Chapter 7

Sully sat at the river bank, staring at the clear water. This time his back was to the mountains. He didn't know why exactly he came here again, it was as if he couldn't control himself. He just walked until he grew tired and he ended up here.

A sound was heard from behind him. Quickly, turning Sully noticed a familiar face before him.

"Cloud Dancing," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"The spirits told me you'd be here," the older man sat beside his friend.

Sully looked back down and fingered at the beads around his neck.

"Black Kettle made you that necklace," Cloud Dancing noticed.

Sully nodded but remained silent.

"They are the colors of strength."

"I don't have much of that right now," Sully mumbled as if speaking to himself.

But Cloud Dancing didn't ignore the statement.

"You have much strength within you, my brother. You need to find it again, find yourself."

Sully shook his head.

"I can't," he looked up at his brother, tears rising in his eyes.

"You won't," Cloud Dancing spoke gently. "Because you are afraid."

Tears rolled down Sully's cheeks.

Cloud Dancing put a hand on his shoulder.

"Have you spoken to Michaela?"

"No," Sully's voice cracked. "I…I don't know what to tell her."

"Tell her your fears," the older man advised. "Tell her what you feel inside."

Once again, Sully shook his head.

Closing his eyes, he said, "I can't. I can't let her know."

"She would understand," Cloud Dancing went on. "She can help you."

"Not with this, she can't," Sully said. "I can't put her through this."

"You and her are one," he went on. "What you go through, she goes through as well. Your pain is hers."

"No," Sully raised his head. "Not this time."

Cloud Dancing sighed, knowing he would not get through to his brother.

Standing, he gently squeezed his arm.

"I will pray to the spirits to guide you, my friend," he walked down the road.

Sully didn't look at him and he gave no sign that he was listening to Cloud Dancing words. He was though, but he didn't know if they were exactly true.

XXXXX

Sometime during the night, Michaela awoke. Rolling onto her side, she reached out a hand to Sully. She opened her eyes when she touched nothing but sheets.

Sitting upright, she scanned the room, his beads and weapon belt were on the rocking chair, but he was gone. Michaela drew back the covers, donned her robe, and departed the room.

Descending the stairs, she saw the fireplace burning and Sully seated on the couch.

"Sully," she approached him.

He did not respond.

Michaela stood beside him, she was shocked at his appearance.

His eyes were red as if he had been crying. His skin a ghostly pale, as perspiration rolled down his face and his hair was a mess.

"Sully," she sat down. "What happened?'

No response. Sully just stared at the fire.

Michaela reached out a hand and touched his face. He was ice cold.

Sully flinched back and looked to his side.

"Michaela," he breathed. "What…what are you doing here?"

"You didn't come to bed," she replied. "I came downstairs to find you here. What happened?'

Come to bed?Sully was confused.

What on earth was she talking about? And why was she being so calm in a moment like this? How did she even get here?

"Go back home," Sully stood.

"What?" Michaela stood as well.

"Get out of here, go home to the children."

"Sully, we are home. We're in the living room."

"No," Sully looked around. "It's not safe here, they're gonna…he's gonna find you."

Michaela frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"You gotta go," Sully gently pushed her aside. "He's…he's coming," his voice was lower than a whisper.

"No, Sully," Michaela reached for him. "No one's-"

"Go!" Sully suddenly turned.

He grabbed Michaela by the arm and walked to the door.

"Get out of here!" He yelled.

"Sully," a voice was heard.

He turned to see Matthew.

"What's going on?"

"What?" Sully breathed.

He turned to Michaela, uncertainty in his eyes.

"Cloud Dancing," he said.

"Cloud Dancing's not here, Sully," Michaela informed, her tone was steady. "We're at the homestead."

Sully didn't seem to hear her. He looked around the room, his eyes wide with what seemed to be fear.

