DEATH SHALL HAVE NO DOMINION
Chapter 10 - A Visit Above
By Cindy Miller

 It was dusk when David led the way onto a ledge running up one side of the cavern and out the opening into a gully over grown with brush, which hid it quite effectively from view.  To say the reunited family made a rather strange procession would have been a gross understatement, if anyone had chanced to see them.  However, more due to luck than stealth, at least on the part of the Eisen clan, they managed to travel the several miles before coming to the quaint, rambling old nursing home without being seen.

 “How do I look, Vincent?” Catherine asked, stopping to tidy her appearance.

 “Beautiful,” he replied softly, brushing a stray strand of silky hair in place for her.  Before he let her go, he lifted her chin and kissed her.  “Be careful, Catherine,” he warned her.

 She smiled lovingly at him, and then went on alone with their messages of love and farewell.

 Although visiting hours were nearly over, Catherine managed to charm her way in to see the retired lab assistant.  She identified herself as Betty’s niece, and promised not to stay for more than a few moments.

 “Betty?” Catherine called from the doorway of the room.

 A graying woman in her late fifties looked around from her rocker where she sat knitting.

 “Yes dear, can I help you?”  She squinted at her visitor in the poor light.  “Do I know you?”

 “No, but I’ve come with a message from some friends of yours,” Catherine soothed her qualms, drawing closer.  “I’m their friend, a new friend,” she added as the woman frowned at her.  “They’ve told me the whole story and are worried about you.”

 Betty scowled at her distrustfully.  “I don’t know you or what you are talking about.  I think you are trying to trick me,” she said crossly.

 “Betty, I know you are protecting them.” Catherine knelt on the floor beside the motherly woman, who sat rocking furiously staring straight ahead, the knitting forgotten on her lap..  “I have someone that I love very much that I protect in the same way.”  Catherine could see that Betty was listening now, and continued.  “Jared, Steven, David, Linda and Bonny found us in their safe place, and told us their story.”

 “If I knew what you were talking about,” Betty blustered, “why would these persons even speak to you.”

 Catherine realized she was making progress.  “If I was alone or if I was with anyone else, they would not have spoken.  It was the person I was with, that they wished to speak to.  His name is Vincent.”

 Betty jumped, visibly startled, and the furious rocking ceased.

 Catherine placed a calming hand on the older woman’s arm.  “He was named Vincent because he was found wrapped in cleaning rags outside St. Vincent’s Hospital in the city.  He wasn’t dead, Betty, but you couldn’t have known.  He has had similar illnesses once or twice since then, and nearly died before it passed.  He survived and was found, and raised in secret by some wonderful people like you and the doctor.”

 Betty struggled to believe what her pretty, young visitor was saying.  “He’s alive?”  Slowly, the years of guilt and grief over her rash mistake in judgment dissipated.  She felt so relieved!

 “Yes, he is alive and well,” Catherine comforted her.  “Now he wants to take his new brothers and sisters home to another safe place where they will have many friends.  You understand, they had to leave…their home of many years; it wasn’t safe any more.”

 “I understand; they must leave.  Will they be all right, do you think?”

 Catherine smiled her assurance.  “They’ll be fine.  I’ve been there many times and it’s a fascinating place, hidden and protected.  It will be a whole new world for them.  Betty, they want to go; but they also want to know that you are all right.  Your family wants you to know that you don’t have to worry about them any more.  They want you to have a well-earned rest.”

 “Thank you for coming and telling me this, dear.  I am bone tired and heart weary and in need of a good rest, but I feel much better knowing that my family is safe and cared for.”  She looked at Catherine with tear-filled eyes.  “They are my family, you know, the only one I’ve ever had.”

 “I know,” Catherine patted her hands.  “And may I extend my sympathy over the loss of your good friend Dr. Eisen?”

 “Thank you, dear.  I do miss him,” she sniffed.

 “You loved him, didn’t you?” Catherine surmised.

 “I admired him,” she allowed.

 “So do I.”

 Betty straightened herself briskly.  “Well now, tell me more about your Vincent,” she begged.  “What does he look like?”

 “Actually, he looks a lot like Michael but with longer hair.”

