Alice's Soldiers

by Robert T. OShea

  Elizabeth fell asleep on the couch, but she woke up three times, by three different kisses, she raised her head only to smile and pull the blanket (which she didn’t know where It came from) up. Elizabeth was dreaming about the children; imaging each one of them ten years from now.

  Lily stopped by, looked down, poked her daughter and said:” I told the girls about shopping.”

  Elizabeth answered her Mother by saying there is a child missing I got only three kisses. Elizabeth said to herself that It was too dangerous right now to move everyone in this house to one of her fortified castles.

  The ‘King and Queen of All’ were having a difficult time with their children and some other families. Everyone wanted to take over. They knew there is a movement to get rid of the Soldiers, which would destroy her and the “Queen of All the families.”

  Grandma Lily poked her daughter as she passed by carrying Sarah.

  It was late when a noise woke Elizabeth. She turned on the table lamp and ran into the children room; she stopped in shock. Robert was in his crib wearing only his diaper. All his blankets were on the floor. He was lying on his side with his stomach touching the crib’s railing. Robert had his hand sticking over the crib side with one of his fingers brushing Alice’s outstretched hand.

  Elizabeth turned on the room light to make sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks. She cried as she moved the cribs together and went around the house waking up the other women.

  The ladies sat in their nightclothes watching the children, until Grandma, Lily put the babies in a playpen. They agreed to buy a large crib tomorrow. Elizabeth remained, the other women left but not before taken one last look at a baby wearing sunglasses hanging on to the nightshirt of another baby while cooing.

  In a few days, Elizabeth realized that Alice’s vision had returned. It had something to do with Robert being near her. If they removed him from Alice’s side, she would cry until he returned. But soon Alice didn’t cry when Robert left. It appears as she was listening to someone.

  Elizabeth called the Soldier in charge of protecting Robert and Alice, Sergeant Branden in for a meeting. Upon his arrival, Lily Kemble came running and stood next to the Solider- Elizabeth asked Branden” how is my dog’s brother ‘Buster Brown Shoes’ doing?”

  Excellence said the Soldier “he’s the military complex’s mascot.”

  Elizabeth said,” Branden you and your family will be together in a few years.”

  Thank you, my Queen.

  Branden, “what is going on between Alice and Robert,” asked Elizabeth?

  Queen Elizabeth, my squad, has been with the Princess since her birth. Now our assignment is not only to secure the Princess and the Prince but also this entire family from danger. Before you and Prince Robert arrived, it was a little rough. The little Princess had nightly nightmares as if someone was chasing her. The tiny baby solved her problem by finding a Soldier, named Rosemarie that makes her feel safe. We had about fifty different soldiers pick her up, each time the Princess would scream until she was put back in her crib. Finally, she found one that she loves; it’s a female Soldier named Rosemarie. Now Rosemarie stays with her at night and picks her up and rocks the baby if she gets scared.

  When your son, Prince Robert arrived, the Princess’ behavior changed considerably in that the baby has to lay next to the Prince at night. She has to hold on to his nightshirt to sleep. We believe in time her fears will go away and she will be relaxed.

  The night you and your family arrived our world (Soldiers) changed. When the babies were in their cribs, and the lights were out, the Princess yelled something to the Prince. It’s impossible, but it appears, they know each other. When the Prince sat up, we were shocked.

  You know what one soldier see every other one can see. We all watched our future King sit up in his crib, looked around, shakenly stood up and threw his blankets out of the crib. The Prince was moving towards its side when Rosemarie got there.

  She laid him down so he would not fall out of his crib. Somehow the Prince got to the side of his crib, put his arm out and touched the Princess’ fingers and tried to hold her hand, which is when you came into the room, my Queen. The Prince doesn’t like to be held by anyone. Sometimes he sits up in his crib at night watching the area surrounding Joeann and the Princess as if he was guarding them.

  “Sergeant Branden is there anything I can do to help you,” asked Elizabeth?

