The Children of Fear (14 page)

Mr. Green leaned down to say something to Corey. Then Corey ran to Mrs. Green's flower bed and began to pick her yellow flowers.

For her grave, Luke realized sadly. Every morning Corey placed fresh flowers on Mrs. Green's grave.

Only three days had passed, but Luke knew it was three days too many.

He had to talk to Mr. Green.

He walked to the freshly dug grave. “Mr. Green?”

Mr. Green turned, his gray eyes sad. “Luke. What can I do for you, son?”

Luke's stomach lurched. He has always been so kind to us, treated us as his own children. He did not deserve this grief.

“Mr. Green.” Luke swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. “Mr. Green, I think it's time I told you everything.”

He began at the beginning … with his parents' death and the strange behavior of the horses. His father's gift. And how his father had taught Leah to use the gift.

“But I'm afraid she uses her gift for evil,” Luke told Mr. Green.

Mr. Green shook his head. “I've seen her use her gift, Luke—with Matilda. I wouldn't call calming an animal evil.”

Luke cleared his throat. It was so hard to find the right words. “I've seen animals kill people, Mr. Green. And always Leah stood by, watching. Never once has she shown any remorse,” he added sadly. The words stuck in his throat, but he forced himself to be truthful. “Sometimes … she's even seemed happy about it,” he added hoarsely.

He told Mr. Green about the matron's death, Mary's death, and the animals attacking different people.

“And you think she made the hogs attack my wife?” Mr. Green asked Luke incredulously.

Reluctantly, Luke nodded. “Yes, sir. I'm afraid so.”

“But why?” Mr. Green asked.

Luke felt the sadness swell inside him. “Leah wasn't happy. She hurts those who make her unhappy.”

“And is she happy now?” Mr. Green asked.

“I think so,” Luke said. “But tomorrow—”

“She might be unhappy,” Mr. Green said, finishing
Luke's sentence for him. Mr. Green slowly shook his head. “Then she could use her powers against us at any time—whenever we make her unhappy.”

“Yes, sir. I need to turn her in to the authorities.”

“Not to the authorities. She's a child. They won't put her in prison. They won't hang her, as she deserves. You need to take her to the insane asylum. They can lock her away. That would be best.”

With a heavy heart, Luke agreed.

♦ ♦ ♦

Luke slapped the reins and felt the horses pull the wagon away from the Green farm. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Mr. Green still standing beside his wife's grave.

“Can we get some licorice while we're in town?” Leah asked. “Mrs. Green said sweets were bad for a lady's teeth, but since she's not here anymore—”

“Yes,” Luke agreed hastily, to stop her words.

She doesn't feel any guilt at all, Luke realized sadly. She has no remorse over the way she's using her gift to hurt people. None at all.

“And I want some new clothes,” Leah added. “Something without all these stupid ribbons and bows. Mrs. Green—”

“You'll get new clothes,” Luke told her, gritting his teeth. Gray clothes. Simple clothes. The clothes they wear at the insane asylum.

Luke listened as Leah told Corey how different their life would be now. How she could play with him more, play with the animals.

“No more sewing and baking and being a lady,” she announced, a gleeful smile filling her face as the wagon rolled into town.

Luke brought the horses to a halt in front of the
large brick asylum. Tall black iron gates marked the entrance. He noticed bars on all the windows, like a jail. The grim, forbidding look of the place gave Luke a chill.

“Why are we stopping here?” Leah asked.

Luke's shoulders slumped forward. He felt an acidy pool of guilt eating at his heart. He didn't want to do this to his sister … but the faces of all the people he might have saved floated through his mind once again.

Luke turned and met his sister's gaze. His voice cracked. “Leah, please understand—”

“No!” she cried, and Luke could see by the cold glitter in her green eyes that she knew what he planned to do.

“You can't put me and Corey in an insane asylum.”

Luke shook his head. “Not you and Corey. Just you.”

At that moment a door banged shut and three men dressed in white began to walk toward the wagon.

Leah clutched Luke's arm, her fingers biting into his flesh. “No, Luke, please. Please don't do this. I know what you think of me. But I'm not evil. I swear it—”

“I don't think it, Leah. I know it.”

“Luke, please don't—”

“I have no choice, Leah!” he cried, trying to ignore the tears shimmering in her eyes. “You've given me no choice.”

“No!” she shrieked. “No! I won't go!”

The horses reared up. Luke tightened his hold on the reins and grabbed the bench seat.

The wagon tilted.

It's going to turn over, Luke realized. It's going to crush us just as it did our parents.

Then the wagon righted itself and the horses bolted.

Luke felt the wagon take off, and he nearly flew off the driver's seat. He clung on to the side of the wagon with one hand, the other hand grasping the reins. The leather strips bit into his hands as he fought to gain his balance. Leah screamed as the horses galloped faster.

