My Green-eyed Boy

by DJK

 

Summary: Adam told everyone it had to be a prank, but he could not say who, how, or why, and even Ben Cartwright eventually wondered if it was happening at other than human hands.  This was written for the 2026 Michael Landon Birthday Literary Challenge.

Rating: teen   word count: 3796

 It started with things being slightly out of place.  Adam was the first to notice because he was the most precise in the placement of his belongings and most cognizant of where he put things.  His first thought was that Little Joe had been in his room.  He sternly reminded his eleven-year-old brother of the prohibition against entering the rooms of other family members without invitation or touching their belongings without permission.  Little Joe bristled and fussed that nobody seemed to mind touching his things or coming into his room uninvited and stomped away.  Adam snorted and expected things to improve.  They did not.  Things began to move seemly of their own volition from one place to another sometimes across a room and sometimes from room to room.  It was obvious enough that the entire family including Hop Sing noticed, grumbled, and accused not only Little Joe but the others in general when some things traveled during the hours when the boy was at school.   No one’s possessions seemed immune, and irritation rose.  As a prank it was harmless enough but increasingly irritating, and Ben one night at dinner made a stern edict- directed mainly at his two youngest sons- against any more of the same, declaring that the prank had best end.  It did not; on the contrary, it escalated. Ever larger items not only moved but settled in ridiculous places or hid themselves completely.   When Hop Sing found several dirty tools contaminating his flour bin, his rant was loud, long, and ended in the pronouncement that there would be no sweets baked for a week.  Ben then had a serious talk with each of his sons, but the situation became no clearer.  Adam suspected that Little Joe and Hoss were working in concert, and Little Joe ventured the observation that only Adam would take the risk of continuing with both Pa and Hop Sing united in opposition.  Hoss told both his brothers that he appreciated a well-executed prank but he appreciated Hop Sing’s desserts, not to mention Pa’s good moods, a good bit more and that he’d pound the brother that continued to rile them both and dump the leavings in the pond.

 

The next day Ben found his inkwell and several important contracts that should have been in the locked safe instead transferred to the privy.  He lost his temper, and his bellows could be heard across the yard and down to the bunkhouse.  That was also the day when the smells began.

 

First, a rank and fetid smell in the dining area interfered with the family’s enjoyment of Hop Sing’s chicken and dumplings and had Hop Sing and Hoss along with Little Joe -at Ben’s order- searching intently for a dead animal.  They covered every inch of the entire great room, moving furniture and opening drawers and containers of all kinds, but found nothing.  The smell faded and returned repeatedly as did the acrid scent that seemed to emanate from Ben’s desk and the excessively sweet floral odor filling the upper hallway.

 

The smells were then joined by mysterious sounds- tapping, knocking, and clanging- that had no identifiable source.  Soon a soft whistling song that no one admitted to knowing was added.

 

Adam still insisted that it was some grand prank, but even he could offer no explanation nor find any tangible evidence.  Ben, also, told himself that it must be happening by a human hand but was at a loss as to who, how, or why.  He had accepted that things had progressed beyond what even all three of his sons working in concert could have achieved.  Besides, all three of them were suffering one way or another from the smells and sounds and traveling possessions.  Three and a half weeks passed while everyone living in the ranch house became increasing edgy and despairing.  Little Joe, then Hoss, and finally Hop Sing declared it was time to look for ways to deal not with a human but with a supernatural source in the effort to rid themselves of the problem.  Adam rolled his eyes but quietly began researching.  Ben threw up his hands and declared any reasonable option that would not destroy any part of the place could be tried.

 

They tried cleansing herbs, Chinese incantations, Indian charms, Buddhist and Christian prayers then assorted blessings.  Finally, one entire day passed without incident.  The Carwright household sighed in hopeful relief.  The next night a storm descended on the ranch, and Little Joe saw his first apparition between lightning flashes.  Ben reassured him that it was a trick of the shadows and flashing light but allowed the boy to accept Hoss’s offer to share his bed.  The next morning, Hoss and Joe together saw a shimmering woman walk from the hall through the closed door into Ben’s room, but it was not until the next night when Adam was forced to admit that he had seen such a woman emerge from a wall and disappear into another that Ben sent his youngest to stay with the Devlin family.

