Sandcastle for Pegasus

by Bob Avey

  She checked the monitor. “What’s your mother’s name?”

  Martin uttered a silent prayer that someone matching the name he was to give was on-board or at least listed as such. “Mary, Mary Smith.”

  She checked again and then slowly nodded. “All right, Billy. But you’d better hurry. The flight will be leaving in about five minutes.”

  Thanking the Lord for answering his prayer, Martin scrambled through the skywalk. Once on-board, he found an empty seat, sat down, and fastened his seat belt.

  Martin came out of his sleep when the plane’s wheels bumped solidly against the tarmac, which jolted the aircraft back and forth. The sound of the engines being engaged to slow the aircraft joined in to ensure everyone on-board was fully awake. Martin shifted nervously in his seat, trying to calm the butterflies forming in his stomach. He suddenly felt very alone. It had been brewing for some time now, but landing all alone in a strange city brought the helpless feeling to the forefront. His watch showed 8:45 a.m., but that wouldn’t be right. He’d crossed a time zone, which would put the time at 9:45 a.m. It didn’t matter all that much at the moment. The rally wasn’t until tomorrow. The thought occurred to him that he might have been better off to have stayed one more night at home. He had wanted to. He was just too afraid of getting found out, and what that might do to his parents.

  The plane came to a stop at the gate, and everyone started milling around, trying to retrieve the things they had stored in the overhead bins.

  Martin remained in his seat, wondering if perhaps the younger Martin had taken on more of a role in this relationship. That would explain the sudden onslaught of fear and nervousness. Being hosted by his younger self had proven easier than with his dad or with Krystal. He guessed that was to be expected. It was always easier to just be oneself. But it was more than that. The younger Martin had accepted his presence with incredible ease, as if nothing could be more natural.

  With nearly everyone else having left the plane, Martin got up from his seat and walked slowly down the aisle. He exited the plane and then walked down the skywalk. When he stepped out, the busy airport opened before him, and again the feeling of being alone threatened to derail his resolve to see this through. He couldn’t let that happen. He took a deep breath. Then, he blended into the crowd and started walking the wide aisle, paying particular attention to the signs, which showed the way to ground transportation.

  When he reached the area, Martin stood by the glass doors and studied the taxis and buses outside the airport. The rally wasn’t until tomorrow, and he would have to stay the night somewhere. It occurred to him that if he could stay out of the way and not draw anyone’s attention, not a piece of cake for an unescorted eight-year-old, his chances of surviving would be better at the airport. He should have stayed at the gates. He wouldn’t be lucky enough to clear the security checkpoints again.

  Martin meandered his way back to an area of restaurants and shops he’d passed earlier that were outside the checkpoints. When he found a sitting area, he sat down and closed his eyes. He had a lot of time on his hands, and the more he could stay in the background and out of the way the better.

  A mild shaking of his shoulder brought Martin out of his sleep, and he looked up to see a man standing over him.

  “Hey, kid, you’ve been sitting here for quite a while. Is everything all right?”

  Martin sat forward. He’d have to be careful, not say the wrong thing and arouse suspicion. “Yeah, I’m okay. I’m not supposed to talk to strangers, though.”

  “Why don’t you come over and sit with me?” The man asked. “Just to be safe.”

  Martin glanced around. The man didn’t look like a cop or even a security guard.

  “Mom got me here a little early that’s all. My dad’s coming, you see. He and Mom aren’t talking. She said she didn’t want any part of it, you know. Figured I’d be okay for an hour or so. It’s no big deal. Happens all the time.”

  The man sat beside Martin. “I’ll just sit here and keep you company, okay?”

  Martin glanced up the aisle and saw a rough looking guy with tattoos. “Suit yourself, but if I was you, I wouldn’t be here when my dad gets here.”

  “Yeah, why’s that?”

  “Stick around, and you’ll find out.” Martin waved at the man.

  Thankfully, he waved back. “Here he comes now. It’s going to be fun to watch him rearrange your face.”

  Without saying another word, the man got up and darted away.

  Martin remained in the area for a few minutes before wandering aimlessly through the sections of the airport where he could go without worrying about crossing security barriers. For the rest of the day, he continued this pattern of walking, stopping occasionally to sit and rest. He even took a few short naps, but fear of being discovered or accosted by strangers kept him from sleeping deeply. The strange man was still there. Martin had spotted him a few times, but luckily, he’d been able to avoid him.

  But that all changed when Martin went to the bathroom around 5:00 a.m. to wash his hands and face. When Martin came out, the man was there, leaning against the wall, a smile turning the corners of his mouth.

  “I figured you were bluffing,” the man said, “but one can’t be too careful, can they? Looks like I was right about you, though. That man wasn’t your daddy. You’re here all alone, aren’t you?”

  “What’s it to you?” Martin asked. “And why do you keep following me? What do you want?”

  The man pushed away from the wall and came forward, moving toward Martin. “Not much,” he said, “just a little companionship. It won’t hurt a bit. You might even like it. Come on, what do you say?”

