[2014] Wildwood Shadows

by Scott McElhaney

  I didn’t realize it at the moment because the candlelight wasn’t sufficient, but Wildwood was staring at me with tears in her eyes. I noticed a moment later when she stepped closer and the light shone on her features. She shook her head and then looked down at the boots she adored.

  “My mother would say that it wasn’t even a fair trade. She’d probably ask you to find a few more ‘moccasins’ you liked. She’d probably tell you to take whatever clothing you wanted as well,” I said, “Those boots are yours, Wildwood, and I know my mother well enough to say that she would truly offer you a whole lot more in trade of her son’s life.”

  She walked over to me and put her arms around my neck. With the candles to her back, I couldn’t read her expression in the shadows.

  “You make me want to marry you again and again,” she said.

  “Marriage is just a one-time thing,” I said with a grin.

  “I thought marriage was what we did earlier in the tall grass,” she countered.

  “No, that was what consummated the marriage. That sealed the deal,” I chuckled, “Afterward, it’s just something we get to share as often as we want.”

  “I want to share it now,” she said.

  In less than thirty seconds, the candles were moved to the dresser and the shoes that I’d dumped earlier were flung to the floor. We viciously removed each other’s clothing as we took to the queen-size bed. This time, we tested the springs lying down and all the while, she managed to keep the boots on.

  Hakowisila

  Much to our surprise, neither of us were tired after twice for me and three times for her. We lie together in the flickering candlelight gazing upon each other. I was grateful she wasn’t as shy as last time as she lie next to me uncovered. I traced my fingers along her borders, feeling every curve with just my fingertips.

  “Why does it smell like lilac, pine, and spruce in here?” she asked.

  “It’s the candles,” I chuckled, “Unfortunately, we must suffer through discontinued Christmas scents mixed with Old Lady scents if we want lighting.”

  She laughed at this. She then took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

  “I like the smell,” she said, “I’ve always loved lilacs, but pine? Who would want to smell pine in their home when it’s inescapable everywhere anyway?”

  “It’s one of those questions I’ve never been able to answer,” I replied.

  “Is it safe to sleep with the candles going?” she asked, taking another deep breath.

  “Yes.”

  She was already sound asleep before I could even trace my fingers back up to her face. I tugged the blanket up and covered her. Then I slipped out of bed and took one of the candles with me into my bedroom. In my dresser, I located another pair of jeans and two t-shirts. I also got another long sleeve shirt.

  I then checked under my bed where I believe I once stored my giant SOG knife. I couldn’t see very well even with the light from the candle, so for the most part, I just felt around down there. The item I was looking for was a knife similar to the one Rambo used to carry, except that mine was all black and it didn’t have any of the cool trinkets inside the handle. I don’t even recall why I purchased such an enormous monstrosity, but I’m sure it had something to do with it simply looking so wicked.

  I sifted through my old Nerf guns and even found my missing spare Xbox controller. A lot of good that would do me now. Finally my hand settled on the nylon sheath that was over a foot long. I brought it out and tugged the blade from the sheath. This enormous knife was probably just a couple inches away from being classified as a machete. I never thought this would ever be anything more than something to show off to my friends, but now it would prove to be a necessity. My belt was going to start getting real heavy now.

  I slid the knife back into the sheath and then placed it on my stack of clothing. I took the pile into the living room. Then I went into the kitchen and checked the cabinet for a lightweight frying pan. This didn’t take long since we used the thing quite often. I also took one of the smaller pans as well and then brought them to the pile I was creating on the floor.

  I found a nice soft throw in the towel closet and unfolded it. This was one of those fleece blankets that are so soft, they feel like they are made of plush. I laid the blanket out on the floor and set the supplies in the middle with the exception of the knife. As an afterthought, I rushed into the bathroom and grabbed a bottle of body wash that had never been used and a bottle of shampoo that was still nearly full. I took a few washcloths from the closet as well. I was in dire need of a bath, even if that bath would have to be taken in the cold river. Wildwood could use one as well. I dropped these onto the blanket with the other stuff.

  I then returned to the bedroom and grabbed both of my mother’s sneakers. I put the sturdier pair on the blanket and then unlaced the other pair because I needed the laces to tie the roll when I was done. I returned to the room and grabbed two pairs of my mom’s jeans, two t-shirts, and one of the hoodies from her closet. I also grabbed three pairs of socks and two pairs of panties. Since the jeans might be a little loose on Wildwood, I also took one of my mom’s plain brown belts.

  I set the stuff down and then eyed the box of candles nearby. I took two jars, both lilac, and set them on the blanket. I then rolled them inside the jeans to protect them from breaking. I set the lighter in there as well.

  Finally, I felt confident that I had everything I wanted from the house. I folded the sides of the blanket over the cache and then rolled it up. I tied it closed with both the shoe strings I got from the shoes we weren’t bringing. Then I went in to the kitchen and grabbed the portable cooler from under the sink. It was the soft kind that could only hold a six-pack and some ice. It wasn’t the cooler that I wanted however. It was the adjustable shoulder strap. I unhooked it, expanded the length all the way, and then hooked it onto the two shoelaces on my makeshift camp roll.

