The Children of Fear (7 page)

Luke's stomach lurched at the sight of Corey shaking his head vigorously, his green eyes wide with fear, his lower lip quivering.

“Let him go!” Luke cried. He kicked and struggled, trying to break free of Sam's grasp.

Mike sneered. “All right. I'll let him go.”

He grabbed Corey around the waist and pulled him toward the open door. Luke's heart twisted in his chest as he watched the little boy squirm to get free. Mike pulled him to the open door, then Luke saw him grab Corey by the ankles and turn him upside down.

Luke struggled wildly against Sam's hold. But the other boy held him tight. He felt his eyes burn with angry tears as he watched his brother dangle outside the door. The wind whipped Corey's dark hair around his head.

Leah's desperate cries echoed all around him. But he couldn't pull his gaze off Corey.

“I'll let him go,” Mike yelled over the din of the racing train.

Luke snapped his gaze to Mike's. Mike's dark eyes glowed, his lips spread into an evil grin.

“I'll drop him,” Mike yelled over the roar of the racing train. “I swear I'll drop him.”

“L
uke—stop him! He's going to kill Corey!”

Leah's terrified cry rang in Luke's ears.

“Now?” Mike screamed. “Shall I drop him now?”

“No!” Luke yelled as he fought against the stranglehold Mike's brother had on him.

“Yes!” Mike answered, swinging Corey's little body back and forth.

“Corey, say something!” Luke pleaded. “That's what he wants.”

“Here he goes!” Mike cried.

Luke heard a loud buzzing sound. Then Sam screamed in pain. “I got stung!” he yelled. He released his grip on Luke.

Luke leapt toward the open door and caught Corey around the waist. He yanked his brother away from Mike and pulled him back into the car.

Mike roared and launched himself at Luke. Then he yelped and jumped away. He pawed frantically at his chest and stomach. Bees flew at him from all directions.

Mike's brothers ran to help him.

Leah rushed over to Luke. “Is Corey all right?”

“I think so. I think he's just mighty dizzy right now,” Luke replied breathlessly.

“And terrified.” Leah bent down and cradled Corey in her arms. “Poor Corey,” she crooned.

The door that led into the next car suddenly burst open. The matron rushed through it.

“What is going on in here!” the matron demanded in a shrill voice. “Why is that door open?”

“They tried to throw my brother out the car!” Luke told her, his voice shaking with anger. He pointed at Mike and his brothers.

“They were trying to escape!” Mike said, pointing a finger at Luke and Leah. “They opened this door—and they let in all these huge bees!”

“They're bullies!” Leah yelled. “Bullies and liars!”

All the kids began talking and yelling at once. The matron quickly pulled out a whistle and blew it long and hard.

Luke covered his ears to block out the shrill screech. He saw the others cringe and do the same.

The boxcar grew silent. The matron give a brisk nod of approval. “Now, then, what was going on in here?” she asked sharply, her tiny black eyes hard.

“You!” Luke saw her plump finger point to Corey. “Tell me what these boys were doing.”

Corey stepped back, his eyes wide. His chin quivered.

Luke stepped forward. “He doesn't—”

“Hush!” the matron scolded. “I'm asking him, not you.”

“But he doesn't—”

The woman turned on Luke, her black eyes filled with fury. Luke caught his breath. He'd never seen such anger.

“Be quiet,” the matron said in a low voice, “or I'll leave you in the next town … whether or not you are adopted.”

What would happen to Leah and Corey then? Luke wondered. What would happen if I weren't with them? I promised them that we would stay together. No matter what.

He nodded and stepped back. Leah slipped her hand into his. He gave her a quick smile, hoping she wouldn't see how worried he was about Corey.

Surely the matron will realize Corey doesn't talk, Luke thought. Surely she'll eventually ask someone else.

The matron glared at Corey. “Now, then, little boy. Tell me what happened.”

Luke watched as Corey backed away from the matron. She followed him, until he was trapped in a corner.

The matron placed her chubby hands on her wide hips. “Don't be willful! I won't help you if you won't ask me for help. Tell me what those boys were doing.” She wagged her finger in Corey's face. “Tell me!”

Luke watched helplessly as Corey pressed his lips together and shook his head.

The matron wagged her finger faster. “Tell me!”

Corey pinched up his face and squeezed his eyes shut as though he could make her go away if he couldn't see her.

The matron screamed and jumped back. Luke saw a black and yellow bee fly away from her face. The matron's bottom lip started swelling. In moments it was three times its normal size.

Luke heard Leah give a smothered laugh.

The bee flew across the boxcar, buzzing wildly. It circled Leah's head. Then it zipped out through the open door.

“Close that door,” the matron demanded, her words running together as she spoke through swollen lips.

“I told you they let in bees,” Mike whined as he pulled the door shut.

The matron scurried out of the boxcar through the door that led into her private compartment.

The moment she left, Luke could feel Mike's eyes on him. Luke turned and met Mike's hostile glare.

“You and your brother and sister got away this time,” Mike said, his voice seething. “But it's not over between us. I'll find a way to get you off this train, even if I have to kill you to do it!”

