Earth, Air, Water, Light

by C L Lassila

  She awoke the next morning with Jonas by her side. The rooster was crowing, greeting the new day. It was Sunday. She made breakfast hoping that Jonas was perhaps too tired from his late night and would choose to sleep late rather than attend church. This was the biggest compromise that she made in their marriage and one that she would continue to endure for him. While she did not believe him to be that religious, he did enjoy being a part of the church community and he did love to sing. Jonas had a very good singing voice.

  She had the biscuits on and the coffee going when she heard a commotion out in the yard. The crows were making a ruckus and she heard the rooster’s alarm call. Through the window she saw a large bird dive down. Immediately she rushed out of the door and into the yard. She ran toward the hawk where it was standing on one of the young chickens. The chicken was lying still under its feet. She tore off her apron and charged the hawk, waving the apron in the air. As the hawk took off, the chicken slipped from its talons and ran for cover. She watched as the bird ran off, relieved that the chicken seemed to get through the attack unharmed. The crows flew off after the hawk, diving at it and calling, trying to drive it from their territory. Adelaide suddenly remembered her biscuits and ran back into the kitchen just as the now charred biscuits began to smoke.

  “It’s fine. I will make a fresh batch,” she told Jonas as he walked into the room.

  “Did the hawk take a chicken?” he asked.

  “No, it got away,” Adelaide answered. “I didn’t see any blood. I think that it was lucky.”

  Because of the morning’s excitement, the Roses left to attend church services later than usual. Darwin was left behind in the house. When they were about halfway to town Adelaide noticed that they had company. Somehow Darwin had gotten out of the house and the three legged dog was running down the road to catch up with them.

  “Stop for a minute, Jonas. Let’s wait for him,” Adelaide said.

  “He will have to come with us,” Jonas replied. “We don’t have the time to bring him home.”

  They were approaching the small, wooden Methodist church when suddenly its doors flew open and a woman ran out screaming, “Oh, my god! Oh, my god!” Several other parishioners hurried out behind her, all of them visibly upset.

  Adelaide and Jonas stopped outside of the church and watched the commotion, confused by what they were seeing. They began asking those who had come out of the building what was going on. Not receiving any answers, they waited and watched as the rest of the small congregation exited the church. The pastor, who also appeared to be upset, ran out briefly and instructed someone to go and get the doctor. He then told his wife to run and get some clothes.

  The people who had exited the building now stood outside of the church, talking amongst themselves. No one seemed inclined to leave. Jonas finally got the attention of one of the men, a man named Samuel Eads, and he came over to talk to the Roses.

  “Hello, Sam,” Jonas said. “We got here late this morning, showed up just as people began running out of the church. What’s going on?”

  Sam, who was shaken by the event, responded, “Reverend Fay was about to start the service when a badly injured girl walked into the church. She was in a daze, just staring and she didn’t say anything. She staggered down the aisle toward the altar. Nobody knew what to do. She’s got a lot of blood on her and,” he paused, “She’s completely bare naked, no clothes on at all.”

  “How awful,” Adelaide said. “Who is the girl?”

  “Her face was dirty and smeared with blood. I don’t know,” he answered.

  “Did anyone go for the doctor?” Jonas asked.

  Jonas, always more comfortable in action than in waiting, left to see if the doctor had been informed that he was needed. He returned shortly thereafter with another man and the doctor. The doctor entered the church alone. The pastor’s wife had also returned carrying a frock over her arm. She too went into the church. Several minutes passed before Reverend Fay came out to address the crowd which had not yet dispersed. He requested that everyone return home. The girl was being attended too and she needed her privacy.

  Since their arrival in Copper Harbor the expected affairs of men had transpired in a place that remained outside of the reach of well-established law enforcement. Brawls, robberies and even shootings had occurred, but those involved had been men. None of the violence had been directed toward women. There was a sheriff, but he tended to let disagreements run their course, only intervening when things got out of hand.

  Jonas returned home from work the next evening with news of the crime, which everyone was talking about. It had been established that a rape had occurred and that the girl had been brutally beaten. The girl, severely traumatized by her ordeal, had not spoken since she walked naked into the church. Her identity remained unknown. The Reverend and Mrs. Fay had been kind enough to take her in.

  “Did they catch the man who did it?” Adelaide inquired.

  Jonas, who had spoken to the sheriff, answered, “No. Since the girl has not spoken they have little to go on. They do think that the person was aided in the crime by the bright moonlight. It is still unknown where the attack occurred. They haven’t found the girl’s clothes. But they found some men’s clothing stained with blood, discarded in the woods near the church.”

  Jonas walked over to Adelaide and gave her a hug.

  “Just be careful if you go out into the woods,” Jonas said, still embracing his wife.

  “Darwin would protect me. Wouldn’t you, Dar?” Adelaide said.

  The dog upon hearing his name went to Adelaide’s side. She reached down and scratched his head.

  “And I don’t go into the woods at night,” she added.

  Adelaide had never felt any fear when she was out in the woods alone. That did not change following the rape. But she would be careful. She liked to believe that her time spent in the woods had helped to develop her senses and that these heightened senses allowed her to hear more, see more and smell more. She would be like the chickens and respond to danger if it presented itself, but she was not going to worry about it.

