LOST AND FOUND

 

 

            Jocelyn was certainly grateful that the Forresters had taken her in, rescuing her from wandering lost in the scrub at night. Daytime had been scary enough. As she sat with them in the big room, with the cozy fire, she was still alarmed at the dreadful animal noises that she could hear outside. She vividly realized how much worse it would've been, to have heard them at more immediate quarters.

            A particularly nearby howl inspired her to slide her chair closer to Buck. He grinned and put a protective arm around her, saying, "That un's close."

            Grinning back at him, Lem grabbed a rifle and went out the door. The gunshot was not long in coming. Its explosive sound made Jocelyn jump in startlement. Buck gave her a reassuring pat. But then she sat back and relaxed better, realizing that the creature's threat was at an end, and that she no longer needed to hide beneath Buck's arm.

            Lem returned, and Buck said to him, "I think I liked it better afore you shot the wolf. Jocelyn sat closer."

            All of the Forrester men murmured their laughter, and Jocelyn blushed.

            Mrs. Forrester smiled over at her cautioningly and remarked, "You watch my boys, now. 'Specially, watch their hands."

            The girl turned redder, and the men laughed harder.

            A little while later, one of their dogs approached her as she stood to stretch a bit. It attempted to sniff at her obscenely. The visitor backed off quickly, exclaiming, "Hey!" and then teased the men, "You gentlemen should teach your dogs some manners!"

            Their mother looked over wryly, and commented, "You cain't teach what you ain't learnt."

            Jocelyn gave her back a stunned and embarrassed grin. The dog promptly tried again. The girl retreated again, pointed a finger at the dog, and told it, "You're very forward, you know!"

            "Like owner, like dog," Mrs. Forrester remarked.

            "Oh, Ma'am!" Jocelyn blushed again.

            "You think I'm kiddin'? My boys'll come sniffin' 'round you soon 'nough, iffen you let 'em. We kin put you in Fodder-wing's old room, but I'm blest iffen I kin figger out yit, how we'll keep my boys from sneakin' in there, in the night."

            Jocelyn looked at the men and inquired, "But why?"

            The men's brows rose. They were trying to imagine whether she could really be that naive.

            She hastened, "Oh, I don't mean the obvious reason! I mean, why would you wish to terrify me?" Her eyes met Buck's.

            He contemplated her expression for a moment, and then asked, "That would terrify you?"

            "Oh yes!" was her heartfelt reply.

            Buck returned to her a reassuring, softened look.

            But the others didn't want to let it go.

            Mill-wheel grinned at her. "Oh, now, we wouldn't act terrifyin'!"

            "We'd be real nice to you!" Arch leered at her.

            Mrs. Forrester nodded. "See? What'd I tell you? Now git 'em to define 'nice.' And remember, give 'em an inch, and they'll take it all."

            Jocelyn stared. "It's unusual for a mother to think of her own sons as dangerous." But she was wide-eyed as she gazed around at the men, realizing the truth of it, despite her own protest.

            "Aw, Ma!" protested Buck. "See what you've done? You've goed and frightened her!"

            "I don't want her frightened, jest alert to reality."

            He insisted, "We ain't gonna try nothin' on our leetle guest, and 'specially not on the first night!"

            "No," Mill-wheel guffawed. "We'll wait'll the second night!"

            The other men laughed with him. Jocelyn was stricken.

            A slightly contrite Mill-wheel said, "Sorry, honey."

            With exaggerated patience, Mrs. Forrester clarified, "I ain't sayin' they'll force you; I'm jest sayin' they'll try. But know this: iffen you accept the attentions of one or more of 'em, be sure you mean it; they don't take kindly to women bein' a tease and then tryin' to back out on 'em."

            Jocelyn shivered and studied the floor.

            Mrs. Forrester recognized her sensitivity and softened. "Tell you what. I'll sleep with you if you'd like, and protect you. They'll not try nothin' whilst I'm in the bed with you."

            "I'm glad to accept, Ma'am, and for another reason: I'm afraid o' those wolves out there."

            The older woman flashed her a wry smile. "You best be more afraid o' these wolves in here."

            The night passed without incident, under Mrs. Forrester's watchful protection.

