in her favorite dress boots, lined rubber
boots, runners, hiking shoes, and a pair of strappy heals. She selected a few
pieces of jewelry and added them to the suitcase. Satisfied she had everything
she’d need, she padded into the kitchen, made herself
a cup of mint tea, and carried it in to her office.
She sat at the desk, opened her laptop computer
and waited for it to warm up. She called up the file on her Thunder Bay case.
She’d filled out most of the forms and reports, and only had to finish a couple
of minor things. Once complete, she set up a file for her new case and added
what little information she had. She transferred files from her phone to her
computer. Even with the larger resolution, the image of the bodies had nothing
else to say. She printed off the documents requiring her signature and shut
down the computer. She packed it into the carrying case along with her
mini-printer, and a new bundle of paper. She checked her briefcase, made sure
she had everything she needed, including the two chargers for her cell phone,
and put the briefcase and computer case next to the door.
She shut off the desk lamp and returned to the
laundry room where she folded the items, now dry, and carried them to the
bedroom and the waiting suitcase. That task completed, she turned to the closet
once more and the parcel Audra said she had to open. Reluctantly, she carried
the package into the kitchen.
The plain cardboard box was securely taped closed.
She placed it on the counter, cut the tape, and opened the box. Inside were
three individually wrapped bundles. What had Audra said? Take two, leave one?
Curious to know what the packages contained, she
removed the smallest of the three. She carefully unwrapped the tissue and found a pair of buckskin mittens lined with what appeared to be
white rabbit. She laughed and shook her head. Well, I guess I know which package is staying here.
The second parcel felt a lot like the first, but
when she unwrapped it, she held a pair of handmade,
pale buckskin moccasins. The intricate beadwork would have taken hours to
complete.
The last bundle, larger than the others, held a
hand-woven ivory shawl, Butterflies had been quilted
onto the fine wool. It the most beautiful shawl Michelle had ever seen. She
shook it out, and examined it carefully. As a quilter, she knew it had taken
hours, patience, and skill to make. The shawl was large enough to double as a
small blanket. A slip of paper fell to the floor, and she reached for it.
These were
made for you.
There was no signature on the note, but she
recognized her aunt’s cramped penmanship. Michelle put the paper in the garbage
and set the box aside for recycling. She carried the mittens over to the closet
and added them to her stash of winter hats and mitts. The shawl and moccasins
she placed in her suitcase. How could these things be her past and her future?
Audra certainly had spoken in riddles. She hadn’t lied to Tasha about that.
She yawned. It was almost midnight, the witching
hour. She shivered. Audra had said there’d be one more dream. Hopefully, it
wouldn’t be tonight.
* * * *
Run! Run
faster! Don’t stop! They can’t catch
you. If they do, it’s over, and you’ll both die a horrible death. The thoughts
spur her on. The night air is cold, colder than normal for the time of year,
yet she’s soaking wet from her exertions. The stitch in her side cripples her
in its intensity. Her feet ache from stepping on sharp rocks and twigs, and in
one of her falls, she’s lost her left moccasin. She’s
felt her uncle’s anger before, and she knows if her father turns her over to
him again, she’ll never survive another of his beatings. As chief, her father
must set the example for his people as well as for her sisters. What she’s
doing is wrong, and if she’s caught, she’ll have to be punished.
Exhaustion
slows her movements, but she reaches the edge of the sacred
boots, runners, hiking shoes, and a pair of strappy heals. She selected a few
pieces of jewelry and added them to the suitcase. Satisfied she had everything
she’d need, she padded into the kitchen, made herself
a cup of mint tea, and carried it in to her office.
She sat at the desk, opened her laptop computer
and waited for it to warm up. She called up the file on her Thunder Bay case.
She’d filled out most of the forms and reports, and only had to finish a couple
of minor things. Once complete, she set up a file for her new case and added
what little information she had. She transferred files from her phone to her
computer. Even with the larger resolution, the image of the bodies had nothing
else to say. She printed off the documents requiring her signature and shut
down the computer. She packed it into the carrying case along with her
mini-printer, and a new bundle of paper. She checked her briefcase, made sure
she had everything she needed, including the two chargers for her cell phone,
and put the briefcase and computer case next to the door.
She shut off the desk lamp and returned to the
laundry room where she folded the items, now dry, and carried them to the
bedroom and the waiting suitcase. That task completed, she turned to the closet
once more and the parcel Audra said she had to open. Reluctantly, she carried
the package into the kitchen.
The plain cardboard box was securely taped closed.
She placed it on the counter, cut the tape, and opened the box. Inside were
three individually wrapped bundles. What had Audra said? Take two, leave one?
Curious to know what the packages contained, she
removed the smallest of the three. She carefully unwrapped the tissue and found a pair of buckskin mittens lined with what appeared to be
white rabbit. She laughed and shook her head. Well, I guess I know which package is staying here.
The second parcel felt a lot like the first, but
when she unwrapped it, she held a pair of handmade,
pale buckskin moccasins. The intricate beadwork would have taken hours to
complete.
The last bundle, larger than the others, held a
hand-woven ivory shawl, Butterflies had been quilted
onto the fine wool. It the most beautiful shawl Michelle had ever seen. She
shook it out, and examined it carefully. As a quilter, she knew it had taken
hours, patience, and skill to make. The shawl was large enough to double as a
small blanket. A slip of paper fell to the floor, and she reached for it.
These were
made for you.
There was no signature on the note, but she
recognized her aunt’s cramped penmanship. Michelle put the paper in the garbage
and set the box aside for recycling. She carried the mittens over to the closet
and added them to her stash of winter hats and mitts. The shawl and moccasins
she placed in her suitcase. How could these things be her past and her future?
Audra certainly had spoken in riddles. She hadn’t lied to Tasha about that.
She yawned. It was almost midnight, the witching
hour. She shivered. Audra had said there’d be one more dream. Hopefully, it
wouldn’t be tonight.
* * * *
Run! Run
faster! Don’t stop! They can’t catch
you. If they do, it’s over, and you’ll both die a horrible death. The thoughts
spur her on. The night air is cold, colder than normal for the time of year,
yet she’s soaking wet from her exertions. The stitch in her side cripples her
in its intensity. Her feet ache from stepping on sharp rocks and twigs, and in
one of her falls, she’s lost her left moccasin. She’s
felt her uncle’s anger before, and she knows if her father turns her over to
him again, she’ll never survive another of his beatings. As chief, her father
must set the example for his people as well as for her sisters. What she’s
doing is wrong, and if she’s caught, she’ll have to be punished.
Exhaustion
slows her movements, but she reaches the edge of the sacred
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