David chuckled to himself, then said, “It ain’t a bed of roses, but at least we won’t freeze to death tonight.”
“I’m almost willing to risk freezing to death. Damn, this is really bad,” he protested further.
“You can sleep outside if you like, but I can’t. I’ll be dead by morning,” David shot back.
With a reluctant nod, Geoff closed the door behind him. Feeling around in the darkness, both men searched for a spot to sit down. Although the inside was cramped, the floor was coated with straw adding a slight measure of comfort to the dirt surface.
As David sat with his back propped up against a wooden cage, he pulled his arms into his scrubs for added warmth. Minutes later, with warmer temperatures and lack of wind, he felt the heat enter his body. Within a half hour, his teeth had stopped chattering and for the moment he started to feel comfortable. He closed his eyes and began to fall asleep.
Opposite him, Geoff sat with his back propped up against a wooden cage. Sitting in the darkness, his mind began to wander. He thought about his mission to save his brother’s life and the hardships he now realized he’d have to endure to succeed. For a moment, he had second thoughts about his plan, but the image of his brother’s twisted broken body stiffened his resolve. Through his tears, he made up his mind: there would be no turning back.
David opened his eyes and shifted in his seat to a more comfortable position. As he closed his eyes once more, he heard the unmistakable sound of weeping. He listened intently to the sadness as the teen mourned for his older brother. He wanted to say something to take away his pain, but in his exhaustion, the best he could think of were two simple words:
“I’m sorry,” he spoke softly into the darkness.
“I don’t care,” came a disheartened reply.
-----*-----*-----*-----
Chapter 5
Chattanooga, Tennessee
February 9, 1864
David sat on the cold dirt ground and shivered uncontrollably. With his arms tucked inside his shirt, and his knees pulled close to his chest, he struggled to keep warm in the forty-five degree temperatures. Each breath he expelled, floated like a cloud in front of him, reminding him of just how cold it really was. Every few minutes, he checked his watch, hoping the night was almost over. Disappointment turned to desperation as time had elapsed only minutes past the previous time check. He stared over at the young teen and listened to his indifferent snoring.
“Comfy?” he said sarcastically through chattering teeth.
He vigorously rubbed his bare arms and shifted to a more comfortable position, hoping to find a moment of relief. Seconds later, with his muscles sore and his body shivering, he jumped to his feet and ran in place. Instantly, the snoring stopped and Geoff’s eyes popped open.
“What are you doing, man?” Geoff said, mildly annoyed by the interruption.
“What do you think I’m doing… trying to stay warm,” David shot back, equally annoyed by the teens lack of concern.
In the darkened henhouse, he watched David jump and run in place, while exhaling his hot breath down his shirt and into his hands. Hearing him shivering uncontrollably, he realized the seriousness of his condition.
“Man, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone’s teeth chatter that loud before.”
“I’m hypothermic. If I don’t find some relief pretty quick, I might have to do something drastic,” David responded in grave tone.
“What do you mean, drastic?”
“I mean like knock on that farmer’s door to get to warmth, kind of drastic,” he said, agitated.
“What do you think would happen if you did that?”
“I’m not sure. In this time period, with war raging all around, strangers get shot for less. Unfortunately, I don’t have much of a choice. I can stay out here and die or take my chances with the farmer.”
Geoff thought about the options. Although he strongly disliked David, he was smart enough to know that he needed him to succeed. He stood up and took off his fleece jacket.
“Here, take it. We can switch off every fifteen minutes,” he said, his tone lacking sympathy.
David stood for a moment, surprised by the teen’s offering. He hadn’t expected it and the logic of the statement took a moment to register.
“Well, do you want it or not?” Geoff snapped.
“Absolutely,” he said excitedly, quickly taking the jacket from the teen.
He pulled the garment over his head, leaving his arms still tucked inside. Instantly, he felt his warmth start to return.
“Geoff, I really appreciate this,” he said, now smiling through his still chattering teeth.
“Whatever,” Geoff responded bluntly, unaffected by David’s genuine appreciation.
David sat back down on the ground and pulled his knees to this chest in anticipation of the cold. Sitting on the ground across from him, he tried to understand the teen’s emotional state.
“Geoff, I’m not your enemy. I know you blame me for your brother’s death, but you have to believe me; I did everything I could to save him. Who knows, maybe if the neurosurgeon had gotten there in time, he might have been able to do something more… but I doubt it. His injuries were just too extensive, both neurologically and intra-viscerally. Even if he did survive the craniotomy, his crushed internal organs, compounded by his broken bones, would probably have caused his death.”
David paused a moment and waited. With no reply from the angry teen, he continued.
