The Backyard p.2

Startled by my own breath, I had awakened in an unfamiliar room. I wondered where my mom and brothers were. Rising to my feet I moved closer to the door, placing my ear to it. I began to hear footsteps approach. A woman opens it. I immediately yell, “Where is my family?” She said nothing moving closer to me, she grabs me by the arm as I prepare to fight her. “Timothy” she yells, a big, tall man enters the room. “Since you want to fight, fight him”, says the woman as she moves toward the hall. “Don’t you touch me Majin Buu” I screamed at him. He proceeds to grab me. “I can walk, and I don’t need any help”, as I snatch away moving towards the hall. She leads me down a long hallway. I noticed that there weren’t any windows in my room or in this hallway. There were a lot of room doors though. I began to hear lots of voices as we got closer to doors at the end of the hall which led into some sort of dungeon cafeteria. Everyone had on the same uniforms with different colors. I expected the less people with different colors are higher ranked. The woman turns around looks at me and pulls out 2 zip ties and motions me to lift my hands.

“Oh so, now you want to cuff me. What kind of bullshit is this?” Big Majin Buu grabs me and lifts my arms.

She ties them and grabs me by the arm and starts pulling me, as she leads me through the crowd. As we pass, everyone begins to quiet and makes room for us to go. I can only think what was wrong with these people. These are families, babies to the elderly. As we continued moving, there was a feeling that ran through my body and then I could see Nicholas, Mom and Kenny. I snatched out of the woman’s grasp, and I ran to them as tears streaming down my face.

I could only fit my arms around nick, so I through my arms up as I got closer my mom steps in my way and pushes me back. I fall to the ground “mom what are you doing it’s me, Jackie.” I looked at Nicholas then Kenny, I could see a tear fall from Kenny eye as Majin Bu yanks me back up and pushes me towards the front. Looking back, I had a flash of Uncle Isiah falling to the ground after being stabbed after opening the door. I wished he was here to help us; I knew he was there in spirit; I could feel him. We were almost in front when I turned my head, I could see 2 big throne chairs.

Majin buu continues to push me. As I approached the front, he shoves me down and a door opens. Out comes a masked man and women they approached their thrones; the women take off her mask and reveals herself. I’m thinking to myself I know it’s that Martha women. I began shaking my head because I already knew it was her. The man begins to reveal himself and to my surprise its uncle Isiah. I release a loud scream and a rush heat floods my body, I stand and run towards my uncle in rage. “How could you do this to us? We trusted you? What did you do to my mom and brothers? I began beating on my uncle’s chest. “why” yell as Majin Buu grabs me and places me back on the ground. I started crying again.

As Isiah returns to his seat he turns around “Hello, Community, how are you?”

“Great, Thank you! Commander. We are happy to be here today?” says the community

“I’m glad you all could make it. Today is a very special day we have 2 Special guest and some new additions. My younger sister Mary and her family is here with us and has decided to join us as a community and family. Let’s give them a warm welcome.”

“Welcome Home.” Says the community as they all turn their heads to and from my family back to Uncle Isiah.

Isiah proceeds to his seat. My heart starts beating faster. I really felt as if I was in movie, and I needed to figure out how to get us out of here.

“Now Jackie and Chris this is the first time you all meet, and you both are expected to take each other’s hands in marriage. You both will be escorted to your new living quarters where you will both share a bed and room and from now on you will both be prepped for ruling. Stand up and turn around, look at your children. Me and my beautiful wife are stepping down and you will replace us.”

“So, this was your plan all along. Why did you have get my mom and brothers involved, you could’ve just taken me?”

“This is some” …, Chris says while shaking his head looking at the floor.

” I’m not marrying him; I don’t know him. What kinda sick shit do you have going on at this place.”

“We are here to Protect the Water of this Civilization and you both will do right by it; or there will be hell to pay. You must keep your children safe. These waters have been in secret for thousands of years and they can heal or take sacrifice. If you listen and pay attention. You’ll her whispers so soft and so beautiful.”

Martha Stands, “Listen Jackie and Chris, you were both chosen by the water” …

Chris Interrupts, “Please auntie just let me go back. I promise I won’t say anything to anybody.”

“Sorry hunny, you have no one to go back too. The week after we took you your mom and dad got into a bad car accident looking for you. They really loved you. We’re sorry you didn’t get to say goodbye. But your home now. And this will be the greatest thing to ever happen to you.”

