More of Lord, Lily shows off!

ACT 7

            Lily had last of their belongings packed and her tears were dry when Lord went back into the room.  Her eyes were reddened from the crying but there was a determined set to her jaw that hadn’t been there earlier.

            “Let’s go.” She said flatly and carried her stuff out to the pickup.  Lord picked up his bundle and the guitar and followed her out. They climbed into the truck after loading their stuff into the bed and drove out of the motor court. Lily saluted the nosy motel clerk with a raised single finger as they passed the office. Lord chuckled, but he didn’t want anymore trouble so he told her, “Hey, easy there, we don’t want the ‘bird’ police chasing us down. We’re good.  Let’s drive for a while and find somewhere to eat later.”

            Lily gave him a dirty look, but she nodded in agreement. They hit the highway headed north. Lily took in the scenery on both sides of the road. She had never been this way before. The desert gave way gradually to taller brush and more grasses and the land began to rise.  Lord didn’t gawk too much as the truck wandered a bit and he had to concentrate on keeping it between the lines. He did let his mind wander back to Lily’s situation and his experience along the same lines.

            Slick drank so much and so often that if he and Charley timed it right they didn’t have to see much of the son of a bitch. Mom didn’t have that luxury. Lord thought that she diverted his attention whenever she could so that her boys didn’t get in his way and suffer for it.  Reflecting on it now, Lord wondered why she put up with Slick. If Lily met Mom now and then I explained my experiences with a violent step-dad and his abuse of her, Lily would have a hard time believing it.  Mom had regained her dignity and strength but it had taken a lot to get her there.

            Lord had run afoul of the sheriff one afternoon. He was wandering through the drug store, fingering the candy, touching the sunglasses, just generally acting like he was casing the joint for a shoplifting run. Old man Jones had spoken to him twice about looking and not touching but Lord ignored him.  He didn’t ignore Lord, he called the Sheriff’s Office for some help.  Unfortunately for Lord, Sheriff Olsen answered the phone. He came right over. Sheriff Olsen was a big, blonde, blue-eyed, not-so-dumb second generation Swede.  He had hands as big as a catcher’s mitt and the biceps to lift anything that they grabbed a-hold of. That day they grabbed a hold of him.

            “Boy, I need to talk to you.  Mr. Jones can I use your office?” the sheriff dragged/led him back into the office when Mr. Jones nodded yes. When they got in there the sheriff shut the door with a crash. Lord jumped. “Turn your pockets out, then turn around.” he barked. “Put your hands above your head.” Lord did what he was told. His legs began to shake as the implications of this getting back to Mom, and the beating that Slick would give him if he heard of it. The sheriff watched as Lord did as he was told and then stepped up behind him, pinched his hands together and stretched him up so that he was on his tiptoes, and then patted him down, carefully not touching any private areas.

            “Now, tell me why you were trying to steal Mr. Jones’ merchandise. He told me that he asked you not to touch and you disobeyed him. Twice. What do you think you were doing?”

            “I was just wishing I had money to buy something, so I was pretending to be shopping!” Lord’s emotions finally got the best of him, he broke down and cried. The sheriff let him go until he stopped and dried the tears and wiped his nose on his forearm before he said, “Tell me what’s going on at home.” And Lord did, everything, except about Slick’s violence.

            The encounter with the deputy had distracted them from their hunger and so Lord had just driven. Lily had been silent for about an hour then broke the quiet, “I got to pee, can you find a restroom? And hurry please.”

            Lord jumped, startled out of his dreaming. He chuckled nervously. “You spooked me. I was thinking of something else.”  He looked over at her, her hands were holding her pregnant belly and she grimaced, like she was in pain. “Are you all right?” Lord was suddenly serious, he hoped it wasn’t the baby’s birthday.  What did he know about that?

            “The little beggar is kicking like a mule, I am trying not to wet myself, so hurry! Lily was rubbing her stomach trying to calm the baby down.  “HURRY!”

            Lord was desperately looking for signs of a rest area or truck stop but all he could see was greasewood and cholla . He decided that the brush would have to do. He slowed the truck and pulled off on the shoulder and stopped.

            Lily looked over at him with a question on her face. “What?” she asked.

            “The bushes will have to do, there isn’t anything in sight. I won’t look.” Lord grinned, after he turned his head. She was going to be lucky if she hurried, the traffic was pretty thin today.

            Lily’s lips pursed in a pout, but she knew that she had no choice. She decided that rather than wandering out in the spiny brush, she would stay close and lean against the side of the truck.  Looking both ways for oncoming cars and seeing nothing but empty road, she undid her jeans and squatted.  Relief was instantaneous, the pressure of her bladder and the baby kicking it like a football had been nearly unbearable. Just as she was about to stand up and pull her pants up, a semi-truck crested the little hill behind them with a roar. Scrambling, stumbling, she struggled with the reluctant jeans. Lord watched the trucker in his side mirror, the driver’s eyes widened as he took in the scene of the skinny pregnant girl struggling with her pants that were down to her knees. Lord saw his left arm raise as he grasped the string that controlled his air horn. “WWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! The horn wailed in appreciation of Lily’s dancing try at covering her bare behind.

            Lily cursed.

            Lord’s ears burned.

            The truck passed with a couple of tributary toots as it sped on its way.

