Antithesis

by Allison Crews

  I stood by the trailer and released them when he gave the signal. The other whippers-in flanked him surrounding and containing them in a tight bundle. There were only four today, as others were assisting in the field. As they approached the crowd, I heard gasps of admiration.

  We kept them quiet as the priest recited the Blessing of the Hounds. All around heads were bowed in respect and honor of the magical, timeless, words. The priest not only blessed the hounds, his prayer encompassed more than them alone. It included all animals and people involved in the hunt. I had learned in the past year that the tradition dated back to the Eighth Century and to celebrations associated with St. Hubert. Hunters in England popularized this annual, fall celebration and brought the custom to the colonies in the Seventeenth Century.

  Once the priest had completed his part, volunteers passed the sherry and apple juice for libations among the field. We all partook, the horses pranced in anticipation, and we prepared to start the hunt.

  I glanced around to see if there were any willing and able riders in the field to accompany Viva and me. Seeing no potential partners that were not otherwise indisposed with guests, I started for the north end. My position was far from the crowd, so Viva and I were instructed to leave ahead of the others after the blessing.

  I nodded to Ben as he assembled his group of first flight riders. Ashley was safely ensconced on a mule drawn tally-ho hay wagon where she was much happier. I knew she and Ben were well on their way to being a real couple even if she still doubted it. He would not be able to resist her for much longer, I was sure. Although she did not hunt, she came to all the parties and this one, of course, was the party weekend of all.

  Viva floated beneath me, and I relished the feeling. Effortlessly I guided her wherever we needed to go mostly with my legs. Since we no longer rode with the field, she was much easier to manage. We moved as one and rarely did I ever have to use my reins. If I sat back, she slowed or gathered her stride – whichever the situation warranted. To increase our speed, we moved forward – together – no real signals required. It was the closest thing I could imagine to having a personal pair of wings…or a jet pack…and it was breathtaking. Tony Stark went to a lot of trouble to create something that, I am sure, felt much like this. He’s probably scared of horses…He’s a cartoon character! I chided myself and laughed out loud.

  November in Memphis was anyone’s guess as far as temperature. This day was unseasonably warm, and my black wool jacket was really getting uncomfortable as we moved off. Nonetheless, Southern girls certainly know that looks are everything and would not dream of comfort over elegance. Viva, with her black mane and tail braided and first clip of the year making her look powder-white, looked spectacular.

  I heard the hounds south of me give voice, or speak, on something.

  “Going north,” William said.

  That’s us! We’d better pick up the pace!

  Viva surged beneath me as we headed to my favorite corner of the property…the coop/ditch/coop. We galloped to the corner of the pasture where a solid, wooden panel, or coop, was built over the barbed-wire fence. Viva lifted us over and clear as we dropped down the ditch and up the other side. Two strides later we were up and over the second coop when Viva was replaced with a branch.

  I hit the ground with a solid thwamp, but the ground was soft enough that it just surprised me. Already filthy and not even five minutes into the hunt. I could already hear Mother’s dismay. A tree had fallen into the path just high enough for Viva to run beneath and sweep me off like the bad guy in cowboy movies. At least it had not been at neck level.

  There was no time to shudder at that thought, for I realized my radio was gone. Viva, much more accustomed to her assignment now, waited patiently for me to reorganize.

  “Good girl,” I said as I secured her reins through her breastplate at the snap so she would not step on them. After the embarrassing incident last year when I fell and Viva ran away, I had spent a lot of time training her to stay put, even when she wasn’t tied. For good measure, though, I looped my belt around her forelegs into makeshift hobbles in case she gave more thought to grazing or decided to leave me. I would be mortified if we had to go look for her at Opening Meet.

  Looking all around the tree, I saw nothing. The lack of radio chatter made me fear the worst, and I walked back toward the ditch. There, I saw with horror, was the antenna sticking out from under the water. That’s going to be an expensive “oops.”

