Chapter 20
Koda awoke to the sound of a click in front of his face.
The hell was that?
Slowly opening his eyes, the morning sun blaring painfully into them he barely could see a gun barrel of a pistol pointing to the center of his forehead.
“Whoa!”
He was awake now, staring cross eyed at the gun barrel.
“Make one move and I’ll send one through your leg; keep you from movin’.”
The gun was being held by a rather small but definitely strong young man with short and thick messy black hair, and wearing nothing but his sleeping shorts.
“Ok, I know this looks weird havin’ some strange dude sleepin’ in your living room but your sister let me in,” he said without taking his eyes off the gun.
“Why would she do that? I know everyone she knows and she doesn’t invite strange guys in the house.”
“Well, then why am I sleeping in here then?”
The apparent older brother of BJ thought for a moment and took the gun away from Koda’s face.
“BJ!” he yelled without taking his eyes off him.
BJ was sound asleep in the middle of a dream; she was outside with the horses when a shadowy figure with a wolf skin draped over its shoulder came towards her. With red eyes and a voice that was deep and gravely but still very human. It whispered a warning…
I will bring danger but I am not the danger…
“BJ!” another voice but it was far away.
Her dream self tried to ask what the figure meant but it disappeared.
“BJ!” the voice closer now, it sounded like her brother was calling her from the distance.
She awoke startled, not sure where she was at.
“BJ!” she jumped at the abrupt sound of her brother shouting her name and he didn’t sound pleased.
“Bobbie Jo, get in here NOW!!”
She hated being called by her full name, she crawled out of bed but her neck and chest were sore like she just fell down the stairs.
“I’m coming!” she yelled back.
It was painful to breathe and she felt scabs on her neck. Her memory was a bit foggy as to what happened but she knew what Cayden was upset over.
She entered the living to see Cayden in his sleep shorts holding a pistol and Koda laying on their sofa bed looking very nervous like he just woke up to see a gun in his face…which he probably did.
“Cayden, it’s alright, his name is Koda and I got attacked by some animal last night and he happened to be driving by and heard screaming.” She told the rest of the story quickly, leaving a few details out that she knew would cause Cayden ask more questions that she didn’t have the answers to…or even want to know the answers.
Cayden knew his sister was telling the truth, from the looks of the wounds on her neck and looking like it hurt to breathe; it must have been a coyote.
“So you were just traveling by?”
“Yeah, nowhere special,” Koda replied.
They were all sat at the kitchen table, Cayden had asked Koda if wanted coffee but since Koda was still basically a kid…he never had coffee and didn’t want to try it. “Naw, got any juice?”
Cayden looked at him quizzically. “Uh yeah, some apple juice is that alright?”
“Good enough.”
“Where you from?” Cayden asked while pouring the juice.
“Big Spring in Texas.”
“Our dad knew someone from there, a long time ago though but we never met him.”
Cayden looked at his sister as she sat down next to him, noticing the puncture marks around her neck. “What happened to your neck?” he asked gently touching the wounds.
“It was the coyote, it jumped on me from behind and I landed on my chest. Then it bit me on the neck but Koda just showed out of nowhere and somehow killed it.”
He looked at Koda amazed, “how’d you do that?”
Koda looked down at his juice not sure how to tell them since it wasn’t a coyote he killed.
“Uh, I just…grabbed its neck and threw it down and then…um, just broke its neck.” He said shrugging.
“That’s some good huntin’ skill there man,” Cayden replied with a smile. “Could use you during one of my hunts, the guns always spook the deer.”
“Ha, yeah…” Koda forced a laugh.
“Hello,” the familiar Irish accent came into the kitchen, from a girl that had her eyes on Koda once again.
Koda gave her a small smile and a little wave.
“Uh, our cousin Raelin,” Cayden said rolling his eyes.
“Already met, just didn’t get the name.”
BJ told Koda the story about how they ended up with Raelin. It turned out that he had a few things in common with her which made him feel less…alone in a sense.
