Jeremy's Child Chapter Three
"Jeremy did WHAT?!" Jason screamed.
"Jason don't scream. There is a lot about this situation that you don't understand." Lottie admonished.
"Obviously not, Lottie. I do understand however, that my brother almost died having a miscarriage just a few months ago. Now he has gone out and found those witches and gotten pregnant again on purpose. Why would he do that, Lottie? Please explain it to me." Jason said wearily.
"I will be glad to explain things, Jason, but please try to be calm. Jeremy is upstairs asleep. He needs his rest. Allyn said he is definitely expecting twins. Jason, your little brother got pregnant again because of the witches' curse he is under. The spell gives him the desire to give birth to a child. He will remain under that curse until he gives birth to a child or children." She told him.
"Oh, hell, Lottie! What if he has another miscarriage? Jeremy almost died. Is he going to go through a horrible pattern of pregnancy and miscarriage until he either gives birth or dies?" Jason was frightened.
"We are going to do our best to help Jeremy carry these babies to term. Don't forget the miscarriage was caused by external forces. It had nothing to do with Jeremy's health or his ability as a young man to bear children." Lottie replied as she touched his cheek.
Jason smiled slightly. "You have a way of making things better, Lottie. It's no wonder that Jeremy seeks comfort from you in his worst times."
"He also knows that I love him, Jason. As I do you and Joshua." She spoke quietly. "Sit down and I will make us some coffee. It will be daylight soon which means work time for both of us."
Jason took a seat at the kitchen table. They had been awake half the night talking after the eldest Bolt knocked on her door at midnight looking for Jeremy. The youngest brother had been restless after a nightmare and had sought sleep at Lottie's.
The bar maid and the lumberjack enjoyed steaming cups of coffee while they discussed their plans for the day. Later as the sun was rising, they said goodbye to begin a busy workday.
At lunchtime that day, Jason and Joshua ate in the office tent alone. Jason told his middle brother of the conversation with Lottie.
"I'm worried about Jeremy, Jason. I don't want him to suffer like he did before." Joshua replied. "Lottie is right. We have to take care of him and help him have these babies without any problems."
Jason sighed heavily and nodded in agreement.
Time passed. Jeremy was soon five months pregnant. He was beginning to show. He bought work clothes a few sizes bigger and wore his shirt out instead of tucked in. His back hurt some and he had morning sickness sometimes. Jeremy spent a lot of time with Lottie. She calmed his nerves and his fears about something going wrong again.
On a stormy night, Jeremy was sleeping at Lottie's. He woke up with a severe headache during the night and Lottie took care of him.
After Jeremy began feeling better and went back to bed, Lottie got a blanket and settled down on the sofa in his room in case he needed her again.
Just as the saloon owner was drifting off, four thugs came charging into the room. Two of them grabbed Lottie and the others snatched Jeremy from the bed.
"What is this?! Don't hurt him! He is sick!" Lottie screamed.
"We know all about the pregnant boy here, Miss Lottie. You better be nice to us if you want Precious to stay okay." One of the scoundrels told her.
Jeremy was heavily medicated for his headache and unable to try to fight the attackers.
"Ken! Ken! Help! Help!" Lottie screamed as she glared at the masked men.
"Ken can't help you, lady. He is out cold." One of the men said.
The men started dragging Jeremy and Lottie out of the room and down the hall. They drug them down the stairs. The thugs with Jeremy stumbled causing Young Bolt to stir.
"What's going on? Where is Lottie?" Jeremy spoke loudly.
"I'm here, Jeremy. These men are kidnapping us. Please don't try to fight them. They might hurt you." Lottie pleaded.
"I can't let them injure you, Lottie!" Jeremy tried to pull away from his captors.
It was no use. Jeremy did not have his usual strength plus there being two men holding on to him.
By this time, they were outside the saloon. Jeremy saw a stagecoach in front of Lottie's. There was no one in the driver's seat and there didn't seem to be any passengers.
"Where did this stage come from at this hour?" Jeremy asked.
"Never mind about that, young man!" A voice came from inside the vehicle.
The door opened and a dapper looking older man stepped out. Lottie gasped at the sight of him.