 

“Are we certain that Little Joe will remain at the Delvin’s?”  Adam addressed his father who sat across from him in Ben’s favorite leather chair.

 

“Isaac Devlin will see to it that he does.  I made the importance clear and have his word.”

 

“You made the importance clear without revealing the reason?”

 

“I spoke in general terms.”  Ben’s right hand rubbed the smooth leather of the chair’s arm.

 

“And Hoss?”

 

“I put Ned in charge of keeping both Hoss and Hop Sing down at the bunkhouse.  There’s been no problems at all there.”

 

“And having to be there to keep Hoss safe will preclude Ned joining us.”  Adam rubbed the bridge of his nose.

 

“Ned will see to it that everyone else on the ranch stays away from the house, barn, and yard.”

 

“Well, then, it’s you and I.”  Adam smiled wryly.  “We shall beard the lion in his den- or should I say her den- together, and I for one intend to have an answer before the next sun rises.”

 

Ben Cartwright studied his eldest son who despite being a mature adult was still his father’s child.  “And if I should decide to beard this lion alone and send you down to the bunkhouse?”

 

Adam had been waiting for some version of Ben’s question, if not a simple command to go.  He gazed directly at his father, raised his chin, and spoke clearly.  “I simply wouldn’t obey.”

 

“Adam.”  Ben’s tone was totally parental.

 

“We really shouldn’t waste energy fighting each other, Pa.  We may need all we both can muster before this night is over.”

 

Ben sighed in acceptance. As much as he wanted his son safely away from whatever might occur in his house that night, he knew that Adam would be at his side when they confronted the supernatural entity that had invaded their home.  “Well, then, my most defiant son whose disrespect I may yet not overlook, it is time we armed ourselves with the word of the Lord and went upstairs.”  Ben retrieved the large Cartwright family Bible and carried it to the bottom of the staircase.  Adam joined him; then together they mounted the stairs, for the apparition had been seen only on the upper floor.  Adam’s hand patted his pocket where his stepmother’s rosary currently resided and then drew it out letting it hang from his left hand.   His other pocket held a quarter pound of salt.  They sat down in two chairs that had been brought out from the guest room earlier.  An iron pry bar leaned against each chair, and since the only items of solid silver to be found on the ranch were the contents of Marie’s table service, several butterknives lay on the floor between the chairs.  Ben lit the hall lamp, settled in one chair, and started reading Psalms. Adam took a seat in the other, and the wait began.  Hours later, it ended with a thunderous crash that seemed to engulf the house and had Ben and Adam springing to their feet. Next came a rush of freezing wind down the hallway. When the wind subsided, she was standing there, less shimmering and more solid then previously.  She also appeared angry and focused on the two of them.

 

“Where is he?  WHERE?”  The voice was raspy but strong and definitely demanding.

 

“Where is who?”  Adam’s voice was clear and controlled.

 

“The green-eyed boy!  Where is he?”

 

“Little Joe is not here.”  Ben too was controlled and calm.

 

“JOSIAH!”  Her wail was as much a cry of pain and sorrow as it was a name.  “My Little Josiah, my boy.”  Her sob seemed to lower the temperature around them twenty degrees.

 

Adam and Ben turned their eyes from the woman to share a quick look and then focused again on the apparition.  “No.  He is my son Joseph.  The green-eyed boy is my son.”

 

“NO!”  The sound shook the walls.  “HE IS MINE!  My lost boy, my Little Josiah.”  Her arm extended and her finger pointed at Ben. “You shall bring him to me.”

 

“No.”

 

“You think you can keep him from me?”  Her eyes burned, a grin distorted her face, and her hand flicked.  The chairs, the pry bars, and the butterknives went flying through the air as if thrown, hitting the walls and falling scattered on the floor.  Ben managed to keep the Bible held tightly against his chest, and Marie’s rosary stayed entwined in Adam’s left hand.  Adam slid his right hand into his pocket, filled it with salt, and suddenly threw a handful at the apparition.  She howled, flickered, but remained.  Before Adam or his father could reach for either an iron or a silver weapon, they felt something encircling their throats, tightening slowly, and choking off breath.  In seconds they were pinned by  giant, invisible hands against the back wall with their heads touching the ceiling and their feet dangling above the floor.

