This continues the romance between Jake and Lizzie Jane. How about the ones who are trying to kill Lizzie Jane? Well, you will have to read the story to find out. (smile)

Guns are not for Little Boys
Chapter 3

“You are still too weak, so you need to stay home,” ordered Aunt Maudie.

Lizzie Jane had gotten home from the hospital after recovering from a serious gunshot wound that had brought her close to death. She was not confined to bed, but Aunt Maudie forced her to rest more than she thought necessary.

Lizzie Jane was tired of resting. She wanted to go to the woods, so she could be among nature and do some soul searching. Finally, Aunt Maudie granted that desire with conditions — don’t go too far into the wood and just rest and think.

Lizzie Jane agreed, so she entered the forest and sat down under a tree. She watched the squirrels scampering from tree to tree for a few minutes, wishing that she could be among them. Then she observed the little bugs crawling among the rusty colored leaves and enjoyed the cool autumn breeze. It was not cold since the temperature was in the low 70’s and the sky was clear.

One thought controlled her mind — did she love Jake? She had only considered Jake a friend until the night she was shot. That was the night she experienced the loving caress of an admirer and the sweetness of her first romantic kiss.

Ah, that kiss! She had never experience anything like it — so marvelous — so awesome! Was this the first teenage crush of a young girl who had never known the affection of someone special?

There wasn’t any doubt that Jake loved her. He proved his devotion by his presence at the hospital when his beloved lay helpless between life and death.

She could not deny that she had fallen in love with Jake, but was it as sudden as it seemed? Was her love there all the time, or had she fought against the inevitable -- an honest admittance of her true feelings?

Whatever the answer, the one thing she knew — she loved Jake now. Was there anything wrong with letting love reign over her life for the present time? She was only thirteen and Jake was just a little older — she wasn’t sure how much. What would it harm to be sweethearts for the present and let the future take care of itself? However, it was true that in the community most girls were married before they reached seventeen — most getting married at sixteen years of age. That meant that, according to custom, she had only three years.

So, three years to decide — three years to discover her heart’s desire. For a young person, three years was a long time. Yes — that should be long enough and, if she decided against marriage at that time, that would be enough time to arrive at a sensible conclusion.

It would have suited Lizzie Jane to linger in the forest for awhile longer, but she realized that Aunt Maudie would begin to worry, so she lazily strolled back home.

When she arrived, Jake was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and talking to Uncle Jed. Seeing Lizzie Jane, he remarked, “We thought the bears had gotcha.”

“Nope,” replied Lizzie Jane. “Ain’t scared of bears. In fact, they are afraid of me.”

Strange that she had not noticed it before, but sitting there with a smile on his face, Jake had those rough, manly good looks. He certainly would be a good ‘catch’ for any girl.

Jake walked Lizzie Jane to the front porch where they could sit on the swing and talk for a few minutes. Uncle Jed motioned to Aunt Maudie and pointed toward the young couple. They both smiled, thinking that maybe Cupid had made a call and a future marriage could be in the works.

“I just wanted to see you. I am going to have to help my Dad load some watermelons to carry to market, but I would not be around until tomorrow — and tomorrow is a long way off,” said Jake. “I want you to know I love you and every moment away from you is pure torture.”

Lizzie Jane had never thought she would say this to a boy, but she returned with “I love you, too — with all my little heart.”

Jake smiled, embraced her, and planted a sweet kiss on her lips. This time, it was more than a ‘first kiss’. It was the kiss of lovers — so heavenly that Lizzie Jane thought she could hear angelic bells ringing. Jake smiled and held her hand, observing her charming eyes. One more kiss and he would have to leave.

“Well, I have got to go. Remember, I won’t see you tonight, maybe tomorrow.” They dropped hands and, after that last entrancing kiss, Jake stepped off the porch.

Lizzie Jane said, “Wait just a minute.” She ran and found a locket that had belonged to her mother. It was silver with gold plating and had inscribed, ‘With all my Love’. It had been given her mother by one of her suitors. He did not live up to the saying, but Lizzie Jane’s mother loved him with all her heart and kept it close to her until her death. It was from Lizzie Jane’s father.

“I want you to have this as a token of my love,” Lizzie Jane said as she handed the precious item to Jake. “I know it is kinda sissy, but it is my most cherished possession.”

