The Stone of Blood (38 page)

Those boys had all grown up though now and moved away. And those logs were now just a distant reminder of the good times that they had once had.

I made my way through the woods, up and down hills and through small valleys covered by leaves and bushes and tangled weeds. At one point I was completely lost, but as I found myself at the top of a distant hill I once again regained my bearin’s and sense of direction.

I crossed over fallen trees and climbed hills with rocks and tall grasses and made my way up to the very tallest of all the surrounding hills! And as I peered out through the tangled brush at the top of that small mountain, I moved forward, steppin’ out into the daylight upon the rocky cliff that overlooked the far left hand side and largest crater of the rock quarry! I had made it! I was both elated and petrified!

For there before me in the depths of the quarried crater were armed soldiers! Soldiers in grayish tan uniforms marchin’ back and forth throughout the roads and at the bottom floor of the crater! Some of them drove around in jeeps while still others set parked in trucks!

I immediately ducked back down and hid myself within the camouflage of the forest and I peered out cautiously through the leaves and branches!

These were military! They were marchin’ in formation and takin’ orders from commanders in the field. I surveyed the perimeter and I saw that there were also men standin’ on point, carryin’ weapons and keepin’ close watch on the maneuvers. From where I sat, I could see it all! I was on the highest point that overlooked the whole area!

And just then! Just as I peered out over the terrain, a soldier walked past me! He was so close to me that I could’ve reached out and touched him! But he didn’t see me! He had walked past me and then returned and stood with his back to me, lookin’ out in the direction of the armed forces; obstructin’ my view of the comin’s and goin’s on.

My only thought at that moment was that if I moved I would be shot! So I didn’t move! I couldn’t let him see me! Cause soldiers were trained to ‘
shoot on sight’
!

So I sat there, squatted down not more than two feet away from where the soldier stood for what seemed to me …to be an eternity! And though I could feel my heart beatin’ and my legs crampin’ up, as I was practically holdin’ my breath, I dared not move! Not even to wipe the bead of sweat that trickled down my forehead and then dripped off of the tip end of my nose.

Once the soldier had moved a little further down, I attempted to retreat and stand up but found that the muscles in my legs had been set in one position for so long that it was impossible for me to rise! And when I tried …I lost my footing and I fell backwards down the hill! I struck my head and right shoulder against the hardened bark of a hard and unyielding tree!

I was in pain! And it hurt!

But I was more elated at that time that I hadn’t been seen by anybody …and more especially that I hadn’t been shot! So I lay there for a few minutes just feelin’ the coolness of the shady ground and rubbin’ my hands in the cool dirt.

It was then that I felt somethin’ stickin’ up from outta the ground. It felt like an unusually round rock at first, but as I sat up and looked at it closer I could see that it wasn’t a rock at all! It was gold in color, weatherworn and metallic!

I dug at the object with both hands then, even usin’ the blade of my knife to free it from the ground! I wiped off the mud from the object and discovered that I had found a pocket watch! A solid gold pocket watch! It must have been layin’ there for a very long time!

I opened it slowly as its hinges were matted shut from the caked in mud and debris, findin’ its face in somewhat old but otherwise perfect condition! Its mechanics were no longer workin’; at least not that I could tell at the time.

Within the inside cover, it held an inscription.

‘
In loving memory of Audrei.
’

And one more name engraved at the bottom in bold script letters: ‘
Nathanael
’.

“
Inside of me there is a raging battle, a battle where two fierce wolves are fighting!” the grandfather said. “One wolf is Evil. He brings with him death, anger, fear and greed. The other wolf is Good. He brings with him life, peace, faith and joy. The blood of these wolves’ rages within my veins! And their battle rages within my people! Their battle also rages within you … my grandson. These wolves will always be fighting!”

“But Grandfather?” The boy asked. “Which wolf will win?”

The wise old
Indian
Chief looked down upon his grandson and said, “The one you feed.”

-
A TALE OF THE CHEROKEE

Twenty One

Once Upon a Time

S
he placed her hand to my mouth as I sat beneath the shade of the tree where I had fallen, admiring my newly found treasure! And she whispered quietly in my ear just as the light flickered through the bushes up ahead of us by way of the shadow of the military officer who had returned once again and passed this way.

“Shhh!” She whispered with her finger to her lips. “Be quiet. Come. Follow me.” And then she motioned me to follow her while as she removed her hand from my mouth.

