Then And Now

[[Then]]

"Okay I'm going to meet with him to give him the stuff we have now," Chalin
told the other two as they stood near the caves entrance. "If I'm not back
in about fifteen minutes I want you to take Marika to the place we talked
about and keep her safe."

"But Chal... don't want to go without you," the little blonde headed girl
cried softly while yanking on her brothers arm. "We will wait for you here."

"No Mari," the older boy knelt down and took her hand in his. "You can't
wait this time. This is a bad man and I don't want him finding you here. I
don't want him to hurt you sweetie. So go with Lemek and get to a safe place."

Marika turned to look at her other brother hoping he'd be of some help, but
the middle of the three wouldn't meet her eyes. 

"I'll see that she's safe Chalin. I promise."

Chalin leaned forward and pulled the little girl into his arms. "You
shouldn't worry to much sweetie. I've done this before you know."

"I know..." she sobbed against his shoulder then let him go. "You be careful."

"I promise Mari," he said then turned and entered the cave. 

The other two stood there watching him, until the darkness swallowed him and
then leaned against the wall to wait.

When the fifteen minutes were up and there was still no sign of Chalin,
Lemek took Marika's hand and led her away. To the one place they knew they
would be safe and the one person who would know how to protect them.

Chalin said she would and he was never wrong... well almost never... 

...............

He was getting to the point in the cave where he needed to turn off to get
to the spot where he was suppose to meet the man who'd come for the
treasures they had stolen over the last few weeks.

He was a bit nervous because he had to tell the man that this would be the
last time he would be coming to meet up with him.

The Warrenlady had discovered what they had been doing since coming to the
Warren, and he knew she had meant it when she told them if they got caught
again she would make them leave.

They'd talked it over and decided they didn't want to leave here. The Warren
was a good place to live and the people had all been real nice to them. No
one had made them do anything they didn't want to do and it was getting
harder and harder for them to go on stealing from them who had treated them
nice and took care of them.

they had a real home here and he wanted to see Lemek and Marika grow up
without having to feel ashamed of themselves.

He made the turn and continued on down the hall way to the spot where he was
suppose to meet up with the man they had worked for. Chalin was a bit scared
about telling him they wouldn't steal from him any more, scared the man
would try to tell them in charge here how bad they all were and try to make
*her* kick them out of here.

Somehow he had to make the man see that wouldn't work in making the kids
keep stealing for him. Cause no matter if they stayed here or went somewhere
else... they had promised eachother not to ever steal from people again.

He got to the place he was suppose to meet with Nankeen's to turn over the
last of the stolen loot, but the pick-up man wasn't there, and that made
Chalin a little more nervous.

He began looking around and nearly screamed out when he came upon a man
laying on the ground covered in fresh blood. Slowly he crept forward, not
really wanting to look, but needing to see who it was and when he recognized
the badly beaten face of the pick-up man he turned thinking to flee, but
slammed into something solid that sent him flying backwards.

Before he could move, he felt an hand yanking him to his feet and then he
was turned around, a arm moved to circle his neck while the shinny surface
of a knife blade came into view.

"I won't tell anyone!!!" he yelled somehow knowing this was the man who'd
killed the pick-up man. "Just let me go and I won't tell anyone what I found."

"To late brat," a nasally voice growled in his ear. I can't take the chance
of you lying to get out of here and then running to the first person you see
and spilling your guts."

"I won't... I promise," the boy was really frighten now.

"What are you doing in here?" the voice asked, and Chalin did scream out
when he felt the edge of the knife cut into the side of his face when he
didn't answer quick enough.

"I'll ask you again kid... 

[[ Now ]]

"But what if she gets mad that we're here Lemi," Marika asked her brother as
the two let themselves into an apartment. "What if she gets so mad
she'll.... she'll..."

"Hush now Meri," he cautioned her as he looked around quickly to make sure
no one was there. "You know everyone says she's real nice...and we were
doing something wrong before."

"I know Lemi... but.. " Mari started to cry softly and Lemek turned and put
his arms around her.

"It'll be okay sweetie."

Their heads came up as one when they heard the sound of voices coming from
the other room. Lemek pulled on his sisters hand until they were both hidden
behind a open door.

"Shush..." Lemek warned her, because they couldn't tell who was talking.

The door of the bedroom opened and they saw a man walk in and start to come
towards them, but just as he reached them, Lemek shut the door in his face
and then Marika kicked him in the shins as hard as her little feet could and
the two of them started to run out of the bedroom to get away from the man
neither of them knew.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!!" they heard a voice they recognized shout as they ran
out into the living room and started towards the door. 

Both of them stopped and turned to face the angry woman standing there. 

"Just wait until I get my hands on that little..." the man was swearing as
he hobbled out of the bedroom.

The kids saw the woman turn to look his way. "I don't think you'll have far
to look Trak," Waylene said then turned back to the kids. "I thought we had
an agreement?"

"We didn't come here to steal from you," Lemek frowned.

"Chalin made us promise to come here if he didn't come back or we ever got
scared," Marika said in a sweet little voice. Her body was starting to shake
and tears were welling up in her big blue eyes. 

"Why should we believe you two," Trak asked coming to stand beside Lemek in
case he tried to run now after being caught red handed.

"Why the child is scared to death," Waylene suddenly cried and moved to pick
up the little girl in her arms. "There, there sweetie. It's all right now."

Neither of the children saw the look that passed between the Warrenlady and
Trak. 

"I think we need to talk," she said finally to the kids. "I need to know
what's going on here and what happened to Chalin."

---------------- 

Just a little something that came to mind... Kris... have fun... oh and
Mike... I hope Trak's shin is okay :)

****Submitted by: *******

The *Kids*

aka
Barbara