“I prefer Rae,” she said.
“Raelin,” BJ said in her full name just to annoy her. Rae looked at her darkly.
“Why don’t go and let the horses out for the day? Since you did say you would help out around here.”
“Is fuath liom an teach, Tá mé níos fearr as ar scoil chónaithe i mBaile Átha Cliath,” Rae said walking away shaking her head.
Koda frowned, “The hell did she just say?” he’d never heard that language before.
“Somethin’ Irish I think, she does it all the time and I hate it since I don’t get what she says,” Cayden replied.
“Asal balbh!” Rae yelled again as she stepped outside.
“So you guys are Irish or somethin’?” Koda asked looking at BJ. He noticed her eyes were a deep green and they almost shimmered in the sunlight.
“Half Irish, our mom is from Ireland and our dad was Indian, a Navajo.” BJ said catching Koda looking at her and he quickly glanced away.
He noticed that BJ said ‘is’ for their mother and ‘was’ for their dad. “Where are they now? Your parents,” he asked.
“Our mom went back to Ireland a few years ago and we don’t know what happened to our dad, he disappeared when we were pretty young. Don’t even remember him much except that he left a note saying he was staying in Texas and he was unable to raise us for some unknown reason.”
Koda suddenly felt saddened by the thought of his now dead family that he once resented so much. BJ and Cayden were in a similar situation but at least they had each other. He had no one.
“Where’s your family?” Cayden said as if reading his thoughts.
“Um, they’re…uh, dead. They died a while ago, my brother and my mom.”
“Oh sorry man, sounds tough losing them like that.”
“Yeah,” he answered looking away.
They were silent for a while and Koda was starting to feel awkward. He began to get up when BJ spoke, “If you don’t have anywhere to go you can stay here,” she offered.
He wasn’t sure what to say. He looked at Cayden for his reaction.
Cayden shifted his eyes, contemplating a decision.
“Yeah you can stay, it would be nice to have another guy in the house,” Cayden said looking at BJ teasingly.
“Oh shut up.”
He spent the rest of the day roaming the small ranch. It was very different from Big Spring; small mountains, the air was crisp and not dusty. He found himself perched on the fence watching the horses graze on the pasture. He had never ridden a horse which was odd since his tribe was once famous for being skilled horsemen.
Thinking about what could happen to him if he stayed with Cayden and BJ. It was a nice place but they had no clue who he really was. He worried if something would happen they’d find out and call the police on him or worse…Cayden would shoot him. He already came close to it this morning.
“You know Iah…I could really use you right now,” he thought outloud.
Then a scream of help tore through the air and it sounded young…and Irish.
Koda awoke to the sound of a click in front of his face.
The hell was that?
Slowly opening his eyes, the morning sun blaring painfully into them he barely could see a gun barrel of a pistol pointing to the center of his forehead.
“Whoa!”
He was awake now, staring cross eyed at the gun barrel.
“Make one move and I’ll send one through your leg; keep you from movin’.”
The gun was being held by a rather small but definitely strong young man with short and thick messy black hair, and wearing nothing but his sleeping shorts.
“Ok, I know this looks weird havin’ some strange dude sleepin’ in your living room but your sister let me in,” he said without taking his eyes off the gun.
“Why would she do that? I know everyone she knows and she doesn’t invite strange guys in the house.”
“Well, then why am I sleeping in here then?”
The apparent older brother of BJ thought for a moment and took the gun away from Koda’s face.
“BJ!” he yelled without taking his eyes off him.
BJ was sound asleep in the middle of a dream; she was outside with the horses when a shadowy figure with a wolf skin draped over its shoulder came towards her. With red eyes and a voice that was deep and gravely but still very human. It whispered a warning…
I will bring danger but I am not the danger…
“BJ!” another voice but it was far away.
Her dream self tried to ask what the figure meant but it disappeared.
