Molly almost screamed when she answered the door and saw two faceless people clad in layers of mismatched clothes. Then one of the people took off a scarf to reveal Aunt Samantha. “Hello Molly,” Aunt Samantha said. “How’s your mom?”
“She’s still asleep. You want to play dollies with me?”
“I would love to, but not right now. I have to talk with your mom about some important things first.”
“All right,” Molly said.
Aunt Samantha came in and sat down by the fire along with the other person, who took off her hat to reveal Aunt Prudence. She mumbled a greeting to Molly; Aunt Prudence never talked much to Molly and always had a pained expression like someone was pinching her. Most of the time, though, she came armed with little presents like a new rag doll or a pretty new dress. “Did you bring me anything?” Molly asked her.
“Not today, dear,” Aunt Prudence said. She looked down at the nightgown that now only went to Molly’s knees. “You’ll have to come in the shop so I can measure you for new clothes.”
“You are growing like a weed,” Aunt Samantha said. She patted Molly’s head. “Your hair looks so pretty.”
“Mama curled it yesterday. She said I had a rat’s nest on my head. She brushed out the tangles, but I didn’t cry once.”
“That’s my girl,” Aunt Samantha said. She took off her boots and then stood up from the fireplace. “Think you can wake your mom up so we can talk to her?”
“Of course I can,” Molly said. She hurried off to Mama Becky’s room. Mama Becky slept on her side, facing away from Molly. She shook Mama Becky and said, “Mama, wake up. Aunt Samantha and Aunt Prudence are here. Mama. Mama.” She kept repeating the word and shaking Mama Becky until Mama Becky rolled over. She lay there, staring up at the ceiling until Molly climbed onto her tummy. “Morning, Mama.”
“Morning, sweetie.” Mama Becky sat up and pressed Molly’s head to her breast. “Mama isn’t in the mood to play right now.”
“I’m not playing. Or at least I was, but then I heard a knock at the door and I saw two scary-looking people and I was going to cry. But then it turned out to be Aunt Samantha and Aunt Prudence all dressed up and they asked to sit down by the fire to warm up and—”
“Now sweetie, what have I told you about fibbing?”
“I’m not fibbing. They’re really here. Come and see.”
Molly took Mama Becky’s hand and tried to pull her from bed, but she was far too heavy. Mama Becky got out of bed, her brown hair like a rat’s nest in need of brushing. She picked Molly up and carried her into the living room, almost dropping Molly when she saw Aunt Samantha and Aunt Prudence. “You are here,” she said. “I thought Molly was making up another one of her stories again.”
“We managed to get the doors open this morning,” Aunt Samantha said. “David and Wendell are on their way.”
Mama Becky frowned, although Molly didn’t see why. Uncle David was always a little grouchy and Uncle Wendell a little strange, but they weren’t mean. Uncle Wendell had even carved a special big-girl bed for Molly two years ago with pretty dancing unicorns on the headboard.
Mama Becky set Molly down on the floor. “Molly, why don’t you go to your room and play? Mama needs to talk with Aunt Samantha and Aunt Prudence about some important things.”
“Why can’t I stay? I’m a big girl now.”
“I know you are, sweetie, but these are very boring grownup things. After we’re done I’ll make all of us pancakes for breakfast. Would you like that?”
“Yes, but why can’t I stay?” Molly’s lower lip trembled, but she held off crying in front of Aunt Samantha and Aunt Prudence. She didn’t want them to think she was still a baby.
“Molly, please, go to your room.”
“We won’t talk about anything interesting without you,” Aunt Samantha said. “I promise. Cross my heart.”
Molly turned and went to her bedroom. After she closed the door, she picked up the doll of handsome Sir Francis, but she didn’t want to play. Instead, she pressed her ear to the door to listen to the grownups talk.
“It’s that bad?” Mama Becky said.
“I’m afraid so. There’s nothing left,” Aunt Samantha said.
“What are we going to do?” Mama Becky asked.
