by Susan Finlay
From what she could tell, everything was closed up for the night, which for them was a godsend. She was having a hard enough time maneuvering the streets; an audience of curious or angry onlookers would have made things worse.
When they rounded another corner, Sofie gazed into the backyards of the houses they’d passed. Suddenly, she spotted something hanging over some tree branches. She couldn’t quite make out what it was. She stopped abruptly to focus more clearly. Max and Ryan almost crashed into her.
“What’s going on?” Max whispered.
“Over there,” she whispered back, pointing toward the tree. “It looks like something is hanging from tree branches.”
Tobias said, a bit too loudly, “Is it a body? They wouldn’t hang people right in someone’s backyard, would they?”
“I don’t think it’s a person,” Sofie said, “and please keep your voice down. It looks more like bedding or clothes.”
Max let out his breath and rushed over. “Oh, thank God. What luck!” He reached up and carefully picked off several garments as if picking apples off a tree. He handed the items to Sofie, with a sheepish grin. “Do you think there’s anything here we can use?”
Sofie sorted through the small pile and then smiled.
“At least something is working in our favor. I think Tante Lotte and I might be able to wear some of these. I’m not sure about some of the stuff, but maybe the breeches and shirt will fit you.” She handed those to him.
Max held out the clothes she’d given him and nodded. “Yep, these should do for me.”
Tobias suddenly took off running through the yards. Afraid to yell at him to stop and return, for fear of unwanted attention, Sofie took off after him.
Her panic subsided somewhat when Tobias stopped, and she caught up to him, out of breath. “Don’t do that again, Tobias,” she croaked. “We can’t get separated here and we don’t know what dangers are around.”
“Sorry. I saw some more clothes over here. See,” he said, holding up a smaller pair of breeches he had retrieved from a nearby branch. He tried to reach a shirt too, but it was too high.
Sofie pulled it down and held it open. “We can make this work for you.”
Taking the opportunity to look around, seeing as how she was already here, she also recovered a few items for Ryan. When they returned to the street, she and Lotte slipped behind a nearby house and changed into their ill-gotten clothes quickly while the males did the same around the corner.
“Is it all right to come out?” she whispered after they finished.
“Yeah, we’re dressed,” Max said. When Sofie came out of hiding, Max said, “Well, you look quite fetching, doesn’t she?”
Tobias nodded.
She felt silly dressed as she was, in layers. Her cream chemise underneath was covered by a low-necked cinnamon-colored gown, with a separate black camel-hair bodice that buttoned with dozens of tiny cloth-covered buttons. Her overskirt was a chocolate-brown cloth. The gown seemed slightly long on her and the bodice a bit tight across the chest but the lucky find would suffice.
Lotte wore her original blouse, a longer skirt, and a white cap.
Sofie’s face grew hot. “I think I must look like a dairy-maid. She squelched a laugh, then smiled and whispered, “You boys all look like actors in a play.”
Tobias giggled and Max and Ryan smiled. They wore unbleached white linen shirts. Max’s breeches were a dark chocolate brown and Tobias’s and Ryan’s were the color of wet sand. Their breeches were loose, with a draw string and a triangular flap cod piece. Since Tobias’ were too long, either he or Max had rolled up the pant legs. Max wore a reddish-brown leather jerkin over his shirt.
“I feel ridiculous in this outfit,” Max said.
“You aren’t the only one,” Ryan said.
“We should get rid of our modern clothes, too, and unfortunately, our shoes,” Sofie said. “We’d probably be safer going barefoot than being discovered in sneakers. We’d best destroy the clothes to keep them from falling into the wrong hands.”
“I wish I could disagree, but I think you’re right,” Max said. “What are we to do about shoes?”
Tobias said, “I remember reading that people used to leave their shoes on their doorsteps.”
“Yes, I’ve read that, too. Very clever, Tobias,” Sofie said.
