Between Two Worlds

We couldn’t get out of there without a second helping of dinner plus some leftovers to go. I tried to explain to Mariella and Jack (the man who rescued me and his wife) that we didn’t have far to go, but they insisted. They said they had no use for the leftovers because Mariella enjoyed cooking so much.

“I’m a food artist. And leftovers are boring.” Mariella says with a laugh. She follows us out of the house and into the small yard where the standoff with Altair occurred. “You are doing me a favor, please take them.” She shoves the bowl of leftovers into my hands, and I gratefully accept, before heading to the hollowed-out tree and retrieving the backpack that I had hidden, earlier.

*********************************

The last rays of sunlight desperately stretch across the sky, barely visible over the roof of the not-so-distant house. The stones used to build the house, while still sturdy, are covered in a layer of green moss. Light escapes from two windows that are head high. A small wooden porch leads up to the front door, and two wooden rocking chairs sit on either side of the door. A cool breeze blows, lowering the temperature by at least twenty degrees. A lone bat is barely visible in the sky swooping down for his breakfast. In the distance, the howls of wild dogs can be heard.

I shudder from both the cool air and the fear of those dogs. “Come on, Lou, let’s hurry up and go inside Mimi’s house. I bet she has a nice warm fire.” I look over her direction and notice that she is just standing still. “What’s the matter?”

“I can’t go one more step.” She whines, folding her little arms across her chest.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s dark, and I am cold. If I go any further, I will die.”

I can’t help but laugh at her dramatics. I take a deep breath and calm myself down before continuing. “Come on dear. If we don’t go now, the wild dogs will get us. Don’t you hear them howling?”

“Now I can’t move because I’m scared. What if I trip and they get me while you aren’t looking?” she asks.

“I feel like you are dragging your feet. Do you not remember Mimi? Do you not want to go visit her? Remember, she always has cookies and lets you jump on her beds.”

“I know, I’m not two. I remember Mimi.”

“Then what’s the matter?”

“Once we get there, you will leave me. Daddy left me and now you will leave me. What if Mimi leaves me too?” She asks, sounding choked up.

“Oh, honey,” I say. I walk over to her, get down on one knee and wrap her up in a hug. “Mimi won’t leave you.”

“Not ever?” she whispers.

“Not until you are a grownup.”

“Do you promise?”

I can’t promise that, but she won’t understand that, and she needs comfort. “I promise,” I say, knowing it’s the only response I have to calm her down.

“Will you come back and see me?”

I let go of her, lean back and pause a moment. I can’t tell her that there’s a good chance I’m about to die or at the very least be held prisoner for the rest of my life. That’s not something she would understand. So, what do I say to her to keep her from growing up hating my memory? “I’ll do my very best.” I guess that’s all any of us can really promise.

“Okay. Now carry me.” She demands.

“How about, please carry me?”

“Please, please, please, carry me.” She says holding her arms up.

“All right. If that’s what it takes to get you the last few feet to Mimi’s.” I say. I pick her up and carry her the last few feet to the door of the house. I set her down on the porch and knock on the door. The knock seems to echo through the night air. The howling stops and the night becomes eerily silent. Nothing making a sound now except for the wind rustling in the trees. At least, I hope it’s the trees. Come on Mimi, let us in before the dogs hunt us down.

“Whose there?” A female voice calls from the house.

“Rayanna and Lou,” I answer.

“Rayanna, who?”

“Rayanna, Wolfe’s sister. The sister of your daughter’s husband.”

“Are you alone?” the voice asks again.

“Yes. It’s just the two of us.” There’s the sound of movement and a clicking noise, and then the door slowly creaks open.

“Come in,” she says from behind the door.

We walk into the house, and I am greeted with the pleasant smell of burning oak, coming from the fireplace to my left. And while it is warmer in here, than outside, I imagine the rocks aren’t very good at holding the heat in. It’s a small house, the bedroom, living room, and kitchen are all visible from where I stand. The entire house is lit up by the flickering firelight. There’s a door to the side that probably leads to a small bathroom and one in the back to serve as a backdoor. I turn around at the sound of the door shutting and find myself face-to-face with the barrel of a shotgun. “Whoa,” I say grabbing Lou and backing up. “What’s going on?”

“Sorry but you never can be too sure.” The woman says, putting the gun down. “I live alone, and bandits take great pleasure in attempting to rob me. But they always get the surprise of a lifetime when they discover that I, not only have a gun but know how to use it.” She walks to the fireplace and sticks the gun up on the wall, on mounts and turns back to us. The flickering firelight reflects off her hair, making the silver hairs seems like they are glowing, and making the brown hairs look darker. At forty-five, Mimi isn’t exactly old, but more like experienced. As long as nothing extraordinary happens, she will be around long enough to see Lou have children of her own.

“Are you Mimi?” Lou asks.

“Why, yes, I am. And who might you be?” Mimi asks.

“I am Lou. Are you my mommy’s mommy? Aunty Rain said I met you when I was a baby, but I don’t remember you.”

I roll my eyes. Of course, she doesn’t remember Mimi, I forgot it had been that long. I don’t know why she told me she remembered Mimi.

Mimi laughs. “Yes, I am your mommy’s mommy and yes, I met you when you were a tiny baby. I would have come and seen you again, but it’s hard to travel alone.”

“It’s okay. We walk around, to a lot of different towns. In the last town, there was a lady who gave me cookies and made me chicken and potatoes. She gave us some to bring with us.” Lou says excitedly.

“Sounds like a good breakfast,” Mimi says. “Now, why don’t you tell me why you are here.”

“Lou,” I say. “I saw a big comfy bed over against the wall. Why don’t you go climb in it and go to sleep? I bet it’s a lot better than the ground we’ve been sleeping on.”

“Are ya getting ready to leave?” Lou asks.

“After I get done talking with Mimi.”

“I love you, Aunty Rain.” She says wrapping my legs in a hug.

“I love you too. Now go get some sleep. I bet Mimi has all sorts of fun stuff for you to do in the daylight.” I watch as she runs for the bed, jumps in it, and snuggles down under the blankets. “Remember, I’ll be watching from the window, so stay in bed.”

“Okay.” She says yawning.

I walk outside and stop on the front porch, with Mimi right behind me. I hear the soft click of the door as she closes it behind herself. She waits silently while I explain everything. From the death of her daughter to Altair, the death of Wolfe, and how I plan on leading Altair far away from here.

“Sounds like you don’t think you will make it back here,” Mimi says once I’m done.

“I probably won’t, unless something happens, and Altair dies. I doubt I will be able to escape him, again. I’m pretty much guaranteed to be his prisoner for the rest of my life. I just need you to do one thing for me.”

“What’s that?” she asks folding her arms.

“Love Lou, keep her safe and don’t ever let Altair find out where she is. He will kill her in vengeance for me running away. The mayor of Abbeville has promised to look in on you guys and help protect you, as well.”

“I promise I will,” Mimi says. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” I say, turning and walking down the porch steps. After walking a while, I turn back towards the house, but the darkness has swallowed it whole. Just as well, if I were able to see the house, I might just change my mind. I have a mission to complete and hiding out in the middle of the woods will not get it done. “I love you, kid,” I whisper to myself as I turn back to the darkness and to the task at hand.