Ronnie Coleinger: A Winter Collection

by Coleinger, Ronnie

  As the two ravens flew towards the mountain cabin, Sally said, “I feel as if I once knew you. You seem familiar to me.” Charles said, “We were lovers once. That time was many hundreds of human years ago, but I still remember the wonderful times we spent together.” Sally asked Charles where the bones of his human body rested. Charles said, “My bones are in an abandoned mine shaft. The mine is located a short distance above the cabin where Monique now lives. I will show you the location in the near future. It will be our home after we complete our quest.”

  As Sally began to see the mountain out in front of them, Charles explained that he would show her around the mountains while the afternoon sun brightly lit the mountains. He explained that it was still late winter, but the mountain was beginning to show the first signs of spring. Sally could not believe the beauty below her. The tall heavily forested mountains and the deep valleys with running streams was a remarkable sight. She felt the warmth of the sun on her back as she soared and turned in flight; trying to see every inch of the place she would now call home. She thanked the spirit gods for allowing her to take the life form of a raven, which would allow her to visit every rocky ledge and sit atop the tall trees of this beautiful mountain.

  As the sun dipped over the edge of the western mountains, Charles explained that the girls expected them for supper at the cabin. He turned towards the west and then glided lower along a rocky trail that ascended from the north towards the highest peak of the mountain. As they followed the trail, Sally saw for the first time, the cabin sitting along the edge of a heavily forested area overlooking a large flat plateau. Tall winter killed grass covered the plateau. It looked as if a bulldozer had cleared a flat spot on the side of the mountain.

  As Charles descended towards the cabin, he glided around back and landed on the ground beside the porch. When Sally’s feet touched the soft moss covered earth, she realized that the feeling was familiar. Charles took a couple of steps away from Sally and then shifted into a handsome human male life form. Sally thought a moment and then shifted into a human form that for some unknown reason seemed appropriate. Charles looked at her and said, “Beautiful as ever, Sally.” At that point, Sally realized that Charles was familiar with the human form she had chosen. She stepped up to him and said, “I have lived most of the last century in a human life form much different from this one, yet you somehow know me as if you had seen me in this life form just yesterday.” Charles laughed a deep belly laugh and said, “You will soon remember your past life forms, but that memory will take time. When we step inside the cabin, Monique will know who you are instantly. She may be in her feline life form or her human form, I am uncertain of her form after she gave birth to a single kitten a few days ago.”

  Sally asked Charles if Natalie and Ginger had any magical powers. Charles looked her in the eyes and said, “No. They are simply humans who befriended Monique a few years ago. Monique originally built a cabin down at the base of the mountain near a small road. The girls had a cabin a few miles away and decided to pay Monique a visit. Now the three are best of friends. The magic resides within Monique, her male companion Blacky, and their three kits named Fatin, Ahti and Blackjack. You will get to meet all of the family tonight. Of the felines you will meet in the next few days, it seems that only Monique can shift her spirit life form between human and feline, however, they are all still living their first life.”

  Charles stepped up on the porch just as the cabin door swung open. Natalie and Ginger stepped out onto the porch and immediately began to hug Charles. As Charles introduced Sally to the girls, Monique stepped out onto the porch to greet her guests. Sally looked into Monique’s eyes and said, “I remember you, my friend. You are just as I last saw you. It has been many years since I have looked into those eyes. I am afraid I am going to cry.”