They spent another hour or so, Sofie estimated, wandering through deserted streets. She recognized more of the houses, row houses that were connected, making it difficult to see where one ended and another began. They all shared the same red-tiled roofs, and mostly the same pale color walls, usually with the only difference being the door color and the dwelling size.
All of them were drabber than in the Riesen of Sofie’s time, despite the houses being newer. In her time, residents brightened up these same houses by adorning their windows with vividly colored shutters and charming planter boxes filled with bright red, pink, and purple flowers, which hung out over the sidewalks.
She sniffed at the stench wafting through the night air and sorely wished for the scents of those aromatic flowers and of the coffee, cinnamon, and sugar aromas from the cafes and bakeries of her time.
On some streets, the houses from Sofie’s time hadn’t been built yet. In their place stood their predecessors, which were usually smaller and more basic than in the Riesen of the future. In some cases, the houses looked as if they might crumble at any moment.
On impulse, she turned down her own street to see if her house was there. She froze suddenly. The house was there. It looked structurally the same, but had different roofing material, no flower boxes, no adornment of any kind, nor any evidence of pride or love. An ugly unpainted door against the whitewashed exterior made it appear even drabber.
Sofie stood quietly a moment studying the house, the way she’d once stood studying the house she’d grown up in back in Frankfort, noting how it had aged over the years. Only this time she was not seeing an aging home, but a home now reverted to its infancy. What an odd feeling. Tobias and the others waited without saying a word. She fought her own temptation to knock on the door or try her key in the lock. The chances of the inhabitants being her ancestors was extremely small. And if they were ancestors, would it make a difference? Would they believe her bizarre story? Unlikely. They would probably think her mad and have all of them arrested.
After much searching, and not finding any shoes on doorsteps, they finally found a shoemaker’s shop. Max broke the lock and they all entered the tiny shop, which was more workspace than display space. They found only ten finished pairs of shoes, none that fit particularly well, but they would have to make do.
“Since we’re already in here, why don’t we sleep in the shop tonight?” Ryan asked.
“Sounds tempting, son, but we don’t want to get caught red-handed. Better to leave quickly.”
Like mice snatching cheese from a mousetrap without getting caught, they scurried behind a building with their stolen booty. A block away, they stopped and put on their shoes.
“Mom! How do these things work?” Tobias whined and waved his arms.
Sofie, working on her own shoes, had left Tobias to fasten his own leather buckskins, assuming he was old enough to manage them, but when she looked at his face, bright red with frustration and embarrassment, she dropped down in front of him and wiped his cheek with her hand, then tied his shoes. “I’m sorry, Tobias,” Sofie whispered. “We all could use some rest, huh?”
He nodded, and she pulled him close. He looked tired and innocent, and in the old clothes, he looked younger than his nine years.
Sofie turned to Max and whispered, “I think we need to find a place to sleep for a while.”
Max nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. Problem is, if we stay in town, and people find their things missing in the morning, especially the shoe maker, we could be arrested.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.”
A SHORT TIME later, they passed through one of the other gateways. Max looke
d at Sofie and said, “This dirt road is severely rutted, and littered with horse dung. I’m assuming the ruts were made from wagon wheels, which probably means it leads to another town, don’t you think?”
Sofie nodded.
Max reached out and took hold of Sofie’s and Tobias’s hands. Ryan and Lotte lagged behind, getting further and further back as they all slogged along the dirt road in the pale moonlight. The further the group went from town, the denser the forest became, preventing the moon from providing any light to see by and causing them to stumble often on the uneven road. The dense pine and oak forest would soon give them no choice but to stop and wait until morning. Other than the sound of their own shuffling footsteps, it was quiet, the only other sounds coming from gently swaying leaves, buzzing mosquitoes, and a myriad of other flying insects.
