by K C Norrie
"Thank you, Ralph. Abbey will be pleased," said Elijah as Ralph nodded silently and reddened just a bit.
****
"We don't always understand God's plan. We don't always agree. We can only believe that there was a need for another angel in heaven, and Mason Austin was called to fill that need. Let us pray."
The congregation bowed their heads as one as they sobbed and wept. Pastor Logan found no dry eyes as he glanced over the parishioners.
The lifeless baby lay in the open coffin. Seth, one of two pallbearers placed the tiny coffin into the ground’s opening that had been dug for it.
The line of parishioners began walking by, one by one, dropping flowers, and petals into the open coffin and in the area surrounding it. Abbey and Elijah came last. Seth did not want to look at their anguished faces. They reminded him too much of the time he and Brie lost their little Elizabeth. He kept his eyes lowered onto the innocent face of the infant instead. He thought of Elizabeth all those years ago and how during the funeral, he had wished with all his heart that her eyes would open and find it had all been a mistake. It didn't happen of course. How foolish for him to wish for such.
Suddenly Mason Austin's eyes opened. Pale colorless eyes. A moving mouth with fangs. Seth choked back a scream as he quickly covered the casket with its carved lid. He glanced around.
No one noticed, Seth thought.
Elijah and Abbey had their eyes closed as they held each other. Pastor Logan was looking down at his bible. The other pallbearer, Lawrence Belfry, was praying with his eyes closed, and the other parishioners could not see down into the little box from where they stood.
Without waiting for Pastor Logan's nod, Seth began nailing the lid onto the coffin. Lawrence opened his eyes and began to help. As Seth held his other hand on the coffin to steady it while he nailed, he thought he felt something moving within the box.
"Ashes to ashes dust to dust…" The sermon continued, diminished in Seth's ears as his heartbeat thundered drowning it out. He picked up a shovel and began to cover the carved angels, all the flowers, and the petals with dirt. Lawrence, following Seth's lead, did the same until baby Mason Austin was fully buried.
"... may baby Mason Austin rest in peace. Amen."
No one noticed, Seth thought again.
There was a quiet gathering with food served. Everyone gave their condolences to Abbey and Elijah. Then it was over.
Seth went home with Brie, and Sarah and Hope. His sons James and Matthew were grown and married now. Sara was engaged to be married in just a few months.
He attempted to ponder his ever-changing life, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the funeral instead.
No one noticed. And he saw those pale eyes and tiny fangs again and felt the casket move beneath his hand. All through the night, all Seth could think about was the creature in the coffin that he had buried alive. He awoke in the night drenched in sweat. He woke and sat up straight startling Brie.
"What is wrong?" she asked sleepily.
"Just a bad dream," he answered.
No one noticed but me. No one.
By the third night, Seth knew what he needed to do. He waited until everyone was asleep. He had purposely left a shovel and some tools he would need on his back porch and he gathered them together now and headed toward the graveyard, next to the church. It was a clear night and he relied on the light from the gibbous moon to see by.
When he reached the cemetery, he sought out the gravesite of baby Mason Austin.
"God forgive me for what I am about to do," he whispered into the night.
He began to dig. When he dug deep enough, he pulled the tiny coffin from the earth.
What he hoped to find was something to put his fears to rest.
What he found instead, when he picked up the little hand-carved coffin, was the feel of something moving from inside—something trying to get out. Ice pulsed through Seth's veins and his heartbeat thundered through his ears again.
"How could this be?" he thought anxiously. "It just can't be."
Should he let someone else know?
"No. I must tell no one. No one must find this," he told himself sternly.
Carefully he replaced the earth on the little gravesite and prayed no one would notice the disturbance.
He had no real plan in mind as he began walking away; but he walked toward the path that led up into the mountain.
As he climbed up in the dark, he felt kicking and active movements from within the box. He held it with his arm stretched out as far as possible so it couldn't touch him.
Suddenly Seth caught sight of a white wolf. He didn't think it could have been the same one that led him back to the settlement all those years ago. How long did wolves live? He followed it anyway. The moon gave barely enough light for Seth to see by, but the wolf's fur seemed to glow from that light. He was walking along a flat area in a meadow or open field, probably the same area where they gathered the vines for the tea, but he wasn't sure; he couldn't see well enough to be certain. It seemed he'd walked a long time. His arms ached from holding the box in such an awkward position, arms stretched out in front of him. He saw the wolf far up ahead glowing like the moon itself. He hurried to catch up.
He felt a sense of urgency that said he needed to hurry; he needed to reach the wolf before… before what?
He began to run, closing the distance to the spot where the wolf stood waiting, when he tripped over a log, or a rock or a depression in the ground. He went down hard, and the coffin left his grasp flying out, hitting the ground in front of him hard enough to break open.
Seth watched from his prone position as something emerged from it, out into the moonlight. He gasped involuntarily. He was looking at a shroud of an infant; the skin was grayish and dried into something that reminded him of roughened elbows. Its mouth opened and shut as tiny fangs bit at the air and its eyes glowed with clear irises that stared back at Seth in the dark.
