Briar Rose

by Jana Oliver

  ‘Sure is,’ Joshua said, keeping a firm hand on Arabella’s bridle as she danced around, spooked by the ghost and his unearthly mount.

  ‘Hear me, Rawlins. Do this race proper,’ Lily said, ‘or there will be hell comin’ yer way, do ya understand?’

  The haint reared back in brittle laughter, the kind that seemed to flay at Joshua’s skin. The sound sent Arabella skittering sideways, nostrils flaring.

  ‘Ain’t any different from the hell I’ve been livin’. People been ridin’ over my grave since the day I was hung. Some even pissed on me.’

  ‘You sold out the town to Sherman’s raiders. What did you expect?’ Briar called out.

  He zeroed in on her, making Joshua wish she’d kept silent.

  ‘I figured there had to be a Rose here.’ He grinned. ‘It was me that made sure that Elmer died that day. One bullet was all it took. Couldn’t have him bringin’ no more rebels to the fight, could I?’

  Briar’s mouth fell open. ‘You killed him?’

  ‘Sure nuff. He had his eyes on a girl I fancied. Name was Emmie. Fine little lady. Course she didn’t like my kind.’ Rawlins laughed again. ‘When I’m done, there won’t be any of yer families left in this county. I will find every one of them and I will kill them.’

  Joshua glared. ‘How’s about you shut the hell up and we race?’

  His mouth earned him the ghost’s fury, which was exactly what he’d hoped.

  ‘Ya Quinns were never kindly to us Rawlins. Said we was white trash, but I know yer no better than me and I’m gonna prove it.’ Rawlins adjusted himself on the horse. ‘So where are we goin’? We racin’ to Atlanta and back? Is it still on fire like I heard tell?’

  Joshua shook his head. ‘We are running south on the road to where the ford used to be. There’s a footbridge there now. Go over that and then back up the other side of the river to the road that goes to Bliss. The finish line is here at the crossroads.’

  ‘The hell it is,’ the ghost growled. ‘I ain’t no damned fool. I’m not goin’ anywhere near this place again.’ He pointed at Lily. ‘Not with that old witch around. She’ll just try to bind me again and I won’t stand for that.’

  Joshua gave Lily a panicked look.

  She shrugged. ‘Smarter than I figured him for. Then it don’t matter now.’

  ‘OK,’ Joshua began, then sighed. ‘Whoever crosses the river first at the bridge wins.’

  The ghost nodded his approval. ‘It ain’t gonna matter where we race cuz I’m gonna beat ya.’ He leaned forward on the horse. ‘When I’m free, I’ll be sure to treat yer family real special, Quinn. It was them that put this noose round my neck.’

  If I’m lucky, we’ll do it again.

  The course Joshua had picked was one he knew intimately. Over the years, he’d gone for hundreds of rides on that very stretch of ground, starting a couple years after he’d nearly drowned and Briar had been made off limits. Out here he could cry without anyone seeing him, and that way no one would make fun of him. Luckily his dad had understood.

  Now this very same course was a matter of life and death, for all of them. When he’d checked the route earlier in the evening, there was a small pine tree down close to the ford but he’d made no effort to shift the obstruction: Arabella would sail right over it. She loved to jump, and so did he.

  He stroked the horse fondly. ‘Easy, girl. I know it’s scary, but we’ll get through this.’ Arabella stomped nervously. She wasn’t liking the ghost one bit and his smoke-coloured mount looked as if it had been sired in hell.

  Joshua glanced at Briar, to gain strength, and maybe to say goodbye. His distraction proved an error. With a rebel yell, Rawlins kicked his horse and took off down the road.

  ‘You bastard!’ Joshua shouted.

  Arabella took off at a gallop, ears back and legs stretching. She lived for speed and that was the danger. They were racing at night and any little hole or tree root could send her crashing to the ground. The recent rain wasn’t helping the situation as clumps of mud flew from her hoofs.

  To his dismay, Rawlins remained in the lead as they reached the first curve, one of two before the footbridge. It was clear the ghost knew this path just as well as he did.

