Closed Familiar Haunts

[Sawyer Carnahan]

Sawyer was thriving. Yeah, the weather had been pretty crappy and it was all muddy out, but he was home and he had his incredibly annoying family back with him again and it was great. He'd been so excited to head off to school with Theia last year and had been wholly unready for just how much he'd end up missing Dad, Felix, and Thistle while he was gone. There were other small things too, like how his bed in his dorm creaked a bit weirdly when he rolled over, or how the school lake didn't smell anything like the one by their house that kept throwing him throughout the year. At least the food at school was better. And he didn't have the do the dishes.

Still, Sawyer was happy to be home, and even though it was misting a bit outside, he hadn't been deterred to declare a sibling outing, dragging his brother and sisters to pull on their gumboots so they could go tramping around the lake. There was always interesting stuff around the reeds on the lake edge and Sawyer had missed being out there all year. He was hopeful there might still be some dragonflies about, but he suspected it was already too cold. Waiting impatiently on the porch, Sawyer grinned when his siblings were finally ready to head out, foregoing taking the stairs and just jumping to the ground below before trotting off lake-wards, only casting a glance behind him to check the others were following.

 

[Felix Carnahan]

Felix wouldn't admit it but he was glad that Theia and Sawyer were back from school even if it was just for a little bit. It had been hard when Theia left but they were still "mostly" together, but when Sawyer left too it had been harder to get used to. It was weird to only have Thistle around to play with even if it had been nice to get more attention from dad. That excitement faded fast though, and then the house just started to feel too empty with only the three of them. But things were getting back to normal and he was excited to see what Sawyer had planned for today. He sat near the bottom of the stairs and struggled to squeeze his feet into his relatively new boots making them fit, not wanting to have to ask for new ones so soon. He also grabbed the bucket hat he had found in the back of their dad's closet and he was ready to go. "Come ooon!" he whined at his sisters, impatient to get outside. Dad didn't let Thistle and him out by the lake with out him while the others were at school, claiming they were still too little. Felix didn't buy it but it's not like he could do anything about it, so he sure wasn't going to waste time while his siblings were home to go exploring.

 

[Theia Carnahan]

As much as Theia missed her youngest siblings, and hoped they were happy and safe while she and Sawyer were away at Hogwarts, she had to admit that returning home for the holidays and being the responsible sibling for a tramp to the lake was not something she missed. With the winter growing colder and the weather murky and overcast, she needed to make sure everyone had jumpers and rain jackets to keep them warm, and also their gumboots on to keep their feet from getting muddy. She had already put a beanie on to keep her head warm and her own rain jacket on top of her clothes, and had just put on her own gumboots, in the midst of helping Thistle into her raincoat when Felix exclaimed for them to hurry. Theia rolled her eyes, pointedly ignoring Felix and helping Thistle into her gumboots. When Thistle seemed ready to leave, Theia sighed and put her hands in her pockets, opening the door and walking outside just in time for dad to run past carrying Thistle on his shoulders. Rolling her eyes, Theia descended the stairs to the ground where Sawyer was before beginning the walk towards the lake.​

 

[Marcus Carnahan]

Marcus had missed having all of the children at home, the house feeling empty and lonely without Theia’s level-headed aura and Sawyer’s helpful attitude. Felix and Thistle were amazing and Marcus loved spending time with them, loving especially how unique Thistle was and how Felix laughed at every single one of his jokes, but there was something different about having the family all together during the school holidays. It was a reminder to Marcus of the way life was before Theia and Sawyer began growing up and starting their new life at Hogwarts, before both Felix and Thistle followed in their footsteps, reminding Marcus that he needed to treasure this time with his children while he still could. He wanted to make the most of it, not wanting to miss a moment with all the kids in one place, and didn’t hesitate to invite himself on their tramp to the lake. Having put on his own jacket and gumboots, Marcus didn’t hesitate to scoop Thistle up, carrying her out of the house on his shoulders as soon as she was ready to go. Making whooshing and zooming noises, Marcus ran forward towards the lake, assuming the rest of the kids would follow him.​

 

[Thistle Carnahan]

As more and more years went by, Thistle was beginning to find herself resenting Hogwarts a little. The house felt emptier each year, with Theia and now Sawyer disappearing off to school for such a long time. It seemed painfully soon that Felix would be taking his turn, and then it would just be Thistle and dad, all alone in the big house without anyone else to keep them company. Thistle hated that, but she was at least glad for the holidays together. She had missed days by the lake with her family, and was eager to spend time together. Theia had even helped her get ready, and now they were all going off to have an adventure together, like nothing had changed. She squealed and giggled as dad picked her up, enjoying the view from his shoulders as they set off on their journey, though before long Thistle got unsettled, wiggling to be let down. "Put me down! I wanna go with Sawyer!" She protested, having felt her brother's absence in the last year.

