Orphans of Stone: HomeComing: A Curious Middle Grade Fantasy

by Rae Craig

  Harriet glanced over at Fread as they took their places. Stevie smirked as she kicked the back of the girl’s chair from behind. Fread’s head ducked down and her arms and legs drew in tight.

  Harriet started talking before she knew what she would say. “Fread, I can’t get my elbow comfortable with this post over here.” She slapped her palm against the roof support column. “You’re left handed, so that won’t be a problem for you. Let’s switch seats.” She reached over and removed Fread’s drum from her lap, setting it on the other chair. The girl had no choice but to move.

  Harriet swiveled backward in the new seat and gave Stevie a cat-like smile. “And now I can hear your wonderful playing so much better.”

  Stevie grunted. “Uh!”

  Grandma spoke softly. “We will play the dance music four times over.”

  She brought her arm down and they played. People smiled and clapped. Humstrummers bounced in time to the lively music, adding their jangling rhythm. After four times through-- silence.

  Great applause erupted, Herm Matta calling out over the top. “Play some more, we want to dance!”

  They played it over and over, couples facing each other and swinging their partners down the line of dancers. Grandma brought her arm down to end their playing and another voice called out. “Play another song!”

  They looked at each other. The only other music they knew was the focusing music.

  Grandma told the crowd. “Thanks, that’s all for us tonight.” She gestured toward the returning musicians.

  As the new and old musicians changed places, May Giffin spoke to them with a mischievous grin. “I think the dancers prefer you.” She smiled an invitation. “Play with us next time. We know that song!”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  HomeComing Fair

  Harriet placed the box of dishes in the car’s trunk. Over by their tent, a young woman thanked Grandma. “I’m glad we got here early this morning. These are perfect.”

  Her husband added. “Thanks to you, we finally found the same dishes my mom had; blue snow scenes with a horse and sleigh!” He reached into his pocket. “I wish we could call her.”

  Grandma explained. “Those don’t work in Shi-octon; the cliffs are too high.”

  The sun warmed the top of Harriet’s head and her stomach growled. There had been no time for scones on this busy morning.

  Angry complaints came from the other side of Tee Tosch’s cart. She recognized Tee’s voice, but not the snide voice of the other woman. A sneering blond woman stepped out from behind the cart and turned to blast Tee one last time. “You’re just a stupid old woman! We leave tomorrow!”

  Harriet turned away from that drama toward the next more pleasant surprise.

  “We sold out!” Ella ran up gasping. “I’m starving!”

  Grandma looked around the almost empty tent. “Go have fun.”

  Harriet and Ella looked at each other and shouted. “Debski’s!”

  They ran to the tavern, happy to see there was no line out the door. Inside, the snide blond woman argued with Deb across the bar. “But she said we had to live here forever!” She grabbed her bag of hamburgers and stomped toward the back door. “You know I can’t do that!”

  The back door opened and Stevie stared in at them. “Aunt Georgie, there’s my friends, Harriet and Ella.” Her sharp teeth showed behind her lizard-like smile. “They’re the nicest girls.”

  Aunt Georgie glared at them and slammed the door behind her as she stomped out.

  Deb pushed her hair back from her forehead and gave Ella and Harriet a real smile. “Hamburgers?”

  “Yes!” They shouted. The tavern crowd stared at them and then turned back to their conversations.

  Later, at the top of the Ferris wheel, Ella leaned forward to look down, making their seat swing. “I like to watch people.”

  “Not me.” Harriet couldn’t believe how long it was taking to get off this ride. “Give me the octopus or the tilt-a-whirl, anything that goes fast.”

  They joined a crowd over by the animal pens with the children gathered up front. Fread held a rope attached to a miniature cow with long fluffy hair. Warm brown eyes peaked out through its furry fringe.

  Fread talked to the children. “Tidy is a full-grown cow. She always picks up all her hay and puts it back in her hay rack.” She smiled at the children, looking them right in the face. “She is a very tidy cow.”

