Whispers In The Dark

Part 2

By Nesciri

Chapter 2. Destructive Paths

"You did what?" Teaspoon looked at the blond young man at the dinner table, trying to ignore the smiling faces of the rest of the riders. They did their best to hide their amusement except for Jesse, who was listening to Cody with a happy grin in his face.

"It got away, I told you," Cody stated matter-of-factly.

"You lost a tiger? Where?"

"Somewhere," came the insignificant reply.

"And what do you want me to tell the company?"

"That if they see a yellow cat with black stripes about this high," Cody lifted his hand a good way above the table," they should run like hell."

"Noah?" Teaspoon turned to the other rider in hope of some better answers.

"Sorry, Teaspoon, it happened just as Cody described it," Noah said trying to keep up appearances.

"There you see, Teaspoon. Can’t see why you didn’t believe me in the first place," Cody complained.

"Let me just say that your story sounded a bit – well, a bit too much."

"Where did you say it escaped?" Jesse interrupted. "Maybe we could get a reward or something if we could catch it again –"

"Hold on, Jesse. Ain’t likely that anybody would give us any money – considering we’re responsible for it coming loose in the first place. Let’s just forget about that cat and concentrate on dinner. It’s probably better off in the wild than on that circus anyway."

At Teaspoon’s last words Cody looked meaningfully at Noah who allowed a faint smile to pass over his lips while he passed the potatoes to Buck.

"Where is everybody?" Noah asked as the food was passed around the table.

"Kid is on a run," Rachel replied. "And Jimmy headed out on for his leave this morning. He won’t be back until the day after tomorrow.

"Kid should be back tomorrow morning which make it your turn, Noah," Teaspoon added looking at him. "You look a bit tired - think you’re up to it?"

"I feel a bit tired," Noah admitted, "but I don’t see that stopping me."

"Maybe you should rest up anyway. I don’t like the idea of my riders getting accidents because they’re tired. How about it Buck, you’re willing to change runs?"

"It’s fine with me. Noah?"

"Thanks, I suppose I could use that morning sleep tomorrow."

"Good. Now about that tiger – even if we don’t get a reward wouldn’t it be great if---," Jesse started.

"Told you I don’t want to hear about that tiger," Teaspoon interrupted him.

"But Teaspoon---"

Noah looked at the two bickering. Teaspoon sure had had his hands full since they took Jesse in, he pondered as the uneasy feeling he’d felt at the campsite two days before returned. He hadn’t felt it since and for a moment he felt almost dizzy. He lowered his head for a second and to his relief the dizziness disappeared. When he looked up he noticed that Buck was staring at him with a peculiar look on his face.

"You OK?" he asked silently.

"Sure, just a bit tired. I appreciate you taking the run tomorrow."

Buck nodded and smiled at him. Noah returned to the food before him as he tried to shake the strange feeling off him. With the chatter from Jesse and the smell from Rachel’s food he soon dismissed the strange feeling from his mind.

******

The weren’t hardly a sound in the bunkhouse except the steady breathes of four sleeping riders. It was still cloudy and the station was wrapped in darkness. From Noah’s west that hanged on a peg close to his bunk a soft red shine could be seen coming from the pocket. A cold wind went through the room. Noah stirred uncomfortable in his bunk. Then he shuddered as the soft wind embraced him and he rose from his bed.

The cold stare returned to Noah’s eyes as he stood up. His eyes gazed upon the sleeping riders before he silently walked from one bunk to another, looking at them with a malicious look on his face. For a second his eyes returned to the west hanging on the wall where the soft red light now was pulsating with an intense color. He reached out his hand to get it when suddenly he stopped and looked around. The ghost of a smile shown on his face as he again walked from bunk to bunk. He stopped next to one and bent over the sleeping figure. For a while he just stood there, then he reached for the pouch hanging round the rider’s neck. With a swift movement he removed it from the rider, who moved slightly in his sleep but didn’t wake up. Noah held up the pouch and let it lightly spin hanging from his hand. He studied it with some interest as if he’d never seen it before. Suddenly he felt a change in the room as if a soft breeze went threw it. He grinned at the recognition. The pouch had challenged something that he would call earth spirits to defend it and its bearer. He’d encountered similar spirits before in another country and another time. Not that it matter – compared with his forces and strength they could do nothing, except add some challenge to his task. Pondering the situation for a while he took a firm grip of the pouch and returned to his bunk as the red light disappeared. A few minutes later Noah was back to sleep as if nothing had happened.

