by Stephy Smith
When Shining Moon asked why they did these things, Sarah's sons simply stated that they enjoyed visiting the tribe and putting smiles on the faces of others. Now that his Sweet Sarah needed someone to be kind to her and help her as her family helped his, she pushed him away.
As she passed by, she appeared a little stronger. She still bounced around on the buckboard bench. Her hair had been combed, and her clothes looked fresh and crisp. When she had left for Jessie's house, she was unkempt, and it ate at Shining Moon. Sweet Sarah was not the type of woman to let herself go without good reason.
If Sweet Sarah wouldn't accept him, he could at least offer the hog he butchered to help her feed the boys when they came. He loaded it on the travois and started toward her farm. On his way he chanted and prayed for the well-being of the family.
He pulled his horse to a stop and drew in a deep breath. His heart pummeled his chest walls. Sarah stepped out onto the porch and glared at him. Shining Moon scanned the area. Her wagon was parked near the barn door. The team had been unhitched and were in their paddock munching on a clump of hay.
"I brought some meat for your family." He motioned to the travois.
"There was no need to do that. I can feed my family."
"The boys have been good to me and my people, Sweet Sarah. Please accept this offering to thank them. You will have more time with your family, instead of having to worry about what to cook." He slid from the horse and grabbed a shovel. He cleared the soft dirt from the long strip of tin covering a pit that was approximately four feet deep and six feet long. Another layer of tin lay at the bottom separating the fire from the meat to be cooked.
Shining moon pulled on a chain hooked to the bottom tin and removed it. He then dropped kindling into the hole and started a fire. Adding a few logs he let the blaze build up before he replaced the tin with the chain. The heat rose from the bottom and then he tossed the hog in the pit. He replaced the top cover and threw a few shovels full of dirt on the top to hold in the heat.
Sarah had hurried to stand beside him by the pit. She remained quiet while he worked.
"I guess I don't have much choice now do I, Shining Moon?" Her hands were perched on her hips. She turned around and marched back to her cabin.
He chuckled as he watched her retreat. At least she still had fire in her eyes. His breath caught. In all the years he had known her, this was one of the few times he had seen her angry. The boys had warned him she could get nasty when she had a mind to. Even though she didn't get mean, she had made it clear she wasn't happy with him being there.
"One day, Sweet Sarah, you will need me." He called to her as she walked through the door of her cabin.
Shining Moon mounted his horse and rode up the hill. Tightness in his chest from her slight rejection of his presence ate at him. Why did she seem irritated for him delivering a gift to her family? The question bothered him more because it was a gift for her family. He glanced back down at the cabin. Smoke wafted up from a small chimney in the pit.
****
Leaning against the door jam, Sarah took in a deep breath. Why was she so mad at Shining Moon? She couldn't hold his kindness against him. Was it because she had told him to stay away and yet he brought food for her sons? No, she didn't think it was because of that. Maybe, her guilty conscience was getting the better of her. After all, he had done nothing wrong. She had.
She was the one who angered the spirits into tossing her around like she was a rag doll. It was her own fault they tormented her every night despite the banishment spells she had tried to cast on them. The more she fought back, the more irate the evil beasts grew. It seemed to her more came every night. When she tried to escape, they grabbed her and held her prisoner against the walls of her own cabin.
Empty eye sockets glared at her as the skinless, muscleless jawbones clapped together. Hideous shrieks and vile words spewed so loudly that her ears ached from the echoes. Incessant clingy, clammy fingers pulled her hair and tugged on her clothing. She fought to dismiss the images of her assailants. Her body shivered, even though the spirits came only at night.
The sound of the horse's hooves faded. Shining Moon's last words burned in her mind. Yes, one day she may need him, but that didn't mean he had to help her…did it? What was eating at her the most was she knew she needed him and, more so, wanted him. But not until she rid her life of the evil floating around in her cabin.
Shining Moon had grown into her heart. She didn't want him to do things for her. She wanted him to love her, the way she loved him. Unconditionally and without pity. Until she could offer herself as a whole companion to him, she couldn't have him around. It would just make things tougher for her to face him every morning if he knew there were ghosts invading her cabin.
