The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3252 by Angharad Copyright© 2020 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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The rest of the day after a dose of Trish's quirky logic went more or less normally. There was soccer on the telly, some game from Germany or somewhere else abroad. I was headed for my study but Trish wanted to watch it and another argument ensued between her and Danni.

"I wanna watch it," said Trish loudly.

"Well I don't," replied Danielle at the same level of decibels.

"Reminds you of someone does it?" fired Trish.

"What d'you mean?" said Danni angrily.

"Someone who used to live here before they turned tail and ran off to hide."

"I'm not hiding from anyone."

"Just anyone who loves football, is it?"

"Oh stuff you."

"Chicken." Called Trish and I wondered if I should intervene before a full blown fight happened, but I waited for a moment.

"Who's chicken?" bristled Danni.

"You are, you gave in to them, betrayed us, I thought you were the greatest thing since sliced bread, but you're not, you're just the crumbs on the floor."

"And how did I betray you?" Danni was moving closer and I moved closer to her as well.

"By accepting that trans girls are different to other females, how can we gain acceptance if we chicken out when it matters."

"I didn't chicken, I just got fed up of being treated like a piece of shit."

"So give the shit back to them."

"I can't, it's too late."

"No it isn't, show 'em the Cameron in-swinger is alive and well, bend it like Danni."

"It is, I've finished with it, alright, so let it go."

"It's only too late because you're too chicken and too lazy to get fit again."

"How would you know anything about fitness? You've never trained anywhere near as hard as is required."

"Okay, you show me."

"Show you? Don't make me laugh..."

"See, you are chicken."

"Okay, I'll bet you that you don't last a week."

"Why, how you gonna know either way?"

"'Cos I'll be there watching you suffer."

"And if you lose?"

"I'll think about going back to Portsmouth Ladies. But if I win, I don't want anyone to ever raise this matter again. Agreed?"

"Yeah," said Trish and they slapped hands. "So when do we start?"

"Tomorrow." said Danni coldly.

"What time?"

"Six o'clock."

I saw the surprise in Trish's face for a moment, "Okay, no prob." Danni walked out of the room but I knew that Trish liked her bed too much to want to be out running at six in the morning, especially as it was a school day.

"Was it worth it?" I asked Trish quietly.

"Not for me, but it might help her change her mind without any loss of face."

"That is very brave of you."

"Yeah, I know but I suspect I might regret it in the morning."

"Go to bed early."

She looked at the clock, think I might, night, Mummy," she pecked me on the cheek and went upstairs.

"Aren't you training too?" I asked her sisters.

"No way," said Livvie and Hannah and slunk off towards the kitchen.

"I'll go wiv her," said Meems.

"Thanks, kiddo. I knew I could count on you to keep them in line." She smirked but puffed out her chest and went off to bed. I did an hour's reading and then went to my bed after checking on the younger ones.

I woke up bathed in sweat, I had just seen the 4x4 come at me, the young copper took a bullet and went down and I reflexively grabbed the Kalashnikov and returned the fire. I didn't aim, simply held it tight and pointed at the car as it raced towards us, when suddenly it veered off the road and into the loch. I stood there in shock until I realised no one was coming back from there and then went to help with the wounded.

That weekend I killed ot contributed to the deaths of half a dozen people, all of whom were intent on killing me and my children. I didn't exactly feel remorse because I didn't start it, at the same time it wasn't a moment of which I was proud. I glanced at the clock, it was nearly five thirty and the sky showed signs of lightening, so dawn was getting closer although the nights were lengthening at the expense of the day.

It was weeks since I'd dreamt of the ordeal in Scotland. I suppose my mind would never forget the trauma, though in some ways I'd had several equally horrible experiences, it was only the Scottish one which seemed to haunt me. In the worst version, the attackers walked out of the loch and kept coming towards me even though I kept shooting lumps off them, like some sort of zombie nightmare. Thankfully, I always woke up before they got to me, though on one occasion I managed to shoot the head off one of them before I woke, he just kept coming. Now that might work for insects and even the odd chicken, but it doesn't for humans, loss of blood pressure would stop it to begin with but also loss of neural circuits would also prevent locomotion.

I shuddered and got myself out of bed and after a quick visit to the loo, woke Trish noticing that Danni's light was on and she was moving around. I woke Meems quietly and she nodded at me then turned over and went back to sleep. I didn't have the heart to rouse her again.

I was standing in the kitchen with the kettle boiling as the two athletes came down in shorts and sweat shirts. They each had head light torches so I suggested they used them. I also asked them if they wanted a cuppa before they started but both declined and set off watched by me and a rather sleepy cat who was trying to convince me it was her breakfast time. I made myself a cup of tea because everything feels easier after one, fed the cat and went upstairs to shower and dress, it would be something tidy today because I had meetings all day, including meeting up with the team who recently contributed to a documentary about dogs. They are a small part of my science empire and something the university has been doing for a few years. The dog team are as mad about canines as I am about dormice - well nearly as much.

By the time I was downstairs, this time having roused all the children, it was nearly seven, the time not the children, our two runners came back in. They'd done five kilometres and looked like it, red faced and blowing hard. They each downed a drink of milk and went up to shower.

"So who won?" asked Livvie smirking as Danielle and Trish sat down to eat their breakfasts.

"No one won, it's about stamina and determination. I'm bigger than Trish so can run farther and faster, but I don't so she can keep up with me."

"So a war of ..." started Hannah.

"Attrition?" offered Livvie.

"I knew that," grumbled Hannah.

"Sure, so why didn't you say it?" Livvie was merciless on occasions.

"You didn't give me a chance to say it, that's why."

"Okay girls, no squabbling, if you please. Danni and Trish are okay with each other, so let's keep it unanimous if you don't mind." I intervened and things calmed down as they all finished filling their faces, however, Liv and Hannah were still arguing when I dropped them off at school.
I did my day's work and on driving into the school saw Danni talking to Sister Maria, they parted before I got to them.

"Everything okay, darling?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I just agreed to play soccer for them this weekend, I s'pose I ought to contact Portsmouth Ladies and see what's what?"

"Good idea," I agreed.

"It don't mean I'm playing properly again, right?" insisted Danielle.

"I didn't say you were," I protested but saw Trish smirking behind her sister.

"I know, I just wanted to make it clear," said Danni not seeing the communal smirk that was behind her as the others joined Trish in her gloat.

"How about we get some ice cream to have when we get home?" I said changing the subject.

"What we celebratin', Mummy?"

"Another day of survival against the dread virus."

"You have to wear one of those horrid masks?" asked Livvie.

"Not in my office, but in the communal areas, I do."

"Like us, can I get one of those plastic visor things?" she asked, "they've gotta be better than a stupid bit of cloth."

"I've ordered a dozen of them for us," I said as we got in the people carrier. "Next stop the supermarket, I gave Danni a fiver, "Get a large tub of something, okay kiddo?"

"Oh great my choice," she said jumping out of the car and pulling on her mask, the rest of what she said was lost by muffling from the mask, this virus is real nuisance.