-1"The Burning"
Fan-Fiction:
Disclaimer: The characters that we all love to read and write about belong to the Marshall-LeSourd family. This story is for entertainment only.
Summary: I am writing this story with influence from the book, the movies, and the television series. Basically, it's a mixture.
Chapter I:
Christy awoke with a start. She had had yet another nightmare. She had hardly slept at all since the incident. She tried to stop the images of fire and children from flashing before her eyes…she couldn't stop hearing their screams. Christy covered her ears in agony.
"JUST MAKE IT STOP!!!" she cried out to herself, barely realizing how loud she was.
Ms. Alice and Dr. MacNeill (who had been staying at the mission since the
attack) came bursting into Christy's room to find her in the corner, curled up
into a little ball on the floor.
"Christy! Is thee alright? We heard you scream. Thee has had another nightmare…" Ms. Alice's voice drifted off as a look of great concern crossed her pale eyes.
"I am alright. And yes Miss Alice….I can't make them stop! Every time I close my eyes I see their faces! PLEASE Miss Alice…..help me?!" She had a sort of crazed look in her eyes at this point.
Dr. MacNeill strode over to her and lightly placed his hand on her shoulder,
trying to communicate his feelings.
"Christy, they are gone..we made sure of that. You are safe, we are safe…..the children are safe. They are all at home safely in their beds dreaming of sugar plums." He spoke with great passion, his accent getting stronger with every word.
"Just because they are gone doesn't mean what they did is gone. We were trapped in a burning building, Doctor…a child lost his life. Those things just don't go away. If it hadn't been for Mr. Pentland, I don't think we would be having this conversation." Tears now flowed down Christy's cheeks with ease.
FLASHBACK
Christy stretched in her bed wishing she had gotten into bed earlier. Today was a big day! The children would be reciting their poems today in front of a small audience! They had worked so hard all semester on this.
"Good morning class!!" Christy smiled as she spoke, her blue eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Good Mornin' Miz Christy!" The children sang.
"Did everyone practice reciting their poems to their parents last night?"
"Yes Miz Christy…" The children were ready to start and were a bit irritated
that their beloved teacher would doubt them.
"Alright then. Ruby Mae, will you go get Ms. Alice, Mr. Grantland, and Dr.
MacNeill please?"
"Yes Ma'am!!" Ruby Mae shouted; honored to be chosen.
As the three honored guests began to file in and take their seats, Christy heard hoof beats pounding outside. It sounded like a heard of horses, and they were getting closer. With one accord the adults rose and went to the porch of the schoolhouse, of course the children followed eagerly.
A large group of men with lit torches were riding over the knoll. All of them
looked unfamiliar to Christy. David and the Doctor slowly approached the group trying to find out what they were up to.
"Can we help you gentlemen?" David asked with a hint of caution in his voice.
"Yeah….you can move out of the way!" One of the men shouted angrily.
"I'm sorry sir, but I won't move until you tell me what you intend to do with
those torches."
"Weelll….I intend to do some torchin' and there ain't nothin' you folks can do 'bout it 'cept co-operate. Alrighty?"
"We had better do as he asks, David. I know this man and if we act like we're going to let him get away with it he might just let us go." Neil whispered to David.
David shot Neil a worried glance but nodded slightly. David moved back toward Christy and the children.
"Alright Jonathan, we did as you asked. Now what?" Neil asked anxiously.
"I see that. Now get the women-folk and children inside that there schoolhouse. Lock 'em in there real good and then come over to me." Jonathan commanded.
Christy had become increasingly more worried every second but tried to hide it for the children's sake. David walked over and told them to do as the man asked. All the children slowly filed into the school house, except for Sam Houston. Ms. Alice and Christy were the last ones to go in and they had shut the doors before they realized that Sam was still in the middle of the yard.
"Move along boy! I'll trample you if you don't move along!" Jonathan screamed.
Sam Houston was frozen with fear. When Neil tried to come to his aid, one of Jonathan's men came and restrained him. Another man grabbed David as well. Before they knew it their hands were tied in knots only a genius could undo and their feet were now bound as well.
Jonathan urged his horse forward at a swift trot. Sam still moved not a muscle. The horse's pace quickened to a canter……a gallop. Jonathan circled and charged at Sam Houston at a breakneck speed. When Sam finally began to move, it was too late. The horse ran right over him. Sam lay on the ground motionless. Neil and David were devastated.
"I told that boy to move. Ok, now let me see….where on earth should we put the good doctor and preacher-man boys?" A wicked smile crossed his face. "Oh, I know a great spot. How's about we tie 'em to this here tree so they can watch as their friends burn in flames worthy of hell?" Jonathan laughed at the thought.
The other men quickly escorted David and Neil to the tree and tied them tight. Neill was trying to formulate a plan in his head and David was praying.