  “Not a chance, creep. Now beat it before I find a cop.”

  He took another step toward Martin. “You won’t call any cops because you’re a runaway. I don’t really know why, and I don’t really care. I just know you don’t want to get caught any more than I do.”

  Martin turned away and started down the aisle away from the area. The man was right. He didn’t want to get caught, but if staying here with the creep or getting the attention of the police were the only options, he’d gladly choose the cops. He’d only made a few steps, however, when a hand on his shoulder stopped him and spun him around.

  “Not so fast. I ain’t through with you just yet.”

  Martin struggled to get free, but his eight-year-old body was no match for the loser, even though the creep was fat and out of shape. “You’re messing with the wrong kid, mister. Now let me go, or else you’re going to regret it.”

  “Oh, I doubt that. On the contrary, I think I’m going to like it very much. What are you going to do, anyway? It doesn’t look to me like you got a lot of choice.”

  Martin decided quickly. It was better to scrub the mission than to end up in the clutches of this creep. He gathered as much strength as he could and let out a yell. “Help, somebody help me.”

  The man flinched, but he didn’t let go of his grip on Martin’s arm. Plenty of people looked, but no one did anything to stop what was happening. The man shook his head at the crowd. “Nothing to worry about, just an unruly kid. He’s really going to get it when we get home. You can count on that.”

  Trying again, Martin screamed, “He’s not my dad. He’s just some creep that grabbed me.”

  A few more people stopped and stared. Some of them leaned toward one another and talked, but still no action.

  And then, coming from behind, someone said, “Hey, mister, ease up. Looks like you’re hurting the kid.”

  “It’s none of your business,” the man said. “It’s between me and my son, so get lost.”

  A young man, around nineteen or twenty, stepped away from
the crowd and came closer. Several more people who looked around the same age followed.

  “Maybe so,” the young man said, “but child abuse is against the law, so why don’t you just let go of the kid, and everything will be fine.”

  “He’s not my dad,” Martin yelled. “He’s just some creep who hangs around the airport, looking for kids like me.”

  “Shut up, you little jerk.”

  That’s all it took. The young man and several of his friends pulled Martin from the creep’s grip and then pushed the man away. “I think you’re through here, mister. The kid is with us now.”

  Martin didn’t know why no security personnel had appeared, but he certainly didn’t see any. He tried not to hug his young rescuer, but he couldn’t help it. “Thanks, man. I think you just saved my life.”

  “Not a problem. But, like you just about found out, the airport is not a safe place for a kid to hang around. Are your parents around here somewhere? I’ll stay with you until you find them, if you want me to.”

  “That would be great,” Martin said. “Could we talk a minute, just you and me?”

  The young man smiled, nodded to his friends, and stayed back while they continued. “All right,” he said, “you’ve got my attention, so what’s up?”

  Martin’s mind scrambled for direction, but he had little time. “I need your help, but not with finding my parents. That would be a little difficult right now, anyway.”

  “Why’s that, are you homeless?”

  “No, not exactly, but I need to know I can trust you before we go any further.”

  “Trust me, trust me with what?”

  “I need your help,” Martin said. “more than you could know right now, but I want you to promise me you won’t call the police or turn me in right away. Do we have a deal?”

  The young man smiled, but it was an expression laced with both curiosity and concern. “All right, but at some point, you’re going to have to level with me, tell me what’s going on. Trust works both ways, you know.” He paused and extended his hand. “Name’s Dale, by the way, Dale Carrington. Now, what can I do for you, mister…?”

  “Taylor, Martin Taylor. And what I need is transportation.”

  The young man, Dale Carrington, seemed to think that over. “I see, and where do you need to go?”

  “I can trust you?”

  “You can trust me.”

  “The College of William and Mary. Do you know where that is?”

  Dale Carrington smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I know where it is. Question is, why do you need to go there? And why would it be difficult to find your parents?”

  Martin nodded. Dale was a likable guy, and he was alert and attentive, which were all good traits. “A political rally is going to be held there today. I need to go to it. And finding my parents would be hard because they are in Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

  Dale glanced around the area and started walking along the aisle in the same direction his friends had gone. He motioned for Martin to follow. “Tulsa is a long way from Williamsburg,” he said. “And it’s just my luck that the innocent looking kid I decided to help would turn out to be, let’s just say much more than meets the eye. Why would a kid like you want to go to a political rally? You look too young to be interested in politics.”

  “Someone’s going to be there that I need to talk to,” Martin said. “It’s a matter of extreme importance. Can you get me there?”

  “Yeah, I think we can handle that. Who is it exactly that you need to talk to? Do you have relatives there?”

  “No, nothing like that. His name is Jackson Stewart. I think he’s a student. Do you know him?”

  “The name doesn’t ring a bell,” Dale said, “but I’ve heard about the rally.”

  “Hey, that’s good. Maybe you could show me where it is. If we get there early, that will give me time to look around, see if I can find Jackson. Are you interested in politics?”

