Chapter 10-2

Chapter 10-2

 

Jeff slowly skillfully returned to the Judge of Time and reports of his findings. “Well at least he still alive” the Judge looking at the mountain of twisted dungeon caves of the old copper mine, “but the chains worry me and you say that three made it back during the fight. What’s done is done just means we have to move more sooner than later or things could get very tight. You better report back to Nathaniel and Jaydan go on from there, be careful. We can’t expose you, Jeff. Remember you are supposed to be dead to this world. You are still known in these parts for now.”

Jeff slowly nods, “thanks for the chance Judge. It’s nice to be needed instead wondering the hallways waiting and helping out once in a while.”

“Jeff, you’ll find it takes a lot of courage and friends that will stand by your side when you have to make those difficult choices, but always stick to your guns when you know it’s the right one to make and void the traps that are laid before you. Because son nobody is perfect, no matter how much power they have or think they have. The more you have the greater the responsibility is placed on your shoulders, so if you treat it with respect, it just becomes another tool like a hammer or a saw for some. While others want more and more. They will treat it with disregard, become power hungry while it will utterly, in the end, destroy them not taking the responsibility upon themselves, wondering what they did wrong.

“Even though you have a little now, just remember the risks you take vs. the gains of true happiness son that await you for the battle. For you, it has just begun on a different battlefield. Starting with that boy in there as your charge, who needs you the most. For it was not I who placed the bond upon you, it was a council much higher than mine. I am just the guardian of the gate and the Judge of time of this world of many, but I to have my limits and I too like you have charges of my own. Yes. I know that may surprise you as in life as it is in death. The cycle enter twines follows the same pattern.”

Jeff and Judge walked back to the edge of barrier stepping outside the ring Jeff makes a quick a gateway to Nathaniel house waits for him there…..

* * *

 

EJ cracks up laughing if he had just lost his mind as the guards run down the stairs. He couldn’t help himself as tears rolled down his face staring in the corners at nothing. EJ couldn’t tell where he was anymore, are if the shapes were moving about in the room. His mind was playing tricks on him. He was beginning to no longer care. EJ has been in the dark for so long. “Imaging things like Jeff coming in here telling him that Jaydan could save him and who is this person Nathaniel?  Have I met him before? And how are my bothers going to sneak in here without being seen? 

"I have lost my freaking mind,” looking at the walls laughing at the walls.  “Of course that man did say he was in battle he had escaped only to die by Morgan's hands. Something to think about, but at least... maybe that was Jeff, but how can Jaydan help me and this Nathaniel person?” EJ laying back on the stone bed turning over watching the guards clean up the cells removing the bodies and the old discard food….

* * *

 

Miss Jennings pulled up into the driveway of Linda’s house with the girls and their mother. “That’s strange...” Linda looked at the old homestead. “It seems deserted,” the girls ran up the stairs finding the door locked as they try to peep through the windows. Linda takes out the house key entered the house finding Jim not at home as she walked through the house it seemed colder.

The boy's bedroom all board up from the inside the house with chains and padlocks on the door. Linda went outside the house finds bars on the windows seeing plywood covering window from inside the window. The girl's room hasn’t been touched except the beds were made and a flower for each of his daughters and note where to find him if they need to with welcoming arms just for them.

Peggy turned around quickly facing her mother, “I told ya he wanted us,” with a cold hard stare, “and just us.” Peggy taking the note pushed it in front of her face so she could read it. “Those boys are nothing but trouble,” Peggy said staring her mother down cold, hard as steel, thinking of the victory she just won.

Jasmine turning around sensing the battle in the air in the distance seeing the dark clouds over the edge by New Downing towards the mountain pass, having another battle of her own inside the house of the Stuarts as Peggy tries to regain control once more. “O my,” hearing the yelling down the hall she quickly enters the house. “I think that’s enough young lady!” Seeing Peggy backing her mother into a corner.

Mrs. Jennings taking Linda by the arm pushed her out of the way of fire while Peggy and her eyes locked. “Now listen here Peggy and listen good. I have been keeping tabs on you and I know the score. That’s right. I know how bad you want everyone out of the way. I just have one thing to say… Be very careful what you wish for. There will be a time and a price will be paid. It may not be now, but later on, in this life, you’ll regret your wish and the deeds to obtain the wish. Like they all do in the end... but it is the choice we make now that changes the future. So think about it really hard, do I want to go down that road and pay the price? It’s your choice.”

Taking the note from her so she can read it, left her standing there.  “Looks like he staying at his workplace to avoid everyone. The neighbors were driving him crazy most likely because he didn’t want help in the search. What I don’t like,” Mrs. Jennings said looking at the boy’s bedroom door, “is that as if he doesn’t want them back at all from the outside there are bars to keep them out or in if we find him.”

“I have feeling it’s out Mrs. Jennings,” Linda looked down at the floor and back at the door. “He’s already told me that, I just didn’t listen,” as a soft tear rolled down her cheek. “EJ is miserable here. They never get along, they have always hated each other and I wasn’t that great of a mother either I am afraid,” as her voice cracks into more sobs.

“Yes I know, but at least your trying now, which could make a difference. You just need a little help and some good luck of your own and just maybe things might turn out not as bad as they seem at the moment. Now then Linda, what do want to do? Go get your husband and bring him home or go back to the farm and wait it out there?” She asked trying to stay calm as the battle outside raged on. Knowing there nothing she can do to help them in there need. Her duty for the moment lies with Linda.

