Short Stories and more

  Mina looked across  the stretch of dry grass to her mate Khnor, who lay sated and sleepy.   He closed his eyes, licked the residue of blood and meat from his muzzle  and paw while the wind the tawny mane away from his face.  Those  powerful spike teeth glistened in the light as he yawned.

She'd made the kill earlier. Blood had coursed through her veins as she  ran and leaped on the young gazelle's back. A roar erupted from her  mouth and she felt blood flow through her paws as she dug her claws into  the young animal. The moment she'd brought the animal to its knees and  buried her teeth into its neck; adrenaline rushed through her body.  

A  feeling she'd never felt before.  She tore another strip of meat from  the haunch.  The smell of blood rose in her nostrils and released a need  that seemed to intensify.  She buried her muzzle in the bloody mess and  savored the smell and the fast beating of her heart. 

 Another strange  feeling overcame her and she lifted her head to capture the scents in the  air.  She could smell each animal and sense its fear.  

Now every  creeping thing turned into potential food.  With the final gnawing of  the meat from the bones, she rutted around the carcass, her belly full  and the two small cubs she carried in her womb would be satisfied.  The  rest would be devoured by the birds circling and the ring of smaller  animals she sensed, just out of her sight.

She moved to a rock a few yards from her mate, stretched out in the blazing sun and rested her head on her paws.  

The high rock overlooked a garden. One she knew every inch of. A large tree dominated the center, protruding above the others.

Just below her stood the garden's gate , another addition. A divide  locking them away from the home they once knew. A glowing body sat near  it holding a stick  that shot bolts of pain to anyone who tried to  enter. She knew that pain. She'd experienced it. She'd roared and  charged the glowing body only to have the stick pointed at her and felt  the pain.

 From that moment her life, and the lives of every animal  shunned from the garden, had been changed.

Mina closed her eyes and thought back to their days in the garden.  She  and other animals played, chasing their tails, rolling and tumbling over  each other.  

The food was not killed.  It was provided; fruits,  vegetables, grass, leaves, all succulent and filling.  In the afternoon,  the two-legged animal and his mate came and to her and Khnor.   They  had no fur nor feather, but they were fun and loving. The male called  each animal to him and gave them a name.

She had gone to the male and rolled on her back. He always knew just  where to scratch her belly. There had never been any thought other than  love that crossed her mind.

All had changed after that other animal entered the garden. If she would  have had the instinct and senses then that she had now; that thing  would never have made it two feet from where she'd first seen it.

It had two legs and a long tail, beady eyes that darted to every dark  shadow and a skinny forked tongue that seemed to taste the air every few  seconds.   She'd slid on her belly, following the new animal, did it  want to play catch me?  Maybe roll down the hill or try to climb the  trees?  

She watched it for a while as it made its way to the center of  the garden, where the two furless beings stayed.

Now it was too late, the serpent, as she found out, was worse than any  of the animals created. It had spoken to the furless animal with hair  that flowed from her head down her back. 

She had walked with it. Mina  heard the tone of the new one and saw the long haired one walk away from  the tree shaking her head. She'd seen the stranger sidle up to other  and soon she'd tested the tree, touching the leaves and jerking her hand  back. She looked at the stranger who encouraged her to take the fruit.  

She had picked the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden and  took a bite.

Mina followed her friend and watched while she curled up with her mate  and shared the fruit with him. 

Immediately a loud noise seemed to shake  the garden. A voice roared in the air; calling for the furless ones.  They ran and hid. That was before.

The glowing body with the firestick made all living beings leave the garden, never to return.

They ran from the garden and into the tall grasses of a new land and a  new life. Her former playmates that once chased and tumbled over the  grass now ran from her in fear. 

Those she once slept with and cuddled  into their soft woolly backs were now just food to her and her mate.

The change in the garden had already begun, vegetation blending in with  the surrounding wilderness. Would the garden, as they had known it, be  gone forever?

She sniffed the air, smoke.  That meant the furless ones had killed one  of her brothers or sisters for their sustenance.  She'd followed them  when they left the garden, she wanted to be with them, but when she saw  and smelled the covering they were wearing, she hid.

Hanging on their bodies was fur.  Not attached like hers and the other  animals. Only the skin had been cut from the animal and hung over the  main part of their bodies; leaving the legs, arms and head uncovered.   By the color of the pelt, she knew whose body was missing its fur. 

They  put the meat onto a rock over fire. She'd lifted her head and roared at  the new feeling of hunger.