I couldn’t help but think they were the cause of the accident. Looking over at Chris I notice his face was still and tears rolling out of the side of his eyes as he stared at Martha in a daze. I reached over touching his shoulder whispering “I know I don’t know you but it’s going to be okay, I’m sorry for your loss.” Chris remained still for about 3 more minutes. My uncle Isiah claps his hands and to men red shirts approached the front of the room. Please take your new commander and his wife to their new living quarters and get them anything they need. Some one is always to be on guard until I see it fit. Do you understand. Awe! and cut those ties before you let them in”

Yes, Commander! both men replied.

They escorted us into the hall Isiah and Martha came out of and into a courtyard. There were so many different buildings, and I didn’t know which was the exit; nor did I know what exit would take me where. So, I continued to follow. “So, since yawl were assigned to us, names please?”, Jackie asks. They point to each other’s shirts.” 1 and 3” Chris laughs out. “And yall are okay with that. Let me in before I knock both of yall out, right now.” Pointing at the door.” If they cared about you, they would at least call the both of you by your real names.” Then men said nothing and opened the door letting us in and posting next to the door as we shut it.

After locking the door, I turned around to the biggest house I’d ever be in. Everything was so beautiful and shiny. All I could do was just walk and admire. From the floor to the ceiling all so detailed and placed so perfect. I was drawn in, maybe this won’t be so bad. Chris isn’t ugly and they wanted us to get to know one another. Chris walks up and slides his fingers in between mine. Snapping out of it as I look down had seen.

“What are you doing?”

“Playing my role. What you mean? I’m tryna get out of here. If I need play this role until, I figure out my plan, then that’s what I’m gone do?”

“I feel you on that, you just shocked me that’s all. “So, I’m Jackie. Reaching out my hand for a handshake.

“My bad I did mean to scare you. This house had me in awe this my kinda taste. If I ever had a house this is what I would want it to look like and I was like shit if she gone be my wife; she gone be on the same shit I’m on.”

“Awe and I’m Christopher my family and friends calls me Chris.”

“Sorry about your family again. I know that may have been hard to hear especially with what’s all that’s going on. I’m sure they are watching over you. You’re very strong and I’ll help you get through it. They have my family in whatever trance everybody else is in. My mom shoved me to the ground like she didn’t know who I was when I first seen them; my youngest brother Nicholas looked scared when I was approaching him, and my younger brother eyes just screamed help me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. When we get out of here. We are getting them too. Listen, we’ll figure this out together. Let’s check out our home.”

“Okay Cool, um, Could I ask how old you are?”

“I turn 18 in five months. You?”

“18 In five months.” Jackie repats slowly.

“Yea, what about you?” Chris replied confused.

“No, I mean I’m turning 18 in five months. May 31 to be exact. What about you”

Chris pauses, “Stop Playing.”

“No, that’s what I was saying.

“That’s my birthday too.”

“Your Auntie said we were chosen by the water. Maybe us being born on the same date is a reason.”

“Wait you mean you mean you believe water chose us?”

“No, but what if she was telling the truth. When my uncle first came to visit us. I started hearing a woman speaking softly in the middle of the night. I used to think it was just my mom talking low through the walls. Anyway, Jackie shakes her head. All I’m saying is that is any scenario matters.”

Walking off let’s just go check out this amazing house. She runs up the stairs looking in every room. She finds the only bedroom and it was as if Uncle Isiah had gone into my journals as a kid and found the drawings of my dream home and built it. Then I remembered. I no longer liked him. I yelled “Fuck you” from the top of my lungs and I released so much energy as I sank into the bed, beginning to cry.

Chris enters the room, “Oh, Oh, now this is what I’m talking about. Now Jackie, if you were ugly, I would have a hard time tryna convince them I was in love with you".

“Wait, really.” Jackie replies.

Laughing Chris says, “I’m just kidding calm down lioness.” Jackie smirks while getting up and moving towards the dresser. "They must really need us for what ever is going on, What do you think?" Jackie opens the drawers and finds beautiful and luxurious night gowns.

Chris, "I don't..."

“But what if we never escape and we’re stuck here and I never get to talk to my brothers again, my mom again. She slowly drops to the floor with her back towards the dresser. Chris walks to Jackie helping her back to her feet. “Now listen, we must play our roles and figure out the escape plan, I told you. We both just need some rest. You take the bed and I’ll take this long couch thing.”

Jackie smiles “Okay and it’s a chaise lounge chair. If you want to sleep in the bed I’m okay with that. There is plenty of bed for the both of us."

Chris looks at Jackie as she stands there beautiful as a moonlit sky. He grabs the cover and both climb into the bed.