 

“No!”  The voice was not a roar but a boy’s shout and a recognizable shout at that.  “Let them go!”

 

Isaac, you failed me.  Ben tried to turn his head enough to see his youngest son but could not.

 

Never bet against the kid when it comes to slipping off.  Adam would have rolled his eyes if he had not been slipping from consciousness.

 

The woman’s attention went immediately to the boy now standing just at the start of the hallway.  “Josiah!”  There was joy in the cry, and the pressure on Ben and Adam’s throats eased.  “Oh, come to me, baby, come to Mama.”  Her arms reached toward Little Joe, and both Ben and Adam dropped abruptly to the floor.

 

“No.  You’re not my mother, and I’m not a baby!”  Joe’s second declaration carried more indignation than the first.

 

“My baby, my green-eyed boy, I searched; I searched so long, so, so long; and now I’ve found you.  Now, we can go.”  Her sobs held both joy and longing.

 

Having regained his breath, Ben spoke with hoarse softness.  “Run, Joseph, get out.”

 

“No, I…”

 

“You heard Pa, Joseph!  Get out!”  Adam’s voice was louder and more forceful.

 

“I can’t leave…”

 

“No, you’ll not leave me again!”  Her sobs had stopped, and her voice grown demanding once again.  You will mind me this time!  Don’t be a naughty boy again.”

 

“I don’t have to mind you!”

 

She seemed not to hear him.  “I told you no.  Papa told you not to touch the rifle.  We told you to stay near the wagons.  Why didn’t you obey?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  Little Joe frowned and then realized that the woman had slipped closer to him.  He took a step back.

 

“We looked for you all night.  We called and called.  Papa promised not to spank you if you came back.  They searched again in the light.  They said they found you, but I knew it wasn’t you, not the bloody thing they brought to me to bury.  I told them you were alive.  I wouldn’t leave.  They said we had to go.  Snow would fill the mountain passes.  They tied me in the wagon. I got away. I came back, Josiah.  I searched.  I searched so long.  I searched the forest and then the searching was different, but I didn’t stop.  Then I saw you, my green-eyed boy.”

 

“I’m not Josiah.”  Little Joe looked directly at the woman.  “I’m sorry you lost him, but I’m not your son.”  Joe’s voice was gentle and respectful with a soft empathy.

 

“Not Josiah?”

 

“No, I’m not Josiah; I’m Joseph.  Joseph Francis Carwright, my name is in that Bible, in my pa’s Bible that he’s holding.”

 

Ben opened the Carwright family Bible to the record of his sons’ births and held the book toward the woman.  “Here, you can read it here.”

 

“Not Josiah?”  Her head snapped up.  “Don’t lie to Mama!”

 

“I’m not lying!”  Little Joe darted toward his father.  “I’ll vow on the Bible.  Your son wouldn’t vow a lie on the Bible, would he?”

 

She shook her head.

 

Little Joe placed his hand on the Bible Ben held, straightened, and spoke clearly.  “I vow and swear on my eternal soul that I am not Josiah.  I am Joseph Francis Cartwright nobody else.”

 

The woman seemed to crumple in on herself, her hand clutching her chest.  “Josiah.”  It was a whimper.

 

“Mama.”  The attention of all went immediately to the source of the young voice.  A shimmering child stood a few feet behind the woman.  “Mama, is it you?  I waited for you.  Did you come at last?”

 

“Oh, Baby, oh Lord, it is you!  My Little Josiah, my green-eyed boy.”  Her movement was a blur as was the child’s.  When they came together, a blinding light burst outward, and a wave of thunder rocked the entire house as the floor rolled like a wind-blown ocean beneath Little Joe, Ben, and Adam.  Then the human occupants of the house lay stunned on the floor while the supernatural visitors disappeared.

