The Children of Fear (6 page)

L
uke swallowed back a scream of terror.

Wolf? Bear? Mountain lion? The vicious possibilities raced through his mind. He had no gun. No protection.

Maybe it doesn't see me, he thought wildly. Maybe it doesn't know we're here.

But then the eyes glowed brighter … and began to move … slowly through the shadows … slowly toward the hollowed-out log.

Luke's heart pounded in his chest. His mouth grew dry. He scooted back.

“Ow!” Leah cried. “What are you doing?”

“Be quiet!” Luke warned in a low voice. “I did hear something earlier. It's out there … looking for us.”

“Where?” she asked as she scrambled over his legs.

Luke tried to grab her, but his fingers only skimmed over her skirt as she quickly crawled out of the log.

“Leah, come back!” he whispered harshly.

He remembered the shriek of the deer mouse as the owl had carried it into the night. What will this creature do to Leah? Nothing, he decided. I won't let it hurt her.

Struggling to unfold his body, he worked his way out of the log. He spotted Leah several feet away. Moonbeams filtered through the thick branches and cast a halo around her.

The glowing eyes moved out of the shadows.

Luke heard a low, deep growl. A wolf's growl.

The beast slinked out of the shadows into the moonlight. Luke shivered at the sight. Its long, powerful body moved closer.

They wouldn't have a chance to fight it off. Or outrun it.

Luke gasped as he caught sight of the wolf's head. A mangled rabbit dangled from its jaws.

The silver beast crept slowly toward Leah, its head bowed low. Then it dropped the dead rabbit at Leah's feet and lay down.

Run, Leah! Run! A voice in Luke's mind cried out.

His heart nearly stopped as he watched Leah kneel down.

Luke felt a scream well up in his throat. He struggled to choke it back.

Mesmerized, he watched as Leah plowed her hands into the wolf's thick fur and pressed her face into its neck.

Luke breathed a sigh of relief.

It was Leah's wolf.

Does Leah have power over animals as the townspeople believed? No, he told himself. The animals trust her because she is kind to them, but that is all. She has a gift. Like their father.

He heard a shuffling sound and glanced down. Corey had crawled out of the log. His eyes wide, he stared at Leah and the wolf.

“Don't be afraid,” Luke said softly as he knelt beside his brother. “Father told me a story once about a man who broke his leg out in the wilderness. His dog hunted for him. The dog brought him meat until he was strong enough to find help.”

Corey looked doubtful, and Luke explained further what he hoped was the truth.

“The wolf must sense that Leah needs help now. She has always been kind to it. She found it when it was a pup. Its mother was dead. She kept it alive until it could live on its own. Now it is returning the favor.”

Nodding, Corey rubbed his tired eyes. Luke pulled his brother back into the protective hollow tree. Corey snuggled against him.

Luke stared at his sister … lying on the ground, curled up against the wolf … sleeping peacefully.

It was the last thing he saw before he fell asleep.

♦ ♦ ♦

Luke awoke with a start.

He held his breath, listening.

He squinted into the darkness. The wolf had disappeared. Leah slept soundly beside him inside the log.

He squirmed, trying to get comfortable. He closed his eyes. But he could not go back to sleep.

What will we do tomorrow? How can I take care of Leah and Corey? We have no money. No food. Only the clothes on our backs.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow I will think of something. Tomorrow I must find a way for us to survive.

He listened to the leaves whispering in the breeze, hoping the soft sound would lure him into sleep.

A shrill whistle broke the night's silence.

Luke's eyes flew open. What was that?

The whistle came again. Louder. Longer.

Luke scrambled out of the hollow log. He stood. His legs buckled beneath him. He stumbled to the ground. His legs had no feeling. Groaning, he rubbed his cramped calves.

He heard the whistle again.

It's calling me, he thought. I must find out what is making that sound.

He worked his way to his feet. He staggered through the woods until he came to a clearing that looked out over the valley.

The clouds shifted away from the moon and cast a silver light over the train tracks.

Breathing heavily, Luke watched the steaming locomotive roll over the tracks.

A train! If only we had money left to buy tickets …

He stared hard at the train. One of the boxcar doors was open. Are those
children
sitting in the doorway? he wondered. Children?

Yes, they were children, he realized with excitement. That's the orphan train!

The orphan train that Earl Wade had mentioned. Luke had read about it in the newspaper as well. The train was headed west. At each town it stopped in, people had the chance to choose children to work for them. If they liked the children, they could adopt them.

Luke felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He'd never
planned to put Leah and Corey up for adoption. He'd always planned to take care of them himself. He would still care for them, but he would find a family to help him. In a town where people had never heard of the Fiers. Had never heard of Leah's gift. Had never seen Leah feed a wolf and walk through town with a snake coiled around her shoulders.

He decided the orphan train offered the perfect solution.

With renewed energy, he turned and strode quickly back into the woods.

The train will take us out of town. It will give us a chance to find a new home.

It will carry us away from the fear.

T
he next morning, when Leah and Corey awoke, Luke explained his plans.

“But you promised,” Leah answered angrily. “You said you wouldn't put us on the orphan train.”

“We have no choice,” Luke told her, his voice grim. “We can't return to the farm. You need a home, and Corey needs parents.”

“What about you?” Leah asked, her face red with anger.

“I'm old enough to take care of myself,” Luke told her.

“I can take care of myself too,” Leah insisted.

Corey tightened his lips and bobbed his head up and down.

“I promised I wouldn't leave you or Corey, and I won't. I'm too old to be adopted, but somehow we'll
stick together. Maybe a family who needs another hand on their farm will take us all in,” Luke added, forcing a hopeful note into his voice. “At least, the train will give us food and shelter. And carry us away from Stormy Ridge.”

