Write Brained Girl

I found this old story I was writing when I was 13 or 14. Figured I’d throw it up here as my first post, because – well, who doesn’t love seeing what they wrote when they were a kid, dreaming of becoming a writer? It’s somehow inspiring. I resisted the urge to edit while I went, only correcting spelling and some typos. I know it is ridiculous, and full of inconsistencies, but I wanted to keep the integrity of where I was at in my writing and in who I was and what I found interesting at that point in my life. (You can definitely see the influence of my fear of running into wild things in the mountains where we lived at the time, as well as the influence of what I was reading at the time: primarily Christian romances, set in “the frontier.”) Anyway, if nothing else, I am preserving something of my history.

Chapter One

A sweet whistle outside Eric’s window woke him from a restless sleep. Merry sunbeams danced across his troubled face.

“Martha?” he exclaimed, looking out the window at a beautiful woman in the flower garden. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. The whistle outside faded and entered the house.

“Eric, are you up yet? Breakfast will be ready soon.” Martha’s sweet voice floated throughout the house.

Eric grinned and patted his growling stomach. “Sounds good to me.” He could hear her soft giggle in the kitchen. He walked in and sat down. Martha came around behind him and dished some oatmeal into his empty bowl. “Did you sleep okay?” he asked.

“Yes,” was her simple reply.

“No nightmares or nothin’?” he asked insistently.

She pulled out the chair beside him and sat down. “No. Why?”

Eric groaned. “Oh, I don’t know really. I just had a real strange dream last night. And I’ve got this funny felling . . . ” He stared into his bowl and shook his head. “I’m worried. I don’t know why” he looked up, “or what I’m even worried about; I’m just worried.”

Martha laid her hand on Eric’s shoulder. “What was the dream about?” she asked softly.

He shook his head. “I can’t remember. But something happened up at Wolf Mountain.”

“Maybe you should go look around after breakfast,” Martha suggested.

* * *

Eric looked out the kitchen window and sighed. “I’m not sure I’ll get to go after all,” he mumbled. The crisp, sunny morning had turned into a cold and cloudy one. “The wind is acting up again,” Eric said. “Last night it broke a branch off the big oak out back.”

Martha brushed a stray hair back as she put the last breakfast dish away. Eric walked up behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders. Then kissing her head, he said, “I’m going to check on the horses.” She quietly watched him stride to the door, grab his hat and coat, and leave; slamming the door behind him.

Martha looked down. “Something is bothering him.” Shestarted to go afterhim but stopped. ‘I probably shouldn’t get too involved in his problems,’ she thought reproachfully. But the tender concern inside urged her on. She grabbed her coat, swung it around her shoulders and ran out the door.

Outside, the wind was blowing leaves around the yard, and the sky was dark and cloudy. As she ran against the wind, her loose braid unraveled and her hair went flying behind her. When she reached the barn, she slipped in and shut the door softly behind her. She glanced around and took a few steps.

Eric was leaning against one of the stalls with his head buried in his arms. Martha bit her lip, wondering if she should have come out. Suddenly Eric spun around and kicked the nearest haybale. Martha jumped and stared at him in surprise. Eric’s eyebrows shot up. Tears were streaming down his face.

“Martha, what are you doing out here in the cold? You’ll get sick! Now go back into the house and just leave me alone!” he yelled at her.

The wind didn’t seem nearly as loud now. Martha just stood there staring. “You’ve, never talked to me like that before,” she said quietly and a bit unsteady.

Eric looked down. “I’ve never talked to anyone like that before,” he said shamefully. “I’m sorry!”

Martha nodded. “I forgive you.”

Eric’s eyes were cast downward, and full of tears. Martha walked over to him and put her arm around him. “What’s the matter?” she asked him.

“The dream I had last night?” Martha nodded and Eric continued. “Well, it was about . . . Karon. She was up at Wolf Mountain; during the storm. She was lost, and cold, and she was crying, and . . . ” Eric’s voice broke.

Martha smiled sympathetically. “You know Karon’s death wasn’t your fault,” she said softly, but Eric turned on her.

“Yes it was!” he said with gritted teeth. “It was ME who got mad and left her up on the mountain alone. No you, not anyone but ME!” He slammed his fist into the nearest beam.

“Eric, stop! Get a grip. It was wrong for you to get mad and huff off like you did, yes. But it isn’t your fault she’s dead. You know that! I mean, how were you to know whe would get lost? She knew that mountain like the back of her hand! And, and you didn’t make the storm come, and you weren’t able to go get her. And she wasn’t able to come down. You see, as painful as it is, God must have some purpose to allow that to happen.”

Eric looked down into her pleading eyes. “I s’pose you’re right. I’m sorry.” He pulled her into his embrace and rested his chin on her head. Stroking her long, soft hair, he cried tears of sorrow; not blame.

