Read Online Trail of Hope (Tales of the Scrimshaw Doll) by Heidi Vanlandingham - Free Book Online
Authors: Heidi Vanlandingham
Tags: multicultural
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seeing people in the icy water. Sophia’s heart fell when one of the objects turned and she could see the child’s beautiful, scared face as it came into view.
“Oh no!” she gasped. “Clay, there are people in the water!” Using the motion of the ship, her adrenalin propelled her forward. With no thoughts to her own safety, she dropped over the ship’s side and into the freezing water.
The water crashed over her like an arctic blast, stinging her skin and sucking the small reserve of oxygen from her lungs. Struggling for air, she thrashed her way up through the river’s strong pull from the ship’s forward movement. With one last, hard kick, she broke through to the surface and pulled in as much air as she could while her legs pumped furiously to keep her out of a watery grave.
A shrill cry pierced her ears. Turning her head in the direction of the sound, she swam with a few frenzied strokes toward the two heads she could see. Her limbs quickly succumbed to the ice-cold temperatures, but she knew she had to reach them before the elderly woman and child sank beneath the water. Her hand brushed against the woman’s dress, the water-soaked material swishing like silk over her skin. She stopped swimming and furiously pedaled her feet in the water like she’d learned to do as a child. The woman looked ancient, her face scrunched into a mass of wrinkles. Glazed obsidian eyes speared her own, their silent message clearly understood.
Sophia had only been in the water a few minutes, but she was already exhausted. She reached forward, trying to grab hold of them both, but the woman shoved the child in her direction and Sophia’s arm automatically wrapped around the wriggling body. As tiny hands grabbed hold of her neck, the old woman sank beneath the frigid water. The child crawled up her body, holding onto her neck with a death grip. She cradled the little one with one arm while her other pulled back and forth through the water, struggling to keep them afloat.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the boat as the giant vessel slowly cut through the water. She was running out of time. She scissored her tired legs and thrust out with her one free arm—and then something hit her in the back and snaked around her waist.
Relief washed through her when Clay’s voice shouted in her ear, “Just hold onto the boy—I’ll do the swimming!”
She tightened her grip around the frightened child and held him as tightly as she could with her numb arms. “Th-th-thank y-you!” she yelled, grateful Clay had shown up when he had. Shaking violently, her teeth chattering, she fought the thick darkness clouding her vision.
Through half-closed eyes, she tried to focus on the painted planks as someone pulled her over the side of the boat and into Martin’s outstretched arms. She couldn’t feel her body anymore, and her mind wouldn’t work. She whimpered as several of the women rubbed her arms and legs with old blankets, making her skin feel as if they were peeling it from her bones. Clay’s anxious face appeared above hers. Without saying a word, he pulled her up into his tight embrace and warmed her lips with a kiss. She was amazed at the gentleness of his kiss compared to his vise-like grip around her body. Too bad she couldn’t feel her lips to enjoy it, she thought, just before she slipped into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Eleven
Clay’s arms wrapped around her sodden form, holding onto her as firmly as he could without hurting her. As soon as she was pulled back into the safety of the boat, several women wrapped her in blankets. He pulled her into his embrace, and the child crawled into her lap and promptly fell asleep. They’d wrapped blankets around him, as well. Too bad his wet clothes kept a layer of cold next to his skin. The blankets wouldn’t do much if they kept wet clothes on.
A hard shudder tore through him when he realized how close she’d come to dying. Somehow, during the last month, she’d wormed her way
“Oh no!” she gasped. “Clay, there are people in the water!” Using the motion of the ship, her adrenalin propelled her forward. With no thoughts to her own safety, she dropped over the ship’s side and into the freezing water.
The water crashed over her like an arctic blast, stinging her skin and sucking the small reserve of oxygen from her lungs. Struggling for air, she thrashed her way up through the river’s strong pull from the ship’s forward movement. With one last, hard kick, she broke through to the surface and pulled in as much air as she could while her legs pumped furiously to keep her out of a watery grave.
A shrill cry pierced her ears. Turning her head in the direction of the sound, she swam with a few frenzied strokes toward the two heads she could see. Her limbs quickly succumbed to the ice-cold temperatures, but she knew she had to reach them before the elderly woman and child sank beneath the water. Her hand brushed against the woman’s dress, the water-soaked material swishing like silk over her skin. She stopped swimming and furiously pedaled her feet in the water like she’d learned to do as a child. The woman looked ancient, her face scrunched into a mass of wrinkles. Glazed obsidian eyes speared her own, their silent message clearly understood.
Sophia had only been in the water a few minutes, but she was already exhausted. She reached forward, trying to grab hold of them both, but the woman shoved the child in her direction and Sophia’s arm automatically wrapped around the wriggling body. As tiny hands grabbed hold of her neck, the old woman sank beneath the frigid water. The child crawled up her body, holding onto her neck with a death grip. She cradled the little one with one arm while her other pulled back and forth through the water, struggling to keep them afloat.
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the boat as the giant vessel slowly cut through the water. She was running out of time. She scissored her tired legs and thrust out with her one free arm—and then something hit her in the back and snaked around her waist.
Relief washed through her when Clay’s voice shouted in her ear, “Just hold onto the boy—I’ll do the swimming!”
She tightened her grip around the frightened child and held him as tightly as she could with her numb arms. “Th-th-thank y-you!” she yelled, grateful Clay had shown up when he had. Shaking violently, her teeth chattering, she fought the thick darkness clouding her vision.
Through half-closed eyes, she tried to focus on the painted planks as someone pulled her over the side of the boat and into Martin’s outstretched arms. She couldn’t feel her body anymore, and her mind wouldn’t work. She whimpered as several of the women rubbed her arms and legs with old blankets, making her skin feel as if they were peeling it from her bones. Clay’s anxious face appeared above hers. Without saying a word, he pulled her up into his tight embrace and warmed her lips with a kiss. She was amazed at the gentleness of his kiss compared to his vise-like grip around her body. Too bad she couldn’t feel her lips to enjoy it, she thought, just before she slipped into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Eleven
Clay’s arms wrapped around her sodden form, holding onto her as firmly as he could without hurting her. As soon as she was pulled back into the safety of the boat, several women wrapped her in blankets. He pulled her into his embrace, and the child crawled into her lap and promptly fell asleep. They’d wrapped blankets around him, as well. Too bad his wet clothes kept a layer of cold next to his skin. The blankets wouldn’t do much if they kept wet clothes on.
A hard shudder tore through him when he realized how close she’d come to dying. Somehow, during the last month, she’d wormed her way
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