Domus

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. Of course, there wasn’t a Reis Mage or a Adamas defender either, but what is life if not a puzzle with each wayward piece guiding you to see the whole picture. Why are their dragons? What is a Reis Mage? Why should they be important to you? Questions whose answers are, of course, pertinent to completing this puzzle, but whose answers are center pieces, and to be able to reach the center, as with all puzzles, you must have the first corner pieces.

For sixteen years, Max hadn’t believed in anything. Anything that is, she couldn’t crush in her hands or stomp with her boots. Being brought up in foster care and passed from family to family, like a worn pair of shoes, Max never truly fit anywhere. Being orphaned is not something that anyone strives for in life and to anyone on the outside looking in, children in foster care are pitied, Max, however, never wanted pity and always fought for and against everyone and everything. Whether it was a seat at the table, an extra plate of food or a bed to sleep in, Max’s life was always a fight. Who could blame her after all? Few understand the constant battle that life is for simple little things that others take for granted?

Seven times Max was placed in different foster homes, but each time was returned to the Stevenson’s Home for Orphaned Children. Most times it was stated that her difficult attitude was too much for the family, or her inability to control her temper caused physical violence. During one placement. she was returned for knocking out a tooth of a foster father who tried to “discipline” her. So when Mrs. Mickles called her from class on a bright Thursday afternoon to say she had a new patron that wanted to sponsor her, Max was less than enthusiastic.

“Not again, Mrs. M?” Max sighed as she plopped down in the overstuffed chair in the office.

“We are going to try and try again Max. I just know there is a place for you.” Mrs. Clara Mickles beamed at Max. Always the optimist and overly happy to borderline annoying, Mrs. Mickles, a widow three times over, was the headmistress of the orphanage.

“Can I not just serve the rest of my sentence and move on? I don’t need to try this again.”

“Sentence? Are you in prison?”

“Three squares a day and a room with 12 other girl all wearing the same things. What do you think?”

Mrs. Mickles frowned, “If you go through life with that attitude then you will always be in a cage of your own making!”

“Whatever.”

“Excuse me?” she cut stern eyes at Max expectantly.

“Sorry. Yes, Ma’am.” Max replied in a monotone voice, repeating the required responses.

“Better! Whether you like it or not you are a young lady and should act as such. I will not allow rudeness to insert itself into your vocabulary.” She stood from behind the desk stacked with neatly piled papers and walked over to place a hand on Max’s arm.

She spoke softly to Max, “I have a good feeling about this. You’ll see... and this particular patron asked for Eli too. Isn’t he you’re best friend?”

“Eli is going too?” Max was truly surprised. No one wanted an unruly sixteen year old girl and much less a weak, egg-headed fourteen year old boy as a bonus prize.

“I knew that would make you happy. She will be here within the hour so you’d better get moving. Hustle, hustle. Gather your things and say your goodbyes. Back here in thirty minutes.” She went an opened the door and shooed Max through it .

Max didn’t have much to gather and certainly didn’t need to say any goodbyes to anyone that would be happy to see her go, so after gathering everything she had into a small blue suitcase, provided by the orphanage, she waited in the sitting room of the large home. Max stood looking at all of the pictures on the mantle, as a loud thud beat against the door, followed by heavy breathing and a small yelp. The doors swung open wide and Eli fell into the room landing ungraciously on his rear with his oversized blue suitcase landing on top of him in a heap.

Max laughed as she walked over to him and picked the heavy suitcase off of Eli and set it aside, then extended her hand to him.

“Let me guess? Every book that you have is in there?”

“Well, Mrs. M, said this was the one. I didn’t want to be unprepared.” he replied taking her offered hand and standing. He adjusted his taped glasses further up the ridge of his nose.

“You’ll believe anything she says, won’t you?”

“She’s never lied to me before”

“Really? She’s told me every placement is “the one”. This is just another disappointment waiting for us.”

“Well this is my first one and I believe her!” he said lifting his chin defiantly.

Mrs. Mickles, picked that moment to walk through the open doorway.

“Oh good, you’re both here. Maxine and Eli, this is your new patron Miss Caldwell.” Behind her a tall willowy woman, well over six feet tall started into the room. She was stopped as her wide wine colored hat with black feathers touched the top of the doorframe.

“Oh!” she said as she smiled and ducked slightly to enter the room. Her long rail thin frame was draped with a wine colored tailored dress that matched her hat. Jet black hair was coiled in a tight bun on the left of her face where the hat angled down. Straight bangs across her forehead cut a sharp line and bright green eyes gazed at the two standing across the room.

“Hello children.” a slight bow of her head as she spoke the words.

“Ma‘am.” the both said in unison

Max was taken aback when she stared squarely at her and said, “You’re the brute, yes?”

Her words tasted salty as Max replied, “Only to some.”

She raised an eyebrow then moved her green gaze to Eli, “And the bookworm, no doubt?”

“Yes. I have been called that.” Eli replied as he held his hand out and stepped towards her.

The willowy woman drew back away from this hand. “I do not touch anyone or allow anyone to touch me.” her eyes flashed slightly then she composed herself and half smiled. “They will do nicely.”

“I am so pleased that you…approve.” Mrs. Mickles stammered her words. “Shall we go into my office to have you sign some papers? Then there will be the weekly placement visits from us for the wellbeing of the children in the home.” Mrs. Mickles was walking from the room and talking over her shoulder to Miss Caldwell, who turned to follow, then stopped and turned back to the children smiling at the them with a approving gaze, “Yes, of course. They will be well cared for. I am very pleased that you could find them.” With that she dipped her head and followed a chattering Mrs. Mickles from the room, bending slightly not to hit her hat again.

