The Dreamer, Her Angel and the Stars

by Linda S. North

  They had ridden farther than anticipated and were trying to make it home before the rain. A rolling rumble of thunder bowled through the mountains, and the sky was heavy pewter, threatening to spill its collected moisture.

  A few drops of rain fell, dispersed far enough apart that the drops hitting them weren't of too much concern, but Ariel knew this could suddenly become a frog strangler. Ariel knew by the scenery that they were approaching the east side of the mountain where Crestview was located.

  Over the earphones Kiernan said, "Ariel, slow down. I know a shortcut across the mountain." She slowed the bike, and Kiernan continued, "Around the next curve you'll see a post with reflectors on it that marks a road leading up the mountain."

  "Okay. I'll be on the lookout."

  "The road is gravel and narrow, but I keep it maintained, so I don't think you'll have any problems navigating it."

  Ariel geared down to third, slowing the Harley for the curve, and entered the straightway. Seeing the turnoff ahead, she slowed to second gear, smoothly entering the narrow gravel road, which was barely wide enough for a sedan.

  The darkened sky and the canopy of trees on each side of the road made it appear close to twilight. The light sprinkling of rain increased. Ariel figured they were in for a soaking before they could make it to Crestview.

  The road continued upward with a few twists and curves. Ariel was careful not to drive close to the road's edge which overlooked the valley below.

  Kiernan said, "Turn in ahead at that clearing on the left side. There's a cabin where we can stay until the rain passes over."

  At the clearing ahead, Ariel put the bike into first, drove in, and carefully followed a rutted clay driveway. She stopped a few feet from the front porch of a rustic log cabin and turned off the bike. Once Kiernan jumped off the back, she put down the kickstand and slid off the seat.

  Ariel surveyed the cabin's exterior, taking note of the aged, brown, square-hewed logs used in its construction. The porch extended across the front with a set of four wide wooden steps leading up to it. The front of the cabin had a plank door with an old-fashioned, paned glass window on each side.

  "Wow. This looks to be pretty old," Ariel said in awe.

  "It was built sometime right before the Civil War. The exact date isn't known, but we think it was in the late 1850's. Let's go on in. I'll build a fire so we can dry off."

  The front of Ariel's jeans were soaking, but Ariel's body had protected Kiernan from a drenching, and hers were only wet at the bottom where her feet had been on the foot pegs.

  Kiernan hurried up the steps and took her helmet off, setting it on the wood floor by the door. Ariel put her helmet and gloves beside Kiernan's helmet.

  Kiernan lifted the wooden handle that opened the door latch and lightly pushed. A long squeak ensued as the door opened, and Kiernan allowed Ariel to go in before her. The interior was dark and Kiernan went to the windows, opening the heavy, blue plaid curtains to let in some light.

  After Ariel's eyes adjusted to the gloom, she was able to see the generous fireplace at one end. An oval, braided rug done in browns, blues, and greens lay on the wooden floor in front of it. An old straight back chair with a wicker seat sat on one side of the hearth, and an ancient wooden rocking chair on the other. A stack of split wood leaned against the rock face of the hearth, and kindling strips peeked out of a tin bucket . Facing the fireplace was a well-worn sofa with upholstery decorated in brown and rust-colored autumn leaves. A folded forest green wool blanket hung over the back. An end table was located on the left side of the sofa.

  At the fireplace Kiernan reached for a battery-operated LED lamp on the mantel. She clicked it on, and the bright white light pierced the gloom and spilled into the dark corners. "After you remove your clothes, you can hang them on back of the chair. That way the fire will dry them. Use the blanket on the sofa to cover yourself."

  Ariel hung up their jackets and took a seat on the sofa to take off her boots. Kiernan opened the screen to the fireplace, arranged wood and kindling, and reached for a box of matches on the mantel. She knelt and took a thin sliver of wood, lit it, and held it under the grate until the flame caught the wood on fire from the bottom and spread.

  Ariel set her boots aside, leaving on her dry socks. She unfastened her belt bag and placed it on the end table before pulling off her wet jeans and damp, black silk long underwear. She left her black panties on, and her jacket had kept her shirt protected from the rain. She rose and hung the jeans and underwear on the back of the chair. As she pivoted to go to the sofa, she caught Kiernan giving her legs a fast once over before the other woman turned back to the fireplace.