            Finally clothed, Lily climbed back in the pickup grumbling all of the way. “Let’s go. I’m hungry, aren’t you?” she changed the subject.  When she didn’t get a response from Lord, she poked him in the arm. “Let’s go!”

            He put the truck in gear and let the clutch out, checking for traffic in the side mirror. “Toot Toot” Lord couldn’t resist the joke. He broke out laughing as the truck started to accelerate down the road. He chanced a look at Lily, she was smiling broadly. For some reason Lord thought this was hilarious and he laughed harder, nearly missing his shift to a higher gear.  Lily let loose and laughed with him.

Next

ACT 6

            Lord woke as the sun rose in the eastern sky. It was like there was a scraping sound as the bright yellow disk lifted above the horizon. The astral noise never failed to wake him. He lay still for a few seconds listening for sounds of Lily, he needed to get up, the bathroom beckoned. Feeling that it was safe, he whipped the sheet off of him and he stood, reaching for his levi’s. He tried putting them on as he hopped to the toilet. After he was finished relieving himself he decided he better comb his hair and brush his teeth so that he could go out and get a cup of coffee and something sweet. His stomach still ached from yesterdays sickness, but pangs of hunger rumbled there too.

            He peeked out of the doorway, making sure that his clumsy dressing hadn’t brought Lily out of her sound sleep. She was still breathing deep and regular. He hurried over to his bed and found a clean shirt, but had no luck with socks, so he unwadded the dirty pair stuffed in his boots and pulled them on, then the boots. Lord tiptoed to the door and went outside.

            Lily smiled, then opened her eyes. She had been awake since Lord had drawn the bedcovers back and sat up. She had learned to be a light sleeper around her father. She and her sister had never known when he might come into their room and start screaming at them and lashing out in a drunken fury. They had to be prepared to escape his ranting.  Now, she wouldn’t have to worry about him again.

            She decided that it was time to get up, Lord probably wanted to get going early. As early as they could anyway. She wouldn’t hold him back, after all, he was generously giving her a ride to…well somewhere. A sudden kick by the baby inside her reminded her that she had to figure something out soon.

            Lily was drying her hair with the thin towels that were provided when Lord let himself into the room. She watched him set two cups and a small sack on the desk.

            “Donuts” he said when he saw her look at the sack. “I hope you like coffee.””

            Lily grimaced, “It will do until I can get some milk. And some eggs, bacon, toast…lots of jam. Can we get breakfast Lord? I’m real hungry. It’s the baby, you know.”

            Lord grinned, “I guess, but let’s get down the road a ways. Maybe, we can find a good café instead of a drive-in. It looks like the baby is getting all of the food.”

            Lily blushed at the thought of him looking that close at her swollen stomach. She couldn’t do anything about it, “Right now, that is.” she thought. “Can I have that last donut?”

            Lord laughed and handed it over.

             They finished their snack and Lord took his turn in the shower. He opened the bathroom door to let the steam out. He looked in amazement at the scene before him. Lily had dumped his bundle out on the bed and sorted the clean clothes from the dirty ones, which she had bundled in a pillow case and set it by the door. The clean clothes were still piled on the bed waiting for him to choose what he would wear for the day. She had separated his toiletry items into a pile on another pillow case. “Wow! What have you done? You didn’t have to.” Lord told her.

            Lily sat on the side of her bed nonchalantly watching his expression. Her bundle was neatly packed and sitting by the door waiting for him to load it. She said, “I know I didn’t but I thought it might speed things up for us this morning and make it easier tonight when we stop. You about ready?”

            Lord didn’t know what to say except to acknowledge her logic, “Yeah, I guess you’re right, I was in a bit of a hurry yesterday, Thanks…a lot.  That was real nice of you Lily. I’ll be done as soon as I grab some clean socks and brush my teeth.”

            When his morning ritual was finished Lord slipped his boots back on and picked up an armload of stuff and motioned for Lily to open the door. He walked out into the sunshine and to his old Chevy pickup with his load of clothes. He lifted the bundles of their belongings over the side of the pickup bed and onto the wooden floor. He straightened up and turned to go back for another load and ran face to face into a deputy sheriff.   

              “What you think you’re doing there, boy?” The officer asked.

            Lord didn’t know what else to say, “Getting ready to hit the road. Got a long way to go.”

            The deputy acted like he hadn’t said anything, but asked, “Have you got a girl in that room with you?” He didn’t give way so that Lord could go anywhere.

            “Yes sir, not a girl, a woman. She’s just a friend that I’m giving a ride to.” Lord was suddenly worried. He had asked her age, and she had said 18, but he hadn’t really seen proof of that.

            The deputy’s right eyebrow raised, “Well let’s just see about that.” He turned and walked into the room. When he spied Lily, the other eyebrow raised at the pregnant belly and the black eye that was now fading to a glorious green and yellow. He spoke in that serious law enforcement voice. “Ma’am what happened to you, did this man hit you? Are you alright, do you need help?”

            Lily’s eyes grew as wide as the deputy’s. She stammered, “I’m OK, really. My father hit me the other day. He’s a drunk. Lord is my friend. It’s OK, really it is.” Her voice wavered, like she might cry.