 Betty turned to retrieve a framed photo of Dr. Eisen’s family from her bed stand, taken at a family barbeque.  She reminisced about the day, passing it to Catherine.  Cathy studied the photo so she could tell the others about it.  Her eyes dwelled briefly on Michael.  Yes, he was superficially good looking; but there was a vacant look about his eyes.  She realized that he didn’t have Vincent’s strength of character or depth of soul.  This man had not yet found love.  She restored the picture to its proper place.

Then Catherine simply told her Vincent’s story.  “He was also raised with love by caring people; well educated by his father, who is also a doctor; and is protected by a large family of friends and helpers.  He has the most gentle and beautiful spirit of anyone I have ever known.  He has saved my life a hundred times and taught me how to give and how to love.  We have gone through terrible difficulties and an impossible separation, only to find each other again against all hope,” Catherine told her earnestly, then paused thoughtfully.  “We have a child, a beautiful, healthy, normal little boy; and we love each other beyond telling.”

 “I’m so happy to know that he lived, and had had as good a life as the others.  We did the best we could for them, you know; gave them as normal a life as possible for them.  Now Vincent will be caring for them.  It seems like a fitting thing,” the older woman proclaimed.

 “I’m glad Vincent has found out about his past and come to terms with it,” Catherine stated.  “There are no more dark thoughts to trouble him.”

 “Well now, you’ve given me a lot to think about.  Will you come back and see me, maybe bring me news sometimes?” Betty asked.

 “I’m sorry, Betty, I can’t,” Catherine apologized.  “But it may be possible to send you news; perhaps they can send you a letter, who knows?  I must go now, they are all waiting, and it’s not safe to linger.  Can I carry a message to them for you?”  Catherine rose to leave.

 “Yes dear, give them my love.  Tell them I will have a nice rest now that I know they are safe.  Tell them to write if they can; but maybe it is better if I don’t know where they are.  Secrets can sometimes leak out when you get old and feeble.”

 Catherine smiled and hugged the faithful old lady.  “Not so old.  I’ll see what I can do.  If you ever need help, or a place to go, we’ll try to help you.  Goodbye Betty.”

 “Goodbye dear,” she waved as Catherine slipped out of the room.  Only after she had left, did Betty realize she didn’t even know her visitor’s name.  Well, she would wait to hear from them.  There was plenty of time, now.

*****

 On the way out, Catherine asked the janitor where a local grocery was open late, and was directed to a place near the edge of town.  Catherine met the group in the orchard where she had left them.  They were lounging at ease against the trees awaiting her return, while Vincent had stood like a silent sentinel anxiously watching for her return, tuned in to her feelings for any sense of danger.  All had gone smoothly, however, and he was glad when she returned to the safety of his arms.

 Briefly,  she passed on Betty’s messages and told them how she was doing, then led them to the grocery store.  They hid once again, in the undergrowth at the far edge of the parking lot away from the lights.  Catherine grabbed a basket, checked her pocket for the money, and entered the store.  There should be no chance of anyone here recognizing her, but she was nervous for her new family out there.  They were very vulnerable; she had to hurry.

 She had already thought out her list for seven people for two days or more journey.  She needed non-perishable items that were filling, sustaining, and that could be easily carried.  Of course, Vincent and his family of five were probably capable of carrying a lot.  She made her purchases as quickly as possible, allowing for a generous meal that night.

 At the register, she was questioned in a friendly manner on her $200 purchase.  Catherine shrugged off-handedly, “Oh, we’re just stocking up our summer place.”

 The bag boy wanted to help her out to her car.  “Don’t bother, thanks, I have help.  They’re all out there waiting for me,” she waved casually toward the parking lot.  Turning to the cashier, she added jokingly, “Men, they’ll make you do all the work if you let them.”

 Then she left the store, hoping they wouldn’t watch her and find out that she had no car.  As she turned the corner of the store heading toward the back corner of the lot, she glanced back and saw the two employees engaged in conversation and not paying her any further attention.

 The family quickly divided up the bags of groceries into canvas bags and melted into the shadows.  Catherine followed, holding Vincent’s hand, as her night vision was very poor in comparison, especially after the bright store lights.