  Kiernan rose, grabbed a poker, and stuck it in the fireplace to move the wood around a bit, then replaced the screen in front. After moving the chair with Ariel's wet clothes closer to the fire, she brushed her hands together.

  Ariel watched discreetly as Kiernan sat in the rocking chair and removed her boots, belt bag, and damp jeans, leaving on her socks, sweater, and cream-colored flannel long-john bottoms. She hung her jeans on the rocker to dry, then swung the rocker around with the back facing the fire, and ambled over to the end table to place her belt bag by Ariel's.

  "Brrrrr--" Kiernan said and hurriedly sat beside Ariel on the sofa. Ariel arranged the blanket to cover them both and drew her feet up on the sofa, as did Kiernan. Their shoulders and legs touched, and they both pulled the blanket up to their chins.

  A clash of thunder heralded an increase in the rain, which made a thrumming sound on the roof.

  Kiernan said, "I don't think this is going to let up anytime soon."

  "I think you're right. Even if it does, it will be dark in an hour, and I wouldn't want to ride the bike on this road, not with a passenger. We might be stuck here overnight."

  "That wouldn't be a problem. There's food in the kitchen, and there's more firewood on the back porch if we need it. This sofa lets out into a bed large enough so we won't crowd each other. There are sheets, pillows, and another blanket or two in the cedar chest under the window on the back wall. We can make up the bed later. "

  Ariel's first thought was she wouldn't mind Kiernan crowding her. "I get the right side of the bed. And no stealing covers."

  "I promise, no cover theft will occur." Kiernan grinned.

  The light of the lantern and the fire were enough for Ariel to make out some details of the cabin's main room. The cedar wall paneling's dark areas made interesting designs in the wood. Against the wall, to the left of a door was an old cedar armoire. Over the fireplace a framed needlepoint of flowers surrounded the words Home, Sweet Home. There were various knick-knacks on the mantel.

  "This place is lovely, and cozy," Ariel said. "Do you stay here a lot?"

  "Occasionally I spend a night out here when I'm in the mood for total peace and quiet and want to hear the breeze in the trees and have a real wood fire."

  The atmosphere was cozy, but the cabin was too isolated for Ariel to want to stay in it by herself. She glanced at Kiernan. "You're not afraid of staying out here by yourself?"

  "No. Security regularly patrols this road and I always keep my IMP with me. Which reminds me, I'll need to call Mrs. Belfort and let her know our plans. She can inform the guards we're using the cabin, so they won't burst in on us. We haven't had any problems with poachers or trespassers in years. It's a well-known fact around these parts that the grounds are patrolled. So it's pretty safe if you ever get in the mood to stay up here."

  "It hardly seems dusty at all."

  "I have someone come out here once a month to dust and check out the chimney for debris and bird nests."

  "What type of wood was used in its construction?"

  "Yellow poplar. The foundation is native rock. The interior was paneled with cedar in the early 1900's. The roof is cedar shingles and recently reroofed. There were McPhersons living in this cabin as late as the 1940's, until a bigger residence was built in the valley. The family moved to Knoxville in the late 1960's,
but always kept the cabin maintained as a family vacation home up until Grandmother purchased the property in 2032."

  "Interesting."

  "The cabin is built on the old Scotch-Irish floor plan. It has this one room we're in, called a pen." She peered overhead, pointing to a loft covering a portion of the ceiling. Ariel saw a ladder leading up to it at one end. "That's the loft where all the McPherson children slept. The parents slept here in the main room."

  "Not much privacy, was there?"

  "No. But privacy was probably a luxury back in those days, only found in a secret hollow or a place down by the creek."

  "I notice there's no electricity."

  "It was never wired for that. And the only running water is from a hand pump to a well on what was the original back porch renovated in the 1920's to make a kitchen and a pantry." She gestured toward the door in the middle of the wall on the other side of the room. "That's the door to the kitchen which has a back door leading to another porch."

  Kiernan left out one important room Ariel would need soon. She grew apprehensive thinking about the alternative. "Bathroom?" She held her breath waiting for the answer.