  Slowly Arabella began to gain ground as Joshua kept his profile low to cut the wind drag. The longer she went the more her pace evened out and soon she was eating road with every step. The pride hit him head on – this was the most magnificent animal he’d ever ridden, and she was doing all the work.

  ‘Good girl,’ he called, though he doubted she could hear him with the wind blowing past them. In the distance, the faint figure of the ghost appeared in front of him. ‘We’re gaining!’ he shouted. Could he win after all?

  As if his words were a spur in her side, Arabella picked up speed. She hated to lose and maybe, with some horsey instinct, she knew the stakes were far higher than bragging rights.

  The first curve came and went, leaving behind the side road that led to the old bridge. As they angled closer to the second curve they drew neck and neck. Rawlins was whipping his mount and Joshua swore he saw fire coming out of the horse’s mouth.

  Oh my God.

  The ghost glowered at him and the whip came his way, barely missing his eyes. Joshua instinctively dug in his heels and Arabella responded. The second curve was just ahead and beyond that, the downed tree he’d found earlier.

  Behind he could hear swearing and the cry of his opponent’s horse as Rawlins applied the whip even harder. The curve came and went and then Joshua was sailing over the pine like it wasn’t even there. Arabella didn’t land solid, but regained her footing and kept moving. Joshua leaned down, worried that she’d injured a foot, but there was no further break in stride.

  ‘That’s it, girl. You go!’

  And go she did. The last stretch to the river evaporated in what seemed to be a heartbeat. Joshua had to rein her back to make the footbridge – it was fairly new, only eight feet wide, and he didn’t want her to take it full gallop. The horse fought him, loving the speed, but he took control.

  Just as Arabella’s hoofs hit the ground on the far side, Rawlins came tearing up behind them. Joshua gave his horse a sharp kick and she took off on the path that led back up the river. He didn’t let her go, it was much narrower than the road, more treacherous.

  When he looked back, Rawlins was right on his tail and gaining. On instinct Joshua ducked as something bright flashed towards him as the ghost’s shimmering sword missed him by inches.

  ‘I’ll have ya yet, ya little rat!’ the man cried.

  Then they were neck and neck again, and his blade shot across Joshua’s forehead. Joshua gasped in pain. Arabella shied in fear and stumbled. His grip faltered and he was off her back and flying through the air before he had a chance to right himself. He hit the ground hard, and rolled, the breath knocked out of him.

  Rawlins’s laughter mocked him. For a moment he feared the ghost would run him through before he could rise, but instead the fend spurred his horse and thundered down the path.

  Joshua swore as he climbed to his feet. Using his shirt sleeve, he wiped blood off his face. To his relief, Arabella stood a short distance away, panting, her eyes wild. He walked up to her slowly and patted a sweaty flank.

  Swinging himself up into the saddle, he kicked her in the flanks. The race was lost and he knew it. Now it was a matter of protecting Briar and the others from the ghost’s wrath.

  ‘Come on, girl, let’s finish it, one way or another.’

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Once the riders were gone, Reena had loaded her great-gran and Briar into the car and driven south a short distance to the road that led to the old bridge. It wasn’t in use now, with barricades and warning signs to keep people away – none of which were a deterrent to them as they used flashlights to make their way on foot towards the dilapidated structure.

  The bridge had been built before the Civil War, a handy way to cross the river when it was running too high and Pike’s For
d was out of commission. Now it was in bad condition, a rotting reminder of the past.

  ‘This will have to do,’ Lily said. ‘Think ya can make it across there?’

  ‘I better or we’re in big trouble,’ Reena replied, her flashlight flitting here and there as she studied the gnarled structure.

  ‘But why here?’ Briar asked, puzzled.

  ‘Rawlins was too smart to go back to where we started,’ Lily explained. ‘But what he doesn’t know is that a bridge over a body of water will act as a crossroads. I can bind him here, but he has to be in the middle of it or it won’t work.’

  ‘Does Joshua know about this?’

  ‘I warned him it might happen this way, so we planned ahead. Once Rawlins is on the bridge, Reena will lay the conjure down on the other side. I’ll have done the same here. If all goes right, he won’t ever rise again.’

  Reena is going across the bridge. Though it was totally selfish, Briar heaved a sigh of relief. Her best friend heard it.

