by West, Shay
It felt good to stand up to the likes of Beau Johnson. Alex knew that if something like this had happened at the beginning of the year, she would have never been able to say a word to him, let alone dress him down in front of his friends. She had to attribute her new-found confidence in her trips through the mirrors.
Alex left and did not look back. She didn’t care if her friends followed. She just wanted to be away from the situation and the idiotic people surrounding her. Alex vowed to put Beau Johnson from her mind for good. She tried to feed on the anger but it dissipated and she was left feeling numb and hollow.
“If he even thinks about talking to you again I will kick his ass.” Paul was shaking and his fists were clenched at his sides. He looked ready to take on an army.
“It’s all right, Paul. I think Alex might be done with the guy once and for all.” Jennifer hoped this was true. She knew Alex deserved better and she didn’t understand the appeal of Beau Johnson. Oh, she admitted he was hot, but his personality made him completely unappealing in her mind.
Alex didn’t even try to explain her feelings for Beau. She wasn’t entirely certain she understood them herself. Why do I try so hard with him? Alex wondered if it wasn’t maybe some sort of validation for her. If she could get someone like Beau to notice and like her, then she would be somebody. He doesn’t even know I’m alive. Except to use me for childish games. That hurt the worst. She knew he could be exasperating and rude, but she never thought he would purposefully use her to get to someone else. And Catelyn Montgomery of all people. Beau had to be aware of how much the two girls clashed. Alex thought he knew exactly what he was doing and that was the reason he chose her. He picked the one person that would enrage Catelyn.
Paul offered to give her a ride home. She mumbled good-bye to the others and got into the car. She stared out the window, wondering how this day could possibly get any worse. It had started on the highest high and ended on the lowest low. Don’t say that Alex. The day isn’t over yet.
Paul let her brood in silence until they got near her house. “Hey, listen. Don’t let jerks like that get to you. They can only hurt you if you let them. Let those a-holes be shallow and lame. We don’t have to play those games.”
Alex nodded, knowing he was right. But it didn’t help her mood. “Thanks for the ride. See you Monday.”
Alex wished she could bypass the main house so that she wouldn’t have to relive the whole horrible evening. She sighed and figured that she might as well face the family and get it over with. All she wanted was escape to Facebook and spill her guts to the virtual world.
It went as she expected. Her mother, aunt, and C.C. told her he was a jerk and that he wasn’t worth her time. They asked if she wanted to watch a movie and drown her sorrows in ice cream sundaes. She declined, saying she wanted to be alone. Patricia nodded and told her to call on the house phone if she needed anything.
Alex went to the living room, carrying the laptop. She turned on the TV and just left it to whatever channel her mother had been viewing last. It was a show on TLC about wedding dresses. Alex watched for a few minutes before getting disgusted and changing the channel. I need something mindless that doesn’t remind me of boys and kissing and the future. She changed the channel to the History Channel and thought a show about pawn shops was perfect for her mood.
Alex turned on the computer and went straight to Facebook. She smiled when she saw that both Jennifer and Amy were already on. The chat boxes popped up almost immediately, asking if she needed anything. Alex chatted for a bit and checked her various applications. She thought it strange how much enjoyment she got from playing the silly games on Facebook. This website is a void from which you cannot escape.
Jennifer asked her if she had seen anything else in the mirror lately. She wanted to do anything to get Alex’s mind off Beau. And she was anxious to learn if Alex had figured out what time period she would be visiting next.
Alex told her no, that nothing had happened since the last time. She found herself wishing that something would happen soon so she would have something else to occupy her thoughts. Alex wondered how she was ever going to face going to school on Monday.
CHAPTER 39
ALEX WOKE UP and stared groggily at the clock. The red numbers read 3:47. She tried to roll over but now that she was mostly awake, her bladder wouldn’t let her fall back to sleep. Ignoring it was no good so she threw back the covers and stumbled to the bathroom. The nightlight was on so she didn’t bother to turn on the overhead light. On her way back to bed, she glanced in the mirror.
The image shifted and she found herself staring once again at the wrinkled face of the old woman in the mansion. Instead of seeing the large room with the spiral staircase, she saw lots of people milling around in a room lit with only a single lamp.
Alex tried to fight the urge that came over her to reach out and touch the mirror. I’m not ready! I don’t know what time period this is! She grunted with the effort of trying to stop the motion of her arm, but she couldn’t do it.
Alex braced herself for the pain and hoped her mother wouldn’t need to use the restroom until she got back into her body.
CHAPTER 40
“WHY, AGY?! You alright, honey?”
Alex felt strong arms help her up. She tried to take control of this new body but something was wrong. The body did not move as quickly as she wished it to and every movement seemed to either hurt or take much longer than it should have. What is going on?
“Just rest a spell. I’ll git you some water.” The nice lady said as she patted her hands.
Alex took a good look at her hands and the reason for her difficulties became clear. Her hands were covered with wrinkles and her joints were crippled with arthritis. Alex flexed her hands and winced at the pain. I am not young like the other girls were. It felt so odd to be in the body of an elderly person. She was tired and achy in every bone in her body. Alex wanted to ask someone for some aspirin or something but she held her tongue. She forced this old brain to think things through carefully. They may not have pain relievers in this time period.
