The House

3 weeks later, the older Cartwright's stood shoulder to shoulder looking around at the empty house. Davidson had asked for their help in loading up a few of Scotty's things, which of course they'd agreed.

Scotty had been less than forthcoming in telling Mister Davidson what items were important for him to keep.

Davidson had expressed his concerns to the Cartwright's. They had gone to Joe for help. It were Joe that told them to make sure to take the items on his dresser, as well as his green blanket.

Both Joe and Scotty had desired to remain behind. The mere thought of having to come back here, regardless of the assurances that Paul was long gone, had frightened both boys. Joe remained in the protective care of Hopsing. Scotty in the care of the sweet Misses Suthers.

"Well, I guess we should get started." The elder exclaimed.

The house had been abandoned. Paul's room on the bottom floor cleared out. Most of the dishes in the kitchen taken. Most importantly the shed had been stripped bare. The menacing rope that had been there the last time Adam was here, now gone.

Mister Davidson was guilty of taking a few items from the kitchen which he thought could come well in use. Otherwise he left everything in place. Whatever they leave today would have to stay until the new owners came to deal with it. That was unless bandits got to it first.

Their focus was securing the items from Scotty's room.

Nobody knew what to expect when they reached the room on the top floor. Paul could have been vindictive. Inflict one final act of cruelty and tear apart the fragile room. Break everything in here, but he had not. He had left his son's room unmolested. They at least had that blessing going for them.

Looking around the frail, petite room; white dresser and closet, white bed sheets. It all seemed so innocent. How could they ever have suspected the horrors of what went on in this room?

"We'll leave the furniture." It made sense that Davidson wouldn't want to travel with these heavy items cross-country.

The items on his dresser they could understand. Admiring their delicacy, they could imagine these were all the boy had left of his mother. The green tattered blanket was another matter. The white blankets underneath made more sense for them to take.

The items on the dresser were easy enough to pack away. They took every piece of the child's clothing from the dresser which wasn't much. The boys helped him pack these away in suit cases and take them downstairs to the waiting wagon. This would have to do until Davidson could replace his clothes.

Unmindfully, Adam opened the closet to check for stray clothes but stopped in his actions as he was greeted by the sight of the blanket on the floor and his stomach bottomed. When he saw that blanket so many weeks ago it had no more significance to him than an article meant to protect the wooden bottom. Now he knew, and he could not unknow. How this domain was used as a prison. He clenched his jaw to hide the conflict, but his pa saw and so did the others.

"It's not your fault son." His pa soothed perceptively.

He shut it, never wishing to open that closet again.

"How about this mattress?" The genial requested to distract the pained boy.

"You want the whole frame?" Hoss asked.

"No, no." He was quick to answer. "I fear those bars could do no good for the boy. They could only bring up painful memories and conjure fear."

Ben smiled at the perceptiveness of the elder.

"The mattress then?"

"That might be good to have out on the trail. I could replace the frame when we get home."

The older two boys jumped in to carry the load downstairs. The elder following behind to help strap it in. Ben following behind him with the green blanket in hand. When Ben breeched the door, he made the mistake of looking back.

When the others kept going, Ben had stopped.

Noticing that their pa didn't make it down with them, the others found him in the room some fifteen minutes later. The bed had been pulled out to make it easier for Adam to grip the mattress. Ben was sitting on the box spring now knees almost touching the wall he was staring at. The sons and elder approached him softly to see what had caught him in such a state. Adam noticed the tears drenching his father's face first then at the wall he was staring at and then he saw it. They all did.

"It marks the dates."

They all understood. Many dates were written and tic marks between them. Much like one might expect to find on the wall of a prison cell. This had been his prison. They mourned. The largest date was the last. It was meant to note the time which they should have returned. They knew they didn't. After that date there was nothing more. No other tic marks. No other dates. Nothing to mark the passage of time.

It was then, that Joe had lost hope.

They all went home with a deeper understanding of what Joe had gone through at the home of their neighbor. Though Joe didn't know why, there was a little extra love and hugs for him that night.

Gosh, he loved his family.