Something Good Can Happen.
Clare Quinn
Chapter 1
A weary shabby mountain man staggered in front if the oncoming train, the huge bright light illuminating him on the tracks. The engine driver cursed and pulled the break as hard as he could. The great engine blew out steam and skidded on the rails. When it shuddered to a stop the man went into the dishevelled passenger carriage. The confused passengers were trying to find out why they had been stopped. The man however, just carried on staggering through the car asking for the doctor.
Michaela Quinn was at first afraid to stand up and state she was in fact a doctor. But the eyes of the man looked haunted his voice had despair to it Michaela associated with desperate parents begging for a miracle.
Finally clutching her black bag she stood. "I am a doctor," she volunteered as the bedraggled man came close.
"Ma'am, I mean no disrespect, but I need a doctor, " he stumbled to say.
This fired Michaela up. Drawing herself to her full height she snorted, her eyes ablaze with the challenge, "Sir, I am a doctor."
The man was too tired at this point to argue and just swept the woman up, threw her over his shoulder and shot out of the carriage.
Squealing Michaela kicked and tried to look at the man who at that moment felt inhumanly strong as he just kept running.
Passengers and railway men tried to follow, but darkness and the woods made it impossible, and then there was an eerie silence.
Dumping Michaela her kidnapper removed his bandana from around his throat and unceremoniously gagged her. He was apologising to her profusely that he could not afford for them to be followed. Yanking her over his shoulder once more he moved on quietly. Finally Michaela stopped struggling and just lay back, waiting resigned for her fate. She was still clutching her precious bag.
They came to a clearing and he roughly placed her in a wagon. Michaela did register that he placed his hand under her head, stopping it from thumping heavily on the rough boards. He also removed the gag, telling her in an unrefined voice. "No good hollerin', no un to hear ya'."
Michaela nodded and he swung his body up into the seat and slapped the reins and they took off at a gallop.
They bumped, bounced for miles, weaving in and out of forested areas. In the darkness she defined mountains in the distance when the moon shone briefly before once again hiding in dark rolling clouds.
In a small clearing her captor suddenly pulled the frothing horses to a stop. Michaela could not stop herself from sliding forward with a wack into the back of the seat. She yelled out in surprise.
The stranger looked at her and said, "Ya all right?" She only nodded. "Gotta water the horses for a moment then we gotta go," he explained.
Looking around, wanting to get up and run Michaela's instinct was to analyse the situation. She had no idea where they were, nor what direction they had travelled or how long she had been bumping in the wagon. At one stage she had considered standing and grabbing him around the throat, but this notion quickly faded as she could imagine the wagon rolling over and killing them both.
She remembered his haunted look in the carriage and gained a little courage to ask, "Why did you do it?"
He looked up surprised. "No questions." He followed and continued watering the animals, mumbling "I got my reasons."
She had to strain to hear his last words as his voice was lashed away on the howling winds. Suddenly shivering she realized the wind was turning icy cold.
Heaving her into the wagon he threw a blanket over her and slapped the horses into a gallop again. "Gotta hurry," he yelled at nobody in particular.
It was about another hour or maybe more after they began climbing higher that he slowed the horses down. The path had vanished ages ago and there did not even appear to be a track.
Slowly snow began descending from the dark sky. It was thickening as the horses took each step. The stranger seemed to be panicking now, forcing the horses on. Finally he began slowing the wagon and Michaela saw the silhouette of a log cabin. One end there was a large stone chimney. No smoke to welcome people, just a dark, cold uninviting cabin.
Michaela froze, wondering if this was indeed their destination. She had spent hours pondering her fate, first scared, then angry, back and forth through so many emotions.
The stranger bolted from his seat running towards the darkened cabin. He flung open the door and disappeared inside. There was a blood curdling scream that sounded like nothing Michaela had ever heard in her entire life.
...
This is a story that began with Isabelle asking why Michaela was not kidnapped and put in a trunk. (The last of the picture challenge) Well I didn't think it fair to stuff her in a trunk. So began this story that was supposed to be a small one. NOT! It wanted to grow. I do hope you enjoy it. The chapters are small and I will update soon.