"Matthew Munsey! What are you doing? You tell these hooligans to let us go this instant!" Miss Hatfield shouted.
"Oh no, my dear! I can't do that! This young pregnant fellow is my latest venture. He is going to make me rich, well, not rich, but well off for awhile." Munsey smiled a slimy smile.
"Matthew, you are dispicable! If you hurt one hair on my boy's head, I will kill you! Do you hear me?!" Lottie shouted.
"Jason! Jason, help! Help! Joshua! Help!" Jeremy screamed.
The older Bolt brothers were sound asleep in their cabin. They couldn't hear their brother's cries for help.
Munsey's men loaded Jeremy and Lottie on the stagecoach. Two of the men rode up top and two rode in the coach along with Munsy and his captives.
"Let Lottie go, and I won't press charges when you get caught." Jeremy told Munsey as the vehicle was pulling out.
Munsey threw back his head as he laughed. "What makes you think I'm going to get caught?"
"Criminals always get caught. It might take a long time, but they get caught. What do you want with us?" Young Bolt asked.
Munsey looked at Jeremy. "You are so naïve, Mr. Bolt. You still believe that everything will turn out right in the end. As far as what I want you for, you are going to be the main attraction in my side show. I'm going to make a great deal of money by allowing people to see a real live pregnant man. You will have your own cage. All you have to do is be quiet while the people walk by and stare at you."
"A c-c-cage? You are going to put me in a c-c-cage so people can s-s-stare at me?" Jeremy panicked. He clutched Lottie's arm.
"Matthew! There's a hot corner of hell reserved for people who do things like you're talking about! How much money will it take for you to let us go?!" Lottie demanded.
"Oh, Lottie! Do you think I have forgotten what a poor little town Seattle is? Why no one could make change for a Thousand-dollar bill without going to the bank in Olympia first!" Her former husband laughed.
Lottie glared at him as she tried to calm Jeremy. The youngest Bolt was hiding his face in her shoulder sobbing.
"Jeremy, sweetheart, please try to be calm. We will think of a way out of this." She whispered. "I love you. I won't let anyone hurt you."
"I know. I love you too. People will stare at me and laugh and call me names. Like they did when I was a child. I will be in a cage like an animal. I can't bear it, Lottie." He cried. "I will start s-s-stut-ter-ing again!"
Lottie tried her best to help him calm down. It was no use. The thought of being put on display for public ridicule was overwhelming. Lottie held him close while he cried.
Back in Seattle, Biddie knocked on the door of the Bolt brothers' cabin. Jason woke up, put on his pants, and went to the door.
"Hello, Biddie. Is something wrong? Why are you here in the middle of the night?" Jason asked.
Biddie didn't respond. She stared straight ahead as she walked into the cabin.
Jason watched her for a few moments. She didn't move or speak.
The oldest brother gently touched the young woman's shoulder as he whispered her name in her ear, "Biddie."
Biddie turned to face him still staring blankly ahead. She opened her mouth and spoke. However, it was Jeremy's voice that came from her mouth.
"Help, Jason! Help! Please help me! Don't let him put me in a c-c-cage!" Jeremy shouted through Biddie.
"Shakespeare's Sunbonnet!" Jason yelped as he staggered backwards away from Biddie. "Joshua! Put your pants on and get out here! I need you, brother!"
Joshua sprinted from his bedroom. "What's wrong?" He looked around the cabin. "I thought I heard Jeremy calling out for help."
"You heard Jeremy, but he is not here." Jason told him.
"What? Jason, you weren't drunk when you went to bed. What's wrong with you?" Joshua was stunned.
Biddie turned toward Joshua, "Help, Jason! Help! They are going to hurt me! Help!" Jeremy cried out through Biddie's throat.
Joshua jumped back a few feet. "Oh, hell! How is that possible?"
"I guess the same way it's possible for Jeremy to be pregnant, Josh. We have to go find him. They probably have Lottie too. She wouldn't just let anyone take our brother." Jason replied.
"Unless they had a gun." Joshua spoke.
"Right, Joshua." Jason agreed.
The brothers grabbed their gear and saddled their horses. When they left the cabin, they stopped by the dormitory to let someone know Biddie was going with them. Candy answered the door. When she heard what had happened, she demanded to go as well. Jason and Joshua agreed.
