Summary: After a tragedy, who died, and who is still living? How did some survive? What makes a hero?
Rating: T  Word count: 2,415

Can’t They See

“Can’t they see me? Can’t anyone see me?”

Everyone, I’m the little girl from the family who was traveling by wagon and the four heroes tried to save us. The rescue came too late for me. Even though it was too late to save some of us from the marauders, that wasn’t the fault of the four heroes. The gunfire and the yelling drew them to us. They had no way of knowing what was going to happen until they heard all that noise. We didn’t know it was going to happen either. We saw some men riding toward us, but that had happened to us many times as we traveled west.

This time was so different though. This time, they weren’t coming in to share a meal or ask directions or for help. These were horrible men, and they meant evil. As they got close, we could see it because they were smiling but drawing their weapons. I’m sure they could tell we were helpless against them. Papa turned the wagon and tried to get us away from them, but there was no way to succeed. They were on horseback and faster than we were in our wagon loaded with our supplies and all the worldly possessions we could manage to take with us. It had been a long trip, and Papa was letting us all take a break from walking so we were in the wagon too. It wouldn’t have mattered. If we had been walking behind the wagon as we usually did, they would have gotten to us sooner.

The evil men rode to the front of the team and grabbed the harness where they could and used that to stop the horses. Some others came to the back of the wagon as soon as it stopped and pulled most of us out, and I guess they must have pulled my father from the seat too. I don’t know. So much happened so fast that I didn’t see all of it. I was pulled out first. I tried to fight. I think we all did, but it was hopeless.

By the time help came, I was already hurt too much. Too many bad things had happened before the heroes even got there to stop them. But the good men saved my older sister from what those awful men wanted to do to her. It was what they tried to do to me first. They had ripped my dress, but when I fought back, one of those men hit me so hard I fell into the wagon wheel. I heard a lot of yelling at first, but after that, I don’t remember much from then on for a while. They lost interest in me with my head bleeding and me laying on the ground not moving. At least, that’s what I think must have happened because they did nothing more to me.

There was more yelling later when I woke, and that’s when I watched those four men ride into terrible danger to rescue my family. I felt like I was floating as I watched them. They shot some of those men and took the others as prisoners. The men who rode to our rescue were dressed like cowboys, but I thought of them as the knights I had heard about in a book my sister had been reading to us. She’s only a couple of years older, but she’s very smart.

With the sun behind them, they glowed like they were in armor. It was probably hard for the evil men to see them too and shoot accurately at them. There was a lot of shooting but it didn’t last too long. When all the guns stopped firing, the four heroes got off their horses and looked around with great anger at the evil men and sadness in their eyes for us. They split up and two came to help us as the other two tied up the marauders they had captured.

First, two of the heroes called out to reassure us that they meant us no harm, and they called out that we were safe from the marauders. Then the tall dark one saw me and walked over to kneel by my side. I would have been afraid of him at first because of the dark clothing that an outlaw would wear, but the look on his face told me he was a kind man. It was so sweet the way he gently touched my cheek and held my wrist in his other hand. His grasp was warm and gentle. The others called to him asking how I was. He only responded to the big man, and when he looked up at him, he shook his head like he was saying no. When he looked back at me, there were tears in his eyes, and I looked up to see that the big man was wiping his eyes. That’s when I knew it was too late for me.

I could see that the man in black had a wound on his left arm. It was bleeding enough to see it even with his black shirt. The big man must have seen it too and came over to us. He put a hand on the man in black on his shoulder, but he shook it off. He didn’t have to say anything. The big man seemed to understand that the man in black would wait to have someone tend to his arm. After what had happened, I knew what he was waiting for. I didn’t feel too bad about it though with him there to comfort me. At least I wasn’t alone. He was like my angel there to guide me.

The littlest one of those men had gone to my sister, but she was screaming so it wasn’t easy to help her. I couldn’t do anything so I got to watch what happened. When he got close, he knelt down in front of her, and he talked real soft to her. He was telling her that she was safe now and that no one would hurt her anymore. The man with gray hair grabbed a blanket from the wagon and brought it to my sister. Knowing she would probably be scared of him, he handed it to the little man who held it for a moment and explained what he was going to do and why. Then he stood up with caution and moved to my sister and wrapped that blanket around her real tight like you wrap up a baby so they feel like they’re safe. All that time, he just kept talking softly to her like you would to a skittish colt. Eventually, she calmed down and I heard her ask about the rest of us. I could see her, but things seemed to be getting cloudy.

The tall dark one stayed with me and asked the man with gray hair to bring him a blanket too. Very gently, he put it across me careful not to jar me in any way. I saw him grimace, but I don’t know if it was because that hurt his arm or if he felt so sorry for me. Maybe it was both.