Days,

Weeks,

Months had passed and we learned everything possible we were to know about this stupid place and nothing about the water. Chris and I are to be married in two days on our birthday. But the greatest news was that we’ve been able to leave the courtyard and go into town, and we both knew how to get out of the town and from both directions. We no longer had 1 and 3 assigned to us but I still knew we were being watched. They did something else to my mom and brothers because its like they know me again, but they still aren’t themselves. I get to see them tonight under supervision but that’s fine. Chris and I now actually like each other, but the married part is still out of the question. Our auntie and uncle seem to have been getting sick a lot lately. So, they we haven’t been seeing too much of them, but they have everyone else’s eyes on us.

“Come on Jackie”, Chris yells from downstairs. “We have a problem we have to handle.”

“Chris it’s 3am. We can handle it tomorrow I’m sleepy.”

“Jacks it has to be done now! Get dressed and come downstairs now!

Jackie gets up and rushes down the stairs “I said I’m tired we can do” …. Jackie pauses in mid-sentence and the most joy she had every felt ran through her body and shoots into her mother’s arms as her brothers wrap their arms around them. “I missed you guys. Are you okay”? We all have headaches, the last thing we remember was your uncle dying and being trapped in your brother room”, mom said while rubbing her temples. “Yea,” said nick as he rubbed his head. “Kenny how do feel?”

“I feel fine sis, I’ve been awake this entire time.”

“Is that why were crying when they first brought us in. You looked like you wanted to say something to me but didn’t when mom knocked me down.”

“Wait I did what?” mom said very shocked.

“Don’t worry mom I knew it wasn’t you. So, what did they do to you guys?”

“I was waking up as they were injecting us with water from this pale. I laid and allowed them to do it. But it didn’t affect me like it did mom and nick. There are other kids who are still awake, and they are scared jacks. We can’t leave them behind. We have to save them too.”

“Wait, so how did you all get mom and nick back to regular.”

Chris intervenes, “I’ve noticed that everyone in town somehow becomes distraught and it’s not because they are crazy it’s been because they have been waking up and we have been putting back into trances with the water pack IV’s. They all seemed to have been around the honeysuckle plants on the other side of the lake. If we can get our hands on it” …

“But aren’t honeysuckle berries poisonous,” Jackie interrupts.

“Yes, but we don’t need the berries, just the flowers,” Chris continues.

“The plan for tonight is to get your family out of here so that they can bring back the FBI to raid this place, so we can help free everybody from here.” Chris says with a whisper.

Hard footsteps approach the door. There is a knock. I immediately wave my family to follow me into a secret wall hideout Chris made under the stairs 2 months ago. I close it and run up 4 steps and turn around. Chris looks back to be sure I am in position. (KNOCK! KNOCK! KNO…) A group of reds swarm our home.

“What is this about?” I yell.

“Where are they?” number 1 says while staring right at me.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Your Mother and Brothers. They’re Gone!” Number 1 Shouts.

“Oh, so now you speak.” Chris replies “Look they are not here. Jackie go throw on some clothes so we can help them search.”

“No, your help is not needed.”

“The other read shirts come back to the front door shaking their heads no. If you see them bring them directly to me. Is that Clear!”, number 1 looks at us both in our eyes.

“Yes, will do, thank you for letting me know? Have a goodnight Number 1”. Jackie releases a big breath after Chris shuts the door.

Chris goes to let them out from under the stairs.

“We have to get you all out tonight.” Kenny what time will you your friend with the carriage be leaving with the shipment”, Chris stares at his watch.

“5am, Kenny replies.” It’s 4:30am. We must get moving now. And we have a way to go.”

“Okay, let me go” … “No! Chris says as he walks towards Jackie. My love, you must stay here so they don’t think nothing of me not being here if they return. I have a route already in mapped out.”

“Okay,” Jackie says as she approaches “Mom, Kenny, Nicholas. I love you guys and I’m happy you guys are okay, and that I got to see you before you left. You guys are in good hands with Chris. I Love Him. He’ll back to help me take care of all of this”. Nicholas begins crying. “Oh, nick don’t cry, you’re going to make me cry. You must help Kenny take of mom when you guys get out and when I get out. We will all be a family again. Chris and I will take care of Uncle Isiah and Martha. Now Go! Everybody takes in 1 last hug. Chris turns out the lights and peeks his head out of the door. “Clear “, he says as he waves them out the door. Before shutting the door, he mouths. I Love you too. Jackie sits down hard on the stairs. Tired She makes her way back up the stairs and into her bed. Alone. hoping and praying her family makes it out without being caught...

To be continued...