A red sun now set over the horizon. The silhouette of the big tree  mocked Mina.  Tomorrow was another day, another hunt for food and the  rush of elation with the kill.  

That was all she lived for nowadays.  Killing for her mate, and eventually teaching her young cubs to do the  same; when they were born.  It wasn’t a bad life, just a hard one.  She  sighed as she watched the glowing body with the fire stick, sitting by  the garden gate.  Her eyes slowly closed and she slept. 

 Carrie  Wells, wrapped her brown braid into a knot around her head to keep it  from swinging over the fire while she cooked.  With a deft twist of the  wrist the flapjack’s turned over on the griddle. Breakfast would be done  just as Mr. Greer and his son Walter returned from their scouting trip.  An anxious, almost excited buzz filled the air. The goal was in reach.  Soon she would be married.

“Is breakfast ready?” A whiny voice called from inside the prairie schooner.

Carrie bit her lip and straightened. “Almost, Mattie. I think I see the  menfolk coming across the ridge.” She pressed her lips together knowing  the flurry of activity would ensue at the news. Sure enough, the sound  of bumps, bangs and screams of frustration as Mattie, the young bride of  Walter, hurried to dress before her husband arrived.

With practiced hand Carrie stacked the cakes in a pan and set them near  the fire to stay warm. She had no idea if the men were on their way  back, but they seemed to manage to be near when her cakes came off the  fire. She had cooked the meals only to turn most of the serving to  Mattie who pretended she had done the cooking.  It had been this way  from the beginning when Mattie had taken Cassie aside after they’d  agreed to take her to Oregon with them.

“Do you cook?” Mattie asked.

Carrie responded with a definite, “Yes.”

“Over a fire pit you have to make?” Mattie’s eyes bored into her own.

“Yes. I’ve cooked outdoors before.”

“Then I’ll make a deal with you. You won’t have to pay full price to  travel if you do the cooking then I’ll take over and serve it.” Mattie  waited for Cassie to agree.

Cassie gave her the once-over look and knew the score. This little missy  couldn’t cook but she didn’t want her husband and his father knowing.  It was no skin off her nose, and it cut her price to travel west. "Every tub otta stand on its own bottom,"  she'd whispered over and over on the trip. Sometimes not under her  breath. The other women had taken up the mantra when Mattie sashayed  around the camp.

She left Mattie to follow her routine and climbed the rocks to a spot  overlooking the train. The mountain's shadow gave a welcome relief from  the heat of the plains they’d traveled through. On the days the sun beat  down on them with such fierceness, she was sure God wanted them all to  turn around and go back. Then the rain. What was worse? She knew. She’d  take the hot sun any day to the whining of young Miz Mattie Greer, who  made her life miserable over the course of the trip, acting as if Cassie  had been hired as her personal maid. The wagons were camped in two rows  with their passengers milling between. She smiled at the way everyone  seemed to move a little faster to get breakfast out of the way and  everything packed. With the news the End of the Trail was ahead, you  could feel the anticipation in the air.

A little way west of where she sat. She had the best view to watch  everyone at their daily chores. The teacher stood before her students.  Each morning, either in her large Conestoga or outside it, she taught  the children their sums, letters and about the flora and fauna they  found along the trail.

The thundering of hooves announced the return of the menfolk. Cassie  remained on her perch watching the men. They rode on to their wagons  greeting their families.  Mr. Greer, Walter and a stranger stopped at  their wagon. Mattie greeted the three and after a brief discussion shook  her head.

Cassie furrowed her brow, who was the man? A traveler on his way East?  Possibly a Trail boss on his way to bring another wagon train west. She  grinned as Mattie pranced around the fire offering pancakes to her  husband, father-in-law and the stranger.  She imagined the screech when  Mattie burnt her hand lifting the heavy coffee pot. Walter jumped up  taking it from her poured coffee for the other two. Mattie patted his  arm and handed the men the precious jug of syrup Cassie brought.  She'd  found Mattie soaking her pancakes and passing it to neighbors until the  jug was empty. Cassie didn’t bring out her stash until a month had  passed and the bottle was a different color. Then she’d hid it after  each use. Now she realized Mattie must have gone through her things.  Cassie would check to make sure none of her things were missing.

Whatever they’d asked Mattie she was having nothing to do with it. With a  whirl of her petticoats she walked around the wagon and out of sight  among the other women.

Mr. Greer walked down the line of wagons stopping to talk to a group  here and there along the way. She frowned, what was he looking for? Each  shook his head or called to their wife who responded with a negative  shake. Was he looking for her? She looked back at the man. Had she been  sent for? Was this her new husband?