“I will cherish it always,” said Jake as he placed the boxed item in his pocket. “I will hang it in my room over the dresser to always make me think of you.”

Jake turned and began to walk away. After a few steps, he turned back and waved. Lizzie Jane returned his wave and watched him until he was out of sight.

“Now — to bed with you, young lady. You have been up too long and you need your rest,” ordered Aunt Maudie.

“But, Aunt Maudie, I am okay. Betcha I can climb a tree and if you let me, I will show you,” fussed Lizzie Jane.

“No! It is not necessary for you to climb trees. Now, if it was necessary, I might have second thoughts,” laughed Aunt Maudie.

“Well, okay,” sighed Lizzie Jane, as she covered herself with a quilt that was made from various pieces of cloth. It seemed cool enough to have some cover.

As she entered slumber land, she began to dream of Jake — of marriage — of about a dozen children, all belonging to her — 6 boys and 6 girls. They formed a baseball team with the oldest being manager. The two youngest, three and four year old girls, wore little purple and gold cheerleader uniforms with the image of a bulldog on the front, jumping up and down in their little short skirts hollering, “Yea, team”. After baseball practice, the entire brood would swing through the trees, screaming “I-ou-I”.

Lizzie Jane awoke, thinking of what a silly dream that was. Her thoughts turned to how much fun it might be to teach her children about the forest and how to swing from limb to limb. As she began to think about broken arms and broken legs, she considered shelving that idea.

As Lizzie Jane lay there considering her future with Jake, Aunt Maudie peeked into the room as she walked by. “Oh, I see you are awake.”

“This was delivered a short time ago, but I did not want to wake you,” said Aunt Maudie as she handed Lizzie Jane a package.

Excited about receiving a gift, Lizzie Jane hastily opened it. But, instead of a gift, she received a shock. Inside was her locket that she had given Jake a few hours earlier with a note that read: “Pocahontas, we have your boy friend. If you love him, you will meet us at the cave. If you bring the law, we will kill him before they get there and we will disappear quickly. We will be watching.”

She handed the note to Aunt Maudie. She looked at Lizzie Jane and asked, “What does this mean?”

Lizzie Jane explained. “It means that the man who has been trying to kill me has kidnapped Jake. I know where the cave is. It is a secret place that very few know about. If I don’t go, they will kill Jake. If I do go, they will kill both of us. I guess they think I can identify them. They are doing something that is against the law.”

“Why haven’t you told all this to the sheriff?” asked Aunt Maudie. “He has been investigating the shooting.”

“Because I promised to keep the location of the cave a secret,” explained Lizzie Jane. “It is a secret meeting place for two boys I know.”

“One of the boy is Jack, isn’t it — and you rescued him from the cave?” asked Aunt Maudie.

“Yes — Oh, what can I do? I cannot tell the sheriff now. He will go tramping in there and they will kill Jake,” Lizzie Jane sadly answered.

Speechless, Aunt Maudie just stood there. Lizzie Jane began to think.

“There is only one thing to do. I will have to go and rescue Jake myself,” Lizzie Jane said suddenly.

“You cannot do that. You are just a thirteen year old girl,” answered Aunt Maudie.

“Yes, I can — just like I rescued Christie in the jungle,” answered Lizzie Jane.

Aunt Maudie had not heard that part of her adventure, but based on Lizzie Jane’s previous adventures that she knew about, she did not doubt anything. “But dear, you are too weak." She was trying to discourge Lizzie Jane from such a wild idea.

“No, I am NOT too weak,” argued Lizzie Jane. “I told you I can climb a tree and you said that if it was necessary, you would consider letting me. Now it is necessary,” firmly confirmed Lizzie Jane.

“I cannot allow it!” exclaimed Aunt Maudie. “I think the sheriff should handle this and I am going to call him right now. I will not give you permission to get killed. I never could forgive myself!”

“And I could never forgive myself if I let Jake be killed without trying to save him,” exclaimed a much determined Lizzie Jane.

“I WILL NOT allow it, young lady!” With that, Aunt Maudie slammed the door on her way out.

“She is going to call the sheriff. He will get Jake killed, sure ‘nuff,” thought Lizzie Jane.

