A Chance Affair

"You be careful dear. Please call me daily, so that I know you are fine. I will pray for your safe and quick return."

"Thank you Del."

*******************

A small but very bright beam of light shines through one corner of the cavern. In the darkness, Jordan notices it right away and crawls toward it. She ascertains that it is the sun shining through possibly some kind of rabbit hole. The tall dirty emaciated figure begins to claw at the loose dirt. She doesn't care about the rocks that fall and hit her. She has finally found something to give her hope. She continues to remove the dirt until she collapses in exhaustion and weakness once again.

Some time later, she doesn't know if it's been hours or days, she sees the sun again through the hole, and works at digging her way out. Her fingers are sore and stiff, but she pushes onward. Slowly the hole becomes a little bigger, and she can see the blue sky. Weary, and in a great deal of pain, she debates on whether to take a break. Going against it, she continues pulling the dirt away and making the hole bigger. Finally, she manages to crawl through the hole, and out into the forest. She shields her eyes to the brightness of the sun burning her baby blues. Taking a few steps, she becomes very dizzy, and suddenly darkness surrounds her, as she passes out.

******************

Rhiannon checks into the motel. She didn't find anything in Newark yesterday, so she decided to drive up to Washington Heights. In such a small back door town as this one, Rhiannon figures that everyone around here knows each other and if the report of the missing Jeep were in their newspaper, then someone would have remembered it. She asks the front desk clerk where she could find the towing company that took the vehicle. She hopes that the tow truck driver would inform her as to where he had spotted it.

*****************

Two figures step through the dense forest until they reach the small stream.

The young boy, who appears to be either nine or ten years old, jumps from rock to rock across the running water.

The elderly man takes a seat down at the end of the stream overlooking the waterfall. He silently watches for the deer that usually come at this time of the day for a drink of water at the pool at the bottom of the falls. The silence is broken when he hears the boy calling him.

"Grandfather. Grandfather." The boy shouts frantically from the other side. "I found something. It's a body."

The elderly man gets up and crosses the stream with the rifle slung over his shoulder. He reaches his grandson and says, "Show me." His simple words encompass his hidden emotions of concern, fear, and worry.

The boy leads him past several bushes and behind the last bush is where the body lies.

The man kneels and closes his eyes a moment in empathy, upon seeing the gaunt figure. He presses two fingers on the side of her neck just under her jaw hoping to find a pulse. He does find it, but it is very weak. "She is alive," he says softly, and then directs his attention to his grandson. "Hawk Eyes, I need you to take my hatchet and cut down a couple of strong branches full of leaves so we can tie it together for a makeshift bed to pull her on. Do you remember how I taught you to chop the branches?"

"Yes, grandfather. I'll do it right away." He takes the hatchet from the old man's hand and runs off.

The man looks at the wound at her side, noticing that it is infected to the point of gangrene. Her hands are bruised, bloodied and swollen. Her cheeks are sunken and her skin is as white as a ghost's. He lifts an eyelid and gasps at the silvery blue color of it. Standing, he looks around a bit wondering where she could have come from. With the pale skin and bony figure, he is sure she had to have been inside something somewhere. Several feet away he notices the hole in the side of a large mound. "O Great Spirit," he says in awe. "She was buried alive. Have mercy on this soul."

The boy comes back dragging a bunch of large branches behind him. "Grandfather, I have them."

"Good." He stands and takes off his flannel jacket. Removing his button down shirt and his T-shirt, he tears the T-shirt in two. "Tie the branches just like I've taught you."

"Yes grandfather."

He puts his jacket back on and buttons it up completely so as to not catch cold. Once his grandson is done with the knots, they pull the half dead body onto it. The old man ties the ends of the sleeves of his shirt to the front end of the makeshift bed. He steps in between them and pulls the back of the shirt up to his chest. He moves forward a bit to create resistance, and with his arms behind his back he grabs the sleeves. They move through the forest in such a fashion with Jordan on top of the branches dragging across the ground. After a couple of miles they reach the small rustic cabin.

"Hawk Eyes, run ahead and let your grandmother know what we have here. Ask her to set a pot of water to boil over the fire. I want you to find the poker and set it in the flames."

"Yes grandfather." He responds and quickly runs off.

