The Visitor 5
I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.
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Benjamin sat quietly next to his grandfather on the river bank, his pole in the water, his mind on his parents. The Lady had told him his parents would leave him, but she also told him they would be alright and come back. He trusted that.
Doc looked over at his silent grandson worriedly. Normally a quiet and thoughtful boy, he was even more so today. Doc had the feeling that, even though he had said nothing about Matt and Kitty missing, the boy somehow knew. "Everything alright?" Doc asked cautiously.
Benjamin nodded. "Just thinkin'." He said.
Doc crinkled a brow at him. "Just thinking? Thinking about what?"
Benjamin looked up at the man he loved most, other than his father. His papa's blue eyes, regarded the elderly physician seriously, not answering for a moment and leaving Doc to wonder if he would.
"Mama and Papa." Benjamin finally said. "I was thinking about them."
"What about them?" Doc was on alert.
"Just wonderin' when they'll be home." He answered. He didn't break his promise to the Lady to tell what he knew, but he wanted to.
"Oh, well… uh… I don't know, Benjamin." Doc stuttered. "But I'll tell you what, they wouldn't want you to worry about them. They'd want you to have fun and help me catch some fish for supper. Think you could do that?"
Benjamin nodded. "Alright, Grandpa." He smiled at Doc, just as he saw a fleeting shadow move past.
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Kitty sat in her 'cage', as the old woman had called it, and went over every possibility she could think of to escape. Much to her chagrin, Lou Stone had done what his mother had wanted, and brought Matt to the farm, locking him in a tack room.
Pacing around the room she tried not to think about anything but escaping, but her mind refused to cooperate. She kept thinking of Matt, helplessly shackled and sentenced to death for a crime never committed.
She had hoped the old woman would accept her offer of money, but quickly she saw the madness in Etta Stones eyes, and realized it was worthless.
She thought too of her son. How would he cope after both of his parents were murdered by a vengeful old woman and her crazy sons? She knew Doc and Margaret would take care of him, but he would still be without his parents. Would he understand? Or, would he be as vengeful, when he grew up, as Etta Stone?
Glancing out of the half boarded up window, she thought for a moment she saw a shadow flit by. But it was dark and she was tired and scared. She decided she had just imagined it. She knew she hadn't imagined the screech of the barn owl outside but his cries gave her no comfort.
She remembered a couple of old wives tales from New Orleans about owls. One was that they were old people to be respected and another that you should get up from bed and turn your left shoe upside down to avert disaster. Ruefully she realized the disaster had already happened.
Finally, exhausted in pacing, she lay down on the narrow cot. She wasn't sleepy and she knew sleep wasn't likely, but pacing wasn't getting her anywhere.
She had no sooner laid her head down, then she heard the key being turned in the lock of the door. Jack, the dark haired son with a taste for whiskey, came in with a bottle and two glasses. "What do you want?" she snapped, as she propped herself up on her left elbow.
"Well, I thought you'd like to take a little company. Huh?" He leered at her as he turned and locked the door behind him. Kitty wasn't stupid, she knew what he wanted. Trick would be to stop him.
He held the whiskey bottle out towards her. "Would you like a drink?"
Kitty looked at him for a moment, when an idea came to her. Apparently Jack had already been drinking before he came in. With just the right incentive….
"Yeah, I could use a drink," she answered him.
He handed her a glass and poured whiskey into it. "Here's to you." he toasted.
Kitty took a drink then smiled rather seductively at him. "I'm glad you came in." she told him. 'Very glad', she thought.
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While Kitty was attempting to get Jack's assistance, Matt was lying on his cot worrying, about her, his son, and lastly himself. He never expected to live long as a Marshal, but he never thought he would die at the end of a rope.
And the thought of Kitty, and what the Stones had in store for her, made his head ache. He had no doubt they would kill her. Almost selfishly, he was grateful he wouldn't have to see it, but still it hurt to know it would happen, and it hurt just as much to know he'd never see his son again.
As he lay there, the room seemed to get colder, when Matt heard a voice from the window.
"Marshal, Marshal." Matt got up from the cot and crossed to the window. Ben was there, wanting to know how much jail time he would get if he helped Matt and Kitty escape. Matt tried to convince him to help, but Ma Stone interrupted that.
Matt looked out the window as Etta Stone left. Matt had no idea if Ben would do anything to help or not. But he hoped so. As he stepped away from the window he noted the suddenly cold air was gone. He hoped that was a good sign.
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Kitty walked disconsolately back into the house, roughly escorted by Mike and Lou. Her face still burned from the heavy blows dealt to her by Ma Stone, and she knew there would bruises from the rough handling she had received at the hands of the woman's sons.
But those pains were a trifle to the pain of knowing her plan of escape, for her and Matt, had failed. And unless someone or something stopped her, Ma Stone was going to kill them both.
Mike opened the door to the small room and Lou shoved her in, making a grab for her breast as he did so. Kitty avoided his hands just as she heard him yelp. Looking back at him, she saw a red hand print appear on the man's scruffy cheek.
Lou looked around quickly then slammed the door and locked it. Saying nothing he headed out of the house. He knew the woman hadn't slapped him, and it hadn't been Mike, but someone had.
Glancing around the shadowy room it almost felt like someone was in there with her, just beyond her field of vision. Unconsciously Kitty rubbed her arms, at the sudden chill she felt in the room. She had no idea exactly what had just happened, but she was grateful Lou had been willing to leave her alone as a result of it.
She had enough worries.
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Matt stood broodingly in his small makeshift jail, waiting on his visit from Kitty. He had heard a shot fired the night before, and he was worried. The sour faced son, Mike, had guarded the tack room all night, and told him nothing.
Finally the door opened and Kitty was allowed in. He was aghast, her pale face was bruised and she looked exhausted. Matt pulled her to him, hugging her as best as he could with shackles on his wrists. "What happened?" he asked, anger rising when he saw her bruised face.
Kitty returned the hug, resting her sore cheek on his strong shoulder briefly, before pulling back and attempting a smile. "I must look like I fought the War Between the States single handed and lost." She quipped, trying to lighten his heart and hers.
Matt gently took her by the arms, and led her over to his cot. "Come on and sit down. Tell me what happened." He said. His blood ran cold at the sight of the angry red marks on her pale cheek.
Kitty looked up into his loving gaze, and her heart ached for what she knew was most likely to happen now. She'd had one chance to save them both and it hadn't worked.
Sadly, she told him how she'd talked Jack into helping them escape, but Etta Stone had caught them, killing Jack and hitting her while Lou and Mike held her. She left out Ma Stone's promise to hang her as well.
Matt had enough worries.
Matt was angry at what they had done, but he could do nothing about it till he could get out of there. Telling Kitty about Ben and Sara, he secured Kitty's promise to talk to the boy about helping them.
Though Kitty promised to try, she wasn't sure it would work. Probably not with Sara, and she didn't think Ben would be much help either. But it at least it was something to try.
Kitty looked into Matt's warm and tender gaze. "Matt, we don't have much time." She said tremulously.
Matt knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his, doing his best to reassure her. "Kitty, a lot of things can happen before tomorrow morning."
TBC