Loving Madison

Thirty-Eight

Excitement pushed Madison to brush the dirt off the key as fast as she could. She didn't care if her hands were dirty, or even if her dress became soiled. This key had actually opened the door. Did Gretchen know about this key at all? The woman hadn't mentioned losing a key.

Madison blew against the key and the loosened dirt fell off the top. She brushed her thumb across it...and froze.

Everything around her vanished, and no longer was she kneeling in the dirt. Instead, her vision swept her away to the past. The little girl sat on the cot in the small room, staring at a boy, perhaps in his sixteenth year or thereabouts. He wore a top hat and the overcoat of a gentleman, and yet the garments hung on his thin frame and the hat tilted low on his forehead, shadowing his eyes. He stood at the opened door, reaching out his hand to the girl.

"Come with me," he said quietly. "Something has happened to your mother and I need to take you to her."

"M-m-ma?" The girl's voice squeaked.

"Yes. Come quickly."

The girl hesitated but then slipped her hand into the boy's hand. He pulled her out of the back room before closing the door and locking it. He dropped the key into the bed of dirt and kicked the soil over the top.

The boy glanced all around him before darting away from the building. The girl stumbled, but then righted herself and kept her small legs moving to keep up with the boy. He ran in back of the buildings, up toward the north end of town. So far, they hadn't come across any people.

Out of breath, the girl tripped and fell to the ground. She sobbed and shook her head. "I can't."

"Yes, you can," the boy encouraged. "We must hurry so I can take you to your mother."

"She's buying a bonnet." The girl glanced in back of her, pointing to the shop, much smaller than it had been when she'd left.

"No, she's gone. Now I need to take you to her."

The boy seemed genuinely nice and caring, so the girl felt as though she could trust him. She slipped her hand into his out-stretched hand again as he helped her to her feet. Together, they took off running again, until the end of the town was in view.

Panic surged through the girl. Ma? She stopped and jerked her hand away. "No. I don't see my ma."

"I know, but she's not here. That's why I'm taking you to her."

The frightened girl nodded and slipped her hand back into his. As they passed the next building, another boy jumped from out of the shadows and landed in front of them. This boy was slightly taller, and had wider shoulders. His hair was strawberry-blond.

He held a knife and swiped it across the smaller boy's hand. Yelping, he released the girl and covered the cut as he pierced the bigger boy with a fierce gaze.

"Where's my money?" the strawberry-blond boy asked.

The slender lad's hat fell off his head. Long, dark brown hair brushed into his face, making it hard to see his identity. "I don't have it yet," he glanced at the little girl, "but I will. That's why I've taken her."

The larger boy threw the girl a scowl. "What does she have to do with it?"

"I'm going to get the money from her parents."

Tears filled the girl's eyes and she shook her head. She didn't know what was going on, but she felt as though this boy was not being honest with her. Something in the back of her mind yelled at her to run...to run back into town where other people could see her.