*****************

It's been three days since Rhiannon has been in town and asking questions to anyone who would talk to her. Passing a coffee shop, she feels compelled to stop inside for a drink. She sits down on a bench outside the front of the establishment with a java in hand to enjoy the cool autumn day. Taking a sip of the hot liquid, she notices a young boy running towards her from around the corner. He bumps right into an older man exiting the coffee place, and hurriedly starts talking.

"Uncle Bruce. Come on. Grandfather needs your help." He grabs the older man's free hand and begins to pull in vain.

"Whoa." He calls out in an attempt to halt the boy and get him to make sense. "What is it Simon? Is he hurt? Is grandmother hurt?"

The young boy tries to catch his breath. "They are fine. We found a woman some days ago while hunting. Grandmother has been working hard to nurse her back to health, but she isn't getting better. Grandfather says you need to bring your strong medicine like...anti...bio."

"You mean, antibiotics?"

"Yes, that's it."

"And I presume we're gonna need the supplies for an IV too?"

Simon affirmatively shakes.

"Alright. Let me get my bag, and we'll go." He says as he heads into the small doctor's office next to the coffee shop.

Rhiannon overhears the conversation. Her heart begins to beat wildly upon hearing the boy say they found a woman while hunting. Getting up, she slowly approaches. "Um...hi there."

The boy turns and looks up at her with soft doe like eyes. "Hi."

"I was sitting right there when you were talking to that man. Did I hear you say that you found someone in the woods?"

He nods.

"I...I lost a special friend some time ago and I've been searching for her. Could you tell me what this woman looks like that you found?"

He nods again. "She is tall and has long black hair."

Rhiannon has an intake of breath. "Does she have blue eyes?"

He frowns at her question, and says, "I haven't seen her eyes because she hasn't woken up for days. She is real sick and grandmother has been trying to care for her."

With worry, Rhiannon asks, "Shouldn't she be in a hospital?"

The man returns outside, and interrupts, "What's going on?"

"This woman says she may know the one we found."

Rhiannon smiles weakly. "I'm sorry to intrude. My name is Rhiannon Moore, and I'm from Chicago. I overheard the two of you talking about a woman. Ya see, I lost a dear friend more than a month ago, and she was last seen in this area. I was hoping that the woman you are going to see is her."

He looks at her kind soft green eyes. "The reason why she isn't at the hospital is because my father and mother live miles away from any kind of civilization. And it's not like an ambulance can stop by, unless it's by helicopter. Also at his age, he wouldn't be able to carry her. My father and mother are great medicine people so I'm sure they've done all they can up to this point. Now they're calling me to assess the situation." He rubs his chin and looks at his nephew. The soft charcoal eyes of the boy convey a look of trust towards this young woman, and he feels that he too can trust her. "I'll let you come with us to see if this is your friend."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much." She says as she grabs his hand to shake it.

"But let me warn you know. It's going to take a about a day for us to get there. We'll have to drive to my place, pick up some other supplies we need for the journey and then make our trek through the woods on foot. And it's all uphill."

Rhiannon looks with widened eyes. She wonders where these people could possibly live and how they survive out there. "Um, okay. I would like to stop at the motel and change. Can I meet you at your place in an hour?"

"Sure." He pulls out his business card containing his home address from his front shirt pocket and hands it to her.

She looks at it.Bruce Smithson, M.D. "Thank you Dr..."

"Bruce is just fine. You can take the main road in town north to reach my place. I'll see you in an hour."

****************

A grayish blue eye slowly opens. The surroundings are strange but peaceful and it feels safe. A voice is heard humming a soothing tune somewhere nearby. The second eye opens and after several seconds, things come into focus.

Candles and oil lamps illuminate the room. The sparse rustic furniture looks like it's handmade, and the small room appears to be a bedroom. A window to the right indicates that the sun is making its descent in the sky.

Jordan attempts to get up. The shock of pain that pierces her side causes a muffled scream through clenched teeth.

An elderly woman wearing a long dark gray skirt and a long sleeve lavender blouse appears in the doorway. White hair is tied up into a bun at the back of her head. "Lie down child," she says in a commanding yet soft voice. "You are too weak and you have a terrible infection."

Jordan looks at her and is reminded of the grandmother that she has missed for the past ten years. "Please..." She starts to say, but her voice is dry and raspy. "Where..."