  No, the sergeant replied, “we have half the attic, half the cellar and we are building underground facilities.”

  A week later Elizabeth asked Sergeant Branden for an update on the Prince and Princess’ activities.

  The Sergeant said, “as you know our superiors don’t allow us to listen to anyone in less there is a hint of danger.” But even If we wanted to, we can’t eavesdrop on these two because they are telepathic. The Princess and the Prince are brilliant, and they are maturing by the minute. It looks like Robert is here to protect the Princess. Alice will not go to sleep unless Robert is next to her. We don’t know why we could only assume there is something near that wants to hurt her?

  My Queen, all my assigned Soldiers, must hold the Princess’ little hand so that she can read their minds. Afterward, the Soldier and the baby Princess, are photographed together. It’s a present for the Soldier’s spouse or girlfriend. My Queen the Princess always smiles no manner what kind of mood she is in when she holds one of our hands.

  A few months later Elizabeth was pushing a baby carriage carrying Alice while Lily was pushing one with a Prince in it. They were too big for only one wagon. They have their first birthday’s coming up in a few weeks. Robert is a little older than Alice, so Elizabeth decided to celebrate the baby’s birthdays together.

  Elizabeth was talking to the little ones, (knowing they didn’t understand her) she said we are going to the pastry shop to order a giant butter-cream cake for an upcoming birthday party, for you two sweethearts. We also may get a few creme cupcakes for tonight’s dinner. Now there is the problem of birthdays’ gifts. So, kids, when we go to the department store, please point out the toys you like. Elizabeth planned on showing the babies a few toys to see their reaction.

  Inside the pastry shop, the Princess kept on babbling about something. Elizabeth looked down and said, “I wish I could understand you, honey?”

  Robert said, “she wants a strawberry cake instead of a butter-cream one for our birthday.” Also, we both would like to get Charlie Chan’s radio records set.

  Elizabeth looked at her mother and then around the area thinking someone was playing a joke on them.

  The Prince said Mommy don’t get scared; it is your son Robert, I been waiting for a good time to talk to you. There are always kids, or mom’s around at the house. Mom, Alice and I can talk to each other (Telepathically). We can read people’s minds. Robert continued, no one else understands what Alice is saying because she doesn’t know how to speak yet. But I can read her mind and therefore understand her. We both know we are just kids, but each day the amount of knowledge we absorb is fantastic. We realized we could understand what other people are thinking and saying.

  Elizabeth could not believe she had an adult conversation with her infant son.

  Alice can’t express herself, yet. But she is hilarious she keeps on given me orders like ‘Cut this person or that person’s head off.’ Then we both laugh. Alice hangs on to me at night because she has nightmares if she doesn’t. We know all about the Soldiers, and we love them. The first-night a large Solider, pick up Alice high into the air and presented her to all the other Soldiers around the World, then he picked me up and did the same.

  As information; what one Soldier sees or hears, all the other Soldiers see and hear.

  Alice told me she loves you and the rest of the family. She feels safe living with you. We both know we are babies, but we can understand what the adults are saying including the television stories, the
soap operas are our favorites.

  Elizabeth had to sit down after having a normal conversation with her infant son. She had a cup of tea with her Mother Lily.

  Lily said, “I knew something was going on between these two but, I couldn’t figure it out.” Now, Robert is talking to you as if he was an adult.

  Elizabeth contacted Alice’s Mother the Queen of all the Families’ and told her the fantastic news about Alice’s vision returning if her son Robert was around, and Alice and Robert are telepathic.” Robert translates what Alice is saying and just talked to his mother like he was twenty-one-years-old.”

  The Queen said, “she was surprised about the change in the babies, she prayed every night for both.” My family is falling apart, and I do not know what to do, but Alice’s health is keeping me alive.

  She directed Elizabeth to keep Robert next to Alice for the rest of their lives, and yes, they must get married when they come of age.

