The Co-Walkers

The Co-Walkers

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By Hermine Steinberg

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Hermine Steinberg
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-9172-9

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Chapter One

Matthew stood by the school entrance listening to the high pitch of the wind as it whipped the snow into a cyclone of white flakes. It looked just like the globe Ashley bought him for Christmas, after he shook it and turned it upside down. In the center of the glassed world stood a proud young knight in full armour with his sword at his side. Next to him stood a beautiful maiden with her hand placed on his shoulder.

Since Ashley began looking after Matthew a few months before, she would tell him fantastic tales of adventure that featured the young knight destined to become King and the Warrior Princess who was his guardian. Together they could conquer any foe or overcome whatever challenge came their way. Their ultimate goal was to save their father who had been kidnapped by the Evil Wizard. Their father was being held captive in a dark dungeon beneath the Wizard's invisible castle.

The winter storm had been raging all afternoon but Matthew knew Ashley would pick him up on time as she always did. He could count on her. Peering through the windowpane of the front door, he saw a familiar figure making her way through the knee-deep snow. Her bright red wool cap was pulled down over her forehead, and her signature tartan scarf was tightly wrapped around her neck and covered most of her face. She was easy to identify even through the heavy veil of snow. Her long navy military-style coat reached her ankles, creating a path on the snow behind her as she made her way toward the school. Matthew smiled. She looked like a figure emerging through the mist of time to rescue her charge. As she approached the metal double doors, Matthew pushed a door open for her.

"The notorious wizard has conjured up this violent storm to prevent us from reaching the safety of our castle," announced Ashley.

Matthew grinned as he dramatically pulled his hood on and fastened his coat. "Thank you for saving me from this cold gray fortress where I was trapped by the Evil Warlock, Principal Eldridge."

"Come, take my hand and stay close. Our enemies surround us but fear not! If we are courageous and clever, they will not defeat us. Let us go. A feast awaits us!"

The bitter cold winds stung Ashley's cheeks as she trudged through the snow tightly holding Matthew's hand. She told him to beware of the magic white dragons that camouflaged themselves in the snow. If caught by them, they would be taken back to their lair and fed piece by piece to their hungry off springs. Ashley and Matthew would have to move quickly and stay alert.

Even a cold, miserable winter day was made exciting when Ashley was around. She was able to distract Matthew, who just turned ten years old, from the fact that their mother was ill and could not spend much time with him. Ashley was only fourteen but had begun picking up Matthew after school, making the meals, and doing the housework. Their brother Brian, who had just turned twelve, had to deliver newspapers everyday before school and work part-time at the local grocery store. Their mother's friends owned Vince's Market and in exchange for stocking the shelves after school a few days per week, Brian would receive groceries to take home. Rose, Vince's wife, always snuck in a few treats for all of them to share. Matthew's favorite was the red licorice, which he liked to eat after dinner while he did his homework. Ashley would put a few more pieces in his lunch bag to take with him to school.

As Ashley led Matthew to the large apartment complex where they lived, she continued to weave their adventure. She created a world where Ashley and Matthew always emerged as champions of their people, and were coming closer to the day they would be able to solve the mystery of the whereabouts of the wizard's invisible castle and eventually release their father from the tyranny of the powerful wizard. Their family would be whole again and, of course, they would live happily ever after. But Ashley knew that although she and Matthew shared an overwhelming desire to live the fairy tale ending and escape the bitter reality of a life where they and their mother struggled everyday to survive, their dream would never be realized. Their father had abandoned them many years before and although they constantly wondered where he was and if he was thinking about them, she was convinced that their father had left to create a new life in a new land without the burden or obligation of having a family. Only in their imaginations was their fairy tale ending still possible. Especially now. A new, more sinister enemy had invaded their kingdom. Their mother had fallen victim to this mysterious interloper, an illness that reduced their lives to a battle of attrition, sapping their energy and leaving them sad and tired much of the time. Ashley could not imagine who would arrive to save the day.

"What are you making for dinner tonight?" yelled Matthew so he could be heard over the wind.

Ashley had developed a talent of making special meals from a few basic ingredients. Tonight she would fry up mushrooms, onions, ground turkey and then add them with a tin of green peas to macaroni and cheese to create her specialty. "I will conjure up my Enchanted Casserole," she declared.

"Yes," yelped Matthew. "Make it as big as a house. I'm starving!"

When the large glass double doors to their building became visible, Matthew ran ahead to open the door for Ashley. He bowed as she walked through. "We have reached the safety of our kingdom, my lady."