            Lord stood in the doorway, feeling helpless. This was getting to be unfunny. He hoped that black eye would fade a bit faster. The deputy raised his hand, like that would stop the tears like it stopped traffic. Lily didn’t recognize the gesture and took it as unbelief. She sobbed and the tears began to flow. “Really, I’m not lying, if it wasn’t for Lord, both eyes would be black. Please, don’t do anything to him.”

            The deputy was alarmed, he hadn’t wanted to make her cry. “Wait, don’t cry! I’m just checking on you, the motel clerk called me this morning. Now, just quit crying and show me your identification. We’ll sort this out.”

            Lord reached in his hip pocket and lifted the wallet out. His license was right in front, he removed it to hand to the officer. Lily was still sobbing, but she started rummaging through her pack. She stirred through all of her belongings with no luck. Feeling desperate, she dumped the bag upside down and poured the contents out on the bed. She was crying outwardly now, tearing at the ‘stuff’ on the bed, throwing it aside if it wasn’t her wallet.  Lord stepped towards her in order to help, but the deputy held out his arm to stop him.

            “I’ll help her, you stay by the door.” he said. He walked over to her side. “Now, just calm down there, little girl, what is it we are looking for?”

            “Mmmm….mm…my wallet.” Fresh tears coursed down her cheeks. “It was in here last night.!”

The deputy reached down and picked up a thin leather wallet, “Is this it?” He held it up for her to look at.

            With her eyes full of tears she held out her hand and the deputy gave her the wallet. She opened it and pulled out her Drivers license, and gave it to him.  He looked it over and looked at Lord’s as well.  He handed the cards back to Lily. The deputy’s hand went to cup his face and he turned and walked to the door. He stopped in front of Lord, still holding his face and looking at the floor.  

            “Son, do you know what you’re doing?” he said as he lifted his head and looked Lord in the eyes. Lord looked steadily back at him. The deputy turned and looked at Lily and asked, “Do you trust him to take care of you? He won’t hurt you? Or the baby?” he pointed at her belly.

            “Yessir, I trust him like a brother. You see, I got no one else. I can’t go back home. I won’t.“  Her jaw was rigid with determination. The tears dried up and a fire burned in her eyes. “Dad hit me the last time two days ago, and I won’t be mistreated again.”

            The deputy nodded, “OK, you’re old enough to know what you want.” He turned back to Lord, “Walk with me out to my car.” He pushed by Lord and walked. Lord followed, noticing that Lily still stood defiantly watching the men.  When the deputy reached his car, he paused and held out his hand, there was a business card in it. Lord tried to take it, but the man shifted enough to grip his hand and hold it, the card held between. “Call me or write when you reach where you’re going. If she doesn’t stay with you, let me know where she is. OK?”

            Lord nodded, “Yessir, you can reach me through the county sheriff at home. If you don’t hear from me, call him…he’ll know what’s up.” They shook hands in agreement.

            “Take care of her, she needs someone.” The deputy got into his car and drove away. 

Lord of this World Act 5

Dear friends, if you are a dedicated reader of this story blog, you will recognize this story. I am sorry it has been so long since the last installment, but some other stories have interfered. Act 4 was published in June. I hope you will enjoy this chapter. Thank you for sticking with me. There is more to come. Much more.

Lord of this World Act 5

ACT 5

            Lord returned with a sack full of food and two shakes. He handed them through the window to Lily and got behind the wheel. He was ready for supper and about a century of sleep. He was that tired. As he started the truck down the highway he noticed a shabby old motor court with a vacant sign blinking by the road.

            “Let’s stay here, I’m exhausted, I don’t think I could drive another mile.” he pulled into the portico and went in. “I’ll be right out.” he told Lily. Then he stopped, he turned and looked her straight in the eye.

            “I can’t afford two rooms, I should’ve asked first. I’m sorry.” Lord was distressed. “Is it alright? To share, I mean.”

            Lily stared right back at him. Boldly, for her (he thought), she firmly said, “Of course, I trust you.”

            He smiled and went in to pay for the room. He returned shortly and drove into the courtyard to a door marked “13” and parked. Lord got out and opened the door to the room. He came back and lifted his bundle and guitar out of the back of the truck.

            “Can you bring the food, I’ll get your bag next trip?”

            Lily agreed and carried the sack of burgers and drinks into the room and turned on the light. Lord dropped his bundle and set the guitar against the bed. After he collected her bag and locked the truck doors for the night, he went in to the room and shut the door behind him. There was a little desk and a rickety chair by the window. He collapsed into the chair and kicked his boots off.  He heard the rush of water as the toilet flushed. Lily opened the bathroom door and went to the burgers. She laid them out on the desk in front of him. “Time to eat.” She picked up one of paper wrapped hamburgers. He picked one for himself and began to unwrap it but he was distracted by Lily. She must have been ravenous, the sandwich disappeared in a flurry.  She turned and went back to the bathroom and ran some water into a glass and took a sip. She walked back out to the desk and selected another hamburger and unwrapped it and set to demolishing the second one. It was a little less dramatic this time, but still just as determined.

            They finished their meal and put the wrappings in the trash. Lord was thinking how amazing it was that a little girl like her could eat so much.  It was like the baby inside her was taking his nourishment directly from what she ate or maybe those skinny legs were hollow. His eyes began to droop from the fatigue of driving and leftover hangover.

