Chapter 9-1

Chapter 9-1

 

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Pa and the boys found the girls just three miles from town. Dirty and scraped up a little as Aunty M pulled up along beside them. Pa, Robert and Will circle about cutting them off down the road before they can make a run for it. Peggy and Donna fell on their knees tired from the long walk, facing the ground in despair. Aunty M getting out of the car calmly walked up to the girls put her arms around them. “It’s alright,” as they cry into her shoulder helping them up. “I’m sure he misses you too,” looking down the road in the direction their home is at then walked them back to the car and headed back to the farm with the girls.

It was soon after that they pulled into the farm, Richard and Grandma showed up as Mary answers the door. Richard helped with her suitcase, looking towards the living room. Will and Robert rushed to door surprised to see him, Grandma madder than a wet hen on Easter Sunday, “Wayne, what in tarn nation is going on?” As she looked at Will and Robert’s somber faces, Martha about split logs if anyone dares cross her with any more bad news.

Wayne looked around the room rubbing his chin staring into the air offering a small payer as he takes a seat next to his wife. “Julie dear you mind taking the girls, help them get cleaned up and keeping an eye on them for a while? Robert asks your sister Anna to watch the boys for us make sure they're still sleeping then try to get some rest yourself.”

“Ok Pa,” they all replied.

Pa watched them leave the room finding chairs for everyone around the fire in the living room. He takes Martha’s hand started from the beginning as they look towards the window down the road. Martha wiping tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. Wayne stares at the fire as sparks climbed the chimney with tears in his eyes, wondering where his son is.

Aunty M finishing their tale as everyone heads nod looking up the stairs and back facing Wayne and Martha.

“Wayne, Martha it’s not the first time Linda has done this,” Grandma mutters. “EJ was around 7 or 8 when it happened. It was quite a set back for both of them. I knew I should of step in then, but I didn’t, I was still dealing with my own losses at the time. He was there a whole year before I was able to put a stop to it. Hoping we found an opening in the system.

“If I could have taken him in then we might have not been in this mess, I don’t know. Avoided what happen to him that following year, maybe who knows. This man Morgan has been hunting him for a long time I think. Somehow there’s a pattern somewhere starting with my son Jim. For some reason, he hates him and despise that boy and always has. I can see it in his eyes whenever he’s around him and Danny. He wants nothing to do with them.  The reason why has always been a mystery to me,” Grandma taking another sip of the tea…..Listening to the popping of the wood as burns in the fireplace.

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EJ deep in his cell, lying against the wall, he could hear Morgan cold voice; he believes two cells over from his. A man's voices crying out as he screams out with pain as Morgan flogs him against the wall, for failing in his duty to him. “My lord pleases. I did my best, they had help,” the man cried out.

“Who’s?” As Morgan swings the whip high in the air as it snaps against the flesh and bare bone with searing pain.

“I don’t know my lord!” The man screams.

Morgan enraged as the bones snap one by one in his grips as the man’s flesh falls to the ground lifeless, smoke rising from his burning bones. Morgan walked passed EJ cell glancing over with glaring red eyes. “Your brothers are clever, but not clever enough,” as he laughed shouting. “Double the guards and find this traitor among us.”

“Yes my Lord Morgan.” The Guard in the room responded quickly to avoid their master’s anger and displeasement.

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“Dear journal: Day 6: Things aren’t looking too good for the boy at the moment as I make my escape from the encampment on the hill, near the old copper mines in the west towards the Town of Goshen. My supplies are low and the water bad and I believe my contact inside is dead. I myself barely made it this far out alive and hiding in a small cave for shelter.

They have double the guards in the watchtower and about the place. Morgan is enraged hoping the boy would just give in, but he underestimated him, unlike his parents. Drawing strength from the Downing’s and their love for him and I am hoping his love and their love is strong enough to keep him alive until they can rescue him. I just hope it’s enough; I pray that’s it enough.

Its been a long time since heard from my friends Jasmine, and Jaydan, but a gateway right now is to risky out here so close to Morgan. He can, and would know within a few miles of the place and with his followers everywhere looking for the Downing boys and his little brother Danny in hopes of breaking EJ spirit.

I can’t take the chance. My only hope my dear friend is to send you off tonight with speed to Nathaniel with my last shadow wing. In hopes, I can escape their clutches one more time.