  “Not so much,” Dale said, “but I’ve met some of the people, went to a rally. Some things they say they stand for, like helping those less fortunate and easing racial tensions are good causes. But the way they go about it with all the hate and anger, it’s nothing I want to be a part of. After talking with you, you don’t seem like the type to go for that either. Are you sure you want to go through with this? I mean, who is this Jackson Stewart, and how is it that you know him?”

  “It’s a story much too complicated to tell right now,” Martin said, “but I’ve actually known Jackson Stewart for a very long time.”

  Dale said nothing, but he tilted his head, acknowledging Martin’s answer.

  Outside the airport, Martin and Dale met up again with Dale’s friends. After a short conversation that Martin was not included in, they all loaded onto a shuttle bus that took them to the parking garage. Not long after that, Martin sat in the front seat of a Ford Explorer between Dale, who drove, and a brown-eyed girl with a pleasant smile.

  A few minutes into the rather silent trip, Martin checked his watch. It showed 7:00 a.m., which meant it was 8:00 a.m. here in Williamsburg. Martin liked Dale, but he’d also begun to understand what kind of person he was. Martin had no doubt Dale would call the police at some point. He just hoped he would wait until he’d talked with Stewart. After that, it would be perfectly fine. It would, in fact, be a good thing. Once the mission was completed, he would have to get the younger Martin safely home again, and having assistance from the police or other authorities would be helpful.

  “Are we going to get you there in time?” Dale asked, with a touch of humor in his voice.

  “Yeah,” Martin said. “I can’t thank you enough for this, helping me at the airport and the ride. I don’t know what I would have done if you guys hadn’t come along.”

  After that, things happened quickly, and almost before Martin could mentally prepare himself for the meeting with Jackson Stewart they were at the rally. Dale and his friends knew more about the college than casual observers. It turned out they were all students there as well.

  Within minutes after arriving, Dale left Martin with his friends, and when he reappeared, a young Jackson Stewart was with him. He and Dale Carrington talked for a few seconds, and then Dale brought him over where he stood face to face with Martin.

  Well, you got what you wanted, Martin, now what?

  With a short introduction behind them, Dale and his friends stepped a few feet back to give Martin time with Stewart.

  “Well,” Martin said, “here we are.”

  Jackson smiled. He was apparently in the middle of his lunch. He carried a half-eaten sandwich. “Yeah, here we are. Now what’s this all about, kid? Dale said you were quite adamant about seeing me, and that you indicated we knew each other. I played along, but now I need to know because in truth I don’t have a clue who you are or why you’re here.”

  Martin glanced around. He figured Dale had already called the police about this, so he had little time. “Okay, Jackson, the best way to do this is to just jump in with both feet. Do you believe in time travel?”

  A curious look spread across Jackson’s face, an expression that said he wasn’t completely closed minded the concept. “All right, kid, you look too young to be on drugs or anything like that, so what the heck are you talking about?”

  “All right,” Martin said, “here it is. I know you because we’ve met before, or rather we will in the future.”

  “Come on, kid, what kind of medication are you on? Now is now, but the future hasn’t happened yet.”

  Martin paused. He wanted to say it was true, but it wasn’t in his case, was it? “We will meet for the first time in 2020, Jackson, because of my son, Luke. And again in 2014. I realiz
e that sounds backwards, but it’s the way it happened. Except in 2014, I don’t think you knew I was there.”

  “The more you talk, the more I’m convinced you’re a nutcase. But you seem awfully intelligent for a kid. You’re not one of those child prodigies, are you? I mean, are you a student here? And you keep looking at my sandwich. Are you hungry?”

  Martin couldn’t deny it. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday. “Yeah,” he said, “I am kind of starved, actually. And, no, I’m not a student or a prodigy.”

  Jackson took off his backpack and dug out something that looked like a candy bar. “Here you go, kid. It’s all I got right now. Now what’s this about 2014? You said I didn’t know you were there. How’s that even possible?”

  “We were at a restaurant,” Martin said, “only we weren’t together.”

  Martin ripped open the package. It turned out to be a protein bar, but he wasn’t particular at the moment. He took a large bite and swallowed. “I was with my wife, and you were with your brother, McKinley.”

  Jackson rubbed his forehead, trying to smooth out the wrinkles that had formed there. “Do you know my brother?”

  Martin glanced around. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the authorities were going to come and apprehend him at any moment. “Not really. I was just there and overheard your conversation. You were trying to convince your brother that he and his wife should abort their child.”

  Jackson’s expression hardened. Martin had hit a nerve. “You’re talking nonsense, kid. If you don’t hurry up and say something coherent, I’m through here, understand?”

  Martin nodded. Jackson was more right than he knew about Martin needing to stop tiptoeing around and get on with it. “Okay, Jackson, here it is. You seem like a decent guy right now. I mean, I’m even starting to like you, but that’s going to change in the future. I’m not sure why, but I have a feeling that something devastating must have happened to you at some point. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have turned out like that.”