  As the two girls slid into each other’s arms, the tears began to flow. Once the emotions calmed, Monique invited the guests into the cabin. Charles walked over to the hearth and took a deep breath of the food cooking in the two blackened pots hanging from tripods over the fire. When he turned back to the girls, he said, “It is not often that I join my friends in a human life form. I should do this more often. I forget about the wonderful aroma and warmth of food cooking over an open fire.” Natalie stepped up beside him and said, “You should join us more often. I could make it worth your while to join me for a meal and a warm bed.” Charles chuckled as he turned and hugged Natalie. Monique giggled and said, “If you two need the bedroom before supper, we can show Sally around the barn for a few minutes.” Charles patted Natalie on the butt and said, “I think we should avoid doing anything that might lead to another mouth to feed. There is a battle brewing and we need Natalie healthy and ready to fight for the survival of this mountain.” Natalie giggled and said, “Charles, would you join me in the bedroom for just a second. I have something in my dresser draw that can protect me from such a fate.” Charles chuckled and said, “In that case, how about you and I go out to the barn and check out the rabbits. I think we may have to bring down some fresh straw from the hayloft.” Natalie giggled and made a beeline for her bedroom. When she returned, she took hold of Charles hand and quickly escorted him out the back door. The girls got to giggling over Natalie’s need for male attention, but soon decided they needed to finish preparing supper. Monique turned to Sally and said, “Please forgive Charles and Natalie. Their hormones seem completely out of balance today.”

  The meal was ready about the time Charles and Natalie returned. When they stepped into the kitchen, Ginger walked up to Charles, kissed him on the cheek and said, “It’s my turn now.” Charles face turned beet red. Ginger patted him on the butt and said, “Just kidding.”

  Just as they were sitting down at the table, Charles suddenly walked over to the back door and stood quietly, as if listening to a voice. His head moved around as if he was trying to comprehend the situation. Just then, he turned to the women sitting at the table staring at him and said, “There is a problem I need to attend to. Please forgive me for my sudden departure.” He opened the back door, stepped out onto the porch, took on his raven life form and quickly flew off towards the north. The girls were all flabbergasted over the sudden turn of events, but soon realized that Charles would explain when he could.

  As the girls sat down at the table, Blackjack woke up and began making his rounds under the table. He was quite the beggar. He could make the most horrible sounds as he rubbed up against legs and meowed for attention and food. Monique finally picked up her child and said, “Would you all excuse me for a few moments. I need to shift into my feline form and feed this kitten. He is quite the nuisance when he is hungry.” As Monique carried the tiny black kitten in her arms, she giggled and talked to him as she rubbed his tummy.

  Monique and Blackjack returned a few minutes later. Blackjack walked around under the table for a few minutes, but soon returned to the warm basket on the hearth for another nap. Once he settled himself, the girls began discussing the construction that was destroying the mountain they all loved. Sally asked the girls to fill her in on what Blacky and those who joined him intended to do to stop the project.

  As the girls talked, Monique heard a sound coming from the back porch. She knew that no one should be visiting the cabin, unless it was Blacky and the twins. When she looked out the window, she saw Blacky and Fatin sitting beside Ahti, who appeared to be sleeping. Monique stepped out outside and soon realized that things were not right. Fatin was extremely upset and Blacky simply looked up into Monique’s eyes. Monique took a deep breath and felt tears begin to run down her cheeks. She sat down beside her mate and Fatin and asked, “How did this happen?” As the words left her mouth, she heard the sobs of Natalie and Ginger behind her. The girls sat down beside Monique, trying hard to control their emotions.

  Sally joined the girls and sat down on a chair. As Blacky explained how one of the construction workers had shot Ahti in the forest, Blacky said, “Every life form in the Seine Mountains has now heard a
bout Ahti’s death and have joined the fight to stop the destruction of the mountain. The war is on.”

  Ginger could stand it no longer. She stood up and moved closer to Ahti, sat down beside him, and then slowly rubbed his fur with her fingers. She felt the dampness of his fur and realized he had dried blood in his fur. She looked up into Monique’s eyes and said, “I have some of the ancient oak left over from building rabbit cages. I will get started building a coffin, if that method of burial meets with you and Blacky’s wishes.” Blacky said, “I would like to bury my son on the top of the knoll, above the cabin, where the spirit gods can look down upon him.” Monique said, “That would be a fitting place for him.”

  As Ginger headed towards the barn, Sally stood up and said, “I feel the depth of Ginger’s sorrow and anger. I will help her with her quest until I am certain her anger is under control. Right now, she is planning to sneak off with her rifle and begin shooting those who are responsible for Ahti’s death. She needs council and guidance.”

