The Meeting Place

When they got to the tree that served as their meeting place, Alex pulled out the metal shard. Turning it over in her hand, she could again feel the small electrical current flow through her body. What was this strange thing? Charles looked around to make sure they had not been followed. When he felt they were secure enough, he turned to Alex. "Looks like we’re safe." "Good, now let me have a look at that thing. You two got a chance. It’s my turn now!" Donalds voice had that way of irritating a person with even trying. "Fine Ron, here. Just stop whining. You sound more like a three year old, than a seventeen year old." Alex said with disgust as she thrust the shard at Donalds greedy hands. "I bet you think you’re my mommy right?" Donald nagged. Charles eyes lit up. "Well Ron, if she’s your mommy, then I wouldn’t mind being your daddy." It had never been a secret that he had been in love with Alexandra from the moment he had seen her as a child. Twelve years had not changed that. The half starved, dirty, little girl had come to live with her aunt and uncle when her parents had died at the hands of the rebel army taking over Oklahoma. Everyone had thought that once Texas was overtaken, the Mexicans would have been satisfied. The war had started over land. Senor Varga lead his people into the uprising. He claimed that the United States had illegally purchased the land they called ‘Tierra Seca’ from them. They demanded that President Peterson relinquish all holds of the land immediately. When he refused, the Mexican army began pushing its way across the boarder. With most of the US military over seas fighting the Germans, the Mexicans easily took over Texas. The Mexicans were not satisfied with that. They soon headed into Oklahoma. Alexandras’ parents hadn’t listened to her when the nightmares had started. The dreams of smoke and fire. "It’s just a nightmare darling. Mommy won’t let anything happen to you." Her mother had all intentions of protecting her daughter from all the evils of the world. If she only knew what lay before them, she would have prepared more for the upcoming battle. The shooting could be heard a few blocks away. The smell of smoke, and the stench of death soaked the air. No one noticed a little girl sneak down to the tornado shelter. The grass had been in need of mowing for some time, so the door to the cellar was well hidden from any that didn’t know it existed. When she finally emerged, what was left of the smoldering house was her parents grave. Everyone, and everything she had known was gone. A few survivors found her and took her to the Red Cross Station. One of the nurses their took her in under her wing. It wasn’t long before they found that she had an aunt and uncle living in Alabama. So it was that Alexandra boarded a train and took her first trip. That was the last she knew of the land she was born in. Oklahoma was taken over by the Mexican government a few weeks latter. Then they marched on New Mexico, where they were finally stopped, and shoved back into Texas. President Peterson said that Texas was a small loss compared to the large mass of deaths the States had taken. He then signed another treaty with Mexico giving them the lands of Texas and part of Oklahoma if they agreed never to rise up against them again. When Alexandra stepped off the train, her aunt and uncle were waiting for her. They had never been able to have children of their own, so Alex was an answer to an unspoken prayer. George and Maria lived on a small cattle farm where they produced milk for the local companies. It was a decent job, with decent pay. Having only the clothes on her back when she arrived, her aunt wanted to lavish her with new things. So, Alexandra went on her first, of many, trips to town. That was where Charles first saw her. She was tall for her age. Long auburn hair, and the greyest eyes he had ever seen. Her skin had been freshly washed and glowed pink. He had thought her eyes looked like that of a wild animal caught in a hunters trap. Or an angel condemned to earth for some atrocity she had done. He had no doubt she knew not what she had done to deserve the exile from heaven. He vowed then and their to make her stay on this earth as pleasant as possible. If she would only give him the chance. He even introduced her to his best friend Ron. Soon they were inseparable. The three musketeers. People often wondered how the three of them had been able to pass the years so closely, when their ages should have drawn them apart. The town figured they would soon grow old of each other, and turn to kids their own ages. It never happened. The bonds of that early friendship grew past their age differences, and finally the town conceded and left them alone. It was their immense ability to get into trouble that concerned everyone. At first the town had accused Alexandra of being the ring leader. She was, after all, the ‘new person’. Only time had cleared her of the charge. Charles, with his charismatic ways hid the fact that he had a way of manipulating people to do what he wanted. He had a way of taking control of a situation, and turn it to his benefit that soon fingered him as the brains of the operation. It didn’t matter to Alex or Ron. They went of their own free will. A will that was often taken away from them by being grounded for this or that they would do. That was when they were children. Alexandra was nineteen now. Though her aunt and uncle still berated her on a daily bases for hanging out with the ‘wrong crowed’. Alexandra knew she would never betray, or give up her friendship. She knew that her aunt and uncle only had her best intentions at heart when they scolded her. "Wow, this looks so cool!" Donalds words brought her back to the present. "Yea, now what were you saying about those pictures on it Alex?" Charles said as he grabbed the shard from Donalds hands. The effect causing the edge to cut into his hand, and blood pooled in his palm. "Shit Charlie, what the fuck did you do that for?" Donald shouted as he waved his hand in Charlies face, causing the blood to fling everywhere. "Stop it, hold still." Alex demanded grabbing her handkerchief from her pocket and wrapping it around Rons hand. "That hurts!" Donald again started muttering another stream of obscenities flowing from his mouth. "Shhh, quiet!" Alex said suddenly. All mouths closed, and they were instantly alert. Alex grabbed the metal shard and shoved it back into her pocket. The now familiar electrical shock going through her body. Slowly they started hearing footsteps of someone coming towards them. © DripkaCartwright 1/1/2005