Ch 11
As they make their way through the mountains. Jimmy marks the trees so they can find their way back to the burnt cabin. Buck rides out in front scouting their way. Jimmy rides in the back. The deeper they go in the mountains, the colder it gets. The ride is slow as they cross the mountains. Their deep in the back country of Kentucky.
"This trail looks like it's hiding the spirits of these woods." Buck says.
"Come on now, Buck. You're going scare the girls."
"I'm telling you Jimmy, their here watching us. Buck looks up as they keep riding. He stops on the trail. Jimmy rides up.
"What is it, Buck?"
"Jimmy, there is something in that tree ahead of us. I see it. Buck stares straight. Do you see it? On the left, just down the trail where the trees start hanging."
"I see it" , Jimmy says, "There's two of them. What the fuck is that? It's moving." Jimmy says.
"Their trail hunters." Kyra says. "They hunt from the trees. They will kill anything an anyone they can eat. Tiny little mountain people."
"They eat the bones and all." Kay tells them.
"Something's off!" Jimmy says. "We ain't riding in no damn trap."
"Who are they?" Jimmy asked.
"They're the ones that scream at night." Kyra says.
"What?" Jimmy says looking at Kyra.
"That's why we did not want to leave on our own. They hunt during the day an travel at night in the trees. They been here long before the white people called this place home. They kill the unsuspecting people making their way on the trails. Bears, elk, deer, it don't matter to them."
"The hell with that. Let's kill them bastards." Jimmy says.
"No Jimmy! Don't! They told us to keep clear of them before we entered the mountains in North Carolina." Kyra looks at Jimmy and Buck.
"They said if you kill one, their spirit would haunt you. Possess you. Driving you crazy til you lose your mind. Driving you past the point of sanity."
"I say we kill them." Jimmy says.
"No." Buck stopped him.
"I will ride closer." Buck tells Jimmy.
"Buck, have you lost your damn mind?" Jimmy says gritting his teeth.
Buck takes his hat off and starts walking his horse up the trail. He holds his hands out above his head as he screamed a war cry! He shook his hands and his horse cut a few hard cycles as he screamed again. The hair stood up on the back of Jimmy's neck.
Buck gets off his horse. He walks forward, just feet from the creature in the tree. There was a wild blood curling scream coming from the trees. Thee horses jump as the high pitch screech echoes through the forest. Dozens of them or more. As the sounds get louder, Buck held his ground screaming like a hell bent brave who was riding into his last battle ready to give his life to save his people.
Jimmy sees movement!
It looked like death coming down the trees. Like a demon-possessed animal. Six figures make their way down the tree.
"Where the hell did they come from?"
Down the path, more slink down the trees with spears topped with bone like heads. They hold their hands up almost telling Buck to make his way through. Buck looks back and waves to Jimmy and the girls.
The girls were shaking from fear.
"Easy now." he says as he drew both his pistols.
Buck waits for them to catch up. They walk slowly not breathing a word. They aproach the first small framed trail hunter. They were brown skinned and almost completely covered in moss from the trees. Their hair had ferns weaved into it. It looked like the ferns were growing straight off their small skulls. Their faces were flat and wide. Their eyes were black as had long feet. Their hands and their fingers were like long claws. Their arms hung almost to their knees. They were no more than four and a half feet tall. They had what looked like bones hanging from their moss like clothing. They smelled rank even wretched like decaying meat. They walked past the last one clinging to the tree like it did not want to stand on the ground. Jimmy turned to have a last look. He barely catches a glimpse of them disappearing in the trees silently. They vanished.
Buck stopped. He looked at Jimmy.
"Thats probably not the last we will see from them. There are more I'm sure."
They walk slowly now looking in the trees for any odd shapes. Slowly looking for the smallest of movement. The wind picks up bending the trees to its will.
"Darkness is coming Jimmy."
"Buck it looks like rain is coming as well."
The thunder is rolling over the mountains.
"Stay close!" Jimmy tells the girls as they ride deeper in the mountains. They come to a small cave.
"Wait here! Me and Jimmy will look inside."
"It's not deep but it will do just fine." Buck tells Jimmy.
"We will stay here tonight." Buck says.
The girls get down and hurry in the cave with their rifles. They make a small fire to warm the cave. That night the wind blows in the rain. It whistles and howls at the mouth of the cave. Jimmy tells the girls to relax and try to sleep as the wind blows late in the night.
Buck looks at Jimmy.
"You hear that? Jimmy?"
The hair on Jimmy arms stand up.
"Buck, what is that man?"
"It's them three out there."
Jimmy focuses as best he could to hear the screams.
"The girls were right Buck." Said Jimmy as he sat against his saddle.
"How could anyone want to stay here?" Jimmy asked.
"Jimmy, the spirits spoke to me. They said we would need to watch for danger lurking in the shadows. They said we needed to take heed to the power of water."
"What?' Jimmy asked. "What's that suppose to mean? I don't understand."
"Keep your guard up. The spirits never explain. I reckon they only bring warning to air the side of caution."
Buck holds his necklace tight as he stares out the cave entrance like death is knocking on the door.
The next day, they pack up and ride on down the trail making their way across the valleys and around the bends. They press on deeper in the mountain range. They come to a spot where the trees are scratched. Large chunks of bark are missing, the horses get spooky.