Sarah failed to mention the tormenting of the ghosts to Jessie, Cord, or Travis. She wanted to see if they would make themselves known to the boys before she said something to get herself locked away for rest of her natural days. She slightly smiled thinking that may not be a bad idea, if the ghosts didn't follow her into the sanatorium.
Whoever the ghouls were, they definitely got her attention. She had no idea what to do with creatures, much less being overrun by them, but she had to control their attacks somehow. The people in the area would call her a witch if she was caught casting her spells. Since they didn't work anyway, no one could prove a thing.
Exhausted from her trip, she fell asleep only to wake every hour or so with haunting noises and voices that had become all too familiar. Sarah looked forward to the arrival of her sons.
More than anything, she wanted to go to Shining Moon with the problem. He wouldn't understand. She didn't know how he felt about such occurrences. Nor did she want him to think she was some kind of crazy lady. The only choice she had now was to turn to her sons and hope they would understand.
All three of the boys were over-protective. She needed their help and support. Sarah felt that they had made up their minds to be there for her, no matter what kind of problems they had to face. The guilt of pulling them from their own farms weighed heavily on her mind.
****
Sarah waited on the front porch for Jessie. She paced back and forth, squinting into the distance for tale-tell signs of his arrival. Wringing her hands together, she glanced down and then smoothed her skirt and apron. Finally she would have someone to talk to and take her mind off the strange occurrences happening in her home. With any luck, they would find what was behind the torment. She, once again, hoped it was her own guilty conscience causing her trouble. However, she knew deep down it wasn't.
Dust from the lone horse trailed behind each hoof. Sarah walked to the edge of the porch and squealed her excitement at Jessie's arrival. Greeting him before the horse had stopped, she took the reins as Jessie slid to the ground. She led the stout bay to the barn while Jessie fetched water and some oats to feed his horse. Sarah unsaddled and was taking the bridle off when Jessie entered with the water.
"Thank you for coming, Jessie. I'm glad you could make it." She swiped at her brow. "I'm sorry to pull you away from your home."
"I told you I would be here." He gave her a reassuring smile along with a comforting pat on the shoulder.
Walking back to her cabin, Sarah linked her arm in his. She felt his body tense and then heard Jessie gasped. "What's wrong, Jessie?" Sarah knew the answer before she asked. Blinking back regret for not warning the boys, she let out a low groan.
"What is that rancid smell?" Jessie sniffed in the air and followed the scent, it grew stronger near the smaller cabin. "Do you need me to clean out Grandma's house?" Sarah followed as the sound of pots and pans started banging together as if someone were starting to prepare a meal. Jessie jumped back and then continued his hurried steps to the cabin. "Do you have someone living in there?"
"No. There isn't anyone living there." She was surprised at how shy her own voice sounded. She stepped next to Jessie.
Jessie stopped short as his gaze fell to his mother. "I thought Liz,
Carolyn, and Will had already left."
"They did." Sarah glanced at the cabin, shuddered, and watched Jessie stick his head in the door of the small cabin. He cocked his head from one side to the other. His eyes scanned the interior. Sarah moved to his side.
Deep-seated lines twisted Jessie's face. He glanced at her. "There's no one in here, what's making that noise?"
"Ghosts." Sarah said in a soft voice, looking at the ground. She braced herself against the words she expected to come from Jessie. He was never one to allow the thoughts of ghosts to enter his mind.
"Ghosts? Mother, that is impossible. There's no such thing as ghosts."
Sarah touched Jessie's arm to steady herself. "You must be hungry. I'll get you something to eat." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she hurried to the kitchen of her own cabin. Drying her eyes on her apron before Jessie could see the panic building inside her, she busied herself with the cooking.
Jessie lingered in the small cabin. A few moments later, he entered his mother's cabin. "Jessie… Ah, never mind." How could she convince him the ghosts were real? He was her child who had to see things with his own eyes before he believed them. It was a hard thing for her to admit to him. If he reacted this way, what would Shining Moon have to say? Would he tell her the same thing?
