Chapter Two
Telia carried a bag of groceries into the trailer on a dusty lot in Egypt, Texas. When she went out in public she always wore a large hat and big sunglasses. Her hair returned to its natural blonde color, but now with quite a few gray strands. Her wrist and hand were now plagued by frequent bouts of arthritis. Their work to destroy the Brotherhood and kill the serpent had mostly been undone and Seth shelved the project since Matt and Owen were lost. The only persistent consequence of their actions was the small group of artists and freethinkers like Daniel Jackson that escaped from Washington DC after their second battle with the Beast. The group produced comic books, paintings, elaborate murals and graffiti, but they had almost no impact on the mainstream culture.
Telia and Samantha searched the other side for Matt for three months while Matt’s body wasted away connected to an intravenous drip. Eventually, Louis inhabited Matt’s body, and the search for Matt became an occasional pastime as Telia reached full term and then gave birth to the twins. Their paranoia about being caught by The Disciples of the Beast eventually faded away as did their support from the Brotherhood. Francis left his job, and Telia hadn’t heard from him since they fled.
Telia put the groceries away in the metal cupboards and the old refrigerator. Louis was absentmindedly surfing the Internet. He was like a caged whirlwind in Matt’s somewhat broken body. Channeling the power of the sun and being knocked down from the reflector left Matt’s body with some nagging problems, mainly back pain, and a pronounced limp.
In spite of his host’s infirmities, Louis was a brilliant companion. He was a torrent of knowledge, wisdom, and information. Under his tutelage, the twins thrived. Louis spent much time instructing Telia and the twins in the ancient language. The kids, though only toddlers, absorbed the knowledge with ease, while Telia struggled with it. She found the concepts bizarre. They did not yield easily to rationalization or rote learning.
Almost every evening they contacted Samantha, and she spent time with them. The visits became routine and homey. With constant practice, Telia was able to cross back and forth at will, though the experience was significantly less intense than it had been with the aid of the reflector.
After dinner they all sat together around the yellow formica table and crossed to the other side. Samantha greeted them all with hugs and kisses, but got right to the point, which was unusual for her. She said, “You must go back to the Farm, great things are happening. Tracy and I discovered where Matt is. Your family is going to battle with the Disciples of the Beast. Find Daniel Jackson and take him with you. I believe he is in Colorado.”
Telia was stunned. She stammered, “So I can just go home, finally?”
Samantha nodded, “Yes. There’s no advantage to remaining on the run. It’s all or nothing, now, so you must make haste.”
Telia was tremendously relieved. She said, “It will be good to be home.”
Samantha spoke to them in the ancient language, “I love you all.” The words energized Telia. She snapped back to normal consciousness and got up from the table. She started packing a bag with their essentials.
When Louis snapped out of his meditation, Telia asked him, “Where’s Daniel Jackson? He’s the artist guy, right?”
He nodded. “I know where he is. He’s near Boulder.”
Telia hugged the twins. She said, “Matty and Sammy, it’s time for a road trip!”
The two little boys smiled and cheered.
The Chardon Chronicles: Season Two --- The Winter Page 63