Max breathed in deeply, drawing in the scent of fresh pine needles, and mused at the irony that, for their safety, they had to leave the city that was fortified to protect its inhabitants and head into the deep dark woods. He shook his head, yawning and bone tired, and knowing the others were as tired, if not more so. By now, they were practically dragging themselves along. He slowed down, looked at Sofie, and squeezed her hand. “What do you say we call it a night? I don’t know about you, but I can barely make my legs work anymore.”
“Me too,” Tobias said.
Max pointed toward a small island of grass sitting in a sea of trees. “Maybe we can sleep in the grass over there. What do you think? It’s close enough to the road, but somewhat hidden.”
“It sounds wonderful,” she murmured.
“I’m afraid it won’t be comfortable, but at least we have good weather for a camp,” Max said. “I wish we could stay at an inn or something, but without money—” He shrugged, and added, “I’m really sorry I got you and your family into this.”
Sofie said, “You couldn’t have known we would end up here. I don’t blame you.”
“Thank you. I would never have intentionally put your family in harm’s way.”
“I know.”
“This looks like a good place to bury our modern clothes and shoes. Ryan, can you help me find a couple of good digging branches?”
“Okay.”
After burying their belongings, they settled in for the night. Tobias lay down, curled into a ball, and fell asleep almost immediately. Sofie stroked his hair and whispered, “I guess you got your wish tonight. You wanted to camp out.”
Lotte curled up next to him. Ryan lay down a few feet away. Max took off his jerkin and fashioned it into a ball to use as a pillow.
Sofie lay down near Max and tried to sleep, but without much luck. After Max watched her tossing and turning for a while, he pulled his jerkin out from under his head and handed it to her.
“You don’t have to give it to me,” she whispered. “You need it.”
“Oh, I’m okay. I want you to have the pillow.”
“Thank you,” Sofie said.
Max whispered, “Goodnight, Sofie.”
IN THE MORNING, Sofie opened her eyes and almost yelped. Tobias was on his hands and knees, leaning down with his face on level with hers. Max stood nearby watching and smiling.
“Can we find something to eat?” Tobias asked. “Maybe get something from a bakery. I’m starving.”
Sofie sighed, then sat up and tugged at her clothes, trying to straighten everything. She reached up and pushed strands of hair out of her eyes. “I think it’s safe to say we’re all hungry.” Her stomach growled in response. “But finding food won’t be easy, Tobias. We have no money. Maybe we can find some fruit or mushrooms.”
“Okay,” Tobias said, looking glum.
Max, standing nearby, said, “Good morning, fair lady. I hope you slept well.”
Sofie smiled. “I dreamt of being on that feather bed in your grandmother’s house, until I rolled over onto a rock.”
Max and Tobias laughed. “Yeah, I sure wish we’d spent the night in that old house,” Max said. He tried to comb his hair with his fingers, then added, “You, know, we probably need a cover story in case someone questions us about why we’re here and why we’re on foot.”
“Yes, I was thinking the same thing last night.”
“We could say we got separated from a group we were traveling with, and we got attacked by robbers,” Max said.
“I read about things like that in history books,” Tobias said.
“Yes,” Sofie said. “That sounds believable. We could say we were traveling from Stuttgart with family members.” She paused a moment. “That reminds. Last night I dreamt that your mother and grandfather went through that bright circle or time portal the same way we did. Do you think that’s possible?”
Max cleared his throat. “Yeah, that thought has been eating at me. I hope that’s not the case. Not that I wouldn’t want to find them. But they never made it back, did they? At least not that we know. That doesn’t bode well for us.”
Sofie nodded. She’d thought of that, as well.
“Still, if we do find them, they may know something about the portal or whatever the hell it is.” Max paced back and forth. “I hate to say this, but they might be our only protection here.”
“I agree. We should look for them.”
Lotte groaned, and everyone turned to look at her. She scowled and stomped away. Max and Sofie watched her briefly. Sofie wondered why her great-aunt was angry. They were speaking in English and she didn’t understand, did she?