  ‘We all have our own fears,’ Reena said. ‘Mine isn’t water.’

  ‘So what can I do?’ Briar asked.

  ‘You can help me put down the trick on this side,’ Lily said as she handed Reena a burlap bag. ‘Good luck. Be safe, ya hear?’

  ‘Same for you two. Love you, Gran.’

  Briar watched with growing trepidation as her friend began testing the planking on their side of the bridge.

  ‘Man, this wood is way brittle,’ Reena reported. She walked forward a few steps, using her arms for balance. Boards bent under her weight and one cracked in two, causing her to readjust quickly or she’d have tumbled into the river below.

  ‘Keep those herbs dry,’ Lily warned.

  ‘I know, Gran,’ she replied patiently.

  ‘Come on, girl. Let’s get this ready.’

  Eager to have something to do, Briar nodded. ‘Yes, ma’am.’

  While her friend manoeuvred her way across the river, Briar was put to work laying down the magic on their side. It started with a line of red dust.

  ‘What is this stuff?’

  ‘Brick dust.’

  There were other curious things – bones and shells and whatnot. If Reena hadn’t found a way into the curse using this kind of magic, Briar would have thought it just plain silly.

  Her friend had barely made it to the middle of the bridge when it began to creak underneath her.

  ‘You OK out there?’ Briar called out.

  ‘Don’t know.’ Reena went down on her hands and knees, but the sounds continued to grow in intensity. ‘Don’t you dare break!’ she commanded as she jammed the bag between two boards.

  A moment later there was a deafening crack and she plunged into the swift and muddy river below.

  ‘Reena!’ The instant her friend’s head vanished under the water, Briar’s memories seized her. To her shame, her legs locked up and she couldn’t move to help her friend.

  ‘Reena? Ya OK, girl?’ Lily called, hobbling down the bank.

  Move. You’ve got to help her.

  She’d barely taken a few steps when there was a splash a short way downstream. It was followed by a muted swear word, then, ‘Yeah, I’m good. Give me minute and I’ll get back up there.’

  Briar let loose a joyous whoop as Lily came back up the bank. The old woman paused, listening, then shook her head.

  ‘There’s no time. Rawlins is on the other side now.’ Her old eyes turned towards Briar and she could hear the unspoken question.

  Do ya have what it takes to save us?

  Reena would not make it back to the bridge in time, and Lily was nearly ninety. There was only one person who could carry the magic to the other side of the river.

  Briar whimpered. ‘No, I can’t . . . The water—’

  ‘Ya can and ya must, girl,’ Lily said, grabbing hold of her arm in a tight grip. ‘Reena told me what ya did in that curse. Ya got the strength for it.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘There is no other choice. It’s that or yer young man dies. And a lotta other people.’

  Briar had never learned how to swim and even a few inches of bath water frightened her, the reason she only took showers. Was it possible to face the monster that lived in the river?

  ‘Girl?’ Lily said, shaking her. ‘Rawlins will be here soon. Ya have to be on the other side or this won’t work. Ya hear?’

  Briar shot a desperate look down the river and found Reena was still swimming towards the bank.

  It has to be me.

  ‘OK, I’ll try.’

  Lily explained exactly what she had to do, but it was hard for Briar to hear any of the instructions. She was too busy staring at the bridge.

  ‘Ya got that?’

  ‘Ah, yeah. Maybe.’

  ‘Go on, then.’

  Briar tried to convince herself this wasn’t any big deal, at least until the toe of her tennis shoes touched the first plank. Below her, the river monster woke from its slumber and snarled, licking its lips in anticipation.

  ‘Yer doin’ OK – just keep goin’,’ Lily urged.

  The first few feet of bridge were pretty good, and then the holes grew wider. The worst part was that she could see the water rushing below. Shaking with each step, she kept moving forward, keeping in mind what Rawlins would do to them if he won. How the town would burn once again.

  She was a Rose, and while Joshua’s people might not like that name, it came with certain responsibilities. Elmer had fulfilled his. Now it was her turn. Maybe some day down the line a descendant of hers would re-enact this very crossing.