 

[Sawyer Carnahan]

Turning to walk backwards for a bit, Sawyer was unsurprised that Felix was the first one to follow him out. He smiled a quiet, fond grin as Felix whined about the others taking awhile, shoving his hands in his pockets and checking quickly over his shoulder that he wasn't about to trip over a root or something. Theia emerged not too long after, followed unexpected by Dad and Thistle. Sawyer shook his head as the pair shot ahead, Thistle bouncing on Dad's shoulders. Sawyer scooped up a decent sized stick, trying his best to find one that was slightly less muddy than the others, and dragged it contentedly behind him, enjoying the drag in the muddy grass. "Now you're the one who's slowing us down, hurry up," He called back to Felix, falling in step with Theia as they headed off to the lake. It'd be harder to push Felix into the lake with both Dad and Theia around, but Sawyer still liked his chances.

"I can trade you, Dad," Sawyer said, catching up to the pair as Thistle complained, offering Dad his stick in exchange for Thistle. He'd been having a growth spurt lately, though he doubted he would be able to carry Thistle on his shoulders like Dad. But maybe a piggy back would be acceptable.

 

[Felix Carnahan]

Felix had been blocked from getting out the door by dad picking up Thistle and the rest of his family heading out side. He groaned as his feet hit the wet mud and it made a delightfully gross squishing sound. But he was already falling behind as they started to walk to the lake. "Well you guys are taller then me!" he complained, in response to Sawyer's jab. He get's one growth spurt and thinks he's the boss. He was slightly out of breath after having to jog a bit to catch up but thankfully his boots weren't pinching his toes as bad anymore. "Do you think we'll find any frogs?" he asked no one in particular. He wondered if it would be too cold but he hoped they'd find at least a couple and maybe this time dad would let him keep one. He was nine after all, perfectly old enough for a pet. Theia and Sawyer had an owl, it was only fair.

 

[Marcus Carnahan]

Marcus slowed his walking when Thistle wiggled, asking to be let down to be with Sawyer. Smiling, he leant over slightly, allowing Thistle to land on the ground and continue on her merry way. He squinted in mock interest looking between Sawyer and the stick that was offered in exchange before accepting it gratefully. “Ah, a mighty stick, the most valuable of all trades.” He joked, taking the stick, and using it to walk further towards the lake, poking it into the mud in front of him and finding the awful squishy sound entertaining. He looked around, noting where each of the kids were and smiling when Felix asked if they would find any frogs. “If you find a frog before anyone else, and then let it go, I can buy you a pet toad but you gotta win the race first.” Marcus joked, happy to buy Felix a real frog if he managed to find one quickly, but also not expecting Felix to actually find one. Marcus was just happy to spend time walking to the lake with his family, muddy and misty, and frog hunting or not, it was nice to make memories as Theia and Sawyer began to grow up. “Have I ever told you there’s a big, scary monster in the lake? The second cousin of Nessie in Scotland, twice removed, or something.” Marcus joked, not expecting the kids, except maybe Thistle, to believe it.​

 

[Theia Carnahan]

Theia kept her hands in her pockets, not saying much and hanging in the back of the group as everyone walked towards the lake. It was difficult not to tell Sawyer he might hurt himself carrying Thistle, but Theia managed to keep her thoughts to herself and sighed instead, trying to ignore all the comments she wanted to make as they continued to trudge their way through the mud. They were meant to be having fun, the holidays were meant for fun and not for worrying about silly things that would distract from the fun. Theia walked, ignoring dad’s comments about getting Felix a frog, and hoping this actually was a joke of his. They eventually arrived to the lake and Theia walked to the edge and paused, looking out to the water. She didn’t believe there was an actual monster in the lake as dad suggested but when she thought about the lake at school she couldn’t counter that the water was safe, either. Whether it be from the cold or from something living in the water it wasn’t a good idea to swim, and Theia thought it was obvious. She dreaded the idea of dad, Sawyer, Felix and especially Thistle going into the water and wanted to avoid it.​

 

[Thistle Carnahan]

Thistle beamed when Sawyer offered to swap, slithering down off her dad's shoulders and hurried over to her older brother, clambering up onto him happily for a piggyback. "ONWARDS!" Thistle directed, pointing towards the lake happily. "I want frogs!" She agreed brightly with Felix, thinking about how cool it would be to find frogs. They could hop around the house and Thistle could wake up every morning to them croaking their frog songs. She leaned slightly off Sawyer back towards dad as he started talking about a monster, eyes widening. "What? In this lake?!" She asked, eyes boggling.

