by West, Shay
As Alex made her way back to the main house, she noticed the men coming in from the fields carrying their tools, many still singing. She spotted the young man she had seen earlier, spying on the Davis family as they finished their morning meal. His eyes darted to the left and right, never staying on one thing for more than an instant. He was way too intense and just looked like he didn’t fit in with the others around him.
“We best go check over the carriage. Master Davis is leavin’ for Alabama at first light,” one of the men was saying to another as they passed Alex.
He must be going to be inaugurated as the President of the Confederate States. Alex wondered if the young man would carry out his plan tonight or somehow travel with Jefferson and do something to him while they were on the road. What if he doesn’t mean to hurt Jefferson at all? What if he means to harm Varina or the children? That last thought sent a shudder of terror up her spine. She could not imagine anyone harming any of the Davis children. I had best be on alert. Alex wondered what she would do if Jefferson left with the imposter in tow, never knowing that the man meant him harm. I can’t say anything unless I have proof, or else he’ll know that I too am an imposter. And I seriously doubt that I can come up with a good reason for coming along too without rousing suspicions.
If the young man guessed that she was a threat to his plans, Alex knew he would kill her without hesitation. That thought terrified her. She did not know if she would return to her own body if she were to be killed in the past. I’m not sure I want to die to protect these people I don’t even know.
She couldn’t do much except play her role as best as she could and keep her eyes open. There would be no reason for the young man to be anywhere near the main house. He would be retiring to the slaves quarters to eat and sleep. If I see him sneaking about, it shouldn’t be too hard to bring it to someone’s attention.
Dinner that night consisted of roasted game hen with vegetables and fresh bread. Alex stood nearby, watching the family.
She felt a tingling in her spine. Alex spotted the young man standing behind a large column right behind Jefferson’s chair. His face was pulled tight with a malicious sneer. The young man was not even aware that he had been spotted.
Alex gasped as she saw him pull a knife from behind his back. He had obviously been hiding it tucked in his trousers and beneath his shirt.
She shouted as his arm came up. Jefferson, with his years spent at war, stood and moved to one side as the knife came plunging down. Jefferson yelped in pain as the knife slashed his arm. Varina stood, positioning herself in front of the children. Jefferson used his other arm to disarm the young man. He tried to bolt but Jefferson Davis had a death grip on his arm. To keep him from trying to run, Jefferson forced the man’s arm up his back. The young man screamed in pain as Jefferson twisted his arm, so that it was dangerously close to being forced from its socket.
Alex’s heart was thudding much too quickly in her chest and she found it difficult to breathe. What is happening? Her vision began to go black and she stumbled into a chair. Just before darkness took her, she noticed the young man staring at her with a terrifying intensity in his dark brown eyes.
CHAPTER 42
ALEX AWOKE, thinking she would find herself back in her own bathroom. She frowned as her fingers brushed across the softness of the sheets. I am still in 1860’s America. Her chest felt tight, as though someone heavy were sitting on it.
“She’s awake.” Alex heard Hester whisper.
She forced her eyes to open. The ceiling above her was much higher than in the servant’s quarters. I must be somewhere in the main house.
“What happened?” Alex was surprised at how weak her voice sounded.
“You fainted, honey,” Hester said.
Alex could hear the worry in her voice. She suspected there was more to it. “Where is Massa Jefferson? Is he hurt?”
“The knife barely nicked him. The Missus sewed him up proper. You hush now and rest.”
“Where dat boy that tried to kill Massa Jefferson?”
“He locked in the cellar. He ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
“Why do my chest hurt so?” Alex could barely breathe and the constricting in her chest was worse than before. More alarming was the tingling she felt in her left arm.
Hester patted her hand gently. “It’s your heart, Agy. Miss Varina sent someone for the doctor but they won’t be here till mornin’.”
Alex skin prickled in terror. Heart attack. She knew the pain and tingling were classic symptoms. Medicinal knowledge in this century was archaic compared to what existed in her time. Alex was fairly certain that Agy was going to be joining her husband very soon. That thought made her sad and more than a little afraid. She had never given much thought about death and all of its implications. Why should she? Death was a long ways off.
Only now, she was going to feel it up close and personal. Alex hoped she would be gone from Agy’s body before the actual event happened. She was certain the death itself would be painful and terrifying.
Alex found it strange that she wasn’t quivering with fear. She felt rather calm. I wonder why? The Alex part of the brain was a gibbering mess, crying out that she should be damn well good and scared.
The Agy part of the brain seemed completely at peace.
Alex pondered this for a moment. This woman has lived a full life. She must miss her husband, and she never had children of her own. Alex thought that explained her affection for the Davis family. She doted on them as she would have on her own children.
This body was old and weak. It couldn’t perform many of the functions that it once could with ease. Maybe when you get to be this old, death is a good thing.
“Don’t worry none. You done all you could. No one knows how you even knew that boy was there.” Hester shook her head. “It’s as if the Lord was working through you to save Massa Jefferson.” She gave Alex one last pat on the hand and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
Alex tried to fight the weariness that threatened to take over, but her eyes closed and she was soon fast asleep.