"Hush and take some sips of water before you start talking. I will answer your questions." The woman hands her a gourd like cup, then takes a seat in the rocking chair next to the bed.

Jordan takes a sip of the fresh cold liquid, and for a moment she cannot remember water ever tasting so wonderful or sweet. After a few more sips, she lays the cup next to her, and sighs.

"My husband and grandson found you in the woods. They believe you somehow came out of the ground because of the amount of the dirt that covered you, and also they discovered a small hole a few feet away from you."

Jordan closes her eyes as the memories of the cave come back to her and a single tear escapes the corner of one eye. "I was thrown down into a cavern. I don't know where or how long ago. What is the date today?"

"It's October 15th."

Teary eyes look at the elderly woman's kind face. "It's been over two months since I was last above ground."

The woman gasps. "Oh child who would do such a thing?"

"I'm not sure. I was knocked out so I couldn't fight back."

The elderly woman stands up, takes the cup from Jordan, and says, "Rest now child. More questions can be answered later when I return with some broth."

"I have...a friend I need to reach."

The woman stops and turns back to Jordan. "You already did reach her."

Jordan looks at her with a frown.

The woman points to the pendant around Jordan's neck. "Your soul has been contacting her ever since you arrived here. When I saw the moonstone glow, I didn't dare take it off of you. I knew it was given to you and it holds the love you and your friend share. I believe the two of you will see each other soon." She then walks out of the room.

Jordan picks up the crystal to look at it more closely. She remembers the day that Rhi gave it to her. Dwelling upon the memory causes a few more tears to spill down her cheeks, and she clutches the moonstone tightly in her palm. "I love you Rhiannon," she softly calls out before sleep claims her again. A couple of hours later Jordan awakens to the smell of something tantalizing. She turns her head to find the elderly woman rocking slowly in her chair as she works on sewing a shirt. There is a bowl on the nightstand, again in the shape of an open gourd or something similar, with a steaming liquid rising from it.

"Drink some of the broth child. I put in tiny bits of tender meat and vegetables. You need to regain your strength."

Jordan reaches for the bowl and looking at the brown liquid, she takes small slow sips. "Mmm. How wonderful. I taste beef, leeks, tomatoes, garlic and carrots. And they're all in such tiny bits. How did you cut them so small?"

The woman chuckles, and says, "It's a secret my child."

She takes another sip savoring the delicious flavor. "May I call you grandmother?"

The woman smiles with a twinkle in her black eyes. "Of course."

"My name is Jordan."

"Well it's nice to meet you Jordan. And I'm so glad you've woken up. You were starting to give us a real scare."

"Ma, I'm back." A gruff voice yells out from another part of the house.

"In here Pa. Come meet our guest." She responds.

The elderly man walks into the bedroom, kisses her on the cheek, and gives Jordan a toothy grin. "Nice to see you're awake." He wears old jeans, a red flannel shirt and a brown duster.

"Jordan this is my husband Michael, but he prefers to be called by his native name, Running Bear."

"Thank you for saving me grandfather." Jordan kindly says to him.

He gives her another grin then bows in a chivalrous manner.

"And what is your name?" Jordan asks the woman.

"Sarah, but my native name is Rising Sun."

"Thank you so much for your kindness and hospitality."

The woman pats her husband on the shoulder, and says, "Pa, you go tend to your supper while I check Jordan's wounds."

"Yes, Ma." He bows a second time and walks out.

Approaching the bed, she starts to say, "You know your body has been trying to fight off a terrible infection from the gash we found in your side." She folds the sheet back and gently removes the bandage. "We've been draining the wound for days now but it still looks bad." She picks up a bundle at the end of the nightstand and unwraps the cloth. The steam that rises from what's inside is a clear indication of the intensity of heat. "I'm going to put this poultice on your wound. It will burn, but I need you to hold still. You will keep it on for the night and in the morning we'll do it all over again."

Jordan nods.

The bundle of wet hot leaves is firmly placed over the wound, and Jordan grunts in pain at the burning sensation. Rising Sun then puts a clean cloth bandage over the poultice. "Try to sleep now. I'll check on you later."

**************

"Alright, this is where we're going to set up for the night. It's already getting dark so let's get a fire going. Simon, gather some kindling."

"Yes, sir."