  She brought Tidy around to the other side of the pen where she showed a small boy how to brush Tidy’s hair. Then she faced the adults in the crowd, hunched her shoulders and dropped her chin to her chest. “Tidy is full grown. These cattle are original to Shi-octon Valley. They can be used as beef cattle or dairy cows. Most are gentle and well behaved.”

  Fread had two voices: warm but gruff with the children and fearful and hoarse with the adults.

  In the Jempson pen, Tozer led a light-colored horse along the rail. His chalkboard held meandering pictures of a horse named Scorch pulling a farm plough. Snow flakes fell on a long haired Scorch in one picture and flowers surrounded a short haired Scorch in another. Tozer led the horse close to the rail where a child in a wheelchair reached through to pet her soft nose. Tozer smiled across Scorch’s back at Harriet and Ella.

  All afternoon they ate food that wasn’t good for them and played games they didn’t win. Later, they climbed up onto the boulders along Glenmere’s bank, enjoying the sights and sounds of HomeComing Fair. On one end of the commons, the closed doors barricaded the outlet tunnel. On the other end of the commons people scurried around the dance hall getting ready for the chicken dinner.

  Ella pointed. “There’s the guys.” Dana and Tomas followed their mothers into the hall carrying dishes. “I hope Doctor Menja made mac and cheese again.”

  Tomas waved. He and Dana said something to their moms and headed toward Glenmere. As the boys reached them, Tozer rushed up from the other direction, holding his side and gasping for air.

  “Help” He scrawled on a pad he pulled from his pocket. He waved impatiently for them to follow, glancing back to hurry them along.

  Fread sat hunched over inside her pen, leaning against the barn. She cradled a hand wrapped in a white handkerchief and stared at her feet. She glanced up as they opened the gate, her shoulders lifting when she saw Dana.

  They squatted around her, Dana reaching forward to gently unwrap the cloth. A shiver ran up Harriet’s back. A cut sliced across Fread’s palm, blood dripping into the dirt. Dana met Harriet’s eyes as he rewrapped Fread’s hand.

  Tomas asked. “Were you going to the bonfire tonight?”

  Fread smiled at Tidy. “No, that’s when I take care of my little ones.”

  Tomas said. “We’ll walk you home.”

  The girl hunched her shoulders, staring at her hand. She reached for Tidy’s rope and winced.

  Tomas took the rope from her. “What’s her name?”

  That put Fread into teaching mode and she explained Tidy’s name and they laughed.

  They made a parade through the fairgrounds: Tomas raised up on Lucy leading Tidy, Ella behind them trying to avoid the cow’s swishing tail and Harriet and Dana walking to either side of the bandaged Fread.

  Harriet asked. “Does your hand hurt? I cut my hand a few weeks ago and it hurt a lot.” She looked down at the Fread’s hand. “How did you cut it?”

  Fread watched her feet. “Tidy gave me a friendly head butt and I lost my balance.” She brought her hand up to inspect the bandage. “I landed on a sharp rock.”

  Dana and Harriet’s eyes met.

  After they had crossed the creek bridge, the afternoon sun shone along the grotto path. Harriet said. “You need to wash that cut.” Dana smiled at Fread and nodded. Harriet continued. “The grotto water is good for cuts and scrapes.”

  Ella patted the cow’s rump. “We’ll stay here with Tidy.” Tomas watched them as they disappeared into the trees.

  Sunlight filled the narrow entrance passage. A knife edge of light
sliced through it and out across the grotto pool. Harriet removed Fread’s bandage, handing it to Dana who swished it in the water till it was clean and white. Harriet used it to gently wash the girl’s hand.

  Dana helped Fread to her feet, the deep cut dripping blood. As Harriet put her own palm down to push herself up, she touched the crystal that had cut her hand. The hand that had healed in a flash of light. She wiped gravel from her scar and felt Dana watching her.

  She shook out the handkerchief. “I bet Ella has a clean handkerchief in those pockets of hers.”

  Harriet entered the passage, the sun heating it like an oven. Light flashed from the crystal in the granite shelf. She wiped it off with the handkerchief, a mild tingle running up her arm.