            Lily shook his shoulder, “Lord, will you go outside while I get into bed?” she pointed to the twin bed closest to the bathroom. “I’m tired.”

            Lord nodded in agreement and went outside. The evening was warm, almost hot even though the sun had been down for a while now. He stood by his truck and leaned on the hood. Thoughts  of home and Bree ran around his skull tormenting him. “What would he do now?’” he thought. His plans were blown all to hell and he hadn’t considered a ‘Plan B’. The scenes of this morning replayed once more in his mind.  He thought of Lily and bastard father of hers. This led right back to his boyhood and his abusive step-father.

            He had sat on that porch for most of an hour when Slick pulled up in the driveway. The man swayed a bit as he strolled up to the porch where Lord sat. “What the hell you doing kid?” he slurred the words.

            Lord looked at this man who had taken his father’s place, not in Lord’s eyes, but in his Mom’s. Even though he had hit her, using his fists to show her what a big man he was, she still hadn’t said anything against him. Lord wasn’t going to put up with that behavior, after all, he thought his father would want him to defend his mother.

            “Waiting for you.” he said flatly.

            “Oh…is that right. What do you want me for?”

            “Don’t hit my mother again.” Lord looked him directly in the eye.

            “Or what?” Slick grinned at the thought of Lord trying anything.

            “Or you’ll be sorry.” Lord held his ground.

            Slick cuffed him up side of his head. Lord flew off of the porch and onto the grass. He laid there, dazed.

            “Looks like you ain’t gonna do much are you?” Slick smirked and walked into the house, hollering “Where’s my supper woman? Or do you need a tune up like that smart mouthed brat of yours?”

            Lord didn’t hear her reply but Charley came out and helped him up. Lord’s eyes were watering from the force of the blow and there was a ringing in his ears. Charley asked, “What happened Lord? Why’d he hit you?”

            Lord spit the iron tasting blood/saliva onto the grass, licking his lips to clear them. “I told him not to hit mom anymore. So he hit me.” Lord held his head in his hands trying to stop the ringing.

            “This ain’t right Lord. Dad wouldn’t put up with someone like him. He always said that real men don’t hit girls. What should we do about it?” Charley was letting his fear creep into his voice. The sound of it worried Lord. He was supposed to watch out for his little brother. Mom said.

            “I don’t know Charley, I‘ll figure something out. Let’s go get some supper before he throws it out.” Lord led the way inside, watching warily for an ambush.

            Lord’s thoughts were interrupted by Lily’s voice telling him that it was his turn to get ready for bed. He entered the room carefully, not wanting to invade her privacy. Seeing her slight form under the thin cover on the bed that she had pointed to earlier, he turned and locked the door again. He went to the bed where his gear was piled and rummaged through it, looking for his toothbrush. After going through the jumble of stuff in the sheet that he had rolled up earlier he discovered it near the bottom of the pile. “Found it.” he said and went to brush the crud out of his mouth.

            Finished, he turned of the light and walked to the bed, worried that she might be offended if he took his levi’s off in front of her.  He needn’t have worried, he could tell she was already asleep by the soft snoring that came from the from under the covers.

            “Goodnight, Lily. I hope tomorrow’s better for the both of us.” Lord turned the light off, undressed  and climbed into bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow. 

Dreamscape - The End

DREAMSCAPE

EPISODE #4

            Wiley growled at me, “Are you ready to die…right now? Because you will you know, if you attract the raider’s attention. They don’t fool around!”

            “NO, I’M NOT!” I shouted back at Wiley and gave a dirty look to the savage as well. “I AM JUST SICK … and tired of being confused. Today started out OK, but then it started to rain. And…and…”, I finished lamely. “And that savage cut me with his spearpoint!”

            Coimircoer scowled at me and lifted the point of the spear in my direction, he shook it. The translation came across loud and clear, “You’re lucky I didn’t spit you like a chicken!”

            Wearily I nodded. “OK”

            Coimirceor peeked over the ridge, he stood and gave a thumbs up. I thought I knew what it meant without the translation, you know, “A-OK.” But no, the savage’s interpreted voice spoke, “The coast is clear.”

            He smiled and resumed his march. Intoit rose out of the tall grass and followed, resuming his position on the left flank. The gargling croak of the raven rang out from above. Wiley turned and looked my way. I arose and shouldered my pack and moved out.

            Wiley kept pace with me. He assumed that superior canine grin that was becoming irritating. We walked and walked. Intoit’s hackles raised when we crossed the track of the raider’s. To tell you the truth, my hackles raised too. The thought of iron-clad knights led by the Son of the Morning Star, the hero of the Little Big Horn, dead though he may be, frightened me to no end. Coimirceor snorted at me and Intoit. He didn’t look left nor right. He trudged on. What choice did the rest of us have? We followed.

            Did I say that the rain continued? It did, if anything it rained harder if that was possible. The light was cut further and the clouds rolled and twisted. But our feet were dry, the rain didn’t spot my spectacles. We climbed and descended ridge after gully, over and over. Out of the blue, a sharp pain blasted me starting in the angry red scar and radiating outward until it met itself in my back. A dry hacking  cough  over took me and I bent at the waist, trying to catch my breath.