           

            The next day, sure of no danger from either type of wolf in broad daylight, Jocelyn strolled outside past the barn. Just as she passed it, strong arms seized her from behind, and a big hand stifled her attempt to scream. She was whisked into the barn, and the door was shut behind her captor by yet someone else. The girl was deposited in the straw as a voice said, "Don't yell, or you'll be punished."

            The visitor observed her captors in total horror. All six of the Forrester men sat or stood nearby, and all of them either grinned mildly or leered openly at her.

            "Oh no!" she whispered. "No, please! I beg of you, don't do what I'm thinkin'!"

            "What're you thinkin'?" Mill-wheel teased her.

            She stammered, "What...what your ma meant last night!"

            "Oh that!" Mill-wheel feigned surprise.

            Pack blew her a kiss, and then chuckled.

            Arch winked at her, and made as if to grab her.

            Gabby suggested, "That we might go sniffin' 'round you like our dogs, eh?"

            Almost unconsciously, she drew her legs up tightly and protectively against her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs, simultaneously tugging her skirt as far down around her ankles as it would go.

            The gestures brought a superior, knowing laugh from each man.

            "What's the matter, honey? Feelin' a mite...vulnerable?" Arch grinned.

            Jocelyn whimpered and put her head down on her knees, so that she would not have to look at them.

            "Now you're all tense," Pack admonished playfully. He began to massage her shoulders.

            She tried to cringe away from him, with a little cry, but he would have none of that.

            Mill-wheel went closer as well. His voice came from directly in front of her, startling her, so that her head came back up abruptly as he said, "We like our women relaxed."

            "'Sides," Buck said suggestively, "things go better when a woman is relaxed."

            Jocelyn looked at him, sobbed, and put her head back down on her knees.

            "'Nough teasin'," Lem said, uncharacteristically all business in his attitude. "You kin calm down, gal; we ain't gonna hurt you."

            She stared at him, wanting to believe. "You're not...not gonna...."

            Lem answered frankly, "No. We're not gonna rape you."

            Hearing the word from one of them, right out in the open like that, made her shudder.

            "Now, now," Pack soothed, still rubbing her shoulders. "Calm down."

            Buck smiled gently at her. "Iffen you think 'bout it, ever'thin' we said kin be takened innocent as well. And that's how we meant it."

            Mill-wheel patted her hand. "But we couldn't resist havin' a leetle fun with you for a minute, makin' you wonder."

            Jocelyn struggled to find her voice. "But you don't know what that kinda teasin' does to a woman."

            "Sorry, baby," Arch said. "But jest be glad 'twa'n't for real."

            She nodded vigorously at that.

            Gabby's eyes twinkled at her; he "woofed" and sniffed jokingly.

            Jocelyn tried not to look too revolted.

            "Cut it," Lem ordered Gabby, and then turned to the girl. "Look, the joke ain't really on you at all; it's on Ma. We don't like her not trustin' us, and we're out to teach her a lesson. We'll hide you here awhiles. With us and you disappearin' all to oncet, Ma'll be thinkin' we're doin' it to you. We aim to worry her. After a bit, one of us'll go back to the house all frantic-like, fetchin' a wet rag and mutterin' 'bout so much blood."

            She stifled a cry with her own hand.

            Lem shrugged. "Well, it figgers. Ma's got you pegged for a innocent leetle virgin, so we'll play it that-a-way."

            The visitor blushed deeply and stared at the floor.

            "You know what?" Buck speculated with a tender smile, "I think Ma's got 'er pegged right."

            The girl's eyes pleaded with Buck for mercy.

            "Yep. I'm right," he concluded.

            "Aw, now ain't that sweet?" Mill-wheel beamed at her. "Makes me wish we was doin' it for real."

            With a strangled cry, Jocelyn's head returned to her knees.

            "Anyways," Lem continued, "later we let you go back to the house and assure her that nothin' ain't happened, and she feels silly and realizes that we can be alone with a gal, without takin' advantage."

            She tried to look at him bravely. "Well, how long do we have to stay out here?"

            "Well, now, lessee," Arch teased. "How long should it take?"

            Pack took it up, "Figger five minutes for each of us, times six...."

            "Too short a time," Buck said, shaking his head. "Ma ain't even worried yit. She don't even miss us yit. You gotta give her time to notice we're all missin'. Then start countin'."

            "How'll we know for sure when she worries?" Mill-wheel wondered.

