Roswell Fanatics

L-J-L 76 the guardian tells every one that Liz was kidnapped
begonia9508 With the crazy man it is much like the salem witch trials
keepsmiling7
mary mary carlotta did make the guardian to tell where Liz was at all times.
XAF RU208


Chapter 13

Liz woke up strapped to a table. Someone had dressed her in institutional pajamas. She was wearing a white shirt and white elastic banded pull on bottoms. White walked in and looked down at her. He didn’t bother with introductions because he considered her expendable. “You are completely human,” he said.

“What did you expect?” she asked.

White ignored the question. “Your friends, what do you know about them?” he framed his own question.

Liz blinked, so that was the problem. “They are high school kids. They don’t get into drugs, liquor or other things. Is that the trouble? They aren’t problem kids?” Liz asked.

White, again, ignored her question. “It is said that your group can do magical things.” he made this more of a statement than question.

“Oh, you mean the love amulets. Is that what this is all about? Do you need a love amulet? It is five dollars for a generic one and specials are ten dollars. In fact, I can make one for $15 that will let you make it with your pals.” Liz stated.

That angered White. He soundly slapped the impudent girl. Tears welled up in her eyes as she said, “You know I have other friends. They are from this Earth, but you can’t see them. They won’t like it that you are hurting me.”

White turned to go. “That stupid bastard said you were a witch. Hex me if you can,” he yelled.

Liz wasn’t sure which stupid bastard he was talking about. She was getting frightened. Liz saw that White was scratching the back of his hand. “You know that the first transition into a toad is warts on your hand,” she screamed. Looking up to the ceiling, she saw her first sign of hope, a light yellow glow. Like a small yellow spider it was making a golden nest in the corner so it could look after her.

Amy was sitting at her desk going over writings by Carlotta. She silently cursed her own youth. Amy had a daughter almost 17 years old so she wasn’t that young, but why couldn’t she understand better. She had read over and over all about the medallion. The medallion, which somehow, Amy knew had been destroyed, giving its life to warn about the danger that had attacked Liz, but according to Carlotta it would be reborn. All Amy had found out was that the medallion was to be given to the heir of Carlotta’s knowledge. That was a contradiction because Claudia had divided the legacy between Maria and Liz. For some reason, she had given the medallion to Liz. Had in someway, Claudia defied the inheritance? Amy could find no answer.

As Amy was thinking, she looked at the ceiling. There in a corner was a slight glow. As Amy watched the glow brightened. Was this evidence that the medallion still had life? Liz had been abducted. Amy didn’t know where she was, but at this time, Liz was in danger, but unharmed. The glow wasn’t smart enough to tell Amy more.

Jeff Parker needed Liz, to be the waitress on the floor. The Saturday breakfast crowd was arriving and Liz had asked for early shift so she could spend time in the afternoon with that friend of hers, Max. Jeff wasn’t sure how deep their friendship went yet. He knocked on her door and called, “Lizzy, rise and shine. Duty calls.” This was rare because normally, Liz set her alarm and was always on time.

There was no answer. Jeff gingerly opened the door and the bedroom was a mess. Bedclothes were scattered and the window was wide open. This was not like Liz. Something had happened. Jeff called Jim quickly.

They found evidence in the alley of a vehicle parked close to the Crashdown. The marks of the tires were closer to the building than would be made if some driver had just taken a shortcut through the alley. There was sign of struggle in her bedroom, but her parents had heard nothing. Jim figured the abductors were expert and to Jim that meant drivers of government sponsored black SUVs. Jim saw something in the corner of the room. He picked up the blackened medallion. Jeff saw him and said, “Liz would never have taken that off of her own will. It has been passed down from her great-grandmother.”

Jim held the medallion up and looked at it. “Looks as if it has been in a fire or something,” he stated.

Jeff look doubtful, as he was handed the medallion, he said, “It was silver and something else. We never knew how it was made. Amy might know. She has been studying up on Carlotta’s writings.”

Jim left, noting the missing blanket which had been taken for some reason. Jeff went down stairs and then, into the herb shop where he found Amy. Amy looked up from her reading and said, “Jeff, I am so sorry about Liz. We are working on it and I will let you know when we have some news.” Jeff tried to show no surprise at how much Amy already knew about Liz missing. There was a lot that went on from his mother to Amy to Liz and Maria about this ‘nature magic,’ that he didn’t understand.

“I never was sure about the mumbo jumbo that mom studied. I figured it would be a heritage for Liz to learn about her relatives. I know you have faith. Tell me can you find out anything that will help Liz?” Jeff asked. He handed Amy the burned medallion.

Jeff had never believed in this Hispanic heritage or his mother’s infatuation with it. He figured it was just an example of another anthropologist getting wrapped up too tightly in their work. He had felt a lot of anger when his father died. He couldn’t accept, like he believed his mother had, that it was just fate. This was why he had been so difficult for his mother to handle. His drinking until that fateful night, when drunk, he had crashed his car and killed his then, girlfriend, had been a result of feeling abandoned. His wife Nancy had been the anchor to bring him out of the depression. Jeff based his life on Nancy, rather than the things about Carlotta and Claudia that he did not understand. As he left, he did not see that the medallion began to shine through the burned crust and that the glow in the corner of the room began to brighten.

Jeff did not see that after he left, Amy took a solution of Witch-hazel, rubbing alcohol and white wine vinegar into which she dipped the medallion. There was a darting flash and the glow in the corner of her room flew to the medallion. In the sterile room where Liz was being kept she saw that the glow in the corner of the room was suddenly brighter. The medallion was again alive or as alive as it had been before.

After the breakfast crowd had left, Jeff hung a sign in the window, which read, “Closed today and tomorrow, Sunday, due to a family emergency.”

Jeff told Maria, when she came in, that her mother probably wanted to see her. Maria entered the herb shop and asked, “What’s happening, mom? The Crashdown is closed and Mr. Parker told me to come see you.”

“We were correct in saying that Liz was kidnapped, last night. The sheriff is investigating, but we have other ways of finding out what happened,” Amy said as she handed the medallion to Maria. “This is what warned us last night. When Jeff brought it to me it had burned out, but I have revived it. Maybe if we have strong faith, it will lead us to Liz. Get that friend of yours, Michael, to go with you and be careful. I don’t know if the crazy man is the cause of this or not,” Amy told her.

Since the Crashdown was closed, Michael was not working either, He drove as Maria concentrated on the medallion. At first, it felt warm in her hands. As they drove on the highway away from Roswell, it cooled and the glow diminished. They turned around and took another route. Again as they drove, Maria could feel the medallion cool. The third time as they drove out of town, Maria could feel the medallion get warmer. Suddenly, Michael hit his brakes without warning. Only her seatbelt and shoulder harness kept Maria from crashing into the dash. Maria looked out the window and there was a coyote standing in the road in front of them, just watching. The medallion started to cool. “Michael, what did we just pass?” Maria asked.

Michael turned around and saw a dirt road leading from the highway. There was a sign further up the road that he wasn’t near enough to read. Sitting on the sign were several crows. They were all cawing, a noise that could be heard even in the car. He turned the car around and started up the dirt road. When they got close to the sign, they read, “Eagle Rock Military Base. Keep out.” The crows were circling the sign. The medallion was so warm that it was almost burning Maria’s hand.

Michael stopped at the top of a hill and they saw a huge building in the valley. Michael had begun to get feelings that he didn’t like. They saw a jeep dispatched from the compound coming in their direction. Michael saw another coyote, but he was running away from the road like something very bad was chasing him. The crows with a final chorus of noise also flew away. Michael quickly turned around and, as fast as he could drive the Jetta, they left. “There is something there,” he stated. “It gives me bad vibes.”

Maria said softly, “Liz is there! Crows and coyotes can be both friends and enemies. This time, I feel they must have been friends. They were warning us of great danger.”

Maria told Amy and she called Jim Valenti. “Jim, it is good bet that Liz is being held at some place called Eagle Rock Military Base. Do you know anything about it?”

“I remember when I was a kid that is where we used to go deer hunting. They chased us out of that area many times. They, finally, told my old man that next time, they would go after him. Now I was willing to take my chances, but I couldn’t think of putting the old man in trouble, so we quit going around there,” Jim was musing. I wonder if old Charley Whitman knows anything about that place. It was said that in his day, he was some big cheese in the military, he had known something about the unit working in Roswell.

Hearing the words Eagle Rock brought back many memories, none of them pleasant. “That is the place where they studied the aliens from 1947. Why would they be interested in Liz? She plays around with that Hispanic magic, but she is no alien to my knowledge,” Charlie stated.

“That is just it, Charlie. Those kids know something they won’t tell me. See if you can convince your son to come clean with me. They are going to all need help, just like Liz does, if we don’t put a stop to this nonsense,” Jim implored.

After Jim Valenti left, Charles Whitman was worried. That damned Special Unit had never been up to any good. Now, Charles remembered stories that there was an even more clandestine unit within the special unit. The stories all called it the special, special unit. Charles was on the board which tried to put it out of business after that fiasco about the escaped alien. Charles remembered the senator screaming, “What the hell gives you the right to interfere with a creature from another planet? That is strictly the business of the Secretary of State. You don’t try to cut up foreigners you make treaties with them. Then if they want a fight let the president declare war. We can not have a bunch of half baked G-Men going around making policy!” Charles found that politics has many faces. Congressmen, while pledging you their support, would be making plans to undermine the whole situation. In the end, the whole discussion was tabled and classified. It wasn’t too long after that, that Charlie found himself in the private sector and he lost track of what happened to the Special Unit.

“Alexander Charles Whitman get in here!” he yelled.

Like most children, Alex knew that when they were using his whole name there was trouble. “What’s up, pop,” Alex thought best to make levity in this situation.

It was clear that Charles Whitman was not amused about anything. “Alex, are you still interested in that Isabel Evans girl?”

Alex was taken back. What did Isabel have to do with his father’s apparent emotion? “Yes, dad. We are still good friends; again, what is wrong?” he asked.

“Your friend, Liz, was kidnapped last night. What do you know about black SUVs?” his father demanded.

This was clearly a surprise to Alex. First, the conversation was about Isabel and then, it turned to Liz. “Dad, I have seen a lot of them around recently. I just thought they were some new business or the like. I was told that they had some interest in Max.” Alex reached into his shirt and carefully not taking out the love amulet, he showed his father the guardian. “Liz and Maria made these for the four of us. They did do something to help Max. Liz wasn’t that specific. When we got there, two men were rolling on the ground choking. We grabbed Max and fled the scene,” he explained. Then as an afterthought, “What was that you said about Liz being Kidnapped?”

“Liz was taken from her room last night. It was an expert job. They never wakened her parents and left no clues. Jim has some idea that they are holding her at Eagle Rock Military Base. Alex, that is a place where they studied Aliens. Remember, I told you Isabel was a special girl? Well, we don’t know why that group took Liz. At first, the sheriff thought that the crazy man was responsible for her troubles. He would be the one you tackled. Now, they both may be working together. The Black SUV men are alien hunters and they are after Max, Michael and Isabel. I have been tracking the three of them ever since they were found by the Evans family. I know that Liz and Maria are playing with a little harmless witchcraft. That shouldn’t interest men in black SUVs. You all must tell the sheriff the whole story. He will be responsible for getting Liz back.” Charlie trusted his boy Alex to make the right decision.

mary mary
begonia9508
keepsmiling7
L-J-L 76



Chapter 14

“Pus and boils,
Face that’s soiled,
Serf or Royals,
From his image he recoils.”

Mr. Blue was a young man with a pimply face. He had not had medical care when he was a teenager and his face was scared from acne. His duty had been to observe the subject to see if she had any unusual abilities. When he entered her cell, she started chanting that rhyme. He was present when she screamed at Mr. White that she had friends that were of this Earth but were unseen. White dismissed all of this as hokum. Mr. Blue wasn’t that sure. Was it any more ridiculous to believe in things of this earth that were unseen than to be hunting aliens?

Eventually, she tired of the chant and just lay there glaring. Blue couldn’t get the prickly feeling out of his face. He had always been self-conscious about his appearance. The thought of another acne attack bothered him a lot. With everything else on his mind, he suddenly saw the glowing web in the corner. White would have a fit is they allowed contamination to enter the labs. Blue went just outside the door of her room and found a janitor’s closet. He got a broom. He would remove the spider web and no one would know better of it. When he touched the web, like thousands of little golden spiders or maybe, like those tiny fire ants they have in Texas, something rushed down the broom handle. They were biting him and every bite was festering into a tiny white tipped boil. Blue coiled up on the floor moaning in pain. Liz struggled against her bonds and they slipped loose. She couldn’t do that yesterday because she had tried. Today, the bonds just slipped off. When she was standing, the swarm of golden points swarmed up her leg. She could see them crawling into her shirt pocket. When she finally looked into the pocket there was a small golden sphere lying there, nothing else was in her pocket.

Liz was free, but free to do what. Eagle Rock was a huge complex. It was several stories underground. Mr. Blue was lying on the floor of her prison and he had not secured the door when he returned with the broom, but once out, Liz had no idea of where she was or where she should go.

Back in Roswell, Amy was reading what Carlotta wrote about the medallion. Amy was having a little trouble with the Spanish every modifier to the word amuleto was plural. Now, Amy couldn’t reconcile that the singular form amuleto would have plural modifiers. Carlotta spoke of the Guardiáns, as if there were many of them, but they were part of the amuleto. As far as she could see, the medallion was just one piece. This was another question she wished she could ask Claudia.

The meeting had come to an impasse. On one side was Michael. He was determined that the aliens didn’t need to ask for help. “Look, we have always solved our own problems. The only humans we have ever turned to have been you, Liz and Maria. Any one else was considered to be too dangerous,” Michael stated.

“But, we told the Evans family about the aliens when Max was treating Maria. Now, maybe, we need more help. I know if you went to Philip or Diane Evans, they would say that we needed professional police help,” Alex returned.

This was the way the whole evening had gone. Alex was adamant about talking to the sheriff. Maria was sitting beside Michael, crying. Liz was her oldest friend and she didn’t know what to do. Maria, in her heart supported Michael, but she also wanted to bring Liz back. Other than a comment or two, Max and Isabel hadn’t said anything. Michael still felt that the sheriff represented the establishment, just as did the FBI. He was frightened that their secret would be revealed and they would spend the rest of their lives running.

“You three are all so worried about your secret, I just found out why my family moved here. My dad, retired from Military intelligence and was assigned to observe three immature aliens and report on their progress. He has known about you ever since you started school in the third grade. Pop was in the committee that disbanded the ‘Special Unit’ when they had that fiasco where Nasado escaped, killing those agents. Dad didn’t say so, but I got the idea that whoever he represents was just waiting until you reached what would be a legal age for humans. Then, they would approach you for official representation.” Alex had just laid a heavy load on all three aliens.

Michael looked up with a frown. “That means that you represent the enemy,” he growled.

“No, I am the boyfriend of Isabel. That is all. My father approached me and told me about Liz and the need to consult the sheriff,” Alex explained.