“BJ!” the voice closer now, it sounded like her brother was calling her from the distance.
She awoke startled, not sure where she was at.
“BJ!” she jumped at the abrupt sound of her brother shouting her name and he didn’t sound pleased.
“Bobbie Jo, get in here NOW!!”
She hated being called by her full name, she crawled out of bed but her neck and chest were sore like she just fell down the stairs.
“I’m coming!” she yelled back.
It was painful to breathe and she felt scabs on her neck. Her memory was a bit foggy as to what happened but she knew what Cayden was upset over.
She entered the living to see Cayden in his sleep shorts holding a pistol and Koda laying on their sofa bed looking very nervous like he just woke up to see a gun in his face…which he probably did.
“Cayden, it’s alright, his name is Koda and I got attacked by some animal last night and he happened to be driving by and heard screaming.” She told the rest of the story quickly, leaving a few details out that she knew would cause Cayden ask more questions that she didn’t have the answers to…or even want to know the answers.
Cayden knew his sister was telling the truth, from the looks of the wounds on her neck and looking like it hurt to breathe; it must have been a coyote.
“So you were just traveling by?”
“Yeah, nowhere special,” Koda replied.
They were all sat at the kitchen table, Cayden had asked Koda if wanted coffee but since Koda was still basically a kid…he never had coffee and didn’t want to try it. “Naw, got any juice?”
Cayden looked at him quizzically. “Uh yeah, some apple juice is that alright?”
“Good enough.”
“Where you from?” Cayden asked while pouring the juice.
“Big Spring in Texas.”
“Our dad knew someone from there, a long time ago though but we never met him.”
Cayden looked at his sister as she sat down next to him, noticing the puncture marks around her neck. “What happened to your neck?” he asked gently touching the wounds.
“It was the coyote, it jumped on me from behind and I landed on my chest. Then it bit me on the neck but Koda just showed out of nowhere and somehow killed it.”
He looked at Koda amazed, “how’d you do that?”
Koda looked down at his juice not sure how to tell them since it wasn’t a coyote he killed.
“Uh, I just…grabbed its neck and threw it down and then…um, just broke its neck.” He said shrugging.
“That’s some good huntin’ skill there man,” Cayden replied with a smile. “Could use you during one of my hunts, the guns always spook the deer.”
“Ha, yeah…” Koda forced a laugh.
“Hello,” the familiar Irish accent came into the kitchen, from a girl that had her eyes on Koda once again.
Koda gave her a small smile and a little wave.
“Uh, our cousin Raelin,” Cayden said rolling his eyes.
“Already met, just didn’t get the name.”
BJ told Koda the story about how they ended up with Raelin. It turned out that he had a few things in common with her which made him feel less…alone in a sense.
“I prefer Rae,” she said.
“Raelin,” BJ said in her full name just to annoy her. Rae looked at her darkly.
“Why don’t go and let the horses out for the day? Since you did say you would help out around here.”
“Is fuath liom an teach, Tá mé níos fearr as ar scoil chónaithe i mBaile Átha Cliath,” Rae said walking away shaking her head.
Koda frowned, “The hell did she just say?” he’d never heard that language before.
“Somethin’ Irish I think, she does it all the time and I hate it since I don’t get what she says,” Cayden replied.
“Asal balbh!” Rae yelled again as she stepped outside.
“So you guys are Irish or somethin’?” Koda asked looking at BJ. He noticed her eyes were a deep green and they almost shimmered in the sunlight.
“Half Irish, our mom is from Ireland and our dad was Indian, a Navajo.” BJ said catching Koda looking at her and he quickly glanced away.
He noticed that BJ said ‘is’ for their mother and ‘was’ for their dad. “Where are they now? Your parents,” he asked.
“Our mom went back to Ireland a few years ago and we don’t know what happened to our dad, he disappeared when we were pretty young. Don’t even remember him much except that he left a note saying he was staying in Texas and he was unable to raise us for some unknown reason.”