  I blew out the candles in the living room and then took the roll, the knife, and my candle with me into the bedroom. I set the stuff at the foot of the bed, then returned the candle to the dresser alongside the other. I crawled back into bed and covered up with the blanket. She moved into my arms and sometime later, I fell asleep.

  Kwakilla

  I awoke to the sight of Wildwood getting dressed near the side of the bed. She smiled at me and then picked up my clothes and tossed them to me.

  “The spirits told me what to do last night,” she said, walking over and sitting on the bed next to me, “They spoke of a tribe living on one of the lakes beyond the Portage. I know of no tribes there, but the spirits told me to go. We should listen to them.”

  “But wasn’t it said that the spirits would be against us or something like that?” I asked.

  I sat up, feeling an ache in my legs and especially in my feet. I rubbed my left foot, trying to work out the bruised feeling deep inside.

  “No, I honored the spirits by honoring the wishes of the village. By leaving, I made things right,” she replied.

  She took hold of my foot and pressed her thumbs into the arch, rubbing it in such a way that a groan escaped me. She continued up to the base of my toes before taking hold of my other foot.

  “Your feet are much too soft,” she said, by way of a reprimand, “Like that of a baby. How can you survive out there with no callous? This isn’t good, Maddox.”

  “I’m just not accustomed to walking so much,” I replied, “As a matter of fact, I don’t really walk anywhere usually.”

  “Never?” she asked, “I guess that explains why you looked so worn out yesterday at dinner.”

  “Worn out? You could tell?” I asked.

  “You grunted or moaned quietly each time you knelt down,” she said, “It was as though it hurt you to bend your legs. And I didn’t think you were going to be able to get up from the fire where we cooked the rabbit.”

  “You weren’t supposed to notice,” I whined jokingly, “I’m a tough outdoorsman who can handle the Indian lifestyle.”r />
  “Outdoorsman? Never heard of that word before,” she said, “But the feel of your feet makes me pity you now. Will mine become this weak as well after wearing these cloud moccasins?”

  “Cloud moccasins?” I laughed.

  “That’s what I’ve come to call them,” she replied, releasing my feet and drawing her legs up onto the bed, “I can only guess that they are made of fawn on the outside and clouds in the inside.”

  “I’m glad you like them,” I said, “And yes, your feet will probably become a little softer wearing shoes like these.”

  “I will have to be careful not to wear them too much then,” she said, rising and then pointing to my clothes as an afterthought, “Get dressed so we can find shelter before the rain.”

  “Rain?” I asked, uncovering.

  “There’s a red sky where the sun rises. Bad weather is coming,” she said.

  “Great,” I grunted sarcastically.

  I finished getting dressed and then slipped my boots on. I slid my belt off and then made sure to run it through my knife sheath before putting it back on. The knife would be situated backwards on my left side while the Glock remained on my right. I then located more ammunition for both weapons in the gun safe, pondering for a moment on whether to take the revolver or not. The amount of weight I was going to be carrying was the deciding factor when it came to leaving the other weapon.

  I tucked the ammunition into my Indian backpack. Then I tossed the camp roll over my shoulder and let it rest on my side overtop of the knife. Wildwood offered to trade the shotgun for the camp roll, claiming that she’d rather stick to her bow and arrows for the time being. I agreed with the trade, warning her to be careful because of the glass candles tucked inside the rolled blanket.

  “Did you want anything else before we leave?” Wildwood asked, standing in the doorway, “I doubt we’ll ever be back.”

  I looked around the house, thinking of all the things I wished I could bring. I wanted to bring some photos. I wanted my coin collection with the roll of 1889 Morgan dollars I got from my grandmother last year. I wanted my Kindle. I wanted my 3DS. I wanted to bring so much, but it would only weigh me down and none of it would prove useful in this world.

  Suddenly, I remembered something. I held up a finger to let her know to give me a minute. I went to the coat closet and located what I was searching for. If the rain was coming as she said it would, we’d find temporary shelter under a nice blue umbrella. While it might have seemed silly, it could be the difference between sleeping in wet clothes or not.

  I came bounding down the stairs and then opened the door for her. I took one last look inside the house and then followed her out into the infinite wilderness.

  Part Two

  Exile

  Niyaawe

  We started toward the woods where we normally would go in order to head back to the village, but then she veered to the right. We made our way to the back of the house and then entered the woods through a gateway bordered by two walnut trees. I didn’t know that these were walnut trees of course until I asked her why there were dried up oranges on the ground. Apparently walnuts in nature didn’t look like the peach pits I’d seen in stores. They had some odd looking casings that truly reminded me of a dried up orange.

  It wasn’t long before we located an Indian trail that appeared to head north and south. She stopped and seemed to ponder taking the trail for a moment, but thought better of it and cut across the path into the wild woods again. She stopped suddenly and motioned for me to kneel down next to her. I crept over to her, wondering if we were trying to avoid detection. Instead, she wanted to show me a patch of poison oak.

