Echoes of the Past by Susanne Matthews Page B

direction of the far shore.
    Her lungs

ache and burn from lack of air, she fights her way back to the surface that

seems almost too far away to reach. Her hands and feet are numb, refusing to

obey the commands of her mind. Her head breaks the surface of the water and she

gasps, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of water. She chokes, unable to

breathe properly as the current and her clothing work together to pull her

under again.
    She forces

her weakened legs to kick, fighting to keep her head above water, and looks toward

the shore, now much farther away than she’d expected. Exhausted, she floats for

a few moments, hoping to regain some of her strength. She is so cold, so tired.

She hears the water sing loudly and realizes too late the sisters have refused

to help her and have sent her in the wrong direction. She betrayed her people,

lain with the enemy, and this is her punishment. Her fate is sealed. There will

be no escape. She thinks she sees him run into the water. She thinks he cries

her name, the sound carried on the wind. Goodbye, my love. She screams only

once as she tumbles over the lip and the current carries her down the rocky

slope into the waters of the great lake hundreds of feet below.
    Michelle woke up coughing and choking. She gasped

for air, fighting to draw the oxygen she desperately needed into her lungs. Her

chest ached. Clear mucus streamed from her nose, and she gagged on the stale

water taste in her mouth. Her hands and feet were numb, her nightdress sopping

wet, and every part of her body throbbed as if she’d actually been the one

fighting for survival in the icy waters. Her heart pounded and the terror she

felt threatened to engulf her once more. The sheets and blankets were

sweat-soaked and clammy. My God! She remembered everything. She’d been the

Mohawk maiden fleeing her home. This was the sin she’d committed. She’d

betrayed her people for the love of a man, but who was he? She still hadn’t seen

his face, nor the faces of the men who’d chased her to

her death.
    She panted, trying to control her breathing, and

let the tears fall.
    After a few minutes, she felt in control enough to

sit up. She leaned across the bed and turned on the lamp on the bedside table.

She shivered uncontrollably. Her teeth chattered loudly. The dreams were always

accompanied by aches and pains, but tonight, they were worse than ever. Her

entire body felt bruised. What had Audra said? One more bad dream? Learn from it. Well, it had certainly been a bad dream.
    She remembered every detail of the horrifying

event. She panted, frightened, and confused. It had been like a terrifying 3-D

video game adventure. Why had The Three Sisters refused to help her? Had

falling in love been such a crime?
    Audra said the spirits needed her help. In her

dream, she’d prayed to The Three Sisters, but they’d refused her prayers. She

thought of the men who’d chased her and her dream lover. All is not as it seems. Trust

your heart, not your senses . Audra’s voice echoed in her mind.
    Michelle lay back against the pillow waiting for

her heartbeat to normalize so she could get out of bed and get warm. At least I know how I died all those years

ago. Cause of death, drowning caused by severe head and body

trauma associated with a fall down a mountainside.
    She closed her eyes and did her yoga breathing to

relax. When she felt somewhat in control, she climbed out of bed and flipped

the switch on the electric fireplace she’d bought for her bedroom, hoping heating the room would help warm her. The October night was cool, and

although the room heated quickly, the chill within her wouldn’t subside.
    She didn’t have to look at the clock to know the

time. It would be just after two. The nightmares were punctual. If The Three Sisters

wanted her help in exchange for ridding her of these nightmares, bring it on!

She sat on the bed and lifted her sore foot to examine the sole. There