Koda suddenly felt saddened by the thought of his now dead family that he once resented so much. BJ and Cayden were in a similar situation but at least they had each other. He had no one.
“Where’s your family?” Cayden said as if reading his thoughts.
“Um, they’re…uh, dead. They died a while ago, my brother and my mom.”
“Oh sorry man, sounds tough losing them like that.”
“Yeah,” he answered looking away.
They were silent for a while and Koda was starting to feel awkward. He began to get up when BJ spoke, “If you don’t have anywhere to go you can stay here,” she offered.
He wasn’t sure what to say. He looked at Cayden for his reaction.
Cayden shifted his eyes, contemplating a decision.
“Yeah you can stay, it would be nice to have another guy in the house,” Cayden said looking at BJ teasingly.
“Oh shut up.”
He spent the rest of the day roaming the small ranch. It was very different from Big Spring; small mountains, the air was crisp and not dusty. He found himself perched on the fence watching the horses graze on the pasture. He had never ridden a horse which was odd since his tribe was once famous for being skilled horsemen.
Thinking about what could happen to him if he stayed with Cayden and BJ. It was a nice place but they had no clue who he really was. He worried if something would happen they’d find out and call the police on him or worse…Cayden would shoot him. He already came close to it this morning.
“You know Iah…I could really use you right now,” he thought outloud.
Then a scream of help tore through the air and it sounded young…and Irish.
"Good by danny," I said kissing him on the cheek one last time."we may not see each other again but I will remember you." for the past week danny and i have been dating on a crusie. (sorry spelling? my mind is not working today.)We both knew the day would come when we would not be able to see each other. Now it had come. I hugged him and walked down the gang plank.
4 months later
I went to the camp I had worked at for two years now. It was all so familar when I bummed into my best friend Max. He reminded me off Danny. But when ever I saw danny he reminded me of him. Was it max who I really liked and not danny? There's only one way to find out "max?" I said to him "What?" he said. "Da ya think we could..... like go to a movie or somthing?" "sure!" he said. And we had a great time.
4 months later
I went to the camp I had worked at for two years now. It was all so familar when I bummed into my best friend Max. He reminded me off Danny. But when ever I saw danny he reminded me of him. Was it max who I really liked and not danny? There's only one way to find out "max?" I said to him "What?" he said. "Da ya think we could..... like go to a movie or somthing?" "sure!" he said. And we had a great time.
I needed more, more! I threw the book across the dimly lit, wooden attic. The book hit a stack of old newspapers. I tore open yet another book. Nothing would give me my answers.
Why did I feel the need to care for Lucy? Why could I not get Alexander out of my head?
There were pages, and pages of the thought process, but nothing to explain what I felt! Why could no one manage to capture these feelings, and explain them?
A knock on the door interrupted me. “What?” I snapped.
“It is past midnight, Damien. Come to bed,” said Grey through the door.
“I’ll come when I want to. Now, go away!” Could she not understand I was confused, and angry? She possessed such naivety.
“Fine!” Grey yelled. I heard her storm down the steps. Then I heard her bedroom door slam. I let out a puff of air.
Then I threw another book against the wall. I kicked the whole stack of books, and watched as they toppled over. I threw myself onto the floor, and began crying.
Why did I feel the need to care for Lucy? Why could I not get Alexander out of my head?
There were pages, and pages of the thought process, but nothing to explain what I felt! Why could no one manage to capture these feelings, and explain them?
A knock on the door interrupted me. “What?” I snapped.
“It is past midnight, Damien. Come to bed,” said Grey through the door.
“I’ll come when I want to. Now, go away!” Could she not understand I was confused, and angry? She possessed such naivety.
“Fine!” Grey yelled. I heard her storm down the steps. Then I heard her bedroom door slam. I let out a puff of air.
Then I threw another book against the wall. I kicked the whole stack of books, and watched as they toppled over. I threw myself onto the floor, and began crying.