  The week after the rape occurred brought unusually mild weather. Adelaide could not resist indulging herself, spending as much time as possible outside. She could always use the excuse that she was collecting kindling.

  She decided to take Darwin on a walk down to the lake shore. Normally she preferred going to one of her spots inland as she enjoyed being surrounded by the forest. But on occasion she had the urge to explore and venture off in a direction new to her. The route she chose took her and Darwin through a forest of tall pine trees. Their fragrance hung heavy in the air as they walked on ground made soft by fallen pine needles. Other than the occasional snap of a branch underfoot, the forest was quiet, with just the soft murmur of a light wind moving the branches. She and Darwin walked until the pine trees thinned and the brush became denser. They then pushed through the brush until they came to an area filled with tall grasses. Beyond that they found the sand.

  Adelaide sat down on the beach and untied her boots, slipping them off along with her socks. She wiggled her toes in the cool sand. Darwin wandered about near her, his nose to the sand, indulging his sense of smell. There were a number of gulls down at the water’s edge. Adelaide stood up and walked toward the lake until the water washed up to her toes. It was cold. She rolled her pants up to her knees and ran down the beach, zigzagging back and forth with the surf, trying to evade the waves. Sometimes they would win and the cold water would wash over her feet. Darwin ran with her, chasing the waves. When she tired of the game Adelaide went back onto the beach. Lying back in the sand she let her feet dry in the sun. All too soon it was time to head back toward home. Further down the beach Adelaide saw a wall of rocks jutting out into the water. A few weathered trees grew at the top of the outcropping. She and Darwin headed in that direction. As they walked the beach grew narrower and the sand was replaced with loose rocks. When it became too rocky to continue on in bare feet she stoppe
d to put on her boots.

  They walked until they reached some large rocks. The rocks were made slippery by algae and were possibly too dangerous to climb. In order to continue they would now have to return to the woods. This part of the forest was a mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees and was fairly easy to traverse. Adelaide had learned that by using the position of the sun in the sky she could determine the direction that she needed to travel, in order to find her way back home.

  She noticed a large, black feather resting on the ground and stopped to pick it up. As she went to continue on, Darwin suddenly halted and raised his head as though hearing something.

  “What is it, Dar?” she asked.

  She stopped to listen as well, but not hearing anything unusual, moved on. Darwin then moved around in front of her and stood still, blocking her from going further. Kneeling down, she pulled him close, thinking that perhaps a bear might be nearby. She waited for a moment. Still not hearing any disturbance in the trees she moved on. Darwin was reluctant to follow her.

  “Come on, Dar,” Adelaide said. “It’s safe.”

  She proceeded forward and broke free of the trees into a small clearing. Suddenly she was startled by a flurry of flapping wings. She had disturbed a number of ravens feasting on a carcass. It was only after her nerves settled that she recognized the carcass as being that of a human being. The body was clothed, propped up against the trunk of a fallen tree. From the look of the clothing, Adelaide guessed that it was a man’s corpse. One raven had refused to abandon his meal. It remained perched on the carcass, tearing pieces of flesh through a hole in the man’s bloody, ripped shirt. The man’s eyes had been consumed, leaving dark empty indentations where his eyeballs had been.

  Understanding now Darwin’s apprehension, she moved from the clearing back into the trees and walked home at a quick pace. She was relieved when the garden and barn came into view. Nervous that her discovery was some kind of sign, she checked on the chickens. They were all present and perfectly fine. Rattled, she sat on the back steps and watched the birds go about their business. Soon she was caught up in their antics and not thinking about the ravens’ meal.

  When Jonas arrived home Adelaide told him about the body in the woods. He insisted that they go into town to tell the sheriff. Adelaide then took the two men to the place where the body had been found. Once again, as they approached the area, Darwin was reluctant to go close. He was usually quite a quiet dog, but now he stood at the edge of the clearing growling lowly. Jonas and the sheriff went on ahead. Together they chased the ravens into the trees.

  The day was quickly losing light. The sheriff decided that he would have to wait until tomorrow to retrieve the body. It wasn’t going anywhere. With the little light that was remaining he was able to see that there was a gun on the ground next to the corpse. The two men stood over the dead body talking to each other. Neither Jonas nor Sheriff Dunne recognized the man. The decision was made that they would meet tomorrow to collect the corpse.

  The three of them, followed by Darwin returned to town. Sheriff Dunn believed that the death was most likely a suicide. Many young men, finding themselves alone so far from home, and finding life in this remote location much more difficult than the romantic adventure that they had anticipated, fall into darkness of spirit and take their own lives. It was not the first nor would it be the last suicide that the sheriff would see.

  When the conversation on the matter had run its course, Adelaide inquired about the wellbeing of the girl who had been assaulted.

  “Physically she is pretty banged up, but that will heal,” Sheriff Dunn replied. “But she hasn’t spoken yet and that worries me. No one has identified her. She is still with the Fays.”

  They continued the rest of the way in silence.