Alex knew she was somewhere in the south. The woman’s accent gave that away. She was not certain what state exactly or the exact time but based on the first image of the lady in the blue dress, Alex guessed that she was in the South, close to the Civil War era. And I am willing to bet that this is a plantation.
The woman returned, humming a hymn. She gave Alex the water. “You do too much. Miss Varina says you’re to rest.”
“I know, Hester. But it’s hard to sit back and let others do what you can do yerself.” Alex pulled the woman’s name from memory. She was lovely, with dark brown skin and a tiny waist accentuated by the apron tied around it.
Alex looked around the rest of the slave’s quarters. Each of them had a single small bed with a trunk at the foot. There were perhaps a dozen beds in this room and she knew there would be double that many in the men’s quarters. There were usually more men on the plantation to do the heavy work. The other woman were already gone, their beds made and things put neatly away.
Alex felt a little guilty just sitting here when there was work to be done. The other woman’s mind conjured up a number of domestic chores that had Alex wishing she had traded places with Varina or some other lady of wealth.
Varina.
The name sounded familiar. Alex sat for a moment more, telling Hester to go along and that she would meet her in the gardens shortly. She wracked her brain, trying to remember where she had heard that name.
She gasped as it came to her. Could this be the Varina, the wife of Jefferson Davis? She knew this man had served in both the House and the Senate, and that he had fought in the Mexican-American War. He was against the secession of the Union but was eventually elected as President of the Confederate States in 1861. At the end of the Civil War, he was imprisoned and charged with treason, but released years later. He wrote a couple of books and died of unknown causes at the age of 81.
Alex
was thankful she was obsessed by history and that she could remember details about things after only having to see them once or twice. I wonder if that’s why I am the one chosen to help save history? She hoped this old body could stop whoever was tampering with history.
She forced herself to stand and made her way slowly across the floor. Doing anything in this body is going to take forever! Alex somehow drew on the old woman’s memories and found the spacious kitchen. It was bustling with activity. The morning meal was almost finished and she would be expected to carry the large tray with the coffee and the tea.
Alex’s arms shook a little as she carried the tray out onto the back patio. The family ate their breakfast outside when the weather permitted. The patio was covered and shrouded with honeysuckle. Varina especially liked to eat outdoors. She claimed that breathing fresh air helped with digestion.
“Did you sleep well?” Varina asked in a thick Southern accent.
“I slep’ as good as these ol’ bones would allow, Miss Varina.” Alex answered as she slowly poured coffee. She added just the right amount of cream and sugar, just like Varina liked it. Alex poured tea with honey and lemon for Jefferson.
The three children each took a glass of cold milk. Alex thought she knew almost the exact year based on the three young ones. Margaret looked to be about five years old, while Jefferson Davis Jr. was perhaps three. The youngest, Joseph, was not even a year old and sat with his chubby fist full of scrambled eggs. Alex guessed the year to be around 1860, or close to it.
This meant that he was already President of the Confederate States or about to be inaugurated. Alex couldn’t remember the exact date of his inauguration. So much for my photographic historical memory.
Alex got her first good look at Varina and Jefferson while she stood to the side. Varina was a lovely woman, with milky white skin and dark hair and eyes. She normally wore it up in a bun but at this early hour, her hair was in loose waves down her back, giving her a youthful appearance. Jefferson was a ruggedly handsome man, with high cheekbones, tousled dark hair and dark goatee.
Alex kept her eyes open, hoping for the familiar feeling of evil she had encountered during her previous trips. She hated to be suspicious of everyone around her but she had to be sure to keep alert so that she could stop whoever it was from changing history.
When breakfast was over, Alex took the tray and headed back to the kitchen.
Suddenly, she felt the malicious presence very near. It startled her and she dropped the tray, the crashing of the cups and pots sounding loud in the quiet morning.
Alex faked a spasm in her arm so that whoever it was would not be aware she had felt anything. Several of the other slaves rushed to help her, some tending to the mess and others carefully helping Alex to sit down.
“Now Agy, you sit down. I won’t hear another word!” A young buxom girl probed gently at Alex’s arm that she cradled close to her chest.
While the girl fussed over her, Alex looked around her, trying to find the source of the bad feelings bombarding her. It was so strong she was surprised that no one else could feel it.
The only person that seemed out of the ordinary was a young black boy standing off to the side, partially hidden by a tree. He was dressed in tattered trousers and a dirty cotton shirt and his feet were bare. The young man wasn’t looking at Alex at all.
He was staring intently at the Davis family. They were just making their way back into the sprawling plantation mansion.
His name is Jerome.
This came from the mind of Agy. Alex was glad he had not paid her any mind when she dropped the tray. She wondered why she did not give off any indication that she was not from this time. If it wasn’t for the feeling of wrongness emanating from the men she had encountered, she wouldn’t have been able to pick them out. It gave her an edge. I won’t question this gift then.
