A Novel. For those who enjoy stepping back in time...
Coons calling up and down the creek was the only sound breaking the otherwise still night. Even the cottonwood leaves seemed froze in place and not even a cricket chirped. It was chilly for mid-summer, yet the usual prairie breeze had been missing for days. Odd. That seemed to be the theme.
A small figure, bare toes just above the waters edge,peered into the dark. Looking. Watching. Trembling. What lay across the other side she didn't know, but she wasn't looking back. One foot plunged into the icy water and all seemed to break loose. An owl took up from a near by tree, old wings beating hard. A bull frog launched himself into the muddy weeds and the coons scattered. She was running now. Knee deep. Struggling she lunged forward and momentarily lost her breath as she sunk into what now seemed like an ocean.
A small figure, bare toes just above the waters edge,peered into the dark. Looking. Watching. Trembling. What lay across the other side she didn't know, but she wasn't looking back. One foot plunged into the icy water and all seemed to break loose. An owl took up from a near by tree, old wings beating hard. A bull frog launched himself into the muddy weeds and the coons scattered. She was running now. Knee deep. Struggling she lunged forward and momentarily lost her breath as she sunk into what now seemed like an ocean.
The old owl circled around and landed upstream to watch the flopping, splashing, sobbing little thing make it to the warm bank. Her dark hair dripped down her back and ripped clothes clung to her bony body. She paused to listen. She knew there were panthers out here, but that wasn't her concern.
Come back next week for Chapter 1...
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