 

[Sawyer Carnahan]

"Grow longer legs, then!" Sawyer called back to Felix. He and Felix had been almost the same height until Sawyer's last growth spurt, and while it meant a bunch of his pants were way too short now, Sawyer was still pretty pleased with the development. It almost made hoisting Thistle onto his back a lot easier, though he had to groan as her gumboots smeared mud onto his shirt and arms. "Thistle, stop squirming or I'll drop you," He warned, purposely taking wide steps to make her sway side to side as she leaned off his back. Checking behind them, Sawyer was sure he could feel Theia's frown, even though she was lingering behind them as Dad talked about frogs and lake monsters. He slowed as they reached the lake, standing next to Theia as she watched the water. "Place your bets on who ends up in the lake first," He said to her quietly, trying to give her a bolstering smile about the whole outing. "If Felix goes in at least he'll be easier to fish out than Dad."

 

[Felix Carnahan]

Felix looked excitedly towards his dad at the offer of a real toad just for him. ”You’re on!” he said triumphantly, ready to dig through the mud if he needed to, to find a frog today. “No way!” he said firmly at dad. “If there really was a monster, why are you only telling us now?” he asked, proving his point before rolling his eyes at Sawyer. “Well you’re older.” he whined. “I bet one day when I grow up I’ll be taller than you.” he said indignantly before sticking out his tongue at his brother. “Ha ha.” he said sarcastically as he reached the water too. He picked up a stick, roughly the length of his forearm and started to pick at the mud along the shore looking for frogs or any kind of movement.

 

[Marcus Carnahan]

Marcus chuckled, looking over to Thistle on Sawyers shoulders and pointing the stick he was holding in the direction of the lake. “Yes, this lake. It’s smaller than good ol’ nessie, but still might be your friend, if you dare to try.” He added, emphasizing his words by widening his eyes before they finally reached the lake and Marcus stretched his arms over his head, looking over to Felix. “Here, the mighty frog catching stick to help you dig, and also a weapon against Nessie’s cousin.” Marcus joked, offering the stick to Felix who seemed more than eager to actually find a frog. “I’m telling you all now because you’re old enough to handle it, when you all were babies it would have been too scary.” Marcus added, picking up a rock and throwing it to the water, trying hard to skim it along the surface but failing dramatically as it fell in, leaving nothing but ripples.​

 

[Theia Carnahan]

Theia stared out to the water, ignoring her family’s banter and especially dad’s insistence the monster was real, and they should dare to be friends with it. She only looked away when Sawyer appeared next to her, asking her to place a bet on who would end up in the water first. It was such a cold day, if she had her way no one would go swimming until summer, but she held that thought back and offered Sawyer an actual answer. “I bet dad will jump in as a joke.” She remarked, looking over to Sawyer with a small smile. It was mean but she had a thought pop in her mind, that if she pushed dad into the water, he would get annoyed and take her, or anything seriously, for once. But she shook her head, dismissing the thought as soon as it appeared. It wasn’t worth it. “Who do you think will swim first?” She then asked Sawyer, wondering if he thought the same thing she did or if he wanted one of their siblings to jump in first.​

 

[Thistle Carnahan]

It was hard to stay focused in one place with all of her family together again, but Sawyer did a good job of catching Thistle's attention as he swung her side to side. She squealed and giggled, clinging tightly to her brother to avoid being thrown off. She was filled with mixed feelings when they arrived at the lake, staring out over the water uneasily. Just minutes ago she would have been the first to throw herself into the water, no question, but now... she glanced at dad again, crestfallen at the thought there was a monster in there. "Dad could you protect us if the monster got us?" She asked, glancing between him and the water warily.

 

[Sawyer Carnahan]

It was tempting to keep teasing Felix, but Sawyer could tell it would bother Theia if he encouraged anyone to go in the lake right now, as funny as it would be. It was bad enough Theia never relaxed at school, he wished she could ease up on looking out for everyone at home as well. "Depends, how likely do you think it is there's any frogs about," He knew frogs liked wet weather like this, but surely it was too cold by now. "I feel like Felix would bathe in mud if it meant a pet frog."