The men grabbed their torches and moonshine and doused the schoolhouse in both. The wood building was quickly becoming consumed with the fire. Satisfied, the men re-mounted their horses and rode off into the distance.
"Miz Christy! We're gonna die in here!!" All of the children were saying.
Ms. Alice tried desperately to open the windows but they had become heated by the flames and were too hot to touch. Christy was trying to calm the children but was having little luck. The smell of smoke was becoming stronger and she knew that if they didn't get out soon, they would die.
"It's alright Children…..you know what we could do? We could ask God to protect us. Does anyone want to pray with me?"
"Yessum, I think that would calm me down a bit." Creed Allen said quietly.
"Ok, good. Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to be calm in face of this
danger. Help Mr. Grantland and Dr. MacNeill get help and Lord please keep us safe. Amen." Christy sighed as she finished, knowing that the chances of David and Neil getting help in time were slim.
"I've almost got this knot out, but there are still several more. I don't think
I can squeeze out yet." Neil said, straining to undo the knots that kept his
hands to the tree.
"Do you here that?" David said, staring over the hill. "They better not be
coming back!"
"That's not them….they had more horses."
"Halloooo!!" Ben Pentland shouted. "YOUNITED STATES MAIL!!"
"BEN!! COME TO THE SCHOOL!!" David screamed at the top of his lungs. He was beginning to hear children screaming and knew that time was of the essence.
Ben urged his mule forward and saw the smoke rising from the school.
"What in tarnation has happened here?" he asked quizzically.
"Cut these knots will ya? Jonathan Trape and his crew trapped the children in the school house. We've got to get them out before they are burned alive or die of smoke inhalation!" Neil urged.
Ben quickly cut the knots and ran to get help and water. When he returned he had Jeb Spencer, Bob Allen, and several other men with buckets filled to the brim with water. They ran over the school and started dousing the flames while David was trying to undo the lock on the door and Neill was looking after Sam Houston.
"GOT IT!" David cried.
The children ran out coughing and wheezing. Some of them had burns on their hands and feet while other had singed hair and clothes. They were all darkened by the smoke. Christy and Ms. Alice were the last ones out, making sure nobody was left behind.
Neill came running over to Christy putting his hand on her shoulders.
"Are you alright?" He asked very concerned.
"Yes, I think so. Where's Sam Houston? Is he ok?"
"I'm sorry Christy, he's gone." Neil looked at his feet, ashamed that he had
arrived too late to his patient's side.
Christy was in shock. She moved about as though she was no longer in charge of her own body. She made sure every child was ok and back with their parents. She cancelled school until further notice and then went into her room and wept.
END FLASHBACK
"Christy? Are you alright?" Miss Alice questioned.
"What?...I mean, no, Miss Alice, I'm not alright. I don't see how everyone can just ignore the fact that Sam Houston is dead. I think you might want to look into finding my replacement Miss Alice, it's my fault those children were in there…It's my fault Sam Houston is dead and I can't bear to face them."
"Christy, pull your self out of this. It is not your fault! Sam Houston's death
was nobody's fault but those crazy men's! I am not going to search for your
replacement and thee should know that. I have tried to be gentle but, Christy,
it's been over a month since the attack and those children deserve to learn and quite frankly I think it's time we got back into a 'routine'." Miss Alice's
words were met with a slightly hurt and ashamed look on Christy's face.
"Miss Alice, I just don't know what to do. I can't sleep, I can't eat, and I can
not bear to see the other children's faces."
"Christy, they want to see you. They are starting to feel like you hate them.
Every time I go on my rounds I'm bombarded with questions about 'Poor Miz Christy' and how much they miss you. And I am tired of making excuses for you. Despite whatever thoughts of guilt and remorse going on behind those eyes of yours, I know you want to, or need to rather, see those children." Neil pleaded.
Their rather loud conversation was interrupted by Ruby Mae and David entering the room. Neil immediately backed up a few paces closer to Miss Alice.
"What's going on in here? Ruby Mae heard shouting and she ran to get me. She was convinced that Jonathan Trape's gang was back."
"Sorry David, I had another nightmare and we were just talking about it...or shouting, I guess. Ruby Mae, Jonathan Trape is in jail, he's not going to come back. You have nothing to worry about. Why don't you just go back to bed?"
"Alright, Miz Christy, but I'm all worn out with this nightmare bizness…" Ruby Mae walked sleepily back to her room.
"Christy, I think you should go to bed. You've had a long night and you
obviously need some sleep."
"Miss Huddleston, for once, I agree with the Reverend. If you need anything, you know where to find me. Come on Grantland, let's leave these two alone." Neil grabbed David by the elbow and quickly escorted him out of the room.
"Good night Christy, I'll pray for thee."
Finally Christy was alone. She quietly sent up a prayer for peace of mind and slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.