“God is Love!” Stoneworthy pulled back from Updike, slapped the Captain on the shoulder. The impact traced along the man’s nerves-up his neck and into his skull. A dull throb splashed his brain like molten steel. Worse than before, each ringing ache that followed was more painful than the last. Before the pain could draw a curtain over his joy he croaked, “ His Reign is Over!”
70 – On the Run
Dawn could barely contain herself. She knew they were still in great danger but to have Mr. Jay with her-to have her fingers entwined with his after everything that had happened, everything she wanted desperately to forget. She just wanted to run and never stop. She felt the presence of her grownup voice quietly approving of the action and accessing the situation. The forever child had to get away from the darkness of the Tower.
The Nightcare fighters moved with military precision-ran and operated as a precise machine for killing and defense. A weapon honed over many decades, they formed a protective wedge around Mr. Jay and Dawn. The Quinlan boys covered the left and right flank with their swords in hand. Their light machine guns swung from their shoulders, ready for use. They kept in contact crossing the distance with sassy comments from Pearface to Jughead.
Liz took the lead with the young Conan boy running along in the rear, his tireless legs flashing.
Dawn had already noticed and asked about the willowy girl of nine or so dressed in black lace dress, theatrical mask and shoes. She ran rather dramatically, where she wanted, but as apparently the property of Conan, whose attention rarely left her. She was just slightly taller than Dawn. The girl’s long legs made her look older. She was waiting for them outside Nursie’s room.
Mr. Jay said it was Sophie but Dawn could not understand what she contributed to the group. After a few times catching Mr. Jay’s amused look, Dawn could not keep her eyes off the girl who moved like a swan or stork, all long flapping legs and arms. But Mr. Jay reassured Dawn that Sophie had been a great help getting them into the Tower, and the strange girl had once called this place home. Her friend’s insistence that she was good and helpful even though she was dead got Dawn’s blood boiling more. She tried to trust Mr. Jay anyway, even though he had a soft spot for girls.
When she caught herself looking angrily at Sophie, Dawn was startled by her own jealousy. The dead girl was not a soldier, barely more than a scavenger. But this obsession soon had Dawn feeling angry with herself for being unfair. But, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the girl was a threat and the notion had her chewing her lips in irritation.
The little crew hurried along the hallway past several rooms that had the double doors characteristic of Dawn’s Dormitory Five. This got the forever girl thinking of Meg, her little friend. How could she leave her behind to the depravities of the Tower?
“Mr. Jay!” she cried, squeezing his hand. “I have a friend…”
But something had changed in Mr. Jay. His face was set in a grim mask as he made his way past the other set of Dormitory doors.
“We’ll get her,” he groaned, with a slight hesitation. A blush had entered his cheeks behind his beard and his eyes rolled. “I had no idea.”
Dawn was unsettled by her friend’s dismay. He’d usually always find something cheery to say. At least he had in the past. All she could do to reassure him was squeeze his hand as she hurried to match his pace.
“Up there I think, Mr. Jay,” she said and pointed.
The magician directed the Nightcare fighters toward the double doors and said, “We don’t have much time.” They pushed the doors wide.
Inside, the rows and rows of beds held sleeping forms.
Mr. Jay said, “Dawn, tell the others, your friends, that we can show them a way out.” He shook head. “How much more we can offer, I don’t know.” Then he leaned in whispering to Dawn and the others. “We’ll only take those who want to come. There’s no time to convince anyone.”
He stood by the door with Conan while Dawn ran to her bed and Meg. She noticed with some irritation that the dead girl, Sophie, had come along with her. The strange girl was almost dancing as she hurried beside Dawn between the beds. Was she enjoying this?
The Quinlan boys and Liz were going row-to-row, shaking kids awake and explaining fast. This was where the experience and strange maturity of forever children paid off. These kids, all of them, had lived for over ten decades now, and knew how to react without reacting like kids. Soon, the growing noise of waking, washed over the dormitory in a wave, and got to Meg’s cot the same time Dawn did. Her little friend was already stirring.
“Dawn!” she cried and leapt out of bed to embrace her. Then Meg saw the mysterious Sophie in the mask dance by. She took Dawn’s shrug as an answer and then asked: “What’s going on? Who are these people?” Then she noticed the bloodstains on Dawn’s nightshirt and pressed her hands against her mouth, her eyes wide.
“I can’t explain it yet,” Dawn patted her shoulder. “But it’s my friend, Mr. Jay, and friends of his…” She attention shifted as she watched Sophie with some irritation. The dead girl had stooped and fished the dress box from under Dawn’s bed. Sophie immediately set the box on the mattress and flipped it open. The dead girl made a muffled sound of pleasure and pulled the veil out-flipping it in the air like a bird and dancing. “That’s not yours…” Dawn started and then gave her head a shake. She didn’t want the thing.
“Come on, Meg,” Dawn tugged at her friend’s arm.
The Dormitory was still dark and shapes were running into shadows, lit as it was by only a few dim nightlights. Dawn could already see that the other kids were up-their bleached nightshirts made them look like birds ready for takeoff or ghosts on the haunt. They were grouped around Mr. Jay and the Nightcare fighters and he was talking.
“I’m ready,” Meg announced after a few frantic seconds of digging under her mattress. She had collected a small bundle of papers lashed with strips of cotton.
“Okay,” Dawn agreed and took a step to go but hesitated to make sure that dead girl would follow. Weirdo or not, Sophie was Mr. Jay’s friend. But when she toward her bed all she could see was the empty dress box.
They hurried to the front of the Dormitory by the doors and Dawn was pleased to see Mr. Jay’s look of approval.
“It’s time,” he whispered giving a glance to the Quinlan boys and Liz. They led a group of some sixty kids out the doors and along the hallway to the right. He instructed Conan to join him in the rearguard and protect stragglers. Dawn and Meg kept close at hand as Mr. Jay hurried beside them.
“I had no idea Dawn,” he said, wringing his hands. “You have to believe me.”
The group moved quietly along the hall, an easy thing for forever kids to do-since they’d all lived life in hiding. Dawn was already building fantasies of Nurserywood, and thinking how much fun Meg and the others would have there when Mr. Jay stopped at another set of Dormitory doors. He shook his head and his shoulders drooped.
“There was no way to know,” he hissed to himself. “Only a monster would imagine this.”
Then he called to Conan.
The little fighter hurried over. “You take Dawn and Meg with the rest,” he said and then patted the boy’s shoulder. Conan swelled with pride at the touch and the mission. Then the magician turned to Dawn.
“Go with Conan.” He raised a finger to quiet her protests. “I know we just found each other, but if we’re to ever meet again, we cannot delay ourselves with arguments.” He hugged her then.
Dawn felt tears suddenly starting, as she drew away from him but all words of protest disappeared before she could utter them. They were in danger, sure, but it was Mr. Jay’s expression that silenced her. He didn’t look like the same man, in fact, for a second he didn’t look like a man at all. His features had become boyish and childlike. The sorrow in his eyes was overwhelming.