Chapter 9-2

Chapter 9-2

 

Aunty M felt strange as if in daze somehow when she looked out the window, something has happened, what? She’s not sure as she looked about if with a new pair of eyes. “No, it’s just the strain. I must be tired that’s all.” She says to her self as she gazes about the room going to the kitchen pouring herself a fresh cup of Joe, Mary arranging living quarters with Wayne in the living room.

“In the morning…. We will put Robert and Will in the bunk bed with Richard in one of the rooms up upstairs and the girls in another bunk bed with me watching them in their room at night. Leaving the other room for their grandmother we will be just fine. Now that’s settled Martha lets see if can get you to rest a little bit dear.” Mary said as they helped her to the bedroom, “Wayne can watch Jessica for a while,” handing the baby to him.

Another gust of wind blew through the house upstairs in EJ’s room as the windows fly open stirring things around. Aunty M running up the stairs to close the window forcing the window close hears laughter in the wind. “You’ll never find him, never; give up now,” 

Morgan’s red eyes pierced the sky. She yells back with all her force, “NEVER!” Closing the window and locking it tight.

She looked across the sky seeing a shadow rider on horseback whipping his horse for more speed in an instant he was gone. Aunty M turned around Wayne right behind her “who we’re talking to?” He asked.

Aunty M looked back around the room, not thing was out of place as she looked back at the closed window. “Wayne I think I might be losing my mind for a minute that’s all,” as she begins to swoon onto the floor.

Wayne catches her yelled down the hall for Mary. “O my,” as she enters the room helping Wayne put her to bed. 

Aunty M now in a deep sleep as she tosses and turns throughout the rest of the night with images racing through her mind of knowledge gained from the past, present, and future. In her deep sleep. Aunty M sleeping most of the morning away as Mary checks on her shaking her head, “Doc should be her soon Wayne,” with a worried look.

* * *

 

Nathaniel riding hard down the road towards New Downing as he watched the shadow rider in the sky above him not daring to stop. His horse breathing hard and fast he leaped off the horse onto the porch of his house, “Granny, Ned. We need to go, sorry son no time to explain. They’re after us and we need to get to safety and fast.”

Ned turns “Granny who, Granny who’s after us?” He asked.

“Never mind that son. Just do what he says, now git.” She said running to the bedroom and the kitchen gathering supplies as fast as she can.

Nathaniel hurries to the stable hooks up the buggy as Granny finishes throwing some clothes into old gunny. Nathaniel pulled up the buggy running into the house as Granny tossed the gunnies and old Betsy in. “Sorry, dear were not going down without a fight.” She replied tossing in Ned’s into the buggy.

Nathaniel laughed. “Couldn’t hurt,” grabbing few extra shells for himself and the old jug in the window. Nathaniel grabbing the reigns with a flick of the wrist, “hold on son.” As he quickly makes a gate as the wind kicked up a cold breeze due south somewhere on the other side. Ned's eyes popped right out of his head looking at his Granny next to him and not taking his eyes off his new Pa. “You see son I was, now I’m not. That job goes to someone else.” He replies as they come out of the gate at nice clipped clop down the road.

“WOW!” Ned replies looking back at nothing where they came from… “But what about my friends Mr. G sorry Pa?” He asked

“Nathaniel tries to smile, “Anna and them.” Thinking a minute, “therein for some tough times son. There’s a storm coming son by the man named Morgan. It’s my duty and my responsibility to destroy him and his followers before they become too many. Right now they have stolen something that doesn’t belong to them. Are willing to destroy anything and anyone that gets in their path that’s why they're after me. I’m next on the food chain as it were and could do them the most harm. Morgan knows this considering I’m the one that holds most of the keys and now more,” as he gives Granny a quick glance.

“That’s why you and her need a place somewhere I know you will be safe from harm. I grew up here when I was a boy not far from here, they are nice folks, a little odd, but nice all the same. They promised me you’ll be well taken care of.”

Granny sees the Judge of time as he waves to her as they glided along and some of his chancellors she waved back. “It’s not much Granny,” as he pulls up to the house. “Could use a woman's touch,” as he leans over to kiss her.

“Shucks, me and Ned. We don’t need much. Do we son? Just something lay our head at night.”

“Yes, Granny.” Ned looking around a bit as he breaths in the new air of their surroundings. Nathaniel walked them through the house shows them around before leaving, giving them each a hug and pat on the back. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” with a tear in his eye waving down the street away's before disappearing into the shadows, finding his old friend Jasmine. Placing the journal in her hands as she reads the pages…

“Have you told Jaydan or Jeff yet?”

Nathaniel shakes his head no. “The skies are filled with shadow riders last time I checked near New Downing… Barely escaped with our lives taking my family to safety,” looking down at his ring…

“So you finally did it?” As she looked into his warm glazed eyes still fresh from tears.

Nathaniel's eyes soften thinking of Granny and of Ned; “last night, in fact, had to. Time was short thanks to Morgan. So I took the biggest risk of my life he married us….But that’s not all…” As he walked around the room, “he released me…Early…. In stowing it on my charge before she is ready.”

