Killdeer Dance
Page 1
Killdeer Dance
Ronn Fryer
© 2017 - Ronn Fryer
Library of Congress # 1- 6241159713
All Rights Reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
For information concerning the fire tower once located at Seven Mile Hill in Oscoda, please refer to the author’s comments at the completion of the story.
For Daisy, whose insight, suggestions and unbelievable patience helped in more ways than I can possibly credit. 143
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Part 1
Chapter 1 – Ultimate Sacrifice
Chapter 2 - Officer Down
Chapter 3 – Wilderness Adoption
Chapter 4 – Raccoon Eyes
Chapter 5 – Solution in Hand
Chapter 6 – Rockabilly Reelin’
Chapter 7 – Home Sweet Home
Chapter 8 – Birth of a Friendship
Chapter 9 – Shock and Awe
Chapter 10 – Self Imposed Miranda
Chapter 11 – Mirror, Mirror
Chapter 12 - A Fitting Tribute
Chapter 13 – Girl Sense
Chapter 14 – Skybox Scrutiny
Chapter 15 – Litmus Test
Chapter 16 – Let There Be Light
Chapter 17 – Size Doesn’t Matter
Chapter 18 – Insufficient Adjectives
Chapter 19 – Pieces of the Sky
Chapter 20 – Beautiful Scenery
Chapter 21 – June’s Demise
Part 2
Map 2 | Chapter 1 – New Friends
Chapter 2 – Dystopian Downpour
Chapter 3 – Rock-a-Bye Baby
Chapter 4 – Wet Campsite Morning
Chapter 5 – Moose Tracks
Chapter 6 - Little Faker
Chapter 7 – Ramona’s Reverie
Chapter 8 – Amphibian Ambush
Chapter 9 – Protect and Serve
Chapter 10 - Instant Idiom
Chapter 11 - Hide and Sneak
Chapter 12 - If Wishes Were Horses
Chapter 13 – Stacy’s Plan
Chapter 14 – Heavenly Healing
Chapter 15 – Charmed Circle
Chapter 16 – Party On Girls
Chapter 17 – Can’t Touch This
Chapter 18 – Say Cheese
Chapter 19 - Getting It
Chapter 20 – Silence My Old Friend
Chapter 21 – Role Model
Chapter 22 – Second Fifth Element
Chapter 23 – Sticks and Stones
Chapter 24 – Six to the Good
Chapter 25 – Outhouse Derby
Chapter 26 – Riverside Reprieve
Chapter 27 – Shaky Start
Chapter 28 – No We In Team
Chapter 29 – Ink Envy
Chapter 30 – Curious Critter
Chapter 31- Pretty Is As
Chapter 32 – Scenic Stalemate
Chapter 33 – Beggars Would Ride
Chapter 34 – Splish Splash
Chapter 35 – Three Time’s a Charm
Chapter 36 – Or Should I Go?
Chapter 37 – With Or Without You
Chapter 38 – Au Natural
Chapter 39 – Miss Gendered
Chapter 40 – Here’s Looking At You Kid
Chapter 41 – Quiet Reunion
Chapter 42 – A Rose By Any Other Name
Chapter 43 - Girlfriend
Chapter 44 – No Inclination Required
Chapter 45 – Insufficient Evidence
Chapter 46 – I Hate Rabbits
Chapter 47 – Got It
Part 3
Chapter 1 - Run Bunny, Run
Chapter 2 – Bonbons
Chapter 3 – Arvy’s Cache
Chapter 4 – Letter from Nice
Chapter 5 – Tina Gives Notice
Chapter 6 – Cal’s Gift
Chapter 7 – Setting the Kits Free
Chapter 8 – Hitting the Road
Author’s Comments
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About the Author
Part 1
May - June
Chapter 1 – Ultimate Sacrifice
Olivia heard the boys before she saw them. Actually, she heard the mother fox. It was hard to determine exactly what was going on looking down through any of the fire tower windows, but the vixen’s anguished cry, followed by the boys’ sick laughter, told her enough.
