AUTHOR: TexasAries
UNIVERSE: Spirit Bay - NEW AU
RATING: G
ARCHIVE: YES
STATUS: WIP
AU: CLOSED
MYTHOLOGY CHALLENGE: In any universe you want, take any myth or legend, whether it be Greek, Norse, Native American, Chinese or even a modern one, like an urban legend, and retell the story with our boys. Have them live it. Now, I don't mean describing JD killing a lion in ancient Greece and wearing the pelt around his shoulders like Hercules (though that'd be pretty funny), I only mean for you to take the basic plot of the myth and modernize it, or westernize it, as the case may be.
DISCLAIMER: I do not claim any rights over the Magnificent 7 characters used in this story, which has been written for the joy of writing only (whether it be good writing or no) and for no other purpose (such as monetary gain). Trilogy Entertainment Group, the Mirisch Group and MGM own the Mag 7 characters/aspects of the story.
THANKS: To Setcheti who beta read this story for me.
NOTE: This AU is set in a small town in Maine during the early 1950s. The Seven are all children with Josiah being the oldest at fourteen, Chris and Buck both thirteen, Nathan twelve and Vin and Ezra eleven. Little 10 year-old John "JD" Dunne is the son of Judge Travis' housekeeper and lives in the judge's home with his mother. The older boys look on JD as a younger brother and include him in all their outings and adventures.
The story I originally started in this AU didn't fit the challenge, so that one – and all the rest of the details about the boys and their lives – will come later. Sorry, until then this AU is CLOSED.
Spirit Bay
By TexasAries
Ezra and Vin moved through the deserted school building cautiously, looking for their youngest friend and not sure they wouldn't find trouble before they found him. Ezra whispered to Vin, "I know he's still in here somewhere. I saw that bully Fisher picking on him at lunch."
Vin opened one of the classroom doors, checking to see if his friend was hiding inside the empty room as he replied, "Yep, Sarah said that he and his gang were waiting for him after school, but she didn't see JD leave."
Ezra took a quick look inside a supply closet. "Fisher was just waiting until we were busy with baseball practice to pull this."
The two eleven year olds continued to search, and finally as they ventured down into the basement they heard what sounded like JD's voice. "JD, are you down there?" Vin called out.
"Vin?" came JD's panicked voice. "Vin, let me out!"
"Just hang in there JD, we'll get you out shortly," Ezra called back. They followed their friend's voice to the back of the basement where a set of old lockers was propped against one damp wall, and saw that one had been jammed shut by a chair wedged under its handle. The two boys quickly freed JD from his confinement, but when the door opened and the younger boy squinted against the new light Ezra's green eyes flashed with anger. He turned JD's face to the side,
exposing the beginnings of a black eye. "Did Fisher give this to you?"
JD nodded. Vin gave a sharp whistle as he got a good look at the injury, and JD winced when the older boy gently probed the bruised skin around his right eye. "Fisher is so dead when Chris and the others see this," the young Texan commented, pushing back his hat.
"Guys, don't tell the others," JD pleaded quickly. "Please?"
Ezra snorted. "Mr. Dunne, they could hardly fail to notice what that scum did to you. This shiner he gifted you with is fairly large and colorful."
The younger boy looked crestfallen. "I guess you're right, Ez. It's just that Fisher called me Larabee's little crybaby, said he knew I'd run right to him if they let me go."
Vin wrapped one arm around him. "JD, you're not a crybaby; Fisher is just a big bully. Besides, you're our friend and no one picks on one of our friends and gets away with it."
JD sighed. "I just wish I could take care of Fisher by myself without having you guys get involved."
Ezra patted his shoulder. "Don't worry JD, one day you will. But we will have to discuss it another time, because right now both of us are late getting home."
"Yeah," Vin chimed in. "And Aunt Nettie will be looking for me if I ain't back soon."
"Just let me get my books." JD reached back into the locker to retrieve his books and then followed his friends back to the stairs. "So, did Billy tell you where I was?"
The two older boys exchanged a puzzled look. "Who's Billy?"
JD shrugged when he saw that the two older boys had no idea who he was talking about. "Well, when Fisher locked me up down here I kept pounding on the inside of the locker and yelling for help. It seemed like forever before I heard someone answer. He told me his name was Billy and he tried to open the door but he couldn't do it, so he said he was going to try to find some help and I told him to get you guys or one of the others. Then he went away and it wasn't too long after that that you showed up." JD hesitated before continuing, "You know, I wasn't so scared after talking to Billy. I think it helped, that I knew someone knew where I was so I wouldn't die like that other kid." His friends looked even more puzzled and he added, "You know, the kid that died down here. When Fisher caught me trying to sneak out of the school he said he was going to lock me up down here with the ghost."
Vin shook his head. "Ain't no one ever died down here, JD."
JD shook his head right back. "He said it happened about ten or twelve years ago, that this kid disappeared on the last day of school before Christmas. The whole town looked all over for him and no one found anything, but when the janitor came down here to check the boiler a week later, after everyone had stopped looking, he saw all these chairs and stuff piled up in front of one of the lockers and when he moved it all and looked inside he found the kid's body." JD lowered his voice and whispered, "They say he froze to death."
Ezra drew himself up to his full height – which still left him half an inch shorter than Vin and not that much bigger than JD. "Mr. Dunne, there are no such things as ghosts. Fisher was just trying to frighten you."
"Yeah, folks just tell stories like that for a scare, ain't nothin' to any of `em," Vin agreed. "Now come on, we gotta get goin' on home."
Ezra nodded his head. "Very true, Vin. We'll just have to find Billy tomorrow and thank him for coming to your assistance, JD."
JD agreed, his voice drifting down the stairs behind him as his friends led him out of the basement until the door shutting behind them left the room in silence again. Then there was a rustle, and a boy of about ten faded into view, gazing up the stairs with a wistful look on his face. "You're welcome, JD," Billy whispered.
END