Chapter 3
I was the heat the awakened him. Sweltering hot for even a summer night.Tzack lay quietly listening to the forest sounds around him. And a fear of the darkness around him crept slowly up his spine. The forest never used to scare him. Not with Pa and Mother around to protect him.
Sarah and Rachel breathed quietly beside him. Mr Wilks had not let them sleep close to the wagon, so they lay among their discarded items.
The animals around them were restless in their sleep. The hot air must be bothering him too. Despite the heat Tzack clung to the blanket around him, as if it would protect him against any harm that was lurking near.
He tried to go back to sleep, but to no avail his mind awash with all that had happened in the day before. A pang of sadness pieced through the fear. Mother was dying might even be dead. He let the tears fall easily down his cheeks “Mama” He whispered quietly in the dark.
A dark shadow of despair passed over him. He was overwhelmed with guilt and fear. If only he hadn't gone into the forest to get that stupid goat. Pa would still be here and Mother would be fine. He sat up giving up on sleep.
On the bleak road in the distance he could roughly make out a glowing figure gliding towards their camp. Tzack’s breath caught in his throat and instantly the tears stopped. It came closer, gliding hauntingly beautiful. A sudden horrible thought entered his mind. “Mother?” He asked calling out in the dark. It was not close enough for Tzack to see it’s face but clearly it was a woman. In a few moments it would be close enough to see. Tzack sat very still alert. If it was not mother he must alert the others.
A scream came from the wagon behind him. Piercing the silence of the night. Reactively Tzack turned to the sound and when he turned back, the woman was gone, melted away into the night.
Mr Wilks voice came loud from the wagon as he cursed his wife who had done the screaming.
Rachel sat up by Tzack’s side “What is going on?” She questioned. And why is it so hot!” She said throwing of her blanket.
There was a muffled conversation from inside the wagon. And Mr Wilks lumbered out. Cursing under his breath.
“Get up boys it’s time to go.” He said kicking at the places where they slept.
The boys grunted as they stood. “But it’s the middle of the snark’n night.” Sanbar said.
“Listen to me good boys, cus I aint gonna have time to repeat me self. Do ya feel how hot it is? Well that’s hows we know the things close. So unless you want to end up disappeared like me good friend Wesley. Then you be getting your bed roles and haul your little worthless butts out of here. You hear that?” He said yelling to the Cohen’s. “We’re leaving, with or without you.”
Quickly Rachel and Tzack were on their feet. Rachel shook Sarah awake. It a was rushed in the dark to get their things together. The three of them had talked yesterday of taking as much as they could on the goats backs. But in the darkness they were unable to get as much as they would have liked.
They got Safire on a lead, wherever he went the rest of the goat would follow. The sky lightened as a new day dawned. But Tzack felt like it was midday on the hottest day of the year, sweat dripped down his face.
“Forget the pig and the damned goats!” Mr Wilks hollered. “We’re leaving now.”
The wagon jolted as the skinny horse pulled hard it’s reigns. Bunny cried from inside the wagon.
Ignoring Mr Wilks Rachel continued to hold on to Sapphires lead. “Sarah, you get Ruby. Pa left me with one job and I’m going to do it.”
The three of them lead the frightened group of animals after the wagon. Trying to keep up with the pace Mr Wilks was making the poor horse keep.
The air around them started to cool at a rapid pace the farther they walked. But Tzack was not comforted. Whatever it was that was out there, was still there.
“Wait!” Sarah suddenly cried. “We forgot something”
“Sarah don’t go back.” Rachel protested but it was too late, Sarah had already taken off down the road.
The seconds beat like an eternity in Tzack heart as they waited for Sarah to return. The Wilk’s wagon getting farther and farther away from them.
“I should go get her” Rachel said staring off after Sarah. But Rachel did not move. She just stood there staring wide eyed down the road.
“I’ll get her” Tzack said and ran after her his heart racing.
The heat told him he was getting close. It made running seem slow and laborious. A turn in the road revealed Sarah standing among the discarded items, Mother’s china doll clutched tightly her hand. Her mouth was slightly open and she had a distant look in her eye.
Before Tzack could reach her she began walking off into the forest away from him.
“Sarah!” He yelled in a panic, but she didn’t seem to hear him, and just continued walking. “Sarah!” he yelled again finally catching up with her he ran into her tackling her to the ground
Sarah looked around her intense focus broken.”Why did you do that?” She demanded..
“Because you were being stupid.” Tzack answered
I thought I saw...” Sarah began
The forest in front of them began to groan.and snap. “Something is in there” Tzack said. The temperature around them became unbearable hot, and forest erupted in flames.
“Let’s get out of here!” Sarah yelled.
They flew down the road, quickly returning to Rachel, who was now accompanied by Sanbar and Pallus.
“Fire!” Tzack managed to get out between breaths.
“Fire?” Pallus queried.
“In the forest back where we camped,” Sarah gasped. “We need to get out of here. It could spread here any minute.” Sarah grabbed the Saphire’s lead from Rachel and pulled him quickly down the road. Tzack followed, but Rachel, Pallus, and Sanbar did not move.
“Well aren't you coming? Sarah asked.
“There’s a fire” Tzack said pointing down the road. Maybe they hadn’t clearly understood him the first time.
Rachel looked at Sanbar nervous anxiety on her face.
Sanbar stood there cooly, a smirk on his strong jawed face. “The forest is too wet.” He said, “If there is a fire. It won't spread far.”
