The Visitor 6
I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.
MKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMK
Benjamin had spent another day at his grandparent's home, wondering about his parents. He knew his uncles Festus, Thad and Sam, along with half the town, were out looking for them but that didn't reassure him half as much as the Lady did.
She had come back, as she had promised, and once again she had pledged that his parents were safe and would return to him.
"How do ya know?" Benjamin questioned. "Have you seen Mama and Papa?"
The Lady smiled and nodded. "I have, Benjamin." She told him. "They are well, but worried about you."
"Why?" Benjamin wanted to know. "I ain't sick or nothin'."
"They know that little one," she gently smiled. "But they always worry about you, when they are not there to be with you."
"Can you tell em' I'm alright." He asked. He didn't like the thought of his parents worrying. "And help em'?"
The Lady smiled. "I will see what I can do, Benjamin, but you must promise me that you will not worry about them. Alright? I will help them, but only if you agree."
Benjamin nodded and reached over to give the Lady a hug, but she rose quickly and stepped back. "I must go now," she told him. "But you do as you promised, and I will see to your mama and papa."
Benjamin smiled but before he could answer, she was gone. Comforted that the Lady would help his parents, Benjamin shrugged and went outside.
MKMKMKMKMKMK
Sara stood by the stove, preparing a final plate of breakfast for the Marshal. Her heart and her head ached. She wanted no part in the travesty that was going to take place, but she felt helpless to do anything about it. Courage was one thing she had a very limited supply of.
"You can help them." She heard from behind her. Sara jumped but when she turned no one was there. Everyone, including Ben for the moment, was outside. She turned back to the stove, only to hear it again. "You can help them."
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and Sara gasped and whirled around to an empty room. Nothing was changed; all was as it should be.
Except the gun.
Lying on the end of the table, where she knew it hadn't been a moment ago, was a handgun. Sara shivered and glanced around her. Nothing moved, the only sound was the clock ticking on the mantle piece.
Cautiously, she approached the table, tentatively touching the gun. But she jerked her hand back a second later. It was ice cold.
Sara glanced around her again. All sounds came from outside the farmhouse. No one was in the building except her, and yet a gun that had not been there a moment before, was lying on the table.
"Give the gun to the Marshal."
Sara shook like she was having a hard chill. There was that voice again. A feminine voice, with some sort of accent. She looked around the room again, and then back at the gun. It moved. Not far, just an inch or two, but it moved.
"Give the gun to the Marshal." The voice, now louder, demanded insistently. The gun moved another inch, turning as it did, to point at her.
Though Sara would never be able to explain why later, she picked the gun up, balancing it in her hands for a moment, before finally, walking over to the tray she had just prepared, she laid the gun on it, and covered it with the cloth.
mkmkmkmkmk
Kitty walked despondently next to Mike, out to the tack room for what she knew would be her last time with Matt. Her last day, period. Even if the old woman didn't hang her, and she believed she would, she would still die inside when Etta Stone and her evil, insipid sons forced her to watch them hang the man she loved.
She had tried to talk to Ben, as Matt had suggested, but had gotten nowhere. His response had been, "I'd like to, but I can't." Matt had managed to jump Lou and get his gun from him, but in the end, gave it up when Ma Stone had threatened to kill her.
When the door of Matt's little prison opened and she stepped into his arms, she couldn't help but tremble as he held her. "It's the morning of the second day, Matt." She cried as she clung to him for what would probably be the last time of their lives.
mkmkmkmkmk
As she walked out of the house, cloth covered tray in her shaking hands, Sara's heart was beating so fast and so hard, she just knew that Mike could hear it as he walked beside her. But if he did, he paid it no mind.
When Mike opened the door, the woman approached her, despair etched deeply into her beautiful face. "Please," she begged. "You gotta help us."
But Sara couldn't even think of a reply, as Mike stepped in the doorway. "There ain't no help." He snarled. "You got ten minutes."
Sara timidly glanced at the Marshal and the woman, before nervously and swiftly placing the tray on the floor and backing out the door.
MKMKMKMKMKMK
Margaret stood looking out of her kitchen window at Benjamin, sitting on the back porch with Doc's set of Stellar Dominoes. Doc came behind her and kissed her on the cheek. "What are you looking at?" he asked.
"Benjamin," Margaret answered. "It's a beautiful day out there, but instead of going out and playing with his friends; he's sitting by himself playing blocks."
Doc nodded a little sadly. "I know, Honey, but right now that little boy has a lot to deal with. We may not've not told him too much, but Benjamin's a smart kid. He knows something is wrong."
Margaret swiped away a tear and turned into her husband's arms. "Oh, Galen, I'm so worried. What if they're never found?"
Doc gently kissed his wife and hugged her tightly. "Then we raise Benjamin as his parents would want us to. But listen, Sweetheart, I don't want you thinking that way. I don't know how, but we will find Matt and Kitty. You mark my words."
As the doctor comforted his wife, neither one saw Benjamin jump up with a smile on his face, or the animated conversation he began to have with the thin air in front of him.
MKMKMKMKMKMK
Benjamin was sitting on the back porch of his grandfather's house, playing with the dominoes he had gotten out of his grandpa's parlor.
Although he really didn't know how to play dominoes, he liked stacking them, and making little buildings with them, like he did the building blocks he had at home, and like he'd seen his Uncle Festus do with cards.
The weather had turned much warmer. Still Benjamin stayed close to the house. His friend Jimmy Uzzell came by, and wanted him to come and play, but Benjamin, politely as his mama had taught him, declined.
Benjamin couldn't go anywhere until the Lady came, and he knew she would come.
"You must learn to play the game someday, Benjamin."
Benjamin looked up and the Lady was there, smiling brightly at him. Impulsively, Benjamin jumped up to hug her but she backed away.
"I cannot stay, little one." She told him. "But I wanted you to know that your mama and papa are safe, well and they will be coming back to you very soon."
Benjamin's smiled widened. "Really?" he asked. "When?"
The woman gave him a wan smile. "They will be back this evening, but I will not. I came to tell you that also."
"Where are you going?" he wanted to know.
"I must return to where I came from, little one." She saw his gloomy expression. "I do not want you to be unhappy though. You and your parents will be back together soon, and all will be well with you."
"But I'll miss you." Benjamin was on the verge of crying, but was holding back as best he could, just like he knew his papa would.
"I will always be with you, Mon Cher'," she whispered moving close to him for a moment. "Here," she touched his chest, "in your heart, you will always have me. Do not worry. I love you."
Benjamin sniffled and wiped his face on his sleeve. "I love you too." He said, but if the Lady heard him he did not know. She was gone.
TBC