CHAPTER 43
ALEX SENSED HIS PRESENCE before she saw him. Her eyes opened to the dark room. Her heart thumped irregularly in her chest. The tightness and tingling was worse than before and she fought for every breath. Oh God, where is he?
Her terror was a tangible thing. She could feel it moving through her veins like ice water, giving her goose pimples. She lay there as still as she could, trying not to give any indication she was awake.
“I know you’re awake.” The voice came from her left. “How did you know?” He moved closer until he stood over Alex. She could see blood on his face and shirt. The smell made Alex gag. He leaned in closer. “How could you possibly have known that I was standing there. Who are you?”
Alex stared into his dark eyes, and they held her in their grasp. She couldn’t look away. Her throat closed so tight that each breath she took wheezed in her chest. Her heart galloped and her mind raced. The blood scared her. I didn’t think he cut Jefferson that badly!
But his lifeless eyes scared her more.
There was no life there, no caring, no compassion. He would feel as bad about killing her as he would about squashing an ant beneath his shoe.
Alex was certain he was going to kill her.
The young man stared at her with eyes that were much too wise and knowing for one so young. He tilted his head sideways, studying her like some interesting specimen he had captured. “Tell me who you are.”
“Jerome, it’s me, Agy. I’ve been with the Davis’ fo’ a long time. You know dat.” Alex called the man by the name of the body he inhabited, playing the part of the old nanny right up to the end. Her throat was so dry her answer came out as a low croak. Maybe if I can keep him talking, someone will come.
The man smiled at her. The smile never touched his eyes. “I think there’s more to you than meets the eye. There’s something that I can’t quite put my finger on...” The man
tapped his finger slowly on his chin, deep in thought. His eyes never left hers. “I noticed you watching me.” He smiled as Alex tried to deny it. “Don’t bother. I know you were watching me. Almost as if you knew what I planned before I even did it.”
Alex shook her head. Her heart hammered an unnatural rhythm in her chest. It took all of her strength to pull in shallow breaths. She barely had the energy to speak. Her body broke out into a cold sweat as the tingling and pain in her left arm intensified.
He grabbed her face, pinching her cheeks hard with his fingers. “I will ask you one last time. How did you know what I planned? If you deny you had prior knowledge, I will start breaking your fingers one-by-one.” He laughed quietly. “After gagging you of course.”
Alex’s brain felt like it was full of wool. She could not keep her focus on what the man was saying. She knew she was in danger, and yet she could not make her mind work correctly. Her thoughts kept flitting from her late husband, to Beau, to the play, to the fireflies, to the Davis children. A stabbing pain in her chest made her gasp. The man roughly shoved his hand over her mouth to stifle her cries of pain.
“You’ll keep quiet if you know what’s good for you.” The man grabbed one of her frail hands. “Talk. Or I start breaking.”
“I just knew you was a danger to Massa Jefferson,” Alex whispered. She gulped air through her mouth. The man’s hand had closed off her airway and it had been too difficult to draw a breath through her nose.
“But how could you possibly know that?”
“I felt da evil in you.” Alex’s voice shook with pain and terror. She yelped as the man bent her left pinky finger back. He stopped just short of breaking the bone.
“Don’t play games with me. One more chance.” He quickly grabbed a pillow and shoved it over her face.
Alex screamed weakly into the pillow as the man snapped her pinky finger. The pain was a white-hot lance shooting up her arm. She could not draw breath. The pillow cut off her air supply.
“If I take this off, you have to promise not to scream. We have much to discuss.” The man hissed in her ear.
The young man removed the pillow from her face. Alex sucked in a breath. Tears poured down her face. She shook her head from side-to-side. The pain in her hand was excruciating, but the pain in her chest concerned her the most. Her extremities went numb and her vision started to go black.
“You have nine more fingers to go. And from the sounds of it, your ol’ ticker isn’t doing so good. You can make this easy on yourself. Just tell me who you are and how you knew about me and this will all stop.”
Ol’ ticker? He is using slang they never would have used in this time. Proof that he doesn’t belong here. Alex’s lips quivered from fear and pain. She didn’t see any way out of this. All I have to do is tell him who I really am and the pain will stop.
Don’t be stupid, Alex. The guy will kill you no matter what you tell him. And Agy will be dead of a heart attack in a matter of minutes.
But what do I tell him? He didn’t believe I could feel his intentions. Maybe if I tell him the truth...
You can’t tell him who you are!
Alex shook her head at these two warring voices in her head. She tried to think of a way to get him to leave her alone long enough to call for help or to find a way to a mirror. She hoped that she would be able to escape this nightmare.
How do you know you can even get back?
She sobbed. She could not control when the image shifted. There was no guarantee that if she could somehow escape the man’s clutches, the image would shift to her own face. It was possible she would only see Agy’s wrinkled face in the old gilded mirror in her room.
Please God, help me!
Alex sent up this desperate prayer, hoping that she would receive the answer she needed. A part of her brain pondered at her appeal to something she had never really believed in. Her silent prayer was one born of desperation and fear.