She stood and brushed the dirt and dust from her skirt. She used her  fingers to catch any stray hair and tucking them away. The train parked  near a small river of mountain fed water. The livestock fed down stream  to leave the fresh water for the campers. Last night she’d taken a towel  and slipped out for a quiet wash up while the camp slept. She hurried  to the edge of the water, splashed its coolness on her face and dried it  with her apron. With her head held high and a firm step she headed for  the wagon.  

She didn’t get far. Mattie grabbed her arm from behind and pulled Cassie  around to face her anger. “Don’t think you’re going to leave here.” she  spoke through gritted teeth.

Cassie looked at her in confusion. “What are you going on about?”

“That man,” Mattie hissed, “has come from the Valley to talk to you. If  you think you’re going to leave me here to cook and clean until we get  to our home, think again.”

Cassie pulled her arm away from Mattie and patted her hand. “Now here,  here," Cassie spoke as if she were talking to a small child, “You knew  you’d have to start cooking sometime. What are you going to do when you  get to your home? You said it was a big farm house with lots of land. I  assume you must be able to have a cook. If not now is a good time to  start. I have no idea who this man is or why he’s here.”

Mattie narrowed her eyes, “You knew he was coming? How did you know he was here?”

“It's no secret. I was sitting up there and saw it all. When I saw Mr.  Greer talking to people, I guessed he must be asking about me, so I  headed over to find out what’s going on.”

“Cassie, there you are. Where have you been, we’ve been looking all over  for you?” Walter and his father interrupted the two women.

“I saw her sitting up there,” She pointed to where Cassie said she was.  “I thought she should come down and see what the man wanted.” She smiled  all sweet and innocent at the men while Cassie wanted to gag. Instead  Cassie turned to walk to the wagon.

The man stood with his back to her talking to a few of the travelers. They seemed quite taken with what he was telling them.

“Here she is,” One of them spoke, as Cassie walked to them.

He turned and Cassie gulped. Blue eyes looked her over. He pulled off  his hat and the sun glinted on light brown hair with strands of golden  blond highlights. He smiled and a lone dimple in one cheek peeked at  her. His teeth were white and straight.

“Hello, Miss Cassie, I’m Grant Fillmore.” The deep timbre of his voice  struck a cord inside her and all her nerves sang to his tune. “I’m glad  to finally meet you.” He held out his hand.

She placed hers in his, “The pleasure is mine, I’m sure.” She let the  soft southern accent tinge her voice. He was here. The man who had paid  her way to marry him. Why on earth did he need to do that. The man was  drop-dead handsome.

“I got word your train was a day or so out. I had my men ride with me  and see if you wanted to get to the ranch faster than plodding along. We  can pick up your trunks when the train gets there.”

She couldn’t speak. He wanted her to go with him. To ride a day and  maybe overnight to get her to the ranch. Why? Part of her was scared now  that the day of reckoning had arrived.

“Yes.” She heard her voice answer and wondered where it came from.

He told her what she could bring and that they would be spending the  night as his brother’s house before finishing the trip the following  day.

She turned to Mr. Greer who beamed at her, “Of course you can go. We’ll  catch up with you in Oregon City where you can get your trucks and  boxes.”

Cassie grinned when she stepped into the wagon. She thought about  Mattie. "Every tub otta stand on its own bottom." She'd been told as a  child. Now she would be on her own. It wasn’t proper, her going off with  stange men. What if something happened to them along the way? She  shrugged They got here safe, and I’m sure they feel it’s safe going back. she told herself.

In no time at all she had her large carpet bag packed with essentials  for two days. That’s what it would take for the wagon train to travel to  the of the trail.

Grant tied her bags to a horse and helped her into the saddle. He swung  on to his horse with ease and gave a nod to those watching them leave.  “I’ll see you at the End of the Trail.” Cassie called as she touched the  sides of her horse.

They moved down the trail for a few minutes. The wagons were long out of  site and the men with him divided into two groups, one up front and one  trailed behind.

Grant looked behind him and pulled his horse to a stop jumping off. He  came to her side and took her by the waist to pull her off her horse.

“Sorry, I can’t wait any longer for this.” And he pressed his lips to  hers. Something inside she’d never knew she had exploded and began to  burn her blood from her head to her toes.  

If it felt like this when people kissed, how did they ever get their  work done? She thought when she could wrap her mind around what she was  feeling.