First Chapter

     The Children of Spirit Circle

 

            “Over here, Mommy.  Look at the pretty flowers.  They make the ground look like the sky before a storm, don’t they?” announced Adam, his dark eyes sparkled with excitement.

             “Yes they do.  I think they are called blue bonnets,” Sierra answered, her youngest son, he has grown so tall for seven. 

             The splendor of the natural beauty was pure and unspoiled.  

             “Can Loo and Amber come with me to pick their Mommy’s some flowers?”

            “I think that would be nice, just don’t pick the whole plant, no roots, and just a few flowers for each of you.  Okay.”

             “Okay, thank you,” said Adam, as the three ran into the ocean of blue.  

             Spring was coming.  The grass was greening up, the sap was running in some of the bushes and the new growth on the mesquite trees made the leaves look like light green feathers blowing in the warm breeze.

             Sierra had always loved the spring.  It was her favorite time of year.  A time for new beginnings,  fresh starts and hopes for the future.  This spring held more promise than most because the People of Spirit  Circle were starting fresh in their new home and there had been no WUN Guard sightings in several weeks. The adults still carried weapons at all times, but it had been decided by the Council of Elders, to conceal the weapons more, make them less obvious to outsiders.

             She walked toward the garden area which skirted the wildflower meadow.  She noticed Colt sitting on a log next to the garden he had supervised. 

             Colt had organized the planting of the community garden and had been acting like a new mother watching her child sleeping.  As he waited for the first signs of growth, she was sure he was talking to the sleeping seedlings, coaxing and encouraging them to grow strong and healthy.

             Sierra was pleased to see the garden planted in a circle.  A Spirit Circle.  He had included herbs and even medicinal plants.  The greenhouse was yet to be built and would take some time to plan, but soon the people will have a greenhouse built and even more medicinal herbs and food will be growing.

             “Colt,” she called.

             Colt was startled; not realizing someone else was around.  ‘It’s Sierra, I hope she didn’t hear me,’ he thought.

             “Hi, Sierra, how long have you been there?” he asked.

             “Not long, were you afraid I was listening to something I shouldn’t have?”

             He turned bright red, embarrassed. “A little I guess.  I know most people think it is silly to talk to plants but I always figured it can’t hurt so why not.”

            “I agree especially since they are such good listeners,” smiled Sierra.     

            He thought she was making fun of him until she started talking to the tiny plants just starting to peek out from their earthen homes.

             “Mother will feed you and Father will warm you,” she said, “and you will feed and warm others.” Sierra smiled at him and explained how each plant had its own spirit energy and by respecting their spirits and leaving offering gifts when harvesting them, the People will be blessed by the plants.

             The two sat in comfortable silence for some time before the children ran over to show them their treasures. 

             “Look Grandma, we got lots of pretty flowers for Mommy and Miss Carol and we even got some for Miss Randi and Miss Leah,” Loo proudly stated.

            “They are beautiful honey.”  Sierra hugged her granddaughter and little Amber.  Adam was standing by Colt discussing the importance of not picking all of the flowers.  The children’s smiles and enthusiasm were contagious because before long both adults were making flower crowns for each of the children and their mothers.

            Once the children left to share their treasured crowns, Sierra and Colt followed them back to the town; talking about the changes in everyone since their arrival to the town.

             “Even my Dad is happy all the time, especially now that Randi is doing so much better,” said Colt. “...and with Kat and Scott’s baby on the way, he sings all the time now.”

            “I’m glad to hear that, I believe everyone is more hopeful and happy now.  I have to admit knowing a new grandchild is on the way gives me a more positive outlook on things.  I thank our Creator constantly for all of the blessings and miracles and even the hardships and challenges we have faced,” replied Sierra.

            “I’m thankful the hardships are over.”

            “Be thankful for the bad times too; they are what brought us to this place and what we have learned lessons from to get to here,” she said.  “Not just this physical place but the place we are at in our minds and hearts.”

             “How do you stay so positive?  You have been through more than any of us,” asked Colt, thinking of the betrayal of her mother and the ordeal with Randi she had endured.

            “No, I’ve been blessed in so many ways.  I have my children, grandchildren and a good man and the love I have for all our people gets me through the tough times.  Randi, she’s the one that deserves not only our love but our admiration.  She’s the one who has suffered.”

            “I heard Dad talking to Randi one day and from what I heard she seems to be doing well.  Is there more we do not know?”  Colt was genuinely concerned and Sierra could feel his confusion.

