Chapter 23-1

Chapter 23-1

Aggie stood her ground. “If you must know everything went wrong and mean really wrong. We were having a nice little get together in the living room until his brother Steve decide he wanted to talk to his brother alone then all hell broke loose. That’s right I mean loose… Morgan wrong… house gone, no longer standing… hoping we were still inside it.

Luckily we were there for their sakes. Then if that wasn’t enough he had to make sure the job was finished. That's right comput,” taking her finger across her throat. “Sent some his men after us, his goon squad. Now we are running for our lives, except Doc he wasn’t touched somehow it didn’t affect him.”

Aggie puzzled looking towards his office. “Strange come to think about it.” Nathaniel knew the answer considering he seen most of it himself knows more secrets what’s going on around here than anybody. “So we escaped for parts only I know... me and a whole tribe of Stuarts and couple of soldiers running because one could not control that beast of his inside in the most dangerous place of all in the house.

“Now then I need to fill this list and get back before they can cause any more trouble. Because that spell has a limit that I placed on them if they even get an idea of screaming at each other besides his daughters. So please excuse me I have things that I need to be doing then jawing with you. If you want more, talk to Doc he has time, just get out of my way,” pushed him away from her.

Aggie found and loaded a whole cart of supplies that she could find, but things around here are scares as it is. Not happy as she drives a small wagon down the road about three miles out of town as she makes a gate to the back of her mountain pass then pulls the leaver as it slowly opens, letting her in then closes it tight.

The place hasn’t been used in years as she waved her hand across her face due to the dust collected. Then takes her small wand from her pocket waves it in the air, does little spring cleaning. As the dust around the place lifts and floats away up the chimney. “Aha, that’s better.” As she climbed the stairs seeing the little-bewildered group huddled in the corner of the room not daring to move.

“Things are bad folks but not that bad… Yet… I would like to keep it that way so the same rules apply. No yelling or screaming especially from you two,” looking at Linda and Jim. Then turning to his daughters, “and you know I mean business now don’t you.” Linda and the girls shake their heads yes. “Good because I do not have time to play childish games when things like or worse are coming after you.”

“You mean there are things worse?” Loraine squeaks out.

“Oh heavens yes.” Loraine's face turned white just thinking about it digging her nails into Steve's arm. “Boys I brought some supplies you can put them away, it should be enough for at least a few days.’ Things are rather scares down in New Downing. So I will have to go elsewhere for other things providing we still can, providing we are all still alive” looking at Jim. “You're all probably wondering where you are at this moment besides a cavern in a mountain I am right?” She asked.

Not daring to say a word they just nod yes. “You have traveled far and when I say far I mean it. You're in my home on Trillen its small star if you look east in the sky in your world you might see it.”

Aggie watches their faces as if it was hard for them to believe or can’t see it in front of their eyes. “We have three moons, two you see by day one at night the sky is orange instead of blue like yours. Our people live in the mountains for protection from the elements outside.

"For they are harsh and dangerous, but some tribes still today live outside in underground culverts huts which are called Pedy homes for they are built from Pedy trees, are in some ways like you would call a palm tree except we use the trunk as a house. Some of the Pedy trees trunks can hold a family of six very easily. For me, I prefer this compare to the tree because the swaying makes me nauseous.

“As I was saying earlier you are stuck here whether you like it or not it does not change the fact even though you Steve and your wife might invertible not have caused this mess and jeopardized them by no fault of your own. Sooner or later it was bound to happen…

“How? You might ask…well let's see.” Aggie taking piece paper off the shelf, “I was asking the same question a few days ago not realizing the answer. I’m problem solver you see and spend a lot of time thinking because I have had a lot of time to do just to do that. Let's just say for know as we all know the Downing’s because they are in the same boat you are in because that’s where your son was living.

“Yes, Linda I know he was with you at the time he was taken. That same night was the night that Morgan escaped from his cell.” As Aggie takes the tea kettle off the fire and pours everyone a nice hot cup.

“You see I was there and found the man dead and soldiers lying on the floor. Now then the best way I can explain is this…” As she recounted what the Council of Light gave a pending verdict and the sentencing of Morgan. That there were two documents he had for the boy one from Jim and from Linda….

Jim’s eyes and her's met as the words that they were both guilty of the same crime. Yet hers was out of love his was out foolishness. As she tries to tell him he wasn’t really about to die and he would have healed in time. Morgan just made it seem so at the time. That he had no other way; which put him into greater trouble with the council. She tries to explain.  “And if you weren’t so pig-headed at the time you would have seen right through it,” she replied in a calm manner as she continues.

“Then the tables turned as a third party was involved for the rights of the boy himself. A bond or escape clause was in place preventing Morgan to have the boy at this time. Until if determined what side would tip the scales placing both contracts in box uncollected.” Aggie stokes the fire, “so you see Jim you still have a chance, maybe with one or both your boys, that’s why I say I small hope for you, but if you can’t find what you lost and control that anger or rage you will lose more than just those boys.”

Aggie looking down at the paper as she draws a line a timeline of history and advents and of their family tree. “Your mother is doing a lot more than sightseeing Steve and Jim and sleeping under the stars. They are on the run just like you are now and have been for awhile except they have one thing.”

As Linda nods and cries. “She has my boys.”

Aggie placed a hand on her shoulder. “Yes.  And that strange feeling you had when you looked at EJ that something was missing Linda.”

Linda looks surprised. “You know?” She replied.