* * *

“You see now, you have no reason to worry; and you don’t need to bother yourself about Wolf Mountain,” Martha said when they were back inside the warm shelter of the house.

“No,” Eric shook his head. “Not if the weather keeps up like this. But if it clears up, I’m still going to go.”

Martha shook her head. “Whatever!” But a twinkle danced in her eyes.

Chapter Two

Skyler looked up into the sun as it rose higher above her. She trudged on through the thick forest, her coat now in her arms as the morning became hotter. She pushed through a clump of bushes and broken branches, and gave a small cry as they tore into her skin, sending a sting through her arms.

Her throat was dry and sore. Oh, how she longed for some water! “There has to be some water somewhere; there has to be . . . ” She let her voice die out like her soul.

She was coming into an opening and thought she heard the sound of running water. Her eyes were suddenly clearer, searching, straining, for some blessed glimpse of what her ears had identified as a creek. As she broke free from the last clinging branches that were trying desperately to keep her captive, her feet suddenly took on wings, and she rushed out into the meadow and straight for the sound that was getting louder with each step she took. ‘Just beyond that hill! That’s where it is!’ she thought, and tried to make her tired body move faster.

As she mounted the rise, her eyes grew wide and her emotions were battling over whether she should be awestruck or discouraged. There before her was a deep valley, at the bottom of a steep hill. There was water alright – down at the far end of the valley: a waterfall! Of course! How else would she have heard it from so far away? The sight was beautiful! Down at the bottom, it was a puzzle of green, red, and yellow trees, golden fields, and water of deep turquoise, all pieced together. It was surrounded by towering mountains of dark green and midnight blue, crowned with frosty iridescent snow.

As she stood on the top of the hill, looking down and the valley, with her hair floating around her face, she stood in awae and wonder. She looked like such a carefree person those few seconds. To anyone watching her, she would have looked like a perfect angel.

Suddenly, her distant eyes were stung, and her vision became a blur. She looked up and saw that clouds had taken over the sky, and it was snowing. It grew darker and darker as she just stood there, too tired to move and too tired to care.

Soon it was too dark for her to go on, even if she had the strength, and she strained to look through the darkness and thickening snow, toward the waterfall in the distance.

She sank to the ground and let the tears fall. They were warm on her cold face, but soon froze. She lifter her face to the sky and openined her mouth to catch the big flakes that were coming down rapidly now. Finally she stiffly got up. She quickly pulled on her coat, all that she had with her, and walked slowly toward some nearby trees. She winced as she realized that they were all bare, stiff trees, and wouldn’t give her much shelter. At least it would be better than no cover at all. She found a small bush and burrowed into it as much as she could, and closed her eyes. As soon as the storm let up, she would walk on.

Chapter Three

Eric pulled on his coat and took off to the barn to get a horse and go up the mountain. Martha looked after him and then at the sky. The wind had let up quite a bit, but the storm was still hanging over them; just hanging there, waiting. She sighed and lines took over her forehead as she frowned worriedly. “Him and his whims!” she murmured and turned away to her daily chores.

Eric mounted his horse, and pulling his hat farther over his head, rode away; off toward Wolf Mountain. With a heavy heart and purpose in his dark eyes, he lifted his chin to a confident height.

* * *

Skyler awoke with a start. She was shivering and as she sat up, she realized that it had stopped snowing. As she got up, her hair got caught on the bush, and she plopped back down on the ground, discouraged. Her frozen hands fumbled to untangle her hair, and minutes later she finally did it. She slowly got up and started down toward the haunting sound of the waterfall that shattered the otherwise stillness of the dark forest. She looked up into the penetrating darkness of the sky and shuddered at how late it had gotten. The moon had almost reached the peak of its journey through the night sky.

A mournful wind floated through the bare trees, and the icy moon reached out and touched Skyler’s hair with cold and hollow beams. Tears slipped down her cold, white cheeks, as she walked slowly through the misty woods. Her long black hair whipped around her face, clinging to her wet cheeks. And her eyes, a vivid, distant blue, searched the dark caverns of the forest. What for, she knew not.

* * *

Eric urged his horse on through the cold, and up the small trail that was getting smaller and steeper as they went. The horse threw up its head and stopped. “What’s wrong, old boy?” he said gently. The horse gave a soft neigh and tried to look up at his master. “I know it’s cold boy, but we have to keep going! We have to find out what’s wrong up there on Wolf Mountain. Now come on!” Eric nudged him with his feet and the horse started on again with a small jump and whinny.

They were just rounding a curve in the trail, with the slight glimpse of a flat ahead, when snow started falling; slowly at first, then faster and thicker. The horse lifted his head high and started prancing from side to side on the dangerously narrow trail nervously.

As they entered the field, Eric pulled the horse to a stop. He sat there and looked around him, cringing as he realized that he was standing at the edge of the end of his life.

