Shining Moon Rises

by Stephy Smith

  "Well, Mother, you had changed your appearance… a lot." Cord said.

  Jessie laughed. "Mother, you looked a wee bit battered. What were we suppose to think? That you had been here fighting ghosts?" Cord stared at the ceiling with a blank look on his face.

  "I think Cord is in denial." Sarah said as she beat the eggs and slapped bacon on the hot cast iron skillet, warming on the stove.

  "How have you endured this kind of torment, Mother? You should have come to us sooner. No, you should have gone to Shining Moon." Cord said. His elbows rested on the table and his head clenched in his hands.

  She lowered her head and fidgeted with the hem of her apron, Sarah's voice was almost a whisper, "I didn't want you to think I was crazy. I thought I was crazy. I couldn't bring Shining Moon into my problems. I already feel as if I took advantage of his generosity when Mother was alive." Sarah shifted her thought to how wonderful Shining Moon had been with her mother. He would sit next to her bed with her hand in his and tell her stories and burn herbs to help ease her aches and pains. Sarah would be eternally grateful for the many hours he tended to them both.

  "You went through agony for months so we wouldn't think you were crazy? Well you were crazy for not coming to us. You do still have your mind, or we have lost ours." Cord said, as Sarah placed the plates of bacon, eggs, and freshly buttered biscuits in front of her children. She sat down with them and ate her breakfast while Jessie and Cord talked about what they would like to accomplish for the day.

  "After I wash the dishes, I'm going to the cemetery." Sarah grabbed her plate and headed to the counter where fresh dishwater had been placed in the tub. She washed, rinsed, and dried the dishes, then placed them back on the shelf where they belonged. Turning on her heel she headed for the door. Jessie's and Cord's chairs scraped across the wooden floor as they followed her out the door.

  Sarah filled the two buckets to lug up the hill. She watched the change take over Cord. His brow furrowed and he rubbed his chin. He had glanced toward the open door and windows of his grandma's cabin. With a shake of her head, Sarah started up the hill, leaving her sons staring at the little cabin. The pounding of Jessie's and Cord's boots sounded on the hard ground, as they caught up and took the buckets from her. She opened the gate to the tiny cemetery. When she knelt down and started pulling weeds, Cord and Jessie watered the roses.

  Cord glared down the hill as the ghost lights flashed in the smaller cabin. Sarah caught his glance and then said, "Relax, Cord. That's nothing you should worry about."

  "Yeah, Cord, ignore them. Mother's right…those ghost are nothing." Jessie smiled, and then laughed. "You'll see."

  Heading down the hill, they neared the smaller cabin. Cord shook his head and looked around. He appeared to be scanning the sky.

  What was her middle son thinking? He was her sensitive child, the one to over analyze everything. He was also the first one to second-guess everything. She tried to put a smile on her face as she remembered the things Cord used to do.

  "What is that smell? Is there a dead animal in that house?" Cord was barely able to speak without gagging. Sarah remember how sensitive his stomach had been to certain foods and smells throughout his childhood.

  "We haven't found the source of the smell yet. Help me move that hutch out from the wall." Jessie side stepped past Cord. In single file they entered the cabin.

  "Remember this wagon Grandpa made for us?" Cord reached out his hand to pick it up when it floated across the room. "What in the world?"

  Sarah raised her hand to her lips as she watched Cords lips form an O, his brow raised above an amused twinkle in his eyes. She hadn't seen that look since Cord was a small child and her father had pulled a coin from his ear.

  Jessie laughed, and then said, "Happened to me, too. Let's just get this thing moved so we can find that smell."

  With Cord on one end and Jessie on the other, they picked up the antique hutch. All of a sudden, Cord dropped his end, covered his ears, and he ran for the door. Jessie covered his ears and followed while pots and pans continued banging inside. Sarah followed her sons to the middle of the road, in front of her cabin, where the sound was a little more tolerable.

  "Mercy me, that was loud. How long does this last?"

  "Not long, Cord. After lunch, it calms down in there. A little." Sarah patted his arm.