Max walked over and picked up Eli’s suitcase and followed the two women from the room, Eli following closely behind.

When they stopped in the foyer and she saw his hands were empty Max said, “Forget something?”

“N-No. You grabbed my suitcase.”

“My case, you dork!”

“Oh crap!” Eli hustled back into the sitting room and returned with Max’s bag.

“Sorry.”

Max and Eli waited in the foyer as the two women finished paperwork. Muffled voices could be heard and Mrs. Mickles pressed a smile to them as they emerged from the office.

“All settled children! Miss Caldwell will be your sponsor for the next 60 days and we have scheduled the at-home meetings accordingly. Ready for your new home?” Miss. Caldwell motioned towards the large entryway of the orphanage.

“That’s it? No meet and greet with the family? Just a “Hello” and out the door we go? Aren’t you worried that she’s some child molester or mass murdered of children?”

“MAXINE!” Mrs. Mickles yelled. “That will be quite enough from you, young lady!”

Mrs. Mickles turned to Miss Caldwell, “I do apologize for her outburst. As you can see she is as we discussed.”

“I understand. It is a lot to take in for someone that is so young and she has the right to be apprehensive.”

“Apprehensive? More like calling bull..”

“Maxine!” Mrs. Mickles said again cutting her off. She walked over to the girl and took her hands. “Miss Caldwell comes to us with high regard. We have completed a full background check and she has already visited here to observe you and Eli on multiple occasions.”

“She has? Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. Least of all yours. You can be so..so negative about everything. Always ready to fight when it’s not always needed.”

“I don’t fight everything.” Max stated defensively.

“You do and you will, but I wanted this to at least have a chance of working.”

“Fine! But if we are on the five o’clock news as missing orphans - I am blaming you completely.”

“Fair enough.” She chuckled and squeezed Max’s hands in hers.

Miss Caldwell took her cue and walked across the foyer drenched in the sunlight filtering through the stained glass skylight of the foyer. It bathed her dress shimmering first blues and greens, then violet and finally yellows that matched the glorious sunshine beyond. As Max and Eli stepped through the colors towards the large doors, apprehension crossed Eli’s face and Max nudged him.

“How bad can it be? It’s not like Emory is waiting outside to break your glasses again. C ‘mon, you’re with me. I won’t let anything happen to you again.” she whispered the words of encouragement as she grabbed her suitcase from him and nudged the door with her shoulder to follow. Eli smiled a pained look of remembrance, for the regular beatings Max had saved him from on more than one occasion. He followed Max out the door to the steps of the home.

He stopped at the landing, as idling before them in the driveway, was a long, black, behemoth of a car with open suicide doors displayed a rich red leather interior. Beside it stood a large man, not as tall as Miss Caldwell, but still tall, only his frame was much heavier, straining his muscles against the taught fabric of his midnight black suit. He did not smile or speak but nodded to Miss Caldwell as she descended the staircase in front of the them.

“Is that a 1968 Ford Thunderbird? ” Max said in awe.

“I thought you’d like it. “Miss Caldwell replied.

“Does it have the 450 V8 big block engine?”

She laughed a small and short noise, “I have no idea. You can discuss that with Amsel here, but later after we’ve arrived.” She grasped Amsel’s hand as she reached the bottom of the steps and he walked her around the car to gently glide her into the passenger seat. Amsel closed her door and walked to the back of the car where the trunk stood open. He motioned to the trunk and grunted. Max ascended the remaining steps to the rear of the car and deposited the suitcases. Without a word, a nod, or even a change of expression Amsel closed the heavy steel trunk with a resounding, thunk, like only older heavy cars can make. He then walked around them to the door of the car and waited, silently. Max and Eli looked at each other, then Eli shrugged and clambered in and across the backseat so Max could get in too.

Amsel shut the door behind them and filled himself into the front seat, grabbing the wheel and shutting the door with his other hand. He filled half the windshield with his big frame.

“Home Amsel!" It wasn’t a demand nor a question, just a statement from Miss Caldwell. The long black behemoth began gliding from the drive toward the street beyond.

“Goodbye. Good luck.” Mrs. Mickles said smiling and waving at the pair from the top of the steps.

Max and Eli turned to look through the back glass, to see her continuing to wave as they drove away. When the orphanage was out of view, Max turned to Eli and mouthed, “What the hell?” Eli shrugged again, this time using his hands brought up to his chest palms up, to emphasize his stupor.

Amsel silently regarded the interactions of them in the rearview mirror and nodded deftly to Ms. Caldwell.

“The ride is not a long one, but you can ssssllleeepp if you’d like” she elongated the word.

Max gave a short little laugh, then yawned suddenly. Her head swam, like the world had suddenly been upended and she looked over at Eli. He was fast asleep.

“What is happ….” Before Max could finish the sentence, her eyes grew heavy then closed and her head bowed to bob her chin off her chest.

“Asleep?” Miss Caldwell questioned Amsel.

He nodded slightly.

“That took longer than expected, Amsel." she stated tersely. "You’ll have to Shift us if we’re to make it in time. We must get our charges back before they and she awakens."

Amsel nodded again.

"Time is not on our side, old friend. I just hope its not too late.”

Deftly, Amsel pushed the long pedal to the floor and the car began its throaty acceleration. He reached across to the dash and depressed the lighted blue button labeled Domus and in an instant the car vanished from road.