Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
And then, she explained to them that an Indian woman had taught her this, and clarified the reasons as to why, and after much prayer, she found it to be true.
The settlers began to notice more and more wolves showing up in the forest. The fear began to grow once again. The old woman and her husband now, too, said that those wolves were Stone’s mate and pups, and his entire new pack, and they also must not be hunted, shot and killed. They should not make the same mistake twice, for if they did, the big gray wolf may not turn the other cheek a second time. For a lonely wolf who is sloven and sad, but indebted to the river, will heed the blessings and resist his urges of revenge. He will give them grace, and gifts of peace instead. But a lonely wolf who is drunk on anger and vengeance, that has forsaken the river’s magic, will deliver a season of blood to his tormentors, and that season will never end. The gift of death will continue until the dawn of time.
Hold the gifts close that the wolf’s existence provides, and receive them with thy whole heart.
Stone, Nina, their pups, and the wolves of their pack lived long lives in that forest. Word has it that when there is a full moon late at night, you look down into that river. And when you get real still, and you just stare for a while, you will see Stone’s face staring right back up at you…
Kage cut another slice from the Red Delicious apple and handed it to Poet. They were sitting by the river that ran through his property. It was a nice day. Not too cold, not too hot. The sun was bright and pretty in the sky, and few clouds masked the view. Relaxing on a blanket, they’d begun their day with a late morning, and an early lunch. There was so much to do on his property that he was rarely bored. He could go swimming. Fishing. Hunting. Relaxing. Camping. Even take naps here and there. Now, he wished to share it with her, too.
Poet chewed the slice of apple and looked around. She’d been doing a lot of that lately. Taking in the sights.
“It’s so nice here. So peaceful. You’ve got so much land, you could build a couple more houses on here, easily, and still have plenty of land left after that, too. You know what you need?”
“What?” he asked around a mouthful of apple.
“An outdoor grill. Not like the ones you get from Lowes, but a real outside kitchen.”
“Funny you should mention that, Possum. I’m gonna put a barbecue pit ’round here, too.” He pointed up ahead. “’Round there yonder. Just need to decide what kind. I figure I can build a little park one day, slides, monkey bars, ’nd swings, if I ever—” He stopped mid-sentence, swallowing his words. “Here you go.”
Poet took another slice of apple from him, popped it in her mouth, and chewed.
“Thank you for telling me that story ’bout the wolf and river. I enjoyed it. You’re an amazing storyteller, man. You’ve got the voice for it, too. You should work in radio, or be a narrator. I’d never heard the tale of the wolf and the river before. It was sad, beautiful, and inspirin’, too. Your grandmama told you that story, huh?”
“Yup. And I always remembered it. It resonated with me for some reason.” He looked off to the right at nothing in particular. “She told it to me a few times, actually. I hope one day I can tell… never mind.” He slipped his knife against the apple, cut out a wedge, and popped it in his mouth. He hated how he kept drifting to the wrong damn thing. The words formed on the tip of his tongue, and sat there, waiting to be spoken and heard. Maybe it was the story that conjured these dreams up? His wishes and hidden desires.
“It’s okay. You’ve got children on the brain.” She leaned in close, lowered her thick black lashes, and kissed him. A pleasant chill waved throughout his body at her touch.
“Yeah… I was just thinkin’ about the future I guess is all. What I want outta life. How to move forward. How’s Melba now?” He asked, desperately wishing to switch topics as he removed the top from a couple of Coke bottles, and passed her one.
“She’s much better. Thank the Lord.” Poet sighed. A few days ago, Poet had explained something awful had happened with her neighbor. After all was said and done, she ended up at the hospital bedside of a woman who’d given her nothing short of grief. Now, things were different. Arrangements were being made for this old lady’s husband to be cared for in a nursing home, and she was getting the care she needed, too. Melba was still in the hospital due to dehydration, and a few other medical issues they’d discovered, but according to Poet, she’d be released in the next couple of days, and could recover at home. Poet had already made a schedule, and plans to drop in and check on Melba. Make sure her house was cleaned up, and she had fresh food to eat, too.