  “You don’t want to get anywhere near this stuff and definitely make sure you don’t ever burn it,” she said, turning to me, “Take a good look at it and memorize it, Maddox.”

  I did just that. We bypassed the large patch of weeds and then continued onward through the woods. The wind was gradually picking up and the birds were chatting less and less. After about an hour of navigating through the ancient forest, we came across a vast stretch of high grass, brambles, weeds, and thorns. It was a sea of grass, all of it rising at least waist-high, flowing back and forth like waves tossed in the wind. The moths and flies were out in full force, making the scene all the more unappealing.

  “We need to get across this in order to locate the caves near Turtle Lake. I’ve never seen them myself, but I’ve heard about them from other hunters,” she said.

  “Is there a chance we’ll find poison ivy or poison oak in all that grass?” I asked, truly hesitant to even dive into the ocean of grass.

  “There’s pretty much everything in there and we’ll have little chance of seeing anything until it’s too late,” she said, “Which is why we’re bringing these with us.”

  She knelt down and grabbed two sturdy branches from the many that littered the forest floor. She handed me one and kept the other for herself.

  “Stab the grass in front of you, making sure to drag it a little across the ground,” she said, “The goal is to frighten away any snakes or rodents that are hiding in the grass.”

  “Snakes again?” I groaned.

  “Yes, but the goal is not to startle them with our feet. If we can startle them with the sticks, that will be fine, but not with our legs or feet,” she said.

  “I never really thought of Ohio as such a dangerous place before,” I said, “I don’t think I like the place as much as I used to.”

  “Ohio!” she turned to me, “You know two Iroquois words. I’m impressed. Ohio means ‘good river’ and Cuyahoga means ‘crooked river’. I’ve now heard you say both.”

  “We call this whole area Ohio. A larger area than you could walk in a whole season,” I said, “And the Cuyahoga is the name of the river.”

  “Yes, it’s still the name of the river. But Ohio isn’t the name of our land.”

  She turned back to the sea of grass and then pointed off to the horizon. It was still morning and yet some black skies loomed in the distance.

  “We’d better get moving,” she said, “Follow close and keep that stick moving.”

  Without waiting for a response, she headed into the high grass. We had barely made it ten meters before it was so dense in growth that we had to force our way through. Some of the taller weeds with innocent blue flowers budding on top insisted on embedding microscopic thorns into my arms and hands. Another unknown weed with tiny yellow flowers scraped my flesh, leaving me itching non-stop.

  All the while, the mosquitos and flies provided a steady nuisance to both of us. I finally gave up on swatting them away because it served no purpose whatsoever. The thunder was now rumbling in the distance and as of yet, we offered ourselves as prime targets for the sky’s angry lightning bolts. There was nothing higher than the two of us in the open field, so we would definitely be toast soon if we didn’t speed things up.

  “Stop!” she hollered.

  “Stop? Do you hear the thunder?” I asked.

  She kept her stick jabbed into the ground and then walked to the left, giving the end of the stick a wide berth.

  “Snake,” she said.

  I was stunned to the point of not being able to move. I saw the size of the holes in her moccasins and didn’t want to feel such a thing in the side of my leg. I’d heard of being frozen in fear, but never thought such a thing could happen to me. It’s like that moment when a teenage girl finds herself face-to-face with a horror villain like Freddy Kruger or Jason. They just stand there instead of running and all the while, those of us watching the film are thinking “Is she stupid? If it were me, I’d either beat him up or run as fast as I can!” Well, here I was standing frozen while the thunder approached and a large snake waited less than a meter away from me.

  “Maddox!” she prodded, still keeping her stick positioned where I imagined the snake still waited, “Maddox, get over here.”

  “Snakes! They’re everywhere! If I go to the left, one could be over there. If I go ov
er-”

  “Maddox! Snap out of it!” she shouted, “If you don’t get over here, we’re both going to die out here in the grass.”

  I looked down at the end of her stick and I swore I could hear the hissing. I imagined something along the lines of a cobra or some giant beast from the Amazon. I looked up and could see the anger creasing her face. If the snake wasn’t between us, I was quite certain that she’d have stepped forward and slapped me or dragged me. Or both.

  The thunder rumbled much louder now as the wind started to pick up. I looked off to the north and could see the flashes along the horizon. Fully half the sky was dark now and it already looked like we were too late. I got my senses back and quickly bypassed the snake, giving it a wider berth than Wildwood had. Once I was at her side, she lifted the stick. I finally saw just the head of it as it struck the end of the stick, biting and releasing in less than a second. I had no idea what kind of snake that was, but its head was pretty large and its speed was impossible.

  Wildwood and I both ran as fast as the thick grass would allow. We only made it a few meters before we remembered that we still needed to use caution through the rest of the field. We returned to using our sticks to scare away the vermin in our path. She had no way of knowing, but I was still quite shaken over the snake. I didn’t realize before how frightened I was of death. Not only did I want to live for the obvious reasons, but I also didn’t know what waited for me in the afterlife.