  No sooner had I seen the radio than I heard the hounds – approaching fast. They were getting closer, and I was not nearly in position.

  Without giving the warm temperature another thought, I leapt down the twenty-foot drop, grabbing branches to break my fall, reached for the radio, and was hit in my left hand by what felt like a bat. Pain shot up my arm like a thousand hornets.

  “Snake!” I shrieked in my mind, for I was too horrified to scream. Nothing would come out of my mouth. I couldn’t catch my breath.

  How could I have been so careless? The steep, slippery bank gave no purchase for an easy escape, so I held my hand up and tried to roll away. Again, I felt it thump against me, but thankfully, it had hit my boot. I didn’t feel any pain there as I rolled along the bank, kicking, and slipping trying desperately to put as much distance as possible between us. I tried again to climb back up the bank, but it was too steep, and I was feeling dizzy. Stop thrashing – what if there were more? Where did it go?

  Lie back. Stay calm.

  I knew my heart was pumping the poison deeper into my body and all my well-intentioned calm breathing was forgotten in more fruitless attempts to escape. My head started spinning, and I knew I needed to settle down, calm down, so I could think.

  I removed my thin crochet backed leather gloves and saw the angry holes in my hand. Seeing the bites was almost too much, and I was nearly overcome with nausea. Do I try to suck out the poison? I don’t remember any of my first aid. What if I die in this ditch? Just lie back and think.

  It hit me again on the foot! Another one! The same one still coming after me?

  I rolled away forgetting about being calm now, just blinding panic trying to get away from it, but what if there were more? They don’t chase people, do they? No more calm - got to get out!

  “Elliott!” I heard someone shout.

  “Help! Snake! Here! I keep slipping!” I screamed.

  A horse approached…I heard gunfire. Someone grabbed my shoulders, and I felt myself being lifted.

  “My hand,” I said.

  And everything went blank.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Chapter 9 - Heart Monitor

  Lifting, flying, the wind in our faces. Over and up and down the bank and up and over the other side. My favorite jump. Flying and floating and diving like swallows, the smell of November, hounds in full cry.

  I woke up. Naked. Well, almost. Hospital gown. Hope it’s buttoned. Monitors on my chest and left arm. Needle attached to a drip in my right hand. How did I get here?

  I could see people, nurses, standing around, not looking at me. All in all, not a very private place – and so very bright. There was someone else, in muddy riding clothes, someone who looked familiar talking in low tones to a person who looked like a nurse.

  “Griffen?” I said. Not believing my eyes. Oh my. This has to be the most embarrassing thing in my life. In the world.

  “Elliott, you’re back!” he smiled. He covered the distance between us in three long, graceful strides. My stomach constricted when I saw his relief. Had I caused him to worry?

  “Where’s Viva?” I asked, my ordinary question seeming to give him tremendous pleasure.

  “Ben and Ashley took her home. She’s fine,” he said like we were long lost friends. “They brought your cell phone and already talked to your mother,” he added before I could form the questions.

  “My…clothes?”

  “Right over there,” he said and it was his turn to blush.

  Oh my. Very uncomfortable silence. Very v
ery uncomfortable. I wanted the room to swallow me…

  He cleared his throat a little, sensing the tension – some kind of tension – between us. “I told them that if they had to cut off your boots, to stay in the stitches,” he said, with a hint of satisfaction.

  “Why?” was all I could think to ask.

  “Well,” he said, not pleased at having to explain what he perceived I would think as brilliance, “if they cut along the seams, you could have zippers placed in them and still wear them. They looked like they were custom made to me…and I didn’t think you’d want them sliced apart.”

  “Oh, thanks,” is all I could think to say. That was brilliant. It would not do to have to replace a radio and my boots. This little incident was getting more expensive by the minute.

  “Your phone,” he said and handed it to me. “It was in the pocket of your hunt coat. Ashley is in the waiting room, and she’ll want to hear from you. And, your mother.”

