“ Mum, I’m hungry. Can’t we go to McDonalds?”

“ No, darling. We’ll soon be there, and then you’ll get something to eat.”

The six-year old girl crossed her arms and sighed. She looked out the window. She had always hated long trips. Nothing to do but to read, listen to music and looked at the landscapes they passed. It was fine for the first hour, but then it started to get boring.

“ … then he said that he would go tell him the day after. But he didn’t” the girl’s father said and looked at his wife.

“ Really? But I thought he also wanted it done?” she said, looking at her husband.

“ I know. He had always been supportive of that project. But still he didn’t tell Tom about it”

The girl sighed. Why did they always have to talk about grown-up stuff? Why couldn’t they talk about something she knew something about?

“ Andrea, would you like some liquorice?” her mother asked and turned to give her fresh pack of liquorice. Andrea took it and smiled. Finally something to eat. Both her parents smiled at her, but as they turned their smile froze. They were heading towards the trees at the edge of the field.

“ Damn it!” Andrea’s father shouted and tried to turn away. But it was too late. They headed right towards the trees. Andrea screamed as they hid one of them. Then everything went black…

“ Andrea. Andrea! Please, wake up. Wake up!” a voice said panicky. She knew the voice. But where had she heard it?

“ Please, don’t be dead. Please! Wake up. Andrea, wake up. It’s me. Me, your brother, Andre. Oh, God, don’t die. Wake up.”

Her head ached, her body felt so heavy and her eyes wouldn’t open. She was tired so tired. Slowly, her eyes opened and met a couple of blue eyes, filled with panic and concern. And sorrow.

“ Andrea! Oh, thank God. Thank God, you’re awake!” Andre cried and hugged his little sister. “ I thought I had lost you.”

“ Where am I?” Andrea asked as her brother let go of her. A nurse came over and made sure she was all right.

“ You are in the hospital. You… smashed into a tree on your way to visit me.” Andre said, tears running down his cheeks.

“ Where are Mum and Dad?” Andrea asked. She wanted to see them. Wanted them to be by her side, smiling, saying she would be all right.

Andre didn’t answer.

“ Andre, where are they?” Andrea asked again, fearing what the answer would be.

Andre took a deep breath and tried not to cry.

“ They… they didn’t make it. I’m sorry.”

Andrea’s hear skipped a beat.

“ What do you mean they didn’t make it? Where are they?” she cried, tears welling up in her eyes.

“ Andrea…” Andre started, but Andrea wouldn’t let him.

“ Where are they?” Andrea shouted.

“ Andrea… they are dead.”

It was like a bomb had exploded inside her. Everything was quiet. Not even a silent whisper could be heard. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered.

“ No. No, they can’t be! I want my parents! I want Mum and Dad!” Andrea cried, tears running down her cheeks.

“ Andrea…” Andre said, trying to hold her, but she pulled away.

“ No, give me Mum and Dad! Where are they? I want to see them! They are alive! They can’t be dead. They can’t leave me!”

Both Andre and the nurse tried to calm her, but nothing helped. The girl was completely heartbroken. Normally her mother would come to comfort her, tell her it would be all right, that it was just a bad dream. And then her father would tell her a story to make her fall asleep. But they didn’t this time. This time it wasn’t a bad dream. It was real. They were gone. Dead and gone. And she would never see them again.

“ Andrea, sweetie…” Andre said and pulled her into his arms. She had calmed down and rested her head against her brother’s chest. She looked up at him. And she saw the face she loved, the face that always smiled when he her and always made her laugh. But now, sorrow and grief was carved into the young face and there was no joy or laughter anywhere.

“ What’s going to happen to me?” she asked quietly.

“ You are going home with me. I am going to take care of you, okay? You’ll stay with me now.” he said and caressed her cheek. She leaned back against him and closed her eyes.

And there they were, two siblings, alone in the world, far too young to have seen the evils of the world, to know how cruel it could be. Alone, but together. Alone… together… alone… together… together… together…

There was a knock on the door. The first disturbing sound in the morning. As usual.