"It's a bear." Buck says.
"Where?"
"Up the hill to the right."
He was huge. A large black bear standing on his hind legs. He looked mean as the devil. He stood with his paws hanging down, sporting huge claws. He was curling his lips.
"Keep riding. Don't make no sudden moves." Buck says.
The bear dashes down the hill.
"Go! Go!" Jimmy screams.
They race down the trail. They look back to see the bear crossing the path making his way own down.
"Woo, that was close." Jimmy says.
"Let's keep our eyes open."
That afternoon was quiet. The clouds moved in as they passed over the mountains . The rain starts light at first.
"It looks set in." Kyra said looking back.
"Long as it don't get too bad, we should keep going." Buck says as the rain soaks his coat.
Jimmy and Buck gave the girls their old coats and hats to keep them dry. They press on dispite the rain getting heavier.
Buck works his way back to talk to Jimmy.
"I think we might need to find a place to wait the rain out. " Buck tells Jimmy.
"I think so to!" Jimmy says pointing at the mountain side. "Look how the water is coming off the mountain."
The narrow path their riding on is almost under water. The rain gets heavier.
"We need to find shelter!" Kyra yells.
They come around a bend to find large rocks had slid down on the trail bringing them to a stop.
"What are we going to do?" Kay asked.
"Let's ride down an back up if we can." Buck says.
Jimmy makes his way down the mountainside slowly.
"This is to steep!" Jimmy yells.
Kay and Buck had already started walking their horses down behind Jimmy.
"Well there ain't no going back!" Buck yells as the water rushes past the horses feet as the horses are sliding more than walking.
Kyra yells to Jimmy. "It's getting dangerous!"
"It's to steep for us to get off and walk them down!" Jimmy shouts. "We got to get going!"
The rain pours down on them as they make their way down the mountain. The girl's horse slid out from under them sending them spinning uncontrollably down the rain soaked mountainside. They scream for help but Jimmy and Buck can only watch as they slide past trees and rocks as they hold on for their life. Kay slides past a large tree almost taking her head off. The girl's horse hits a small tree ripping it up by the shallow roots. Jimmy's horse is hauling the guns. It starts to struggle as it digs down for traction.
"Easy, girl, easy." Jimmy says as the horse panics.
They're about one hundred feet from the bottom of the hill. Buck is holding on as his horse goes crazy. The horse falls out from under him, slamming him to the ground knocking him unconscious face down in the mud.
"No!" Jimmy screams bailing off his horse.
He tries desperately to maneuver his way over to Buck. He is slowly sliding down the hill from the rain water rushing under his lifeless body.
"Buck !" Jimmy screamed. "Buck can you hear me?!"
Lightning flashed as the thunder rolled, echoing in Jimmy's ears.
"Buck!" he screams as he digs and claws his way to his brother.
Finally in arms reach, Jimmy snatched Buck's face out the mud.
"You can't be dead!"Jimmy yells as the two of them continue sliding down the hill towards the water that has accumulated between the mountains.
Jimmy grabs Buck as they roll over to miss a jagged rock. Buck's face is covered in blood. Jimmy feels his heart falling as he slides holding Buck tight protecting him from any more harm. This can't be the end of our ride, Jimmy thinks. They plunge into the water. Jimmy struggles to find his footing as he desperately pulls at Buck's body, trying to keep his face above the water. Jimmy is relentless and manages to pull Buck up on a boulder. The thunder rumbled on as Jimmy grabbed his horse throwing Buck over the saddle. The water starts pulling at Jimmy's legs as it rushes down the the narrowing path. Jimmy's mind is racing. He has to get out of this water but there is no escaping from the power of the water. He hears Buck's voice speaking about his vision or is the spirits calling to him? Jimmy is overtaken with emotion. He feels his legs getting weak from the unforgivable conditions of the storm. Lightning is popping the mountains and the thunder is booming.
'Be brave, stand tall against your adversary I will guide you to the rocks.'
'Follow me, Brave Bear. We are with you and Running Buck.'
"Who's there?!" Jimmy screams as his eyes squinted shut from the pounding rain.
Jimmy fights the mighty power of the raging water. The ground gives way under him letting the water take his legs. He falls pulling his reins tight.
'Get up Brave Bear.'
He gets his footing with a loud roar. He's almost thrown to his feet. He can feel the presence of the spirits all around them. Jimmy sees a large rock face with a massive over hang. The water is cascading off the edge like a river flowing from the sky. Jimmy struggles to make it to the wall of water. As he pushes past the raging water, he feels the power crashing down on him like the mountain is stepping on his back . Finally he made it to safety
"Jimmy over here." The girls and both horses where hiding under the cliff.
"Help me! Buck is hurt!" They rush over and drag Buck down.
" Jimmy, is that you?" Buck whispers.
"Buck! Buck! Can you hear me? It's Jimmy, Buck talk to me brother."
Jimmy wipes the blood off Buck's face.
"They saw you brother." Buck says as he looks at Jimmy.
"Who Buck?" Jimmy asked.
"Chiefs an warriors from long ago. The spirits that guide us. Red bear was with us sliding down the mountain. He said he sees your spirit walking with me . He says you honor my people by the way you watched over me. He called you Brave Bear."
Buck slips under the darkness before he could speak all that he seen. All they can do is wait.