“I have an idea. It’s dangerous and I hoped we wouldn’t need to try it for a few more years, but I don’t see any choice now. Our supplies won’t last more than a couple weeks.”
“We always have the fountain,” Mama Becky said.
“I know, but that’s not a long-term solution. That wouldn’t be much better than what the reverend did.”
The door opened and Molly heard Uncle David’s growly voice and Uncle Wendell’s voice that squeaked every few words as though he had the hiccups. Uncle David was mad at Uncle Wendell for falling into snowdrifts. “I spent twenty minutes digging Wendy out of the snow,” Uncle David said.
“Stop calling me that!” Uncle Wendell shouted. Mama Becky shushed him and Aunt Samantha told the boys to sit by the fire. She repeated what she’d said to Mama Becky.
“I don’t see any choice now but to try crossing the sea,” Aunt Samantha announced. “Wendell, can the fishing boat get us there and back in one piece?”
“It should, with some modifications,” he said.
“Good. Only a couple of us can go and the others have to stay here and look after things—”
Molly opened the door and raced into the circle of grownups. “I’ll go!” she said. “I want to go across the sea.”
“Molly, I told you to stay in your room,” Mama Becky said.
“Please Mama, let me go. I’m old enough.”
Aunt Samantha shook her head. “I’m sorry, honey, but I can’t let you go. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything happened to that pretty head of yours.”
Molly stamped her foot. “You think I’m too little.”
“No, of course not. But it’s going to be very scary—”
“I’m not scared. I won’t cry even if a mean old snake comes out of the water to eat us.”
Aunt Samantha laughed and patted Molly’s head again. “I’m sure you wouldn’t. You’re a very brave girl. That’s why it’s so important you stay here.”
Mama Becky picked Molly up and sat with Molly on her lap. “That’s right, sweetheart, you have to stay here with me and look after all the other boys and girls.”
“Are you sure?” Aunt Samantha asked.
Mama Becky nodded. She put a hand on Molly’s head. “My place is here with Molly.”
Aunt Prudence gulped as if she were swallowing a whole egg. “I’ll go with you,” she said to Aunt Samantha.
“You should stay here with Becky,” Uncle David said. “Samantha and I can handle this.”
“What about me? I want to go too,” Uncle Wendell said. “You’ll need me if anything goes wrong with the boat.”
“I wouldn’t dream of going without you,” Aunt Samantha said. “David, you stay here with Becky. We’ll need someone to watch over everyone in case something happens.”
“What? You’re letting Wendy go and not me?” It was Uncle David’s turn to stamp his foot. “You expect me to sit here and babysit while you go gallivanting off across the sea?”
“I’m sorry, David, but we need someone here strong enough to look after the others in case anything goes wrong. Prudence, Wendell, and I will go over there and get what supplies we can. Becky and David will be in charge of the town. Agreed?”
Uncle David’s face had turned an angry red, but he nodded along with everyone else. Mama Becky kissed Molly on the forehead and then stood up. “Now, how about those pancakes?” She put Molly down, who ran into her bedroom and slammed the door shut. She didn’t want the others to see her cry.
Chapter 3: Early Withdrawal
The town’s only boat was beached in a cove sheltered from the waves. Snow covered the boat so that David and some of the other boys had to dig the vessel out from the drifts. Afterwards
, Wendell and Samantha inspected the boat to find it still in good condition.
The fishing boat was twenty feet long and usually took a crew of two. Since the vessel operated close to the shore, it relied solely on oars for power. “It shouldn’t be hard to rig up a sail,” Wendell said. “We just need to find a piece of wood big enough for a mast and a few bed sheets.”
Wendell explained the size and shape needed for the mast. Samantha sent David and a party of boys out in search of a tree that could be sacrificed to meet their needs. She set Prudence and Rebecca to work on stitching a pair of sheets together for the sail. Molly started to jump up and down excitedly when Samantha came over to talk with Rebecca about the sail. “I want to help,” Molly said. “I can help.”