So far, Max had been quiet. Now he spoke up, “Tomorrow, Maria and I should visit the sheriff. Maria needs to explain what has been happening with the crazy man and I need to explain the alien happenings.”

Amy looked terrible as she walked into the Crashdown the next morning. She had already had an argument with Maria that morning. “Mom, are you sleeping at all?” Maria asked.

“Not much. I am studying Claudia’s interpretation of Carlotta’s writings. I have been reading about some beings who are very dangerous. Their isn’t a lot of knowledge about them in Carlotta’s writing. Carlotta warned Claudia over and over about consulting these creatures,” Amy explained.

“Mom, you haven’t crossed the line Claudia wrote about, have you?” Maria exclaimed.

Amy looked at Maria, “Baby, I had to. They were the only ones who knew anything about Liz. The reason that Claudia says very little about the medallion is that it is close to these possibly dangerous creatures. Liz has broken out of the room where they were keeping her, but she is still locked up in the facility and hasn’t found a way out, yet.”

This all happened before Amy had gone over to the restaurant to see the sheriff for their morning coffee meetings. She had been going to the restaurant more and more regularly. Amy was worried about what had happened to Liz, what was happening to Maria and the strange things she was sensing in general. Amy was also, really starting to look forward to seeing Jim every morning.

As said before, Jim used his morning coffee as the stabilization of his day. The members of the community all nodded as he walked into the restaurant. They knew that he was on duty. The talks with Amy were like adrenalin to his soul. He had noticed that she was becoming more and more regular in meeting him. He couldn’t help but wonder if this wasn’t some attraction to his person.

This morning, the appearance of Amy was disturbing. Her hair was in disarray, there were dark circles under her eyes, she was jumpy, like maybe, she was on drugs. Jim didn’t think this was the case because once she had told Jim how she hated seeing those around her in Taos who were loosing their lives to chemicals. Jim stood as she approached the table.

“Liz has escaped the room where they were holding her,” Amy stated.

Jim looked at her strangely. “Just how do you know this?” he inquired.

“Jim, don’t ask me. It is one of those things that Carlotta wrote about,” she replied.

“Amy, just how much of this magic stuff do you really believe in? It has always been known that Carlotta was a wise woman in herbs. It was always rumored that she dealt in other, darker things,” Jim said as he privately worried about the lady before him.

“Jim, you are a policeman. You know things about the actions of people. Maybe you can tell if they are lying or not. You have a certain skill with firearms. You have been taught about laws. Well, it is the same for me. I came to Roswell with the lore I learned from my grandmother. The women running the herb shop saw this and they asked Claudia if they could hire me to work with them. Claudia knew she was going to die too soon. She worked hard teaching me things she had learned from Carlotta. Yes, there were warnings about dangerous things, just like there were warnings about certain herbs, which could be misused. It was also said that if the situation was dire enough, the beings could be powerful allies. I think the situation is dire, or scary, if you prefer that word. Liz is in the hands of dangerous and powerful enemies. They are enemies of the curandera sister-hood and also, of certain others who are with Liz and Maria.” Amy had given Jim a long speech and he was digesting it slowly. Amy continued, “Maria and Max are going to come in to tell you the whole story today.” Amy left without touching her coffee and that worried Jim even more.

It was noon when Max and Maria entered the sheriff’s office. They had to wait a few minutes because he was busy. The deputy said that the sheriff was interviewing someone. The door opened and the sheriff was standing in the door. “That is why we are here sheriff. There is one part of the intelligence community who is very interested in the aliens. They sent me with my family to keep tabs on the young aliens. They intend to wait until they become of age. Then, they want to make a treaty with them.” Maria was sure she should know the voice in the office. Jim Valenti just motioned for Max and Maria to enter.

Max and Maria entered and took a seat. The man the sheriff was talking to was Alex’s father, Charles Whitman. Maria was surprised. Alex’s father knew all about the aliens. Well, she might have some surprises for him in regard to the brujas.

Maria started the conversation. “Sheriff, Liz was being held at the Eagle Rock Military facility. She has escaped her cell, but she is still lost in the building,” Maria stated.

“That is what your mother said. Just how do you know this is true?” the sheriff asked.

“Did you ever see the medallion Liz wears around her neck?” Maria inquired.

“Yes, the day when she was shot, I saw the medallion glowing. I didn’t mention it to anyone because I didn’t think it was important. I know you kids are always playing around with magic or something like that. We found the medallion destroyed in the corner of her room. I handed it back to Jeff,” the sheriff replied.

“The medallion is not dead. I guess you would say that it was exhausted. The kidnappers must have ripped it from her neck and thrown it in that corner. Part of the medallion followed Liz as they took her. Mom revived the medallion. Don’t ask me how. She still claims that this knowledge is too dangerous for Liz and me to know. Michael and I used the medallion to locate Liz. Right now, the medallion is again protecting Liz,” Maria informed the sheriff.

“Let me get this straight, the medallion protects Liz and it also helped you and Michael find her? Just where is this medallion now?” the sheriff inquired.

Maria reached into her purse and withdrew the medallion. It was a dull gold in color. It seemed to be nothing more than an old dull coin.

“If the medallion is here, how is it protecting Liz?” the sheriff inquired.

Maria took a deep breath, “Liz could explain this better, but Liz isn’t here. The Medallion is in many places at once. Exactly what it is doing, is what mom is trying to understand. The explanation is all in Spanish and mom says the Spanish is of a very old style. Mom won’t let us know this knowledge. She says we aren’t mature enough, yet. Michael and I drove around the country with me holding the medallion. Every direction except for one the medallion got cool as I held it. That direction was toward the Eagle Rock Military facility. Someway, the medallion told mom that Liz has escaped from her cell and is wandering around the Eagle Rock place,” Maria concluded.

The sheriff turned to Max. “Mr. Whitman has explained that you and Isabel are aliens. Is that so?” he asked.

Max looked at the sheriff, this was the moment he had most dreaded after revealing his status to his folks. The sheriff represented the establishment. He represented the government. As long as Max could remember, the government had been the enemy. All the movies and stories they had read all pointed to the fact that someone wanted to study them. Studying a biological specimen usually meant dissection at some point.

Sheriff, Jim Valenti, in talking to Alex’s father, had learned that the killings and problems related to aliens in the past were not of Max’s doing. Rather, that originally Max and the others had protectors. The protectors had reacted to what they thought of as threats to the infant charges in their possession. “Max, Mr. Whitman has assured me that there are many factions within the alien hunters. He represents a faction, who intend to treat with you as a representative of a foreign government, when you come of age as, we recognize it. They mean you no harm. Now, can you explain the things that have been happening to you the last few months?” he asked.

“As you know, there have been several attacks on Liz Parker. I have used my powers to protect her as much as possible. There was an attack on Maria and Michael defended her. Then, he brought her to me to heal. Alex tried to do the same thing to protect Isabel, but he had no powers except for his feelings for her. That seemed to be enough.” Max was trying to explain, but he still wasn’t comfortable telling the sheriff everything.

At what they did tell him, the sheriff nodded. “This brings up, how are we going to rescue Liz Parker?” he asked.

begonia9508
mary mary
XAF RU208
L-J-L 76

Thanks to XAF RU208 for advice about retired airforce uniforms and civilian jobs.

Chapter 15

Charles Whitman stirred in his chair. Most of what Max said, he already knew. He was a little taken back at Maria’s story. Charles was a military man. He could assimilate information about aliens much better than beliefs in witchcraft. Alex brought home stories about the activities of Liz and Maria, but to Charles they were like girls playing with “Ouija” boards, when he was back in high school. Maria was implying that what she believed, was much more powerful. “If Maria is correct and I think we, at this point have no choice, but to agree she is, then, we need to confront the unit at Eagle Rock and demand Liz’s release as a trespasser. Max and the other aliens should stay away, but if I, along with the sheriff and maybe Maria, go there and say we heard that Liz had been caught trespassing and we demand her release, they might back down. As long as they do not feel trapped, I do not think they will harm her.” Charles Whitman felt that he was pretty sure in reading the mind-set of the special, special unit.

Amy agreed to allow Maria to go with the sheriff only if she also, came with him. Charles Whitman was dressed in a business suit. It would not be proper to wear a uniform when he was, essentially, representing the State Department. It was afternoon when the sheriff’s SUV rolled down the road passing the many no trespassing signs. Jim Valenti noted that there were several ravens on the signs. Ravens and crows were common in that part of New Mexico, but there were an extraordinarily large number of them along this desolate road. Amy and Maria saw the birds, but didn’t say anything. As Jim approached the hilltop where Michael had turned around the time before, he saw the building complex below. He, also, saw a coyote just sitting on a mound of dirt created by rats making their nest. Like the ravens, coyotes were common. They were seldom seen in the daytime and when seen, they were usually going somewhere. This coyote was sitting on the mound and watching. This was something strange. Maria looked at her mama and shrugged. Amy understood. To the Bruja, nature was considered a close ally. As they started down the hill toward the complex, Jim leaned over and turned on his red light. They all could see that a jeep had started out the entrance, meaning to turn them around, but the jeep suddenly stopped and went back behind the fence leaving the gate open.

Jim accepted the open gate as an invitation, so he drove right in and up to the entrance of the complex. Jim got out of his SUV and an African American man in a black suit advanced to meet him. “Sheriff, I am sure you know that this is a secured military facility,” the man stated.

Charles Whitman got out of the SUV and handed the man his credentials. “Mr. White, we believe that a young lady is lost somewhere in your complex,” Charles stated.

After seeing Mr. Whitman’s credentials, the man showed no surprise that Charles knew the name he was going under. “I assure you that this facility is completely secure. It would be impossible for any child to enter, much less become lost here.”

Jim spoke up, “Right now, we just want the young lady returned. We are not here to investigate how she got here, at this time.”

Mr. White’s eyes narrowed. “I tell you that it would be impossible for anyone to enter this place without permission,” he growled. Mr. White saw that Sheriff Valenti’s Beretta was in its holster, but the safety strap was undone.

Charles spoke up. “Mr. White, you saw my credentials and I am several security grades above you.” Charles saw two soldiers now standing just outside the entrance with their rifles at ready. “I don’t think these young men want to be responsible for shooting a representative of the United States State Department either,” Charles fairly shouted to make sure the soldiers heard who he was.

Things were getting confusing. Someone had to break first. Then, Maria and Amy exited the vehicle. The soldiers looked at one another. They were not in the Air Force to shoot women. Amy and Maria didn’t say anything; they just stood there. Maria turned to face her mother and took both of her hands. They were heard to start a chant.

Bird and wolf
Howl and caw.
Your sister is lost
Within this maw.

They repeated this over and over. All of the men were watching the women. They failed to see the crows or ravens circling in the sky. One time long ago while out hunting, Jim saw a crow in a fight with a hawk. The crow was so intent on the hawk, that it didn’t see the power line. The crow hit the wire and broke his wing. His cries were hideous, but the results were terrifying. The sky became filled with crows all screaming at once. The same thing was happening this time. All of the men were now staring at the sky. They failed to see a small lady come running out of the complex and into the arms of Amy and Maria. She was wearing a white smock and white pants. Even though the area was filled with crushed rocks, she ran with bare feet to the safety of the women and the three of them got back into the SUV.

Jim had to chuckle. The hurt bird had called for help and nature had answered. “I don’t think we need anything else at this time. Mr. White, tell your boys to watch their step when they are in town. Give us an excuse and we will pick you up. We don’t always listen to the federal government out here.”

Jim and Charles carefully backed up, never taking their eyes off the men in front of them. Once in the SUV, they left scattering gravel on everyone standing there.

Amy was more or less holding Liz in her lap as Maria was spreading an ointment, that Maria had gotten from her mother’s purse on Liz’s cut feet. When Liz could sit alone, Amy handed her the medallion. Liz reached into her pocket and withdrew the golden sphere. After placing the sphere on the medallion, the three women watched the sphere melt into the medallion. Charles hadn’t turned around and Jim only saw part of this in his rear-view mirror as he tried to concentrate on his driving. At the top of the hill, again he saw the coyote sitting watching as they passed. This was mighty unlikely behavior for those kinds of animals. Little was said as they returned to Roswell.

Liz’s feet were still very sore so Charles Whitman carried her up stairs to the living quarters over the Crashdown. Jim stayed downstairs talking to Jeff Parker. “I don’t care who they were, I am just so glad you brought her back safely,” Jeff said.

“We couldn’t do anything to those we think took her, but you might want to have a heart to heart talk with that young lady. There is more to this than you know. Get Liz to explain,” Jim stated.

Jeff thought this was rather cryptic, but Jim wouldn’t budge. Jeff needed a closer relationship with his daughter. This was one way to assure that.

Back at Eagle Rock Facility, White was addressing the other men. “Where did that bastard Whitman come from? He is the one who crippled the Special Unit before. He is one of those ‘alien lovers!’”

“Do we give up?” Mr. Black asked.

“Give up and face Pierce?” White asked. “We just work harder. There has to be a way we can use the ‘nutcase’ to distract the sheriff and Whitman. We need to get him to fighting with the Deluca women and that Parker girl. If we can get him to create enough fuss, then no one will notice when we grab the three aliens.” White really did not like to use people like Tommy Jones. Mental cases were dangerous to everyone. You could never predict how they would act in any certain situation. White did not have any care about what happened to Jones as long as Jones distracted the two men who had confronted him today.

Liz was now walking. The salve Maria had rubbed on her feet caused them to heal fast. She was limping a little as she and Maria entered Amy’s shop of hope. “Mom, Mr. Parker said you wanted to see us,” Mara said.

Amy had pulled out two chairs. “Maria, Liz, please sit down for a minute,” she directed them.

“What is up, mom?” Maria asked.

“I need to make two guardians. These are going to be special. Carlotta warns against this, but she also states that they are powerful protectors.” With that, Amy clipped a lock from each girl’s head.

“Can we watch, Mrs. DeLuca?” Liz asked.

“No,” Amy replied. “When I am gone you girls can research Carlotta’s writings. Now, I need to be alone to face what I must. After the girls had returned to their jobs in the Crashdown, Amy went to work. She fashioned two dolls of paraffin. The dolls were almost transparent, because the paraffin was so pure. Amy worked a lock of hair into each doll. As she molded the warm wax, the dolls took on a remarkable likeness to the two girls. Finally, almost exhausted, Amy repeated the Rosary, she had learned from her youth. The purpose of the prayer was to purify Amy’s mind. For the next step, Amy wanted her mind to be as pure as possible.

Many religions admit to evil forces in the world. Some believe these forces to be the evil within the individual. Other beliefs, define these forces and name them. Be these forces Satan, the described opposite of the God of Christianity and Islam, or more confusing spirits like Loki in the Norse beliefs and Set from the Egyptians, men through the ages have feared something evil that they must strive against, but by themselves can never defeat. Thus supplications must be given to entities of good. Many nature religions, which are probably closer to the roots of Brujaria, see spirits, much like men capable of both good and evil. They might be like coyote who many of the Native Americans see as both the being who laughs at the foibles of men and is always waiting to trip them up, or he can be an ally if you can turn him against your opponent, thus on your side. That is what Amy was approaching. She was seeking this power, not for herself, but to protect Maria and Liz.