L
uke lay awake and stared at the boxcar ceiling. He glanced over at Leah. She slept soundly beside him. So did Corey. All around him, he heard the deep breathing of sleeping children.

He rolled on his side. The straw pricked and itched his skin as the swaying train tossed him from side to side. The rumbling sound throbbed inside his head. His stomach churned from the smell of moldy blankets. He wondered how many children had slept in this boxcar, how many more would sleep here.

Did they all find homes? What happened to those who didn't?

He pulled Corey's blanket higher onto his shoulders. What am I going to do about you? he wondered. You used to talk. You used to laugh—when Ma and Papa were alive.

You will laugh again, Luke vowed. Somehow I will make you laugh again. And talk again. But how?

Luke rubbed his brow. His head still hurt from when Mike's brother slammed him against the wall.

Then he froze. The hair on the back of his neck stood up.

Someone is watching me, he thought. He slowly scanned the boxcar. Mike?

No, he could see Mike and his brothers lying in a heap on the other side of the boxcar, snoring.

They sound worse than the locomotive's engine, Luke thought. They're asleep and so is everyone else. I'm just edgy after all that happened today.

Then he spotted a girl curled up in the corner of the boxcar opposite him—as far away from the others as she could get.

He had noticed her earlier in the day. She appeared to be about his age. She wore her golden hair woven into a single braid that draped over her shoulder. He remembered that her eyes were blue.

And now he could feel her blue eyes watching him … as he watched her. He peered at her through the darkness and thought he saw a small smile on her face.

Then she turned away, staring through the slats of the boxcar at the night sky.

After his experience with the Wade brothers in town and Mike and his brothers on the train, Luke longed to talk to someone friendly. The girl looked as though she would be friendly.

He crawled across the boxcar, taking care not to disturb the sleeping children. When he reached the other side, he sat beside the girl.

“Hello,” he said quietly.

He saw her duck her head. “Hello to you.”

“I'm Luke.”

He watched her lips form a shy smile. “My name is Mary.”

She has a beautiful smile, he thought.

“I can't sleep,” he told her.

“Me either.” She lifted her gaze to his. “I find that odd because the train sways back and forth like a giant rocking chair, so it seems like it should be easy to fall asleep here.”

He nodded in agreement. “My sister and brother didn't have any trouble letting the train rock them to sleep.”

She touched his arm. “You were so brave this afternoon … defending your brother.”

Luke felt himself blush. Quickly she removed her hand from his arm as though she were suddenly embarrassed as well.

“I didn't feel very brave,” he said, his voice low. He leaned nearer her. Mary smelled like the roses his mother had grown in her garden. “I was terrified,” he confessed.

“I was terrified for you,” she said softly just before she ducked her head.

Her words stunned Luke … and warmed him at the same time. She was worried about me, he realized in awe. I don't think anyone has worried about me since my mother died.

“I don't know why Mike dislikes me so much,” Luke said, still unsure as to why Mike had singled him and Corey out that afternoon.

“Mike doesn't want any competition. Older boys are always adopted first—and you're a little older than he is,” she explained. “That's why he tried to
convince you to run away at first. He wouldn't have really gone himself. He just didn't want anyone to be able to pick you over him and his brothers.”

Luke shook his head. “Mike doesn't have to worry about me. I just want to see that Leah and Corey are adopted.”

“That might be hard,” Mary told him. “It's difficult to find a family willing to adopt more than one child.”

“I'm going to keep Corey and Leah together,” Luke vowed, more to himself than to Mary.

“Do many children get adopted at each town?” Luke asked.

“Sometimes the little ones are lucky. They're still cute, and women like to hold them. It's the middle children, especially the girls, that have a hard time finding a home. Girls my age have little luck.” She sighed.

“They all look so sad,” Luke said, remembering their faces as they crawled into the boxcar.

“It hurts to get your hopes up at each town, only to discover no one wants you,” she replied.

“How can we make them want us?” Luke asked, determined to get Leah and Corey off the train as quickly as possible.

Mary smiled. “Stand straight. Slick your hair down. Talk politely, and tell anyone who walks by that you love hard work.”

Luke chuckled. “My hair might be a problem.” He ran his fingers through it. “I don't remember the last time I cut it.”

“It looks nice,” Mary replied quietly.

“Your hair looks like honey,” Luke said. He felt his face grow warm. He'd never said such a silly thing to a girl before.

She released a soft laugh before covering her mouth. “Are you hungry too?” she asked him.

He added his quiet laughter to hers, not wanting to wake anyone.

“Yes, I'm hungry too,” he told her, smiling into the darkness. “That's probably why your hair made me think of honey. Your eyes remind me of blueberries.”

He could see her fighting to hold in her laughter. It pleased him when he heard a tiny giggle escape. After his parents had died, he'd had little time to visit with his friends, and no time to talk with girls.

“Your eyes remind me of chocolate pudding,” she said, then turned her face away.

She's shy, he thought. He wished he knew how to make her more comfortable around him.

“Maybe after I've had breakfast in the morning, I'll decide your hair is just yellow and your eyes are just blue.”

She glanced at him. “Don't count on it. The porridge they serve us at breakfast is awful. It's all lumpy.”