  “Thanks,” I said. And he left.

  “Wait just a minute,” I said. He was not getting off that easy this time, just vanishing, again.

  “Yes?” he said.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  He walked over to my bed and sat very close. I could feel him through the thin hospital gown. The heart monitor started beating louder and, of course, faster. Could this get more embarrassing? I hoped by looking angry the machine would not reveal my thoughts.

  He ignored the monitor and looked away for a minute gauging his thoughts. Then he returned my gaze. “I knew you were covering the north side…I heard William telling everyone where to go. When I got there, I saw Viva and the branch and thought…well, it was obvious you weren’t on your horse.”

  Why ever does that monitor have to be so loud? He remembered my horse’s name. I kept my gaze stern and let him continue.

  “I called your name and heard you scream,” he said looking away. “When I found you and saw the snake it all happened so fast. I had to get you out of there and make sure there were not others. You were so far down in that ditch. You said something about your hand, but there was no way of knowing if you had been bitten more than once because, well, you passed out,” he said.

  By this time, he was off my bed and pacing the room. “It seemed to take forever to get you here, and you never stirred. I had tied my stock tie around your wrist hoping to stop the spread of the poison, but I didn’t know if you had other bites. When you were in my truck I tried to suck the poison from your hand, but I had no way of knowing how much damage had been done,” he stopped abruptly, anger and frustration knitting his lovely brow making his green eyes glow in the strange hospital light.

  He had walked back over and sat on my bed. I could not believe I had missed the part about his mouth on my hand! Where was I when he was… carrying me? As in, in his arms? The monitor picked up its pace, so I kept glaring.

  “What about my clothes?” I said keeping the stormy look on my face as best as I could, trying to salvage some dignity.

  “We, I mean, the hospital staff, had to see if you had any more bites,” he said looking away. It was his turn to blush…again. This was magnificent.

  “Excuse me, ma’am, we need some information,” the nurse said. “Doctor Vaughn will be here to check on you shortly, but we need some information first.”

  Griffen looked at me for a minute, then left. Good Lord, those eyes again. I reluctantly made the calls knowing this would invite intruders, and I really wanted to be alone, even in this state, with him. Mother, of course, was on her way with Daddy. Ben had already called them. They’d left the game and should arrive at any time.

  Ashley and Ben appeared with food, but the nurse told them to leave it by the bed. No food yet for me. Ashley couldn’t look at my swollen hand. Griffen had obviously met everyone while I was missing all the fun. Ashley’s eyes held lots of questions that couldn’t be answered in front of Ben. She really is a good friend; I should keep that in mind.

  “Do you need anything Elliott? We can stay as long as you like,” she asked.

  “Ben, could you excuse us for a minute?” I asked. “I need some girl time.”

  “Sure. I’ll be in the waiting room, Ashley,” he said.

  “Oh, and Ben, thanks for taking care of Viva,” I said.

  “Any time,” he smiled and left the room. Nothing like mentioning girl time to clear the premises.

  “Where’s Griffen?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’m sure he’s not far,” Ashley said. “He’s been pacing and barking orders and seems to be worried sick over you, or agitated, or something. Who is he and what exactly happened? He won’t tell us anything except you fell of your horse and a snake bit you. Ben doesn’t know whether to punch him or thank him, and frankly, neither do I.”

  “I’ll explain everything later, I promise,” I said. “Just make sure I look presentable without making it look like I care.”

  Ashley was loving this. She presented me with a compact, but she had to make the adjustments to my pale and disheveled appearance since my left hand was strapped to monitors and my right impaled with a drip. She worked on my face with her lipstick and powder, then rearranged my hair.

  “Do you want a hat or something? I probably have one in the car,” she said.

  “No, just make do with what’s there,” I said. “How long have I been out?” I asked.

  “About an hour,” she said.