Carlotta wrote of this and she included other writings she had obtained which agreed. Properly approached, there were powers, which could be powerful allies. Amy carefully took the two wax figures out side Late that night. She collected several pieces of aromatic piñon wood with hardened sap running down the sides, from which she built a small fire. She cast the two images into the flames and a smoke rose up in the almost still night. Amy, for the minute had done all that she could.

First of all, Amy was a mother. The birth of Maria had broken the chain of events, which destroyed many of those Amy knew from her earlier days in the hippy community. Protecting Maria and her closest friend, Liz, was of primary importance. Amy was the beneficiary of all of Carlotta’s knowledge. Claudia had named Amy as the person to carry this knowledge to her own granddaughter. Claudia had also included Maria in this bequest. As the two Hispanic ladies had stated, “When a family dies, without heirs, a large body of knowledge is lost.” Progress was a cruel enemy to ancient knowledge. Amy felt that facing the danger was worth the risk to protect both Maria and Liz. Amy felt that both Carlotta and Claudia would have approved.

The smoke rose and was dissipated in the night air. In the apartments above the Crashdown, Liz was soundly sleeping. As the now invisible smoke drifted into her room, Liz was seen to smile. For a brief instant, her medallion glowed with a greeting of new allies in its fight to protect the great granddaughter of Carlotta. Some distance away, but closer to the origin of the smoke, the indivisible tendrils drifted into Maria’s bedroom. For a second, the smoke circled. Then, it spotted a turquoise ring that Maria had found in a pawnshop. Maria had paid less than fifty dollars for the ring. It was clearly very old. The stone of blue-green was laced with impurities, which gave it a web pattern. The invisible smoke flowed into the stone and it could now be seen that the webbing was sparkling. No it wouldn’t sparkle all the time, but soon Maria would learn that her ring had some acquired depth. Carlotta’s heirs now had increased protection.

L-J-L 76
XAF RU208
mary mary Our government left our laws and the constitution long ago
Begonia9508


Chapter 16

Max, Michael and Isabel were sitting in the Evans’s living room. “I guess we are going to have to see the ‘magic,’ Maria and Liz use is comparable to our powers,” Max stated.

“But, they use all that ritual and potions. How can we compare that to what we do?” Michael inquired.

Isabel had been quietly thinking. “I wonder what the first of our people thought when they discovered powers?” she asked. “Did they see this as something natural that everyone could use or did the powers develop as special knowledge that only a few possessed. Was it seen to those who could not do it as some kind of Magic?” Isabel continued to inquire.

“I think the question is how we can combine all of our gifts to protect ourselves from both the crazy man and the black suits,” Max stated.

“You promised!” the quivering man cried. “You promised I could have the young witch to kill! If I am going to ever be a witch hunter, I need to kill something.”

Mr. White looked down, trying to keep the extreme distain out of his voice. “Circumstances forced us to let her go. We were confronted by powerful warlocks even we couldn’t fight. We will still help you. Here, Kneel down. We will give you a blessing,” he said.

White glared at the other men. He hated this mumbo jumbo as much as they did, but he had a plan. Earlier he had told them. “We need to embolden this freak enough for him to start an all out war with the girls. That will distract the law and maybe, the aliens, so we can drop down and nab all three of them. This time when we have the aliens, we go straight to ‘Area 51.’ No more playing on turf that the law is familiar with.”

Under Mr. White’s glaring eyes, the other men gathered around. White placed his hands on Tommy’s head. At his frown, the other man placed their hands on top of his. “By the powers invested in me I claim power for this men to apply his whole life to the destruction of any and all witches using super-natural power in the area of Roswell. He will give his life, if need be, to accomplish his mission. If he looses his life, he will be remembered forever as the greatest witch hunter in history,” Mr. White intoned.

When he was finished his men didn’t know whether to say, amen, so be it, or what. Mr. Green had grown up in Catholic school and he found himself uneasy. Green had taken part in the removal of many of what he saw as his countries enemies. This blessing was like making a pact with the devil. He was very uncomfortable as were several of the others.

“..looses his life,” had gone right past Tommy. The “greatest witch hunter in history,” now that was something to try for. Like fanatical martyrs before him, he left with no concept of of danger to himself. Tommy would now attack the witches directly without fear.

Max was in his room, lying on his bed. The sheriff had rescued Liz without any help from him. His hands went into his shirt. There was a cold feeling from the new guardian Liz had given him. Max didn’t know what to believe. When he was attacked directly, something had arisen to protect him. He couldn’t explain what it was and neither could the girls. Liz and Maria were just adamant that the three aliens wear the guardians and not take them off, except to shower. Max had seen Liz approach Isabel. “Izzy, do you strongly care for Alex?” Liz had asked.

This made Isabel think deeply. She had never voiced a deep care for anyone except for Max and Michael, who she considered her brothers. It was hard to form the words, but Alex, without thought for himself, had come to her rescue. Humans had never done that for her before. It was hard for the ice queen to make her final decent from her throne. “Yes, I care for him very much,” she stated finally.

Maria spoke up. “Alex is without any powers or magic. Mom won’t let us do it, but she needs to make him an especially strong guardian,” Maria stated, her eyes on Isabel.

Liz held out her hand. “Isabel please let me see your love amulet for a moment.” Liz took the silk bag and carefully opened it.

This was the first time Isabel had thought what the silk bag contained. Looking over Liz’s shoulder, Isabel saw several shaving of aromatic wood. She saw several small juniper berries along with some shriveled up white berries that she could not identify, but Liz said they were mistletoe berries. Liz took an envelope from her pocket and carefully extracted several short hairs. Liz looked up at Isabel, “These are hairs from Alex. Maria and I keep several on hand in case we need to make something to protect him.” Liz next took a small vial and poured some sparkling dust into the silken bag. “These powders are from Mrs. DeLuca. They will magnify the power of the amulet.” Liz was deadly serious and she stretched across the open silk cloth and took both of Isabel’s hands. “Izzy, This will greatly increase your bond to Alex. You have to be careful. The amulet will strengthen the safety for both of you, but it will greatly magnify the attraction you now have for each other. You have to be careful that the amulet, when closed, doesn’t lead you and Alex to take your interest, in each other, further than you are ready,” Liz stated.

She released Isabel’s hands and sat watching her. Isabel slowly nodded. “Good,” Liz said and quickly retied the ribbon, which secured the amulet.

Maria took a small pair of scissors from her pocket. “Isabel, we need one more thing,” Maria stated.

Isabel looked at both the girls with question. “What more do you want?” she asked.

Looking Isabel in the eye, Liz said, “We need a lock of your hair.”

Isabel nodded and Maria proceeded to carefully comb the long strands of blonde hair. Maria finally selected three strands and carefully cut them. “I don’t want to damage the root as the hair must still leave something of itself with you. Maria carefully placed the strands in an envelope Liz was holding.

The girls turned to Max, “Mom built a stronger guardian for you, Max,” Maria said. “I hope you do not mind, but it contains something from Liz. You are also, going to have to watch your passions, but it will afford you protection when you need it.” That is what Max was contemplating as he lay in bed holding the small bag.

Max had bowed his head as Maria placed the leather thong, holding the small bag, around his neck. Max did not notice that Liz was careful not to touch the bag itself. Maria had held it from the time Amy had given it to them with instructions. The girls left to seek Alex.

The slender Alex, with almost double jointed ability, was showing off for several students. Alex could slip through his arms wrapped around himself. This amazed some of the students and disgusted others. Liz and Maria had warned him about doing this many times. Liz grabbed him by his sleeve and dragged him to a table some distance from the crowd.

Maria admonished him. “Alex, quit acting like a freak. We know you have that ability so you do not need to show off. We have some hard questions for you.” Alex became worried by her tone.

“Alex, we finally gave you an amulet. Now, we need to be clear about your intentions and feelings toward Isabel,” Liz stated.

Alex stuttered. “I am very fond of Isabel,” he said.

“Look Alex, we know boys sometimes get carried away when they overcome their shyness. If you were to now play the field, you would hurt Isabel very much,” Liz told him.

“Liz, Maria, how could you think such things? I am really fond of Isabel. Maybe I am even in love with her. I never have been in love before. Anyway, I would never do anything to hurt her,” Alex indignantly stated.

“Alex, Max, Michael and Isabel have their alien powers. Liz and I have our knowledge of Carlotta. You are the most unprotected. We need to increase your protection, but it will also increase the power of your love amulet. If you are not careful, you and Isabel could easily go further than you are ready. Both of you are going to have to consider whether it is your natural feelings or the amulet which is ruling you,” Maria softly told him.

What did this mean? The guy part of Alex was always poised to jump into someone’s bed. Alex in the reality, had never had that chance. The nurturing he had received from his parents to be considerate of others, ruled that he should do nothing until he was sure it was right. The fact that the girls were telling him that he must also assume responsibility for Isabel’s actions made a quantum leap toward responsibility and adulthood. “I would never do anything without thinking about it. I would never, purposely do anything to hurt Isabel,” was his answer.

The girls nodded and Liz commanded, “Give me your amulet, Alex.”

Alex slipped the leather thong from his neck and handed the amulet to Liz. Liz and Maria bent over the amulet as they carefully untied the ribbon. They spread the small piece of leather and Alex also saw several pieces sweet smelling wood and some sparkling dust. Maria slipped the hairs from the envelope and twisted them into a small ring. She placed this on top of the contents of the amulet. Liz took another vial of sparkling dust and carefully added it to the small pile. Liz and Maria carefully retied the leather into a small bag and handed the amulet back to Alex.

Alex slipped the thong over his head and turned to the girls. “I don’t feel anything different,” he stated.

Maria grimaced. “You won’t, Alex until you and Isabel are making out or if either of you are endangered. Then, you will have to remember this is a powerful totem.

Liz didn’t accompany Maria when she talked to Michael. Maria had told her that this was going to be difficult. Michael had accepted the guardian, mostly as a favor to Maria. Was he going to consider the offer of the new guardian, which was tied up with attraction to her or would he refuse, stating that she was trying to trap him.

Amy had carefully explained to both girls that the new guardians tied the entire group together. If one of them was hurt or threatened, the whole group would feel it. They all would now be each other’s protection.

“Michael,” Maria began. “Alex and Isabel know where they stand toward each other. Max and Liz have declared how they feel about each other. They all have agreed to wear a special guardian which protects all of us together. We have only been together a few times. The new guardian has an affect on relationships. You probably saved my life when I was being strangled. I will always thank you. Mom cooked up a strong guardian for you, but she explained that I must talk with you first. You are the first guy I was ever serious about. I, also, know that you someday might want to sample other fruits of love. It would be unfair for me to entrap you with this guardian. As mom said, I want to offer it to you, but I will try to understand if you do not want that responsibility.”

Michael sat there for several minutes. He was looking at the small leather bag, which this time was tied by a silver wire. Maria was the first girl he had ever known at all, except for Isabel. Isabel was always considered his sister and he had never had any feelings for her, like he was developing toward Maria. In Michael’s mind, he was thinking, “What was being trapped? He had been trapped in his isolation. He had been trapped in his refusal to attend school. Michael had taken a job, promised his teachers to change, all because of Maria. Had she trapped him or had she liberated him?”

This was what Maria feared. Maria desperately wanted a relationship like she saw with Alex and Isabel or Liz and Max. She always felt safe when she was with Michael. Maybe he was not mature enough or maybe not secure enough to form a relationship. Maria could well imagine that Michael hadn’t even had the rudimentary affection, which a child should have growing up. Maria watched Michael toy with the small bag. Was he having trouble telling her that he wasn’t ready for any of that? Maria reached for the bag. “That is all right, Michael. I will understand,” she said.

Instead of letting her take the leather bag, Michael’s fingers closed about her hand. “You say that this amulet contains something of you and if I wear it, I will be drawn to you even stronger?” he asked.

“Yes, Michael, but I understand,” Maria again said, this time tearfully.

“No Maria, I don’t think you do understand. You are the first good thing that has happened to me since I found Isabel and Max,” Michael explained as he slipped the amulet over his head to lie against the guardian she had given him before. Michael drew Maria to him and they were kissing as Maria realized that she had also accepted him, Michael charm and all.
--------------------
Stories by Ken

My next story finds the characters of Roswell aged and dispersed. All of the activities of the episodes and in the many books have had their toll on these senior people. The magic of life is that there are young people, their children and grandchildren, who as a patrol of "Young Scouts" who come forth and bring healing to their seniors as the original characters of Roswell bring pride, wisdom and love to the scouts. "I Heard You Calling," is now finished and as soon as Carole has time to edit it, I will start posting. kr

keepsmiling7
begonia9508
mary mary


Chapter 17

Amy did not have a formal education. She had run away before even finishing high school. The time spent with her grandmother was mostly spent in the woods and listening to the lore her grandmother had learned. The education, her grandmother had given her, was to listen to those who were wise. That well served Amy when she met Claudia. Claudia was a professor of Anthropology. She had been studying folklore for so long she understood very well the oral tradition of learning. Claudia’s years with Carlotta were filled with tales, but they were also filled with a very special library. To a historian or to a book collector, Carlotta’s collection of old Spanish writing would have been worth a fortune. To Carlotta, the collection was her life.

Carlotta was 16 when she married Stuart Parker. Stuart was a business man in the young town of Roswell. Señor Rudolpho Gutierrez was in failing health. He dearly loved his only daughter, Carlotta. If he died, he knew that Carlotta would be married off to some man of wealth and position by his family. Women of that day did not have many choices in life. They mainly existed to further the position of their families. Señor Gutierrez had been lucky. He met Carlotta’s mother at her quinceanera, that is her 15th birthday, when she had become of age. Señor Gutierrez was from a big powerful family. He was the wild one. One dance with the young Señorita, the return of a passionate kiss and he swept her up on his fiery horse. A dash to the nearest church, with the blessing of the priest, they were married. Unfortunately, their marriage was not destined to be long. After the birth of one child, Carlotta, her mother survived only a few years.

When his health began to ebb, Rudolpho saw the greed in his family. They might have shunned the fiery young man in life but they were very willing to make use of his daughter in a valuable political marriage. Their power assured that no Hispanic youth would contest their decision. Unlike men of his time, Rudolpho talked to his daughter plainly. Knowing that she only had choice as long as her father lived, Carlotta carefully looked at the eligible men of Roswell.

Stuart Parker was in his twenties, he was handsome and a close friend of her father’s. Stuart and Rudolpho played chess every Wednesday morning. Because of his friendship with Rudolpho, Stuart had always been very circumspect with Carlotta. He knew that the Hispanics were very protective with their families. It was Carlotta who approached Stuart. “Señor Parker,” she began. “You are a friend of my father’s. You are a man of education and knowledge. I think you are also a man who understands that you need a family.” Carlotta stood proud as she next said. “I am a woman of reasonable beauty and I have always respected knowledge and learning. Do you think you might approach my father and request my hand in marriage?”