Max said, “We could tell people that we’re looking for Karl Kimmel and Monika Hollander. We could say that since we’re separated from our traveling companions, we’re trying to find some relatives who might be able to help us. It’s basically true.”
“Yes. That sounds like a good plan.”
“I don’t know if we have any chance of finding them, but it’s certainly worth trying.” He grew suddenly quiet and drew his brows together. “One other thing—we might be safer if we tell people we’re a family, you know, husband and wife, and that Tobias and Ryan are our sons. You’re not old enough to have a child Ryan’s age in our time, but in this time women started families at younger ages, didn’t they?”
“That’s true,” she said.
“An unmarried woman in this time period might fall victim to unscrupulous men,” he added. “They didn’t treat women with respect. It wasn’t uncommon for women to be considered property.”
Sofie smiled. “You’re right. I think it wise to say we are a family, at least for now.”
The boys looked at each other but didn’t comment.
“I should go look for Tante Lotte and see what’s wrong.”
“Okay. Tell her we’re going to leave soon.”
Sofie found Lotte picking berries and stuffing them into her mouth. “There you are,” Sofie said. “What is wrong, Tante Lotte? Why did you leave suddenly?”
“You are getting too involved with that man. He will bring you nothing good. I tried to tell you when I first saw him. You would not listen. Now we have problems.”
Sofie sighed. “It is not his fault that we are stuck here. Whether or not you like Max, we are safer with him than without. Do you really think we can survive here without Max and his son?”
Lotte’s shoulders slumped. Opening one hand, she began picking more berries with the other and placing them in the open palm. Sofie joined her and used her apron to gather the fruit. Together, they soon acquired enough to feed all of them. When they returned to camp with their bounty, the males looked surprised.
“What do you have there?” Max asked.
“Assorted berries. Tante Lotte found them. Johannisbeeren, preiselbeeren, stachelbeeren, and erdbeeren.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, well, I don’t know what you would call johannisbeeren, but preiselbeeren are lingenberries, stachelbeeren are goose berries, and erdbeeren are strawberries.”
“Great. Actually, I don’t care what they are as long as they aren’t poisonous.”
“Mom, what
are we going to drink?”
“We’ll have to wait until we find a stream, or maybe a farm.”
“I’m glad you know your berry bushes,” Max said. “I wouldn’t know a poisonous berry from a non-poisonous one. I could say the same about mushrooms.”
“I’m not sure about mushrooms, either,” Sofie said, “but we may have no choice but to take our chances with those, later.”
“Well, if everyone is ready, shall we get started?” Max said after they’d gobbled down the berries. “I guess we’ll continue following the dirt road and see where it leads us.”
They returned to the road and began walking but Sofie stopped abruptly. Where was Lotte? Sofie turned around and her shoulders slumped. Lotte was walking in the opposite direction, back toward Riesen. Max noticed, too, and told the boys to wait.
Sofie chased after her and tried to get her to turn around, but she refused.
Max threw up his hands, shook his head, and followed her. Sofie waited for Max and the boys to catch up.
MAX LED THEM through the village gate, figuring that as the man of their ‘family’ he should present the appearance of being in charge. They’d barely made it through when two men on horseback, leaving the town, galloped past the time travelers, covering them in a cloud of dirt and grunge. Max coughed violently from the onslaught, then began brushing off his clothes as best he could. Sofie was coughing, too, and was wiping dirt off her face using her bare hands. Tobias, poor kid, standing slightly to the left of his mother and being closer to the ground, was covered head-to-toe in a thin layer of dirt. Sofie, having wiped away dirt from her face, turned her attention to Tobias, wiped his face and helped him brush dirt from his clothing. Lotte’s face was bright red and her mouth was a thin line of anger even though she wasn’t nearly as dirty. Ryan, at the rear of their group, somehow seemed barely affected.
Hoping to lighten the mood, Max said, “Well, I guess we should count ourselves lucky. If it had rained last night we would be covered in mud.”