Broken Wings - Chapter 1

The sky was a deep blue, the kind of color manufacturers are always trying to imitate, but never quite get it right. Thick whipped-cream clouds hid the sun and the breeze was just chilled enough to effect me. I laid still hoping the goose bumps roving my flesh wouldn’t give me away. I pretended to remain unconscious while Rafe rummaged through his army surplus pack. He’d threatened to kill me more times that I could remember to count. The bruises, cuts and abrasions were nothing new in my life. I’d endured them through childhood from my father and then it continued in my marriage. It was a life sentence. The familiarity of it was almost a kind of security. After so long, I guess I never really believed he would do it, end my life, that is. Yet, now that it faced me directly, with a dogged dare stare, it was nearly a relief.

The crackle of water against the rocks and the feel of the cold, hard slab beneath my back told me where we were, Ash Creek, near Fallon, Nevada. Ironically, it was the same place he’d saved me so many year ago. I was thirteen. Kids always found a target, and I was an easy one with my worn clothes always slightly out of style. My father would bring home a paper bag full of mismatched items he found left at a charity site. I did what I could with them.

I remember first hearing the skids and thumps of their shoes on the hard-clay. A pack of them, full of testosterone spiked blood, followed fifty or so yards behind and closing.

“Common Blue Baby, show us what’s under that long skirt of yours.” So, they’d spotted me.

My father named me Bluebell after his hunting dog, a blue healer. It sounds funny, but made perfect sense as I always came second to the dog.

I sped up my pace as much as I could without letting them know I was afraid. I knew about wild animals and the fear factor. After all, I’d lived with two animals more ferocious than any in the wild. But, dogs on to the scent of a female in season aren’t deterred easily.

I didn’t dare look back, but I could feel that they’d almost caught up with me. Running wasn’t an option, it was too far to make it to the road before they caught me. Besides there’s no telling what they’d do if I ran. At least I might have a chance to talk them down if, at some point, I just turned and confronted them. I felt something whip my skirt up. I turned. It was one of the Baldwin boys, two years ahead of me in school. Seven or eight more trailed him. I looked him straight in the eyes.

“Teddy Baldwin, if you don’t leave me alone my daddy and Blue’ll be huntin’ you down. It won’t be good when they find you, neither.”

“We ain’t afraid of your daddy nor his mangy mutt, are we boys?”

They surrounded me now, cheering Teddy on. I’d played my one trump card, but it hadn’t been enough to bluff them.

“Well, you’ll be wishing you hadn’t run into me today when your daddy hears the way you been actin‘.”

“My Daddy’ll give me a high five and spot me a ten for being a man.”
“But, not your mama. I know your mama and she don’t go for these kind of shanadagans.”

For just a moment I thought I saw a flicker of fear in his eyes, but then a nasty sneer crossed his lips. He reached for me with both his hands tight at my upper arms. He pulled me close. My mouth was a full centimeter from his and my breath was stuck at the bottom of my lungs.

“Now you’re gonna know what a real man feels like.”

In an instant his mouth was hard against mine. My lips ached with bruising.

“Turn around and we’ll see what a real man you are Teddy boy.”

Teddy dropped me. As I crumpled to the ground all the boys turned. There was total silence for thirty seconds or more. I couldn’t see him, but I recognized Rafe Carlson’s voice.

“I’m every bit as much a man as you, maybe more.”

The boys cheered Teddy on.

“Let’s have at it then. Only the doin’ will tell who’s the better.”

I could see them both now as the boys circled the two. I wanted to get up and run but I felt frozen watching them spar and poke at each other. Rafe smacked Teddy square in the nose with one huge walloping punch that echoed. Teddy dropped to the ground. The blood poured from his crooked nose like a faucet on full blast.

Teddy reached for his face, drawing back a hand full of crimson stickiness.

“You, you broke my nose,” Teddy whined.

“You boys better get him on home now. Unless, any of you want some of what he got.”