  The rest of the week continued with nightly battles and daily chores. Both of the men continued to apologize because they hadn't realized there was so much work on the farm needing attention. The two of them worked together to get the barn patched and the garden plowed. Sarah planted the garden and tended to it daily.

  "Travis should be here in a little while. He did say he would be here this weekend to help, when I stayed the night with him." Sarah watched out the window for signs of dust stirring in the air.

  "I think we're going to need more than Travis for this war." Cord grinned.

  "Jessie thinks we've made headway. Well, actually we had at one point. Three ghosts have vanished and haven't been back." Sarah glanced at Jessie. Cord gave Jessie a questioning look, and then began to laugh.

  "Should we warn Travis?"

  "I don't think so. He will have us all committed to that new sanatorium they built in Hutchison." Jessie said. "Let him find out the same way the rest of us did."

  Sarah wasn't for sure she wanted her youngest child exposed to the demons. Of course, his feelings would be hurt if he wasn't involved in helping her out like his older brothers. Yet still, he was a young man and deserved to be treated as such. It wasn't an easy choice to involve any of her children in the chaos tormenting her.

  Chapter Eight

  Cord and Jessie jogged up the hill as Shining Moon watched them come closer. The two men had promised they would keep him abreast of the happenings down the hill. He doubted the problem had righted itself, although there was always hope and faith.

  "Good to see you again, my friends." Shining Moon glanced from Jessie to Cord.

  "Shining Moon, these things we are fighting until Mother comes to her senses, what can we do to make them go away?" Cord shifted from one foot to the other. His thumbs hooked in the waist of his trousers.

  "If they are as Jessie has described them, there will have to be a ceremony to rid them from the home. It makes me believe they were planted by evil-hearted people to intentionally unnerve Sweet Sarah."

  "They are without a doubt the most unnerving things I have ever come across. I don't know how she endured this kind of treatment." Jessie said.

  "From the looks of her, she didn't fare well. Is she still refusing me?"

  Sweet Sarah had always been emotionally and physically strong. She would never indulge in weakness of any sort. This time, she hit rock bottom and had come close to burying herself because of her stubborn pride. By refusing help, she had gone through pain and misery. He could tell more by her appearance and actions than if she would have just come right out and admitted it.

  "Yes. Travis is on his way. With the three of us goading her, she will have to give in. If not, you're coming in anyway. None of us can leave her here by herself." Cord clamped his hand on Shining Moon's shoulder.

  "This is all the time I will give you. I can't stand by any longer. Not with my Sweet Sarah and her family facing this strange occurrence."

  "They are dangerous. Just look at my back." Cord lifted the back of his shirt to show him. "Mother said they threw her around and held her in the house, tormenting her for hours. I hope your medicine is strong, when you arrive."

  Shining Moon glared at the long scratches. His muscles tensed at the thought of the spirits leaving marks on his Sweet Sarah. He clamped his mouth shut to keep his anger in. Without a doubt, his medicine would be strong.

  There wasn't any way around it. He would gather the most powerful herbs he could find. He would encourage his village to chant on the hill and chase the demons from the area. Sweet Sarah was at risk, and that was one risk he refused to let go.

  ****
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br />   After Sarah, Jessie, and Cord ran out to greet Travis, Sarah went back toward her cabin while the men helped Travis to stable his horse. "Boys, wash up when you're done," Sarah called over her shoulder.

  "When did Mother move into Grandma's house?" Sarah listened to her sons through the open window as she prepared their meals.

  "She didn't." Cord and Jessie both said in unison.

  "Well someone is in there and I'm gonna find out who it is." Travis drew his guns and peeked inside the little cabin. "Who's in here?"

  Sarah was drying her hands on a linen cloth as she walked out the door and joined her sons.

  Travis turned to look at Sarah, Jessie, and Cord. Both of his brothers leaned against the porch post, shaking their heads. Sarah cocked her head to the side and covered her mouth with one hand. Travis backed away from the cabin.

  "You're not telling me something." Sarah had seen the serious look on Travis's face many times while he was growing up. That look meant he was in no mood for games.

  "We'll tell you about it over a hot meal," Jessie said. "Come on."