That floored Stuart. Through the years he had known Rudolpho, he had teased the child who watched the many chess games. The child was no longer a child. She now was a woman. He knew of Rudolpho’s failing health and they had talked many times about his fear for Carlotta. Stuart knew that when Rudolpho died, as a gringo, he would have no influence on the Hispanic customs. Stuart looked again at the proud Carlotta standing in her total height of a little over five feet. Reasonable beauty was not the correct adjective. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Stuart had just not allowed himself to see her that way before.

Stuart took her hands and gazed into her eyes. “Are you sure that there are not other men, you might not better consider?”

Carlotta slowly shook her head. “Señor, I would make you a good wife. I think you would allow me the freedom to study and learn and not just be a decoration.”

It was asked, said and done. Much to the Gutierrez family’s chagrin, Carlotta was no longer a pawn for power. For the times, her life with Stuart was good. He learned of her herb studies and respected that. His background did not allow him to completely understand her deeper studies, but because he had learned to deeply love her, he accepted them.

Maybe it was the brief life of her mother or the death of her father, but Carlotta no longer trusted in just oral tradition. She wanted things more permanent. Stuart took her on many trips. She scoured the bookshops of Mexico. She returned to her family and carefully learned the secrets handed down. Carlotta wrote prodigiously. She found in the young professor, Claudia, a kindred spirit. She found someone who would carry on the knowledge she had amassed. It was almost like fate repeating itself when Claudia met Amy. Almost like Carlotta had returned.

Now, Amy was alone without anyone to turn to for guidance. She had crossed one of the lines that Claudia had warned of. Claudia had been raised in the Jewish faith, but she understood the Catholic background of the knowledge she now had. Claudia realized that when traveling dangerous paths, one must hold on to a strong faith. That was what she left Amy with. That was what Amy held on to as she sought protection for her daughter and Claudia’s heir. Amy had approached the dark powers to obtain protection for the two girls. Now, she had another question. Could she make a guardian for the sheriff, Jim? By design, the guardian must have something of Amy within. Testing the dark powers for the safety of her girls was one thing, did she have the right to tempt this power for her own pleasure.

To his disappointment, Amy was absent for several days at morning coffee. Jim sorely missed the lady. He knew that she had many concerns with the dangers Maria and Liz had faced. Jim was surprised one morning, when he entered the café. Amy was waiting for him at a secluded booth. On impulse, Jim leaned over and kissed the woman. It was a toss-up as to who was the most surprised.

Jim was embarrassed, but Amy looked worried. “Jim, I know you do not believe in magic. A lawman must believe only in what he can prove. I hope you saw at the government place that there is something out here that you do not understand. Those ravens and crows, not to mention the coyote, all were nature giving back to those who care for it. The guardian, which protected Max the other night, was a type of nature which did not like someone strange tampering with it. Guardians are not passive. They only work if they are supported. Carlotta’s skunks came because she thought she was in danger from the tax collector. The other night, the skunks came again because Carlotta’s granddaughter and a girl who will jointly inherit Carlotta’s heritage, were in danger.

Amy sat for a few minutes. Jim was not sure what she was getting at, but he had learned patience years ago as a boy while hunting. If you just sit long enough in likely territory, game will come by. Now likely territory was Amy’s presence. What game was she presenting? Jim watched as she took a small box from her pocket. She carefully unwrapped it. Amy took out a small beaded bag. It was about two inches wide and maybe three or four long. The bag was gathered at the top and fastened by a silver wire. Amy held out the bag to him. Jim took the bag and examined it. He started to fool with the wire and Amy quickly stated. “Jim, if you open it, all it contains will be lost. It must forever remain closed. If you wear it, many things will happen. First, if your are in trouble it will help you. It won’t fight your battles for you, but it will aid you. It will let you know if the any of the children are in trouble. It doesn’t like the crazy man and it doesn’t like the men in black SUVs,” Amy recounted to him.

“Amy, you talk like it was alive and could think,” Jim said.

“Whether or not it is alive is debatable. It can’t think. It can only do what it is made to do. There are some side effects though,” Amy said with down cast eyes.

Jim frowned, “Side effects, Amy. What kind of side effects?”

Amy looked at him across the table. “How long have we been meeting in the morning, having our coffee together and talking?” she asked.

“I don’t know, a couple years, maybe,” he answered.

“Did you ever think that maybe, you might want something more?” she asked.

“Amy, I am a law officer. I work terrible hours. We both are struggling to raise teens with out help. I always figured that neither of us had time for any other relationship.” Jim answered.

“Jim, this guardian is related to the love amulets the girls sell. If you have any interest in a woman, it will increase this interest. There is much of me in the amulet. If by some chance the attraction was for me, then the amulet would be very powerful. Think before you take it. It offers protection, but it offers other things as well,” Amy explained.

Jim reached for the bag. “Amy, I think I can handle an understanding romance if you can. Just don’t expect me to wear this where the men can see it,” he laughed.

Amy only smiled, “No Jim, this amulet is only for us. It is not meant to be public.”

It would be for Alex and Isabel to first feel the power of the new guardians. They had been to a movie. Alex had borrowed his mother’s car. It had been Isabel’s turn to choose the show. She had picked a romantic movie that they barely were allowed to attend. Neither she nor Alex had ever been to a NC-17 movie before. It had been only Chris, a friend of Alex’s from the chess club, who admired the fact that Alex had been able to land the ice queen. If Alex could date a girl like Isabel, then there was hope for all geeks. Chris had been ordered by his boss to check ID’s from anyone who looked like they might still be in high school. To Chris, If this movie helped Alex to reach what was before unobtainable, he was all for it.

The partial nudity, the sighs and the implied movements underneath the sheets all moved something in both Alex and Isabel. When they returned to his car, Isabel was almost purring, her head against his shoulder. Alex had not even dated very much. Taking Maria or Liz to a movie, because they didn’t want to go alone, didn’t count. The teasing of the two girls as they all hit puberty had stirred him, but not towards them. Now, with a deep breath, Alex turned off the street to the alley behind the park. No, Alex had never done anything like this before, even in his dreams.

Tommy saw the warlock with the girl. He knew that his new friends wanted the girl. They said she was not part of this Earth and should not be allowed to roam free. She was not one of the witches. His new friends had told him to do as he wished with the witches, but the others were theirs.

Tommy watched the couple. The girl had her head on the warlocks shoulder and Tommy could imagine what would happen later. Tommy was starting to have feelings, which with his anti social behavior, might lead to him becoming a rapist. Enough of that, Tommy was searching for witches tonight. Tommy thought the two witches were attractive. Would it be wrong for Tommy to explore feelings that were just now forming, before he killed them. Tommy thought back to all the comics. Did the witch hunter ever play with his prey? Tommy couldn’t remember any occasion in the comics. Perhaps the witch hunter had other avenues to explore natural feeling. The witches were probably too dangerous for Tommy to dally with. They must be killed quickly. That is unless his new friends could guarantee their security. Tommy had developed these thoughts when his friends told him that he could do what ever he wanted with the witch they were holding. Of course, mighty powers had freed her.

The attraction Alex and Isabel had for each other was very strong. There wasn’t a murmur from Izzy when she saw him drive behind the park. There was only one reason that a boy took a girl here. The warmth of her amulet increased her passion. Neither Alex nor Isabel thought that the amulet was warning them of something. Their passions were running wild. Alex had not yet reached to point in his social life where he would carry a condom. They were both going into this without any thought or protection. Their breathing was deep and as they both strove to undress the other, there was no thought except for the raw passion.

“Hanson, I am going to take another turn about town. I have uneasy feelings about tonight,” Jim called out as he returned to his car. Hanson would close down the office and any dispatching would be done by the state police. In small towns late at night, it didn’t pay to maintain 24 hour radio contact. Jim turned his radio to the state law enforcement band. He called in 10-8 which placed him on their log.

Jim just couldn’t rid himself of the uneasiness tonight. He cruised the familiar streets. The only thing he saw was the Whitman boy heading to the Evans house. As a single father of a son, Jim might have a different value judgment than would Isabel’s parents if they were seeing this. Jim wondered if Alex had gotten anything tonight. It was something how that boy was blossoming out.

Tommy saw the sheriff patrolling the streets. Tonight would not be a good one for witch hunters. The sheriff seemed to be on the side of the witches. Maybe, he was some sort of warlock that Tommy hadn’t met yet. Tommy slowly withdrew to return to his room and his comics. He would read and prepare for another night.

The uneasiness was leaving the sheriff. Maybe, it was seeing the Whitman boy returning from the lover’s lane or maybe it was the long time since Jim had gotten any, himself, he began to think of Amy. As he drove by the Shop of Hope, he saw the light on. He drove to the back and parked. “Sheriff of Roswell will be 10-10 at, and he pulled out his pocket notebook to read the phone number. Jim had just declared to the bored night radio of the state police that he would be out of his car and subject to call if there was an emergency. The operator had been working for many years. He knew of many dalliances officers had. It was none of his business as long as, if an emergency arose, they responded to his call and remembered to put their pants back on before they answered the emergency.

Alex’s mind had shut down completely. Isabel was before him with her blouse open and her bra undone. He had his hands cupping her soft breasts. This was something he had never believed could happen. Especially since it was Isabel, the girl almost every jock wanted to claim. There was a subliminal, infantile desire to suckle them. As he moved his mouth to her dark nipples, something in the back of his mind called to him. “Alex, the amulet will bring protection, but it will also bring more desire. Make sure both you and Isabel are ready for that step.” Ready for that step, ready for that step... In his mind, this refrain kept repeating itself. Alex didn’t have a condom and if Isabel gave into his entreaties, he wanted it to be because she loved him. He did not want to take advantage of some magical aphrodisiac. “Isabel, is this us or is it the amulet?” he asked.

Isabel had stretched, arching her back, thrusting her breasts toward Alex. Her breathing was labored. She had never felt feelings this intense and out of control before. Her body relaxed, she pulled her bra up and slowly buttoned her blouse. “Alex, you are correct. I am not ready, but Alex when I am, you are the boy I want to do it with. We are going to have to be careful with this magic the girls have given us,” She whispered.

Alex couldn’t tell if he was bitterly disappointed or relieved. Isabel had just made a promise for the future. He would be ready and prepared, when that time came. Alex would make sure he had a condom and he would make sure that what he was to do was his own choice. Her head on his shoulder, Alex slowly drove Isabel home. He saw the Sheriff’s car, but the sheriff made no movement to stop him. Was this night the worst in his life or the best he ever remembered? If you believed Isabel’s promise that wasn’t hard to tell.

Jim Valenti softly knocked on the back door to the Shop of Hope. He didn’t want to frighten Amy and he was about to announce himself when she opened the door. “You should be careful opening this door this late at night,” he declared.

Amy smiled, “Why sheriff, you forget I am a witch! I knew it was you outside this door.”

Jim Valenti stepped into the building and turned to face Amy. “Sheriff, I understand what you want here. Follow me, please,” she commanded.

Jim Valenti, the father of Kyle liked to feel that he was always in control. At first, he was taken back. “Don’t worry, Jim. I am yours to command,” Amy said as she dropped the smock she usually wore in the shop. With out the smock, Jim saw that Amy was only wearing a thin dress. The dress hung against her body showing every curve. Jim and Amy were not teens. They were adults who mutually desired each other. Jim hung up his gun belt and Amy stepped out of her dress. Amy wasn’t wearing anything under the dress. Jim did notice that his guardian grew warm as he gathered her in his arms.

It was early morning when Jim drove his patrol car into his driveway. “Sheriff Roswell, I am back 10-8 and now I am 10-7 at my home.”

The bored radio operator made a notation in his log. The sheriff had left where he had been and now was out of service at home. “Good night, Roswell. Have a pleasant sleep,” the radio operator replied.

Jim Valenti fell into bed more contented than he had been in a long time. He could hear the breathing from Kyle’s room. Kyle had returned from Vicky’s home and he was contented also.
-------------------------
I just returned from my 50th high school reunion. The story coming up soon, "I Heard You Calling" is taking on an even bigger meaning to me. I even recognized a couple of those I went to school with so long ago. I also lingered on the obituary list of how many of my classmates were no longer with us.

XAF RU208
mary mary
keepsmiling7
begonia9508


Chapter 18

No matter how hard parents tried to be their own masters, their skills at raising children were tempered by the way they grew up. This ignores the few who proclaimed that they wanted to raise their kids just like they were raised. This was foolish, because no matter how good they were, mistakes were made by the grandparents. It should have been for the parents to correct those mistakes.

Jeff had been angered when his father died. He had always followed his father and showed little interest in the studies his mother, Claudia made. Alejandro appreciated the fact that Claudia and his mother were so close. Alejandro, like Stuart, was more interested in business than the heritage his mother held. Maybe, he was glad that Claudia was so close to his mother. When Alejandro died, Claudia, for a time, was lost herself. She intensified her studies with Carlotta, spending even more time studying the lore and writings. Jeff, feeling ignored, became the wild thing. It wasn’t so much drugs as the ease of getting alcohol. Alcohol and cars did not mix and Jeff was dedicated to mixing them together. Throw in the discovery of sex and everything ended in a fiery crash and Jeff’s girl friend was dead.

It was Nancy, accepting that she was the second love of his life, who brought Jeff stabilization. Nancy wanted their daughter to have a foundation somewhere. Jeff was coping, so Nancy encouraged their daughter, Elizabeth, to study with Claudia. Nancy didn’t understand much of what Claudia believed, but she believed that Claudia had her daughter’s best interest at heart.

Now as Liz grew through her high school years, Jeff had visions of some no-good-bum taking his daughter off just like he had done long ago. Jeff hadn’t worried about Kyle. He didn’t seem to be serious about anything. Jim hadn’t yet given Kyle his red Mustang convertible. Jeff had been oblivious about Kyle’s reputation with the girls. Now, Jeff saw his daughter being stalked by a would-be murderer. He saw her getting close that that very serious Max guy. She had just been rescued from kidnappers. Jeff’s worries were on overload. The sheriff had said that Jeff should have a very strong talk with his daughter. Apparently the sheriff knew more about her than Jeff did.

Jeff and Nancy had held the mandatory birds and bees talk with Liz several years ago. The mechanics of sex were taken care of with health education at school. The parents were left to discuss not the how but rather the when. The discussion had been, mostly, Jeff finding something at the last minute that just had to be done, leaving Nancy to discuss the necessity of waiting until marriage.

Liz had spent the whole day worrying. She had been summoned to a family talk just after supper tonight. Liz couldn’t see why her parents would torment themselves so much. They always dreaded these talks, even more than she did.

This time, Jeff did not leave. “Liz, what do you study with Amy?” he asked.

