Chapter Two

Jasper

It was late, too late to go looking for answers, so, aware I could do nothing until daylight I took out my bedroll and laid it out by the graves. I had wanted to see my family so badly but someone or something had prevented that and this was the closest I could get now. I lay looking up at the sky wondering what had happened, who had survived, and why Peter hadn't got word to me somehow, after all he was our neighbor, he must know what had happened.

I thought about them, my mother, the kindest most gentle woman I had ever met, and my father the strict disciplinarian who had looked so proud the day I rode away in uniform with my brother John. My elder sister Mary, pretty, vivacious, and madly in love with Peter Jenkins although he hardly noticed her. Amy my little sister who never walked anywhere, pigtails flying behind her as she ran usually singing loudly as she did so. Samuel my poor younger brother born with a twisted spine who crabbed his way around the farm usually in father's way and John, dead these two years, killed by a saber slash from a Union Cavalry Officer. Who had survived? Not my mother or father, they would never run and leave their children so maybe one of the girls. My father had made provision in case of Union Soldiers, a root cellar hidden from view and away from the house and my sisters had been drilled to go there as fast as they could as soon as they heard a warning shout. So how had anyone been able to reach the farm without raising the alarm. I wondered what had happened to the dogs, my father's two hounds that patrolled the farm and always set up a warning howl if strangers approached. It was a mystery but one I intended solving the next day by visiting our neighbors and the nearby town.

I would have ridden straight over to the Jenkins place but it was dark and like I said these were dangerous times, they might well shoot first and ask questions later so I would wait impatiently for the sun to rise again. I didn't bother lighting a fire, I had no idea who was around and making myself an easy target wasn't a good idea. Instead I just unrolled my bed and lay down looking at the silent mounds and praying that whatever happened had been fast and overwhelming. The thought of my sisters enduring the attentions of Union soldiers before being killed tortured me. I was sure my father would have fought to protect his family and would therefore have been the first to die. As for my poor brother, without his crutch he was helpless and would probably have been sport if the soldiers caught him, I just hoped he died quickly too.

I had seen no blood stains which was odd, neither inside nor outside the house and my father's hunting rifle was on the floor and from the look of it he hadn't even had time to discharge a single round. So, a blitz attack? But that was almost unbelievable with no cover close to the house. There was nothing that explained what had happened here, nor who had buried my family or where the only survivor was.

I was weary, dusty, and hungry, but I couldn't face going back into the house again, it seemed somehow sinister as if whatever happened here had tainted it. Thunder had drunk his fill at the trough and was grazing on the scrubby grass which was all that was left and I promised him extra food tomorrow as I lay back looking at the stars and wishing they could speak and tell me the story that I needed to hear.

Suddenly there was a furtive rustling sound in the bushes to my right and I sat up again and reached for my gun, my sword lying close to hand, ready if I should need it. Whoever or whatever was there would find me a match. Then I heard my name whispered low and recognized the voice,

"Jasper, is that really you?"

"Samuel?"

It was my brother and hearing my voice he crawled out into the open causing me to let go of my gun and stare, his clothes were ripped and covered in blood and he was shaking. I ran to him holding him close and carrying him to my bedroll resting him gently on it before speaking,

"What happened Sammy? Are ya injured? Did ya see who attacked the house?"

He shook his head wiping his face with the back of his hand. As it came away I saw the blood I had noticed on his hands was still tacky. Cursing the darkness I ran my hands over him but the only sticky blood was on his hands and now his face.

"What happened Sammy? Where did the blood come from? Whose is it?"

He shook his head tears running down his face and making tracks through the grime on his face.

"I saw em' Jasper, they was monsters, like the ones in the bible, the ones father told us bout."

"Monsters? What do ya mean?"

"They had flaming red eyes and they tore everyone apart. I wanted to help but I was too far away. Father was angry with me because I hadn't cleaned out the barn and he sent me over to the Jenkins place to ask Mr Jenkins if he had any medicine because Mary has, I mean had, a bad cough."

My father had sent Samuel as a punishment knowing it would take him all day to walk there and back especially with his bad legs.

"Why is your crutch in the barn then?"

"When I stopped hiding and came back, after they went, I was looking to see if anyone had escaped but they even killed the dogs and the horses. Then Peter arrived and pulled me away, I didn't mean to hurt him, I was scared and I thought it was the monsters come back."

"What did ya do Sammy? Where is he? Where's Peter? Is he home?"

"Am I going to be hung Jasper? Father said people who raise their hand to a neighbor will be punished."

"No you won't be hung, I won't let anything happen to ya, what did ya do? Ya have to tell me. Did Mr Jenkins bury the family?"

He shook his head and his eyes darted all around as he tried to think of the answers, he'd always been a little slow but until now it had never bothered me.

Then he started talking again,

"I had the hay rake in my hand, I thought I could use it to hit the monsters if they came back for me and I swung it but I never meant to hurt Peter. One of the prongs broke off in his bad leg Jasper and I didn't know what to do so I got one of the boards from the wagon like ya showed me when ya came home that time, how soldiers carried the wounded."

"Samuel please what happened?"

It was pointless he had to tell it his own way and questioning him would only make him more confused so I bit down my impatience and waited.

"I rolled him on it, there wasn't any blood then and I thought maybe I'd just hit him and he was OK. I dragged him to the storm cellar, you know, the one father told us to go to if there was trouble. I tried to see what I'd done to him and then I saw the prong but when I pulled it out he started to bleed. I was scared when he screamed but then he put his hand over mine pressing on the wound and told me to rip off my shirt and tie it tight around his leg above the bleeding. I did but I couldn't stop the blood. I wasn't strong enough to pull it tight. We got a stick then and twisted it in the cloth and that worked but I'm scared he's going to die or the monsters will come back again."