            Coimirceor stopped and looked back at me, his hands flashed in a series of signs. “You ready? We have to get you to the other side before the bad guys know you’re here.”

            Intoit snuck in behind me and goosed me with his nose. Then he growled.

            “Yikes! What was that?” I said as I stood straight up. The raven gargled his laughing croak. “Shut up you stupid bird!” I let loose. Gasping for breath I started walking again and the savage turned and continued.

            We trudged on for about a mile, when the light began to fade and the clouds got darker and darker. I was beat, it seemed that we had walked for days, not hours. Just as I was about to call for a rest, we left the brush and tree line,  into a wide open meadow. The grass was about waist high and the most impossible green I had ever seen. It drooped from the weight of the rain.

            Coimirceor stopped. I wasn’t paying attention to him and ran right into his back. He grunted but didn’t move. The raven cawed in alarm and flew away, Intoit growled.

            Wiley said, “What have we here?” I looked at him, he was looking beyond Coimirceor. I did too. My mouth dropped open.

            The knights were arrayed shoulder to shoulder, blocking our way. Their lances were leveled at us. Sitting his athletic bay stallion, directly in front of us was the Custer look-alike. He was smiling ear to ear. So much for fooling  the bad guys. Coimirceor grunted in agreement but didn’t take his eyes away from the threat in front of us. He held his nasty spear in a ready, but threatening position.

            He  barked out a string of gibb…er, words and shook the spear for emphasis. Not surprising, I didn’t understand a word of what he said.  And there was no translation either. The Custer look-alike sat there without responding to the tirade.

            “I believe…HE (Custer pointed at me) will come with us.”

            The savage shook his head, “NO, I am the guardian of the vale, the VOICE assigned me to watch over him as well. You may not have him.”

            Coimirceor had spoken and I understood him! What the…what! “Why did we have to go through all of the sign language rig-a-ma- role?” I tugged on his rabbit skin cape. He ignored me.

            The Son of the Morning Star barked out an order and the knights came to attention, raising their lances.  He barked another, they backed their horses ten steps. Custer backed his stallion almost to the line of his knights and reined him into a spin, right 360° then back the other way. When  the horse stopped, Custer pulled the reins back. The stallion rose on his hind legs in a picture perfect ‘Levade’ and held it for a ten count. Custer let him down, and walked the stallion forward until he was just out of reach of the deadly spear. He stopped, drew his saber and pointed it at me, ignoring Coimirceor, “YOU…you think you have escaped me, and I allow that you have this time, but I will have you in the end.” He spun the stallion, and spurred away. The knights turned as one unit, formed into columns and followed their leader.

            I was dumbstruck. “What the HELL was that?” I asked.  Intoit was sniffing the tracks that were left from the raiders. He lifted his leg and squirted Custer’s track. Wiley watched with amusement, I could tell from his lolling-tongue grin.

            Coimirceor turned to me, scowling he lifted the spearpoint so that it was pointing up. He let it lean on one shoulder and proceeded to explain in sign language. “They are the collectors of the vale.  Any one who tries to cross the vale are their prey.  Sometimes the VOICE assigns us to protect the travelers, sometimes we just take them to the raiders.  It’s your lucky day. We gotta ways to go yet, so pack up and let’ go.”

            We walked for about another mile and the rain fell steadily, but it didn’t get any darker. I guess that it was dreary enough. We had been crossing the tall green grass flats and I was happy that the land was mostly level. I was beat. Wiley spoke up, “You have just a little ways to go and you will be across. The last bit will be the toughest, since you are so tired but, you can make it.”

Dreamscape - The End

DREAMSCAPE

EPISODE #4

            Wiley growled at me, “Are you ready to die…right now? Because you will you know, if you attract the raider’s attention. They don’t fool around!”

            “NO, I’M NOT!” I shouted back at Wiley and gave a dirty look to the savage as well. “I AM JUST SICK … and tired of being confused. Today started out OK, but then it started to rain. And…and…”, I finished lamely. “And that savage cut me with his spearpoint!”

            Coimircoer scowled at me and lifted the point of the spear in my direction, he shook it. The translation came across loud and clear, “You’re lucky I didn’t spit you like a chicken!”

            Wearily I nodded. “OK”

            Coimirceor peeked over the ridge, he stood and gave a thumbs up. I thought I knew what it meant without the translation, you know, “A-OK.” But no, the savage’s interpreted voice spoke, “The coast is clear.”

            He smiled and resumed his march. Intoit rose out of the tall grass and followed, resuming his position on the left flank. The gargling croak of the raven rang out from above. Wiley turned and looked my way. I arose and shouldered my pack and moved out.

            Wiley kept pace with me. He assumed that superior canine grin that was becoming irritating. We walked and walked. Intoit’s hackles raised when we crossed the track of the raider’s. To tell you the truth, my hackles raised too. The thought of iron-clad knights led by the Son of the Morning Star, the hero of the Little Big Horn, dead though he may be, frightened me to no end. Coimirceor snorted at me and Intoit. He didn’t look left nor right. He trudged on. What choice did the rest of us have? We followed.

            Did I say that the rain continued? It did, if anything it rained harder if that was possible. The light was cut further and the clouds rolled and twisted. But our feet were dry, the rain didn’t spot my spectacles. We climbed and descended ridge after gully, over and over. Out of the blue, a sharp pain blasted me starting in the angry red scar and radiating outward until it met itself in my back. A dry hacking  cough  over took me and I bent at the waist, trying to catch my breath.