 

Minutes later, the front door, whose lock and cross-bar had both broken, was thrown open and Hoss’s voice bellowed across the room and up the stairs.  “PA!  ADAM!”

 

Hoss reached the upper hallway first, followed by Hop Sing and Old Ned.  A dozen hands halted at the stairs and milled about the great room prepared to fight but awaiting orders.

 

Hoss saw his little brother and stopped dead before snatching the boy up into his arms.  Hop Sing went directly to Ben and began assessing him and then Adam.  Old Ned stood over Adam and demanded to know what had happened and if anyone was hurt.

 

“It was the ghosts, Mr. Ned.  They exploded. It was the ghosts, Hoss.  There was two of ‘em!”  Little Joe was the first to speak.

 

“Ghosts. Okay, they was ghosts, but what are you doing here, Short Shanks?”  Hoss had already determined that his brother was physically unharmed and moved closer to his father.

 

“Yes, Joseph, what are you doing here?”

 

“Um, well, about that, Pa…”

 

Ben stood, looked directly at his youngest, and sighed.  “Are you hurt?”

 

“No, I…, no there ain’t nothing wrong with me.”

 

“Think you ask wrong son.”  With Hop Sing’s comment, all eyes settled on Adam.

 

“Adam?”

 

“It’s nothing, Pa, really.”  Hop Sing snorted as did Old Ned.  Ben shook his head.  “It’s my knee.  I jolted it when she let go and dropped us.  It’ll be fine…”

 

Ben exchanged a glance with first Hop Sing and then his middle son before a slight movement of his father’s chin had Hoss setting down one brother only to lift the other from the ground.  Before Ben could give the order, Hoss had Adam dangling over his shoulder. “His room, Pa?”

 

“Put me DOWN!”  Adam started to struggle.

 

“Be still before he drops you!”  It was a command, and Adam obeyed his father immediately fuming silently while being carried down the hall trailed by Hop Sing, Little Joe, and Joe’s giggle. Ben snorted. “Ned, send someone for Doc Martin.”

 

“Did that ‘fore we came up to the house.”

 

“Which was against my orders, I might observe.”

 

“Sounded like we’d find the whole house in pieces, so we followed my orders.”  The old man straightened, and his look challenged Ben to say a word against his decision.

 

“Well, then…perhaps you should go down and let the hands know they can return to the bunkhouse.  I’m almost sure there will be no further problem.”

 

“And when they ask just what the problem was.”

 

“Um…”  Ben rubbed his chin.  “There was an on-going misunderstanding that has been resolved.  The light and sound, um, merely fireworks, a special and powerful kind of fireworks.”

 

The old hand refrained from spitting on Hop Sing’s polished floors.  “Fireworks it is then.”  The looked he gave Ben stated clearly that he expected a true and full explanation but would wait for it to be delivered in private.

 

“And tell everyone to sleep in.  Only basic chores and animal care will be done tomorrow, and they are free to go into town early.”

 

“That I will.”

 

“One more thing, send someone to the Devlins with my apologies and thanks. Let them know that Little Joe is home and safe, and they need not worry.  Oh, and that Joe and I’ll be by to speak to them tomorrow or the next day.”

 

“I’ll send Matt Potter and tell him he’s free to stop by the McFersons’ on his way back for breakfast.  He’s sparkin’ McFerson’s oldest.”

 

“Well, then I’m sure he won’t mind.”

 

“Not a bit!”   Old Ned chuckled and turned to leave.

 

“Ned.”  Ned turned back toward Ben.  “Thank you for everything.”  He smiled.  “You kept Hoss down there longer than I thought you could.”

 

Old Ned shook his head and chuckled.  “I’ll let him tell you how I managed that.  Boss, uh, about Hoss and Little Bit, well, you know how it is.”

 

“I know.”  Ned’s hand met Ben’s back with a half-slap half-pat, and Old Ned left to handle matters with the Cartwright hands as was his place.

 

 

Ben went to Adam’s room where his eldest lay upon his bed with Hop Sing, Hoss, and Joe in attendance.  Little Joe was chattering a mile a minute.  “Joseph.”  The chatter stopped.  “Hoss, put Joe and yourself to bed.”

