piercing screech echoed through the mountain. Frightened, she whirled around to see where the sound came from.
Her heart began to race. “Hawk?”
“I’m right here.” His voice seemed to come from all sides. She’d lost her sense of direction and wasn't sure which way to go. Wandering aimlessly, she fought the panic rising to the surface. Each footstep echoed, giving her the feeling of being followed.
She took a deep breath. Unchecked, her imagination would run wild. Chirping crickets and screeching owls were not supernatural beasts with deadly intentions. Just ahead, she saw a light and hurried in the direction of the source.
An eerie glow illuminated a massive boulder. Fear rooted her in place as she stared at the shadow of a large bird moving slowly across the boulder. It’s just a bird, she tried to convince herself.
She willed her body to move but she remained frozen in place. The shadow of a man moved into view, the giant proportion of the specter made larger by the headdress set like a crown upon his head. Chills ran through her.
"Hawk," she squeaked out, although she’d tried to scream.
As the figure turned to a side profile, she saw the arrow extending from his chest. Tokonda. To the few who have seen his spirit, tragedy always follows.
She shrieked and collapsed to the ground.
* * * *
Hawk whirled around to find Gillian huddled on the ground behind him. While indulging his hissy fit he’d forgotten that Ike would be in the shadows, playing out a joke they'd played a hundred times before. He was supposed to be at her side making sure she was all right, not ten feet ahead, behaving like a rejected school boy.
He found her hunched over, coughing and gasping. Her body shook uncontrollably. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and she fought with a strength he hadn't thought possible in her frightened state.
"Gillian," he said.
Like an animal caught in a trap, she clawed at his arms. He locked his fingers around her wrists and held her against his chest, calmly repeating her name until, gradually the fight left her body.
She went limp in his arms. Her golden hair, bathed in moonlight fell in her face. He pushed back a handful of the silken strands and placed a kiss on her temple. “It’s all right,”
"Why did you leave me?” Her choked words were barely audible.
A thousand answers, all of which condemned his juvenile behavior, sprang to mind. Apparently she didn't realize he and Ike had set the whole thing up. Tell her the truth, he mocked himself, but only said, "I was just ahead of you."
"Take me home," she whispered.
He prayed she meant his house and not Butler Square. Using his chest for support, she pushed to her feet. She glanced towards the boulder, illuminated only by the moon. Hawk wanted to explain, but the words died on his lips. He slid his arm across her back and guided her down the mountain.
As the lights of the town came into view, she picked up the pace. She stepped onto the dirt road and dashed to the house as if the devil was chasing her. Or a ghost, he amended.
He entered the house to find her turning on all the lights. Her skin was flushed and her blue eyes wide with fright. She paced back and forth on the wooden floors.
"Are you okay, Gillian?"
"What?” She glanced at him as if she didn't understand the question.
He put his hands on her shoulders and used his thumbs to knead the tension at the base of her neck. "We need to talk."
"I'm fine," she muttered, sounding anything but.
“You should get some rest.”
“I said I’m fine.”
He understood her reluctance to sleep, but he couldn't leave her alone in her present state. Any minute, he felt certain she would pop like the cork on a bottle of French champagne.
"T.V.?" he asked. She shrugged and joined him on the sofa to watch a baseball game.
Hawk took it as an encouraging sign when she curled up next to him. He eased her into his lap and placed a throw pillow under her head. She
Her heart began to race. “Hawk?”
“I’m right here.” His voice seemed to come from all sides. She’d lost her sense of direction and wasn't sure which way to go. Wandering aimlessly, she fought the panic rising to the surface. Each footstep echoed, giving her the feeling of being followed.
She took a deep breath. Unchecked, her imagination would run wild. Chirping crickets and screeching owls were not supernatural beasts with deadly intentions. Just ahead, she saw a light and hurried in the direction of the source.
An eerie glow illuminated a massive boulder. Fear rooted her in place as she stared at the shadow of a large bird moving slowly across the boulder. It’s just a bird, she tried to convince herself.
She willed her body to move but she remained frozen in place. The shadow of a man moved into view, the giant proportion of the specter made larger by the headdress set like a crown upon his head. Chills ran through her.
"Hawk," she squeaked out, although she’d tried to scream.
As the figure turned to a side profile, she saw the arrow extending from his chest. Tokonda. To the few who have seen his spirit, tragedy always follows.
She shrieked and collapsed to the ground.
* * * *
Hawk whirled around to find Gillian huddled on the ground behind him. While indulging his hissy fit he’d forgotten that Ike would be in the shadows, playing out a joke they'd played a hundred times before. He was supposed to be at her side making sure she was all right, not ten feet ahead, behaving like a rejected school boy.
He found her hunched over, coughing and gasping. Her body shook uncontrollably. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and she fought with a strength he hadn't thought possible in her frightened state.
"Gillian," he said.
Like an animal caught in a trap, she clawed at his arms. He locked his fingers around her wrists and held her against his chest, calmly repeating her name until, gradually the fight left her body.
She went limp in his arms. Her golden hair, bathed in moonlight fell in her face. He pushed back a handful of the silken strands and placed a kiss on her temple. “It’s all right,”
"Why did you leave me?” Her choked words were barely audible.
A thousand answers, all of which condemned his juvenile behavior, sprang to mind. Apparently she didn't realize he and Ike had set the whole thing up. Tell her the truth, he mocked himself, but only said, "I was just ahead of you."
"Take me home," she whispered.
He prayed she meant his house and not Butler Square. Using his chest for support, she pushed to her feet. She glanced towards the boulder, illuminated only by the moon. Hawk wanted to explain, but the words died on his lips. He slid his arm across her back and guided her down the mountain.
As the lights of the town came into view, she picked up the pace. She stepped onto the dirt road and dashed to the house as if the devil was chasing her. Or a ghost, he amended.
He entered the house to find her turning on all the lights. Her skin was flushed and her blue eyes wide with fright. She paced back and forth on the wooden floors.
"Are you okay, Gillian?"
"What?” She glanced at him as if she didn't understand the question.
He put his hands on her shoulders and used his thumbs to knead the tension at the base of her neck. "We need to talk."
"I'm fine," she muttered, sounding anything but.
“You should get some rest.”
“I said I’m fine.”
He understood her reluctance to sleep, but he couldn't leave her alone in her present state. Any minute, he felt certain she would pop like the cork on a bottle of French champagne.
"T.V.?" he asked. She shrugged and joined him on the sofa to watch a baseball game.
Hawk took it as an encouraging sign when she curled up next to him. He eased her into his lap and placed a throw pillow under her head. She
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