She could tell that I was hesitant, as I was completely surprised to see her! So she raised her voice from that of a whisper while usin’ overly exaggerated facial expressions! And then she grabbed me by the hand. “Now Toby! Come on!” she said.

So I got up and followed.

I knew this girl; she lived down the road from me. Her name was as beautiful soundin’ as she was pretty, but I knew she kinda liked bein’ called ‘
Cricket
’ so that’s what I called her. We’d never actually spoken alot, cause she was a girl and all, but we had ridden the school bus together and I’d seen her ridin’ her horse through the grassy fields out by my house.

I didn’t know why my heart was racin’; but when she took my hand and led me through the woods I could swear I was gonna pass out or somethin’, cause I got real warm inside!

She was barefoot and tan, for even by the sunlight tricklin’ down through the shade of the trees I could see that she had spent a great deal of time over the summer in the warmth of the sun. I mean, not that I was lookin’ or nothin’. But how she could walk through these woods all barefooted like that and wearin’ them cutoff shorts …I just couldn’t understand. But I guessed that she was probably used to it since except for school; I don’t reckon that I’d ever seen her wearin’ nothin’ different or wearin’ any shoes.

We trod through the woods down paths unknown to me. And she led me over wooded hills and through a small shaded valley where a cool stream made its way beneath the cover of the trees. She kicked up its waters and splashed me then and laughed as I wiped the cold water from my face. And for some reason, I didn’t even mind at all.

Without speakin’ she guided me on, only turnin’ to smile at me in a manner to urge me forward. So I smiled back, and hastened my pace so that she wouldn’t have to pull me no more. She led me then out to an open meadow where we both stepped into the broad daylight. And I saw her as the sun shown down brightly upon her golden blonde hair.

I’d have to admit that for a moment, and only for a moment mind you, standin’ there lookin’ at that girl, I’d pert near completely forgotten where I was or why I’d even come out in the woods in the first place!

She let go of my hand then and took great big steps out into the tall golden grasses and spun around in circles beneath the sunlight with her arms stretched open wide.

“Isn’t this beautiful Toby?” She asked me.

“Yes.” I said in a halfway whisperin’ voice. “Yes it is.”

“Come on!” She yelled as she took off runnin’ through the meadow.

“Where are we goin’ Cricket?” I yelled as I took off runnin’ after her.

“You called me Cricket!” she said and then giggled. “I kinda like that.”

“Yeah, I know.” I said and smiled. “So what’s goin’ on? Where are we goin’?”

“And hey!” I shouted so she could hear me as I slowed down to a stop. “How did you know where I was? And why’d you come and get me?”

She stopped her runnin’ for a moment and turned back and waited for me to catch up as she played with a tall piece of golden grass.

“You ask alot of questions and talk an awful lot for a boy!” she said all smilin’ at me. She held out her hand again, for me to take hold and then she urged me to run with her again through the meadow.

“It’s just up here a piece further Toby!” she said. “Someone wants to see you!”

“I don’t know anybody who lives over this way!” I said. “Who wants to see me?”

“You’ll find out!” She exclaimed. “I promise Toby, it’s all good! I was told to come and get ya and to fetch ya back here! So that’s what I done.”

I’d have to say that I was findin’ it harder and harder to think clearly. All that I
could
think of was the touch of that girl’s hand that I was holdin’… and how pretty she was!

I wondered then if what I was feelin’ was much akin to that movie where all of them animals were gettin’ ‘
twitterpated
’.

And I figured, that if
this …
was what
that
was, then I didn’t mind bein’ ‘
twitterpated
’ at all! All of them other girls that I’d been in love with before, well I never felt nothin’ like this! This feelin’
hurt me
…it felt so good! Heck, I was glad that Colby hadn’t come with me!

Cricket led me across the meadow and up to a little white house with a small picket fence. It was the kind of house that had it been covered with
Candy Canes
and
Cookies
like in the story of ‘
Hansel and Gretel
’, I honestly would
not
have been shocked! It was well taken care of too, with lots and lots of flowers! It was a real pretty place, the kind I knew my mama would like.

Cricket walked me right up to the screen door, stepped up on the smooth stone steps with her bare feet and opened up the door! It screeched like all screen doors seem to do and then we both walked inside without even knockin’ or sayin’ ‘
hello
’ or nothin’!