            Coimirceor stopped and looked back at me, his hands flashed in a series of signs. “You ready? We have to get you to the other side before the bad guys know you’re here.”

            Intoit snuck in behind me and goosed me with his nose. Then he growled.

            “Yikes! What was that?” I said as I stood straight up. The raven gargled his laughing croak. “Shut up you stupid bird!” I let loose. Gasping for breath I started walking again and the savage turned and continued.

            We trudged on for about a mile, when the light began to fade and the clouds got darker and darker. I was beat, it seemed that we had walked for days, not hours. Just as I was about to call for a rest, we left the brush and tree line,  into a wide open meadow. The grass was about waist high and the most impossible green I had ever seen. It drooped from the weight of the rain.

            Coimirceor stopped. I wasn’t paying attention to him and ran right into his back. He grunted but didn’t move. The raven cawed in alarm and flew away, Intoit growled.

            Wiley said, “What have we here?” I looked at him, he was looking beyond Coimirceor. I did too. My mouth dropped open.

            The knights were arrayed shoulder to shoulder, blocking our way. Their lances were leveled at us. Sitting his athletic bay stallion, directly in front of us was the Custer look-alike. He was smiling ear to ear. So much for fooling  the bad guys. Coimirceor grunted in agreement but didn’t take his eyes away from the threat in front of us. He held his nasty spear in a ready, but threatening position.

            He  barked out a string of gibb…er, words and shook the spear for emphasis. Not surprising, I didn’t understand a word of what he said.  And there was no translation either. The Custer look-alike sat there without responding to the tirade.

            “I believe…HE (Custer pointed at me) will come with us.”

            The savage shook his head, “NO, I am the guardian of the vale, the VOICE assigned me to watch over him as well. You may not have him.”

            Coimirceor had spoken and I understood him! What the…what! “Why did we have to go through all of the sign language rig-a-ma- role?” I tugged on his rabbit skin cape. He ignored me.

            The Son of the Morning Star barked out an order and the knights came to attention, raising their lances.  He barked another, they backed their horses ten steps. Custer backed his stallion almost to the line of his knights and reined him into a spin, right 360° then back the other way. When  the horse stopped, Custer pulled the reins back. The stallion rose on his hind legs in a picture perfect ‘Levade’ and held it for a ten count. Custer let him down, and walked the stallion forward until he was just out of reach of the deadly spear. He stopped, drew his saber and pointed it at me, ignoring Coimirceor, “YOU…you think you have escaped me, and I allow that you have this time, but I will have you in the end.” He spun the stallion, and spurred away. The knights turned as one unit, formed into columns and followed their leader.

            I was dumbstruck. “What the HELL was that?” I asked.  Intoit was sniffing the tracks that were left from the raiders. He lifted his leg and squirted Custer’s track. Wiley watched with amusement, I could tell from his lolling-tongue grin.

            Coimirceor turned to me, scowling he lifted the spearpoint so that it was pointing up. He let it lean on one shoulder and proceeded to explain in sign language. “They are the collectors of the vale.  Any one who tries to cross the vale are their prey.  Sometimes the VOICE assigns us to protect the travelers, sometimes we just take them to the raiders.  It’s your lucky day. We gotta ways to go yet, so pack up and let’ go.”

            We walked for about another mile and the rain fell steadily, but it didn’t get any darker. I guess that it was dreary enough. We had been crossing the tall green grass flats and I was happy that the land was mostly level. I was beat. Wiley spoke up, “You have just a little ways to go and you will be across. The last bit will be the toughest, since you are so tired but, you can make it.”

The End - Part Two

PART TWO

            I nodded and grunted in agreement. I put my head down and trudged on.

            We came to another sudden stop and I nearly ran into the savage again. I stopped in time and raised my eyes to see what the interruption was. All I could see was Coimirceor’s back, so I stepped to the side. I gasped. We faced a long steep hillside that seemed to go on forever. I couldn’t see the top from where we stood.

            “It looks like a pyramid” I offered.

            “Can we go around?”

            “Guys…”

            Coimirceor began to sing. I couldn’t understand the words and there wasn’t any translation, but the rhythm was like a marching song.  He beckoned us forward with the spear and he began the long trek up the long slope.

            I watched, but not for long, Intoit goosed me with his nose and Wiley growled out, “Let’s get going.”

            I heaved a long sigh and began the ordeal.

            We climbed and climbed, the slope became steeper the farther that we went. My heart pounded like an old steam engine, I wondered if the others could hear it, it beat so loud in my own ears. My breath roared in and out. I was just at the point where I was about to collapse, when Intoit and Wiley moved closer and put their heads beneath my hands.

            “Hold onto our fur and we will help you.” Wiley said. I couldn’t say no, my breathing was too rapid to speak. We went on. For about another 50 yards. Then we topped the brow of the hill so suddenly I lost my footing and fell on my face. The coyotes used their noses under my arms to help me rise.

            When I got to my feet and raised my face, the sight before me was so amazing, my mouth dropped open. My eyes widened to their maximum size, I am sure, for they were barely able to ‘see’ what stood before me.