Tzack stood aghast. A fire was blazing away, possible heading their direction right now and he was content to just sit here. “You’re an idiot.” Tzack said.
Anger blazed in Sanbar’s eyes. Rachel quickly stepped in “Mind your manners what would mother think. Sanbar is not an idiot the forest is wet.” She hesitated, “But I would still like to get moving just the same.”
“I didn’t ask you to defend me. I can take care of my own problems” He said threateningly, his eyes drilling holes of hate into Tzack. “We go when I say.” He paused as if he were waiting for something.
“But-” Pallas started
Sanbar held up a hand a gave Pallas a controlling glare. Pallas immediately stopped. ”Alright, we go, now,” Sanbar said and stepped out into the front of the group.
Tzack wanted to run. He just knew the fire would be on them at any moment, sweeping them up and roasting them. But he couldn’t just leave Rachel and Sarah. So he stayed, continually checking behind him.
By mid morning the fire still had not come.
Tzack scowled at Sanbar. He and Rachel were smiling and talking. Smug idiot, Tzack wanted to punch his face. And what made him more angry was the way that Rachel looked at Sanbar drinking up his slime.
“He really is awful” Pallus said reading his thoughts. “But don’t you be telling him I said that or I might end up with stinging worms in my bed again.”
“He put stinging worms in your bed?” Sarah said overhearing.
“Yes and other things.”
“That’s awful.” Sarah said a melodramatic frown on her face.
“That’s nothing. If I’ve learned one thing it’s to not get on Sanbar’s bad side.”
If Tzack hadn’t of seen the wagon he still would have known they were getting close just by Mr Wilks yelling.
“Stupid woman,” He was saying, “You’ve gone and sent my boys off to get killed. All for a bunch of good for nothing brats.” Mr Wilks said stomping up and down the road. Mrs. Wilks lay huddled in the dirt her bony arm over her head.
Mr Wilks grabbed Mrs Wilks hefting her up, and throwing her against the wagon. “Get up woman, I’m talking to you.” He said.“Pa, we’re here” Sanbar said running over to stand between the two of them.
“Don’t you interrupt me boy. I’m talking to your mother. Now move.” He said stepping in closer to Sanbar.
Sanbar did not move. He stared at his father matching his gaze.
Mr Wilk’s slapped Sanbar across the face, knocking him to the ground. He stepped over Sanbar, to Mrs Wilks.
“Listen to me woman.” He said. “You do something like that again and I’m going to kill you. Now lets go.”Tzack stomach rumbled and he realized he was hungry, they had not eaten anything all morning and now the sun was high in the sky over head. But he was too scared to say anything to Mr Wilks just now.
Then a little voice came from inside the wagon. “Papa, I’m hungry” Bunny said.
“Get yourself and your brothers a few biscuits. You stupid child” He said, Glaring at her.
Then Mr Wilks hopped up into the wagon and returned with a small bag of corn meal. He handed it to Rachel. “For you” he said “And don’t you be asking for more, this is all you three get”
Rachel poured a little cornmeal into Sarah and Tzack’s hands. Tzack licked at it. It was coarse and dry in his mouth but it still tasted good after the long mornings walk. And he washed it down with water from the canteen that the three of them shared.
Before they were even finished Mr Wilks was up on the wagon seat again driving the wagon onward.
Rachel tried a couple of times to talk to Sanbar but he was no longer in the mood to talk. So she pouted as she walked quietly with the rest of them family behind the dreadful wagon.
The longer they walked the more Tzack had to fight back the tears that begged to overwhelm him. Sarah had lost that fight long ago, as she always did. Every so often a new wave of sobs erupting as they walked the long road.
Tzack needed to be strong. With his Pa away he was the man of the family. So no tears, at least no tears that anyone could see.
As the sun fell in the sky they came to a place where the road met a river. Tzack had loved the river when he visited it with his father those few times. The way the water rippled over the jagged rocks. White foam churning through the current. He had wanted to touched the foam. But Pa had stopped him saying the river was much too dangerous and would quickly pull a small boy like him under. Taking him miles and miles down the river his body never to be found.
On the bank of the river the Cohen family's wagon sat abandoned. A lone horse grazing on the green foliage nearby.
Tzack’s heart sunk and then rose again when a young woman’s voice joyfully cried out, and emily ran to meet them.
“Oh, I thought you would never come. I’ve been waiting here ever so long by myself.” She said.
“Where’s Mother and Pa” Rachel asked.
“Oh, you should have seen it,” Emily said. “When we got here the river was ever so high. Much higher than it is now. Pa said he didn’t want to risk the wagon getting swept away in the current and us with it. So he told me to wait for you, and cross when the river had gone down. Oh, Pa was so brave. He took mother out of the wagon and put her on Pride, because he is the stronger of the two horses as you know. Then he hopped on too.
I thought I was going to die watching them cross. I was sure that they were going to be swept away a couple of times, but they made it. I was jumping up and down I was so happy. But then I realized I was now all by myself and I’d have to wait here by myself.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn't scared a few times, but sang quietly to myself and stayed close to Courage, stroking his neck for comfort and then I felt better. He really is a brave horse you know.”
“We are going to camp here for the night.” Mr Wilks said hopping down from the wagon. “Sanbar you’re in charge. I’m going hunting.”
“But -” Mrs wilk protested she held her hand up to the right side of her face which was developing a nasty bruise.
“Shut-up woman. I’m going to do what I want to do.” And he was off into the forest, as a clap of thunder hailed his leaving.
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