Sarah thought about Shining Moon. Before Jessie arrived, the shaman brought her the hog he put in the pit to cook. She avoided letting him near the cabins. Her heart weighed with the harsh words she spewed at him the last few times she seen him.
How could a man take the rejections she had inflicted upon him, and then turn around and do something so thoughtful? She wouldn't blame him if he never spoke to her again. Shining Moon said he had heard the boys were coming for a visit and didn't want her to worry about cooking.
"What in the world is going on here, Mother?"
"I was hoping it was my mind going." Sarah's hands were shaking, pools of tears wet the brim of her lashes. She nodded to the small cabin. "Those are the good ones over there."
Jessie took his bowl of beans and bacon with two slices of cornbread and fresh butter Sarah offered him. Sarah knew Jessie wouldn't ask many questions. She often wondered if he just didn't want to know or if he was afraid he may get an answer he wasn't prepared to hear.
"Shining Moon butchered the hog yesterday. It's cooking in the pit. It should be done tomorrow." Sarah thumbed in the direction of the pit her husband had dug before he died. Changing the subject was the safest way to handle Jessie. He was the type who had to see things for himself.
"I miss your cooking, Mother. You always filled an appetite." The puzzled look on Jessie's face had not faded.
"Would you like some more tea, Jessie?"
"Yes ma'am. I miss your tea, too. I can't get mine to taste like yours." Jessie sat for a few minutes to finish his meal and drink his tea. Sarah wrapped her fingers around the arms of the chair.
"I'm going to check the barn. I noticed some boards needing to be put back in place. You need to rest."
Jessie started toward the barn. Sarah followed him through the doorway and stood on the porch. Suddenly he turned to look at his grandma's cabin. Sarah could see the questions on his face. She knew he seen the ghost lights flash when one approached the area. Jessie shook his head and by passed her mother's cabin on his way to the barn.
Sarah pivoted on her heal and returned to her cabin. She washed the dishes and then dumped the water outside the door onto the flower bed next to the porch. Stepping back inside she placed a pot of water on the stove to boil. While she waited, she gathered her scrub board and the washtub and carried them outside.
By the time she had the laundry washed, the tips of her fingers and her knuckles were red and raw from the ridges in the board. She carried the laundry to the clothesline and hung it to dry.
Sarah stretched her back and then walked toward her cabin. The sun was nearing the western horizon. Pink and orange clouds glowed in front of the sun. She took her milk pail and egg basket and headed to the barn. She milked the cow, slopped the hogs, and gathered the eggs. Jessie had fixed a few boards and fed the horses, then he joined her. He picked up the pail of milk to cart back to the cabin. Sarah had cut off some pork for a roast and boiled some onions, potatoes, and carrots earlier in the day.
Jessie took the milk and eggs inside while Sarah gathered the dry clothes from the line. She glanced at him and gave him a light smile. "Thank you for your help today. I feel like we accomplished quite a bit, how about you?"
"Yes, and tomorrow I plan to do a lot more. I think I can knock out a large chunk of the work that needs done before Cord and Travis get here. We'll have you running smoothly before we leave." Jessie gave her a wink.
After they finished their supper, they retreated to the porch for a little relaxation. Sarah dreaded going back inside when the sun disappeared.
"You've had a long day, Jessie. We had better turn in. There's a lot to do around here. I didn't get to keep it up when Mother was alive." Sarah's voiced trailed off as she looked down at her hands.
"Mother, you had your hands full with Grandma. I should've known the place would need some repair. No one blames you for the bad storms destroying things in their paths."
"It's not your fault the place is falling in. You have your own place to worry about." Sarah walked to a weather trunk near the fireplace. She lifted the lid and reached inside for extra blankets and headed to her sons' old bedroom for the night. Her room was the one with the best mattress. After all the work Jessie had done, he deserved a little comfort. Jessie bid her good-night and sauntered off to her room. She was sleeping lightly when the trouble broke loose.
