Caught In The River - Ronald Lee (book reader for pc TXT) 📗

to remind her of the sensation. “I refused to die Mary. Even though my lungs burned and the tiny grains of sand scratched my eyes.” The General stood and walked where Mary could see him. “I stand before you victorious Mary.” Caleb held his hands out to accent his point. “Even though the events torment me in the night, I am victorious over them.” He turned from his victim and walked off to his cabin whistling.
To Mary it seemed like the night would never end. She would drift off into a semiconscious state only to awake when the drawbridge lowered and the patrols came in and went out. She thought of how insane the General was and felt like she would soon join him herself.


CHAPTER SEVEN
Jack sat beside a tree overlooking the river. While his sister languished in the stocks, he struggled with his own emotional prison. He had spent the days wondering in the swamp. Several times, he started to go back to the Freeman’s, but he decided to spend some time to himself. He deeply regretted his argument with Brian. He made up his mind that he would return home say he was sorry, and try to let his family go. What was it his father said, “All things work together for good for those who loved the Lord and those who were the called. . . something… something… something.
Memories of his family going to Sunday morning service flooded Jack’s mind. He remembered the preacher preaching while Mary and he played under the pews of the Church of God. He remembered his mom’s high Soprano voice and his dad’s bass voice joining with the choir and congregation as they sang about heaven and the love of Jesus. He promised the Lord that if he got him back home Jack would be in church with his family every Sunday. How did his dad end it? Oh yeah, “In Jesus’ name.” he said aloud.
Jack looked up at the star filled sky and full moon having finishing a swim. In an effort to not draw, the attention of any British patrols Jack quietly slipped off his shirt and pants then let himself down into the river.
He stood after dipping under the surface to get use to the cool temperature. It was much warmer than the last time he had gone swimming. Jack had forgotten how good it felt to relax. He let his feet sink in the sandy bottom then swam from one side of the river to the other and back again. He pulled himself up on to the bank and rested then dressed. He gathered some briar berries for a snack and sat on the bank munching them.
“There you are!” Cappy called out happily. Jack had stood to collect his weapons and fell backward into the water with a splash.
“Cappy! What are you doing here?” Jack asked surprised by her sudden appearance.
“Looking for you silly,” Cappy said leaning against the tree.. “Brian and Soho have been worried silly,” she said wadding out into the water. She dove under the surface and came up in front of him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’ve been tracking a couple of British patrols,” Jack said pointing downstream.
“Oh,” she Cappy said quietly realizing the situation. She fearfully gazed into the swamp and Jack felt a ting of guilt.
“Let’s go home,” Jack said.
Jack gathered his bow, arrows, and spear and took Cappy by the hand. He didn’t know it was the touch of her hand in his or the moonlight gleaming off her long brown hair but Jack felt drawn to Cappy, nervous. His mouth was suddenly dry .
“What’s wrong?” Cappy asked. Jack couldn’t answer..
“Cappy let’s go home.” He offered.
“Just a minute,” Cappy said. She reached over and pulled Jack to her and kissed him. He dropped his weapons in surprise and smiled at her. Then Jack kissed her back.
“What’s school like?” Cappy asked as they sat on a log looking over the slowly moving water. The memory made him pause as Jack sat beside Cappy. The two rested in the shallow water.
“It’s kind of hard to explain,” Jack started. “Classes are okay but the teachers are nowhere near as good as Brian. Friends are cool. I get to play football and. . ..” His voice drifted off as he felt a wave of depression slip over him. “How do you like this?” He added.
“What?” Cappy asked looking at Jack.
“Living here now in the river.” Jack said.
“I guess it’s okay. It’s all I’ve known.” Cappy explained.
“What if there was something else?” Jack asked standing up.
“You mean what you and Brian argued about the other night?”
“Yeah,” Jack started then stopped.
“I guess I need to let it go,” Jack said standing. Cappy stood too then smiled.
“I believe that if getting home is important to you then it needs to be to me too. And we’ll get their someday.”
Jack smiled at his girlfriend.
“Yeah, someday.” He vowed. Jack looked at Cappy, smiled and kissed her again. The two started back towards their home and had gone a dozen yards when Jack remembered he left his spear. Cappy said she would wait while he went to get it. He picked up his weapon and was returning to his girlfriend when he heard her scream.
“Cappy?” Jack asked. He walked around the bend to where Cappy should have been and panicked. She was in the center of a British patrol!
The patrol had snuck up on Cappy while she waited for Jack.
“Looks like we got a rabbit boy!” One laughed as Cappy tried to run.
“Seems more like a doe to me,” Another said as he held her in his arms. She screamed as he ran his hands over her. Jack felt anger fill his heart. He quickly put down his spear and picked up his bow. There were five of them in the patrol, and he had six arrows plus his spear. He knew he might not hit all of them, but he could hit enough to let Cappy get away.
“Didn’t she have a buck with her?” the leader who held Cappy asked. He motioned with his hand and two of them stepped into the river while two eased into the swamp in search of Jack.
“Where’s your boyfriend Lassy?” the soldier asked Cappy who wriggled to get free.
“I was by myself!” Cappy lied while she hoped that Jack had run for safety.
“Now we got better ears than that missy.” The soldier laughed. “We’ll take you back to the General. He’ll know how to tame you!”
Jack slowly pulled the loaded bow back. He held his breath like Brian taught him, tracked his target then let the arrow fly.
Cappy ducked as the soldier looked up in surprise at the sound of the arrow whizzing through the night air. The tip of the oak projectile sunk deep into the soldier’s throat as his comrades turned to see what was wrong. One pointed his musket in the direction Cappy disappeared, but before he could pull the trigger, another arrow from Jack pierced his cheek causing the solider to scream in pain. The remaining three soldiers began to run back towards the fort and Jack went to find Cappy.
“Are you okay?” He asked when he found her. She was kneeling behind a tree crying.
“Hold me Jack,” She begged. Jack let his weapons fall to the swamp and embraced his friend. She trembled from fear and Jack tried to comfort her.
“It’s okay,” Jack said softly as he rubbed her back. He repeated the words until Cappy stopped shaking and pulled away. She kissed him gently in gratitude.
“Thank you,” She said. “I had hoped you got away.”
“I’ll never leave you Cappy,” Jack said as he picked up his weapons.
“Promise?” Cappy asked as they started quickly towards their home. She made Jack stop and look at her.
“Promise,” He said and held up the Boy Scouts Pledge. Cappy smiled and followed him through the swamp back to their home.


