The previous night’s storms gave way to a crisp bright autumn morning. Sparrow lay sprawled out across the bed scantily dressed in only a tangle of sheets. The warm sun beaming through the open window on her bare hip gently nudged her awake. She picked her head up and squinted through her long auburn hair at the clock on the night stand. “Eight-Thirty? Too early….” She groaned to herself letting her face drop back into the downy softness of the pillow. She laid there for a few minutes desperately attempting to get back to her dreamland. She was on vacation after all, why should she fall slave to the clock? All she wanted to do was have one last carefree weekend before it got too busy at work and the weather became too treacherous to travel out to the cabin.
Sparrow sighed and rolled over pushing her long curls out of her face. She stared at the ceiling then spared a glanced at the clock. Eight-Thirty Five. She reached out with all of her limbs and rolled a stretch down the length of her body and back up. Her hips, torso, and shoulders undulated leisurely working out the minor kinks from sleeping on the lumpy mattress she always insisted she was replacing.
“I guess it’s that time.” She muttered swinging her legs out and lifting herself upright. She ran her hands back through her hair and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Sparrow stood, still gently bound by a sheet and shrugged it off onto the floor in her wake as she left the room.
She wandered into the bathroom and examined her pale reflection in the mirror. Sparrow rubbed her eyes again hoping the purple wells below them were smudges of makeup from the day before. Perhaps a fraction of it was? It had been so late when she’d gotten there last night and the storm she weathered seemed to stay on top of her the whole way. The darkness was nearly impenetrable as she drove along the sharp curves of the mountain road that lead to her sanctuary. By the time she had gotten in her muscles were taut and her nerves exhausted. Sparrow hadn’t bothered to shower off the troubles of the day. She heaved a breath that raised her chest and she exhaled slowly watching it fall. Sparrow arched a slim ginger brow noting how cold it had gotten. She gave her shoulders a shimmy in mock chill and turned pulling back the shower curtain.
She twisted the hot water knob and opened the flow all the way. The old cabin pipes gave a few good thunks and the water sputtered for a moment before a soft rushing splattered against the cast iron tub. She waited until thin tendrils of steam began their swirling climb into the air before stepping in and starting the shower. Again a there was a thunk thunk of the water changing direction before the heat rained down on her.
Sparrow stood facing into the water head bowed letting it soak through her tresses until they clung to her skin straightening out the loose curls. She used both hands to push back the heavy thickness of her hair and strain out some of the water as she slicked it back away from her face. She laced her fingers together and rested them on the back of her neck as she arched her back just enough to have the water beat down on the flat of her chest. There was just something soothing about the rhythm it tapped out against her. She had always been fond of water and often found herself drawn to it in its many forms. There was just something about a hot shower though, it melted away everything.
Her fingers released and with a slight pressure she pulled her hands down her neck slowly and over her chest slower still following her natural curves to her waist. She looked around for her bath puff and body-wash trying to keep her mind clear. The shower was where she went when she didn’t want to think. She turned away from the water and plucked the found items from the ledge placed at the back of the tub. She hesitated for just a moment letting the water strike against her shoulder blades while she still had the luxury of the full heat. Sparrow’s shoulders dropped and she went on to lather up the small pink puff with velvety white bubbles.
Starting at her throat she rubbed in gentle circles following the line of her collar bone down to her shoulder, her elbow, her wrist, and back to repeat along the other side. Sparrow worked her way down over each of her breasts and under; across her stomach and hips curving around to her lower back and behind. She moved smoothly from thigh to ankle and back on each leg before moving between them with a slight curl to her lip as she closed her eyes dropping the sudsy implement to her feet. She ran her fingers down over her mound and cupped herself for a moment. Sparrow rolled her hips and as she began to trace her outer rim. A sharp change in temperature cascaded down on her and she let out a yelp. “Damn it.” She snarled with a small shiver as she worked fast, unceremoniously washing and conditioning her over saturated locks as the water turned icy.
She jumped out of the shower before turning the water off. The action soaked the bath mat as she stood there with rivulets running all along her to the floor. Sparrow hunched her shoulders with another tremor taking her over. Then she wiped away the condensation from the mirror. Her skin was dappled with fluffy white spots and from what she could tell through the bleariness of the glass her eyes did look a little less hollow. “That will do I guess.” She shot the shower a glare as if it ruined her fun on purpose and then took a large plush towel out of the small cabinet beside the sink. She patted away the stray soap bubbles and then wrapped herself up. She wrung her hair out over the sink and then flung it back over her shoulder.
Sparrow had a very long day of nothing ahead of her. This was part of the reason she loved coming to the mountains. There was no one around for miles. She never had a television there or internet service. There was a land line telephone that was seldom used and usually found dusty. The cabin and the land it stood on was the best investment she’d ever made. She would head to her secluded spot several times a year just to center. She filled her days with hobbies that her regular life forced her to set aside.