  “An hour! Hurry, go on and leave – Mother will be here any minute, and I won’t have any more time to talk to Griffen. Go!” I hissed. “Thank you so much! I’ll call you later!”

  The doctor came in and told me to stay calm and that they were watching my hand carefully. So far, it looked like I had a good dose of venom in me, but not enough to cause serious problems. He had administered one vial of antivenin as a precaution since my hand and arm had swollen significantly and that I had passed out. As long as the swelling stabilized, he said that he would not have to give me another dose and that I should be able to go home within a few hours.

  Griffen, apparently seeing that I was not as angry and hearing my heart monitor return to normal, reappeared. He seemed not quite so brooding, and his face was relaxed.

  “Did you call your mother?” he asked briskly. He sounded like he was ticking off a mental checklist of what needed to be arranged now that I was awake.

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Do you want me to leave?” he asked.

  “No.”

  He was somewhat encouraged by my flat answer and approached my bed again. I made an effort to remain calm. The heart monitor beat steadily.

  “Elliott,” he said softly and leaned in closer to my face. Calm, stay calm.

  “Mmm?” I said as I looked into those eyes. My stomach lurched, and I felt like I was free falling.

  “I’m really glad you weren’t hurt, worse,” he said. His deep-set brow was full of concern, as he brushed a strand of hair from my face. His touch made the heart monitor rock the charts, and we both jumped at the noise.

  “Elliott! Dear! Oh, I’m so glad you’re all right!” Mother exploded into the room ignoring the one guest limit, of course.

  I blinked to get my eyes back into focus.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Chapter 10 - A Note

  The hounds are coming – where is the fox? In perfect position – distant cries, Rufus, Sounder, Trooper, voices blending in the choir but as distinct as soloists.

  Of course Mother and Daddy took over. Once they had me back at the dorm and settled, they at last admitted I was not going to die and left me to sleep. Leslie, my roommate, promised to check on me every so often in the night, mostly to allow my parents to leave.

  “You ok now?” Leslie asked.

  “Yes, I’m just really tired,” I said, not wanting to talk.

  She fluffed her navy pillows and built her reading fortress. She was in the middle of another Winston Graham novel, her most recent favorite author, and I was glad not to have to talk
about the afternoon with her, or anyone, just yet. I wanted to lie here in my covers and think about how Griffen felt when he was so very close to me.

  Our dorm room was piled with books, CD’s, pictures of ourselves with various dates in fun places and loaded down with clutter. Of course, everything matched perfectly, but neither of us was particularly interested in taking the time to keep things neat. Clean, but not neat.

  I had lots of leather strewn around with the intentions of cleaning it someday and Leslie had clothes clothes clothes everywhere. She was much like my sisters and, although we did not share many interests, we liked the same books and music. Leslie had enjoyed our foxhunting parties, but was definitely not a rider. For the social part, however, she was always game. She had cancelled her plans for the evening so my parents would go home. That was so thoughtful of her.

  I wanted to tell her about Griffen, but what was I going to say? Where did he come from and why was I so weak and stupid to pass out when someone like him of all people was hauling me out of a ditch I couldn’t even climb by myself? How did he get me to the hospital? Why oh why had I not been awake? And why did my mother have to come in the room just when he was about to…to what? Oh, I don’t know – he was so close and so gorgeous. At last! Someone has started my heart. He’s probably a jerk – but would a jerk go to all that trouble to rescue someone they hardly knew? I’ll just sit here and think about him – so sleepy. And only 8:00 at night.

  My cell phone buzzed – unknown 615 number.

  “Hello?” I said.

  “Elliott, this is Griffen,” he said. Oh my. That voice. Breathe, remain calm.

  “Hello Griffen. I’m sorry my parents sort of, well, took over,” I said. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you.”

  “You don’t need to thank me, but, you’re welcome,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired, but otherwise fine. My hand still looks funny – I don’t think I’ll be able to text for a while,” I said. Not really knowing what to say to him and prattling away at whatever came to mind.