As if possessed, she jumped from behind the Osborne Fire-Finder, ripped open the trap door and all but threw herself down the stairs to the platform below where the vertical ladder to the ground began, or ended, depending on the time of day. Her feet knew the treads intimately – after all, she’d been climbing them at least twice every day. Occasionally, due to an overdue restroom visit, she did take them a bit hastily. But, even if her descent may have been slightly hurried at times, it was never reckless – until now.
Underestimating the danger of slipping off the narrow rungs was beyond foolish. The forest floor below, blanketed with little more than a thin layer of pine needles would hardly cushion a fall from high above the tallest treetops. Compassion, however, overpowered Olivia’s better judgment.
The boys didn’t notice her at first; the sound of her crashing through the brush didn’t even register until she came within a few yards of their carnage. They were too busy enjoying themselves torturing the fox.
“What the hell are you doing?” she screamed.
Bobby, the bigger of the two, looked over his shoulder, mildly surprised, but hardly intimidated. She was just a girl, and not much of one at that. Her uniform was the only thing that concerned him in the least. Slacker didn’t even look up. He was too intent on clubbing the little canine with his shovel.
Terrified, the animal could have easily escaped, but protecting her kits was more important than her own life. A low growl emitted from the depths of her throat just before the shovel came down flat on her head.
Olivia recoiled in pain as if she’d been the one hit. This was not just a case of boys will be boys – she was witnessing a premeditated murder. Despite such a heinous act, they were actually filled with glee, and totally unrepentant. The danger she faced confronting such wanton behavior should have been obvious. Even so, like the fox, the fire tower girl ignored her own safety; her entire being now completely focused on preventing another life-threatening blow upon one of God’s beautiful creatures.
But what weapon did a one hundred and ten pound girl have against two high school football players? Her eyes searched the ground in desperation. All that lay between her and the shovel-wielding halfback was a freshly fallen branch. Although hardly intimidating, the three foot length of spindly pine was her only option.
With eyes gleaming, Slacker raised his shovel again. Vaguely aware of the girl’s presence, he continued, funneling all his strength into the downward arc of the garden tool’s blade. Olivia couldn’t fathom how anyone could be this sadistic. In spite of the notion that there’s good in everyone, most people who knew Slacker considered him a lost cause. About the only thing they could say was he wasn’t as cruel as Bobby – tragically, it was an observation Olivia was yet to attest to. For the moment, it didn’t seem possible that anyone could be this unconscionable. While his henchman-in-crime egged him on, the absolute pleasure on Slacker’s face was undeniable.
Adrenaline summoning every ounce of her strength, Olivia lunged at him. Without any feasible plan of action, she at least hoped t
o break his swing.
Slacker’s attention may have been undivided, but his accomplice’s was not. Despite Bobby’s intense focus on cutting off any escape route by the fox, his peripheral vision nevertheless caught the girl’s advance. His response was swift and merciless. Demonstrating all his gridiron prowess, he caught her arm and wrenched the branch from her grasp, nearly snapping her wrist in the process.
Although he would later claim she was trying to hit them with the branch, it was a blatant lie. He just wasn’t about to let the little twit ruin their fun. And, for added insurance, he squarely round-housed her in the face.
The punch broke her nose, splattering scarlet drops upon the fallen leaves like a spring shower as Olivia dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Chapter 2 - Officer Down
Ironically, it was only Olivia’s limp body that stopped the boys. Bobby felt no remorse for his actions, the little bitch had it coming. He simply balked at the thought of impeding trouble. His old man would shit if he got kicked off the team. He was indispensable, everybody knew it, especially the coach; special treatment was a given – still, this was a little more than just getting busted with a pack of smokes or beer on your breath. Even so, he wasn’t about to lose his cool over it.