They began removing their hats and coats in the elevator as it climbed to the eighteenth floor. Ashley fished out the key that she wore around her neck. When she opened the door to her apartment, she was surprised to see Vince and Rose from the grocery store. At first, she almost didn't recognize them. They usually wore large, friendly smiles, but today the warmth was drained from their eyes. Rose's mouth was trembling and Vince held her closely. Ashley then saw a woman she did not recognize standing in the living room. Brian emerged from the kitchen, eyes red and puffy. "Ashley, we've all been waiting for you," he sobbed. "Mom ... she's gone, she's dead!"

"No, you're lying!" screamed Matthew. He ran towards his mother's bedroom door. "I want to see her," he demanded.

Brian grabbed him and looked him directly in the eyes. "No, you don't. You shouldn't remember her that way." Brian held Matthew tightly as they both wept uncontrollably.

Ashley's body became numb as the realization of what had happened gripped her. She dropped her coat to the floor. The room began to fade before her eyes. She tried to catch her breath but every ounce of strength had been sapped from her body. The battle had been lost and her kingdom had finally been defeated to the great Evil Wizard and his wicked allies. Her mother had been taken.

The floor beneath her disappeared. Ashley felt herself falling into an enormous, dark hole, continuing to plunge helplessly for what seemed an eternity, while hearing faint voices in the distance calling her name. And then there was nothing but total blackness and silence.

Chapter Two

When Ashley revived, the pale, thin woman she noticed earlier sat the children at the kitchen table. She quietly informed them that their aunt in Watkin's Glen had been contacted.

"We have an aunt?" asked Matthew.

"Yes, your Aunt Elvira is anxiously awaiting your arrival. The three of you will be going to live with her when the school year ends. You are very lucky that we could place all of you together. That rarely happens."

"We're going to live with a stranger," Brian protested.

The woman looked down at her file, avoiding Brian's glare. "She is your father's sister and only living relative. You have no choice."

"No choice," mumbled Ashley absentmindedly.

Rose put her hand on Brian's shoulder. "You will all come live with me and Vince until June and then we will personally take you to meet your Aunt Elvira. It will all work out, you'll see."

Brian pulled away from Rose. "Ya, because it's worked out so well up until now."

Matthew buried his face into Ashley's shoulder to hide his tears. She put her arm around him and held him closely, slowly rocking back and forth. "It will all work out," she quietly repeated. "We have no choice."

Although Vince and Rose were kind and attentive, the next few months were an emotional roller coaster. Days would go by when the children barely spoke to each other. Some days felt as if time had stopped and they were all moving in slow motion. Then other days would just be a blur. Numb and totally disconnected from the world and each other one day, and then painfully sensitive to each and every comment and gesture made to them on other days.

"What day is it?" Brian sat at the kitchen table staring at his cereal while mindlessly patting Joey, Vince and Rose's large black and tan German shepherd.

"Tuesday. Aren't you suppose to be delivering your papers today?" asked Rose.

"Nope. I quit. What's the point?"

"Well, I will need you and Matthew to help me out in the store after school today. The new stock shipment came in."

Vince was worried that Brian had been spending too much time hanging around the park with a group of boys he knew were always getting into trouble. Since Brian started spending time with them, they had received calls from the school that he was not going to classes. Once he came home late with his jacket torn and his face swollen but would not tell them what had happened. And then last night a police officer brought Brian home at midnight, stating that he broke curfew and a boy his age should not be wandering the streets. Vince knew the police rarely enforced curfew laws but used them to try to get troublemakers off the street at night.

Brian glared at Vince. "I'm suppose to meet my friends at the basketball court after school."

"We all need to help out," insisted Vince.

"Can I help serve the customers at the cash," asked Matthew.

"Sure," responded Vince who was still looking across the table at Brian. "So you'll pick up Matthew straight after school and come to the store."

Brian grabbed his jacket from the hook next to the door. "As if I have a choice," he grumbled under his breath and then threw Matthew his jacket. "Hurry up. I have people waiting for me."

Most days Ashley continued to pick Matthew up after school. But now they just walked together to their new home above Vince's Market. Rose would be waiting with a snack, usually fruit and cookies or muffins. They would eat silently watching TV. Matthew mindlessly flipped channels while Ashley watched Rose prepare dinner in the kitchen from her seat on the sofa.

Matthew shuffled behind Ashley as they walked home silently. The sun was shining and the gentle breeze carried the sweet smell of newly made candy apples from Sam's cart, a street vendor who was parked on the corner across from the Market. According to Matthew, the arrival of Sam was a sure sign of spring.

"I'm sorry." Ashley put her arm around Matthew. "I guess I'm not much fun anymore. All I can think about lately is this nightmare I keep having. We're in this small boat in the ocean, surrounded by this thick fog. We have no idea where we are but we keep rowing and rowing, hoping to reach shore...but we never do."