*****
 The all breathed much easier once they arrived safely back in the cavern.  No one was more relieved than Vincent, who was more accustomed to stealth and more attuned to his environment.  His safety had always depended on his highly developed senses.  He was secretly appalled at the clamor the group had made enroute.  Their whispered bickering and crashing through the underbrush certainly did not bode well for a continued life of stealth Above.  It was a miracle they had managed not to be caught or shot before this, but from now on they would be safe.

 Catherine, having done her part in shopping, sat down to rest.  Linda and Bonny busied themselves with preparing the food as David lit a small fire.  Steven and Jared were re-dividing the remaining load and bantering light-heartedly about how it should be done.  Vincent rearranged his and Catherine’s packs for the homeward journey, then sat beside Catherine, watching his new family in wonder.
 
 Catherine snuggled in his embrace, sighing contentedly.  Vincent chuckled in her ear.

 “What’s amusing you, Vincent?” she asked looking up, her face close to his.

 “How many people do you know, Catherine, who leave on a honeymoon, and come back with their whole family?”

 She laughed with him, “None, but I’m glad we’re the first.  I am so happy that you have found them.”

 “And about my past,” he murmured.  After a moment or two he shook off his thoughts and hugged her warmly, as if he had just remembered how long and busy the day had been since he had been able to hold her.  When she gave him a questioning look, he whispered, “I’m thinking how inconvenient my new family will be when I want to love you.”

 Her eyes were twinkling as she answered, “Then they will have to get used to it, or look the other way.”  She drew his head down to her kiss.  Moments seemed like hours, as they were absorbed in expressing their love.  When he lifted his head, looking into her shining eyes, the beauty that emanated from her struck Vincent again.  Then she abruptly rolled back against his chest.  “Besides, I have a feeling they have already had an eyeful this morning,” she added provocatively.

 Laying his cheek on her hair, he said in a voice deep with emotion, “How can I tell you how beautiful you looked, and felt, dancing for me then.  What can I say… you are incredible.  And you have been wonderful today, with our new family.”

 “What do you think Father will say when we present him with three more sons and two daughters?”  Catherine smiled as she watched them working.

 Vincent thought this over a moment.  “I think Father might be speechless at first, then intrigued and accepting.”

 “Come on you two, the food is ready!” David called to them.  The women were serving up paper cupfuls of chunky soup, with steak sandwiches, and a cool fruit juice.

 Catherine fell asleep with her head on Vincent’s lap not long after the cleaning up was finished. There was a lot of animated discussion around the campfire, later in the evening. Vincent listened to his new family with interest, observing them interact, learning about them and from them.  All the while, he stroked Catherine’s golden-brown hair.  He loved the silky feel of it on his skin, and to look at her creamy, soft complexion.

 “You have a very special love, Vincent,” Linda remarked softly.

 “She is my life.  I don’t know how I existed before; now, she is everything.  What we give to each other has never been before.  We are so different, yet joined together in every way.”  He shook his head helplessly, “The words are not sufficient.”

 After awhile, the group began turning in for the night.  Jared elected to keep the first watch; not that anyone expected to be disturbed in their safe place.  Although the men changed watches regularly, there was nothing to report, and the night passed peacefully.

 The next morning, breakfast was prepared, devoured, and cleaned up in record time.  The troop was in high spirits as they shouldered their packs and followed Vincent up to the ledge where the fissure lay, invisible from pool level.

 “Where are you taking us, Vincent, through solid rock?”  Jared asked as they began the climb.

 “This is the way we came,” he replied quietly.

 “We’ve never climbed up this way before.  Why should we bother exploring what seemed nothing more than a cavern wall?” Steven explained.

 When they saw the narrow crawl space, they grumbled good-naturedly.

 Catherine stood by Vincent’s side, looking back at the cavern, filled with the golden glow of morning.

 “Someday, I’d like to come back here again with you, Vincent.”

 “We will come back to this paradise one day,” he promised, “but we will always take it with us.”

 “And the happiness we found here…our day in the sunlight,” she added.  Looking into his eyes she said, “Let’s go home Vincent.”

 So Vincent turned and led the way through the fissure and into the passageway beyond, lighting torches for them to see by.

 “Who would have dreamed this existed,” David remarked.

 When the others had all transferred their belongings into the passageway, and everyone was ready, they began the long march home.