known, but now was not the time to give into this particular feeling. “What do we do? How can we save ourselves?”
“You can pray.”
Amelia, being younger and easily agitated began to cry. “I can’t believe this. We were supposed to be protected. That thing was supposed to go to town. We’re not the bait!” She paced back and forth holding the lantern. “Why is this happening?”
“That creature is madness,” said Micah. He wiped his brow on his arm, smearing blood onto the sleeve of the shirt. “It’s rabid, to be sure, but I’ve never seen anything so utterly mad. I’ll never get the look of those wild, demon eyes out of my mind for as long as I live.”
“Did you shoot it?”
“Yes. Deer Runner did too, but … it kept attacking.”
I had to remain calm, but my heart thundered almost painfully in my chest. “Where’s Deer Runner now? Did he escape?”
“No.”
“Where’s Lucy?” I already knew the answer to this question, but I needed to know for certain.
“She’s … dead,” he whispered miserably.
Amelia had fallen to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees, while rocking back and forth. “We’re going to die in this dark hole. I can’t believe it. I’ll never see Lucy again. I’ll never see pa or Tom again. Oh, Lord help us. Save us, if you can. I ask you, no, I beg you to help us.”
“We’re going to be fine, Amelia. It’s going to be fine.” But I had lied, because I doubted those words. I gazed at Micah, who dabbed his head with the end of his shirt. “It might not be able to open the door. It’s a small handle. A creature that size doesn’t have the fingers for it.”
“Perhaps.”
He seemed traumatized, his eyes staring at nothing in particular, his fingers trembling around the weapon. I inched closer to him. “Are you all right? Are you wounded badly?” Had he been knocked in the head? “Are you dizzy?”
“I went up to see what happened. I found Lucy in a bedroom. The bear climbed one of your trees and entered through a window. There’s glass everywhere. I … ” he closed his eyes, “found Deer Runner shortly after. He had fired at it, but it hadn’t stopped it.”
“Poor Lucy,” I uttered, feeling the need to cry, but now wasn’t the time. “How did you escape?”
“I was lucky. I can’t even say it was skill. I happened to be on the right end of the hallway. I shot at the thing, several times. I thought it would go down, but it didn’t. It possessed some sort of unnatural power, Saffron. It did not behave the way most bears do. I know some enter homes to find food, but this one was bent on killing.”
An enormous thud occurred above us. I glanced up. “Oh, gracious be! Here it comes.” I waited for the door in the ceiling to open, holding my breath, but nothing occurred.
Micah struggled to his feet, grasping at the ladder and moving it away. “If it wants us, it’ll have to fall in.” He stared at the ceiling, waiting for something to happen.
“Maybe it finally died,” said Amelia dully. “You said you shot it. Maybe it passed on.” She muttered, “My prayers might indeed be answered.”
“I don’t want to find out right now.” I took a step back, glancing around the dusty room. Shelves stood against the walls filled with things pa did not want to give away, but they weren’t needed in the house. “I’m waiting.” I sat on the dirt floor, heedless of anything other than the steady beating of my heart, as waves of anxiety crashed over me. “I can’t believe they’re gone.” Tears threatened again. The strength it took to keep them at bay had weakened me.
Micah approached, kneeling. “You can cry, Saffron. You’ve been very brave. You’ve every right to mourn. I might join you.” His arm went around my back. “What a hellish night. I hope those fools in town are happy now. While they made such a show of baiting the bear, it wandered freely, attacking innocent people.”
“You were right. You said it
“You can pray.”
Amelia, being younger and easily agitated began to cry. “I can’t believe this. We were supposed to be protected. That thing was supposed to go to town. We’re not the bait!” She paced back and forth holding the lantern. “Why is this happening?”
“That creature is madness,” said Micah. He wiped his brow on his arm, smearing blood onto the sleeve of the shirt. “It’s rabid, to be sure, but I’ve never seen anything so utterly mad. I’ll never get the look of those wild, demon eyes out of my mind for as long as I live.”
“Did you shoot it?”
“Yes. Deer Runner did too, but … it kept attacking.”
I had to remain calm, but my heart thundered almost painfully in my chest. “Where’s Deer Runner now? Did he escape?”
“No.”
“Where’s Lucy?” I already knew the answer to this question, but I needed to know for certain.
“She’s … dead,” he whispered miserably.
Amelia had fallen to the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees, while rocking back and forth. “We’re going to die in this dark hole. I can’t believe it. I’ll never see Lucy again. I’ll never see pa or Tom again. Oh, Lord help us. Save us, if you can. I ask you, no, I beg you to help us.”
“We’re going to be fine, Amelia. It’s going to be fine.” But I had lied, because I doubted those words. I gazed at Micah, who dabbed his head with the end of his shirt. “It might not be able to open the door. It’s a small handle. A creature that size doesn’t have the fingers for it.”
“Perhaps.”
He seemed traumatized, his eyes staring at nothing in particular, his fingers trembling around the weapon. I inched closer to him. “Are you all right? Are you wounded badly?” Had he been knocked in the head? “Are you dizzy?”
“I went up to see what happened. I found Lucy in a bedroom. The bear climbed one of your trees and entered through a window. There’s glass everywhere. I … ” he closed his eyes, “found Deer Runner shortly after. He had fired at it, but it hadn’t stopped it.”
“Poor Lucy,” I uttered, feeling the need to cry, but now wasn’t the time. “How did you escape?”
“I was lucky. I can’t even say it was skill. I happened to be on the right end of the hallway. I shot at the thing, several times. I thought it would go down, but it didn’t. It possessed some sort of unnatural power, Saffron. It did not behave the way most bears do. I know some enter homes to find food, but this one was bent on killing.”
An enormous thud occurred above us. I glanced up. “Oh, gracious be! Here it comes.” I waited for the door in the ceiling to open, holding my breath, but nothing occurred.
Micah struggled to his feet, grasping at the ladder and moving it away. “If it wants us, it’ll have to fall in.” He stared at the ceiling, waiting for something to happen.
“Maybe it finally died,” said Amelia dully. “You said you shot it. Maybe it passed on.” She muttered, “My prayers might indeed be answered.”
“I don’t want to find out right now.” I took a step back, glancing around the dusty room. Shelves stood against the walls filled with things pa did not want to give away, but they weren’t needed in the house. “I’m waiting.” I sat on the dirt floor, heedless of anything other than the steady beating of my heart, as waves of anxiety crashed over me. “I can’t believe they’re gone.” Tears threatened again. The strength it took to keep them at bay had weakened me.
Micah approached, kneeling. “You can cry, Saffron. You’ve been very brave. You’ve every right to mourn. I might join you.” His arm went around my back. “What a hellish night. I hope those fools in town are happy now. While they made such a show of baiting the bear, it wandered freely, attacking innocent people.”
“You were right. You said it
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