Alex let the other girls help her into the house, where they sat her down at the table. Varina was planning a party for the ladies that lived nearby and she needed help with some of the decorations. It was easy work and she could sit down while she did it.
Alex was surprised at how tired she felt. I’ve only been awake for a few hours! She hoped that whatever the young man planned would not require her to fight him off like she had had to do with Carlos’ servant. This young man could kill me in an instant. Alex hoped she could come up with a solution that would only require the use of her wits and not her physical strength.
Alex found herself nodding off as she cut paper and ribbon and flowers. I’m going to fall asleep sitting up!
“Why, Agy! Are you still working?” Varina came up, wrapped her arms around Alex, and hugged her close. “The children are already asleep. Maggy read to the younger ones.” Alex could hear the smile in Varina’s voice. “You go on to your room and rest now.”
Alex nodded, wanting nothing more than to lie down and sleep. A strong feeling of motherly love for this woman suffused Alex. Her mind was filled with images of Varina when she was much younger and living at her family’s plantation. Agy was sent here when Varina married Jefferson to help raise the children. Alex knew Agy had come to help with the children and to take over some of the other duties. As she grew older, it began to be more and more difficult to keep up with the three boisterous children, and her duties had been slowly delegated to the younger slaves. Agy still insisted on serving the morning coffee and tea, knowing exactly how Varina and Jefferson wanted it. She was grateful they allowed her to stay. This was her family too, and she would have been devastated had they decided that she was too much of a burden and sent her away.
Alex went back to the servant’s quarters. She took off her sturdy shoes and slowly eased her body down onto the small single bed. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
CHAPTER 41
ALEX AWOKE SUDDENLY, waking from a terrible dream. In it, she ran away from someone or something. She tried to run faster but the presence only picked up the pace. White numbers surrounded her and it took her a few minutes to realize she was looking at years. Countless faces flashed by. Some she recognized instantly and others were strangers to her. The people she recognized were famous people in history: Genghis Kahn, Queen Victoria, King Tut, George Washington, Adolf Hitler, Gandhi, Elvis, Walt Disney, Stalin. The numbers and faces began to flash by faster until she felt like she was running at the speed of light.
And still the presence followed her.
Alex tried to catch her breath. Her heart was still racing in fear. There was no question as to what this dream meant. She lay there for a bit, willing the old woman’s heart to slow down. Alex had no doubt that the evil man was here and meant harm to someone in the family. It’s got to be Jefferson he’s after.
She forced Agy’s old body to sit up. Her belly gave a grumble. Time for lunch. The cook had a sandwich already made for her and a tall glass of milk. Alex took the food outside so she could eat underneath the magnolia trees. She guessed the time of year to be late spring. The weather was nice but humid. Alex was quite certain she would have thought that it was much too warm and sticky. But Agy was used to this weather and to her, this was considered quite perfect.
Alex found a stone bench and eased her body down. She ate the sandwich and gazed at the landscape. Her seat gave her a nice view of the plantation. The house was simply gorgeous, with tall columns and a large veranda. Several small tables and chairs stood on the shaded porch. Trees and flowers, tended by the servants, surrounded the home. Behind the main house and just to the right sat the slave’s quarters. To the left was the enormous barn housing Jefferson’s prize horses as well as his dairy cows.
Behind the house were fields of cotton stretching to the horizon. Alex could barely make out the sound of the slaves singing hymns as they worked. The sound was soothing and she found herself humming along. Birds and butterflies flitted everywhere. She wished she could sit out here all afternoon and enjoy the beauty of the plantation.
Alex spotted a wrought iron fence nea
r-by and wanted to have a closer look. As she got closer, she noticed there were several gravestones inside. The rusty gate creaked and groaned as she struggled to swing it open. The first grave she spotted was in the shape of a lamb and carved of white marble. Underneath that was written: Samuel Emory Davis 1852-1854. Alex knew this to be the grave of the first-born son of Jefferson and Varina, who was named after Jefferson‘s father. Her mind was flooded with images from Agy’s mind of a bold and fearless toddler whose life was cut short after coming down with the measles.
Alex saw the graves of Jefferson’s father, mother, and grandparents. One grave caught Alex’s eye because it had a bouquet of fresh flowers on top of it. She bent down and her eyes swam with tears as Agy’s memories flooded through her mind.
The name Cedric was etched into the headstone, and Alex knew that this was Agy’s husband. The face of an old man filled her thoughts. The image shifted to that of a dapper young man with merry brown eyes and a charming smile. This was the man Agy would always remember, full of life and love and hope.
Not the sick old man who was withering away, eaten alive by the cancer invading his body. She had stayed with him until the very end, holding his hand when the last breath of life left his body. Agy had been honored that the Davis’ wanted him buried with their family.
The sun was slowly setting, lengthening the shadows in the small cemetery. Alex stood and wiped the tears from her eyes. It would soon be time to help with supper. Alex was delighted to see lightening bugs starting to emerge. She had never seen them in real life. They were much more beautiful than they appeared on TV shows or movies.