Suddenly Seth was surrounded by people. Someone helped him stand up as someone else picked up the baby. It was now a baby; a normal baby, not the horror he had seen. Was the baby alive? Did it move? The person who took the baby turned her back so Seth couldn't see. The person who helped him up asked him if he was okay. Seth looked for the ruined coffin, but it wasn't there anymore.
"Thank you, Seth," said the man who had helped him up. The people turned and walked away taking the baby with them, disappearing into the forest of trees that edged the meadow. Seth watched them go and thought of asking for the baby back, but then shut his mouth in revulsion at the thought. He turned toward home in the dark, spotting the wolf far ahead and he walked all the way back led by the light of the wolf's glow.
By the time he returned to Settlers Way, it was daylight and people were going about their day. No one took notice of him.
Seth stopped by the cemetery before going back to his house. The little grave appeared innocent and undisturbed. He retrieved the shovel and tools he had placed innocuously beside a tree and began walking home trying to think up a plausible excuse to be carrying them if anyone should ask. He could think of no excuse and no one asked. He placed the guilty tools on his back porch and stepped inside. Brie met him at the door.
"You were up early," she greeted him. She looked him over and continued. "You went to the cemetery didn't you," she accused him quietly.
Seth gasped in defense. How did she know? Had she seen?
She placed her fingers across his lips quieting his words of confession before he spoke them.
"It brings it all back doesn't it," she continued. "It feels the same as when we lost our baby Elizabeth."
Seth followed her to the kitchen table and sat as she poured red tea for them both. He sipped it and felt better.
"Yesterday I went to the Remember Me tree and cried all over again at the little tear drop we carved into it all those years ago."
Seth reached out for her hand.
"Elizabeth is carved into our hearts, the same as that tree. We ca
rry her with us always. We must accept it as enough. It's all we're going to get."
Seth and Brie held each other as they cried once more. Brie cried for her lost baby daughter and Seth for different reasons.
Chapter 10
Abbey and Elijah could not eat more than a few bites of the food their friends and neighbors brought to them every day, and for the first time since they had come to Settlers Way, they missed their families.
Elijah felt that Abbey needed her mother.
At first, the women insisted she stay in bed. It was now weeks later, and she still stayed mostly in bed just sleeping, getting up to do only what was necessary, then going back to sleep. Despite the tea, despite the syrup, Abbey stayed despondent.
Elijah waited one night until all the women were gone. Two or three still came each day to do the cleaning and cooking and tending to Abbey.
He brought a cup of the red tea to her and sat her up comfortably. He poured a cup for himself and told her his plan, which was to cross back over the mountain to visit her parents.
"But what if they're no longer there? They talked of moving south remember?"
"I'm sure they are still there." Elijah had no doubt. Her parents would never take the chance of moving away, only to have Abbey come back one day and not be able to find them. They loved their daughter.
A few days later, they sneaked out in the night, leaving a note for the women who would no doubt arrive in the morning. It took a full day of travel the last time, and Elijah thought it would take longer this time, as Abbey would tire more easily. He brought food and containers for water that could be refilled in the creek, and the means to make a fire. The first night they made it through the dark to one of the meadows, where the red tea vines grew and laid out a blanket to sleep on. There was enough moonlight to see by, though the moon was not full. Abbey thought they could gather some vines to take along with them to make the red tea for her mother.
"If we gather them now, they will begin to dry and be almost ready we get there." She already sounded more like her old self.
As they gathered the vines, Elijah felt a sting just above his boot and looked down to see what had stung or bit him. He found nothing and felt no broken skin, but he hoped it hadn't been a snake or some deadly spider. The sting did not linger, and he continued gathering vines.
"Ow, something just stung me," Abbey cried out just a few moments later. Elijah examined her ankle and again found nothing. It was too dark to see, so they decided to lay down on the blanket and sleep.
When they woke up, it was daylight and they were surrounded by people in what appeared to be a camp. How had they gotten here? Or had the people set up their camp around them. They still lay on their blanket.
"Good morning," said several of them smiling. Elijah noticed men and women going about chores and children playing. A woman approached carrying a baby.
"When she reached Abbey, she placed the infant in her arms. Abbey was alarmed at first but began to relax within seconds. Elijah placed his arm protectively around his wife and noticed the baby staring at him. When the baby smiled at him, Elijah's heart melted.
The people, who seemed very busy, left them mostly alone. No one asked who they were, and no one asked why they were here. Someone brought a tray with steaming cups of red tea, and some bread that tasted just like his mother's did.
Someone else brought a bottle that the baby could drink. The baby fell asleep and Abbey handed the sleeping infant to Elijah. The feel of warmth from the infant soothed his spirit. He fell asleep with the infant in his arms.
When he woke again, it looked as though the people were ready to leave. A smiling woman gently took the baby away, and a man was explaining to Elijah to gather the flowers of the vine under the next full moon.
"But who are you?" asked Elijah. "Where can we find you again?"
"We come as strangers," the man answered quietly. "We leave as friends." Then he turned and walked away. Elijah and Abbey watched the people amble away across the mountain meadow until they disappeared over the horizon.