Jumping out of bed, she ran into the front room to find Jessie coming out of her bedroom. Jessie covered his ears and a wildness flared in his eyes. His anger grew intense. "Get out of here!" Jessie shouted as he shook his fist in the air. Sarah turned up the kerosene lamp. The shrieks and evil laughter quieted down for a few seconds and then started up again, louder and louder, as they swarmed above. The dark masses of the un-living were visible as they continued to circle Jessie and Sarah's heads, weaving in and out, barely missing them.
Jessie opened the door and grabbed the spirit broom hanging on the wall near the door. Sarah stepped out the door as the swinging broom narrowly missed her. Jessie clenched the short handle in one hand. He jumped and swept it across the ceiling. The drawn out screech, "Noooooo!" pierced the cabin as one of the tyrant spirits flew out the door.
Sarah's heart thumped against her ribs. She watched as her son leaped like an animal with its leg caught in a trap. He landed on the table and then righted himself. Another jump sent him into the rocking chair, and he tumbled close to the fireplace. Jessie was quick to get up. Sarah raised her hands to her mouth and held her breath. Wisps of finger-like mist snaked away from the spirit masses and grasped at Jessie's clothing.
Claw-like talons groped at his face. He winced, but continued to try to ward off the uncontrollable monsters. Sarah tilted her head to the side when one of the spirits tossed a plate across the room toward her face. One of the kitchen chairs slid over the wooden floor in a circle and connected with Jessie's shins.
The bristles from the broom littered the air as Jessie scraped it across the ceiling. Another scream came from one of the misty creatures that swooped within Jessie's reach. He swept the remaining straw through the center of the apparition, which split the ghost in two, and then both parts dissipated into thin air.
Jessie's breath became ragged. He was on a rampage. The ravenous ghosts seemed to be growing stronger. More were appearing as if they were at a feeding frenzy. He jabbed the stubs of what was left of the broom into another one. With a spine-chilling scream, the ghost faded.
He was relentless in his quest to rid the place of the evil laughter and eerie voices. The battle continued through early morning hours, when the ghosts finally left the cabin.
Jessie sat in the straight-back chair, his elbows rested on his knees, his hands tangled
in his hair. His labored breathing was the only thing unusual in the cabin now. Sarah shut the door where she had been standing. He stared into his mother's eyes. She couldn't hold back the tears sliding down her cheeks or the quiver that slithered down her spine.
"I had hopes they wouldn't come if you were here with me."
Jessie jumped up and ran to her. Reaching out with his arms he pulled her into his embrace, he whispered, "Now I know why you're so worn out. How long has this been going on?"
Sarah sunk deeper into Jessie's comforting arms. "Since Grandma died. I think she's angry with me."
Jessie held Sarah at arm's length. "Mother, Grandma wasn't one of those things. I got a good look at them, and she wasn't there. Look at how dangerous they are. They have shredded my shirt, scratched my skin, and one tried to choke me!"
"Then what are they, Jessie? Banshees? You said there is no such thing as ghosts. I know how dangerous and destructive they are."
"I don't know what they are, either. Have they hurt you also? Why didn't you go to Grandma's and stay there?" Jessie let go of his mother and started pacing the room. He raised a hand to his chin, stroking his neatly trimmed beard and looking at the floor.
"I don't know either. I don't know what to do to make them leave. I wanted, even tried to force myself, to stay in the little cabin. When I tried to leave my cabin, the spirits held me down on the floor or shoved me into the wall and wouldn't let me go. They keep calling me back to my own cabin, as if they can control my every move. For some reason these things do not want me with the good spirits in Grandma's cabin."
So many precious memories would have been destroyed in the little cabin if she had gone there. The menacing ghost would have followed her in, and she didn't want that to happen. To let them gain entrance and burn the place down wasn't something she needed.
Sarah took the milk bucket and walked to the barn. Jessie followed behind. "Are there any more deep, dark secrets I need to know about?"