  Sarah, Jessie, and Cord filled Travis in on things that were happening, they told him there were bad ghosts but didn't go into detail. After they are their lunch, the three men set out to do more repairs on the barn, fence, and the roof of their mother's house.

  The men labored in the hot sun. Sweat glistened off their faces. They worked well together. Sarah was proud of the camaraderie and the way they all pitched in to help her. She leaned against the porch railing and crossed her arms. Just having her sons together under her roof at the same time was a blessing she always welcomed.

  As the day wore on, her fears began to return. At least having her sons near kept her mind busy during the day.

  As the sun descended, Sarah did nightly chores. She returned to the cabin and fried a chicken, boiled potatoes and onions, and buttered some hot rolls. She called the young men to wash up. After supper, she washed the dishes, and all four of them sat on the front porch enjoying the purples, pinks, and oranges of the sunset. Then they all entered her cabin.

  Jessie picked up his broomstick and sat in the straight-back chair. Sarah took her place in the rocker by the fireplace. Cord clenched onto the riding crop and sat at the table. Travis raised his hands and asked, "What's this?"

  "Choose your weapon, we're going into battle soon." Cord leaned his chair back against the wall and already closed his eyes. "Get some rest. You're going to need it."

  "You can lie down on the table if you would like, Travis." Sarah's voice trailed off as she fell asleep. Without fail, a couple of hours later they were all jolted awake.

  "Sar-rah, Sar-rah." The spine-chilling shrieks exploded through the cabin. The hideous laughter loud and clear, as the dark shadow ghosts took up their vigil, circling overhead.

  Travis jumped off the table. He had his guns drawn before his feet hit the floor, ducking and dodging the swarms of black masses that surrounded him. His fingers squeezing the trigger, and the bullets whizzed through the air. Sarah, Jessie, and Cord plummeted to the floor. Dishes shattered on the shelves, sending shards of glass in every direction. Pictures fell from the walls, splintering frames. There were sounds of metal against metal, as bullets bore holes in Sarah's pots and pans. The slugs passed through the unrelenting ghosts, destroying everything except the menacing creatures.

  Sarah, Jessie, and Cord crawled under the kitchen table. Their heads covered with their arms, butts in the air, huddling, and waiting for a lull from the deafening gunshots. Sarah hoped he would run out of ammunition soon.

  The gunshots stopped. "What in the world is going on?" Travis's hands shook as he tried to reload his six-shooter. He dodged as the ghosts made dives at him. He doubled up his fist and put it through the misty figure that clawed at his flesh.

  "Grab a shovel or something and put the guns away, Travis. You could've killed us all!" Jessie cautiously made his way out from under the safety barrier. Helping Sarah up, Cord and Jessie wielded their weapons, like knights fighting for the castle. They all jabbed and swung at the enemy.

  Travis put his guns away and went outside for the shovel. He was quick to return inside the cabin. His weapon was pulled back over his shoulder. Once again, he joined in the fight, swinging away at the creatures overhead, alongside his older brothers. Sarah's knees weakened as she made her way to the door. The three men swung wildly inside the long room as the ghosts continued with their tyrant rage.

  Travis's eyes grew wide as he looked down. Sarah's gazed followed his. She held her breath. One of the ghouls clamped onto his foot. "The devil got me! Get it off! Get it off!" He ran around the table tossing chairs from his path. He shook his leg and swatted at the creature firmly fixed to his leg.

  Cord and Jessie tried to catch Travis to help him. But Travis was faster and wouldn't slow down. He zipped in and out of the grasp of the ghost overhead. Yet his enemy stayed fixed. Shrieks of pure terror from Travis mixed with the howls, growls, and hisses from the attacking forces.

  Cord reached out to stop his little brother. Travis clobbered him with the shovel. Jessie stepped back to let Travis pass, then continued jabbing at the invaders overhead. Cord picked himself up from the floor and resumed his fight, slashing through the earthbound spirits.

  The window shutters and door opened, and then slammed shut. The walls rattled as the rampage grew louder. Screams to burn the little cabin echoed in Sarah's ears. Ghosts made their dives toward her head. Once again, she was pinned to the wall and couldn't help her sons ward off the tormentors.