Candy prepared her horse, Annabel and her gear fast. Joshua had prepared a horse for Biddie. There was a quick stop at the saloon to confirm that Lottie was gone too. Ken had regained consciousness. He told them what happened. He said he recognized the leader as Lottie's former husband, Matthew Munsey.
The four rode away to rescue Jeremy and Lottie. As they traveled, Jason told Candy about hearing Jeremy speak through Biddie.
"Jason let's stop for a minute, please. I have to tell you something. I hope you and Joshua won't be upset with me. Jeremy doesn't even know." Candy spoke.
From the tone of her voice, Jason knew it was something very serious. "Alright, Candy, what do you need to say?"
They stopped their horses. Biddie was able to follow what the others did in spite of her trance like frame of mind.
"Jason, Joshua, Biddie and I are witches. However, we are not evil. I promise. We are not part of that group that attacked Jeremy and made him pregnant the first time. We are for lack of a better word, nice witches. We never use our powers to hurt anyone. Never!" Candy said. "I love Jeremy with my heart and my soul. I want to marry him and be the mother of his children. Well, I am the mother of his children. The twins he is carrying now are my children. I followed Jeremy on his last camping trip because I knew he had the desire to give birth because of the curse. I worked my way into the group of evil witches when he called them that night. I was the one who made him pregnant the second time."
"Jason, is this your nightmare or is it mine?" Joshua asked.
"We aren't dreaming, brother. But I believe we have been given some light in this dark and frightening situation." Jason replied. "I have many questions, Candy. But the most important one right now is can you or Biddie tell us where Jeremy and Lottie are?"
"Biddie probably can since it is a full moon. Come here, please, Biddie. Let's try it." Candy said.
Biddie and Candy walked to a clear spot where the light of the full moon was beaming down. Biddie stood in front of her best friend looking deeply into her eyes.
"Biddie, can you see Jeremy?" The red head inquired.
"Not yet." Biddie responded in her own voice. "Wait, I see him. He is in a stagecoach. He is asleep with his head on Lottie's shoulder. There are two vicious looking men in there along with Mr. Munsey."
"Are Jeremy and Lottie alright?" Candy questioned.
"Lottie looks tired and worried. Jeremy appears to be developing a fever." Said Biddie.
"A fever? Oh, dear! That's the last thing he needs now!" Candy exclaimed.
"Can you tell where they are, Miss Cloom?" Jason wondered.
"Yes, Jason, they are on the way to Tacoma." She responded.
Joshua went over to the two young witches. "How can you see them, Biddie?"
"Her true love is reflected in her eyes, Joshua. I can see someone in your eyes too." Biddie smiled.
Joshua chuckled. In my eyes? Who is she?"
Biddie pivoted to face the blond Bolt. "Why it's me, Joshua. I see myself in your eyes." She whispered softly.
"Biddie, I think that you and I would…." Joshua started to explain.
"Jason! Jason! Help!" Jeremy yelled through Biddie.
"Jeremy! Candy, is there anyway that we can get Jeremy to hear us?" Jason spoke.
"I'm not sure, Jason. Let me try something." Candy answered.
Candy cupped her hand to Biddie's ear. "Jeremy, this is Candy. Don't be afraid. If you can hear me, say Shakespeare. If anyone else with you can hear me say yes. If they can't hear me say no."
The four waited. After about two minutes, they heard, "Shakespeare no." In Jeremy's voice from Biddie.
Jason and Joshua exchanged a startled look.
"May I try, please, Biddie?" The eldest brother asked.
"Certainly, Jason." Biddie replied.
"Thank you." He said as he put his hand close to her ear.
"Jeremy, it's me, Jason. You and Lottie will be fine. Don't be scared. Joshua and I are on the way to rescue you and Lottie. Candy and Biddie are with us. They are fine. All of us love you and Lottie very much." Jason gulped.
"We love all of you too. Please hurry!" Jeremy sobbed from Biddie.
As the two men and the two women started to mount their horses, Candy spoke. "I'm worried about them especially Jeremy. I think I know a way to get us right to them."
Candy walked over to the spot where the moonlight was beaming down again. She looked up at the sky for a moment. Then she glanced to the left and then to the right.