  I will inform the ‘King’ as soon as I can find him. Don’t worry about the children this had happened before my Great, Great, Great Grandmother was blind, and she had the most magnificent fighting man as a husband the World had ever seen. The two of them put my family in control of all the families and therefore the World.

  About four weeks after Lily and Elizabeth arrived, they got the ladies together to talk about buying new furniture, for the house.

  Clare interrupted her and asked about Alice’s mother.” Is she a Queen and is Alice still my baby?”

  Lily said, “the Queen has twenty children and you Clare must take care of one.” You are lucky because you get to love the next Queen of this World. Alice’s mother is Sandra the 4th the ruler of over three billion people.

  The bad news is that the Queen’s children and many of her relatives want to take the crown away from her. For now, we are hiding Alice here. On a happy note; In the next few weeks, the house modernizing will start.

  Lily continued, Queen Sandra, owns a Department Store Chain named ‘Sears,’ they are out of Italy.

  The other women at the table just gawked at her.

  Lily said, “tomorrow after dinner. A Sears sales’ representative will stop by to meet with us.” They will present their furniture selections for our house. The salespeople will give us ‘Sears Catalogs’ and their cards so we can order what we want if someone doesn’t like what Sears picked out. You can pick your own.

  During the next few weeks, we will receive our new furniture and home items. The bill is on the Queen. Don’t forget we still need new drapes, curtains, rugs. In the living room, we could use a few armchairs, a couch, a bigger TV and a recreation center. In the kitchen, we need a new table, window curtains, and chairs: a new washer, and our first dryer and a ton of other things.

  Elizabeth said, “someone asked me about The Diner?” Well, they told me this morning the ‘Crown’ is planning on investing a significant amount of money into the place, and the other business adventure the Brooklyn Family controls.

  This venture should keep the children out of trouble by having them work in the businesses as they grow up. Lily and Freddy will own it, and Tracy, Marie, and Clare will become the managers. They will call it ‘The Diner’ its entity will house a Diner, Restaurant, a Bakery, and a Catering Service.

  Two large dining halls for weddings and parties are also being built for the new business. It will also have two liquor licenses allowing the Catering Service to serve booze.

  Meanwhile, back to the children, Elizabeth said: to herself she couldn’t believe the intellectual gift her son had received, along with the increasing improvement in his health.” Her other son, Billy was also during excellent. He played with the other kids until all of them were exhausted.

  The Queen told Elizabeth “that she was sending her doctors as soon as possible to examine each of the children and to check out Robert’s influence on Alice’s vision and this reading of each other’s mind’s oddity.”

  The Queen also, ordered that Elizabeth and Lily (Members of her Court) buy everything the family needs, they must modernize and secured the house.

  After supper, Elizabeth asked Clare, Grandma Marie, and Tracy to stay at the table for a minute. While the women were wondering what was going on, Lily poured them glasses of wine.

  Ladies Soldiers are coming into your life, and nothing will be the same again.

  Lily interrupted her daughter, Elizabeth, let me try to explain who the Soldiers are; many years ago, and I mean many, a Soldier’s baby showed up at our Royal Court.

  Princess, Sandra and I were about two. We played with the other Noble Children. One day, Princess Sandra’s Mother, the ‘Queen of Queens,’ showed up at our playground pushing a graceful black polished baby carriage. As the male servants bowed, and the ladies genuflected Sandra, and I wobbled over to the wagon to see what she had in it?

  The carriage held a beautiful baby with curly blond hair, sparkling blue eyes. He was already trying to sit up. Sandra’s mother picked me up and asked me what, did I see Lily?

  “I don’t know why in the world I said it? But I told my Queen. It’s a King.”

  “Sandra was hanging on to her mom’s leg, saying I want to see too.”

  The queen put the carriage’s breaks-on and picked up Sandra shouted, causing the other children to come running, he is beautiful, can we keep the baby ma?

  As the other children arrived and investigated the carriage, they laughed and claimed it’s a joke there is no one in there.