Your friend always “D”

Destiny slowly watched the sky darkened taking one last look back; making sure the coast was clear hiding among the shadows. Destiny attached her small journal, placed on her shadow wing as it quickly glides away towards Nathaniel and Granny home while she herself makes a quick getaway through the night, trying to avoid the open road. But is caught, tied and bound and taken prisoner. Put in a cell across from EJ, holding her head high as she spits in Morgan’s eyes. “I’ll tell you nothing!” She said as he slapped her across the face.

“Oh, but you will!” Morgan laughed slapping her again then bonding her against the wall in chains as she wails and screams until she passes out. “Nobody escapes me you hear that boy? Nobody!”

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Nathaniel sat on the porch with granny in her rocking chair she asks. “How come you never told me your name son?” As she took his hand looking at his face, watching him look far off in the distance.

“Oh, I don’t know. No reason I guess, Golden eyes just stuck that’s all. Never cared for it tell ya the truth. Made me fill invisible for the job I had to do I guess. It suited me and the purpose.”

Nathaniel taking her hand brings it up to his lips and kissed them as he rubs them against his. “But that door is closing and another is opening,” as he reaches up kisses her on the cheek.

The journal fell at his knee’s as the shadow wing quickly dissipates.  Granny watched him pick it up as he turned the pages watching his face fall. “Granny its time me and you had that talk,” looking far away as his eyes glisten over into dark golden crystals of death.

She could see something is wrong as his manor changes as the air suddenly goes cold around him. Granny merrily took his hand, “I’m ready.” With a slight pause with one look back at the house where Ned is sound asleep then nods squeezing his arm.

Nathaniel slowly nods holding her tight by his side as the wind slowly pushed them off the ground. With one wave of his finger, they enter a gateway where a room is filled with light all around them. The air was sweet and refreshing with a large table of a map in the middle of many worlds of endless galaxies swirling around them. A man stepped out to greet them from the large doors on a platform of the staircase made for a king.

Nathaniel nods to him as he bows, “Granny this is the Judge of Time. I would like him to marry us for this my last season and battle and I want you to be by my side because I need you more than life its self.”

Granny nods with soft tears running down her cheeks. “You mean it?” Looking around this strange room.

“Yes Granny, all of it,” taking a ring out of his pocket. “Well have a real celebration later, but right now we have things that can’t wait.”

Granny threw her arms around her man, “you bet you old sidewinder.”

The Judge of Time marries them as Nathaniel shows the Judge the journal calling a meeting of all the chancellors in chambers. ”It has been decided that looking at the journal that this compound must be surrounded not allowing anybody out. I also declare without regret that Morgan and his followers must be destroyed. I hereby grant you the gift of foresight and bestow on you the power and the keys of strength and knowledge of test of time, kneel before me, my son.”

Nathaniel kneels before him with Granny by his side as Judge takes his iron rod of light, placing upon Nathaniel's shoulders. Nathaniel can feel the surge going through him as the words of wisdom are spoken in his mind… “On the side of goodness and light, I release you... A rise my son….”

Nathaniel looked up with tears in his eyes at his old friend… “What about my charge?  She not due till next season…”

“She’ll just have to do the best she can won’t she Nathaniel?”  He laughed turning around before closing the door. “Oh, congratulation Granny.”

On the way back Nathaniel explains to Granny all she has just seen as they slowly return back to the house. He picked her up in his arms kissed her like a schoolgirl as she rolls back her head, “ahhhhh “wow’’ what a night, now that I can get used to.” Feeling the aging reverse itself slowly.

“Me too.” He whispered softly in her ears setting her back down. “Now I have some business to attend to my dear come to think of it.” Nathaniel smiles I prefer your name better to Deloris,” as he bends down and kisses her check one more time before leaving.

Granny giggles then yelled for Ned as she watched Nathaniel go by gate somewhere.  “That’s right Ned,” showing off her ring, “We got hitched, now he’s your Pa son…”

“That’s great Granny.”

Nathaniel first stopped, paused for a moment, looking at the Downing farmhouse. “This isn’t going to be easy,” as he paces into the dark shadows. Nathaniel trying too figure what to do because time is running short as he held the journal in his hand. “No too much information for them, besides question would arise where it came from. No best see the others first before parting with it.”

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