The wild horses pounded down the street, stirring up a cloud of dust.

People screamed and desperately rushed out of the way.

The sound of the pounding hooves thundered in Luke's ears. The stores flew by him in a blur. Sweat poured into his eyes.

The horses had gone wild. He could not stop them.

His heart leapt into his throat. His breath caught in his chest.

Summoning every ounce of his strength, he tugged hard on the reins.

But it was too late.

Too late.

He couldn't stop the horses as they plunged straight through the plate-glass window of the general store.

T
he whirring of a wheel woke Luke up.

He slowly opened his eyes. Through a red mist, he could see the wagon on its side, the wheels still spinning.

He touched his fingers to his throbbing forehead and felt the warm, sticky blood.

He lifted his heavy head, and the pain arced between his temples like a bolt of white-hot lightning.

The odor of kerosene assaulted his nostrils. Kerosene! We must have shattered lanterns when we came through the window, he thought groggily.

In the distance he could hear something else, something he'd heard before. His skin prickled with alarm at the sound of crackling paper. He choked on the scent of acrid smoke.

A fire!

Luke leapt to his feet. “Corey! Leah!”

Debris covered the wagon. In a frenzy, Luke began to toss it aside: splintered wood, ruptured flour sacks, shards of glass.

“Leah! Corey!” He spotted a small hand peeking out from beneath the wagon.

“Corey!” Breathing heavily, Luke dropped to his knees. He peered under the wagon. Corey lay as still as death, and Luke saw his legs pinned beneath the wagon.

The roar of the fire rose, blasting Luke's ears in its mounting fury. The heat from the flames surrounded him.

Not much time, he realized with increasing dread. Not much time to get Corey out before he burns to death.

He watched in horror as the flames leapt onto the wooden wagon. He heard the crackle and pop.

He saw the wood instantly char and burn.

He slipped his hands under the side of the wagon. He grunted, losing precious seconds as he strained to lift the wagon. Corey remained sprawled beneath it, but Luke didn't spot any blood.

The wagon finally gave way. Holding it up with one hand, Luke shifted his body until he could grab Corey's shirt and pull him free.

But where was Leah?

“Leah!” he called, but all he could hear was the bellowing of the fire. The flames rapidly filled the store, devouring everything in sight.

The wagon blocked the front entrance. With Corey in his arms, Luke could find no way to climb over the wagon and through the flames licking at the opening to the street.

I have to find another way, Luke thought frantically as he spun around. The smoke rushed into his lungs, choking him. Tears flowed along his cheeks as the heat and smoke burned his eyes.

Choking, gasping for air, he held Corey close.

Not much time.

The fire grew. The smoke billowed.

He squinted and peered around through the smoke and flames. His heart hammered frantically. He couldn't see through the thickening smoke.

Not much time.

The flaming orange curtain circled him.

Then it rushed in to engulf him.

L
uke spotted a door some distance from the wagon. He ran toward it and tried the knob. The hot metal singed his skin, and he jumped back. He took a few steps backward, then ran straight at the door.

It crashed open, and he fell to the floor of what looked like a storeroom. The fire followed, nipping at his heels like an angry dog.

At the far end of the room, Luke spotted a back door. Luke hit his shoulder against the door. It didn't budge.

The fire roared behind him.

He coughed, and the blackness began to close in.

No! he decided. I won't die like this. I won't let Corey die like this.

His arms ached from Corey's weight. His legs felt
rubbery and weak. Gathering the last of his strength, he pounded his body against the door.

It gave way and Luke stumbled into the alley.

He took great gulps of air as he staggered away from the store.

The fire is like a living thing, he thought as he watched it jump from building to building. Burning. Insatiable flames consuming everything in its path.

Where is Leah? Luke wondered. I can't let her escape.

Carrying Corey, he rushed back to the asylum. With each step he pushed against the flow of people who were carrying water buckets.

They won't be able to stop the fire Leah started, Luke thought sadly.

He looked down at Corey. He was still unconscious, his face blackened with soot. Maybe a doctor at the asylum could help Corey, Luke thought.

Luke neared the building's massive iron gates. He saw Leah struggling against the grasp of two doctors.

“Luke! Help me! You're making a mistake.”

“I can't help you now, Leah. I tried my best. Please believe me,” Luke called after her. He felt iron bands squeezing his heart.

No matter what Leah had done, she was still his sister. He tried not to think of happier times. Before the evil came into their lives.

He watched with a heavy heart as the men led Leah toward the sturdy brick building.

“Luke!” Her cry rang in his ears. “Help me!”

He shook his head. She was beyond his help. She needed to be put away where she couldn't kill
again. He hoped that nobody would hurt her at the asylum.

As the attendant opened the heavy door, Leah pierced Luke with her cold green stare.

“You'll be sorry,” she shrieked at him. “You'll be sorry, Luke!”