  Kiernan hesitated, her lips suppressing a smirk. "Well--such as it is."

  "Oh, no, Kiernan, don't tell me it's an outhouse."

  Kiernan delayed her answer for a few seconds. Ariel squirmed while thinking the worst. Finally, Kiernan said, "No. It's right at the end of the back porch, one of those antique flush toilets from the turn of the century. You have to fill the tank to get it to flush. I keep four one-gallon containers of water in there for that purpose. It drains into a septic tank. I keep a supply of sani-wipes in there as well as sani-towelettes. When you're ready to go, I'll take you to it."

  Ariel let her breath out in relief.

  They sat silently for a few minutes, Ariel's attention on the fireplace where she watched the flames lick over the wood. The blaze made crackling and fizzing sounds, as the heat forced out air and moisture. This was the first time she'd seen a wood fire in a real fireplace. The closest she ever came before was the gas fire in the fireplaces at Crestview. The aroma from the burning wood was pleasant, and her imagination formed the uneven flames into interesting shapes of animals and fantastical beings, but she still felt a little on edge.

  "I think I would feel uneasy staying out here by myself, Kiernan. Besides, I'd probably burn the place down trying to build a fire."

  "You mean you were never a Girl Scout?"

  "No. And I've never been camping, or roughed it."

  "You mean to tell me you live next door to the Smoky Mountains and have never been camping? You were deprived."

  "We do go skiing in winter for a day, and in the summer, white water rafting, and day hikes."

  "You haven't lived until you eat canned beef stew warmed in a pot over a campfire--a real gourmet experience."

  "Stew made with real beef?" Ariel had rarely eaten beef before marrying Kiernan. Now beef was on the menu at least once a week, and a few times Ricardo fixed her a real beef hamburger for lunch. She found the taste heartier and richer than the ersatz substitutes.

  "Yep. I order the canned stuff from a cattle ranch in Texas along with the fresh beef. Dennard's Range-fed Steers. They have their own meat processing plant. The cans are the old-fashioned kind and not Pop-hots. You have to heat the contents up in an actual pan. Not as delicious as freshly-cooked beef, but still tasty on a cold, rainy night like this. I'm sure there's a stock in the kitchen, along with other types of food. Let me know when you get hungry."

  "I'm feeling hungry." She paused before adding, "I have to go potty first."

  "Let me call Mrs. Belfort, and then we'll go." Kiernan reached over to the end table to get her IMP from her belt bag while Ariel stood and walked over to retrieve her long underwear. She stroked a hand down the length of them, discovering they were dry and toasty warm as well.

  She moved back to the sofa to put them on, once again seeing Kiernan gaping at her legs before quickly averting her attention to conclude her call. For some reason, knowing Kiernan had been checking her out didn't upset Ariel. She thought that if she were provided the opportunity, she would certainly check out Kiernan's bare legs. She remembered they were nice, as was the rest of her. A brief flush of arousal assailed her, which rapidly transformed into the heat of a blush.

  Kiernan said, "Nature calls, let's go."

  Ariel followed her through the door and into a kitchen dimly lit from windows on each end. An antique wooden table with lion claw feet sat in the center with four chairs around it. A wood-burning cook stove was set against the wall next to a wood cabinet with a sink set into it and a hand pump over the sink. Shelves lined the other wall, filled with cans and cartons of food as well as cooking utensils.

  Kiernan opened the back door to a screened porch. The rain pelted against the sides, and a little water drizzled in near the far end, but other than being cold, the porch was sheltered well. Firewood was neatly stacked at one corner. The other end was a closed off area with a door. Kiernan motioned with her head. "You go first."

  Ariel opened the door into what was essentially a closed in toilet stall, around the size of one in a ladies room at any regular restaurant or store. A small window gave a view out into the gloomy twilight of the surrounding woods. A sudden thought hit her: Well, this is novel. A view while you poo. She laughed.

  When she exited, Kiernan asked, "What was so funny in there?"

  "Nothing."

  "Come on. Tell me." Kiernan made the request sound like a command.

  Ariel considered Kiernan's statement before saying, "What's the magic word?" Kiernan appeared puzzled, and Ariel said expectantly, "Come on. Tell me--?"