The two of them packed up their belongings and continued toward Highview. Elijah had dreaded meeting his own parents, but now he looked forward to it. No matter what came of it, he was going to insist on a loaf of his mother's homemade bread.
****
The arrival of Elijah and Abbey to Highview was a true homecoming.
They had been gone less than a year, but Elijah noted there were already a few real dwellings built among all the covered wagons.
Elijah and Abbey met many friends along the way to her parents' wagon and memories flooded back. By the time they reached Mr. And Mrs. Smithson's camp, the word had already reached them that their daughter had returned home as Mrs. Abigail Fielder.
When mother and daughter's eyes met, arms were thrown open, and they rushed to meet each other. Elijah was surprisingly embraced by Mr. Smithson. There was no privacy here. Onlookers stepped up congratulating and welcoming. All the while Elijah kept looking among the crowd for his own parents. A boy who Elijah did not remember hugged him fiercely with tears in his eyes when suddenly Elijah recognized him as his own brother who had grown at least a half foot during his absence. Elijah returned the tears and the hug and asked after the rest of the family.
"They're right behind you, see for yourself," answered Nathan. Elijah was picked up and twirled around by his six-foot five father. His mother and other brothers and sisters welcomed him back as well.
Reconciliation was made between the families. A covered wagon was emptied and restocked for the married couple. All was put to rights. All was forgiven. Abby and Elijah were home.
****
Abby served the red tea. She made enough for everyone in Highview to sample. When the full moon arrived, Elijah took a group of Highview residents up into one of the mountain meadows and showed them how to gather the flowers and the vines and make the syrup that cured so many illnesses in Settlers Way.
In Highview, the syrup rivaled with a tonic popular with the Highview settlers called "Miracle Drops" concocted by George Kinson, one of the settlement's leaders.
George created Miracle Drops back in Virginia where the Highview group originated. Every wagon had a bottle on hand and many of the men kept one in their back pockets to sip from throughout the day. Its main ingredient was alcohol. The yellow syrup just never caught on and years later it was all but forgotten.
The same happened with the red tea. Highview residents preferred the coffee they brought with them from Virginia, laced with "Miracle Drops" when they needed a pick me up. The red tea was very good, but not as good as the coffee.
Abbey and Elijah never returned to Settlers Way. They sent word back to them along with a peddler, and one day received a letter back wishing them well.
The two kept the Settlers Way tradition of drinking the red tea and Elijah kept a bottle of the syrup on hand spooning it out whenever someone coughed. He and Abbey never talked about it, but since their return from Settlers Way, Elijah felt two strong presences.
One was of something evil that dwelt far beneath their settlement. The other was of something that watched from the mountain. Something watching and waiting.
When he drank the tea, he felt protected and invisible from the evil. The evil looked past him.
Abbey seemed to feel the same way, drinking the red tea, and serving it to the children they were blessed with as the years went by.
Chapter 11
While the departure of the young Fielder family seemed an ending to a sad story in Settlers Way, in truth, it was the beginning of something else.
Settlers Way had always been open and welcoming to newcomers and travelers. Dreadful events put an end to that friendliness.
A day began as ordinary as any other.
A small group of settlers was camped around Settlers Way deciding whether to stay and join the village or to move on to somewhere else. They were led by a man named Martin Gilmore, a large bearded man with a booming voice. The
y seemed friendly enough and greatly loved the red tea.
The weather was against them from the start, they said. They had been forced to find other paths when the trail disappeared from heavy rains or floods, and they'd had to stop whenever enough of them were too ill to travel. They got lost, wagon wheels broke, and a pack of coyotes ran through their cattle causing untold damage.
Throughout the years, Settlers Way townsfolk had heard all this before. Every group that passed through had their own version of the trials and misfortunes suffered on the journey to California.
This group was from Illinois searching not just for a better quality of life, but for riches. They were on a quest for gold. Gilmore talked of panning for gold in Settlers Way's very own Remembrance Creek.
This did not bode well at all with the Settlers Way residents. The hospitality cooled at once and the newcomers noticed. It was a clear sunny morning, and they had decided amongst themselves to settle somewhere else. They were in the midst of packing up their belongings when screams rang out from a house down the way.
****
Otis and Cora Hawkins were discovered by their grown children Kalyan and Tadia who arrived at their parents' cabin when Cora failed to appear for a planned outing. Both townsfolk and visitors came running in response to their screams.
Seth was one of the first to arrive and paled at the sight of the same eyes and the gnashing fangs he had seen on baby Mason. The red that dripped from Otis's mouth seemed unreal. Cora, Otis's wife lay lifeless beside him on their bed, painted in blood. Even her hair was red with her blood. Her throat gaped open. Suddenly the shot of a rifle rang loud in Seth's ears as Otis's head exploded. Then he lay as still as his wife.
Joe Parker, president of the town council, whom Seth had known his entire life, remained emotionless with his rifle tensed amid the gore.
"Go tell Ralph we have two more."
Amos Jones another council member, hastened away with the message for the undertaker. Two more? Seth tried to understand. He questioned Joe with a look. Joe nodded his answer. This was not the first time.
