Banished To Earth Book One (28)

It was a woman’s voice. They did not notice. They only noticed the gun when they all sat straight as a ruler, hands high as they could lift them.

   “I’ve gotta child in this car,” Beth yelled, “don’t you dare shoot!”

   The figure drew closer and leaned in as Nikki waved her little hands like tiny surrender flags.

  “Git out slow. And keep those hands up.”

  “I’ve gotta open the door. And I‘m not taking my baby out of this car! Until you put that gun away.”

   “Appreciate that. Get out slow. Now.”

  They could clearly tell this was a woman. Beth and Pry eased from the car. Nikki started crying.

  “Get her out. We don’t need the noise. Not tonight. Quiet your youngin.’”

   The slight woman backed into the darkness as Beth walked around the back of her car and retrieved Nikki. Pry stood in front, making herself an easy target and an effective distraction.

   “That all?”

   “Yes.” Beth was holding Nikki, who was hiding her face against her shoulder, still whimpering. “Look, we don’t want any trouble. I guess we are trespassing and all, but my friend, my little sister, Pry, well, her husband used to live here, in this shack, when he was a boy.”

   “Is that right?” They heard only wariness in her voice.

   “Yes, he did. My husband, Chase, will be here soon.”

   “Chase,” she asked, “Chase who?”

  “Gillette. Chase Gillette. I am his wife, Pry Gillette.”

  

107

    Beth could not see it, but the gun dropped like an ax. Its barrel almost hit the ground. They heard sniffling in the dark. It was coming from the woman.

     “So, he took himself a wife.” She said, stepping into the headlights. Her gun was pointing safely at the ground, “and you’re a pretty little thing. Sorry ‘bout the gun.” She walked over to her truck and lay it on the hood.

    “I’m Trudy Master’s.” She said as she walked back to them. I used to be Trudy Mars, but I messed up.” She chuckled ruefully.

  “I'm Beth Moran, and this little one is Nikki. The only good thing I got from a really bad marriage.”

   “Lucky you. All I got was that big white house, from my really bad marriage.”

   “Well, so sorry. My heart goes out. Oh, that came out nasty. Shouldn’t have said that, but …”

   “No worries, I don’t come from money either. Maybe that’s why, oh, never mind that…anyway we need to git your little bag of sugar outta the night air. Yall’ are stayin’ with me, least I could do for that boy. ‘Course he ain’t no boy anymore, is he?”

   “He remembers you.” Pry said sweetly, “and I do too.”

  Trudy, a small, sturdy woman dressed in a flannel shirt, overalls and work boots, approached Pry and leaned in, “Little bit, I don’t know you.”

  “I, uh, he described you perfectly and remembers you fondly. You were a good friend.”

  “Well, he needed somebody. Let’s get outta here, never liked it back here, gotta caul on it, nasty, gives me the willies.”

  “I did not like it either.”

   Trudy’s face became a question mark, but she said nothing but, “Then let’s git our tails away from here, something bad is happening, guessin’ you’re running from it.”

  “Yeah, ah, we were trying to get ahead of it.” Beth stammered, knowing full well what Trudy was talking about, even if she didn’t.

 

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     “Well, “Trudy continued, “Looks like you succeeded, ‘least for now. Come on. I’d rather talk behind four walls, not out here in the dark.”

     Pry started to speak, but instead traded nervous looks with Beth, who was standing near Trudy

   Moments later, they were following her truck back to her home.  Beth soon found herself driving up Trudy’s winding concrete driveway that led them right up to the front of the big white house.

    Shortly after, they were climbing up the fan of red brick steps leading up to a huge wrap-around porch neatly furnished with several rocking chairs and two small glass black wrought -iron tables. Several white flowerpots hung from the veranda’s newly shingled porch. Each pot sported a bonnet of multi- coloured flowers.

     “Wow, this is nice,” Beth said as they entered the lavish home through a highly ornate oak stained- glass door.

   Pry and Nikki were beaming.

   Upon entering, they saw a mahogany staircase running up the wall on the right side of the long hall/foyer. Two doors were on the left of the egg-shelled-coloured wall.

  A great room welcomed them at the far end of the foyer, while a massive stone fireplace confronted them as they entered. Two tall windows dressed in flowing dark blue curtains bookended the fireplace, the obvious centre of the house.

    Padding across the thick, soft beige carpeting into the cavernous living room, they looked up and saw a huge flat -screen television staring down at them. It was mounted over the fireplace’s heavy mantel to be easily seen by anyone sitting on the huge overstuffed, dark leather couch facing it.

    Two puffy recliners sat at either end of the couch. Of course, they perfectly matched it. Nestled at the center of the ‘crescent of comfort’ sat a chunky oak beam coffee table.

   “You say Chase is headed here.”

    “Yes,” Pry replied. “He had to stay behind…”

   “Yeah, had a few loose ends to tie up at his beach house,” Beth interjected.

   “Loose ends? Hunters do not have loose ends. Chase does not anyway.”

109

    “Hunters? What you talkin’ bout, Little bit?”

   “That’s what she calls Chase, and, and men in general.’

     Well, that’s a new one, kinda fits, I guess.”

   “Don’t want to scare y’all, but as I said before. Something bad is happenin’. It’s all over the news.  They’re callin’ em aliens; she whispered to Beth and Pry. Ain’t seen none yet though. I ain’t lookin’ them either.”