            The most beautiful tree that I have ever seen rose to the sky. It was covered with large leaves of every shape and every color imaginable. The tree stood in the exact center of the flat top of the hill and spread it’s limbs in a huge circle that shaded the largest part of the space. Birds flitted in and out of the limbs and spaces between the leaves, their song in perfect harmony with Coimirceor. Intoit and Wiley began to sing the coyote song and it harmonized as well. The sound swelled in volume, I tried to match it, but could not.

            The song came to a sudden end, the silence was deafening after the crescendo. A sudden pain ripped my chest along the angry scar and a tearing cough forced its way past my lips.

            Coimirceor turned to me, his hands flew in a blizzard of signs. “You have crossed the vale, I have met the expectations of the Voice. I hope we do not meet for many turns of the wheel of life yet to be. If we do, the trip across the vale may not be so easy. Try to learn some things before you come to this place again. It will make our job easier. Thank your brothers for their help before you leave us.” He spread his arms in a sign that had no translation, then he made a chopping motion with his spear hand. “Enough!”  With that he grasped the spear that he had leaned on his shoulder and raised it in to the air, a sudden “Ky-yi-Yippee-i-oooo” burst from his lips and he was off at a fast trot.

            As I watched his form disappear over the edge of the hill, Wiley said, “Follow me”, and he led me across the hill top under the tree.

            As we reached the other side and left the shade thrown by the huge tree, I asked the coyote, “What is this place?”

            Wiley let the superior canine grin cross his face before he answered, “You don’t recognize it? You have been here before you know, only going the other way.”

            “NO, I don’t recall being here.”

            “This is the Tree of Life” Wiley said this with some seriousness and reverence.

            Scared, I asked, “Have I died?”

            “Not this time, if you had, you would be riding with the knights of the vale and that goofy Yellow Hair. Instead, you got to hang with the savage.” With this, Wiley burst into coyote laugh.

            “What’s next?” I asked somewhat relieved.

            “Follow me” and he led me over the edge of the hill. I slipped and started sliding down the grassy slope. Wiley and Intoit raced beside me as I gained speed. I slid forever, I gained so much speed that I began to leave the coyote’s behind. I saw that I was heading toward the edge of a drop off and I tried to slow down by spreading my arms and grabbing at the grass. It slipped through my fingers, the scared feeling  returned, I cried out.

            “Don’t fight it, just let it happen…don’t fight it…”

            I slipped over the edge and fell.

            “Don’t fight it…”, and I hit the bottom in a flash of light. My eyes flew open, and slammed closed again when the bright light bored into my eyes. I opened them carefully to see an angel in my face, she was pulling a tube from my throat.

            “Don’t fight it…cough…harder”.

            A racking cough rumbled in my chest, it felt like hell, I couldn’t breath. Then pop, the tube was free, I coughed and gasped. My chest hurt.

            I looked at the nurse, then saw other angels standing around the room. They had tears in their eyes, I wondered why. The first one said, ”What do you think of this.” She pointed to my chest.  An angry red scar/cut marked my chest from throat to the bottom of my ribcage. It throbbed. I closed my eyes, the room faded for an instant. The fading echoes of a yipping coyote song teased my hearing.  Then Wiley’s face floated in front of me, grinning that damned canine grin. He barked like any other coyote but the yips translated into, “Do you understand now?”

            I groaned, and opened my eyes. “How bad was it?” I croaked.

Just like that damned raven.

THE END

Getting Out of College, #4

FOUR

We cried when You slipped away,

that morn’ early.

When finally I think you yearned

for the journey.

         Mike and Shane walk out of Mom’s Café picking their teeth and rubbing bellies that are tight from breakfast. Biscuits and sausage gravy topped with two fried eggs and a handful of smoky bacon had been ordered, admired and ate. They wobbled over to the baby blue Ford groaning at the pressure that their belts put on their gut as they sat in the car. Shane tries to continue their discussion of the future as he gets the car headed back north and home. “So, when are you going to see the draft board?”

         Mike avoids the subject, “Shane, look another Burma Shave sign...”

         “C’mon Mike, no more Burma Shave signs.  Come clean, what are you going to do?”

         “Well, I guess I’ll take an afternoon this week and go see them.  God, I hate to.  I really am scared, if I go over there, I don’t think I’ll come back.”  The last is said in a quiet voice. Mike finally cuts the clowning around, but it puts him in a low mood.

         “Enough of that shit, you’re tough, the Cong are just little skinny bastards...remember when you took that running back down at the homecoming game?  You ate his lunch, rolled his ass like a bowling pin.  You’ll make it through ‘Nam.” Shane is positive that nothing bad will happen to his pal.

         Quietly Mike thinks on Shane’s reply, then says, “I did kick his butt on that one didn’t I?”

         “Damn straight! You did, he heard footsteps the rest of that game.”

         Mike is quiet once again, he is thinking and says what he is thinking out loud, “It’s a bit different with hand grenades and AK47’s.  I hate it when I hear bullets flyin’ by my head.” 

         “I just had a thought.  Remember that one scout trip out to Fish Springs?  The one that we put the firecracker in the firewood? Shane was excited, he evidently had a thought that would bring Mike around.

         Mike chuckles, “Doc Willis put it in the fire and when it blew up, he said ‘Who put the firecracker in the fire?’”