"Sweetheart," Michaela touched his arm. "Listen to me, we're home. Everyone's-"

"Can't you see?" Sully yelled "He's coming! He's gonna kill us!"

Michaela frowned, she had no idea what Sully was talking about, but she kept her voice gentle and soft.

"No," she took a step forward. "No one's coming. I promise we're safe."

Sully stared at her, as she drew close to him. He didn't relax, but he kept his gaze on her.

"Sully," Matthew touched his arm.

Suddenly, Sully turned and pulled out his knife.

Matthew stepped back and raised his hands.

"Sully," Michaela raised her voice.

"It's okay," Matthew said. "It's me, Sully."

Sully didn't move, he didn't say a word. He just gripped tighter to his knife and he had a wild look in his eyes as if he was about to attack.

"Sully," Michaela laid a hand on his back.

Sully flinched and raised his knife. Thrusting forward, Michaela screamed.

"No!" Matthew jumped from behind Sully.

Wrestling the weapon from Sully's hand, it fell to the floor. Matthew kicked it aside. He stepped between Sully and Michaela.

Sully staggered back and froze. There he saw Matthew, Michaela, the familiarities of the homestead.

"Mi…Michaela," he breathed.

"Sully," she cautiously stepped forward.

Sully eyed the knife on the floor and then looked back at his wife.

"What? What did I…" his voice trailed off.

"It's alright, Sully," Michaela came closer. "You're fine."

"Michaela," he cried.

Michaela drew close to him.

Sully sank to the floor, his hand trembled as he wiped a hand over his face.

"I'm sorry," his voice shook with emotion.

"Shh," Michaela embraced him. "It's alright."

Sully held tightly to her and wept.

Matthew lifted the knife from the floor. He noticed Colleen and Brian on the stairs.

"What happened?" Brian inquired.

Matthew leaned on the railing and shook his head. He glanced over at Sully and Michaela.

"I'm here," Michaela rubbed his back.

"What's happening?" Sully's body trembled as he cried. "Help me, Michaela. Please, help me."

Chapter 7

Sully sat at the river bank, staring at the clear water. This time his back was to the mountains. He didn't know why exactly he came here again, it was as if he couldn't control himself. He just walked until he grew tired and he ended up here.

A sound was heard from behind him. Quickly, turning Sully noticed a familiar face before him.

"Cloud Dancing," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"The spirits told me you'd be here," the older man sat beside his friend.

Sully looked back down and fingered at the beads around his neck.

"Black Kettle made you that necklace," Cloud Dancing noticed.

Sully nodded but remained silent.

"They are the colors of strength."

"I don't have much of that right now," Sully mumbled as if speaking to himself.

But Cloud Dancing didn't ignore the statement.

"You have much strength within you, my brother. You need to find it again, find yourself."

Sully shook his head.

"I can't," he looked up at his brother, tears rising in his eyes.

"You won't," Cloud Dancing spoke gently. "Because you are afraid."

Tears rolled down Sully's cheeks.

Cloud Dancing put a hand on his shoulder.

"Have you spoken to Michaela?"

"No," Sully's voice cracked. "I…I don't know what to tell her."

"Tell her your fears," the older man advised. "Tell her what you feel inside."

Once again, Sully shook his head.

Closing his eyes, he said, "I can't. I can't let her know."

"She would understand," Cloud Dancing went on. "She can help you."

"Not with this, she can't," Sully said. "I can't put her through this."

"You and her are one," he went on. "What you go through, she goes through as well. Your pain is hers."

"No," Sully raised his head. "Not this time."

Cloud Dancing sighed, knowing he would not get through to his brother.

Standing, he gently squeezed his arm.

"I will pray to the spirits to guide you, my friend," he walked down the road.

Sully didn't look at him and he gave no sign that he was listening to Cloud Dancing words. He was though, but he didn't know if they were exactly true.

XXXXX

Sometime during the night, Michaela awoke. Rolling onto her side, she reached out a hand to Sully. She opened her eyes when she touched nothing but sheets.

