Mackenzie Legacy, The Read Online Free

Project Athena. She reached up to touch her mother’s image on the screen, yearning for some sort of comfort.
    Someone started up some music at the poolside and Layla rose to see that several more people had joined the party. Someone threw a girl into the pool and they all laughed, clouds of peachy merriment rising into the air above them.
    She hugged herself, freezing cold in spite of the warm sunny day outside.

~

    Chapter Three
    A DAY AT THE RACES

    ~

    Road days were always the toughest.
    Cal and Cali drove down out of the mountains and into the central valley, settling into the rhythm as mile after mile of wide open freeway stretched out before them. After endless hours buffeted by wind and weather, dodging lumbering trucks and the occasional road kill, they were both ready for a break.
    The sun was high in the sky when farm fields started giving way to buildings and they approached a town. They pulled up at a gas station and climbed off the bike to stretch, feeling dusty and grimy, their legs vibrating and stiff. After Calvin filled up the tank he bought a can of soda from a vending machine, stopping to read a flyer taped up onto its side.
    “Hey… There’s a county fair going on right now… Wanna go check it out?”
    She paused, but shook her head no. “We should find a place to stay first.”
    He grinned at her, “We can ride a Ferris wheel…”
    She couldn’t help smiling back, remembering.
    “I’ll get you a corn dog… as long as you promise not to dip it into chocolate or something,” he added, cocking an eyebrow at her.
    “Mmm… That actually sounds kinda good,” her eyes sparkled at his. “I wonder how mustard would be on cotton candy…”
    “Oh, you are so on!” he grabbed her, pulling her close. “I’m holding you to that.”
    “I don’t know…” she was wavering.
    He nuzzled her ear, his voice pleading, “C’mon… We deserve a break. Besides, we can get a place there. Most of the fairgrounds have campsites attached.”
    “Really? Why?”
    “Carnies have to stay somewhere.”
    “Carnies? Are we Carnies?” she asked.
    He started laughing so hard that they both almost fell over.
    ~
    The fairgrounds were filled with the usual crowds of people milling about, all of their excitement, frustration and anxiety creating a potent mix of overpowering emotions. Caledonia was learning how to adapt, getting better and better at blocking out the emotional uproar that came at her from all directions. This time, Calvin was her security blanket against the onslaught, and she tucked herself under his arm, nestling into his body to be bathed in his rosy happiness.
    With him shielding her she could see everything clearly, even when they made their way to the midway where the twirling rides looked as dangerous as ever. They boarded the Ferris wheel, and this time, the view from the top was completely different, with a patchwork of multi-colored fields stretching out in as far as the eye could see. Calvin held her tight, and when the ride stopped he gazed into her eyes, just like their first time at the fair.
    This time, he spoke his mind, “I love you Cali.”
    “I know,” she replied, kissing him first. Even through her eyelids she could see the glow of his sweet colors deepen and darken as much as they ever had.  
    The sound of a trumpet blasting caught her attention, and she looked past the carnival rides to see a crowd of people moving towards a grandstand on the far end of the fairgrounds.  
    “What’s happening over there?” Caledonia asked him.
    “Looks like a racetrack,” he replied. When they were let off the Ferris wheel they walked over to check it out. Entering the stadium through an arched tunnel, they emerged in front of rows and rows of packed bleachers, and Caledonia looked up, surprised at the intensity of the emotions in the crowd. They wandered around, finally choosing a spot against the rail to stop and watch a truck pull a line of stalls onto the dirt track before