Luke watched as Leah's expression slowly turned from anger to a sad pout. But Luke felt relieved when she didn't argue with him anymore.

♦ ♦ ♦

As the sun rose, brightening the sky, Luke lifted Leah and Corey into the empty boxcar. Then he climbed inside to join them.

He glanced around. Straw and blankets littered the floor. Sunlight streamed in between the red slats of the boxcar.

“Grab a blanket, Leah,” he ordered. “We'll sit over here and wait.”

He led them to a corner and dropped down. Corey plopped into his lap. Leah sat stiffly beside him.

They'll be happy, he told himself. I'll find them a new home, with nice people.

Luke heard the tread of many feet.

Suddenly children climbed into the boxcar. Each wore a solemn look of defeat. Their mouths were turned down at the corners. Some had tears in their eyes.

Luke noticed that each carried a small bundle which he guessed held their possessions.

A rotund woman hoisted the smaller children into the boxcar. Her gray hair, pulled back in a tight bun, matched the hard expression on her grim face. Luke cringed at her cold, scolding voice as she lifted the last child onto the train.

He watched as her black, beady eyes scanned the inside of the car. Would she notice them and put them out?

“Behave! And be quiet!” she yelled. Luke held his breath as she gave the children one last angry look. Then he heard the boxcar door close with a clang.

Leah snuggled closer to him. “Luke?”

He circled her slim shoulders with a comforting arm. “We'll be all right, Leah. Don't worry.”

Luke heard the train's shrill whistle, then felt the boxcar lurch forward. Corey clutched Luke's shirt, his tiny fingers pinching Luke's skin.

“Don't be afraid,” Luke assured him in a low voice. “We're going on an adventure.”

Corey tilted his head back. Through the shadows, Luke spotted his brave smile and he ruffled Corey's thick hair.

Luke peered around their dim surroundings. Sunlight and shadows danced around the car as it rocked from side to side. Luke quickly counted over two dozen children in the car. Most looked thin with large, sad eyes. None smiled.

Then he noticed four older boys swaggering toward him. He guessed they were about his age. They didn't look as tall as he was, but did look heftier.

He saw them approach a little girl, then spit in unison. Luke watched as she cowered and pulled her blanket over her head. Then Luke watched them do the same to a little boy. Crying, the child jumped up and ran to the far end of the car. Luke heard the larger boys laugh and jeer at him. He gritted his teeth in anger.

Luke watched as the boys stopped a few feet in
front of the three of them. They stood side by side and glared down at him. He glared back and quickly shifted Corey over to Leah. Then he stood and faced them.

He saw the largest of the four step forward, squinting his eyes.

“Who are you?” the boy demanded. Luke felt the boy's thick finger poke into his chest as he spoke. “I never seen you before.”

“Guess you just didn't notice,” Luke lied, afraid they would be tossed off the train if the matron discovered them. “We've been here all along. We're just quiet.”

“That so?” the boy asked. “I'm Mike.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “These are my brothers. We've decided we're going to escape. Do you want to come with us?”

“No,” Luke answered. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Leah and Corey both shake their heads. Luke breathed a sigh of relief, afraid that the idea of escape might have appealed to them.

“Sam, open the door,” Mike said.

Luke watched as one of Mike's brothers lumbered over to the door. The door creaked and groaned as Sam slid it back. Wind roared into the boxcar. Luke could see the trees and green fields flashing by as the train rumbled over the tracks, leaving the town they were just in far behind.

“Sure you don't want to come?” Mike asked.

Luke snapped his attention back to the bigger boy. “I'm sure.”

Mike narrowed his eyes and looked at Corey. “You want to come with us?”

“He doesn't want to go with you,” Luke told Mike.

“Let him tell me that,” Mike said with a growl.

“Corey doesn't talk,” Leah said.

Mike smiled wickedly. “That so? Why is that? Cat got your tongue? Let me see.”

Corey tightened his lips and shook his head vigorously.

“Come on,” Mike wheedled. “Let me see.”

Luke saw Mike take a step toward his little brother and reach out to him. Luke jumped between them and shoved Mike back, pushing on his shoulder.

“Leave him alone,” Luke demanded.

Mike stumbled and then quickly stood up. “Don't you tell me what to do,” Mike growled. “Nobody pushes me and gets away with it.”

Luke raised his arms to block the punch. Too late. Mike's fist pounded him in the stomach. Luke felt a white-hot bolt of pain and dropped to his knees.

“Luke! Get up!” he heard Leah scream. “He's going to get Corey!”

Through a gray haze, Luke saw Mike grab Corey's chin.

“You want to go with us, don't you, little guy?” Mike asked Corey, shaking him by the shoulders. “Hey, I asked you a question. Answer me!” he yelled. He shook Corey hard, jerking his head back and forth.

Luke struggled to rise, pushing himself to his knees. He saw Mike push Corey toward the open door of the boxcar. The wind tugged at his brother's ragged clothes and swirled through his dark hair.

“If you don't talk, I'm pushing you out,” Mike warned Corey.

“Let him go!” Leah shrieked as she hit Mike's arm.

One of Mike's brothers snatched Leah up, holding her close to his body. She kicked her legs uselessly in the air.

Gasping for air, Luke stumbled to his feet. He threw his body toward Mike. “Leave him alone!”

Mike's brother Sam grabbed Luke's arm and slammed him against the wall. Bright light exploded in Luke's head. He forced himself to focus on Corey. Fighting the pain, he reached for Mike.

Sam grabbed Luke, pinning his arms to his sides.

“Talk!” Mike yelled at Corey as he pulled him closer to the open door. “Talk, or I'll make you scream something awful!”