Even with the potential for any level of serenity to be ruined at any moment by a misguided frog hunt, Sawyer still enjoyed taking a moment to look out at the lake with Theia. It was one of his favourite spots to come think and he took a moment to just enjoy the sensation. "You want down, Thistle?" He asked, giving her a lil little tap on the arm to get her attention. His own arms and legs were starting to get a little tired holding her up for much longer, especially with her moving around to ask Dad about lake monsters. "You know I've heard there's a monster in the lake at school," He added idly, raising his voice so Dad could hear him. Sawyer wasn't sure if he believed that story anymore than Dad's.

 

[Felix Carnahan]

Felix rolled his eyes at dad's story about the monster in the lake. He didn’t buy it but he decided it would be smart to keep a safe distance from the edge of the water. Just in case his siblings tried to push him in, and no other reason. He looked up from where he was crouched in the mud, his boots making some very comical squishing sounds as he shifted his weight, and considered the stick dad held out to him. It was a bit too long for his needs but he decided to take it anyways hoping it might be good luck. “It would be a small price to pay.” he grumbled at his brother as he started to grow disappointed at the lack of frogs. But that changed when he heard Sawyer mention a creature in the Hogwarts lake. “You guys have a monster at school?!" Felix asked,as his head whipped around to look at his brother. But he moved a little too fast and he lost his balance, landing on his butt right in the mud. “Aww man!” he whined feeling wetness seep into his pants.

 

[Theia Carnahan]

Theia scoffed gently at Sawyer’s remark Felix would bathe in mud if it meant getting a pet frog. Dad had unintentionally set them up for that kind of a situation by promising a frog, Theia realized. She hoped if Felix did end up with a frog after their lake excursion, he would take care of it properly. Theia kept her gaze on the water, finding that even with Dad’s failed attempt to skim a rock, it was oddly peaceful. She only looked away when Thistle wanted to be let down, and then looked back at the water, pointedly ignoring the banter about a lake monster between her family as she crossed her arms. Theia had heard about a lake monster at school as well but wasn’t sure if the rumors were true or simply rumors. Not that she had the intention of ever finding out, it would be a waster of her time and Theia really did want to buckle down and focus on school when she started her third year. Theia's thoughts were interrupted when she heard Felix fall, and her gaze darted to where he was in the mud. Stepping forward into the mud herself, Theia offered a hand to help Felix if he needed it.​

 

[Marcus Carnahan]

Marcus smiled when Felix accepted the stick and soon picked up another rock and tried to skim it, again failing dramatically as it fell into the water, causing the surface to ripple. He looked over to Thistle, still smiling as he answered her question. “I think the best thing would be to make friends with it, so whenever we come back to the lake, we can have a picnic and throw food in, and on its birthday we can bring presents.” He explained with a nod. He chuckled when Sawyer chimed in about a monster in the lake at Hogwarts. It could have easily been true, or a rumor made up by older students, but Marcus still thought it was fun, thinking about a lake monster living near a school for witches and wizards definitely added to the magic of Hogwarts. “Is the one at Hogwarts a monster, or a friend?” Marcus asked, picking up yet another rock and being unable to skim it. Marcus turned his head when he heard Felix fall into the mud and couldn’t hold back a chuckle. “You alright?” He called out, wanting to see if Felix needed a hand to get up or if he would be okay on his own.​

 

[Thistle Carnahan]

Normally Thistle would have been all over the prospect of a pet frog, but the talk of monsters was a bit too much for her. She nodded and slithered off Sawyer's back, landing in the mud with a thump just as Felix slipped and fell, giggling at her older brother. "You got mud pants." She teased, hiding slightly behind Sawyer as though that would prevent dad from hearing her. She was quickly reminded of monsters, face scrunching in disapproval when dad said they should be friends with it. "But what if it ate us up?" She asked insistently, peering up from behind Sawyer's shoulder.

 

[Sawyer Carnahan]

Sawyer let out a snort when Felix ended up in the mud, giving him a dry clap for his efforts. Not that he himself wasn't covered in mud, especially after carting Thistle around. "No frogs, then," He called to Felix, unable to resist teasing him along with Thistle. Sawyer shrugged when Dad asked more about the lake monster at school, peering speculatively at their lake. "I dunno, I'm not even sure if it's real," He said, stepping back from the water and nearly knocking over Thistle. "Might just be a way to stop us bothering the merfolk or something," He added, giving Thistle an apologetic pat.