******

Buck felt the first ray of sun on his face and he stretched in his bunk. If he was going to get ready for when Kid came back he best got up at once, he pondered. He sat up quietly as not to wake up the others. Both Cody and Noah could use the sleep, Noah had sure looked tired yesterday. Suddenly he felt as if something was missing and as he looked he realized that he no longer wore his medicine pouch. Slightly confused he looked around to see it convinced that he must have lost it during the night, something that never had happened before. When he couldn’t see it anywhere, he stood up and simply removed the bedclothes from the bunk. Still there was no pouch. A quick examination of the floor told him it wasn’t there either.

"Wake up, Cody!" The angry voice sounded in Cody’s ears as he tried to get the sleep out of his eyes.

"What is it Buck? What’s wrong that you need to wake me this early in the morning?"

"Don’t play games with me. Where is it?"

"Where’s what?"

"I never thought you’d be crazy enough to try it twice and if you think this is funny it ain’t!"

"What is? Damn it, Buck, I don’t know what you’re talking about!" Cody jumped down from his bunk only to face an angry Buck.

"My medicine pouch! It’s missing and if you know what’s best for you, you’ll get it back right now."

"I ain’t taken your medicine pouch! I learned from the last time. You don’t think I’d do it twice now?"

"You’re the only one stupid enough!"

"Hold it! What are you two fighting about?" Lou’s voice cut through the commotion as Noah woke up.

"Cody took my medicine pouch," Buck stated.

"I did not! I don’t know what he’s talking about!"

"What’s going on?" Lou stood up and placed herself between the two.

"My medicine pouch’s missing." Buck said surly.

"Well, you must have misplaced it or something ‘cause I sure haven’t taken it!" Cody replied.

"Take it easy you two," Noah said. "Let’s not get rallied up over this. When did you last see it, Buck?"

Before Buck could answer Jesse showed his head into the room.

"Is there gonna be a fight?" he asked trying to hide his curiosity.

"Have you seen Buck’s medicine pouch, Jesse?" Lou asked. Jesse shook his head.

"No. Why? What’s so important with it?"

Buck just shook his head and turned to Noah.

"I had it when we went to sleep last night."

"Then have you looked everywhere?"

Buck nodded sternly when Teaspoon’s voice called from outside.

"Rider comin’! Buck, you’re ready?"

Buck looked from one to another of the others that stood in silence watching him, when Teaspoon entered.

"Buck?"

"Teaspoon ---," Buck begun, when Lou walked up to him.

"You’ve ridden out before without it, remember? We’ll find it for you, don’t worry. I’ll see to it that it’s here when you get back."

"What’s wrong?" Teaspoon stood in the doorway and watched his riders with his hands in his side.

"I’m missing my pouch," Buck explained shortly.

"Then you can find it when you get back. Come on, Kid’s on his way in!"

Buck looked at Lou who nodded her head and cocked it slightly to ensure him that she would look for his pouch. Sighing Buck took his hat and rushed out of the bunkhouse just as Kid rode in. Buck jumped up on his horse and took the mochilla Kid handed to him.

"Safe ride, Buck!" Kid called out as he dismounted.

******

"Good ride, son?" Teaspoon said as he took Katy’s reins.

"Not too bad. Cody and Noah back yet?"

"Yep, came back yesterday. Feel like breakfast?"

"Definitely," Kid replied as Lou came out on the porch greeting him with a warm smile. Jesse followed in her heals together with Cody.

"Do you mean that pouch contain some sort of magic then? You think it works for us too?"

"Will you stop asking me all those questions," Cody pleaded. "Why don’t you wait until Buck’s back, then you can ask him."

"Jesse, why don’t you take Katy?" Teaspoon asked in a tone that wouldn’t take no for an answer. Jesse realizing that it was not a good idea to argue with Teaspoon this early in the morning, muttered something but took the horse without further complains.

"All right the rest of you – I believe there are some chores to be done before breakfast."

Noah sat on his bunk turning the small leather pouch in his hand. It hadn’t contained anything of value, not to him anyway. But he had recognized the symbolic value of the content, not unlike those of another time, another place.

"We have a lot to learn," he mumbled in a language that he had never used before. The red light shone again from the amulet and he thought that he needed to get a leather string for it. Looking at the pouch, a sardonic smile flew across his face.

