The Prodigal Sister
This story and all ideas, themes and original characters are the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Any unauthorized use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and all characters and settings no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
Brianna gazed into the fire silently. Colleen and Brian had already gone to bed, Mathew had left after dinner. Sully was widdling on a piece of wood and Michaela was working on a skirt she had ripped last week, tripping over a step in town.
"What am I going to do now?" Brianna asked no one in particular. Michaela put her sewing down.
"Well you don't have to do anything" she said.
"You're staying here with us" Sully added, not as a question or an offer, just a simple fact. Almost an order. Michaela was surprised when Brianna didn't glare at him. She didn't like being told what to do.
"And do what, Sully?" she asked, "I don't know how to do any...womanly things. I can't cook, I can't clean or sew. I don't have a trade skill, I'm not a doctor. What am I supposed to do, just sit around like a bump on a log?" Michaela took up her sewing again.
"Well, I'm sure there's something you can do" she said, "I hear we need a new school teacher"
"Teach?" Brianna laughed, "Me?"
"Well you do have a college degree" Michaela reminded her.
"In linguistics. Hardly fit for teaching math and geography" Brianna objected.
"Please. You know more about math than a banker, and you been to places I can't even say" Sully said, without even looking up.
"Well, there you go" Michaela said, "You can be a teacher" "That's nice, Mike, but I don't think I've got the patience to deal with a bunch of kids all day, tryin' to make them understand things" Brianna replied. "Well, there are other places a linguistics degree could be of help, I'm sure" Michaela thought for just a minute. "You could help Dorothy with the Gazette. Oh, I know! You could work at the library!" Michaela thought it was a wonderful idea. Brianna and Sully exchanged a look. He shrugged at her. Brianna didn't object this time, she just sighed and turned her head to look out the window. Michaela pretended not to watch as she got up, checked on Miracle who was sleeping in the cradle Sully had made for her, and went out the door. Sully looked up, put his knife down.
"Maybe you should go check on her" Michaela suggested. He nodded, got up and followed his sister.
The night air was warm, and a full moon lit up the entire homestead. Bri was standing in the "yard", staring up at that full moon. Sully knew what she was thinking. Dark Moon had promised he would watch her from the moon, hadn't he? Sully walked slowly to stand by her side, and look up at the moon with her. They were silent for a long while.
"What do you think happened to Thunder Rolling?" he asked finally. Bri didn't even look at him.
"He's dead. Dark Moon never would've left him if he were alive" she said. Sully didn't reply. He knew she was right. Just then a soft breeze brushed over them, and Bri closed her eyes. Dark Moon had said he'd touch her in the wind. Sully thought he should leave the two alone, and quietly went back up into the house. Before he closed the door, he took one more look at his sister, and saw a single tear glistening on her cheek in the moonlight.
This story and all ideas, themes and original characters are the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Any unauthorized use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and all characters and settings no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
Brianna gazed into the fire silently. Colleen and Brian had already gone to bed, Mathew had left after dinner. Sully was widdling on a piece of wood and Michaela was working on a skirt she had ripped last week, tripping over a step in town.
"What am I going to do now?" Brianna asked no one in particular. Michaela put her sewing down.
"Well you don't have to do anything" she said.
"You're staying here with us" Sully added, not as a question or an offer, just a simple fact. Almost an order. Michaela was surprised when Brianna didn't glare at him. She didn't like being told what to do.
"And do what, Sully?" she asked, "I don't know how to do any...womanly things. I can't cook, I can't clean or sew. I don't have a trade skill, I'm not a doctor. What am I supposed to do, just sit around like a bump on a log?" Michaela took up her sewing again.
"Well, I'm sure there's something you can do" she said, "I hear we need a new school teacher"
"Teach?" Brianna laughed, "Me?"
"Well you do have a college degree" Michaela reminded her.
"In linguistics. Hardly fit for teaching math and geography" Brianna objected.
"Please. You know more about math than a banker, and you been to places I can't even say" Sully said, without even looking up.
"Well, there you go" Michaela said, "You can be a teacher" "That's nice, Mike, but I don't think I've got the patience to deal with a bunch of kids all day, tryin' to make them understand things" Brianna replied. "Well, there are other places a linguistics degree could be of help, I'm sure" Michaela thought for just a minute. "You could help Dorothy with the Gazette. Oh, I know! You could work at the library!" Michaela thought it was a wonderful idea. Brianna and Sully exchanged a look. He shrugged at her. Brianna didn't object this time, she just sighed and turned her head to look out the window. Michaela pretended not to watch as she got up, checked on Miracle who was sleeping in the cradle Sully had made for her, and went out the door. Sully looked up, put his knife down.
"Maybe you should go check on her" Michaela suggested. He nodded, got up and followed his sister.
The night air was warm, and a full moon lit up the entire homestead. Bri was standing in the "yard", staring up at that full moon. Sully knew what she was thinking. Dark Moon had promised he would watch her from the moon, hadn't he? Sully walked slowly to stand by her side, and look up at the moon with her. They were silent for a long while.
"What do you think happened to Thunder Rolling?" he asked finally. Bri didn't even look at him.
"He's dead. Dark Moon never would've left him if he were alive" she said. Sully didn't reply. He knew she was right. Just then a soft breeze brushed over them, and Bri closed her eyes. Dark Moon had said he'd touch her in the wind. Sully thought he should leave the two alone, and quietly went back up into the house. Before he closed the door, he took one more look at his sister, and saw a single tear glistening on her cheek in the moonlight.