“ Andrea, get up. Breakfast is ready.” Andre called and walked down the hall. Andrea sighed and turned on the light. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She yawned and looked around in the messy room. Books covered the tables, papers, notebooks and copies of old maps covered the floor, along with DVDs, all movies about the Middle Ages.

She got dressed and found her brother in the kitchen. The radio was turned on and Andre sat in his usual position: feet up on the table, a book in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

“ Good morning.” Andrea said and sat down.

“ Good morning.” Andre answered without looking up. Andrea looked at the cover of Andre’s book.

“ Is that a new one?” she asked.

“ What?” Andre said and looked at her.

“ The book. Is it new?” she asked again. Andre looked at it.

“ Yes, I bought it yesterday. It’s really good. You should read it when I’m done.” he said and turned back to the book.

“ What are you going to do today?” Andre asked, putting aside the book.

“ Nothing, really. I’ll have to work on that project at school, if only Ethan would help. I tell you, he’s a real pain in the ass.” Andrea exclaimed.

“ Watch your language, young lady.” Andre said, smiling.

“ Well, he is a pain in the ass. Really, I have no idea why all the girls circle around him like that.” Andrea continued and purred milk over her cornflakes.

“ If you can’t work with him, why don’t you tell your teacher?” Andre asked.

“ I have told him, but he says it would be good for me to try and work with him. He says it might one day be necessary for me to work with someone I don’t like.” Andrea said annoyed. Andre smiled.

“ I think he’s right.”

Andrea sighed.

“ There we go again, you sound like a teacher. Didn’t I tell not to be like that at home?” Andrea said and looked angrily at her brother. Andre laughed.

“ Yes, but did I agree? I hardly think so.” he said. He looked at his watch.

“ I have to go. Johnston wants me to come early today. He has something he would like to talk with me about.”

“ What would that be?” Andrea asked.

“ I don’t know. He didn’t say. But it’s important or else he wouldn’t have wanted be to come early.” Andre said and stood up. He hugged Andrea.

“ See you later, dear. And remember your lunch before you go.”
“ I will.” Andrea answered.

“ And try to get along with Ethan. I’m sure he’s not that bad when you get to know him.”

Andre left and after a few seconds, she heard the front door close.

Her jacket was wet when she reached school. She didn’t mind it. Her brother had always said that in the Middle Ages people lived a harder life than her and didn’t complain about it. He was right, so she had decided not to complain either. And besides, a little water never harmed anyone, no matter what time they came from.

“ Hey, Andrea, there you are!”

Andrea turned and saw Bridget running towards her.

“ Hey.” Andrea answered.

“ Have you remembered that essay for History?” Bridget asked.

“ Yes. I accidentally told my brother about it and he wouldn’t let me rest until I had finished it. But he was very helpful. He knows a lot about the 14th century.” Andrea smiled. Bridget laughed.

“ He’s such a history-freak. It surprises me that you don’t love history as much as him.” Bridget said.

“ Not as much as him, but quite close.” Andrea said proudly.

“ Does the project go well for you and Ethan?”

“ I don’t want to talk about it.” Andrea said and speeded up.

“ Why? I know Ethan is difficult to work with, but is it that bad?” Bridget said.

“ You’re right. He’s really smart and knows everything worth knowing, but he’s so arrogant and egotistical.” Andrea said.

Bridget opened the door and let Andrea walk inside first.

“ Perhaps he’s like his uncle. His uncle runs some company in New Mexico. I don’t remember the name.” Bridget said.

“ I know. Perhaps arrogance runs in the family.” Andrea said and smiled sarcastically.

“ And that comes from a member of a family of history-freaks.” a cold, sarcastic voice said behind them. They turned and faced Ethan. He had dark hair, brown eyes and was quite handsome.

“ I hope you have read those pages we printed out yesterday for the project.” Andrea said.

“ I don’t need to know. I already know all we need to know.” Ethan said. Andrea sighed.

“ You really think you know everything, don’t you?” she asked annoyed.

A couple of hours later, Andrea and Ethan sat in the library, reading. Andrea had found some useful books, where Ethan had just sat by a table, relaxed, with closed eyes.