"Might be suitable," he smiled and removed the string around the pouch and used it for the amulet. Then he looked at the pouch again as his eyes wandered around the room. They stopped at the small fireplace where the ember still glowed from yesterday’s fire. Intent on throwing the small pouch into the fire he stood up only to seconds later toss it into a large box that was standing close. Just in time as the door opened and Kid entered.

"Hi Noah, you ain’t gonna have breakfast today?"

"Just on my way." Noah replied. "Want me to wait for you?"

"No, I’m just gonna wash up," Kid replied as he watched Noah’s face. There was something different, both in his face and in his voice, but he couldn’t put his finger to it. Slightly disturbed he watched Noah get up and walked to the door. Just before he was about to leave Kid called out to him.

"What is it?" Noah turned and looked at him and whatever Kid had seen was now gone and he shook his head.

"Nothing," he mumbled and reached for a clean shirt before he’d join the others. I must be tired, he thought to himself.

Jesse was on his way back to the bunkhouse when Lou saw him.

"Have you done your chores, Jesse?" she called out as the boy briskly walked pass her.

"Yep!" he called back without stopping.

"Then where are you heading?"

"Back to the bunkhouse – to look for Buck’s pouch."

Lou eyed the gangly boy with suspicion.

"What about breakfast?"

"I’ll eat later – when I’ve found the pouch."

"That’s nice of you to wanna help, but if you find it I want you to give it to me or one of the boys. That’s very special to Buck and I don’t want you to fool around with it!"

"Who do you take me for?" Jesse complained. "Of course I won’t play with it!" Mumbling Jesse continued to the bunkhouse a bit upset that Lou thought so low of him. He was only interested in Buck’s pouch because of what Cody had told him about the accidents that had happened to him when he had taken it. If Buck’s pouch could do that to Cody, he really just wanted to know more about it – and finding it would be a good start. And he wasn’t going to play with it, he was just gonna have a look at it. Deep in thoughts he failed to notice the pair of dark eyes that followed him.

Jesse stood up and look around in the room. He had searched everywhere for the pouch in the room and he was by now convinced that it wasn’t there. Buck must have been mistaken, there was no way he could have dropped it in the bunkhouse. That only left the stable. Jesse sighed at the thought of going over it, but his fascination with the mysteries and forces surrounding it prevailed and he quickly skidded over to the stable. His first thought was to search the place where Buck’s horse normally stood, seeing that it would be the most likely place to find the pouch. Roaming through the hay he searched for the missing poach with all the intensity created by curiosity. When he rose from the floor he looked around with a disappointed look on his face. What had started out almost like a treasure hunt more and more took the look of hard labor to the boy. Besides, he was starting to feel hungry. With dismay he looked around seeing if there might just be one more place that could be worth checking out. But there was no place that he felt like going through, so he turned to the open door. Just above the door there were an old tool rack that somebody had made years before the riders moved in. On it hang old shovels, spades, a scythe and a few axes. It had hang there for a long time and nobody had paid any attention to it. Jesse wasn’t even sure he’d noticed it before when something made him look up just as he passed it. What he saw made him stare frozen in horror before he realized the danger he was in. The rack was swaying from its pegs and was about to fall. Jesse turned and tried to get away from the falling rack with its sharp tools. He stumbled and he desperately tried to crawl away. He almost managed. With a large crash the rack fell over his lower body and he screamed in pain as the scythe and spades created cuts and bruises on his body.

"Never known Jesse to skip breakfast," Noah commented as they settled around the table.

"Said he was going to look for Buck’s pouch," Lou explained.

"That’s nice of him to help," Rachel smiled.

"I bet he’s got an alternative motive though," Noah continued. "What exactly did you tell him about the pouch Cody?"

Before Cody could raise an objection a high-pitched yell could be heard from the stable. All of the riders got to their feet and rushed for the door. In their effort to reach the stable, there was some commotion at the door but finally Lou managed to stumble out of the bunkhouse and lead the way over to the stable.

"Jesse!" she called out as she spurted for the door. She just managed to round the opening when she stopped abruptly.

"Oh my God," she whispered as she saw Jesse lying on the ground with the old tool rack over his lower body. The ground beneath him was red from the blood that was oozing from several cuts on his legs. Recollecting herself, Lou was almost knocked over by Kid as he entered the barn. Stumbling, Lou moved forward, tears forming in her eyes.

"Jesse, please, answer me?"

Jesse moaned and screamed out loud as Cody and Noah tried to lift the rack.

"Easy boys," Teaspoon commented as he too bent down next to Lou.