         Together, they answer Doc’s question, “You did Doc!!”

         Mike laughs but is puzzled, “Yea I remember, what about it?”

         Well, that night we sat in the tent and it was raining outside, Don telling us not to touch his old man’s tent with our fingers and making it leak…remember?  It leaked any way, haha, fell down on us too.  Later.”  

         “Yep, I remember that trip, almost broke my toe in the hot springs. Memories of that trip come flooding back into Mike’s mind. There were memories of many trips like that one. They had camped all over the state.

         Shane continues, “We decided we’d be blood brothers, remember?” 

         Mike’s eyes fly open, “And Don too!”

         “Sure! You couldn’t bear to cut your wrist so we pricked our thumbs with that dull old scout knife of yours.  The tremendous trio.  Through thick and thin.  I think Don got a deferrment for being married....I mean....I didn’t mean to bring that up.”

         “That’s ok, lucky him.  I remember the blood brother thing.  I always thought we were brothers anyway. Even a little fighting.” Mike said.

         Shane said jokingly, hoping to break the mood, “Thank God, not too much fightin’...I’m a lover not a fighter.”

         Mike snorted, “Braggart!”

         “You wish!  Gettin’ back to the subject.  If you get drafted, I’ll sign up and we’ll go together. That way, you won’t be alone.”

         Mike was startled at this, “No! You can’t!  Your number is too high, you don’t have to go!”

         “Mike! Ease up buddy, It’s up to me.  If you have to go, I’m going too.” Shane is adamant.

         Mike turns away, facing out the side window. He was resigned to the fact that he was being drafted, and when he was called up, well, Viet Nam was the next stop. It was all so dark. He had a premonition that something bad was going to happen to him. He couldn’t stand the thought of his buddy facing the same fate. 

         “Then I hope they won’t take me.  I would die if you followed me and something happened.”

         Shane continued with his cocky confidence, “They won’t know what hit ‘em if we both go over there.  Besides, I’m a better shot.”

         “You are not!”

         “Am too.”

         The guys have a long standing argument about this. They shoot every chance they get. Ever since they were allowed to hunt together without adult supervision they had burned up cases of .22 cartridges and shotgun ammo. It probably was a tie, but Mike conceded a half victory.

         “Well maybe, with a shotgun, I’ll kick your butt with a rifle any day.  You don’t have to go.  It would be better if just one of us has to do this.” 

         Shane smiles at the easy half-win, but then, “Better for who?  I ain’t doing anything, now that I got my money back from Dixie College.”

         “Anything would be better than going to that hellhole.”

         Shane says, “It’s settled then”        

              

         “It is not!”

         They pause, both look away, wishing they could change the subject.

         Mike breaks the silence, “Look at that sign!  “Welcome to Rooster Valley”  cockle-doodle-de dooo! Hahahahahahaha”. He laughs wildly.

         Shane looks across the car at his buddy, wondering if everything they have talked about has caused Mike to lose his marbles. Maybe the pressure of the draft notice has gotten to him. He asks, “What’s so funny about that?”

         Mike started crowing like a rooster, over and over, then laughing like a madman. “Er-er-er-errrrrr!  Rooster Valley!”

         Shane chuckles in sympathy, then asks again, “What’s so funny?”

         Mike can hardly stop laughing, but finally he gets out, “What’d the hen say to the new rooster? I don’t know what you’re crowing about, you ain’t nothin’ special- - -any cock’ll do!  Hahahahahaha.”

         Shane laughed along with Mike and they chanted in unison,

“Cockle-doodle-de-dooooo!  Rooster Valley!  Hahahahahaha”  They laugh long and hard, barely keeping the car on the road. It was like they needed the emotional release of a good laugh, since crying was out of the question. Their generation wasn’t the first to be drawn into a war that was unpopular. They weren’t the first to be inducted involuntarily into the Army. But, the subject of Viet Nam had dominated their young lives. And the guys they knew who wanted to go into the service were either nuts or it would be their best chance at getting an education. The rest of the group would go if they had to, but wouldn’t join otherwise.

         Mike fell silent first; the laughter had worn him out. He said, “Let’s go see Wanda at B Y Woo, where the girls are girls and the boys are too!” He remembered that Shane didn’t believe that a beautiful girl like Wanda would have anything to do with him.

         Shane thought about it for a second then, “Yeah I guess, we don’t have to be home ‘til tomorrow anyway.  What day are you going to the draft board, maybe I’ll go with you?”

         “You really don’t have to go.  Maybe I’ll be 4-f, I could take a purse, you know.  I got flat feet, and I piss enough protein to feed a third world family for hell’s sake, almost didn’t get hired at that copper mine last year.

Any way, I been thinking...if I have to go, why not join first and get my choice of what to do?  My old man says he can get me into Annapolis, I will have to do prep school first though, I flunked Algebra.” Mike was trying hard to convince his pal to stay out of the war. He just didn’t have a good feeling about it at all.

         Shane kept on, “Maybe you will.  Be 4-F, I mean.  I wish we could know the future, know what to do.  It’s so fucked up, with the draft and all, how can you plan for anything until you know?  I’m going if you are, so that’s that.”

Michael D. LeFevre         (Adapted from a Short Play of the same title)        Copyright 5 June 2001