  The next morning the news of the suicide spread quickly. Jonas, Sheriff Dunn and several other men went to retrieve the body from the woods. After robbing the ravens of their breakfast, the corpse was brought to the undertaker’s establishment. Despite the fact that that body had been damaged by the ravens, the undertaker was able to determine that the young man had died from a gunshot wound to the heart which he surmised was self- inflicted. A suicide note was not discovered. The body was cleaned and covered with a shroud. It was laid out in the undertaker’s parlor where the townspeople could stop by and view the corpse in the hope that someone could identify it.

  A line formed outside of the undertaker’s door. Men and women alike talked and socialized while waiting for the opportunity to look at the face of a man so tortured by life in this world that he chose to leave it. Many of the women rushed off, visibly upset by the sight of the dead man. Others left with tears in their eyes.

  Finally a young miner, after viewing the corpse, announced that he knew who the man was. He had a friend, a coworker at the mine, confirm the identity. The festive crowd waiting outside of the undertaker’s reluctantly dispersed. Some expressed their disappointment at not being able to view the dead man. One individual pressed a coin into the undertaker’s hand. The undertaker stepped aside to let the man take a look at the corpse which had lost its eyes to the ravens. When the last viewer had left, the two miners and the undertaker went to talk to Sheriff Dunn.

  The two miners both seemed nervous about talking to the sheriff. Sheriff Dunn could not decide if they were upset about the loss of someone that they said was a friend or if their nervousness was caused by something more. The dead man’s name was James Whear. As were many of the young men living in the area, Mr. Whear was a Cornwall native who had arrived there several months earlier to work in the mines. The mine captain was summoned to confirm the identification. The sheriff questioned the two men about their relationship with Mr. Whear and asked them if Mr. Whear had expressed despondency over the circumstances of his life.

  The two miners looked at each other and disclosed the information that they said they had concealed in order to protect their friend. They said that James had confessed to them that he had raped the girl who had wandered into the church. They speculated that he was so overwhelmed with guilt that he chose to take his life rather than live with the burden.

  “Did he tell you any details about the rape or mention the name of the girl?” Sheriff Dunn asked.

  One of the men responded, “No. He just said that he had done something really bad. When we asked him what, he said that he had hurt the girl. He was drunk when it happened. He said that he felt really bad about it.”

  “You didn’t ask him anything more about it?” the sheriff questioned.

  “We didn’t want to know,” he answered.

  “So all that you know is that he said that he did it and that he is now dead ?” Sheriff Dunn continued.

  “Yes, sir,” both men replied.

  Sheriff Dunn told the two men that they could leave. He then met the mine captain at the undertaker’s. The corpse, in a state of decomposition and with pieces of flesh having been removed by the ravens’ powerful beaks, was difficult to identify. The mining captain said that he believed it could be James Whear. The body was the same size and Mr. Whear had been absent from work for several days.

  Word that the dead body found in the woods was that of the rapist spread through the town quickly. It was decided that the victim was in too fragile a state to be asked to look at the corpse. Until she began speaking, Sheriff Dunn would have no account as to what happened that night. No one else came forward with information that James Whear had either committed the crime or had confessed to them. Shortly after the death of James Whear, the two men who had identified him left the area. While Sheriff Dunn found their departure suspicious he was relieved that they were no longer around.

  Chapter 9

  Night came earlier. The weather had turned colder. The summer had slipped away. Fall was now leading them toward winter.

  The first thing that Adelaide did every morning was check on the chickens. The young ones, so small when newly hatched, had grown quickly. The four legged chicken had adapted we
ll to living with its unique characteristics. One day Adelaide’s curiosity compelled her to pick up the bird to get a closer look at the incompletely formed appendages. She discovered that the chicken, which was a rich, rust color like its mother, also had one extra wing. The extra wing, like the extra legs, was not fully formed. It was as if two chickens had formed into one body, Adelaide thought. The chicken behaved perfectly normally, apparently not troubled by its anomalies at all.

  Another boat had arrived carrying provisions. Jonas had concerns about the upcoming winter. He had heard tales of the severity of that season in this region and was worried that they would be under supplied. He decided that they should go into town to purchase more rations. It was better to have too much than not enough. He had a wife to care for and his hunting skills could not be relied upon. They had arrived in town and were about to go into the General Store when Adelaide stopped to tell Darwin to wait outside.

  “A new addition to the family,” a male voice said.

  Adelaide felt a sudden rush of intense emotion, a combination of excitement and joy. At the same moment she realized that it was emotion that she could not display. The familiar voice was Calix’s. She turned around, struggling to control her emotions, her heart racing. As she turned around she heard Jonas’ voice.

  “Calix, how are you? Ten Crows, good to see you.” he said.

  Adelaide watched as Jonas warmly shook their hands. Her eyes met Calix’s. She felt herself flush. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and melt into his embrace, just being in his presence caused her arousal. Yet, she managed to smile and greet them cordially.

  “Hello, Calix. Hello, Ten Crows,” she said.

  Calix knelt down to pet Darwin. The dog enthusiastically pushed against the stranger, almost knocking him over.