  As Sally walked towards the barn, Natalie said, “I will go get Ahti’s favorite blanket to cover him.” As Natalie stood up, a gentle breeze stirred the forest around them and then suddenly subsided. Ginger and Sally both stopped at the barn door and observed the sudden breeze. Monique moved over close to Blacky and said, “Ahti’s spirit has moved on. He does not hate those that killed him, but hates the destruction they are causing to the soul of this mountain. Ahti moves on in peace.”

  Sally put her hand on Ginger’s shoulder and said, “Ahti now lives in the spirit world. He is at peace and feels no pain. He would not want you to take the lives of the men who killed him. He wishes you to understand that your anger and pain need a positive flow of energy. His wish for you is to direct your anger towards peaceful ways to prevent the men from doing any more damage to the mountain.”

  Ginger turned to Sally and said, “I do hate those that took Ahti’s life, but I will manage my anger. I know you can see into my mind and know of my thoughts to kill the construction crew, but understand me, Sally. I will not take another’s life to revenge Ahti’s death, but I will make the lives of those responsible, very miserable.” Sally looked deep into Ginger’s eyes and said, “Shall we get on with the task. We should bury Ahti before sunset.”

  Within an hour, the girls finished with the tiny casket and carried it to the back of the cabin. Monique smiled at the wooden box and said, “Thank you Ginger and Sally. Ahti will be very comfortable in his new home.” Monique picked up her son’s body and carefully placed it inside of the coffin. Sally picked up the hammer to pound in the nails and, said, “The sun will soon set. We should quickly complete our task.” Natalie placed the wooden lid on the coffin and handed the hammer to Monique. Monique placed a nail in the wood and then gently tapped it with the hammer. The nail she tapped slid into the wood as if it were butter. The remaining nails in Monique’s hand, as if they knew their purpose, moved into position and slid through the hard ancient oak, securing the lid to Ahti’s eternal home. Sally spoke to those who stood around her. She said, “I am certain that Ahti will make his new life form known to us. However, he may not return in a life form that we can communicate with.”

  Now that all the nails were in place and the casket was complete, Ginger and Natalie picked up the tiny box and carried it up towards the ancient oak trees that had grown for hundreds of years. As they walked, Blacky scampered ahead of them and then stopped and turned towards the girls. He lay down on the cold earth and said, “This will do, nicely. The spirit of the forest is very strong here.”

  Monique held her hands out in front of her and moved them as if parting the ground. The earth moved and mounded up, as a hole just the right size for the casket formed in the ground; two large tree roots moved aside. Once the hole was ready, Sally spoke to Monique and asked, “May I have the honors of committing Ahti to the earth?” Monique smiled and said, “Ahti would be pleased.” Sally moved her hands out in front of her and magically guided the casket over the hole in the earth. As she began to lower it she said, “Into God’s earth, we place this warrior. His quest to protect this mountain shall not be in vain. I, and those who stand before you, pledge our lives to fight on and prevent the destruction of this mountain. Every living entity on this mountain now joins hands to this cause. Fight on my mighty warriors.”

  Just as the casket was at the bottom of the grave, a raven landed and stood very still. The life form change was sudden and surprised the girls. Charles walked over beside the girls and said, “I am so sorry that Ahti had to die this day. Take solace in the fact that his spirit has moved on. As we speak, he is fighting to save this mountain. His new life form as a skunk is making life for the workers bulldozing our trees very miserable.” Charles heard a giggle from the girls over his words. He stepped up to Ahti’s grave and said, “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. We commit the body of our departed friend unto the care of the Seine Mountains. The spirits that guide us, those who now join us in our quest, please accept the body of Ahti unto your care. His spirit lives on and he will fight to protect the burial place of our forefathers. The magic of the mountain lives on. Fight on mighty warriors.”

  As Charles dropped a handful of soil onto the casket, the mountain accepted Ahti’s body and began to close the grave. As the last of the earth filled the hole, a thick layer of green moss quickly grew over the ground, hiding the gravesite from discovery. A tiny tree began to grow beside the grave, rooted to the soul of Ahti, the first of many brave souls to lose their earthly bodies to the cause.