"Just take it easy, Jesse. We’ll get you out of here."

Jesse moaned and looked at Teaspoon.

"It wasn’t my fault, Teaspoon – it just fell, I don’t know what ---"
"I know, Jesse," Teaspoon soothed the boy as he saw a large pool of blood beneath Jesse. In an effort to keep the boy’s attention away from his damages he turned to Lou.

"Keep him talking," he whispered as he moved over to Cody and Noah. "All right boys let get this rack off him, shall we?"

It took them a good five minutes until Jesse was free from the rack. When the boys managed to lift the rack, Rachel and Lou dragged the by now unconscious Jesse from the rack. As soon as the boy was safe, Cody and Noah let go and the rack hit the ground with a thud.

"How is he?" Noah asked, panting slightly from the effort.

"Don’t know," Lou murmured as she watched Rachel hover over Jesse. "But we better get Doc over here as soon as possible."

It was three hours later that Doc left the premises. Jesse was confined to his bed and with some of Doc’s painkilling medicines he had relaxed enough to get some sleep. His wounds had looked pretty bad, and a few of them were serious. Doc said that Jesse been very lucky since he might have died from the blow had the rack hit him differently. Doc ordered Rachel to make sure that Jesse stayed in bed until the wounds were healed. The scythe had grazed his side and Doc had seen to it, it was serious. All the riders knew it must hurt. Jesse tried to put up a brave face but occasionally he could feel the pain and was grateful for Rachel’s concerns. Teaspoon made a thorough investigation why that tool rack had fallen down, but all he could find was that the nails must have loosened from the wood, probably from time. The tool rack just happened to fall at the same time as Jesse was standing under it. At least that was the only conclusion he came up with so he had the boys check every place where something similar could happen. Finding no other place, Teaspoon finally called it a day and the tired riders went to fix the last chores for Rachel.

Lou was on her way back to the bunkhouse for a few minutes of rest, when Rachel spotted her and called out for her help. Lou sighed silently and turned around.

"Yes?" she asked as she approached Rachel.

"Could you get me some more potatoes from the basement? I’ve forgot it when Jesse got hurt."

"No problems," Lou replied and headed for the other side of the house. The house had been built with a small basement for the purpose of storing food and the opening were on the back of the house, with a simple lid and a wooden stair that lead down into nothing more than one small room furnished with shelves, filled with Rachel’s jars and other supplies. There was no light, but a small lantern was always hanging from a peg by the lid. Lou did not bother with it since she knew her way around the room pretty well and she would leave the lid open for the short time she needed to get the potatoes. She walked quickly down the stairs, knowing that the sooner Rachel had the potatoes, the sooner she would get her rest. She had just stepped off the last step when something shut the lid closed and the room suddenly became dark. Thinking that some of the boys were playing a joke on her, she cursed and started to walk back up again. When she reached the lid she placed both of her hands on it and pushed. Nothing happened. She tried again, this time putting some more effort in to it. Still nothing. She couldn’t even feel that the lid was budging.

"Oh, come on, this ain’t funny!!" she called out. "Kid, Cody! Open up!"

There was no reply and suddenly she begun to feel uneasy. Maybe the wind or something had blown it shut and something had blocked it? She tried to open it again, but still there was no way of getting out. Muttering to herself, she realized that it would take a few minutes before Rachel discovered that she wasn’t back with the potatoes and started to look for her. She didn’t like the idea of spending those minutes in the pitch-dark, cold basement but it didn’t look as if she had much choice. She placed herself on the top step of the stair to hear if any passed by the lid. She hadn’t been there for many seconds when she felt a change in the room. She didn’t know how she could tell, but there was something there that hadn’t been there before. Slightly uneasy she reached for the lantern to get some light when something sent the lantern crashing down the stairs. Lou moved closer to the lid.

"Who’s there?" she called out trying to cool her fast pounding heart. A cool breeze went past her face and she felt herself shivering. Then the whisperings started. A soft voice that beckoned her to go down. Suddenly it was as if the stairs disappeared and she had to cling to the top step in order not to fall. Scared she stared down into the darkness where she thought she could see a soft red light pulsating in the dark. A sudden feeling of extreme horror grasped her. It was as if a cold hand had reached out and clasped her heart. For a moment she just sat there, terrified with her heart pounding until she came to her senses and turned. She started pounding on the lid, her only wish to get out of the nightmare and the horror that she was sure was waiting for her at the end of the stair. Desperately she beat on the lid with her fists, calling for help.