“ Aren’t you going to read some of the books, take notes or anything?” Andrea asked and dropped two more books on the table. Ethan shook his head. Andrea sighed and sat down.

“ By the way, what about that History-essay?” she asked, trying to start a polite conversation. Andre’s advice about trying to get along with Ethan still rang in her head.

“ I have handed it in. Didn’t take me long time to finish.” Ethan said, not opening his eyes.

“ Me neither. My brother helped me a lot. Quite the expert.” Andrea said.

“ Really? I had to write it myself.” Ethan said.

“ Where does your uncle work? Bridget says he runs some company in New Mexico.” Andrea took a book and opened it, not reading anything.

“ My uncle, Robert Doniger, runs ITC. I don’t know much about it, but the headquarters are in New Mexico.” Ethan answered, looking at her. Andrea nodded.

“ Right. Then I presume you have been to New Mexico several times.”

“ No, only a few times. But I have been there. My uncle have showed me around and told me about the place.” Ethan said and grabbed one of the books.

“ I would like to go to New Mexico. I would like to go anywhere in the world.” Andrea said.

“ Can’t you and your brother afford it?” Ethan asked.

“ Yes, but we just don’t go anywhere. We talk about it and then forget it.” Andrea answered lowering the book in her hands.

“ If you want, go after it. It’s not like it comes to you right then and there. You have to take the initiative.” Ethan said. Andrea nodded. He was right.

Later Bridget joined Andrea for lunch. They had one lesson back and enjoyed the fact that they could soon go home.

“ I hate those long days. What is the point in going to school if you in the end of that day are too tired to concentrate? It‘s so annoying.” Andrea said and took a sip of water.

“ I know. Speaking of annoying, how did it go with Ethan? As annoying as ever?” Bridget asked.

“ I don’t know why, but it went better today. I guess it was because I didn’t let myself be bothered about it.” Andrea answered. Strange as it may seem, she had actually enjoyed the time with Ethan. And he even opened a book and read today. And that had been a huge plus on the scale of good things that had happened today.

“ Really? Why didn’t it bother you?” Bridget asked.

“ This morning my brother told that I should try to get along with him. So that’s what I did. And it worked.” Andrea smiled.

Andrea’s cell phone rang. She took it up from her pocket and answered it.

“ Hello?”

“ Hey, it’s me. Listen, I’m leaving work early today, so I just thought I would give you a lift home.” Andre said.

“ That would be nice.” Andrea said.

“ Good. See you later, then.” Andre said.

After the last lesson, Andrea walked out on the parking ground. She walked around for a few minutes and waited. It had stopped raining, but it was cold and her jacket wasn’t dry yet. Soon she began freezing.

“ Hey, Andrea!”

Finally she saw Andre’s car coming around the corner. He stopped beside her and opened the door. She jumped in and closed the door after her.

“ It’s freezing outside.” she said as Andre turned the key.

“ I know. It’s not quite summer yet.” Andre said.

“ No. Unfortunately.” Andrea said and looked at the houses they passed on their way home.

“ Speaking of summer, we don’t have any planes for the summer, have we?” Andre asked and looked at her for a second.

“ No, we haven’t.” Andrea said.

“ So what do you say about going to France for the summer?”

“ What? Really?” Andrea cried happily.

“ Yes. Johnston is going to France to supervise a excavation. He would like me to come too. And he invited you as well.” Andre said.

“ I would love to go France. And to see a real excavation. Where is the excavation?” Andrea asked.

“ In the Dordogne region. Southwest France. There is a monastery and two castles, Castlegard and La Roque.” Andre told. Andrea nodded.

“ Sounds interesting. When are we going?”

“ April or May. I think May, but I’m not sure.”

“ Is it for the whole summer?” Andrea asked.

“ Yes. It will perhaps take some years to get it done, but… We’ll have to figure something out with your school. You have to finish school, no doubt about that.” Andre said and looked at her.

“ Perhaps some French school.” Andrea suggested. Andre shrugged.

“ Might be. Johnston said he’d look at some possibilities.” he said.

“ So we are going to France?”

“ We’re going to France.”

So, what do you think about the beginning? I am not sure about it, but I hope you like it. Please review and let me know what you think!