Liz frowned. This wasn’t just about sex. It might be more serious. “Ms. DeLuca teaches Maria and me about the herb lore that Grandma Claudia learned from great-grandmother Carlotta. The old Hispanic people knew a lot about medicine made from the plants around them. She teaches us about self-esteem and faith. Ms. DeLuca says that to face temptation, we must have a strong faith and pure thoughts. She teaches us a lot about great-grandmother Carlotta. Great grandmother left many letters and writings that Ms. DeLuca says we should read when we are older,” Liz related.

“What about those ‘love amulets’?” Jeff asked. “Are you and Maria pulling some kind of confidence game?”

“Daddy, those amulets are to give couples courage to approach each other. We don’t ever let one out unless the couples are already interested in each other. Grandmother Claudia told Ms. DeLuca that what we do is a lot like the match makers of her culture. We just give the couples a little more freedom in their choices,” Liz continued.

“The sheriff said, you make use of nature, like spells or something. What is that all about?” Jeff again inquired.

“Daddy, when the Spanish first came to this country, they found a people who had been working with nature for centuries. Some of the Spanish fought to destroy these beliefs and some of them fought just as hard to understand them. We are not like the modern ‘tree huggers,’ passively trying to protect nature. Rather, we actively try to work with nature as we see it. That was the way of Carlotta.” Liz thought she was doing pretty good. Of course, Jeff then redirected the talk.

“What about this Max fellow?” Jeff asked.

“Daddy, Max is a remarkably bright guy. He has managed to always be near when I was in danger. He has always tried to protect me,” Liz explained.

“Protect you how?” Jeff demanded.

“Daddy, you will just have to trust me, or rather trust Max. He has many abilities,” she said.

“Just how close are you and Max getting? Nancy chimed in.

“Mama, he is sort of my boyfriend at the moment,” she explained. “Mama, Daddy, if you are worried about us getting in trouble, remember all the sex talks we have had. I never asked you about your sex lives when you were young. You are going to have to trust me now. I understand the importance of waiting for marriage, but sometimes that might not be possible. I can only promise that I will be careful and try to be responsible.” Liz thought this would be a good place to stop this talk so she leaned forward and kissed both of them and left the room before they had any other questions. She did gain an appreciation of the necessity of thinking about her own thoughts on Max. Liz was beginning to see how important she considered him and she needed to set up limits of how far she was willing to go in their relationship.

Jeff and Nancy just sat there looking at each other. “Do we know any more now, than we did before?” Jeff asked.

“I think we know more about how mature Liz is becoming. I guess like parents have done forever, we did the best we could and now, we have to wait and offer support as our daughter becomes an adult.

Tommy was still prowling the streets at night. When he was out all the guardians became active. The sheriff noticed the warmth he felt on these nights. He made sure that his patrols were even more diligent. On these nights, he also had stronger feelings for Amy. Amy was warned by many forces when danger was around. She also knew when Jim would be even more amorous. With a whispered word to Maria, Amy would manage to work late at her shop when Jim came off duty. The bored state police radio operator had now placed Amy’s phone number, which Jim always gave him, on a sticky note marked Roswell. He placed this on the radio consol. Maria did notice that her mother smiled more and was less contentious. Maria knew that something was making Amy’s life happier.

Maria and Liz had lived most of their lives ruled by the legacy that Claudia left. They had better knowledge than others, when something was ruling their emotions. Isabel hadn’t said anything to anyone about her experiences with Alex. Rightly, Isabel considered this to be private, only between Alex and herself. Michael was not much more of a believer than was Kyle before his return to Vicky. Kyle still would never tell anyone of his feelings to Liz which transferred so quickly back to Vicky. Kyle, of course, knew that Vicky had an amulet, after the first time he had her naked in her own bedroom. He did have a slight doubt about how free he had ever been from whatever magic the girls sold.

Michael wore the original guardian because he saw that something had saved Max. He had smelled the skunks and seen the dedication in Maria’s eyes. That someone would show concern for him was new. He humored Maria when she brought the second charm. He humored Maria because she was so worried about his care for her. This was totally different from anything that had happened in his life before. That the charm would influence his emotions was not yet accepted.

Tommy hiding and the Black SUVs doing nothing, lulled everyone’s alertness. Maria and Michael had been dating sort of regularly. Michael walked her home on a regular basis. Michael, realizing he would never have much money, hadn’t made too much fuss when Maria offered to pay some of their entertainment. There were final kisses at Maria’s door. There was nuzzling as they walked. Nuzzling, Maria would think about the smell of the deodorant soap that Isabel had suggested Michael start using. She smelled the odors that she had now cataloged as essentially Michael.

One evening as they left the Crashdown late, having finished an inventory for Mr. Parker, Maria noticed there was a light in the Shop of Hope, next door. As they turned around the corner, Maria thought of stopping at the shop to see what her mother was doing. Michael quickly pulled her back into the shadows. Sheriff Valenti’s truck was parking behind the building and Amy was welcoming him at the door with opened arms. The kisses they shared at the door were passionate, leading Maria to wonder, what were the kisses like once the door was again closed and locked?

As Michael walked her to her house, he noticed that Maria hugged him even tighter. At the door, Michael found her kisses even hotter than before. Somehow, Maria had her hands inside his shirt. Maria felt the warmth of the original guardian. That meant it was awake and searching for danger. The second charm, though, felt almost alive.

When she opened the door instead of leaving Michael, Maria pulled him inside. They collapsed on the couch, Maria pulling Michael on top of her. His shirt was now, completely opened. Michael felt justified in playing with the buttons of her blouse, then, her bra. This was the first time Michael had ever seen, outside of PlayBoy, two living breasts. Before he could go any further, Maria pushed him off of her and taking him by the hand, she led him into her bedroom.

Now if a boy intends to sneak his girl into his room, he would have to spend a monumental time just picking it up. Girls are better organized. Her blouse flapping, Maria turned down the sheets. She went to her dresser and taking out a small package from the drawer, she said, “Michael, this is the first time I ever did this with any boy. This is the one thing you are going to have to bring to our romance yourself. This time, I have a condom, but from now on, I expect you to be prepared.”

When Amy finally returned home, Michael had long gone. Maria was curled up in her bed. Amy had no worry, except for Maria’s bra lying on the arm of the couch.
---------------------------
For Halloween may i suggest Ninth Floor

XAF RU208
mary mary
keepsmiling7
begonia9805



Chapter 19

Every time Liz found herself alone with Max, she felt excited. Liz was sure that the urgency of this excitement was the strong guardian she had given him. After putting something of her self into the packet, Liz had not touched it. Maria carried it to Max and had him place it over his head. Their make out sessions had progressed to Max with his hands inside her blouse. Liz, yet, had not opened his shirt to explore his chest. She knew that soon, she would take this step. Amy had had a private talk with Liz. She had also had the same talk with Maria. “Liz, the first guardian was to protect Max. You saw that it did its job very well. Now, this one is much stronger. It will help protect Max, but also help him to protect you. Maria insists on giving the charm to Michael herself. That is dangerous, I can only hope she is prepared for the emotional power this holds. I do not want you to touch this charm until you are ready to face its power. Let Maria hold it and help Max put in on. Remember, it protects both of you and it, also, effects both of you. I don’t know what it will do to Max. You should recognize the signs of its power and make sure you are in control.

When Liz lay in Max’s arms, she wondered if she would feel the power of the charm or the power of knowledge about it. Max never pushed her, but she could tell that he wanted more. Soon, Liz knew that she would reach in his shirt and caress the small packet. Then would she be ready to accept its draw or strong enough to pull away? She worried about how this would effect Max? It wasn’t as if any of them had had enough experience to be sure that their partners were the ones for life.

Tommy hadn’t been seen for almost six months. Jim Valenti from time to time, felt stirrings within the charm he hung around his neck that was always hidden by his uniform shirt. He was beginning to wonder was it warning him of dangers from the deranged man or was it only playing with him in his relationship with Amy.

Michael and Maria had settled down into a careful relationship. Amy had her suspicions, but who was she to talk? True, she was an adult and Maria was just 17. Reading things of Carlotta didn’t help. Carlotta was only 16 when she faced Stuart’s wedding bed. Alex and Isabel had been talking about when they would take the next step. Alex tried to approach it logically, but that was only to quiet the amulets that he and Isabel each wore. They both intended to finish high school and attend college somewhere. They, mutually, decided that their physical romance would, in some way, show the direction the next step of their lives would take. Privately, Isabel wondered if she wanted to wait. She would see. She knew that Alex was prepared.

Mr. White was constantly pushing Tommy to hurry up in his attack on the witches. Tommy was trying to make careful plans, but the pressure from his new friends was strong. The next chance came one night when Tommy was prowling around town, dodging the sheriff. They had all been to a movie. Michael was complaining that the hero was very unrealistic. Liz, Isabel and Maria were all stating that the hero was truly romantic. It was left to Max and Alex to look for a logical approach.

“Maria, that guy couldn’t save a kitten in a irrigation ditch,” Michael stated.

But, Michael, he was willing to give his life to save his love,” Maria said dreamily.

“Michael may have a point,” Alex stated. “If he had stayed nearer his love, she would never have been in that situation in the first place,” Alex remonstrated.

“Come on Guys, the point is that not many men would lay down their lives to save their girls,” Isabel stated.

“With all her whining, maybe he should have let her go and good riddance,” Michael replied.

“You know, Izzy may have a point. A guy doesn’t know what he will do until he is faced with the situation,” Max chimed in.

Suddenly, Liz said sharply, “Guys, danger is very near!”

Tommy was watching from hiding. Mr. White had been lecturing him about how to take the witches. Mr. White had informed him that he should keep the witches and any of their warlock friends under surveillance. If by any chance, Tommy could find all six of them alone, Tommy was to squeeze the medallion that he wore around his neck. This, Mr. White had assured, would give Tommy power to attack his witch, even though she was, surrounded by friends.

Police, agent or criminal can all tell you that stake out is a “bitch.” The Men in black who were on duty this night were kept alert only by their fear of the wrath of Mr. White and ultimately the anger they would face from that mysterious “Agent Pierce.” It was a breath of fresh air when the alarm of the nut case was set off. When Tommy had squeezed the medallion he had transmitted to the black van, which had been cruising the neighborhoods. He had also transmitted his exact location to the van. Tommy’s first knowledge of the men in black was when he was roughly yanked to his feet and a contraption was pulled over his head. When Tommy’s gasmask was secured, the first canister was launched.

They all looked at Liz. Carlotta’s medallion was glowing so brightly that even under Liz’s jacket you could see that it was shining. There was a coughing sound and three canisters fell, bouncing close to them. The smoke swelled out of the canisters making a huge ball of fog. The lack of any breeze let it hang around for several minutes. A black van pulled up and three men in hazardous material suits got out. They gathered five of the teenagers and pilled them into the back of the van like they would firewood. Alex was left on the ground where he lay.

Liz had no idea long she had been out. There was a chorus of groaning and Liz clamped her jaw, making half of the groans stop. Liz was tightly strapped to a table. She could just barely move her head. To her left, she saw another body. As her vision cleared, Liz saw that the body belonged to Maria. Liz couldn’t keep her thoughts straight. She felt something in her arm, but she couldn’t see it. Finally the other groans stopped. Maria called out, “Liz, is that you?”

“Yes, Maria, I can’t move very much and I can only see you out of the corner of my vision,” Liz replied.

“Yeah, same here,” Maria said. “Liz what happened to the guardians?”

“I don’t know, Maria. Your mom said that they would help protect us but they would not fight our battles for us. Maybe, they are doing something else,” Liz related.

“Do you see any of the others?” Maria questioned.

“No, there are just the two of us in this room, at least as far as I can see,” she replied.

There was silence for a time. “Liz, I sense Michael. I guess his amulet is calling to me. It is very weak. I think Michael is not conscious. I don’t sense any of the others,” Maria explained.

“I can’t sense anything or anybody,” Liz said.

There was a long silence this time. Liz strained at her bonds as did Maria. Liz looked as far as she was able. The last time she had been captured she had been followed by the elements of the medallion. “Can you think of any spell that might free us?” Maria asked.

Liz tried to shake her head. It was bound so she couldn’t do much. “No, Maria, I don’t see anything around us which would come to our aid even with the help of a spell,” Liz stated.

There was a noise like a door opening and both Liz and Maria were struck by a strong odor. A young face appeared into Maria’s vision range first. He had fiery red hair under his broad brimmed western hat. He bent close, looking at Maria. She was struck by the same bad breath that was etched into her memory from the time he had tried to strangle her. Tommy looked closely at Maria for a long time. Strapped down, as she was, she had the appearance of a little girl. Tommy knew that this was only an illusion. The witch appeared to be a helpless girl to gain sympathy. Tommy put his two hands around her throat and gently squeezed. He saw the fear appear in her eyes. That was good, Tommy hadn’t had the time to see this fear the other time. He had just concentrated on trying to kill her. Not yet, his new friends told him. They would tell him when it was safe to kill the witches. But, when the time came, Tommy intended to slowly squeeze her throat as he watched her eyes. The fear would be his reward, the witch would realize a great witch hunter was taking her cursed life.

Without saying anything, Tommy went over to the other one. He had twice tried to shoot her. Tommy reached over and undid her blouse. He pulled it apart. There were no scars or wounds on her chest. She must have had strong magic. This was the first time Liz had seen her assailant close up. His face was almost nondescript. There was a fine fuzz on his face which was starting to turn into a beard and his breath was terrible. That, along with the complete absence of any hygiene, she would always remember. But, it was his eyes that Liz would remember. Once Liz had seen a puppy with its head caught in a plastic bucket. Liz remembered that she had to get her father to help her and the puppy snapped at both of them in his fear. Liz remembered, when she finally got the bucket off his head, the puppy was terrified. When her father finally released the animal, it fled as fast as it could. That puppy had the eyes of this man.

The man took his dirty finger nail and traced a scratch from her throat to her navel. The intensity and the infection from the dirty nail made a mark on Liz’s chest. Then, he made a crossing line between her breasts. Liz heard him mumble, “Witch, that is where your heart would be if you had one. That is where I shall plant the stake.”

Her mind racing with terror, Liz searched as much of the room as she could. There wasn’t an insect or anything else. This room was as sterile as it could be. Liz thought, except for what the strange man brought in, there probably weren’t any microbes. The man had left without any more words.

Isabel awoke. The room was spinning. That gave her a headache. She closed her eyes and the pain lessened. When she opened her eyes, again, the room was spinning. She forced herself to look as far as she could. Her head had been bound in the same way as the two girls. Looking down, Isabel saw that her blouse had been ripped open. There was no feeling of her amulet or guardian about her neck. She forced her eyes to the side as much as she could. There she saw Max. His shirt was likewise ripped open. The assailants must have searched immediately for any amulets or charms. “Max,” she called out. “Are either Liz or Maria on the other side of you?”

“No, Isabel. I see Michael and that is all I can see,” Max said.

Another voice chirped up. “No, and they are not on the other side of me, either,” Michael explained. Then, Michael continued, “Maria is close by. I can feel her presence.”

Isabel tried to control her mind as hard as she could. Maybe, somewhere she felt that Alex was alive. That is all she felt. Max just shook his head. He had been learning the comfort of knowing where Liz was. Now, it was like being abandoned.