  “This crystal’s so warm and smooth.” Her fingers circled Fread’s wrist, pulling her forward. “Touch it, Fread; I bet your cut will feel better.”

  Sunlight enveloped the girl. Squinting, Fread placed her palm against the crystal. From behind, Dana saw a rosy glow form around her hand.

  Fread closed her eyes, her expression smoothing out. “Mmmm.” A low humming flowed from her to fill the space.

  Flash! Light burst out so bight that Harriet both saw it and felt it.

  Fread’s eyes flew open in shock. She moved Harriet out of the way with enough strength to lift her off her feet.

  Harriet acted matter of fact as they joined the others. “Ella, do you have a clean handkerchief?”

  “How about a bandana?” She pulled a folded red square from her back pocket.

  Fread stood very still, not looking at her hand. Dana took it and gently turned it palm up.

  Tomas rolled up to inspect the cut. “That doesn’t need a bandage. It’s just a scratch.” He looked at Harriet curiously.

  Smooth and unhurried, Dana dipped his head toward her hand. “Does it hurt?”

  Fread concentrated, tentatively opening and closing her hand. Her head rose. “I’ll go home now.” She picked up Tidy’s rope and headed away from them.

  Ella trotted along side her. “We’ll come with you.”

  Fread shook her head and pulled steadily away, mumbling just loud enough for them to hear. “Thanks.”

  They watched Tidy’s tail swish down the road.

  Ella asked Tomas. “Did your mom bring mac and cheese in that big blue bowl?”

  “Yep.” He led the way back though the quiet village. “Grandma always used that bowl for her mac and cheese.” He sped up, the others trotting behind him. “It’ll go fast.”

  Fried chicken, mac and cheese, baked dishes, desserts, desserts, desserts. They finally pushed their plates away.

  Jule Gribes walked up to their table, heading straight for Dana. She softly tapped the top of his head, then leaned into the group. “Hey, Dana. I’m going out into the badlands to gather clay Tuesday. Do you want to come?” She looked around at their almost empty plates and patted her stomach. “There’s no such thing as too much dessert.” She laughed with them and turned to Dana.

  With a big fake smile Stevie slid up next to her mother. “Tomas, did you know your mom is one of the fire starters tonight? You must be so proud.” She cocked her head to the side in what looked like kindness. “Does she know what to do, since she deserted Shi-octon so many years ago?”

  Tomas watched Jule Gribes’s non-reaction and then answered Stevie with what sounded like gratitude. “Thanks for your concern, Stevie. Mom’s good.”

  Dana shot a questioning glance at Harriet and turned to Jule. “I’ll be there.”

  Jule touched the top of her daughter’s head as they returned to their own table. When she got there she leaned between Aunt Georgie and an emaciated brown woman, resting her hands on their shoulders. They stopped arguing and looked up at her.

  Dana thought about the discoveries they had made over the last few weeks. “Did the ancients use that clay?”

  Harriet added. “And did they bring it into the valley in those carts?”

  Ella said. “We need clay to line the little pond in our new herb garden.”

  Later they watched the bonfire preparations. From the bandstand, May, Bryn, and Mel played a tune with the underlying rhythm of the focusing music and a melody over the top that gathered everyone to them. Tee Toish served blue punch from her cart. Even though it was not delicious, it had a warm spiciness that made everyone want another glass, but by then Tee had pulled the cart away.

  Torches lit up the growing darkness as Dad took up his position in front of the bonfire and Nori Matta stood to the right side, holding her torch out in front of her. Ella was pleased to see her mom.

  Harriet asked Ella “Did you know you mom was a fire starter tonight?”

  “No, and I’m surprised she didn’t tell me.”

  Harriet realized her mom and dad didn’t talk about the bonfire either, even though she could tell it was important to them.

  Tomas watched his mom take her position. “I didn’t know either.”

  Harriet said. “They don’t talk about it.”

  Tomas stared at Harriet. “Well, Doc. You mean, like we don’t talk about how Fread’s hand healed instantly?”