She sat on the edge of the bed and looked out the window. The sky was electric blue and a breeze reached through the screen and caressed her face. Sparrow smiled and decided today would be a good day to go for a walk in the surrounding woods. Maybe work through some ideas she had for the next piece she was going to write or just lay in the grass out by the lake and watch the willow sway around her in the wind. “Sounds like heaven.” She said to herself getting up and patting the rest of her damp skin dry. Then she twisted the towel around her hair and piled it on top of her head.
Walking over to the old tatty arm chair on the other side of the room she started rooting around in her suitcase. She pawed through the clothes until she found her favorite faded jeans and a black spaghetti strap tank top. Sparrow also grabbed a pair of heavy socks, a soft charcoal colored pair of boy shorts, and a gray and black sports bra. Then she crossed back over to the bed dropping everything on it. The cool October air continued to pass into the room and flirt with her porcelain flesh as she got dressed. Each article of clothing quelled a round of goose bumps. She slipped into her jeans last, “These are a bit more loose than I remember.” She remarked as they slid down stopping only as if getting caught by her hip bones and the curve of her rear. She shrugged plopping down on the bed and bouncing lightly leaning down and dragging her cowboy boots out from under it. She pulled them on and slapped the tops of her thighs as she got up shaking out her pant legs. She unwrapped the towel from her head and draped it over the foot board. Her hair fell down around her shoulders and she combed through it with her fingertips.
As she left the room and snagged the sheet up off the floor. Sparrow folded it while she walked down the narrow loft hall to the stairs. Descending to the first floor she deposited the sheet on the back of the couch as she passed into the kitchen. She gathered up a couple of bottled waters, a notebook, some pens, a few granola bars and some sunscreen. On a hook by the kitchen door was a blue back pack that she dumped all but the water into. She placed them in the net pouches on either side of the bag. She took it into the living room and stuffed the sheet in as well in case she’d want to lay on it later or use it as a make shift hammock.
Sparrow slung the bag over one shoulder heading back into the kitchen. On the peg next to where she had the backpack hanging there was a blue and green flannel shirt which she and threw on switching her load from one shoulder to the next before threading an arm through each strap. She took her sunglasses from the counter then her hand paused on her cell phone but she thought better of it, why ruin nature with the chaos of technology, and out the door she went.
The breeze in her damp hair made the mild day a little cooler as she headed off across the yard to the tree line. It was late in the morning and glorious outside aside from the ground still being a bit supple from the rains. Sparrow followed a familiar trail for a while until it got a little too slick for her liking and she veered off into the brush to walk on what grasses and low plants she could instead of on the beaten deer trail. She wandered through the woods letting her thought webs branch out over her new characters, the unfolding plot, and how they would get from Point A to Point B.
Eventually she came upon a small break in the trees that had allowed for a patch of thick grass to grow. “Perfect.” She smiled and slid the bag off of her back to the ground. She crouched and pulled out the sheet; unfolded it half way spreading it out then laid on her stomach kicking her feet up and rocking them back and forth while she pulled the notebook and a pen out of the smaller front pouch. Sparrow scribbled down ideas in her own shorthand so she wouldn’t lose any momentum. She munched one of the granola bars and sipped water as she worked.
Her hair now dry and lightly springy kept skating across her face and paper. When she was finally fed up with it she put her pen down and sat up to pull her hair back into a pony tail on the top of her head. It was then she noticed that the shadows had stretched out around her. “Damn, lost track of time again.” She said pulling the note book to her. She flipped page after page of huge loopy writing. She grinned realizing she’d gotten a lot more done than she had thought. “Guess I better get back.” Sparrow planted a fist into the ground at either side and twisted at the waist popping her back and rolling her shoulders for the same effect. She packed her things including the wrappers from her snack and got up. She shook out the sheet and refolded it returning it to her bag as well. She took her long sleeved shirt off and tied it around her hips then threw the back pack on.
The woods looked a little different now that the sun had shifted. The trees seemed a little taller and the air thicker. She stood there for a few moments looking around trying to shake the onset of ominous feelings. She’d rolled around and adjusted her position so much while she was writing that she wasn’t quite sure from what direction she had entered into the clearing. “When in doubt, head down hill.” She shrugged and started off in what must have been the right direction.
Sparrow crisscrossed through trees and over felled logs. She wasn’t sure if the path was familiar or if she was forcing it to be. She looked for signs of her earlier passing like broken twigs and imprints from the heels on her boots. The woodland floor had gotten dark and covered any signs if there had been any. “Okay, Sparrow, don’t panic. You couldn’t have gotten that far.” She said to herself as she pushed through saplings and thigh high brush. “Really, you couldn’t have.” She whispered to herself.
After what seemed like an hour she still hadn’t seemed to make any progress in getting closer to home and from what she could see of the sky it was turning to the brilliant hues of sunset. Either that or the waning sun played tricks on the newly turning leaves above her. She had thought there was maybe two hours to get out before the dark set in. If that happen she was in real trouble. “Should have brought the phone, at least I could have tried to use the GPS.” She babbled to herself.