Maria whispered to Liz. “Michael is somewhere near. He is alive and Max and Isabel are with him. Michael is worried about me, but he can’t move any better than we can.”

Liz whispered back. “How do you know this? I can’t feel anything and I was beginning to sense when Max was near. I can’t feel him at all.”

Maria was quiet for several minutes. “Liz, did you and Max ever do it?” she asked.

“Do what, Maria?” Liz inquired.

“You know, make love. The guardians are very strong pressures on the emotions. I think that is why I can sense Michael so clearly. We have been sleeping together for some time. Especially, when my mother works late seeing Sheriff Jim,” Maria explained.

“Oh, what do you feel?” Liz asked.

“Michael is seeking me. He wants to know how I am. He also wants to know how your are. Max is worried. Now, he is asking if Alex is with us? I am telling him that we don’t know anything about Alex,” Maria stated.
------------------------------
want a story for Halloween try Ninth Floor

begonia9508
keepsmiling7
mary mary


Chapter 20

Amy knew that Maria was at a movie with her friends. Amy had removed her underwear and bra from beneath her dress. She had given Jim a key to the rear door. When he came in, she would shrug off the dress and Jim would embrace her. When the shock hit her, Amy crumpled to the floor.

The town was deathly quiet. Jim was going to knock off early tonight. The state police would call him out if anything was to happened. He was going to spend the night with Amy. He just couldn’t see spending time driving around looking at a stray dog or two when he could be with her. He took out the key she had given him and inserted it in the lock. That is when it hit him. The charm he had received from Amy was almost burning his chest. Jim was thinking of clawing it from his shirt and yanking it off. Inside the back room of the Shop of Hope, Jim called out. There was no answer. He walked inside the back room, his concern for Amy temporarily blanking out the burning charm. There she was, bent over in a strange position on the floor. Her skirts had crept up revealing her nakedness under the dress. She had dressed this way the last few times he had come to her. Jim had almost decided to call an ambulance when she moaned in his arms. “Jim,” she cried. “They were all taken.” Then, she rested a few seconds. “No, there is one of them left. I can’t tell who it is. You have to take me to the park where they were. Quickly, Jim, time is short. The ones taken are in great danger. The spirit of Carlotta is very strong. I think both Maria and Liz are taken and in great danger,” Amy stated.

“Don’t you want to see a doctor of something,” Jim asked.

“No, no, Jim. There isn’t time. The girls are in great danger of being killed and the others are in some danger, also. It is just not as clear,” Amy explained.

At the Car, Jim took the radio and said, “Roswell, state police, I am 10-8 back in service. Is my deputy still out?”

There was a crackle in the system and the operator replied, “Affirmative, Roswell. He is fixing to go in. Do you want him?”

“That is 10-4 state. Tell him to get back on the Roswell channel,” Jim ordered.

“That is 10-4 Roswell. He is turning to home channel now.”

Jim reached over and turned the radio to the normal Roswell channel. “Hanson, something just happened at the park. Get over there as fast as you can. If you see any black vehicle stop it. 10-48, 10-60, use caution, emergency and danger. Jim switched back to the state operator, “Joe, 10-20, location of the nearest state vehicle?”

“No such luck, Roswell, the nearest state unit is at least an hour away. I will start him in 10-33, emergency if you want.”

“No, state, 10-22 (stop) that. By the time he would get here, it all would be over. If you don’t hear from me in 30 minutes, you might start him in. Tell him we are at the park in Roswell,” Jim stated, then he turned to Amy, “We are on our own. If you have any spells, now might be the time to get them out.”

Alex was trying to get up. He had a monster inside his head and the monster wanted badly to get out. It was completely dark. Alex turned one way and the other. He could see nothing. A shiver went over him as he realized that he might be blind. Alex stretched out his hands. He again tried to see them. There now was a gray blur. Somewhere, Alex heard a siren. He looked around; there was a red blur in the distance. Alex became aware that someone was near him. Alex cringed away. He was sure that anyone near would be an enemy. Feeling around he started to worry. Where was Isabel? He felt arms around him and he heard a voice. Alex, finally, recognized the voice as that of Maria’s mother. There was another voice that Alex determined was the sheriff. Alex still couldn’t make sense of what they were trying to say.

Jim saw that Alex’s eyes were darting around. He waved his hand in front of Alex’s face and there was no indication that Alex could see him. He was calling Alex, but all Jim could tell was that Alex was scared. Amy’s arms about Alex did seem to calm him. Amy was crying from frustration. Alex was all she had to tell her what had happened to Maria and Liz.

Finally, the two blurs in front of him seemed to morph into people he knew. The sheriff and Maria’s mother were symbols of safety. Alex tried to speak. After several tries he asked, “Where are the girls? Where are Max and Michael?”

This was not what Amy wanted to hear. Jim was looking around. He saw the spent canisters. The men in the black SUVs hadn’t cleaned up like professionals would. Picking up one warm canister, Jim could see military markings on it. It was some sort of nerve gas that would render all those around it, unconscious.

About that time, Hanson drove up. “Sheriff, there were no black cars, SUVs nor any vans.

Hanson got out of his patrol car and began to examine the ground. The grass showed scuff marks where some things were dragged across it. Hanson got low to the ground and shown his light so Jim could see clearly how the youngsters were taken to some sort of vehicle.

“Alex, do you have any idea of why you were left? We know of Max, Isabel and Michael’s attraction to the men in black. Maybe, Maria and Liz were taken because of Freddie the Flasher, but why did they leave you here?” Jim asked.

“I guess I am just not that important to anyone. That may be their mistake. I am going to do all I can to find them.” Jim knew that Alex had good intentions, but what could he do? Jim was going to contact Mr. Whitman, Alex’s father, as soon as possible.

That was all they could accomplish here. Jim prepared to go. “Hanson lets call it a night. I am going to see Charlie Whitman after I take Alex and Amy home.”

When they got to Amy’s shop, Amy got out and then, speaking to Alex, “Do you have a few minutes to talk to me?”

Alex looked surprised. “Yeah, of course I do.” Alex looked at the sheriff. “Tell dad that I stopped to talk to Maria’s mom. I will get home soon.” With that, Alex entered the Shop of Hope with Amy.

“Alex, I need to ask you several personal questions?” Amy faced Alex.

“Of course, anything to help find my friends,” he replied.

“Alex, how far has your romance with Isabel gone?” she asked him.

Alex blushed. He wasn’t into discussing his personal life with adults. Izzy and he had just started to discuss intimate things together. “We haven’t had sex if that is what you mean,” he stated.

To Alex’s surprise, Amy grimaced. “Are you both pretty close?” again she asked.

Alex nodded his head, “yes.”

“That will have to do. Come back about 9:00 o’clock and we will try to find where the girls are being held. Don’t be late. I am afraid they will not have much time,” Amy explained.

Alex ran all the way home. His parents were up, having just talked to the sheriff. “Oh Alex, are you all right?” his mother predictably asked.

“Yes, mom.” Alex answered. “I am just worried about some friends of mine.”

Charles Whitman came over to him. “Son, what happened?”

Alex could only shake his head. “Pop, we were all walking together, discussing the movie when something went pop. When I woke up the sheriff and Maria’s mom were talking to me. It was some time before I could understand or see, much less, stand up. The others were all gone.”

“Son, you were hit with some pretty high tech stuff. You want to be careful the next few days. Any recurrence of dizziness or vision trouble let us know. You might need to see a doctor,” Mr. Whitman explained.

“Yeah, dad, I will,” Alex answered. “Tomorrow, I have to see Ms. DeLuca. She is trying to find out where they all were taken to.”

Charles made a face. He had been with aliens for a long time. Amy and her ravens, coyotes and strange charms confused him. He knew what he saw when they went to the Eagle Rock facility, but his mind was still trying to make logic of that. “Be there, son. Amy has some strange methods, but we need help from everyone.”

Chapter 21

When Alex arrived at the front door, the shop was still locked. She said 9:00 o’clock and Alex assumed that she meant that. He knocked on the door. It was a sleepy Amy who opened the door. “Come in, Alex, I am almost through,” she said.

Amy led him to the back room. There on the work bench was a jar of honey bees. They were buzzing quietly. “Whatever you do Alex do not shake the jar. These honey bees will not think of you as an enemy unless you so something to annoy them,” Amy explained.

Alex was not into horticulture or even biology. He was a computer geek and a musician. He knew that insects like bees stung when they were angry. He didn’t yet know why Amy wanted his help. “Alex, the intensity of your relationship with Isabel will direct the bees. If the group is still in the Roswell area, the bees will find them and come back to us. If they are out of town, we are going to have to talk to the ravens. They sometimes can be contrary. They helped us before. The men at Eagle Rock must have angered them, to make them help us so easily. This time, I would have to approach them directly. Let’s try this first,” Amy explained as she prepared the jar.

Amy handed the jar to Alex and when he took it, the bees buzzed angrily. “Alex just sit there until they calm down.” It took almost 15 minutes, but finally, the bees settled down to their quiet humming.

Amy began again. “Alex carefully walk this jar to the park. That is where you were assaulted. When you get there, carefully open the jar. Do not set the jar down. If a bee lands on you, just stand still. She might be tired, but she knows she is to look for Isabel. They will travel from you to Isabel if we are lucky. As long as they are not mad at you, they will do their task and return to us with the information.”

Alex carefully walked to the park. He tried to ignore the strained looks as passers by gazed at the strange sight of a jar full of bees. At the park, Alex held the jar as far from himself as he could. He slowly opened the lid and for several seconds nothing happened. It wasn’t until one adventuresome bee crawled to the rim and then, some sort of signal was given. Most of the bees swarmed out the mouth of the jar. Several of the bees simply stopped at the rim of the jar and crawled down Alex’s hand. It took all of his will power not to cringe or to swat at them. Finally, they had enough of Alex and they too flew off.

The old hospital had been abandoned for several years. It had a security fence and most of the building was intact. Mr. White was addressing his men. “We need to prepare the van to carry the three aliens. We will leave tonight.”

Mr. Red spoke up. “What about the other two girls?” he inquired.

White shrugged. “Give them to the nut case unless one of you wants to kill little girls. Let him kill them. Then, getting rid of the nut case will be easy. Tell him he has until noon to do what he intends.”

Both Maria and Liz were terrified. They couldn’t find any magic to turn to and Tommy had just returned to inform them that he would kill them by noon. Tommy looked at them. This was as close as he had been to a girl for many years. Trouble was, that if he even freed an arm or a leg they might put a spell on him. No, he would like to explore some pleasures with them, but killing his first two witches would the most important thing he was to ever do. Once known as a witch killer, Tommy would be famous. Girls would come to him. They would swarm him as a celebrity. That would be better than any dalliance with these two.

Tommy put his hands around Maria’s throat. As he gently squeezed, she screamed. Tommy found that satisfying. He did it again and he was rewarded with more screams. Tommy moved away from Maria and she visibly relaxed. Liz was lying there with the red welt from his fingernail still visible on chest. Tommy took the sharpened stake and pressed it against her chest. Liz had decided she would not give this man that satisfaction, but when the pain came, Liz couldn’t help it. She screamed also. The stake had broken the skin. A stream of blood ran down her chest and off her stomach. When he moved back to Maria, Liz just lay there sobbing.

This time, Tommy squeezed even harder. Maria gurgled and whimpered as he held her. Tommy released her before she fainted. He would return to Liz and see what more he could induce from her. Tommy was in his element. He had never had so much fun.

Isabel was very worried. Men had been in and out the room. They were preparing for something. Isabel had no idea what had happened to the other two girls. The men had brought three sets of hospital whites. They mave no more to loosen the bonds of any of the aliens. They also had brought in a large air tank and a mask. Isabel could only imagine that they would knock the aliens out before they dressed them for whatever they intended to do.

One time when the men entered, they did not notice that several insects had entered the open door and quietly made a nest in one corner. When the men left and the three aliens were alone, the insects first swarmed Max and then, Michael. At last, they came to Isabel. All she could think of was Alex. Isabel thought, these insects must, someway, be from him. The swarm lit on her face. At first, Isabel started to panic. As the insects crawled about her face, she had a calm settle over her. They had been found. Isabel did not pretend to understand how, but things might be better now.

The insects swarmed to their corner and waited for the door to be opened again. When it did finally open, they quietly crawled out side and into a dark place they had found in the hallway. The swarm divided into two parts. The first part left immediately and sought a passage out of the old hospital. The remaining swarm again divided into two more parts and with one part remaining near Isabel, the other part started looking for Maria and Liz. They seemed to know that the heirs of Carlotta’s knowledge must not die. They must both be protected.

Amy called Jim and Jim called some of his buddies from the state police. Jim explained that they were expecting some information and when this information appeared, they had to be ready to move. It was a surprise when Charlie walked into the sheriff station. He had three friends. They were dressed in civilian clothes, but they definitely were military. Charlie did not introduce them to anyone. Delta force was, by law, forbidden to interfere in civilian criminal matters. There was nothing that said three buddies couldn’t take a weekend off to explore the desert, maybe take in a little fishing or a game or two of golf. They definitely were on holiday. They opened a package and passed out flash-bangs. These were grenades, which didn’t do much destruction in their explosion, but it was the noise and the bright flash that confused the enemy.

Alex had spent the morning with Amy. He had no idea what was to happen, but he wanted to be close when it did. About mid-morning, he saw the swarm come through the open window. Amy sat perfectly still as they swarmed her head. Alex was still trying to come to grips with the fact that he had released a jar of bees that morning. The swarm around Amy was twice or more as big. Amy didn’t move a finger as she listened to the bees. They broke from her head and flew around Alex. “Alex, don’t move a muscle. The connection between you and Isabel is what they want to give you,” Amy commanded.

Alex stood still from fear, if nothing else. The shrill humming was drilling into his mind like the drill of a dentist. Then through all the noise, Alex seemed to hear, “Alex, is that you?”

His mind was looking at a thousand tiny pictures slowly morphing into one. He saw Isabel, tied to the table, Max and Michael right beside her. Trying to hold a conversation was too difficult for the simple bees. Then the picture changed. Alex saw Maria and Liz in a room. Liz was covered in blood. They were both crying. Alex would never forget the man he tried to tackle that night. He came into the room and he had his back to Alex or rather the bees. Alex could hear him as he placed his hands around Maria’s neck. “Well my dears, time for play is over. Now it is to pay the price all witches must pay. I will now destroy your soul-less bodies.” Alex heard Maria scream. Then, he heard someone in the background reciting:

“Buzz and Humm
Make him dumb.
You came to see
My commands be
Save us now
Without a row.

Then, Alex only saw a red screen in his mind. The bees all left him and swarmed a honey pot that Amy had left for them. Alex saw that some of the bees had stayed with Amy. She must have seen the same as he.
----------------------------------
A story for Halloween Ninth Floor

XAF RU208
keepsmiling7 I used to keep bees. I have been stung by them several times. It was always my fault. Now wasps are another story. Those things are just plain mean.
begonia9508
mary mary


Chapter 22

Amy was weeping. She had just seen Carlotta’s great grand-daughter covered in blood. She had just seen a man intent on murdering her own daughter. The bees had gone to her and they had given her the location of where the young people were being held.