  In time, Briar couldn’t remain upright with any degree of security, so she went down on to her hands and knees just as Reena had. The stifling smell of the river rose up and choked her.

  ‘That’s it!’ her friend called out. ‘You’re doing it!’

  As she crawled forward, she thought of Joshua, of his sweet smile, of how empty her life would be if he weren’t around. Despite everything, they were still a couple.

  I’ll be damned if I let some old ghost take him away from me.

  A sharp pain pierced her palm, a broken nail cutting into her flesh. Muttering under her breath, she wiped the hand on her jeans and kept moving. Luckily her tetanus shot was current.

  Just ahead of her was the bag Reena had left behind, and when she reached it Briar jammed it down her shirt. The heady scent of herbs cloaked the river’s stench and seemed to give her added courage.

  With a moan of despair, she realized she was only halfway across while beneath her the water continued to call out to her.

  ‘Go faster!’ Lily called out

  Sure. How hard can that be?

  Briar pushed on, then had to halt because there was a vast open section in front of her. As she calculated the best way to get round it, there was the sound of pounding hoofs. Joshua? Or the ghost?

  Unsure, she angled to the edge of the bridge, a move that offered up other perils as one of the boards might break and pitch her into the water below.

  The hoofbeats grew closer, along with the sound of a labouring horse. Down the path came the hellish mount, Rawlins on its back, his eyes alight with fire.

  Where’s Joshua? Is he hurt or . . .

  As she flattened herself on one of the planks, Rawlins reined his horse to a stop at the edge of the bridge.

  ‘Ah, hell,’ Reena swore, for once not fearing her elders’ wrath.

  The sound of another horse drew closer as Joshua rode into sight. The moment Arabella saw the ghost, she snorted and reared, refusing to come any closer.

  ‘You cheated, you bastard!’ Joshua shouted as he fought to control her.

  ‘Yeah, so what?’ Rawlins called back. ‘Ya see that?’ he said, pointing to the other side of the bridge. ‘Just a little further and I win. Ain’t that somethin’?’

  ‘Not unless you’re across the water,’ Joshua replied. He slid off his horse and began walking towards the bank. ‘It’s whoever crosses first. I still might win.’

 
Rawlins snorted. ‘If that’s what ya want, boy. Just know that when I get on the other side my sword is gonna to be buried deep in those womenfolk.’

  ‘No! This is between us, no one else.’

  The ghost wasn’t listening to him. ‘Where are you, girl? I smell ya.’ He shifted his horse around, searching the bridge. ‘Come out, now!’

  Briar had no choice but to stand and reveal her position. He would have found her eventually. ‘I’m here,’ she said, trying hard to balance on a couple of partially rotted planks. He and his mount were in front of her now. She had to get past him to set the magic before he reached the far bank.

  ‘Briar?’ Joshua said in astonishment.

  ‘Yeah, look at me. Standing on a rickety bridge over a bunch of –’ she couldn’t say the ‘w’ word – ‘moving stuff.’

  Rawlins laughed as if he knew her fear. Then he proved it by causing the river to jet up and splash her. She cried out, but didn’t move. Another wave came up and this time she was ready for it.

  ‘No wonder they hanged you,’ she said, glaring up at the fiend.

  His sword flashed and then it was pointed directly at her. Given the vicious slice on Joshua’s face, it’d already been put to use.

  Rawlins’s horse clambered forward, hovering in open air where no planking existed, the sword shining silver in the dark night. Joshua plunged down the bank and into the water, wading as fast as he could, Arabella right behind. The strength of the river’s current nearly pulled him off his feet.

  As Rawlins moved closer to her, Briar dodged, hoping to scurry around him, but was forced to lurch backwards just as the sword’s tip flew past her nose. The spectral horse pranced around and she swore she could feel flames on her back.

  A wave of water burst upward again, trying to slap her down. Briar’s fingers desperately grasped on to a rough-hewn board, the splinters digging into her palms. Beneath her the water sang to her, urging her to let go, to allow it to carry her away in its cold arms.

  No way.

  She wriggled her butt, trying to move closer to the next board. Above her the faint moonlight was blocked out by the glimmering underside of Rawlins’s mount as it stood in the middle of the bridge.