The man in black told the big one to take a look around for any others, and the big one called out that he had already found my brothers hiding in the wagon when he got the blankets the man with the gray hair wanted. He leaned out of the wagon and said that they were under a pile of bed coverings. I knew that meant they must have been covered with Mama’s quilts and fine linens. She had to have pulled them from a chest when she figured out what was about to happen. I almost cried when I heard how he talked really gently to my little brothers as he backed out of the wagon and stood at the end of it. That calm gentle talk got them to come crawling out. Each of them put an arm around one of those big shoulders of his. He moved away from where they could see any terrible things so they could sit, and the three of them sat there on the ground for what seemed to be the longest time.

The older one with the gray hair had been gone for a bit and walked over to them and shook his head at the big man. I guessed what that must have meant. He must have found mama and papa. I know they’re dead too from the sad look on that big man’s face and the sigh that came from the dark one who’s holding my hand yet. I think I saw a tear run down his face too. The big one can’t seem to hide what he’s feeling at all. I wonder why I can’t see my parents, but then I remember the older man taking blankets with him when he left earlier.

My sister was on her side by then curled up in that blanket. That littlest of the four men was sitting by her side still talking softly to her. He had one hand on her shoulder and was sitting really close to her reassuring her that she was not alone. I heard him tell her that his large brother had her brothers in his arms and that the three of them would be safe. I could hear her cry a little now and then. When he said the three of them would be safe, she knew our parents were gone and that I wasn’t going to make it. The dark one tried to shush him but it was too late. The littlest one looked over to where we were and said he was sorry.

The big one hugged my brothers he was holding real close. Then I heard him tell them in the softest voice I could ever imagine a big man having that our parents were up in heaven now. My littlest brother snuggled into the big man’s hug even more then. My other brother hid his face against the big man’s chest, and I could see his little shoulders shake as he sobbed. The big man kept rubbing his hand up and down my littlest brother’s back trying to soothe him. They asked about me, and he moved all of them over by us into the shade of the wagon.

The older man came over by us and knelt on one knee by the dark man putting a hand on his shoulder and looking into his face. He saw the tears I think and knew. He reached down and pushed a few curls from my forehead before he placed his large warm hand very softly on the top of my head. He said a blessing then and I felt like I was floating again. The pain was gone. I wanted to smile but nothing was working for me. Then the dark man started singing oh so softly in a beautiful voice. It was a lullaby, and my little brothers closed their eyes in exhaustion and fell asleep in the arms of that big man. That was the last I remembered that day. Things faded away to darkness and then there was golden light.

Now here we are in town and no one can see me anymore. Those four men rode slowly right by me. My man in black is leaning to the side a bit. It’s probably because his arm still hurts from being shot. That’s not what is causing that hurt look on his face though. The others have it too and they weren’t shot. I can tell they feel so bad about the lives they failed to save that they can’t understand how important it is that they saved three of us. I bet when they talk with each other, they try to tell each other they did their best, and then the others say, but it wasn’t enough.

They saved half of my family from certain death at the hands of those marauders. My sister and brothers are going to be very happy with the Masons. Yes, they found a family for my sister and brothers. I can tell just from how that couple looked when my sister and brothers arrived. That couple wanted children so badly and couldn’t have any. Anyone could see in their eyes what changed from sadness to joy when they were told they could have a family. Well now they have a family and they are very happy. There’s still some sadness in my brothers and my sister, and there probably always will be after what happened and what they lost. I don’t think you ever get over the loss of those you love, but you can love others too and get joy again. They lost a lot, but now they got a lot more again. They got a family who loves them. I know the Masons who will make sure my sister and brothers have a good life and they will keep them as safe as they can keep them.

I just wish I could tell those four men how grateful I am for what they did. People have hailed them as heroes for taking on those evil men, but I can tell from their faces that they don’t believe it. All they feel is regret and sorrow for the lives they could not save. My guess is that they’re haunted in their dreams by the sights of that day. I know I would be if I had lived. They look so sad as they ride away. To me, they are the greatest heroes who ever lived. I wish I could talk with them. I wish I could bring them some peace like the dark man did sitting by my side and holding my hand when he knew I was dying. It gave me peace in my heart and soul. I would like to return that favor. They risked their lives to save strangers, cared for those who survived, and most importantly grieved for those who did not. People here may not realize the true greatness of these four men. It isn’t their bravery or their skill with firearms. It’s not that they were willing to go up against dangerous evil men at the risk of their own lives. It’s that they have hearts as big as the land out here.