“Well? Have you decided to cooperate?”
“I tol’ you. I felt there was something wrong, so I kep’ my eye on you.” Alex met his eyes and drew upon every bit of acting ability that she possessed to try to convince this man that she was telling the truth.
The man frowned. “I suppose it’s possible. How else could you know?” He sighed. “I have to assume that you’re telling the truth.” He grabbed the pillow once again. “I wish I could say that this won’t hurt, but I think it will.”
Alex raised her arms to try to ward off the pillow that was coming down over her face. She might as well have been an infant for all the strength she possessed. Her arms felt like lead. She turned her head to the side but he just forced it to the front.
Her lips were forced back and her teeth scraped on the cloth of the pillow. The man pushed his weight onto her face and she could not breathe. Her arms flailed and tried to force him off.
The suffocation proved too much for her weak heart. It hammered and stuttered, beating hard and stopping for a few seconds before trying to start again. Her lungs screamed for air and the burning in her lungs outweighed the pain in her heart.
Alex wanted to scream, to tell this man who she really was, if only he would let her live. She had so much yet to do, so much to live for. Mom will be all alone. Alex wondered if Beau would be sad or even cry a little at her funeral.
Suddenly, someone burst into the room. Alex heard the gunfire and heard the young man grunt. Someone took the pillow from her face but it was too late.
As death took her, she screamed out in her mind for someone to save her.
It wasn’t to her mother or God that she cried out.
It was her father.
CHAPTER 44
DARKNESS.
Silence.
Where am I?
Who am I?
There was nothing but the black of night and the quiet of death.
I must be dead.
Is this heaven?
Her thoughts were disjointed. There was no fear, which seemed strange.
I should be afraid. Why aren’t I afraid?
Alex knew she had to be dead. What she did not know was what she was experiencing now. Isn’t there supposed to be a light or something?
There certainly wasn’t any light that she could see. Although she had to admit that if she was dead, she had no eyes and could therefore not see anything anyway. She had no ears and couldn’t hear sounds even if there were any in this strange place. Maybe this is Purgatory.
Alex conjured up images of her friends and loved ones. She wanted to carry them with her until she made it to wherever she was destined.
I wonder how long this is going to last?
She wished she could have somehow escaped back into her body before the evil man killed her. This whole traveling through time thing would be so much easier if I could just transport without having to use a mirror.
Alex thought it was strange that she could feel irritation in this strange void, and yet not feel any fear.
She tried to picture her body in front of the mirror, arm stretched out, touching the glass. How long have I been gone this time? Alex thought it was possible many days might have passed while she floated in this blackness. Time had no meaning here.
What just happened?
Alex pictured herself standing in front of the mirror again. She wished she had a face so she could smile.
Instead of inky darkness, she could see her bathroom in the guesthouse. It was if she was seeing it over a great distance.
Concentrate, Alex.
She focused her thoughts on her bathroom and held the picture in her mind. It was like she had opened a strange window in the void and could peek at herself standing in front of the mirror. Her reflection showed a girl with a glazed, far-away look, with one arm raised to touch the glass. No wonder Jenn freaked when she saw me like this.
How in the hell am I seeing this if I don’t have eyes? Maybe spirits do have eyes. She was fascinated with this strange place and yet she wanted to return to her b
ody.
Alex wanted to reach out and touch her body, so her body and spirit could once more be whole.
Suddenly, she accelerated toward the image floating in the darkness. Alex wished she had an arm to reach out with. She had always had to touch the mirror in order to be able to switch places. How can I get back into my body without being able to touch it?
Alex was frustrated. Again, she felt that she should be frightened or angry at the thought of being dead. Why can I feel? Feelings center in the mind and gut and heart. Is it possible that it’s only the spirit that makes emotions?
Alex felt a rush of alarm as she noticed her forward momentum stop and the image of her body standing in front of the mirror recede. She quickly refocused her thoughts and her forward motion began once more. Gotta keep control, Alex.
The image grew so large it was as if her body was standing only a few inches away. Reach, Alex. Reach! Alex pushed her spirit toward her body, willing the two to make contact. She cried out in pain as she shot forward. How can my spirit possibly feel pain? The blackness gave way to brilliant white light.
CHAPTER 45
DRIFTER AWOKE, gasping for breath. He was covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat. His hands flew to his back. He breathed a sigh of relief when he only felt unbroken skin.
Rage filled him. This was the first time he had suffered an injury while traveling. He had let his guard down, had been careless in letting his focus remain on the old woman.
Drifter stood slowly. This return trip had been terrifying. It had taken all of his strength to jump from the old woman’s window. As he laid on the cold ground, stunned, the wind knocked out of him, he fumbled for the tiny piece of broken mirror he had shoved down into his sock. His back was on fire. The muscles did not move right.
He gave one final heave and managed to get the sliver of mirror up to his chest. The young man’s vision darkened, his breath coming in gasps. He raised his arm and gazed into the mirror, focusing his mind on making the image change to that of his own body lying on his own bed.
