AN: Welcome to a new story of mine which is a side story of sorts to another story (Hungry Eyes) by Forbidden Shadow. I've decided to expand upon my character Tensleep's life before HE. This takes place ten years before HE and covers the gap between leaving and coming "home" again. So hope everyone enjoys!

Prologue

Alcatraz New Mexico, September 1986

I sighed and leaned on the car. Well, this was it. We were finally packing up and blowing this Popsicle stand, but it wasn’t how I’d always imagined it. There was no sneaking away in the middle of the night, there was no secret party out by the mountains to celebrate and we weren’t leaving our parents behind. The last part was the most shocking.

See, our Dad – yeah, that dead beat you probably saw grumbling about the shitty job Jhon and I did packing the car – got laid off last June when the rig he was working on dried up. He got offered a traveling position, but turned it down for reasons I still can’t fathom. So when the call came from Uncle Dalton promising him a place with his company, Dad jumped on it. The only problem was it was up in Canada of all places and Dad wanted to bring the three of us with him. Well, maybe not the only problem, but it was the only important one. I guess it could have been worse.

I glanced at my brother who was leaning beside me, waiting to get going. To him this was his chance to get out of here without having every milk carton in the country sporting his face on it. He used to joke that it would probably make everyone drool all over their cereal and he’d never be able to blend in again. Not that he did before, but you get my brother’s ego some days. He was never like that when it was just the two of us, but add Jakob Calligher into the mix and his head expanded three feet in all directions. Some days it was even amusing.

“How far out do you think we’ll get before Dad pulls over and reorganizes the car?” Jhon asked, watching as Dad stomped around the front yard while Mom said goodbye to her flowers

“Two hours,” I answered

“So much faith in the man?” Jhon asked with a smirk “I give him an hour.”

I shrugged, thinking only time would tell. I glanced over at Mom, figuring that with her being all upset over leaving her flowers the trip was going to be even longer. When she was upset she wouldn’t even nod along to what Dad was saying. Then he would get more agitated and the smallest thing would manage to piss him off and he’d blow his top. Good times…

“In the car,” Dad ordered and we rolled our eyes before climbing into our respective sides “Diane. Diane!”

Mom looked over her shoulder at Dad and glared at him before picking a few flowers and stomping over to the car.

“You and your damn flowers. It’s bad enough I have to bring your damn kids...”

As usual, Mom was silent. She did send him another glare after he insulted her flowers, though. And as usual, she didn’t bother to correct him about being Dad’s kids. Typically Jhon and I ignored them and waited for the car to move. Dad finally pulled out of the driveway and towards Mr. Jensen's place. He owned the house we rented and there was the small matter of returning the keys. Dad pulled over in front of his house and I hopped out as the wheels finished moving. Dad told me to be quick and I blew him off, climbing the stairs to Mr. Jensen's house. He met me at the door and I handed over the keys. If looks could have been verbalized, he would have been telling me good riddance and never come back. Lovely guy; let me tell you…

“Mary!”

I sighed and allowed myself one long eye roll before skipping back down Mr. Jensen's stairs and over to the car. That’s when I got my last look at Alcatraz. The hotel, Vincent’s pharmacy, the garage and finally the café on the edge of town that could be seen from the highway and brought most of our visitors to Alcatraz. It wasn’t much, but it was home. I sighed, figuring it wasn’t that much of a loss. I mean, in the last two years all of the people Jhon and I considered to be friends had moved. Last year saw the Callighers off to England, and then at the end of the school year the Bagley’s had left for Utah. That left Old Lady Jensen and Hal Thompson. I was pretty sure both of them would miss us, but not for long enough for it to matter. Father Alexander would miss Jhon and his sex stories something awful, but that couldn’t be helped. In short, we’d been left behind long enough and it was their turn.

And, as predicted, an hour and a half later Dad pulled over to repack the car. I suppose everyone speeding along the highway probably got a kick out of watching Dad unload and reload the car while Jhon and I watched and Mom sat in the front seat stroking her flowers.

“At least he’s working off some energy.” Jhon shrugged and I shrugged back in agreement

“What do you think Vancouver will be like?” I asked a few minutes later

“Smelly and disgusting,” Jhon answered “And crowded so a person can’t even breathe.”

“I don’t like it already.”

“Well, that’s where we’re of a difference of opinion, sis,” Jhon replied, “Do you know how much fun a city is?”

“No and neither do you,” I reminded

“'Know more than you do.”

“Keep telling yourself that. Bastard,” I added for good measure

“Slut,” Jhon replied automatically

We sat and watched the cars go by for a few minutes before I sighed and picked at the hole in my jeans.

“You ok with everything changing?” Jhon asked drawing a shape in the dirt with his toe

“Hey, don’t have much choice,” I pointed out, kicking out his drawing

“Well, two things aren’t changing. You have me and it’s still us against him.” Jhon thumbed at where Dad was swearing a blue streak

I smirked, nodding. Yeah, no wonder where life took me I’d have my twin. And it would always be us against Dad.

“Hey Dad! Bet I could pack twice as fast without the pig noises,” Jhon hollered

“You shut up, you ungrateful little…” Dad carried off into a few wonderful adjectives after that “If we weren’t in plain sight I’d teach you some manners!”

“Man, this is going to be one great car ride.” Jhon smirked

He was never happy unless he was tempting death.

“Let the fun begin,” I muttered unenthusiastically

“Come on. Let’s get back in the car before he decides to leave us by the side of the road. Again.”

He had a point. It was bound to happen every time we left Alcatraz together and so far had.

“Wasn’t that where he found us in the first place?” I teased

“Yeah. Damn our Gypsy parents for not guarding us better.”

I laughed and smiled at my brother, not feeling so glum anymore. Yeah, I’d be fine wherever life took me as long as I had Jhon. Like he said, it was the two of us against him. We were definitely the stronger force by a long shot. I didn’t know what I’d do without him here with me. But at the same time I couldn’t help thinking – look out world, Jhon’s out of Alcatraz. I smiled and I knew it was a completely evil smirk. Oh, my brother was going to have a great time in the city.

Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

/-/-/-/

Any comments at all are welcome.

See ya in the funny papers!

Sonah