  Charles stepped back and stood beside Sally. She took hold of his hand and said, “I have need to rest in my new home.” As the girls watched, Charles and Sally changed into the life form of ravens and took flight towards the south, towards the mineshaft, which would be their home.

  Monique turned to Natalie and Ginger and said, “I need to spend some time with Blacky. We need to see what we can do to take the battle for this mountain to those who choose to destroy it. Will you care for Blackjack for a few days?” Ginger stepped up to Monique and said, “We will protect your son and care for him while you are gone. Do not worry about Blackjack. Would you send word of the battle to us as often as you can? If Natalie and I can help in any way, would you send word? We love this mountain as you do and will give our lives for its protection.”

  Monique hugged both girls and then quickly changed into her feline life form. As Monique, Blacky and Fatin headed off towards the north, Blacky turned back around and said, “Thank you Ginger and Sally for building the casket. Ginger, your anger and hate will pass. Natalie, the sorrow in your heart will heal in time. Please console yourselves in the fact that Ahti died for a worthwhile cause. He loved you all.”

  ***

  When Blacky and Monique found a construction crew trying to pull a large excavator from the thick sticky mud that had entrapped it, they heard the sounds of men cursing an animal. They heard a man scream and then yell to his friends that he was going to get his gun and shoot another one of the black cats who plagued this mountain. It was then that Blacky and Monique realized that Fatin was harassing the men. As the man headed off towards his truck, a gunshot echoed across the mountains. Fragments of an ancient oak tree flew around as the bullet tore through the bark. The man screamed and dived behind a large log, trying to remain hidden. As he raised his head up over the top of the log, he saw his rifle floating in midair over the hood of his truck. The gun turned in his direction and fired another bullet through the dense forest. Then the gun barrel slowly began to bend. Within seconds, the barrel resembled a horseshoe and the gun dropped onto the hood of the truck. The man slowly walked up to his truck in an attempt to understand what just happened. As he picked up the rifle and stared at the bent barrel, the wooden stock suddenly heated up and began to smoke. The man dropped the gun to the ground and watched the wood slowly turn to ash.

  The man decided to have a drink of water before he returned to the stuck excavator. As he poured water into a c
up, the water turned red and became thick and nasty. The man realized that the liquid resembled blood. Just then, a voice came over his truck radio and announced that the blood of Ahti, the cat he had shot yesterday, would haunt him for all eternity.”

  As the man stepped back away from the truck, it began to melt, to dissolve into minerals that would nourish the mountain. Within a few minutes, the only remaining sign of a once beautiful truck was four spots of matted grass where the tires once rested.

  Back at the hotel worksite, the men had just begun digging the final trench where they would soon begin building the foundation walls. As they dug, they struck an underground bee’s nest. The men scattered, but the operator of the backhoe was not so lucky. He tried to close the windows and seal himself inside, but the angry bees attacked in numbers. The man finally stumbled out of the cab and began running towards his fellow workers for help. They simply ran in the other direction, allowing him to fight off the bees in his own way.

  The site foreman called in an exterminator to deal with the angry insects. Every time his men tried to get near the backhoe, the bees would attack again. When the exterminator arrived, he put on his protective suit and began spraying the insects, trying to find the exact location of the nest. When he thought he had the nest destroyed, another backhoe operator began digging a short distance away. This time, the backhoe fell into a buried chamber, probably an old cellar or bunker. Most of the backhoe simply vanished. The operator soon crawled out and escaped, but the bees stung him many times before he got clear of the worksite.

  Towards the east, where the new highway originally was to end, the work crews faced their own problems. As the men began to tear down the condemned homes and businesses, they soon discovered an unmarked graveyard. The bulldozers had unearthed dozens of bodies. The bulldozer operator simply continued his work. Within an hour, he had mixed most of the human bones with the gravel that would cover the location of a new road. When his foreman finally arrived on site, some of his workers told him about what the bulldozer operator had done. The foreman quickly shut down the worksite and called the State Police for guidance in dealing with the ancient burial site. Within an hour, a local news crew got wind of the story and the state shut down the entire worksite until they had time to deal with the bones.