“I know you didn’t ask for my help, Geoff, but nonetheless, I’m here trying to help you. Even through your anger, that’s got to count for something,” David pleaded.
“It doesn’t,” Geoff shot back.
David felt stunned by Geoff’s reply. He wanted to continue with further logic and reasoning but knew anything he said would not be heard. The teen was just too distraught. David sat in silence, choosing time over action, to help resolve the conflict.
Ten minutes later, Geoff called out through chattering teeth, “It’s time!”
“Man, that felt like fourteen minutes,” David responded humorously. “You sure my time’s up?”
“I’m sure,” Geoff replied bluntly, ignoring the humor.
Still seated, David pulled the fleece jacket over his shoulders and handed it to the now shivering teen. Instantly, a cold chill spread through his body and he pulled his arms inside his short-sleeved top.
“This is going to be the longest hour of my life,” he said, still plying humor to the awkward tension.
“We agreed on fifteen minutes,” Geoff responded, dryly.
“Yeah, but it’ll still feel like an hour to me,” David explained.
Geoff ignored the last reply and pulled the jacket over his head, keeping his arms inside. He sat quietly, learning to deal with the pain of his brother’s death, while struggling to tolerate the man he felts responsible. Two hours later, with the jacket passing between the two, few words were spoken.
As late night turned into early morning, a hint of light began to shine through tiny openings in the henhouse walls. Daybreak was nearly upon them.
Suddenly, a rooster crowed, breaking the silence and startling the two resting men with a fearful jolt. As the sound registered in their minds, the loud irritating crow continued.
“What the hell!” Geoff blurted loudly. “Shut up already.”
Instantly, David’s eyes widened in realization and he sprang to his feet. He moved to the door, pushed it slowly and peered through the narrow slit of an opening. A feeling of dread swept through his body.
“Oh shit!” he said under his breath. “Oh shit…. Oh shit… shit, shit, shit,” he continued louder in frantic tone.
Geoff leaped to his feet and moved in beside David.
“What is it?” he said, his tone now fearful.
David’s mind raced as he pondered their options.
“Dammit… what is it?” Geoff demanded.
“Shhhh,” David responded back instantly, his index fing
er pressed against his lips for effect.
Pointing through the narrow slit in the doorway, David signaled for Geoff to look. Stepping forward, he rushed in and stared out into the ever growing daylight. Instantly, his heart raced and his stomach churned with anxiety as he watched the dimly lit figure of the farmer making his way across the open field to the henhouse.
“Shit,” he said with quiet intensity. Turning to David, he continued, “What do we do now?”
With little time to think, David responded with the only solution that made sense:
“RUN!” he said loudly.
David quickly brushed by Geoff, flung open the door to the henhouse and hurried outside. He stopped momentarily and stared at the farmer. A wave of anxiety rushed over him as his presence registered on the farmer’s face. For a moment, the farmer looked perplexed as his mind processed the scene. In a split second, his face changed to rage at the sight of the intruder. Instantly, David sped off across the field, following the stonewall that led to the distant forest at the opposite end of the farm.
Geoff stood in shock as he watched David’s arms pumping wildly as he ran. A jolt shook his body as he heard the farmer yell.
“STOP!” Stop you thievin’ son-of-a-bitch!”
Geoff swallowed hard and hurried through the darkened doorway and out into the light. He shot the farmer a quick glance, then raced off across the field.
“You sum-bitch! STOP!” the farmer shouted at the top of his lungs. “I’ll kill ya, you thievin’ mongrels.”
Geoff heard the distant threat and glanced over his shoulder as he ran. He felt a momentary sense of relief as he watched the farmer heading back toward the farmhouse. Concentrating now on David, he pumped his arms and legs wildly, trying to close the distance. Fifty feet up ahead, David focused on the treeline that lay a hundred yards in front of him. He scanned the forest, looking for the least dense location to enter. Off to his left, he noted a small clearing in the trees and angled his path to intercept it.
From behind the two, angry shouts between husband and wife could be heard.
“Ester, my musket… fetch my musket!” he shouted to his wife, now standing at the edge of the farmhouse porch.
Instantly, she hurried into the house. Both men glanced over their shoulder at the sound of the exchange. Dread filled their bodies as they ran.
“Oh no!” David huffed under his breath. “Geoff, hurry!” he shouted over his shoulder, his voice now filled with worry.
With greater intensity, they increased their pace and sweat now beaded up on their brows.
Suddenly, the morning air was shattered by the roar of a discharging rifle. As both men flinched, lead ricocheted off the stonewall to their right. Instinctively, they looked over their shoulders and watched momentarily as the farmer began to pour black powder into the muzzle of his rifle.