“I was there dear protecting the house. Because they needed to be protected from you... Nathaniel couldn’t do it alone. EJ was only half there, his other half is with Morgan right now. Danny was the only one you could hold and touch completely, but he too has special protection, a mother’s love from you, but for you. Because Martha made a choice with all her heart to keep him safe for you. He had to be hers until he can return to you unharmed, in a loving home that will accept him for who is, not what you want him to be. plus.” Aggie turned to Jim. “Not being afraid of you and Morgan is gone and out of danger,

Aggie glances over at Steve. “Back to the problem, so that leaves you left on the food chain as it were because sooner or later he would be knocking on your door asking questions and I don’t mean nicely either. Unless you consider a sword across your throat nice because all your family members would have been gone except for you two.

That house was nothing compared to the damage he could do to a whole town in mere minutes. Get my drift sonny?” Steve nods and smiles as he held his wife's hands. “Well then time we get settled in girls, I hope you are not afraid of hard work because your hands are going to see nothing but work. Starting with this bag of potatoes,” and lifting a pot. “Steve you can help carry the water in, there’s stream half a mile from the cavern. You go with him Darlem.”

Steve was getting the idea fairly quickly that is one woman you don’t argue with as Darlem opens the cavern door to the outside. He could defiantly tell he was not in Kansas anymore or Santaquin for that matter. Steve looks at the orange sky and two moons than at the large trees as big as a house driveway to park a truck. What she didn’t say as he looks around a bit that some of the greener trees look kinda dead and the soil looks burnt to a crisp, similar like he saw around New Downing and around Jim's place.

When he reached the small creek it was almost dry as it took several tries to fill the bucket. What was also strange there were no birds of any kind or animal life that he could see. But his task was simple as he filled the bucket anyway then returns watching the cavern close them in tight. Steve and his partner walked back up the stairs of the cavern while Jim was down feeding the horse he looks at Steve not saying a word.

I’m sure he thought plenty as he watches him climb the stairs. For a man alone like he is with nothing to do, but wait around now. Because now everyone knows or lest he does in his mind there’s not a chance he could do to fix things. For him to deal with knowing that his sons and now his entire family could be at risk because of a stupid thing he did as a kid. Who’s to say if he had the chance to do it again, would he sign on the dotted line when asked without reading it first? Then do everything you can or fight harder against the decision made. Knowing in the end it was best for the person or persons involved.

Jim slowly kicks the ground watching the rocks scatter to one side. “It just doesn’t matter what I think anymore for it is too late he knows and I know it. The only thing I can do is,” looking up the stairs where his wife is. “Make sure she at least gets Danny back.” Jim climbed the stairs putting his arm around his wife whisper “I’ll try dear,” then holds her hand in hers as she looks into his eyes.

It was a long time ago for her when she saw a small light in the corner of his eye that night. Linda nods then whispers “that’s all I’m asking.”

Aggie watch’s from the corner not saying a word then whispers. “Now their journey begins.”

The calmness was interrupted by two girls fighting again as one got splashed with water from a potato. “You did that on purpose…Peggy screeching.”

“Did not…”

“Did too... Did too...”

“Not,” Dona splashing even harder… as they started hitting each other. Aggie could sense the shadows as they crept up the walls and silenced the girl’s tongues. Hoping in time before anything happened further, watching with a careful eye, placing a ward of protection around them all.

The energy did not leave the room as they all gathered in the middle of the cavern. The room was cold in spite of the fireplace was burning bright it could not consume the coldness of the room. Aggie knew that they were in trouble as she slowly makes her way around the room gathering a few things whispering to them not to move. Then it started aloud crack inside the mountain was heard as boulders were falling down all around them.

Shaking loose the ceiling above them. Aggie quickly forming a glass dome around them as if they were in a tiny bubble of air. Aggie watches the sides of her home fall away as if she never lived there. Everyone seeing for the first time what Morgan has done to this world and now this as she looks at two girls.

Aggie cried for her people as she looked at the dead trees barely standing. Yet there was no one to cry for as she looked out, not one soul running in terror. For it was too late they were already gone, where she did not know. Finally, all the rumbling stopped as they looked for riders or worse, but nothing….But silences, as they walked carefully along the hillside. Aggie falls to her knees noticing the mass grave of her people, but the names were not listed. Then she screams “why!!?” Into the air with such force as if the world was crying out in pain and sorrow.

Her eyes bent hard as steel upon two girls. “This is what happens when you can’t control yourself…. take a good look around you. This is what anger does.” Pointing to all the destruction, “it kills everything around you. Is this what you want? Because if it is your in the right place, for everything is dead just like you. Your brothers are fighting against this and most your family are fighting and people around them against this”

Aggie points all around them making sure they take a good look. “Maybe this why you hate them so much because they are alive and want to live in a world, not like this filled with destruction and hate. Jim did you ever wonder why your son runs away a lot alone. I know why because I was there for him when you weren’t. That’s right Linda I have more ties to that boy of yours then you do. I have spent more time with him then both of you put together.

“I know where he is and what he will become and where he’s going. Yet it frightens me to think that each day he is alive, wondering how he can come back to this. Well, I won’t have it, not now not ever.

"Steve is a good person you should look up to Jim. I see he has a good heart just needs to dust it off once in a while. But a lot better than yours, Linda I would like you to look up to Loraine she has plenty to go around. You girls should look to your mother’s efforts as the times get hard and they will.”

Aggie stands taking one last look around and sighs. “Alright let’s start walking see what we can find before it gets dark.” Her little group stands there looking stupid as the soldiers followed Aggie.

“You must be joking?”  Jim replied.   Aggie and the soldiers just keep walking away down the road a few paces before Steve and Loraine catch up with her then the rest join in. For Aggie was not one to joke, she was serious as they walked down the broken road. Their little group had no idea where she is headed. For this was her world, not theirs as they all look at different sky and trees and the landscape around them. Neither did Aggie for that matter it had been years since she been here…..