“I’m sure you can,” Samantha said. She tried to think of something the little girl could do. “Why don’t you run over to the pantry and help Aunt Phyllis pack the supplies we’ll need?”
“Make sure you dress nice and warm first,” Rebecca said.
Samantha pulled a hat over Molly’s head of curls and then wet her finger to wipe a spot of dirt from the girl’s freckled cheek. Molly giggled at this and then pointed to a spot on Samantha’s face. “What’s that red thing?” she asked.
“That’s a pimple,” Samantha said.
“What’s a pimple?”
“It’s something you’ll get when you’re old like me,” Samantha said with a wink. “Come on, let’s hurry up and go before your mom changes her mind.”
She took Molly’s hand and waved to Rebecca with the other as she left the cottage on the edge of town. At first she didn’t understand why Rebecca insisted on her own house in which to raise the girl, but she’d come to see why in the last four years. Out here, away from the dormitories, Molly could have as close to a normal life as possible in Eternity. Living with only Rebecca also spared her from much of the teasing from the other girls about being the baby.
Samantha considered the wisdom of putting Molly in the care of Phyllis and Helena for the day. As Samantha knew from her own experience those two delighted in picking on anyone different. But Samantha didn’t want the rambunctious little girl disturbing Prudence and Rebecca as they worked on the sail. They couldn’t afford any delays in getting the boat ready.
Molly rode on Samantha’s back and chattered the entire way from the cottage to the pantry at the far end of what Wendell had dubbed Main Street. In redesigning the town after the hurricane, Wendell had concentrated the various workshops once spread in a circle around the church into two rows with a road between them to give the feel of a real town. Samantha and Molly passed Prudence’s tailor shop, Rebecca’s bakery, Helena’s laundromat, Phyllis’s cafeteria, and Wendell’s workshop. Molly waved to each building, although all the windows were boarded up for the winter months. “When will Mama Becky be able to reopen the bakery?” Molly asked.
“Not for a little while,” Samantha said. She cringed at the name ‘Mama Becky.’ This term had first come up almost two years ago when Molly asked ‘Mama Becky’ for a piece of cake at her third birthday party. Rebecca’s face had reddened for a moment as though someone had slapped her, but she didn’t correct the girl. Samantha took Rebecca aside later to comfort her.
“She’s never said that to me before. ‘Mama Becky’ as if she has a dozen mamas looking after her. I’m the one who raised her since she was a baby,” Rebecca said.
“I know, but she’s a smart girl. You had to expect she’d figure it out sooner or later,” Samantha said.
“Not this soon!” Rebecca wailed and started to cry. Samantha had sat Molly down later to explain why Rebecca wouldn’t come out of her bedroom.
“Your mama is very sad right now,” Samantha said.
“Did I do something bad?”
“No, of course not. You didn’t do anything wrong.” She sat the little girl down on her lap. “Your mom works really hard to take care of you and she loves you very much.”
“I know,” Molly said. “But she’s not my real mama.”
“How do you know that?”
“Helena told me. She said all our mamas and daddies went far away a long time ago and someday they’ll come back.” Molly looked up at her with a child’s innocent eyes. “Did your mama and daddy leave you, Aunt Samantha?”
“Yes.”
“Are they coming back?”
Samantha couldn’t bear to tell sweet little Molly the horrible truth that all their parents had died years ago, including her own. “Of course they are, sweetheart.” She lowered her voice to add, “But until they do, Rebecca is your mama and you shouldn’t treat her any differently.”
Molly nodded and to her credit had never called Rebecca ‘Mama Becky’ again, at least not in Rebecca’s presence. That incident had shown the disadvantage in letting Rebecca raise Molly. Rebecca had come to see herself as the girl’s actual mother. As Molly grew older she would question her parentage more. Samantha didn’t know what Rebecca would do then.
For now Samantha dropped little Molly off with Phyllis. Always a sullen child, Phyllis had grown into a sullen young woman. “I’m not a babysitter,” she groused.
“I’m sure there’s plenty Molly can help with,” Samantha said. She felt Molly press against her leg in fear.