  Harriet knew she would get a nickname eventually and at least ‘Doc’ wasn’t too annoying. She stared right back at him. “Exactly like that, except we will talk about that tonight---” She glanced around and lowered her voice. “in the outlet tunnel.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Outlet Tunnel

  Harriet, Dana, Ella, and Tomas lay in their sleeping bags until well after the village fell asleep. Their parents had been pleased about them spending the night in Tomas’s tent. That had reminded them of their own overnights and telling stories of the adventures they had gotten into kept them from asking too many questions.

  Using no flashlights, they tread through the soft darkness, their feet sinking into the tilled garden soil behind first Joan Geis’s house and then the Tompson’s farm buildings. Near the barn a spotlight blasted on, freezing them in place, but the night remained quiet.

  “Oh, I know.” Ella whispered in an amused sigh. “June Tompson rigged up this light because skunks are chewing on her barn door.”

  They relaxed and started breathing again..

  They walked around the back of Glenmere, the Commons empty now that the rides and tents were gone. Across the water Harriet saw the silhouette of the bonfire mound rising against the lights of the village.

  Tomas whispered into the darkness. “They played the focusing music at the bonfire.”

  After a minute of silent walking, Ella asked “Do you think you have to play your own instrument for the full effect?”

  They scrambled down the slope to the obsidian terrace. Tomas hid Lucy behind a bush and scooted down without putting on his braces.

  Harriet laid on her belly next to the outlet tunnel’s barricaded doors and hung her arms down into the channel’s warm current. She swung around and took off her shoes and socks.

  The barricade came all the way down to the flowing water; swimming under it was the only way to get inside.

  Harriet turned on the small waterproof flashlight hanging from her neck and turned to face her friends. Dana sat on the edge of the channel wall, his feet pushed to the side by the current. He had stripped down to shorts and a t-shirt. He patted his pocket.

  “I’ve got waterproof matches.”

  Harriet could tell he planned to swim in with her. This whole thing was her idea and she wanted to go in by herself, but the matches were a good idea. And they were Dana’s idea.

  The current pulled at their clothes as they lowered themselves into the water and held onto the rock wall to avoid being swept away. Their feet easily reached the rocky bottom along the edge, but it got deeper out in middle.

  Standing next to the channel, Tomas and Ella had taken off their shoes, ready for their turn.

  Harriet turned her head from them toward Dana. “Any problems holding your breath?”

  As he shook his head, she nodded and sa
nk under the water.

  Harriet bobbed up inside the blackness of the outlet tunnel, her light reaching the rock walls on either side of the channel. The current ballooned out her shorts, pulling the fabric away from her skin. She kicked as hard as she could. If they didn’t reach the wall, the current would pull them down the channel, out over the waterfall and onto the rocks below. She kicked herself up into the air and grabbed the top edge of the wall, twisting her body back to check on Dana. The current formed a V around what she thought was Dana’s head out in the swift moving water, but he didn’t surface.

  With a supreme effort his head jerked back so his face came out of the water. “Foot’s stuck!”

  His arms thrashed violently trying to free himself, but the swirling water pulled him back under.

  Harriet lifted herself high against the wall, sucked in air to the bottom of her lungs and launched herself out into mid-stream, the force of her dive propelling her deep under the water. The flashlight swung wildly from her neck, lighting up first nothing but swirling water, but as she reached out to touch the channel’s floor, it lit up a carpet of jagged rocks, each about the size of her head. She grabbed hold of the closest one, as the current tried to pull her away. By reaching for the next rock and then the next she worked her way closer to Dana.

  She wedged her feet under a rock, turned around so she faced downstream and pointed the flashlight. At the far edge of the light, Dana’s foot stuck out from where it was trapped between two rocks and his other leg thrashed around, trying to get the traction needed to free himself. She pointed the light upward and watched him violently arch his body in order to throw his head back to breath, his arms pushing down and down against the water.

  She reached forward to grab the next rock and jerked back in surprise when Dana’s thrashing foot kicked her in the head. The dangling flashlight caught against a protruding rock and tore away, scraping skin off the back of her neck.