CHAPTER EIGHT
“Robert Woodle, are you out of your mind?” Fran asked leaning over her mother’s table. Robert had just shown up at the back door. Her mom had let him in against Fran’s wishes. Fran was dressed in blue jeans, a blue sweater and heels. Robert wore jeans, Hawaiian shirt and tennis shoes. He had just told her about his plans to rescue their children.
“No honey,” Robert answered. “I’m finally in my right mind.”
“You’re talking about the Big Pee Dee River being some type of gateway to another world, and our children being there.” Fran said. “And you’re okay with that?”
“Where are their bodies if they’re dead?” Robert asked. “Fran you’ve always been the reasonable one in our family,”
“I’m trying to move on Robert,” Fran asked walking to the refrigerator. “I love you and the kids, but they’re gone. The house is gone.”
“That don’t matter honey,” Robert said as Fran poured two glasses of tea.
“It does Robert.” Fran argued and handed him his drink. Robert sipped the liquid and stood up.
“Robert, I’m seeing someone else.” Fran admitted. Robert looked at her stunned.
“But we’re not divorced.” He stammered.
“We might as well be,” Fran, said sitting down at the end of the table.
“No.” Robert said. “No! I’m not going to let you go.”
“There’s nothing you can do Robert,” Fran said. “He’ll be here any minute and I’m going out with him.”
“Who,” Robert asked. “Who is he?”
“I doubt you know him,” Fran said getting up. She looked out the kitchen window and smiled as she saw the lights of his truck pulling into her mother’s driveway.
“We met at work,” She explained. “His name is Ted. Ted Dubose.”
“Are you going to tell him you’re married?” Robert asked.
“He knows Robert,” Fran said getting her purse off the counter and heading towards the front door. “He’s married too.”
“I can’t believe you’ve slipped this far from God.” Robert said catching her arm. “I can’t believe you’re going to throw our lives away.” Fran glared at her husband.
“You threw us away first Robert,” She stated. “Let go of my arm.”
“Fran,” Her mom called. “Ted’s here. Do you want me to send him back there?”
“No mom,” Fran answered. “Tell him I’ll be there in a minute.” She looked at her husband and said, “Goodbye Robert,” then walked through the swinging door.
Robert stood there not knowing what to do. He wanted to