smiling to herself, it would not be long until she would not be able to carry them to bed. They were growing up way to fast.
She grabbed a blanket off the sofa, and an adult libation and headed to the porch swing. This cabin was everything she had always wanted and dreamed of. The swing was a bed swing with a plethora of pillows. Yes, it was a girl thing, but she did not care. The sounds of the night woods invaded the porch. Crickets, frogs, the occasional coyote howl, and chirp, which could make your skin crawl if you had never heard it before. She found it relaxing. She thought a lot about the past year on the Merc. So many things had happened. She found herself at times losing focus. This shore leave was needed for the whole crew. She could tell that things had been a drain. She made a mental note to get with Millie and maybe they could work on a plan to keep everyone a bit more even. She took a sip and felt the warm liquid settle to her stomach. She pulled the blanket up a bit, the night air was becoming cooler. The moon was shining so bright it illuminated the front yard. You did not even need a light to see. She rocked back and forth. Peace and calm for a change, and then it came. The woods grew eerily silent. Nothing moved, not even a breeze blew.
It was something between a scream and shriek, it made the hair on her neck standup. In all the years here, she had never heard anything like it. She sat still, took a sip of her libation, and did not move otherwise. She watched the wood line for movement, but nothing caught her eye. It seemed like hours, but finally the woods came alive again. She relaxed. Maybe it was all in her head. She shook it off and finished her nightcap, placing her glass on the table next to her. She curled up into the pillows and fell asleep on the swing.

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She woke up, the morning sun on her face, life was good. She sat up stretched and suddenly realized that she was no longer on her porch swing. She was in the middle of the yard. Confusion set in. Maybe she passed out in the yard. She shook the cobwebs out of her head. She only had one drink, plus her pillow and blanket where with her, like she was tucked in.
She quickly got up and headed to the cabin. The last thing she needed was the kids seeing her asleep in the middle of the yard. She stepped up on the porch. Placed the pillow and blanket on the swing. There was her glass on the table where she had placed it. She picked it up and took it to the kitchen. She checked the bottle that she poured from. It was practically full. She placed it back in the wet bar.

The kids bounded down the stairs. Caressa turned a bit startled. Galena laughed. “Did we scare you mom?”
“Yes, you did! She smiled, not letting them see her worry. “Guess who is coming today?”
“Uncle Mikos!” The twins screamed in unison!
“How did you know?” She smiled. “Let’s get some breakfast, then get you guys ready”



Lieutenant Commander Caressa Melanick
Chief Medical Officer, USS Mercutio