 

“Pa…” Little’s Joe’s voice was edged with whine.

 

“Now!”

 

“But…”  Hoss’s hand covered Joe’s mouth and turned the sputtering boy toward the door.

 

“But nothing.  Pa done had about all the disobeying he’s gonna take.”  Hoss whispered his observation into Little Joe’s ear and kept him moving toward his room at a quick pace.

 

“Hop Sing…”

 

“Son’s knee out. Need doctor.  No let boy up ‘til doctor come.  I tend to things and bring up doctor when he get here.”

 

“He’ll stay put.”  Hop Sing departed muttering Chinese, and Ben set a chair next to Adam’s bed.

 

“Everyone is fine?”

 

Ben shook his head. “Yes, except, of course, for my eldest.”

 

Adam relaxed against a pile of pillows.  “Your eldest will be just fine.”

 

“Yes, he shall, because my eldest will be following the doctor’s orders to the letter.”  Ben caught Adam’s eye roll.  “To the letter!”

 

“Yes, Pa.”  The was no trace of submission in the reply.  Adam sighed.  “Do you really think that things are, well, resolved, uh, at an end?”

 

Ben’s ankle settled on his knee.  “Actually, I do.”  His eyebrow raised.

 

“I do too.  She…”

 

“Could never rest without finding her son which I understand completely.”

 

“‘For you I would wait forever outside of heaven’s door.’  I read that somewhere.”  Adam looked directly at his father.  “I’ve a feeling Heaven has two new souls.”  Ben nodded agreement.  “They must have been part of one of the really early wagon trains.”

 

“And buried the child somewhere, well, the grave must have disappeared before we arrived.” Ben’s eyes had grown sorrowful.

 

“I doubt the woman even had a grave.”

 

“We could… if we had a name, we could…”

 

“I’ll make a cross.  Hoss can on carve it.  We’ll put it by the lake.  Say some prayers.”

 

“Good.  We’ll do that.”  Ben saw Adam wince from only a slight shift of his weight. “We’ve laudanum. Do…”

 

“No, I do not.”  Adam hated the drug and fought taking it despite even considerable pain. He widened his eyes.  “Please, Pa.”

 

“Oh, now it’s ‘Please, Pa’ and that look.”

 

“It’s worked from time to time, not often, but once in a while.”  Adam smiled softly and seemed much younger lying there than he had in years.

 

Ben shook his head ruefully.  “You boys…”

 

“You’re not really upset with the boys, are you? They…”  Adam decided to avoided words such as disobeyed in any form.  “Besides, I think, well, it would seem Little Joe, well, he had a part in it turning out favorably.  I don’t think it would have if he hadn’t arrived.  And Hoss came with Ned.”

 

“With Ned?”

 

“They arrived together.”

 

Ben sighed.  “I have quite a lot to discuss with all of my sons, but, well, this was a unique circumstance…”

 

“I hope it was completely unique!”

 

“As I was saying, since this was a singular occurrence, discussion should suffice.”  Ben watched Adam’s smile spread and then deepen.  “Joe will have to apologize to Isaac, of course, and if he decides to administer a swat or two for deceit, well, Joseph will accept respectfully.”

 

“Of course.  It’s not like it would be a lick amiss.  That boy!”

 

“Is no more headstrong than his elder brother.”

 

Adam shrugged and then studied his father.  “That’s why, when it was just you and I on the trail, and when Hoss was young, that’s why you had to be… well…”

 

“Why I had a quicker and heavier hand than I do with Joe.”

 

“Well, yes, I understand the necessity now that I’m grown.”  Adam watched his father’s head cock as his eyebrow rose.  “Well, most of the time I understand even if I might grumble about it.”

 

Ben gave Adam the smile that belonged only to him and reached out brushing Adam’s curls from his brow. “Try to rest until Paul comes.”

 

“Yes, Pa.”  The words were dutiful, the tone respectful, and the corners of Adam’s smile quirked only slightly.

 

Ben reached for his Bible, found the page he wanted, and began to read softly every verse on obedience Adam had copied as punishment on Sunday afternoons.