"The Evil Wizard has cast a spell on you," insisted Matthew.

Ashley smiled, knowing full well Matthew was trying to coax her into one of their games. But she did not have the strength or the will to draw on her imagination. Nothing seemed fun or exciting anymore. Nothing felt like anything anymore.

"Maybe you should find yourself a new warrior princess who can join you on your mission to defeat the wizard."

"There is no other warrior princess." Matthew kicked the dirt with the toe of his shoe. "Ashley, I've also had a lot of dreams lately, but they're not nightmares. We go on a great adventure together and find our father. It feels so real!" Matthew looked up at Ashley for a response but she was looking blankly at something, or nothing in the distance. "Maybe living with Aunt Elvira won't be so bad," Matthew offered.

"You and Brian have never heard about Elvira before. But I remember Mom once telling me that Dad had been visiting his sister when he disappeared."

"Dad disappeared!" Matthew's eyes opened wide. "I thought you didn't know what happened to him."

"I don't. But I've always thought that Mom didn't have anything to do with his sister because she thought she knew where Dad was and wouldn't tell her. I got the feeling that she didn't like her, and Mom liked everyone!"

Matthew nodded in agreement. "So you think she's an awful person?"

"She's probably a terrible person! What kind of a name is Elvira, anyways? It sounds like the name of a witch." Ashley's imagination suddenly ignited. "We are going to live with a wicked witch! Life couldn't be worse. This time we will have to free ourselves from the clutches of an evil sorceress!"

Matthew laughed loudly for the first time since their mother died. "Maybe she's a powerful sorceress that is good and kind."

"Matthew, I think you're confusing your dream land with the real world."

Matthew shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe our dreams are just another world," he said thoughtfully. "Or other worlds," he added with excitement.

Chapter Three

The car ride with Vince and Rose was very strained. Vince attempted to make conversation, and Rose repeatedly tried to reassure them that everything was going to be fine. To Ashley that was proof that Vince and Rose were worried. Mathew retreated into sleep for most of the trip. Brian complained about everything.

Staring silently out the window, Ashley wondered where Watkin's Glen was. When she asked, Vince told her that it was in New York State. He heard it was a very pretty town. He told her that the word 'glen' comes from an old Gaelic word.

"It means a small narrow and secluded valley," said Vince.

Brian looked started. "Do they speak English there?"

"Of course they speak English," laughed Rose. "It's New York for god's sake! Don't they teach you kids anything in that school of yours?"

Vince shook his head and smiled. "It is interesting though that your Aunt Elvira chose to live in a place with that name. I mean, since she is from Ireland and all."

Brian was now interested. "If my father's sister was from Ireland, does that mean my father was from Ireland too?"

Rose was surprised by Brian's question. "You didn't know that your father was Irish? That you're from Irish descent?"

Ashley sat up and leaned over the front seat to face Rose. "My father wasn't Irish! I don't remember that at all! My mother would have told us!"

Rose looked to Vince. "Ashley, did you mother actually ever talk about your father," he asked softly.

Ashley suddenly realized that her mother had rarely spoken about him. "I really don't know anything about my father," she admitted. "I saw a picture of him once. I thought he had a nice smile," she conceded.

"I remember that picture," added Brian. "He and Mom were fishing. They both looked really ... happy. Were they happy, Vince?"

"Absolutely! They adored each other. Andrew was always laughing and telling fantastic stories. We would go with your mother and father on picnics, and the four of us would spend all day eating, talking, singing, and playing cards. Somehow he always won. But those were great days!"

Ashley had not heard her father's name in a very long time. It sounded odd to hear it now. It was like putting a name on an old scar. "He couldn't have been that happy," she said quietly. "He left us and never came back."

"No one knows what really happened to your father. We know he loved all of you. If he could, he would have come back. He must have gotten into an accident and was never identified. There are a lot of John Does you know!" Rose crossed her arms. She was sure that was what happened.

"Now you'll have the opportunity to learn all about your father's family. Andrew often spoke fondly about his sister, Elvira. He said that she was a very wise woman. She raised him and the two of them use to have these wonderful adventures in the forest. He would say those days were pure magic. One day he wanted to share the same kind of experiences with his children." Vince retreated into his own memories, chuckling under his breath and shaking his head.

"If Aunt Elvira raised our father, she must be really old. At least a hundred," sneered Brian.

Magic. Ashley's mind could not let go of the word. Her father did say magical. She was convinced. "We are going to live with a hundred year old witch in a small, secluded valley," Ashley blurted out. "There'll be no way out, and we'll all disappear like my father. He went to visit her and never came back!"

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from The Co-Walkers by Hermine Steinberg Copyright © 2011 by Hermine Steinberg. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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