Amy called Jim. “My girls and the other three are being held in the old hospital south of town. Liz is bleeding something awful and the crazy man is trying to strangle Maria. I don’t know if we can get there in time to save them, but we have to try. When you get there, there are a lot of honey bees in the hospital. Be careful not to step on any or in any way hurt them. Amy had the keys to the Jeta in her hand. As she slid into the little car, she said nothing to the fact that Alex was right beside her.

The men in black were oblivious as the bees followed them in the door. The bees crawled in quickly and waited until the men had left. Then, they swarmed above the three aliens. Michael was not happy at seeing the insects. Isabel was frightened as they chose her on which to land. Michael and Max strained at their bonds as the bees crawled all over Izzy’s face. She called out, “Max, Michael don’t fight them, they are from Amy,” Izzy stated. They were, also, from Alex. The insect eyes saw things as a kaleidoscope and the many bees all seeing this made the kaleidoscope even more complex. Isabel watched much like Alex had as the pictures coalesced into something her mind could handle. Then she saw Alex. “Alex, is that you?” The image sharpened then, it vanished as the bees became aware of the danger Maria and Liz were in.

When Liz saw Tommy for the last time, she realized that her life was over. Many things ran through her mind, but nothing came to mind to save them. Tommy had been coming in all morning, strangling Maria a little more each time and pressing the sharpened stake harder against her chest. Her blood was running freely. He was getting off on their fear and screams. This last time he said, “Well my dears, time for play is over. Now, it is to pay the price that all witches must pay. I will now destroy your soul-less bodies. All hope was lost until Liz saw the bees crawling in the opened door. She started the chant:

“Buzz and Humm
Make him dumb.
You came to see
My commands be
Save us now
Without a row.

Tommy looked at her as he squeezed Maria’s throat. These soul less people did not make sense. They should be crying to their maker to pardon their lack of having a soul.

Liz chanted louder:

“Buzz and Humm
Make him dumb.
You came to see
My commands be
Save us now
Without a row.

“Buzz and Humm
Make him dumb.
You came to see
My commands be
Save us now
Without a row.

The bees silently, except for their buzzing swarmed Tommy’s face. They entered his nose and mouth. They were stinging him as they crawled. Of course, each sting meant that a bee died, but their death seemed to inflame the rest. Tommy may have been trying to scream, but he was silent as he died of anaphylactic shock. Unfortunately, there was nothing the bees could do to free the bonds holding the two girls to their tables. They were not like the creatures of the medallion.

Mr. White was sitting in the office he had commandeered. It was the original office of the administrator of the facility. The windows opened to the mild Roswell noonday sun. The screens had long since disappeared, but Mr. White could feel the fresh air blowing through the window. White had chosen this room for his headquarters because the rest of the hospital was very depressing. Who ever designed this place had no sense of anything, except for function. Maybe, that is why the facility was abandoned.

White had called Pierce and informed him that the aliens were in custody and immobilized. He saw no reason to mention the two other girls or the nut case, Tommy Jones. He had given the nut case, it helped to not personalize a man you intended to kill, until noon to get rid of the two un-needed witnesses. In a few minutes, Mr. White and Mr. Black would interview the witch hunter and view the bodies. As soon as they were sure that the witch hunter had done his job, White intended to put a 40 caliber pill in his head. The loss of the man called Tommy Jones would not be a crime against society.

Sitting at what now was his desk, White was toying with his FBI issued SIG .40. That was one of the few remainders of the agency that White still possessed. Following the maniacal Pierce had led him far away from agency principles. White was taking a few moments to savor the sounds and smells of the outside. He could hear the buzz of insects and there was a whiff of bee’s wax. That was strange. Mr. White, under a name he had almost forgotten, remembered his childhood in a small southern town. He remembered his grandmother making bee’s wax candles. As she melted the wax carefully on the stove, the smell would drift outside. Bees would gather on the screens of the windows angrily buzzing. Grandmother would laugh and say, “They are trying to see if we are another colony of bees or if we are thieves who stole part of their hive.”

The little boy would sit in the kitchen watching grandmother as she dipped the candlewicks into the melted wax and also, watching the incessant buzzing at the window. Buzzing at the window. That brought Mr. White back to reality. There were several insects flying in the office window.

Slamming his pistol back into its holster, White ran out of the room calling, “Mr. Black, we must check the nut case and his charges. I think something is about to happen.”

Mr. White and Mr. Black hurried to where Tommy Jones was supposed to kill the two girls. When they arrived, they found an angry Amy DeLuca and an equally upset young man, Alex. On the floor, his face swollen by the bee stings, was what Mr. White assumed was the nut case. Tommy Jones’s face was swollen almost beyond recognition. The boy Alex was busy freeing the straps, which bound the girl, Liz, and Mrs. DeLuca doing like wise for her daughter. White and Black both entered with their service weapons drawn. White demanded, “This is a secure government facility. What are you people doing?”

Amy DeLuca looked at him with the coldest eyes he had ever seen since he joined the quests of Pierce. “What are you men doing to my babies? Put your weapons away! I am the only one stopping the fate of the witch hunter from being yours.”

White could not contain the surprise in his face. Two trained and armed agents were being faced by a slender woman, a boy and two partially bound girls. His years of training told him this just couldn’t be true. Then, he though about the couple of thousands angry bees.

Now, coyotes had been seen in the outskirts of cities and towns for many years. Usually, they were very secretive. That is the way they maintained their presence. People didn’t fight back against what they did not see. As the two sheriff cars and the several state police cars stormed into the front parking lot, the chorus of yodel pups was heard making the two young men guarding the entrance worried. It was also seen that an ‘unkindness’ of ravens was circling. (Where the collective for crows could becalled a murder of crows, a flock of ravens is called an unkindness of ravens. Just some trivia.) The ravens were calling to each other and adding to the songs of the coyotes. Nature was raising a tremendous din.

Jim stopped his patrol SUV in front of the hospital and it was Charlie Whitman who jumped out of the vehicle first. It might not be correct, but this time Charlie was in full uniform. The two young men were not about to fire on an officer. Right behind him, his three un-named friends dressed totally in black came, each of their faces covered by a balaclava, which is a sort of a ski mask. They ran past the two guards followed by Jim Valenti and several state policmen. They ran down the hallway. Any room occupied was treated with a flash bang. Any door locked was smashed opened.

It was on the second floor that they found Amy. Jim, as he saw her thought, “What an Amy!” She was standing beside the table, which still held a partially bound Maria. On the floor was a man, whose face was turning black. The biggest surprise was standing beside Liz, Charlie’s son, Alex. Jim, quickly using his portable radio, called Charles Whitman to the second floor.

The second surprise was the two men in black who were against the wall. They both had their weapons at ready, but they made no movement what ever. Circling Amy was a swarm of bees. From time to time one would break away and fly at the men in black. Just as quickly the bee would return to the swarm. Amy had the two men just as secure as if she was in possession of a machine gun, maybe, even more secure. If something was to happen to Amy, the swarm promised the men in black the same as they had dealt the witch hunter lying on the floor.

Jim moved forward and gently removed the two department issued SIG pistols and the state boys followed, taking the two men into custody. There were complaints lodged about federal jurisdiction, but the state officers replied, “If necessary, New Mexico can secede and join Aztlan. Then, we won’t recognize any federal jurisdiction.” Aztlan was a suggested nation of several dissidents in the southwest. The state police felt they were to defend the public. Anyone who would hurt “Pretty little girls” did not deserve consideration.

Once the two leaders were in custody and removed from the facility the rest of the strike force moved to the third floor.

There, they encountered the remaining men in black. They all had their service weapons drawn and were waiting the word to destroy the aliens in their control. Pierce wanted the aliens to experiment upon, but he did not want them to be released to UFO hugging nuts who were wanting to make a treaty with them. Just inside the room where the aliens were secured there was a tremendous buzzing. It was increasing all the time. Amy no longer needing the bees with her, sent them to find their sisters with the aliens.

The small group in black nervously looked at the three balaclava hooded figures. Jim stepped forward. “White and Black are in custody. I don’t understand much about insects, but I will bet the bees can get you before you can get to those you are holding. I do know special forces. I do know that they can get you, maybe even before the bees.

There were several tense minutes until the alien hunters in black saw that they no longer had any options. They slowly lowered their weapons and were secured by the police. It seemed that they just couldn’t learn about hurting young women. Of course, the Special Forces men in their hoods did not feel that anyone had the right to interfere with the State Department either. Jim and Charlie went about releasing the three teens. Jim stated, “Max, I don’t know much about your powers. I don’t understand much about what Amy does, but I think all of us can agree that we have a very interesting future to look forward to.”
-------------------------------
Coming next is a story about young people helping the elderly and what they both get from this. It is canon and the title will be, "I heard you calling."

For Halloween read, Chapter 22

Amy was weeping. She had just seen Carlotta’s great grand-daughter covered in blood. She had just seen a man intent on murdering her own daughter. The bees had gone to her and they had given her the location of where the young people were being held.

Amy called Jim. “My girls and the other three are being held in the old hospital south of town. Liz is bleeding something awful and the crazy man is trying to strangle Maria. I don’t know if we can get there in time to save them, but we have to try. When you get there, there are a lot of honey bees in the hospital. Be careful not to step on any or in any way hurt them. Amy had the keys to the Jeta in her hand. As she slid into the little car, she said nothing to the fact that Alex was right beside her.

The men in black were oblivious as the bees followed them in the door. The bees crawled in quickly and waited until the men had left. Then, they swarmed above the three aliens. Michael was not happy at seeing the insects. Isabel was frightened as they chose her on which to land. Michael and Max strained at their bonds as the bees crawled all over Izzy’s face. She called out, “Max, Michael don’t fight them, they are from Amy,” Izzy stated. They were, also, from Alex. The insect eyes saw things as a kaleidoscope and the many bees all seeing this made the kaleidoscope even more complex. Isabel watched much like Alex had as the pictures coalesced into something her mind could handle. Then she saw Alex. “Alex, is that you?” The image sharpened then, it vanished as the bees became aware of the danger Maria and Liz were in.

When Liz saw Tommy for the last time, she realized that her life was over. Many things ran through her mind, but nothing came to mind to save them. Tommy had been coming in all morning, strangling Maria a little more each time and pressing the sharpened stake harder against her chest. Her blood was running freely. He was getting off on their fear and screams. This last time he said, “Well my dears, time for play is over. Now, it is to pay the price that all witches must pay. I will now destroy your soul-less bodies. All hope was lost until Liz saw the bees crawling in the opened door. She started the chant:

“Buzz and Humm
Make him dumb.
You came to see
My commands be
Save us now
Without a row.

Tommy looked at her as he squeezed Maria’s throat. These soul less people did not make sense. They should be crying to their maker to pardon their lack of having a soul.

Liz chanted louder:

“Buzz and Humm
Make him dumb.
You came to see
My commands be
Save us now
Without a row.

“Buzz and Humm
Make him dumb.
You came to see
My commands be
Save us now
Without a row.

The bees silently, except for their buzzing swarmed Tommy’s face. They entered his nose and mouth. They were stinging him as they crawled. Of course, each sting meant that a bee died, but their death seemed to inflame the rest. Tommy may have been trying to scream, but he was silent as he died of anaphylactic shock. Unfortunately, there was nothing the bees could do to free the bonds holding the two girls to their tables. They were not like the creatures of the medallion.

Mr. White was sitting in the office he had commandeered. It was the original office of the administrator of the facility. The windows opened to the mild Roswell noonday sun. The screens had long since disappeared, but Mr. White could feel the fresh air blowing through the window. White had chosen this room for his headquarters because the rest of the hospital was very depressing. Who ever designed this place had no sense of anything, except for function. Maybe, that is why the facility was abandoned.

White had called Pierce and informed him that the aliens were in custody and immobilized. He saw no reason to mention the two other girls or the nut case, Tommy Jones. He had given the nut case, it helped to not personalize a man you intended to kill, until noon to get rid of the two un-needed witnesses. In a few minutes, Mr. White and Mr. Black would interview the witch hunter and view the bodies. As soon as they were sure that the witch hunter had done his job, White intended to put a 40 caliber pill in his head. The loss of the man called Tommy Jones would not be a crime against society.

Sitting at what now was his desk, White was toying with his FBI issued SIG .40. That was one of the few remainders of the agency that White still possessed. Following the maniacal Pierce had led him far away from agency principles. White was taking a few moments to savor the sounds and smells of the outside. He could hear the buzz of insects and there was a whiff of bee’s wax. That was strange. Mr. White, under a name he had almost forgotten, remembered his childhood in a small southern town. He remembered his grandmother making bee’s wax candles. As she melted the wax carefully on the stove, the smell would drift outside. Bees would gather on the screens of the windows angrily buzzing. Grandmother would laugh and say, “They are trying to see if we are another colony of bees or if we are thieves who stole part of their hive.”

The little boy would sit in the kitchen watching grandmother as she dipped the candlewicks into the melted wax and also, watching the incessant buzzing at the window. Buzzing at the window. That brought Mr. White back to reality. There were several insects flying in the office window.

Slamming his pistol back into its holster, White ran out of the room calling, “Mr. Black, we must check the nut case and his charges. I think something is about to happen.”

Mr. White and Mr. Black hurried to where Tommy Jones was supposed to kill the two girls. When they arrived, they found an angry Amy DeLuca and an equally upset young man, Alex. On the floor, his face swollen by the bee stings, was what Mr. White assumed was the nut case. Tommy Jones’s face was swollen almost beyond recognition. The boy Alex was busy freeing the straps, which bound the girl, Liz, and Mrs. DeLuca doing like wise for her daughter. White and Black both entered with their service weapons drawn. White demanded, “This is a secure government facility. What are you people doing?”

Amy DeLuca looked at him with the coldest eyes he had ever seen since he joined the quests of Pierce. “What are you men doing to my babies? Put your weapons away! I am the only one stopping the fate of the witch hunter from being yours.”

White could not contain the surprise in his face. Two trained and armed agents were being faced by a slender woman, a boy and two partially bound girls. His years of training told him this just couldn’t be true. Then, he though about the couple of thousands angry bees.

Now, coyotes had been seen in the outskirts of cities and towns for many years. Usually, they were very secretive. That is the way they maintained their presence. People didn’t fight back against what they did not see. As the two sheriff cars and the several state police cars stormed into the front parking lot, the chorus of yodel pups was heard making the two young men guarding the entrance worried. It was also seen that an ‘unkindness’ of ravens was circling. (Where the collective for crows could becalled a murder of crows, a flock of ravens is called an unkindness of ravens. Just some trivia.) The ravens were calling to each other and adding to the songs of the coyotes. Nature was raising a tremendous din.