Lou felt as if an eternity passed before the lid was thrown open and she was able to stumble out into the arms of Kid.

"Lou, what's wrong?" he asked as he held her tenderly.

"Somebody locked me in," Lou said trembling, trying to regain her composure.

"Locked you in? What do you mean?" Kid held her at an arm's length looking at her face.

"The lid was locked, I couldn't get it up," Lou said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"No it wasn't," Kid replied.

Lou stared at him.

"Yes, it was - I couldn't open it."

Kid shook his head.

"There was nothing wrong with it, Lou. Maybe you didn't try hard enough?"

"I used all my strength! It was locked I tell you!" Lou started to feel angry and a bit foolish. The incident didn't seem that horrible when standing outside in the sunlight.

"I don't know, Lou - all I know is that I heard you scream and yell down there so I opened the lid---"

"You heard me?"

"Yes, I thought that you had fallen down the stairs and hurt yourself first, but then I heard you banging on the lid. What's wrong Lou? You never acted like this before."

"Don't laugh at me now, Kid." Lou looked earnestly at Kid. "But it was something down there - something awful."

Kid looked at her with a surprised frown, trying hard not to smile.

"Something awful? You mean besides potatoes?"

Lou's fist hit him in the chest.

"Don't make fun of me - there's something down there I tell you!"

"Then let's have a look."

Kid started to walk towards the opening, when Lou suddenly held him back, the fear returning again.

"Don't go down there Kid," she pleaded.

"There's nothing there, Lou, I promise."

"But you said yourself that this isn't like me so there must have been something that scared me."

Kid sighed.

"I suppose so. But we won't find out by standing here, now?"

"I suppose not."

As Kid walked over to the opening, Lou followed hesitantly, holding his hand.

"Kid," she said suddenly, "there's no light. Something threw the lamp down the stairs."

"Something?"

"Yes, something. Maybe we should call the others?"

"Lou, there's nothing down there. You're just imagining things."

"Have you ever seen me so scared? It must have been something!" Lou insisted, scared of letting Kid go down there.

"It could have been a reflex from the light or a rat. Johnsons had problems with rats last month."

"It was nothing like that."

"Come on Lou." Kid started to grow impatient.

"All right, do whatever you want."

Kid smiled at her and started to walk down the stairs.

"Well, you were right about the lamp," he said, "it's not here." He continued down the stairs.

Lou stood silently by the opening, impatiently waiting for him to come back up.

"Kid?"

"I'm OK, Lou - I just found the lamp."

A soft light could be seen from the basement and Lou sneaked up to the opening, peaking in.

Kid was standing in the basement, holding up the lamp and looking around.

"There's nothing here Lou - absolutely nothing." Kid looked up at her and Lou bit her lip, feeling foolish.

"You're sure?" she asked.

"Positive. What were you doing down here any way?"

"Rachel asked me to get some more potatoes."

Kid picked up a new sack of potatoes and started to walk up again. Carefully hanging up the lamp again and letting the light out. Outside, he closed the lid and looked at Lou.

"See? Nothing dangerous at all."

Lou wrapped her arms around her and didn't know what to say.

"You're not gonna tell the others, are you?" she asked finally.

Kid smiled at her and gave her a hug.

"Of course not." They started to walk to the house. "But I rather enjoyed the way you rushed into my arms - maybe I should lock you up--"

"Don't you dare!" Lou smiled at him, feeling better. I must have imagined the whole thing, she thought to herself, feeling save and secure with Kid's arm around her.

Barak watched the couple walk away from the basement with a cruel smile on his lips. The girl had a lot of strength - strength that he needed. Strength that emancipating from her ability to love, strength from what she had gone through and strength from her faith in herself. Exactly that strength that he needed. From the brief encounter in the basement he knew that she was not only strong, but also passionate and that he suddenly felt an obsession of capturing her soul. But he was not powerful enough. Not yet. This soul and body he had "borrowed" was too resistant although it was weakening under his influence. He was not always in control. These people also shared a strong bond that made his task difficult. Therefore had he failed in killing the boy, as he had failed in possessing the girl. Well, he could wait - he knew his strength would improve. And the bond between the friends could be shattered. He had felt a small fraction of it this morning when the Indian young man had accused the blonde young man of stealing. For a short second there had been a genuine anger and Barak knew how to use that. But first he needed to be stronger - he needed a soul. It was high time for a killing.

To be continued Chapter III