“Geoff, hurry! He’s reloading,” David shouted frantically.
Pumping his arms wildly, Geoff drove his feet into the ground with intense purpose and closed the distance on David’s heels.
Up ahead, David stared at the clearing now less than a hundred feet in front of him. The distance felt longer and time seemed to slow. Looking over his shoulder once more, he watched in horror as the farmer leveled his weapon and took careful aim. Fear raced through him as he waited for the sound of the next shot.
Over the rush of wind that passed by their ears, the loud “crack” of the gun roared across the field. Again, both men flinched and instinctively ducked as another ball imbedded in the stone wall just in front of them.
“He’s going to kill us!” Geoff shouted loudly. “Maybe we should surrender.”
“If we surrender, we die!” David retorted over his shoulder, then added, “Just keep running.”
With seconds ticking by, the bark on the trees became more distinct as they neared the forest. Refuge was only yards ahead. Geoff looked back again and caught the movement of the farmer working the ramrod into the barrel.
“He’s getting ready to fire!” he shouted frantically.
“Keep running!” David cried out, his eyes now transfixed on his destination.
Thirty feet…
Thirty-five feet…
Twenty feet…
The two neared safety.
“He’s aiming!” Geoff shrieked.
Fifteen feet…
Ten feet…
Five feet…
The frighten pair raced to save their lives.
Mere feet from the trees, David shouted, “Jump!”
Instantly, he dove for the ground in a last act of desperation.
From behind, the loud roar of the rifle discharged for a third time. Geoff fell forward and crumpled to the ground, his body rolling to a stop just behind David.
“Geoff! My God, Geoff, are you hit?” David shouted frantically.
Quickly, he rolled over the top of the teen and shook his body.
“Geoff! Oh God No!” his yelled, voice filled with torment.
Through the rough shaking, David heard a faint voice:
“Get off me you asshole. We’re wasting time,” Geoff responded, angrily.
“I thought you were dead,” David responded in relief.
“I will be if we don’t get out of here. He’s reloading.”
He rolled to a kneeling position, then stood up and looked across the field. Looking back at David, he noticed a bullet scar in the bark of the tree just ahead of him.
“Wow, that was really close.”
“It’s not over yet!” David replied, now shoving the teen toward the woods.
Ignoring the rough treatment, Geoff immediately sped off into the forest with David in close pursuit. Moments later, the sound of the rifle echoed across the field, the lead ball stopping at the first row of trees near the clearing.
Inside the safety of the forest, the two stopped to catch their breath and take notice of their situation. Staring through the trees, David watched in shock as the reality of their plight had only just begun.
“Oh Shit! He’s chasing us,” he shouted, his voice turned frantic once more.
Through large gasps of air, Geoff watched in frustration as the farmer was indeed, chasing after them.
“What’s the dude’s problem, man?” he asked, more rhetorically than a direct question.
“The dude’s problem is he thinks we’re stealing from him,” David shot back, sarcastically.
“So, what if we were? It’s not worth killing someone over.”
“In modern times, it wouldn’t be, but we’re now living in the eighteen-hundreds. As I told you before; they kill people for less,” David explained.
“Man, that sucks. Can’t we just talk to him… try to reason with him?” Geoff responded, still out of breath.
“In this era, an angry man wielding a gun will only reason with you after you’re dead,” he replied bluntly.
David looked around. As the early morning light shined down into the forest, he detected a path through the woods. With a quick nod, he signaled to the teen to follow him.
“Let’s just hope we’re in better shape than he is,” he said as he brushed past the teen.
Without another word, the two headed deeper into the woods.
Dodging trees and jumping logs in their path, the two moved swiftly through the forest. Every few minutes, they stopped and listened. Although they heard only quiet, they continued on. A half hour later, after reaching the top of a hill, the pair stopped once more to catch their breath. Breathing heavily, David scanned the area from his elevated position. Except for the sound of light breezes and the songs from nearby birds, the forest seemed quiet. For a moment, he felt relief.
“I think we lost him,” he said, still scanning.
“I hope so. I don’t know if I can keep going.”
As Geoff took a seat on the ground, David eyed the teen with concern.
“Geoff, are you active in sports at all in your school?”
“Uh uh… I hate sports. Why?” he asked
, suspiciously.
David searched his mind for the right wording.
“Now don’t get all offended, but I’m just a little surprised you’re this winded as a teen. This is a very physical time period. You really have to be in shape to withstand the rigors of a manual world.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can hold my own,” he responded, mildly insulted.
“I’m sure you can, Geoff, but just the same, if you start to run out of gas, you need to let me know before it happens so we can plan ahead, ok?”
Prisoner in Time (Time travel) Page 10