            On cue, they heard from outside, "Jocelyn! Where are you?!" The voice was strained.

            "That got it," Buck decided. "Hear that tone? She's thinkin' plenty a'ready."

            "Ooo yeah!" Mill-wheel grinned wickedly. "What stage you figger she thinks we're in right now?"

            Arch speculated, ""Well, we've definitely got all her clothes off...."

            Pack went on, "And we've all felt her up a mite...."

            "And at least one of us has, uh, drawn blood by now," Mill-wheel supposed, his eyes twinkling.

            She jerked back from him. "This is cruel!"

            "To you or to her?" Buck wanted to know.

            "Both!"

            "Ain't too kind to me, neither," Gabby complained, looking uncomfortable where he sat. "All this here talk is gittin' me goin', and iffen we ain't gonna do nothin'...." He squirmed.

            The girl regarded him in wide-eyed terror.

            Buck eyed her, and then addressed Gabby, "Well, we ain't gonna do nothin' to her, so jest live with it. Suffer."

            "'Tain't really cruel to you, you know," Lem told her, "'cause we ain't doin' it."

            She swallowed hard and said nothing.

            "Jocelyn!! Answer me!! Oh God!"

            Mill-wheel grinned. "Yeah, Ma, keep thinkin'. By now, half of us has had her."

            The girl winced and shivered.

            Pack inquired, "And we'd all finish with her, would we, afore anybody'd go for that rag?"

            "Oh yeah," Buck responded. "So's nobody don't git left out."

            Jocelyn's voice shook, but she just had to say, "Ain't you-all forgittin' somethin'?"

            "Now what's that?" Buck was amused.

            "Well, ...assumin' that you are...doin'...what you're assumin' that you're doin'...uh...."

            Buck's amusement grew. "Yes?"

            "And assumin' that I am...uh...what you're assumin' that...I am...."

            Mill-wheel struggled not to laugh out loud.

            Gabby wondered, "Are we ever gittin' to the end o' this sentence?"

            Frustrated, she finished in a rush, "You'd be hurtin' me turrible, and I'd be screamin' to kingdom come! How come your ma don't hear no screams?"

            The Forresters looked at each other.

            "Oh," Buck said simply.

            "Kin you make it sound right?" Mill-wheel demanded.

            "Or should we inspire you for real?" Arch half-joked.

            Jocelyn gasped.

            "Now wait a minute," Lem protested. "Remember, it turns out we ain't doin' it. So why would she scream? How would we explain screams then?"

            "Oh yeah," Arch concurred. "she's gittin' me mixed up."

            Lem snorted in disgust.

            "'Sides," Pack agreed, "iffen Ma hears screams, she'll know right where we are. She'll come runnin' in here and see we ain't doin' nothin'."

            "Or," Jocelyn tried again. "I could scream, and when she comes in, I could jest say I seed a spider and got scairt."

            Buck stared at her in disbelief. "A spider??!!"

            Lem waved away the idea. "No, we're stickin' with the first plan." He eyed her. "You jest wanta git this over with and escape from us, that's all."

            She had to admit that he was right.

            Then, they heard from outside, "I'll kill 'em! Oh gawd, I'll kill 'em! I've done raised brutes and butchers!"

            The Forresters chuckled in unison.

            Lem indicated the door. "Gabby, it's time. Go git a wet rag; there's a heap o' blood in here. We've bled her good."

            Jocelyn whimpered.

            "Don't know as I kin." Gabby shifted in discomfort. "And I don't know as I'll look like somebody who jest done it, neither."

            She made a face of pure revulsion.

            Lem glared at him, and said, "Pack, you go."

            He went.

            Moments after he was out the door, they heard Mrs. Forrester shriek, "Pack! Where is she? Where are your brothers? What've you-all done with that gal?!"

            They listened to his reply, "Don't got time to talk now, Ma. Gotta take keer o' somethin'." They could barely hear his last words as he drew farther away, back toward the cabin. But they could make out their mother going shrieking after him.

            Gabby suddenly put out a longing hand and stroked Jocelyn's arm. She recoiled from his touch, and looked to the others for assistance.

            Lem addressed him ruefully, "Don't fret, Gabby, we'll throw you in the crick later and cool you off."

            "Cain't I jest...."

            "No! Hands off her! We're makin' a point here!"