* * *

Skyler stood frozen with fear, and stared wide eyed at the powerful beast that was so deceiving with his graceful movements and beautiful lines. The creature lay crouched in the middle of her patch, watching her, ready to leap with the first small sign of her moving. A low growl escaped his throat and seemed to echo in her ears for ages. His tail slowly danced back and forth, and Skyler, now fully intimidated, couldn’t hold on any more. She let herself slide humbly into the safety of darkness, not expecting to wake up; for she was at the mercy of the mountain lion.

* * *

Eric saw two people in the field, as he sat there looking through the snow. One was him, and the other was . . . he strained to see . . . the other was Karon. Sweet, beautiful Karon. He watched with bated breath. They looked so happy!

Karon opened her arms to the wind and ran around the field. Eric stood there and watched her graceful movements, and her face – ah, yes, her face – it held such depth, such pure beauty. It was the face of a free spirit; of love itself! He stooped and picked some wild flowers as Karon made her way back to him. He held out the flowers as she neared him, and with a small, shy smile, she took them. He reached out and gently touched a small strand of hair that had escaped its place tenderly. His face filled with a deep lookof reverant exhaltation, and his eyes, the window to his very soul, showed of a holy passion, too strong for a mere person to comprehend, or any mortal to stop. He pulled her into his warm possessive embrace, and lowered his face toward hers, and his lips raptured hers in an intense caress.

* * *

Skyler moaned and opened her eyes. What had happened? She jerked up as the sight of the mountain lion confronted her with sudden fierceness. With wide, scared eyes she lay there looking steadily at the cougar who just sat there curiously watching her now. Skyler drew her breath sharply in and held it as the beast got up and walked off to the right, up through the woods. She laid there watching him until he was out of sight, and even then just lay there getting over the shock and making sure she was fully safe before moving an inch.

* * *

Eric sat with his hand on his heart as he watched this beautiful fantasy-like memory float around in front of him. All of a sudden, like a bolt of lightning piercing a dark, void sky, something went wrong. It wasn’t beautiful any more! Eric’s eyebrows came together and his eyes clouded over . . .

Karon suddenly pulled away from Eric and ran away from him, down in the direction of the waterfall. Eric called out and ran after her, but in vain. He finally stopped and stared after her. Then he yelled something, turned and strode to his horse. He swung up, and with a kick, was gone.

* * *

Suddenly it all hit Skyler hard. She burst into tears. “Oh, God!” she cried out loudly. Her cry turned to a wail that echoed through the forest, and although Eric was just out of sight, it was an unheard cry.

* * *

Eric shut his eyes tight, hoping to erase the sight and memory that he just painfully witnessed. He opened them and saw nothing but a white blur. Sighing, he went on. He stopped at the top of the hill and looked down over the snowy valley, then urged the hesitant horse down the ridge, with just a row of trees dividing him from the reason he was up there. But neither of them knew. He searched the woods with shadowy eyes, but saw nothing.

* * *

Skyler gave a yelp as she lost her footing and slid down the slick, steep ridge. She slammed into a tree, and got up dazed and unsteady. “Whoa!” she murmured under her breath as she tried to keep herself upright. When she finally gained control of herself, she started on down again. Suddenly she came to a jerking halt and tilted her head. She thought she heard something. At first fear came over her whole being. But then she listened harder. It sounded like a horse! She tried to locate where it was coming from excitedly.

“Please, God! Please let it really be somebody; somebody that can help —” her sentence got cut off by an overwhelming sob. She lunged in the direction of the horse’s constant cries. She broke through a bit of brush onto a small trail. She paused only long enough to locate which way to go. “That way!” She rushed forward withe her breath coming in short, fast rasps. She came to a rise, and looked down on a small break in the forest. And there, in the middle, was a man riding a horse!

* * *

“What’s the matter, boy?” Eric asked his horse who pranced around, screaming his protest at going any further. Eric laid his hand lightly on the gun that sat in place on his hip, as he tried to steady the horse. His eyes searched intently all around. Suddenly a movement caught his eye. He watched it come charging out of the woods. The horse reared and tried to bolt, but Eric held him firmly back. He pulled the gun out of the holster and held it firmly by his side as he watched the grizzly fervently.

* * *

Skyler gave a cry and ran on down the path. “I can’t be too late! Got to hurry! Please wait for me!” She was in a little patch of wood that stuck out into the small field. She looked out through the trees to her left. There he was! She started to rush forward but she realized that he was watching something on the right of the outcrop of woods. She stopped and glanced over there to see what he was looking at. She drew in her breath sharply. There, just yards away, and coming her way steadily, was a huge brown bear! “He’s coming straight toward me!” she gasped in a hoarse whisper. The she looked back to the man on the horse. “Oh, God! He thinks it’s coming to him!” Then the man pulled out a gun and confidently pointed it at the bear; and her!