"What can I do to help?" Rhiannon asks.

"Well, we're going to need three large flat rocks for our dinner."

She looks at him, brows furrowed, and says, "Rocks?"

He chuckles knowing she must think him wacko. "My wife prepared us a meal." He pulls out of his backpack an aluminum foil ball and shows it to her. "There is one for each of us but it needs to be cooked. We are going to use the rocks to stick into the fire and lay these on. The steady heat will cook our food without burning it to a crisp."

"Oh. Alright, I'll go find rocks."

The three of them finally sit down around the fire, and begin digging into the contents of their foil packets.

"Geez, this is good stuff...mmm, the flavor, the spices. What's in here?" Rhiannon asks.

"Ground beef, mushrooms, onions, carrots and potatoes with whatever spices she threw in." Bruce responds.

"Wow. And to think it cooked up so nicely in the fire." She comments, and takes a swig of water from her bottle. "So Simon, would you tell me the story of how you found this woman we're going to see?"

He nods. "Grandfather and I went hunting at the falls. He says that the deer come to drink water at the pool at the bottom around midday. So while he sat watching, I went exploring as usual. I crossed the stream and on the other side I found a body behind some bushes. I thought she was dead. I ran back to grandfather and told him, so he went to check. Said she was still alive and so we dragged her on a bed of branches to the cabin. Grandfather said it looked like she was buried alive for some time. We found the hole in the ground that she must have crawled out of."

The tears begin to fall from Rhi's cheeks, and she wipes at them with back of her sleeve. "Could you give me more of a description of her?"

"Well, as I said, she has a long body and long black hair. But she looks like death has claimed her. Her skin is very white and there wasn't anything much left of her but bones. She had a lot of bruises and cuts on her hands. Grandfather said she has a bad injury on her side."

"What was she wearing?"

"Um...blue jeans which were torn at the knees, black boots, and a green shirt."

Rhiannon covers her mouth to keep from wailing into the night. Her choking sobs confirm to the two men that this is the friend she's been looking for.

Suddenly the boy points at Rhi's chest. "Your heart...it's glowing."

"What?" She looks down and sees the faint glow through her shirt. Pulling out the crystal, she holds it up for them to see. "It's just this stone."

"That's a moonstone," Simon says. "Grandfather has told me it's a very powerful talisman. Is that how you came here? Your stone was drawing you?"

Shocked at his words, she responds, "Well, yeah...I guess the stone was drawing me here. Ever since it began to glow the night of the full moon."

"You must be soul mates." He declares confidently. "Only someone wearing a moonstone as a talisman would do so because their other half carries it also."

Rhiannon cocks her head to the side. "How do you know so much Simon?"

"Grandfather taught me everything about our history and our ways." He responds proudly.

"And what way is that?"

"The way of the Sioux Indians of course." He says with a smile.

"This is all beginning to make sense." She looks from a silent Bruce to Simon and back again. The charcoal eyes, the jet-black hair and the sun darkened skin is what she sees they both have in common. "What is your Sioux name Simon?"

He gives her a toothy grin. "Hawk Eyes," he says beaming with pride, and then continues, "Because grandfather says I can see what others miss."

She nods in understanding, and thinks to herself.This is all proving to be very interesting indeed.

"Well, we should get some rest so we can resume our hike early." Bruce interrupts.

****************

The cool early morning air brushes past shaggy blonde hair sticking out of a sleeping bag.

Bruce breaks up the camp while Simon tries to shake Rhiannon awake.

"It's time to go Ms. Rhiannon." He nudges her shoulder.

She pulls down the cover from her face. "Morning Hawk Eyes. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll be ready." She sits up and unzips the rest of the bag.

Once she's ready they resume the trek up hill. Bruce tosses her a large peach as breakfast.

By late afternoon Hawk Eyes spots grandfather a few feet away from the cabin. "I'm going to tell Grandfather we're here."

"Okay," Bruce answers as he leads Rhiannon toward the cabin.

The young boy runs up to the elderly man working on skinning a buck that hangs between two trees.

"Grandfather, we're back."

"Ah, Hawk Eyes, I was confident you'd return today with your uncle." He dips his hands in the bucket of water to wash off the grime and then wipes them on a towel hanging on one of the trees. Walking towards the cabin he sees his son walk inside with a woman.