  Kiernan rolled her eyes. "Please."

  "A view while you poo."

  Wrinkling her forehead in confusion, Kiernan said, "What?"

  "You'll see what I mean."

  "If you say so." Kiernan entered the bathroom, and a few seconds later Ariel heard a loud laugh.

  IN THE KITCHEN Kiernan surveyed the pantry shelves. She found a flashlight on a shelf and clicked it on, shining the beam over the canned goods and cooking utensils. She picked up a gallon-sized iron pot with a wire handle and handed it to Ariel along with a wooden spoon and salt and pepper shakers. Next, she selected a good-sized can of beef stew. She skimmed her flashlight beam across the other canned goods. "Now for dessert. How about peaches, or do you prefer pears?"

  "Peaches."

  "Peaches it is. I'll grab a couple of cans of soda. We can take this out to the fireplace, and I'll come back for the plates and spoons."

  After setting the items in front of the fireplace, Kiernan knelt in front of the fire, pulled off the lid for the stew, and poured the contents into the iron pot. Using the hooked end of the poker, she pulled out a two-foot long iron rod attached to a swivel from the left upper inside wall of the fireplace and placed the pot handle carefully over the rod. She pushed it with the poker until it hung over the fire. Retrieving the wooden spoon and handing it to Ariel, she instructed, "You watch the stew. Stir it a few times. I'm going to get the plates."

  Kiernan took the lantern from the mantel, walked over to the front door and pushed in the dead bolt. Going over to the windows, she closed the curtains before heading to the kitchen. She locked the back door and retrieved two aluminum camp plates and spoons.

  In the living room, Ariel sat in front of the fire, legs akimbo, stirring the stew.

  Kiernan placed the lantern back on the mantel and plopped down beside Ariel, laying the plates and utensils to one side. "Smells good. Do you think it needs salt and pepper?"

  Ariel spooned up the stew and gingerly took a taste. "I think it does. Here, you taste and see what you think. Be careful, it's hot." She moved the spoon up to Kiernan's mouth.

  Kiernan gingerly took a taste. "Definitely needs salt. Pepper wouldn't hurt either."

  "I agree." Ariel added the necessary ingredients.

  Kiernan watched Ariel stir th
e bubbling stew. She spooned up some, offering it once again to Kiernan. After taking a taste, she said, "I think it's ready.

  Ariel took the poker and removed the pot from the hook, carefully placing it on the stone hearth. Kiernan held the plates and Ariel filled them with stew. Ariel settled back against the couch and crossed her legs, and Kiernan handed her the plate of stew. Kiernan took one of the soda cans and popped the top, feeling the instant chill of the self-frosting can. While they ate, they discussed the many sights they'd seen that day.

  "I must say I thoroughly enjoyed riding on your motorcycle. Thanks for inviting me," Kiernan said.

  Ariel beamed. "I enjoyed taking you. We'll have to do it again."

  "You tell me when. I'm game."

  "We might be able to get one more ride in before cold weather arrives. Soon, I'll have to store my bike for the winter."

  "When do you start riding again--that is, when is the weather warm enough?"

  "Late March, if it's an early spring. That's iffy though. April's hit or miss with some good days, and some rainy and chilly days. May is when you can expect the riding season to begin. Summer in the higher altitudes is nice, but there are a few days that are too hot and humid." Ariel discussed places they would enjoy taking rides to on her motorcycle or in her convertible.

  They finished eating and stared at the fire for a few minutes in companionable silence. Kiernan heard Ariel yawn. She rose and took the cushions off the couch. "Scoot out of the way, and I'll pull out the bed." She went over to the chest and pulled out sheets, blankets, and pillows.

  Ariel rose, and together they made up the bed.

  Kiernan said, "Why don't you get into bed, and I'll turn off the lantern."

  "What about the dishes?"

  "We can wash them in the morning."

  Ariel stood, pulled off her shirt, leaving on her black silk long-sleeve undershirt. Kiernan swiftly averted her eyes, but not before seeing how sexy Ariel appeared in the black, skintight underclothes. She knew it was going to be torture lying next to her and knowing what was beneath those garments.