"It will work. Bring the horses and form a circle around me." She told them. The brothers and Biddie did as she asked.
Candy raised her arms above her head and began swaying back and forth. She whispered, "Take me to my true love. Take me to my true love. Jeremy is my true love. Jeremy is my true love."
Miss Pruitt kept whispering those words and swaying over and over until she was spinning and the wind was blowing something fierce.
When Candy screamed, "Jeremy Bolt is my true love!" so loud that it echoed through the woods, the wind picked them up and set them down in the road just outside of Tacoma.
"Wow!" Joshua exclaimed. "Is everyone alright?"
"I'm okay, Joshua. How about you, Jason?" Biddie asked.
"Yes, I'm fine, Biddie, thank you." Jason replied. "Are you alright, Miss Pruitt?"
"Yes, Jason, I'm okay. Thank you. I think I hear the stagecoach coming!" Candy spoke.
The other three listened. "I hear it, Candy!" Jason said nervously.
"Come on, Josh! Let's get the ladies and the horses a piece off the road and get our shotguns ready!" exclaimed the oldest brother.
The two Bolts hurried to accomplish their task. Then they hid behind trees just off the road with their weapons in their hands.
When the stagecoach approached the area where Jason and Joshua were hidden, the two men stepped out with their guns raised.
"Stop! Stop!" Jason bellowed.
The thugs driving the vehicle stopped a few feet from the two siblings. Matthew Munsey climbed out of the coach.
"I don't think you two can take on four, can you?" He sneered.
Suddenly the sound of an army of men came from the woods. "There's a lot more than four of us! More like forty! Get them, men! We gotta help the Bolts! They got Miss Lottie and Jeremy!"
When Munsey and his hooligans heard the sound of dozens of men running through the woods toward the road, they ran off into the night leaving their hostages along with the stagecoach.
Jason and Joshua stood in shocked silence for a minute. Candy and Biddie came sprinting out of the woods laughing about how their trick scared the kidnappers away.
Jason came to his senses shouting, "Jeremy! Jeremy!" as he ran to the stagecoach.
Jason threw the door opened to find that his youngest brother was burning up with a fever. Lottie had been cooling his face with her handkerchief and water from a canteen.
"Don't worry, Jeremy. We will take care of you. God bless you, Lottie." Jason said as Lottie gave him her seat.
Miss Hatfield sat on the other side of the coach as Jason hugged Jeremy close. Joshua and Candy ran to the coach door.
"How is he, Jason!?" Joshua questioned frantically.
"Jeremy is burning with fever. Get us to a hotel in Tacoma, quickly, Joshua!" Jason answered.
Joshua ran to the front of the stagecoach and climbed to the driver's seat. Biddie was already there waiting for him. She had tied their horses to the back of the vehicle. Candy had climbed in the coach. She was wiping Jeremy's face with her wet handkerchiefs trying to cool his fever.
Joshua made the horses run hard toward Tacoma. Inside the stagecoach, Lottie cried.
"Everything is alright now, Lottie. Those rascals didn't hurt you, did they?" Jason was concerned.
"No, Jason, they didn't hurt me. I was terrified about what they were going to do to Jeremy. He was so hurt, Jason, so very hurt. How can people be so cruel?" Lottie watched the oldest Bolt stroke his brother's hair while Candy gently washed his face. Jeremy sighed in his sleep.
Soon they arrived at the Tacoma Terrace. Jason and Joshua carried their brother upstairs to their room. The three ladies got a room together.
After Jason and Joshua got Jeremy cleaned up and in bed wearing his long johns, Candy, Biddie, and Lottie came in.
The ladies and the two oldest brothers sat in chairs in the room. Candy glanced from Jeremy to his brothers.
"Jason, Joshua, I want to talk to you, please. This is very important." The red haired girl said.
"Alright, Candy. We are listening." Joshua said.
"I want to transfer the babies from Jeremy's body to my body." She said. "Women's bodies are made for bearing children, of course, and I have been worried about Jeremy since he almost died during the miscarriage. I couldn't stand it if he had to go through that again." Candy told them.