Slacker wasn’t as good at hiding his fear. Although Olivia was lying face down, you couldn’t miss the blood sprinkled everywhere. It wouldn’t have been that big of a deal, except for her damn uniform – forest green, with an official looking patch on her shoulder. He didn’t remember seeing a badge, but girl or not, she could have been a damn DNR officer. The suspicion alone made him drop the shovel as if the handle had suddenly caught fire. “Do you think she’s all right?” he whined.
“How the fuck do I know?” Bobby answered with his classic scowl. Slacker could be such a dumb-shit. Nevertheless you had to use your head. Hesitant to leave any damaging evidence of his handiwork, he leaned forward and visually examined Olivia’s torso. He couldn’t be sure, but it looked like she was breathing. “She’s probably just knocked out,” he concluded, attempting to pacify his accomplice.
Unable to take his eyes off Olivia’s prostrate form, Slacker stepped wide around her inanimate body and walked right into an overhanging branch. The scratch across his cheek didn’t bother him nearly as much as his own clumsiness. As if it were nothing more than a few drops of sweat, he wiped the trickle of blood away with the back of his soiled hand and asked, “Whatty we gonna do?”
Bobby gave him a look reminding him just how much of an idiot he was. “We ain’t gonna do shit!” Without another glance at the unconscious girl or the mutilated animal, he muttered, “Grab your fucking shovel,” and started trudging back through the trees to their El Camino parked along the sandy two-track, two hundred yards off Bissonette Road.
Chapter 3 – Wilderness Adoption
It was nearly an hour before Olivia came to. She opened her eyes to a blurry world and a splitting headache. When she tried to sit up, everything started to spin. Not daring to stand, she braced herself against the ground, tucked her legs beneath her and slowly twisted upright.
Trying to regain her senses, she simply sat amongst the leaves for a few minutes. The pain in her nose was almost unbearable and she winced at the slightest touch. Even without a mirror she knew it was out of place; more than likely broken, and probably needed to be reset.
Tough guys in the movies simply reset their own nose, but Olivia was hardly a tough guy. The throbbing helped her rationalize that it might be best to leave it alone for now. The blood had already caked, her nose was obviously swollen and breathing was hard enough without further aggravation. Maybe she’d just lie back down for a bit until the cotton in her brain cleared. Faint yelping from the dug-up mound of sand, however, yanked her from her hazy cloud. Startled by this little slice of reality, Olivia forced her eyes to focus.
Two kits, barely indistinguishable from oversized mice, were floundering at the edge of the gouged opening. They were absolutely precious. To her horror, however, her eyes caught the image of their mother laying before them, lifeless on the ground. The boys had been successful; the innocuous creature’s life had been sacrificed for an afternoon’s amusement.
Olivia retched at the sight.
Cradling her nose with one hand, she used the other to pull herself up by grasping a low branch. Steadying her legs best she could, she fought the dizziness and stood. It wasn’t easy.
Unable to face the carnage, she ripped her eyes from the vixen, silently vowing to return as soon as she could. The valiant animal deserved a decent burial, but its babies needed every ounce of her attention now. Adoption in the wild lacks all formality; survival doesn’t have time to waste on permission.
With their eyes yet to open, the kits squirmed and stumbled, searching blindly for their mother. Olivia was hardly a girlie-girl; working up in a fire tower a hundred feet above the ground took fortitude. Even so, when she stepped over the vixen’s tortured body, the damn burst. There was no shame, of course, it was the least she could do. The fox deserved a fitting tribute, even if it was only a face full of tears. Sadly, it was all she could offer – that, and taking over her duties. All good intentions aside, however, time was crucial.
Approaching the defenseless creatures as carefully as she could, Olivia reached out her free hand. Their eyes may have been closed but their mouths were wide open. Even if the strange fingers didn’t feel like teats, empty bellies couldn’t be picky.
She cupped the first one and brought it to her chest as its tiny legs paddled the air. Ignoring the throbbing between her own eyes, she released her nose, and did her best to shut out the pain.