Jim stopped his patrol SUV in front of the hospital and it was Charlie Whitman who jumped out of the vehicle first. It might not be correct, but this time Charlie was in full uniform. The two young men were not about to fire on an officer. Right behind him, his three un-named friends dressed totally in black came, each of their faces covered by a balaclava, which is a sort of a ski mask. They ran past the two guards followed by Jim Valenti and several state policmen. They ran down the hallway. Any room occupied was treated with a flash bang. Any door locked was smashed opened.

It was on the second floor that they found Amy. Jim, as he saw her thought, “What an Amy!” She was standing beside the table, which still held a partially bound Maria. On the floor was a man, whose face was turning black. The biggest surprise was standing beside Liz, Charlie’s son, Alex. Jim, quickly using his portable radio, called Charles Whitman to the second floor.

The second surprise was the two men in black who were against the wall. They both had their weapons at ready, but they made no movement what ever. Circling Amy was a swarm of bees. From time to time one would break away and fly at the men in black. Just as quickly the bee would return to the swarm. Amy had the two men just as secure as if she was in possession of a machine gun, maybe, even more secure. If something was to happen to Amy, the swarm promised the men in black the same as they had dealt the witch hunter lying on the floor.

Jim moved forward and gently removed the two department issued SIG pistols and the state boys followed, taking the two men into custody. There were complaints lodged about federal jurisdiction, but the state officers replied, “If necessary, New Mexico can secede and join Aztlan. Then, we won’t recognize any federal jurisdiction.” Aztlan was a suggested nation of several dissidents in the southwest. The state police felt they were to defend the public. Anyone who would hurt “Pretty little girls” did not deserve consideration.

Once the two leaders were in custody and removed from the facility the rest of the strike force moved to the third floor.

There, they encountered the remaining men in black. They all had their service weapons drawn and were waiting the word to destroy the aliens in their control. Pierce wanted the aliens to experiment upon, but he did not want them to be released to UFO hugging nuts who were wanting to make a treaty with them. Just inside the room where the aliens were secured there was a tremendous buzzing. It was increasing all the time. Amy no longer needing the bees with her, sent them to find their sisters with the aliens.

The small group in black nervously looked at the three balaclava hooded figures. Jim stepped forward. “White and Black are in custody. I don’t understand much about insects, but I will bet the bees can get you before you can get to those you are holding. I do know special forces. I do know that they can get you, maybe even before the bees.

There were several tense minutes until the alien hunters in black saw that they no longer had any options. They slowly lowered their weapons and were secured by the police. It seemed that they just couldn’t learn about hurting young women. Of course, the Special Forces men in their hoods did not feel that anyone had the right to interfere with the State Department either. Jim and Charlie went about releasing the three teens. Jim stated, “Max, I don’t know much about your powers. I don’t understand much about what Amy does, but I think all of us can agree that we have a very interesting future to look forward to.”
-----------------------------
My next story is about a group of scouts earning their merit badge helping the elderly about town. It is about the joy they bring to these people and what the elderly give back to the scouts.It is canon and titled, "I Heard You Calling."

for Halloween read, Ninth Floor

begonia9508

keepsmiling7 When i first got my bees my parents took me meet a full time beekeeper that they knew. later when grown i revived my interest in bees and I met another beekeeper. Both of these men looked at their bees as more than just simple insects. I don't think they saw the individual bees, rather they looked at the entire hive as an entity. I used to sit for hours near my hive watching the bees coming and going. Now, with the mean bees from Africa coming, there are fewer who can keep hives. We almost have no bees in the summer. The world is not a better place.

mary mary Is there any real justice in the world?

XAF RU208


Chapter 23

There is a bond formed when people share a communal trauma. Whether it be two soldiers in a foxhole, police partners who have just survived a shootout, two cowboys who survived a bar fight or a couple who have survived a life or death situation. Maybe, it is a fact that each person now shared a respect for what the other has endured. Survival takes precedence over many rules of society. Does the event affirm the mortality of the two? Does a fear develop that life or death, are nothing, but the luck or chance? Michael knew how close Maria had come to death. The first time the witch hunter tried to strangle Maria, should have told him this and maybe, it did. He just wasn’t ready to confess to himself that loosing Maria would have ruined his life.

Maria sat thinking what she would miss if she had been killed. She had been carrying on a relationship with Michael, but so far, it was rather juvenile. In Maria’s mind, seeing her mother with Jim, gave her permission to indulge in sex. The age difference was not considered. Since when do teenagers not feel they are old enough to make their own destiny? The near death experience brought Maria to an adult like realization about her future. It wasn’t just screwing Michael at the end of a date, rather Maria started looking at the fact that she never wanted to loose him. She was beginning to want the white dress, the future together, the mutual vows and, in their time, children.

Michael, on the other hand, was a boy with no past. Who were his parents? Had they ever loved him? If he was simply cloned, was he nurtured in a womb to be born into the world, even if he had been immediately placed in some sort of pod to withstand the rigors of space? Was it intended that at the end, someone would have raised him and guided him? Were there loving intentions that someway were terminated? In truth, all he had was the welfare system. There had to be more in life than that. What if he had been destroyed by the men in black and had never known the closeness of love? What if he had never been allowed to father children, which were after all, the main proof of the future? Sex might be a natural urge, but Michael was feeling something much stronger now.

Alex, himself, had not faced irrefutable death. He had, though, like the discussion after the movie and just before they were assaulted, chosen to place himself in danger to rescue his love and his friends. Alex had never questioned what Amy asked him to do. He, also, had not questioned his riding along with Amy as they drove to where Isabel and the others were held. After heroic acts, there is a let down when the danger is actually understood. The men he faced had guns. He and Amy had faced them only with Amy’s assurance that her magic would prevail. Alex now realized that he could have been shot. They could have been too late and Maria and Liz could have been found dead, their screams of terror only surmised. The Aliens could have been destroyed or maybe transferred to another facility, a facility where he and Amy could not have penetrated. That time he and Isabel almost made love could remain as just another, “I wish I had.” Alex, now, had an intense hunger for Isabel, a hunger which would only be satisfied when they finally came together again.

Isabel did not fool herself. Experiments on a young female would be investigations into her reproductive ability. She might know sex and she might even experience giving birth in a laboratory. Neither of these would be acts of love. Isabel had made a narrow escape. One of the persons involved in her rescue was Alex. He was a boy/man who loved her. She had been dreaming of her first time with Alex and nearly lost it. She hadn’t been ready that other time. Neither of them had been prepared, to have unprotected sex. Now, she had time to consider. She would make sure that their next time together, they would have protection. She would make sure that Alex understood that, someday, she wanted to plan a child conceived in love.

Liz was the planning one. They had talked about sex and they had approached testing the power of the guardian Max wore. Liz had already obtained a condom, even though that wasn’t necessary. Max was just as rational as she. He had obtained his own condom, when Maria first placed the guardian on him. Now, they both could have been so easily destroyed. Liz didn’t want to die without knowing love. Neither did Max.

Now all this near death experience is shown to create some very horney people. Or more politely, it caused couples to understand their need to have life to carry on their legacy. Sex did not necessarily translate to births, but in this case, sex did indicate the desire for these couples to foresee a future as families.

For Amy, she still couldn’t quit shaking at how close she was in loosing her child. She appreciated Alex helping her, but she needed to be held by someone she trusted, an adult someone who could do more than just hold her. She had to admit that, at first, she had been playing with Jim Valenti. Jim was vulnerable and it didn’t take a strong element to direct him to her. The guardian she made for him did tell him when the children had been assaulted. The added part of herself had brought Jim to her. Amy was still young. Having a child at 16, when she was almost a child herself, then, the 17 years raising her, left Amy with a feeling that, maybe, she had lost something. Maria, was going to leave in a few years. Amy did not miss the fact that she had no one to face this with her. Amy wanted the comfort of a trusted man. Jim had trusted her about everything she had learned from the ancient knowledge of Carlotta. Both times, Jim followed her discoveries to save the children. Amy hoped now, when she stood before Jim naked, he understood that she trusted him also, with her heart.

A policeman is both logical and practical. Kyle’s mother walking out had greatly unnerved him. Since a successful cop must always have his nerve, Jim had walled himself off from emotions. That is not to say that Jim had remained celibate any more than had Amy. There had been partners from time to time for each of them. What both Jim and Amy shared was that the opportunities at love did not spill over into either their professional or personal lives. They both stated up front that they had first responsibility to their respective children. Affairs, which started as only second place in importance, did not go very far.

Maybe at first, Amy had been using Jim. She needed protection for herself and her daughter. Amy had given Liz and Maria lessons both from her grandmother and from Carlotta. She had told them that anytime they made a love amulet to make sure that the couple had attraction for each other. The amulet would increase that affection on both parties.

The first time Amy had dropped her dress before Jim Valenti, she had wanted to strengthen his feelings to her and thus, to her daughter. After the girls and aliens had been returned safely and Jim came to Amy late at night in her Shop of Hope, Amy dropped her dress for purely selfish reasons. The amulet had created in her deep affections for him. Maria would soon be gone with her own life. Amy still felt that she was a young woman. The desire to have another family was beginning to be strong.

Jeff and Nancy Parker had been kept on the sidelines. When Liz had first been kidnapped, they really had not known all of what happened to her. Neither Jeff nor Nancy had been part of the life Liz shared with the memory of Carlotta. Even with the talks, suggested by the sheriff, the parents had not completely understood had happened to Liz or how she had escaped. Now, they had been assured that the danger to Liz and Maria had been shut down by a police effort. They now understood that the danger facing Liz had been shared with her friends. They saw that there had developed a strong bond between their daughter and the young man, Max.

Jeff, thinking back to his own tragic first love, was not ready to entrust his daughter to any young man. Nancy had been expecting and thinking about the time when she would see Liz prepared to leave. That didn’t mean she was ready for it. They both expected college to temper the loss. It was easier to say ‘gone away to college’ than to say, ‘our daughter is now grown and off with a boy of her choice.’

It was interesting that the events were seen differently by the Evans family. Both Philip and Diane knew that there had to have been a trauma to leave two small children naked out in the desert. When they discovered Michael, they were even more convinced of something terrible that all of the children had suffered. Parents watch their children grow up constantly worried that some event in their childhood would scar their children for life. When they learned about the alien situation, many of their questions were answered. The introversion of Max and the shallowness they saw in Isabel worried both parents about their adopted children’s future.

Max beginning to date, and Isabel centering her interest in one boy, assured the Evans parental units that their children were not showing anti social behavior. Now, they could worry about the objects of these affections. Philip knew Jeff Parker as a hard working business owner. His daughter was one of the brightest kids in school. She had stood by Max through all the things that had happened to either of them. Philip had known Charles Whitman as a retired air force officer. Philip was surprised when he learned that Alex Whitman was becoming the center of his daughter’s life. Just talking to Alex told Philip that Alex had a lot more substance than any of the boys Isabel had brought home before. Now, the only worry was that as professionals, both he and Diane wanted their children to attend college. Philip hoped that both Max and Isabel would understand the importance of college along with their new interests as couples.

Charles was in the best position, in his knowledge of his son’s choice of girls. Charles had known all along, the importance of the three aliens. As his duty, he knew almost everything there was to know about Isabel. He knew that Isabel was bright. He had worried that as an alien, Isabel did not take her human contacts very seriously. That all changed when she became interested in Alex. Charles watched this relationship carefully. When the aliens became aware of his interest in them, Charles was surprised one afternoon when Alex was gone. Isabel came by to ask questions about what Charles knew about aliens that she hadn’t yet been able to discover. Charles saw that Isabel was very passionate about her roots. He learned that what interested her was their anything which would interfere with her relationship with Alex. There were not many records that Charles knew about, concerning the anatomy of the aliens. He left Isabel with the hope that she and Alex would be able to have a family, because of the human DNA she possessed.

Now, that was interesting. Alex’s girlfriend was not just talking about going to the prom, she was talking about a family and long life. Charles was left with the knowledge that Isabel cared for Alex a great deal.

Yes, everything was now back to normal. But, normal, itself, had changed. Jeff had been working on the books one evening as Liz, Maria and Michael closed. After the mopping as the girls were pouring their final soda, Michael sat down beside Jeff. “Mr. Parker, how hard is it to run a business?” he asked.

Jeff looked up. He was surprised. Even Liz hadn’t professed interest in the business side of the Crashdown. “Michael, the financial side of the business is the most important. You can have the best chef, and serve the best food, if your books do not balance, you will quickly go broke,” Jeff replied.

“Why can’t you hire someone to keep your books for you?” Michael asked.

“You can and I do. I subscribe to an accounting firm to keep my books straight, but if I don’t stay on top of everything, I don’t know how to make decisions,” Jeff replied. “The accounting firm doesn’t know anything about restaurants. I have to constantly see the financial side to guide what I do in the restaurant,” Jeff continued.

Michael thought for several minutes as he watched Jeff read the reports, underlining certain statements and writing notes on the margins of the reports. “What would a guy like me need, to someday start a restaurant?” He inquired.

Jeff looked up. So this was what Michael’s interest was all about. “First of all Michael, you need education. Part of running a successful business is how you interact with your customers. I knew a bartender once, who was an engineer. He had a place just outside Albuquerque. It became a place for all the scientists working in Albuquerque to hangout. He was a person who understood his customers. You need to study the world events for the same reason. If your customers look at you as more than just a restaurant owner, then they are more likely to become loyal. Then, you need to take classes in accounting. That will get you started. If you can work every position in your establishment, you will understand what challenges your employees face. Then, there must be a lot of hard work and luck. With all of that, yes, Michael, I guy like you could run a business!”

This time Michael was silent for a long time. “That sounds like a lot of work. It also, sounds like it would take a long time,” he mused.

“Yes, Michael, it will take a long time. If you are interested, start by listening to everything José has to teach. I listen to him all the time. I even work beside him because he has a lot to teach even me. He works in the kitchen every day. His ideas help me decide what the restaurant is to do.”

Jeff saw that Michael was more thoughtful. He was still thinking when he helped Maria with her coat and prepared to walk her home. Liz walked over to her father. “What’s with Michael tonight? He seems quieter than normal,” she said.

“Daughter, he is starting to think about his future. If he and Maria continue to go together, he needs to know what he is going to do with his life,” Jeff stated. He turned to Liz. “That reminds me, what are your plans for the future?” he asked.

This did not catch Liz by surprise. She had been thinking about this for a long time. Her latest experience just confirmed her decision. “Daddy, I want to go to college and study pharmacy. I want to understand what I have learned from great grandmother Carlotta,” she explained.

“What about all those magic spells you are accused of? Jeff asked.

“Oh Daddy, for magic to work, you have to believe, at least a little bit. Maybe, I should study psychology also,” Liz replied.
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How many of you were boy or girl scouts or the equivalent? Do you remember all those merit badges and the work to get them? Do you ever think of how what you learned in the scouts helped you in life? Coming next, the Roswell aliens are now senior citizens. They all have the troubles of older people everywhere plus some original problems. "I heard You Calling," is a story of youth helping the elderly and what the youth gain from this. It is also a story of facing prejudice and overcoming it. kr