“All of it?” She asked

“Yes, the whole thing on her shoulders in one swipe… Just so I could put all my efforts on Morgan and his followers and to use any means necessary in the name of common good. Adding the gift of foresight and other things as well, so far I can’t tell if it has helped me all that much. But my gut tells me I need to find Jeff and Jaydan looking at that last page and fast.” As Jasmine reads the last page and thumbs through the others. Stopping every once in a while on certain pages.

“Right now I would look pretty funny going into that house without cause and Morgan might detect me if we gate there, we can’t risk it. You dear have a harder problem and a reason since the boys missing you can’t report it or will go south for all of them in this world. You must make believe everything is fine down there when it’s not of course. Telling them the boy is not adjusting well to home as you noted in your last statement, but don’t say he is missing until otherwise known for that matter and try to convince them that he’s not.”

“Can I give you lift old friend?” Jasmine said putting the file back in the drawer under lock and key as she whispers a ward of protection, “back to New Downing.” she asked.

After a long pause, Nathaniel looking out the window, his hands clasp behind his back. Realizing he has no other option since a gateway or magic of any kind would most likely attract attention down there. He has never driven anything except a horse or a buggy for centuries. He needed time to devise a plan of attack instead of going in half-cocked... after all this is not his first battle. Knowing there will be many causalities for both sides as dark meets light to gain control for balance once again…

“Jasmine there are so many questions,” he sighs as he looked out far way in the distance. “Am I doing the right thing, if we go back now to find Jaydan or do we leave here now go find Jeff? Is my charge going to be alright? Can she pull through on her own without me by her side? Did Destiny make it out? Is she still alive? Can the boy wait till we find him?” Nathaniel asked as he leans up against a pillar in the room unseen by people in this world.

Jasmine walked over by the window to her old friend, puts her arm around him. “If we knew all the answers, what would be the point of us asking my dear friend? That’s why we have friends to share the load I think,” looking down the road. “If you want my option I believe you should be in New Downing where they need you the most.

”For two reasons, there are three fractions going on and you can help them where I can’t. Second; they need your protection and someone needs your guidance. If you need a third.” Jasmine laughed. “Have you ever driven anything that requires a motor in it? I didn’t think so; Now then as for feeling strange, you might consider becoming a part of their little search party bring in the whole town down there leading the way. Make yourself real popular down there because you’re going to need them when the time comes. You know that and I know that.

“Yes Granny and Ned may be safe for now,” as she looked over the horizon that only they can see, “but some folks aren’t that lucky. So yes you have doubts just like the rest of us. All that means you are still human that’s all friend. Now then let me take care of Jeff you take care of things in Downing well go on from there.”

* * *

 

Aunty M wakes slightly looked towards the window her body surging with new power as her eyes glaze fiery red she shouts, “NO!!” sweat pouring down her face as the window shatters in her room as she falls back to sleep. The ground trembles around the farm spooking the horse and the chickens. Everyone rushing up the stairs to her room seeing the broken glass and her lying in bed with the sweat pouring off her head. There are streaks of white and red in her hair soaking wet as her face seems younger somehow. 

Doc Whitmore arriving at the farm pulling up to the steps as Mary quickly ushered him through the door.  Wayne ran down the hall as Doc was coming up the stairs, Doc looked at the two closed doors.  Doc could feel the panic in the air. Doc looked at Wayne’s pale and scared face as he pointed down the hall as the ground below shakes again. “O my!” Mary holding onto the frame of the door as she hears Aunty M scream in her room.

Everyone looking at Doc as Wayne mutters. “That’s been happening just a few moments ago.” Marry said as Doc, Wayne ran down the hall to Aunty M room as the room turned ice cold and still. Wayne rubbing his arms for warmth looking at Aunty M. “Doc I don’t know what’s wrong she…”

Aunty M slowly rising off the bed as if standing in mid-air with her hands by her side. Her hair blowing in the wind around her as her eyes open looking down at the two of them in the room. A whirlwind slowly surrounded her as it encased her body from the tip of her toes all the way to the top of the ceiling of the room and back down. The wind-dispersed as she hung in the air in a silk gray gown, with fiery red hair, her eyes golden crystals of amber.

She said to them. “I am the dawn and the light don’t be afraid for it is my time and soon I must depart for I am called and go where I must go.” As the wind slowly rises returning Aunty M to her clam sleeping state. Wayne, Doc Whitmore flabbergasted as they watched Aunty M chest rise and fall as the room's warmth returned.

Wayne and Doc swallowed hard looking at the busted window of her room and back at her bed. They nearly wanted to scream down the hall making water.  “Ghost stories,” Doc said looking at each other, “I’d say you have right to be scared my friend,” Doc closing Aunty M room door.  Wayne and Doc walked quickly down to the kitchen without so much as a word, drank two pots of Joe with a small jug of corn husk whiskey before seeing Linda as Wayne unlocks the door, “she all yours Doc,” downing another cup of Joe.

Wayne knew better to tell Martha anything that just happened upstairs in Aunty M room or the boys for that matter, taking a look around the farm. “Just a broken window Martha that’s all,” Wayne said hooks up the wagon headed for New Downing to pick up a new one ordering everyone to stay out of that room for now unless Doc says otherwise.