  We cried. The Queen said, “don’t worry children it takes times for other people to see a Soldier, you’re lucky you can see them.” Girls, you can push the carriage around for a while, behind you are two Soldier’s nurses, to help you.

  The three of us became the best of friends. His name was Greg. We made him our brother; soon he was running around faster than Sandra or me. He knocked many other kids down because they couldn’t see him. During the next five years, six more Soldier’s children arrived at the Royal Court.

  “A group of Nobles approached the King, and they asked him about this new invisible race. They wanted to know from where they came? Why can’t we see them, what do they want and are their children safe? The King said, “The Soldiers are members of an ancient family.” They are worried about the corruption, voracity, greed, and overall laziness they see in Noble’s families.” “There are five Soldier’s families staying in a series of apartments in my Castle. They want their children to mingle with ours, and it would help make the World a better place. They have done this before during the history of humankind. The books in some of our ancient libraries may speak of them. You can’t see them because they don’t want you too. Some of us can see and hear them because we have a touch of their DNA. The Nobles children were mad at us because we were hanging out with what they called the untouchables.” My friend Sandra’s asked her father the King to solve this problem, which he did. He asked the King of soldiers for his help, the next day everybody could see the Soldiers children.”

  The boys attacked the male Soldier’s children with wooden swords and shields. The Noble kids were at once slaughtered, (Play battle), most of the girls fell in love with the new kids. But, in a few months, we were all the best of friends.

  Chapter Nine

  The Soldiers

  The hurriedly built aircraft was settling itself, so the paratroopers could jump out into the French countryside and die. It was Clark’s first live-fire adventure; all he could think about was finding the courage to jump. If he doesn’t, he will die the slow death of being a mortified coward. An Army paratrooper should want to drop out into the petrifying pitch-black night.

  Bravery was the least of Clark’s problems because the plane was knocked sideways by a bomb explosion inside its cockpit. The bomb blast at once changed the plane’s course into a death whirl. As the air became thick with panic and fear, the screams began.

  When Clark
’s brain first heard the explosion, it sent out two messages; One, hormones get off your ass and sent every stress notification you got, Two, your dead, and it will be painful. A few more lethal holes appeared in the sides of the flying death trap, ensuring a few more immediate deaths. Clark believed he saw his best friend Danny, but before he could reach him, his buddy disappeared. Clark didn’t die as he expected. The plane’s diverse gut-wrenching jerking and swirling ended when the plane smashed into the ground. The surrounding noises decreased and then stopped.

  Clark walked out of the aircraft’s crushed remains; pulled out a pack of camels from his flak jacket. He lit up with the help of one of the many small fires burning around the smashed plane after stepping over some broken seats, bags, helmets, and body parts. He walked on a path leading to a streetlight with a parked bus underneath it. The bus’s front door was open.

  Trooper Clark entered the bus; the driver was missing, so he went to find a seat. It was full of soldiers, but sometimes he would pass a family with silent children. He found an empty seat and sat down next to a fellow Ranger who looked familiar. The man turned and looked at him; it was Danny. Clark had to look closer because he couldn’t believe his eyes. It was his friend. But Danny wouldn’t respond and went back to sleep.

  Clark closed his eyes and waited. He pictured himself as a little kid again going to his Grandma’s house. Clark was walking on a sidewalk trying not to step on a crack and break his mother’s back. Instead, the crack turned into a gaping pitch-black hole, which he fell in, as he was dropping, he passed his family waiting for him at a bus stop. Clark found himself back on the bus. He was not scared or worried he felt at ease and relaxed as if he was with his wife.

  Clark’s years of fears and memories of disappointments and failures have disappeared.

  Clark was on the bus thinking about his wife Tracy and their two girls, Joeann and Sarah. For an unknown reason, he was holding the two seats in front of him for his family, by putting his helmet on one seat and his flak jacket on the other. Joeann could sit on his lap.