  She tried to raise her arms to cover her ears. One of the ghouls had her arms penned at her sides. Sarah had twisted and kicked, trying to free herself, when Travis ran by. Her leg caught his, and he crashed to the floor.

  Jessie ran to him and tried to pry the thing off Travis. His fingers passed through, only to be caught in its web of tentacles. Cord was the only one left to fend for his family. He battled the ghosts until they all slithered from sight. The cabin fell quiet.

  It was close to sunrise when the ghosts disappeared. Travis, looking worn out and confused, sank into a chair at the table. In a shaking voice, he asked, "Will they be back?"

  "Not until tonight. Are you alright?" Sarah inspected the wound on Travis's leg. Then she glanced around the room and assessed the damage he had done with the guns. She couldn't help but laughing. "I don't know if I was more afraid of the ghosts or of Travis shooting me."

  "Being woke up by the ghosts was nothing. Waking up to bullets flying, well let's just say, I was scared." Jessie glanced around at the mess.

  Cord was laughing. It seemed to have taken him a few minutes to pull himself together. His voiced quivered as he spoke. "I think we should hide Travis's guns. Another scare like that and I'm going to be sleeping on the hill with Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa."

  "If you let another one of those devils claw me, I'll make sure of it. Look where it poked holes in my leg. Am I going to turn into one of those things now?" Travis's finger shook as he pointed to the wounds.

  Sarah pulled out her bandages and wrapped the cloth around his leg.

  "Get some sleep." Sarah tried to smile at her sons. Within minutes, the three men were asleep. Sarah sank down in the rocker.

  Looking at their faces, she couldn't believe how she had to fight them to stay in bed when they were younger. Now, their handsome faces all grown up, she only had to tell them once. She dozed off for a couple of hours. The loud snores of the three young men woke her early.

  She slipped out the door to do morning chores. Deep in thought, she knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if something happened to one of them because of her.

  The smell of moisture in the air and thunder in the distance warned Sarah that the storm was coming toward the cabin. She grimaced at the thought of the storm's ability to add more strength to the ghosts. She entered the cabin, found all of the guns, and hid them under the mattress on the bed in her sons' old bedroom.

  The smell
of coffee radiated in the air. Bacon fried while Sarah whipped eggs to scramble. Biscuits were baking in the oven, and fresh churned butter waited on the crude cabinet. Sarah's stomach rumbled. The boys stepped out onto the porch, and washed up at the trough. Jessie emptied the dirty dishwater and filled the dishpan. Cord brought in fresh water to drink. Travis carried in wood for the stove.

  Their movements were slow and stiff. Sarah knew they were feeling the after-effects of the battle. Her own body still ached from the months of abuse from the nightly encounters.

  Sarah rustled up plates from her mother's cabin and served breakfast. She finished hers, and then grabbed a broom to clean up the mess from last night's shoot-out.

  "Think we're making progress?" Cord said with a chuckle. Travis ran his hand over the stubble on his chin.

  Sarah walked to the rocker by the fireplace, sat down, covered her face with her hands, and laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks. Jessie, Cord, and Travis turned toward her. They all tilted their heads at her. She was sure, from the looks on their faces, that they thought she had cracked.

  "She hasn't laughed like that in a few years. I was beginning to think she forgot how." Jessie nudged Cord.

  "I know it's been hard on her to take care of Grandma the way she did in the last year." Cord said, "I don't see how she did it. I wish I would have come by more often."

  "She's a strong woman. How long have the ghosts been here?" Travis turned his head toward his brothers.

  "Mother told us since Grandma died." Jessie said.

  "Why didn't you tell me about them?" Travis's voice was harsh.

  "I didn't know if any of you would believe me." Sarah joined her sons at the table. "I didn't know what your reactions would be. I know now, always warn Travis." Sarah smiled and then started laughing again.

  "When I heard that horrible voice calling you, I wasn't going to let them take you. That scared me. I didn't know what it was until I ran out of bullets. I thought ghosts were just scary stories. Any other time and I would have laughed at such a suggestion." Travis's shaking voice filled the cabin.