Sitting upright, she scanned the room, his beads and weapon belt were on the rocking chair, but he was gone. Michaela drew back the covers, donned her robe, and departed the room.

Descending the stairs, she saw the fireplace burning and Sully seated on the couch.

"Sully," she approached him.

He did not respond.

Michaela stood beside him, she was shocked at his appearance.

His eyes were red as if he had been crying. His skin a ghostly pale, as perspiration rolled down his face and his hair was a mess.

"Sully," she sat down. "What happened?'

No response. Sully just stared at the fire.

Michaela reached out a hand and touched his face. He was ice cold.

Sully flinched back and looked to his side.

"Michaela," he breathed. "What…what are you doing here?"

"You didn't come to bed," she replied. "I came downstairs to find you here. What happened?'

Come to bed?Sully was confused.

What on earth was she talking about? And why was she being so calm in a moment like this? How did she even get here?

"Go back home," Sully stood.

"What?" Michaela stood as well.

"Get out of here, go home to the children."

"Sully, we are home. We're in the living room."

"No," Sully looked around. "It's not safe here, they're gonna…he's gonna find you."

Michaela frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"You gotta go," Sully gently pushed her aside. "He's…he's coming," his voice was lower than a whisper.

"No, Sully," Michaela reached for him. "No one's-"

"Go!" Sully suddenly turned.

He grabbed Michaela by the arm and walked to the door.

"Get out of here!" He yelled.

"Sully," a voice was heard.

He turned to see Matthew.

"What's going on?"

"What?" Sully breathed.

He turned to Michaela, uncertainty in his eyes.

"Cloud Dancing," he said.

"Cloud Dancing's not here, Sully," Michaela informed, her tone was steady. "We're at the homestead."

Sully didn't seem to hear her. He looked around the room, his eyes wide with what seemed to be fear.

"Sweetheart," Michaela touched his arm. "Listen to me, we're home. Everyone's-"

"Can't you see?" Sully yelled "He's coming! He's gonna kill us!"

Michaela frowned, she had no idea what Sully was talking about, but she kept her voice gentle and soft.

"No," she took a step forward. "No one's coming. I promise we're safe."

Sully stared at her, as she drew close to him. He didn't relax, but he kept his gaze on her.

"Sully," Matthew touched his arm.

Suddenly, Sully turned and pulled out his knife.

Matthew stepped back and raised his hands.

"Sully," Michaela raised her voice.

"It's okay," Matthew said. "It's me, Sully."

Sully didn't move, he didn't say a word. He just gripped tighter to his knife and he had a wild look in his eyes as if he was about to attack.

"Sully," Michaela laid a hand on his back.

Sully flinched and raised his knife. Thrusting forward, Michaela screamed.

"No!" Matthew jumped from behind Sully.

Wrestling the weapon from Sully's hand, it fell to the floor. Matthew kicked it aside. He stepped between Sully and Michaela.

Sully staggered back and froze. There he saw Matthew, Michaela, the familiarities of the homestead.

"Mi…Michaela," he breathed.

"Sully," she cautiously stepped forward.

Sully eyed the knife on the floor and then looked back at his wife.

"What? What did I…" his voice trailed off.

"It's alright, Sully," Michaela came closer. "You're fine."

"Michaela," he cried.

Michaela drew close to him.

Sully sank to the floor, his hand trembled as he wiped a hand over his face.

"I'm sorry," his voice shook with emotion.

"Shh," Michaela embraced him. "It's alright."

Sully held tightly to her and wept.

Matthew lifted the knife from the floor. He noticed Colleen and Brian on the stairs.

"What happened?" Brian inquired.

Matthew leaned on the railing and shook his head. He glanced over at Sully and Michaela.

"I'm here," Michaela rubbed his back.

"What's happening?" Sully's body trembled as he cried. "Help me, Michaela. Please, help me."