“Yeah, right,” Phyllis said. Phyllis snorted as she bent down to look Molly in the eye. “Try not to break anything.”
“It’ll be all right, Molly,” Samantha said when Molly didn’t move. “Be a big girl and help Aunt Phyllis.”
Molly nodded and let go of Samantha’s leg. Samantha kissed the little girl on the forehead and then left her with Phyllis to prepare supplies for the voyage. Samantha waited for Phyllis to slam the door shut before she started out on her own errand.
After strapping on her snowshoes and finding an empty bag, Samantha set out for Pryde’s hut deep in the forest. The trip was difficult, requiring her to stop three times to rest and twice more to extricate herself from a deep patch of snow. She checked the snow for any footprints that might indicate any of Pryde’s dogs in the area, but no one had seen any in four years.
Pryde’s hut was invisible in the snow except for the doorway, which had somehow missed being drifted over. Samantha opened the front door to the mud hut and found everything unchanged. She opened the cellar door next to the bed and climbed down the steps into the basement. Here she found a grim memorial in the clothes scattered around the floor. All of the garments had once belonged to women Pryde had killed over three hundred fifty years. Samantha stepped gingerly over the clothes, not wanting to disturb them.
She went into Pryde’s trophy room. At one time he’d kept piles of bones from his victims in this room along with pictures taken from them. All of these now lay in the ground a short distance away, the ghosts of his evil laid to rest forever.
A sick feeling came to her stomach as she knelt down in front of the safe. She put a hand to the necklace she wore around her neck, a half of heart engraved with the first half of the words, “Best Friends Forever.” Pryde had taken this necklace off her as a trophy. She didn’t know what had become of the necklace’s other half.
Samantha spun the combination to the safe—the numbers still burned into her mind—and yanked the door open. Inside the safe, gold and silver treasures glittered. She reached out to scoop them up, but then hesitated. These necklaces, bracelets, and broaches had all belonged to Pryde’s victims. By taking them now, was she any better than him?
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have a choice,” she said. If they were going to cross the sea and get supplies, they needed something to barter. As much as she hated to admit it, these items had more value than anything else on Eternity. At least now these monuments to death could be used to bring life. She dumped them into the bag with tears in her eyes.
Chapter 4: Bon Voyage
The boat Wendell had dubbed the Primrose floated in the water, its patchwork sail fluttering in the breeze. Samantha thought the boat looked small and fragile against the vast
expanse of the ocean. They didn’t have a choice, though. If they didn’t attempt to find supplies across the sea they would be forced to live off the Fountain of Youth’s water for months or years. She didn’t relish the thought of remaining fourteen for the rest of her life. Molly would suffer an even worse fate, being trapped in the body of a five-year-old. The Primrose was their only hope.
Samantha walked along the rows of children, saying her farewells. Most of the girls had tears in their eyes while the boys wore grim expressions, trying to remain stoic. Even Helena had to wipe tears from her eyes; they all knew what was at stake. Samantha knelt down to look Molly in the eyes. The little girl’s face had turned red from crying. “Don’t worry, we aren’t going to be gone for long,” Samantha told her.
“I know,” Molly mumbled.
“I’ll bring you back something. How would you like that?” The little girl nodded, but then tugged on Samantha’s sleeve after she turned around.
“Promise you won’t forget me,” Molly said.
“I could never forget you.” Samantha kissed Molly on the cheek. “You take good care of your mama while I’m gone.”
Samantha stood up to embrace Rebecca, who had begun to cry as much as Molly. “Be careful,” Rebecca said. “If you fall into the water, don’t forget to kick your legs and paddle in nice, easy motions. Not like you used to do.”
“I’ll remember.” She kissed Rebecca on the cheek too. “We’ll be back soon and then you, Molly, and I can go swimming in the stream.” They embraced again and then Samantha turned to wave at the other children. Prudence and Wendell came to stand on either side of her, having said their goodbyes. Together they climbed the ramp up to the Primrose and made ready to sail.
Children of Eternity Omnibus Page 34