She had only disobeyed the authority over her once and she was kidnapped that time, but she had to take another chance this time. She just HAD to.

She put on shorts and a tee shirt, grabbed her archery set from the closet and her hunting knife from the chest of drawers that she had hidden under some clothing, and climbed out the upstairs window. From the ledge, she climbed to the roof of the house, walked over to a tree growing near the back and leaped. She barely caught a limb because of the distance, but thankfully she made it. Looking down, she saw that it was a long way to the ground. She descended the tree and ran across a field, out of sight from Uncle Jed’s house.

She stopped to consider the note. It said that if she brought the law, Jake would be killed before they got there. That meant that the murderers would be somewhere watching to see who entered the forest, but where would they be situated? She thought of a barn that was a short distance from the entrance to the forest that lead to the cave, so that would be the first place to investigate.

She ran across fields to the farm where the barn was located, but soon realized how weak she really was. She was not as swift and had to stop too many times to rest. Nearing the barn, she entered the site from a small hill, opposite the side facing the forest. Climbing a tree close to the barn, she entered the loft, visibly searching the barn, and, observing no one, she turned her attention to the forest.

A person could position himself near the edge of the forest so that he could see the entire field and observe anyone entering. That meant that Lizzie Jane would have to enter the forest from another area and work her way to the cave. It would take a little longer, but it would be safer.

Staying behind the hill, she circled her way around the field and entered the woods unseen. She climbed a tree and made her way through the trees by jumping and swinging from limb to limb, but that also verified how weak she had become. She stopped to rest often, but knew she had to continue. A man’s life who could possibly be her future husband was at stake.

She had a strong ‘gut’ feeling that she should arrive at the cave from the rear. Not knowing why, she circled around from behind and carefully worked her way to the cave. No one was anywhere close to the area, so she eased on past the cave entrance.

Finally, she saw Jake tied to a small tree. No one else was around. He had been placed in plain sight for a decoy, so that she could not determine the location of the murderers. They had to be located somewhere that would give them a clear shot at both Lizzie Jane and Jake.

She climbed a little higher in the tree. She had become accustomed to jumping and swinging from limb to limb, no matter how high a tree happened to be. Carefully observing her surroundings, she noticed a deer stand that contained one man with a rifle. In case he missed, he was in a position to shoot hundreds of yards through the woods.

“Very smart crooks,” though Lizzie Jane, “but I am a little smarter — I think.”

He was holding the weapon in his right hand so that he could put it to his shoulder and aim at his target quickly. Lizzie Jane thought, “How convenient. Just right to drop it.”

She took an arrow from her quiver and aimed at the man’s right shoulder. Her aim was perfect as it hit the designated spot. He did not drop the rifle, but instead brought his other arm around to grab at the shoulder. Quickly, she pulled out another arrow and aimed at his other shoulder — and again — it hit the target. That caused him to drop the rifle.

She shot another arrow, hitting him in the upper part of his right leg. That caused him to tumble from the deer stand. While he was on the ground rolling in pain, from the arrows in his body and the bodily damage from the fall — possible broken bones — Lizzie Jane quickly descended from her lofty perch. With her hunting knife, she quickly cut the ropes from Jake and used just enough rope to secure the murderer to another tree.

Seeing him scream in pain, she replied coldly, “Don’t worry. I will send help — the sheriff!” She produced a wicked smile — something unusual for Lizzie Jane. She added, “Maybe you will learn that guns are not for little boys.”

She told Jake to follow far enough behind her so he could not be seen. She went up a tree again and, from limb to limb, she made her way to the entrance of the forest. Just as she expected, the other man was behind some bushes with a good view of the field with a walkie-talkie.

It only took one arrow to disable him to the extend that Lizzie Jane could use the rest of the rope to tie him to a tree. Jake came in sight, saw what had happened, and remarked, “What kind of girl am I in love with?”

“Honey, just a good ole jungle gal,” she said with a smile. Someday she would have to tell him about killing a Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur when she was ten years old.

Arm in arm they walked to the road where they would flag down an automobile and let the sheriff know he had two dangerous desperadoes tied to trees in the woods, but bring Doc Brown. They will need him — very much.

-The End

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Copyright 2007 by Starla Anne Lowry
Under the pen name of Billie Sue Pilgrim
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