            Jocelyn commented, "You know, I really don't like bein' used to play a mean joke on your ma. She's been so nice to me."

            Lem responded, "We done told you, we're teachin' her a lesson. And remember, jest be grateful we ain't hurtin' you for real."

            Mill-wheel smiled at her. "'Sides, don't worry; we'll tell Ma we forced you."

            She jumped in alarm.

            Buck chuckled. "He means, we forced you to go 'long with this plan."

            She looked relieved, started to nod, and then felt a hand caress her hair. She pulled away and whirled. Gabby again. She glared at him.

            "I cain't he'p it!" he protested. "I'm too charged up here! Cain't I jest...?"

            Lem barked, "No, you cain't jest! And iffen you cain't handle this, go outside and...deal with yourself iffen you must!"

            Jocelyn wore a revolted expression, and realized that Lem's moment of verbal hesitation had been because he'd wanted a different word, but had cleaned it up for her.

            Gabby got up and went out of the barn.

            She stared after him, and then regarded the others uneasily. "The rest o' you are under control good 'nough, ain't you?"

            Mill-wheel smiled tolerantly. "We kin manage."

            "Sure," Buck agreed. "Course, iffen you was to want us to, hit'd be welcome."

            She expressed a hasty, "No!"

            Lem said tiredly, "I repeat, we're makin' a point here!"

            Arch agreed, but said, "You got to admit, though, hit's a point that's hard to stick to."

            Jocelyn looked at him quickly.

            He put up a placating hand. "But we'll manage."

            From outside, two returning voices were heard, beginning with Mrs. Forrester's shrill wail, "Whatta you mean, so much blood?!"

            Then came Pack's reply, "Calm down, Ma, jest more'n we expected, is all. Ain't like nobody died or nothin'."

            "What've you done to her, you...you...!"

            "Nothin' permanent. She'll recover."

            "Oh, I'm gonna throttle the bunch o' you! Was all six o' you in on it?"

            "Sure. Ain't nobody wanted to be left out."

            "I'll never forgive you! I'll disown you all! How could you treat a woman that-a-way?! What iffen somebody had done that to me when I was young?! Don't none of you have no heart at all?!"

            By this time, they were directly outside of the barn. Pack flung open the door, and Mrs. Forrester charged in ahead of him.

            "Jocelyn!" she whispered in grief, but then noticed how odd it was that the girl was sitting up, relatively composed, and fully dressed. She stammered, "Why...why didn't you scream? I'd've saved you."

            Lem said revealingly, "'Cause we didn't give her nothin' to scream 'bout."

            "What??"

            "We captured her, Ma," Buck explained, "held her here agin her will, made her be quiet. But we never laid a hand on her, Ma, in the way you mean."

            "I...don't understand."

            "We didn't like it that you didn't trust us," Mill-wheel clarified. "So we figgered we'd prove to you that we kin be alone in here with this leetle gal, without doin' what you was so sure we'd be doin'."

            "Jocelyn?" The older woman looked to her.

            "It's all true, Ma'am. They kept me prisoner, made me keep quiet, but they didn't harm me, no-way. Oh, they teased a mite. But they didn't do it."

            Mrs. Forrester sat down heavily in relief and turmoil.

            Arch suggested, "Now how 'bout havin' a mite more faith in us, in the future?"

            She nodded mutely. But then, she turned to Pack. "But then, what was all that rubbish 'bout blood?"

            He grinned. "Jest a trick to let your imagination run wild with you. And it done so." He was smug.

            Then she looked around. "Wait, where's Gabby?"

            Lem spat. "Well, he...couldn't take the pressure and...excused hisself."

            "Uh huh." She nodded knowingly. "And iffen the rest o' you ain't been here to control him, he'da been on her!"

            Lem shrugged. "Mebbe, mebbe not. But we did control him."

            Mrs. Forrester turned back to the girl. "Are you sure you're all right?"

            "I'm fine, Ma'am. Gabby didn't do no harm. Jest scairt me a leetle."

            The mother nodded.

            Gabby came back in just then, and received a furious glare from his mother. He said, "Don't fret, Ma. I ain't int'rested in her no more."

            She snorted.

            The visitor offered hesitantly, "I really do think I'm safe with 'em, Ma'am."

            Mrs. Forrester nodded slowly. "Well, I reckon tonight you kin sleep in that room alone."