Mrs. Jennings paced the floor looking out the window towards the darkening skies. Which has lessened now as smoke rises somewhere in the valley? Linda tries to decide what to do. “I sure have made a mess of things at the farm,” thinking of her little breakdown. “The way I see it, Mrs. Jennings, I am needed right here,” Linda looking down the hallway at the closed door.  “Right now my girls need their father and I have work to do and I’ll be down to the farm myself in a couple of days. So if you wouldn’t mind I’ll stay here and leave Danny with them for a couple of days while I get his room ready?  There’s going to be some changes made around here starting with that room.”

Linda with a glowing twinkle in her eye walks out to the shed grabs the sledgehammer and the ax, walked back into the house. Mrs. Jennings merely watched as she takes a swing at the door busting hole right through it.  Then taking another swing at the lock, cracking with three strikes as the chains fell to the ground. Linda chops the door up into pieces. Lets herself into the room headed straight for the windows using the ax to pry loose the plywood off the windows tossing it in the middle of the floor. Linda beating the wood with the ax and sledgehammer with an inch of its life into smaller pieces. “All right girls lets go find your father,” wiping the sweat from her brow shoving them towards the door into the car with Mrs. Jennings right behind them.

Linda slowly turned around facing the girls. “I hope you like your new room, Peggy and Donna because today is moving day.” Peggy and Donna's mouths drop starring back at one another than looked at the back of their mothers head with an icy cold stare. Linda merely smiles not paying any attention as they drove to Jim’s workplace where they find him mowing the lawn in the back of the church house. 

Mrs. Jennings parked beside their car, “if you need anything Linda just give me a call. Oh, by the way, I understand that Mrs. Trenny, two blocks down from your place is willing to give you a hand, but you know that already,” as she smiles. “When you get home call Martha and tell them your plans child, that way they know your coming not leaving them in a larch. You’d be surprised how understanding they are dear.”  Linda nods and watched her drive off down the road while her girls ran towards their father as he looked up from his work stopping the mower.

He put his arms around his girls and listened to them frowning what their mother has done as they locked eyes as she comes forward. “Its all true Jim… they work hard for the first time in their entire lives. Yes, I broke that nasty door down and tore the boards off the windows, and yes I told them that room is going to be their room as soon as we get home. Things are going to change around here if you like it or not because I can’t do it alone. You may hate them. You may be disappointed in them and wish they were never born, well that’s tough. Whatever your problem is, get over it. I won’t have it. I can’t.

“I may have lost one already, but I refuse to lose another because of your stubbornness. It no longer matters to me if he turns out just like his brother, in fact, I hope he does just to spite you. At least down there he might have a chance of becoming something other than this if I just let him. Right now he is lost to all of us thanks to you, me and that man Morgan the person who you think doesn’t exist.

“If he did run away, he had good reason to, being forced into something he did not want to do, for he was happier where he was? We forced it. You wanted nothing to do with him; hated every second he was alive. Who’s not to say you are not the man that took him from me and locked him away where nobody could have him, because you hated him that much.

“I will not give you this victory while others search for him who seem to care more about him then their selves then you do. Caring more about what the neighbors might think. I no longer care what they think for they are my friends now. Who helped in the search for my son. I’ll give you two choices Jim.

“One; you can stay here and hide from the neighbors and me. Two; you can come home deal with it seek the help you need in hopes of putting this family back together again. Either way, the choice is yours.” As Linda pushed the girls towards the car leaving Jim with his own thoughts, watching him start the mower not looking back as they drove off down the road.

Linda thinking she might have been a little hard on him as she looked back in the rear-view mirror. “No. He had it coming. Mrs. Jennings is right. It’s the choice we make now that determine our future and we must make a change. EJ life is at stake, either if it is with me or with Downing’s we all have to change. He can not feel like a prisoner one moment and free the next I won’t have it. Danny must not be caught in the middle and have a life of his own.”

Linda pulled into the driveway looking at the empty house taking a deep breath. “Ok girls were home,” ushering them inside the house, “like I said today is moving day,” pointing to their rooms. “I want that room emptied in two hours,” giving them each a hard cold stare. Picking up the phone calling Martha, “that’s strange nobody picking up,” as the phone rings.

Linda dials Mrs. Trenny place, “Hello Mrs. Trenny this Linda…. Fine thanks for asking… Do you still have some strong young lads down at your place… You do, well I need some help…Yes, my husband doesn’t seem to be at home and we're doing a little shuffling around…. Yes, that would be great…. Oh, I can’t seem to get hold of Martha down at the farm, is something wrong? You haven’t heard of anything… Doc is gone down there…. Yes, he was there when I left… Probably nothing just worry with all the stress…Yes. I thought it was best for the girls to be home close to their father and I’ll return there in a couple of days. All right I’ll do that, thanks for the help…..

Rose hung up the phone, “that’s strange,” pouring herself a cup of tea.

“What is it Rose?” Rena asked putting down the list of things they need for supplies.

“Linda calling me for help, she says she's at home doing some shuffling needs some boys to help her. She also says Martha not at home when she called a few minutes ago wanted to know if anything was wrong down there. I was wondering that myself since your husband hasn’t come back yet.”

Rena yell’s outside where the boys and some of the men are planning to look next for EJ. “Linda needs some help down at her place, says Jim not home yet needs two or three strong young lads to help her move a few things. I thought I go with ya see what situation is and lend a hand if I can until my husband returns. Something just doesn’t smell right somewhere?  I got a funny feeling that’s something’s brewing somewhere south.

“Yes, ma’am.” They replied deciding who will go with her while they continue the search.