The Door Into Time

by Kathleen Pennell

  Chapter 15

  The children were totally hungry, desperately alone, and unbearably lost. They had carved out a whopping big hole for themselves and fallen in, now they couldn’t figure out how to crawl out of it. Even if they didn’t end up beside the Professor. . .and Reece still worried about the bathroom situation.. . .would they be allowed to leave and would they ever be able to find their way home? Suddenly, neither child worried about breaking rules or too old to cry. They turned to each other in a clutching bear hug and wailed. They utterly sobbed their hearts out without even a second’s thought to who could hear them. They were past caring.

  Mr. Johnson and James turned to each other horrified, but for different reasons. For Mr. Johnson’s part, these two children appeared perfectly normal until now. Well, perhaps they were a bit nervous and sketchy about details, but they seemed under control. For James’ part, he might have to decide whether to help the children who had come to his aid or side with whatever Mr. Johnson decided to do. Where did his loyalty lie? And, if he made the wrong choice, would he be back in the woods again.

  Mr. Johnson stepped forward and awkwardly patted their shoulders murmuring the standard words of comfort he’d used for grieving people in the past. Nothing he said made any difference. “Would it help if I talked with some of the village people? They may consider releasing this man, so we could get him home?”

  The children nodded their heads, but continued to cry with soaking tears cascading down their cheeks dampening the wretched clothes the Professor had forced them to wear.

  “All right,” Mr. Johnson said, giving their shoulders a gentle squeeze. “Now, let’s see if we can’t pull ourselves together, and I’ll go and have a talk with the people who locked him up.”

  Their sobs turned to hiccups, and the children wiped their faces with the backs of their hands as they turned to the preacher.

  “Okay,” said Reece. “Thanks.”

  Mr. Johnson looked at James. “Why don’t you stay with them, while I see what can be done.”

  James nodded and watched the preacher leave the barn. He turned partway back to Reece and Sean giving them a brief glance then drifted over to greet Abby. The mare pressed her nose through the opening in her stall door and James allowed the horse to nibble on his hair.

  “Do you think Mr. Johnson will be able to get the Professor out of that room?” asked Sean.

  James allowed his shoulders to rise and fall.

  Reece tried to keep her voice even. “So, you don’t think they’ll let him go?”

  James glanced at the other children. “They like Mr. Johnson all right, but they don’t know him very well yet, so I don’t know what will happen.”

  Reece and Sean turned to each other. They were still hungry, alone, and lost, but they’d cried out most of their fear and despair, now they had to do something.

  “We have to get the Professor and our dog out of that room. Will you help us?” Reece asked.

  “I don’t know.” James frowned but refused to look at them. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t have a plan yet, but we’ll need your help or it won’t work,” said Reece.

  When James remained silent, Sean stepped forward and placed his hand on the boy’s arm. “We helped you, now you’ve got to help us.”

  James stroked Abby’s nose as he thought. “I want to know what you’re going to do first.”

  Sean looked at the planner.

  Reece paced up and down the aisle then she turned to the two boys. “We don’t have much time, so first I’ll get the key from the hayloft.”

  James’ hand froze over Abby’s muzzle. “Do you mean the key to the locked room?”

  Reece’s foot was on the first rung of the ladder. She turned slowly not liking the sound of James’ voice. She wasn’t quite sure what to say, so she just nodded her head.

  James sucked in his breath. “You stole the key?”

  Sean exchanged glances with his sister. “We didn’t actually. . .steal it. We’re going to give it back when we’re done with it.”

  “Does Mr. Johnson know you have the key?”

  The children’s eyes slid away for a few seconds.

  “Well, we didn’t mention the key,” Reece admitted. “I mean, he didn’t ask about it, and we didn’t think. . .”

  “See, we got the key before we met Mr. Johnson,” Sean explained. “And, we were sorta scared while we talked to him, so we didn’t even think about it.”

  James nodded his head as he glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. “What will you do after you get the key?”

  Reece looked at James worrying whose side he would eventually take. “After we get the key, we’ll get as close as we can without getting caught and find out how Mr. Johnson is doing,” she began. “If he can’t talk them into letting the Professor go, we’ll unlock the door and make a run for it.”

  Sean nodded his head. It sounded like a good plan to him.

  James stared at them with a dropped jaw unable to utter a word. Who were these kids? If they got caught, they’d all end up in the locked room. And, who knows what would happen to him?

  Reece looked at James and realized that he was their weak link. He could derail everything. “You were in trouble when we found you. You couldn’t even walk, but we gave you something to eat and drink then we let you go.”

  “Even if you won’t help us, you won’t turn us in will you?” asked Sean softly.

  James turned back to Abby and resumed stroking her forehead. What would happen if Mr. Johnson got so mad about this that he left town without him, and he had to live in the woods for the rest of his life. James swallowed hard but shook his head. “I won’t turn you in.”

  The children’s faces relaxed into a grin. “I’ll get the key,” said Reece. She scrambled up the ladder and was down in thirty seconds.

  “Will you come with us?” asked Sean.

  James’ eyes widened a bit as he stared at the key he’d come to fear, but he lifted his head and turned towards the door. “Let’s go.”

  Abby neighed softly as the three children walked down the aisle and out of the barn.