As she reached for the remaining kit, it sniffed her hand. The odor was nothing he recognized, but it was warm and soft. Warm and soft was good, but fleeting against hunger.
Olivia slid her hand underneath its little body and raised it gently. Bringing her hands together, she hoped proximity would, at least temporarily, reassure the tiny siblings.
The quarter mile back to her cabin usually took only a few minutes, fifteen at the most, but climbing the old railroad embankment was tricky. Footholds alone weren’t enough. Free hands were needed to grab any available branch, as you literally pulled yourself up – or, braced yourself from tumbling straight down.
Olivia unbuttoned the pockets of her shirt and slipped a kit in each. She was hardly buxom; it wasn’t size, however, that was needed to soothe the bewildered kits. Even if they didn’t understand human gibberish or baffling concepts like surrogate, they were quick to comprehend the reassurance of a warm parental heartbeat.
Chapter 4 – Raccoon Eyes
As soon as Olivia got back to her cabin she went straight to the bedroom for a shoebox. The only one she had was full of pictures but they were hardly a priority. She dumped them on the bed unceremoniously and began hunting for something soft to line the box with. Since a towel was far too big, she opted for the next best choice. Rummaging through her dirty clothes, she found an old Michigan State T-shirt that had seen better days. It was a small sacrifice. Even though she’d had it since her freshman year, sentimentality surrendered to pragmatism. Time was of the essence and the throbbing in her nose was relentless. Jogging back the last few yards had probably not been the best idea, but the kits started getting fidgety. One kept scratching her and the other had relieved himself. She wasn’t really upset though, motherhood obviously came with certain challenges. The stain would most likely come out and she could barely wait to change her clothes anyway.
Getting them out of her pockets wasn’t a problem. She just peeled the flaps open and plucked them by the scruff of their neck. Hardly a pediatric expert, she nevertheless reasoned that babies were babies. Foxes couldn’t be much different than dogs, or even cats for that matter. Imitating their mode of infant-transport seemed logical. It certainly was worth trying, parenthood basically being on the job training anyway. As gently as she could, she laid them in the box and began unbuttoning her shirt.
They instantly began to yelp.
Their bellies demanded milk, but in order to address that problem Olivia first had to deal with a more pressing one – her nose. The pain was relentless; she couldn’t concentrate on anything with this incessant throbbing. But, no matter how much she tried to convince herself of her toughness, this was going to take some serious fortitude.
Her first inclination was to crank up the pickup and rush into Oscoda. The nearby town was hardly Detroit; local doctors would most likely take pity on her, see her without an appointment. But there just wasn't time. Even if they squeezed her in, she feared the kits wouldn’t survive until her return. Like it or not, it was time to put on her big girl panties. So, with no other option, Olivia sucked in the deepest breath possible and headed to the bathroom.
She reeled at her image in the mirror. Her nose was caked with dried blood, both eyes were already black, although the area around her right eye was starting to resemble a gothic rainbow. She knew her face would be a mess, but she had no idea it was this hideous. Bobby should certainly be proud of his handiwork.
Despite the fear welling up in her stomach, she chastised further procrastination – do it now, deal later.
Summoning courage born solely out of desperation, Olivia reached up and grasped the midpoint of her nose, then closed her eyes. This wasn’t open-heart surgery, it was just cartilage – it required bravery, not eyesight. She hesitated one last moment.
“Oh what the hell! Here goes nothing!”
She sucked in the deepest breath possible and jerked her hand to the left.
For a microsecond it felt as if she’d shoved her finger in a light socket. To her amazement, however, the pain then all but disappeared. Closely inspecting her reflection, it seemed her nose was once again, straight. The sigh she released was a personal best.
Cautiously optimistic that her efforts had been successful, she carefully sniffed. Except for the swelling, it almost felt normal. Even silently, she had no words to express her relief. Even beyond her relief, she couldn’t help feeling proud. So much so, she all but forgave herself for the wet splotch inside her baggy, green trousers.