             “There is so much no one but Jeff and I know, and until she is ready to talk about it that is the way it will stay.  Don’t pity her though.  The horrible suffering she endured helped her to survive and make her who she is today.  Be thankful for that,” answered Sierra.  “She is a beautiful person, inside and out.”

   

            “Eeeeeee!”

            Sierra heard the girl screaming and Adam was running toward her as fast as he could, crying.  Panic hit her full in the chest.  She and Colt ran toward the children at full speed.  Adam ran right into Sierra’s arms. 

            “Momma!  Loo… it bite …”

             Sierra picked up her son and continued running in the direction Adam had come from following Colt. She still could not see the girls.  “Where is Loo?  What bit her?”

             “…it bit her,” he stammered as she finally saw the girls.

            “What bit her, honey?”  She could see Colt bending over Loo with Amber sitting next to them, crying into her apron.  The flower crowns were scattered on the ground around Loo. 

             Colt was looking at Loo’s thigh where blood was spurting from her little body. 

            “Snake bite.” Colt could say no more as he tied a piece of his shirt around her upper thigh attempting to stop the bleeding while trying to calm her cries.  “We need to get her to my Dad.  Now!” 

             Colt picked her up and started running toward town. 

            Sierra wanted to follow him but Adam and Amber needed her too.  She stood Adam on the ground and reached for Amber.  She was still too frightened to move. 

            “Adam did you see the snake?  How ’bout you sweetie?”  Both children shook their heads no. Their tears started to subside.

             “I have to get to Loo, Adam can you go get your sister and tell her what happened?”

            He nodded yes and reached for Amber’s hand.

            “No honey, I’ll carry her.  You go get Kat.  Hurry.  Tell her we are at Henry’s.”

Adam took off running and so did Sierra carrying Amber.  Amber held on tight hiding her tear streaked face in Sierra’s neck.

             Wolf and Henry had been sitting on the porch in front of the ‘new and improved’ school house, as everyone had started to call it, when they saw Colt running toward them carrying the girl.

             “What the…?” asked Henry.

             “Is that Loo he’s carrying?” questioned Wolf.  Both men ran toward Colt. 

             “She’s been bit…by a snake…on her upper thigh. She’s lost a lot of blood,” breathed Colt, doing his best to be understood…

            “What kind of snake?”  asked Henry.  “Take her in the house.”

             “I don’t know.” 

            Loo was still, no tears, her eyes were open and glassy and her body was limp. Wolf had seen people with snake bites many times; even poisonous snakes didn’t do this until long after the poison had gone through the body.

             “How long ago was she bitten?” questioned Wolf.

            “Not long, we heard her scream,” answered Colt.

            Henry placed Loo on his table and was stripping her skirt off, leaving the tourniquet in place, for the moment.  The spurting was slowing now but he was very concerned about the blood loss when he noticed two more bites, one on her back and another under her arm. “No!” he thought.

             Wolf watched as Henry worked when Sierra burst through the door still carrying Amber. 

             “How is she?”

            “Don’t know yet,” Wolf answered, trying to guide her back out the doorway so Henry could work when they saw Kat running toward them with Adam following behind.  Sierra set Amber on the porch.

             “Where is she?  How did this happen?”  The panic in her voice made her voice shrill. 

             “She’s in with Henry,” answered Sierra.

             Kat crashed through the door and stopped abruptly.  Seeing her beautiful little girl lying helplessly on a hard tabletop with blood all over her clothes.

             Henry looked up into Kat’s eyes as she searched his for hope.  The single tear on his cheek spoke volumes. 

             “No…,” she whispered.  She took her daughter into her arms and cried. Sierra had followed Katlin in and watched helplessly as she realized her granddaughter was leaving this life. Sierra put her arms around her daughter’s shoulders and cried with her for the loss of their little star.

                              ***

 

Reviews

[Mikael Malmberg]

It's a good one!

Now just build a great evil around the snakes, "Snake Cult", "Snake Conspiracy", and such! That would be awesome.

Great writing ;)

[Emily B]

this is beautifully written . . . thought I had been by here long ago . . .

[ShadowDance]

Wolf, I personally think that anywhere you put a wolf you make it a good theme!
I don't know why I just love wolves!

I believe you have something really good going here, its really deep and at the same time not like some just jumping from a spot to another, no it sure makes a chain of actions come together to form a beautiful telling... well done, cant wait to read the next chapter