drurie
03-29-2007, 10:52 PM
The little girl stood silently, watching them go.
She had no fear, she had been left many times before, but usually in the wagon at night. But it was still sunny, the breeze was warm on her dirty skin and they had fed her this time so, she stood there and silently watched them leave.
They would be back, they always came back, so she sat down on the ground to wait.
She first played wi the dirt, piling it up into little mounds then flattening them wi her little hands. She made some of the tiny stones and some of just the dirt, she tried to make some wi the short grasses but the breeze took them all away so she just settled for the stone and dirt ones.
Tiring of this she stood up and looked around. She looked the way that they had left but there was no sign of them so she looked back the way they had come. The long wagon trail seemed to go on forever in both directions and she thought that it probably did.
Off the trail she could see very little for the long prairie grasses were almost head high. They were swaying gently in the breeze and this she thought was very pretty.
There were tall trees in the distance and she wondered if monkeys lived in them, but then she remembered when she had asked her father if they did, he had called her a stupid little fool and slapped her then told her not to ask anymore stupid questions. So she hadn't, but she secretly thought that maybe her father HAD been wrong and monkeys really DID live in the trees and maybe someday they would come and take her away to live wi them. At least she hoped they would, for she had been lonely since her brother had gone away when they had once again packed up their meager belongings and moved away from the noisy town.
They had fallen asleep in the back of the wagon wi the gentle rocking motion. When she had awakened he had been gone and when she asked her mother, her eyes had watered up and she silently shook her head in that way that the little girl knew not to ask anymore questions. So she hadn't. But for a long time she had watched out the back of the wagon for him, peering into the grass along the side of the road in case he had been hiding from her, and watching down the long road behind them as they slowly made their way westward. But she had never seen him and so in time had given up.
She again looked up and down the road and seen nothing but the endless prairie grasses swaying in the gentle breeze.
She was growing tired and hungry now and worry was beginning to slowly ebb into her consciousness. She had become bored wi her childlike make-believe games and started to wonder if her parents were really coming back after all.
The sky overhead was becoming darker as the sun started it's journey to the other side of tomorrow as she had been told by her Nana before they had left their house for the last time. Long shadows made everything seem scary and she felt now for the first time that she was being watched.
They had been hearing wolves a few days ago and her father had on several occasions when she was bad, threatened to throw her to them so she hoped that they were not about.
Thirst was now bothering her and this was too much. She sat down on the trail and quietly began to cry. She wanted desperately for her mother to come back, and even her father for despite their mistreatment and neglect of her, she still felt safe wi them.
Thunder rumbled off in the distance and the breeze was becoming more of a wind.
She knew instinctively now that they were not coming back and this sudden revelation made her cry that much harder.
Crying uncontrollably now she did not here the soft footsteps that were approaching her.
Soft moccasin soled feet that made little sound anyways.
Feet that belonged to the nameless fear of earlier that belonged to the indian who had been watching her all afternoon, had been following her and her family for several days now. That had made the howls of the wolf in the night. Who had sent his fellow men to follow her parents after they had abandoned her wi orders to take all they possessed and leave them alone to fend for themselves.
Walking up behind her, he gently took the small sobbing form into his arms and held her to his chest.
She looked up in bewilderment and fear but too young to react other then to cry. Unaccustomed to being held in this manner his gentleness calmed her and soon the exhausted child fell asleep in the warriors arms.
Then as quickly as he appeared they were gone, leaving the wagon trail lonely and empty... as it should have been all along.
She had no fear, she had been left many times before, but usually in the wagon at night. But it was still sunny, the breeze was warm on her dirty skin and they had fed her this time so, she stood there and silently watched them leave.
They would be back, they always came back, so she sat down on the ground to wait.
She first played wi the dirt, piling it up into little mounds then flattening them wi her little hands. She made some of the tiny stones and some of just the dirt, she tried to make some wi the short grasses but the breeze took them all away so she just settled for the stone and dirt ones.
Tiring of this she stood up and looked around. She looked the way that they had left but there was no sign of them so she looked back the way they had come. The long wagon trail seemed to go on forever in both directions and she thought that it probably did.
Off the trail she could see very little for the long prairie grasses were almost head high. They were swaying gently in the breeze and this she thought was very pretty.
There were tall trees in the distance and she wondered if monkeys lived in them, but then she remembered when she had asked her father if they did, he had called her a stupid little fool and slapped her then told her not to ask anymore stupid questions. So she hadn't, but she secretly thought that maybe her father HAD been wrong and monkeys really DID live in the trees and maybe someday they would come and take her away to live wi them. At least she hoped they would, for she had been lonely since her brother had gone away when they had once again packed up their meager belongings and moved away from the noisy town.
They had fallen asleep in the back of the wagon wi the gentle rocking motion. When she had awakened he had been gone and when she asked her mother, her eyes had watered up and she silently shook her head in that way that the little girl knew not to ask anymore questions. So she hadn't. But for a long time she had watched out the back of the wagon for him, peering into the grass along the side of the road in case he had been hiding from her, and watching down the long road behind them as they slowly made their way westward. But she had never seen him and so in time had given up.
She again looked up and down the road and seen nothing but the endless prairie grasses swaying in the gentle breeze.
She was growing tired and hungry now and worry was beginning to slowly ebb into her consciousness. She had become bored wi her childlike make-believe games and started to wonder if her parents were really coming back after all.
The sky overhead was becoming darker as the sun started it's journey to the other side of tomorrow as she had been told by her Nana before they had left their house for the last time. Long shadows made everything seem scary and she felt now for the first time that she was being watched.
They had been hearing wolves a few days ago and her father had on several occasions when she was bad, threatened to throw her to them so she hoped that they were not about.
Thirst was now bothering her and this was too much. She sat down on the trail and quietly began to cry. She wanted desperately for her mother to come back, and even her father for despite their mistreatment and neglect of her, she still felt safe wi them.
Thunder rumbled off in the distance and the breeze was becoming more of a wind.
She knew instinctively now that they were not coming back and this sudden revelation made her cry that much harder.
Crying uncontrollably now she did not here the soft footsteps that were approaching her.
Soft moccasin soled feet that made little sound anyways.
Feet that belonged to the nameless fear of earlier that belonged to the indian who had been watching her all afternoon, had been following her and her family for several days now. That had made the howls of the wolf in the night. Who had sent his fellow men to follow her parents after they had abandoned her wi orders to take all they possessed and leave them alone to fend for themselves.
Walking up behind her, he gently took the small sobbing form into his arms and held her to his chest.
She looked up in bewilderment and fear but too young to react other then to cry. Unaccustomed to being held in this manner his gentleness calmed her and soon the exhausted child fell asleep in the warriors arms.
Then as quickly as he appeared they were gone, leaving the wagon trail lonely and empty... as it should have been all along.