Jason frowned. "How much pain would there be for Jeremy if you did this transfer, Candy? Also, how risky is it for the babies? Jeremy would be destroyed if he lost these babies."
"There would be some pain for Jeremy when I removed the twins from his body, and I would have to do it one at a time. He would experience sharp pain for a few minutes and then some soreness for a day or two. The danger for the children would be low because I can do this within five minutes." Candy explained.
"What do you think, Josh?" The eldest brother asked.
"I think we should ask Jeremy." replied Joshua.
"You're right, Josh!" Jason agreed.
Candy, Jason, and Joshua gathered around Jeremy's bed.
Jason knelt down and gently shook Jeremy awake. He opened his eyes and looked at each one of them. Jeremy let his eyes rest on Jason.
"Jeremy, Candy wants to transfer the twins from your body to her body so you don't have to risk losing them. The babies and you will be fine. Candy will carry the children to term and give birth to them." Jason told him.
"Are you sure the babies will be alright?" Jeremy asked tearfully. "I love them so m-m-much" He placed his hand on his belly.
Candy moved from her chair to the side of the bed. "Yes, sweetheart, they will be just fine and so will you. I love you, Jeremy. I love the twins too. They are my children as well as yours. I'm a nice witch, darling. I made you pregnant on your last camping trip."
"The twins I am carrying are our babies, C-C-Candy?" Jeremy asked. He wanted to be sure he heard her correctly.
"Yes, Jeremy, your babies belong to both of us." Candy kissed his cheek gently.
Jeremy gazed at her for a few moments. "Okay, you can transfer them."
"Thank you, sweetheart. Joshua, would you get a cot, please and bring it in here? I will need a place to lie down. Lottie, will you put up,some type of curtain between my cot and Jeremy's bed, please?" Candy asked.
"Sure, Candy." Joshua said. He left the room fast.
When those tasks were done, Candy walked over to the fireplace in the room and crouched in front of it. She took a deep breath and then stuck her right hand in the fire. She held it there a few seconds. A whimper escaped her lips due to the pain. When Candy removed her hand from the fire, Lottie and the Bolts were shocked to see that it had turned into a claw.
"Oh, Candy! You didn't tell me you were going to hurt yourself! Maybe we shouldn't do this!" Jeremy cried out. "Jason, help her, please!"
"I'm okay, Jeremy. I need the claw to swap the babies over." She explained.
"Alright, you know how to do this." Young Bolt replied.
Candy walked across the room and sat on the side of her fiancé's bed. She pulled up his shirt.
"Jason, would you pull Jeremy's long johns down a bit so I can get to his abdomen, please?" She asked.
Jason did as she requested. Miss Pruitt asked Biddie to go stand by her cot. Biddie walked to the cot.
"Joshua, you and Jason hold tight to Jeremy. Sweetheart, get ready." Candy spoke.
"I'm ready." He whispered.
The red headed witch placed her claw on Jeremy's abdomen. She pushed down hard until her claw was inside him. She probed until she found one of the babies. Candy carefully removed the baby from the abdomen. Jeremy's breathing was labored, and he was whimpering a little due to the pain.
Hurriedly, Candy went behind the curtain. Biddie undressed her to her pantaloons and camisole. Candy laid on the cot with the baby in her claw. With Biddie helping to guide her, Candy placed the baby in her womb the same way she had removed the child from his father.
After resting a few minutes, Candy repeated the procedure to transfer the other baby from his father to his mother.
Jeremy and Candy slept for a few hours. They woke up about the same time. Candy got up to check on Jeremy.
The others had fallen asleep in their chairs around the room. When Candy sat on on his bed, Jeremy smiled at her.
"How do you feel, sweet girl? How do you like being pregnant?" He asked.
"I feel okay, Jeremy. I have only been pregnant for a few hours, and I was asleep. But I know I'll be fine." She replied.
"Oh, yeah, you're going to be fine! You are very important to us now that you are carrying two witch babies!" Jeremy said.
"What are you talking about? Is your fever worse?" Candy was stunned. "Jeremy, what is wrong with you?"
"Well, first off, I'm not Jeremy! He didn't come home from that last camping trip." The impostor laughed.
"Oh, dear God! What have you done with Jeremy? Where is he?" Candy screamed.
TBC