She took a wide step over another fallen tree and looked around. “Maybe…” she looked left and looked right to see if she could spot another clearing so she could get a better look at the sky. She scrubbed her hands over her face and sighed. “Okay, if I just…” and her voice trailed off. Ahead of her about seven or eight yards there was a clearing and she could tell by the open white light. “Great. Let’s get some sun and figure this out.” She started off towards the brightness.
When she hit the edge of the clearing it was a lot bigger than she had thought. The ground looked muddy and there was a serious puddle off to the right. She would be sure to avoid that as she wasn’t overly fond of getting filthy. Sure she expected to get some dirt on herself when out in the wilderness and that was okay. However, she hadn’t spent the morning running out the hot water to wallow in the mud. Sparrow walked out to the middle of the open space and looked up. The sky was still blue and she was thankful. It was probably around five or six. That still left a little time before total sun set. She looked off in all directions for some indication of familiarity.
As she started to turn she realized her right foot had sunk a little into the mud and her boot was stuck. “Really?” she huffed and pulled her foot right out of her boot landing it with a deep squish in the mud beside. “AW YUCK!” She protested loudly. “Just my luck,” She leaned down and pulled her boot out of the mud. While she had stutter stepped and struggled with her right foot her left also seemed to have sunk just a bit lower than her right had. “Oh hells bells.” She breathed and pinched the bridge of her nose irritated.
She tossed the boot she was holding over into the surrounding tree line and then struggled once again to free her left now. Sparrow yanked her foot out and in the process fell over into the cool sticky mud. She splash landed on her backside right in the puddle she had been so keen to avoid. Frustrated she grumbled some obscenities under her breath and reached out pulling the boot from the mud. It snapped back at her once the suction broke and splattered some mud on her face. She threw it hard to where the other one was and then wiped her hands on her stomach to clean them off. She cleared the droplets of mud from her eyes.
Shaking her head in disgust she tried to push herself up out of the puddle. When she started to put weight into her heels she must have found an air pocket because her right leg was quickly engulfed to the knee. Sparrow lurched forward as she tried to stand and let out startled a scream as her leg sunk. Her left knee drove into the viscous earth and she caught herself on her thighs before falling again. She felt the water seep into her jeans and lick at her skin. She pulled as hard as she could on the right side of her body as she tried to brace herself on her knee. “I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay.” She chanted over and over in an attempt to convince herself. A meek sort of panic began to set in.
Sparrow was unable to free her lower leg and her knee started to sink as well. She sat back and tried to dig her heel into the gooey ground and push herself backwards. The more she struggled the more she sunk. The cruel earth slid up over her knees and pulled her in farther. She made an effort to get upright again maybe if she could throw her weight forward that would work. Sparrow forced herself up and took her back pack off hurling it over to her boots. She pitched herself forward at the waist and clawed at the ground grunting with frantic exertion. She was now held fast at mid thigh and the only other thing she had managed to accomplish besides sinking deeper was wiggling part way out of her pants.
Maybe that was the answer. She unbuttoned her jeans and was trying to pull her legs inside of them. If she could somehow squirm out of the material perhaps she could use that as the leverage she needed to get out of the mud altogether. Sure, she’d lose her favorite jeans but she wouldn’t be stuck in a hidden bog in the middle of the woods at night. ‘At night?’ echoed in her head.
Sparrow looked up the sky had turned gold. How long had she been struggling to escape? She squeezed her eyes shut tight. She could feel the tears of frustration and fear start to well. She made slow back and forth motions in her ankles and hips to try and get out of the denim and earth trap she was captured in.
She felt the flannel shirt and the waist band of the jeans slide down to the backs of her thighs. ‘Progress?’, she wondered. However all she had managed to do was ball the material under her feet and disrobe herself. She was no more free of the earth now as she had been before she started to wiggle around. Hopelessness settled on Sparrow. The threat of tears gave way to the action and she looked around with wide green eyes on the shadows that had crept in to surround her. She again cleaned the palms of her hands this time on the back of her tank. She used her fingers to wipe away the tear streams. She had no idea what to do. She forced her weight forward and only to be submerged further again.
The sticky mud was cold against the now bare skin of her at the tops of her legs. Hopelessness turned to anger and she thrashed and cried spraying filthy water all around and having it rain down on her arms and chest. Down she went, hips to navel to the bottom of her ribs. She could no longer move her legs at all. The ground around her was like tentacles squeezing and dragging her down to the depths. Sparrow gasped and panted which turned into a soft frightened whimper. “There has to be a way.” She moaned as more hot tears rolled down her cheeks.
Off to the left there was a rustling in the brush and she immediately bit her bottom lip to hush herself. When it stopped she waited eyes darting scrutinizing the dark. “Hello?” she breathed and the leaves and weeds crunched and crackled again. This time there was a low growling and then she saw two yellow reflective eyes.
Her heart leapt to her throat and blood rushed in her ears. A sinewy sickly looking coyote stepped into the murky twilight. It was bloodied and foaming at the jowls. Sparrow froze staring at it. It continued a low angry warning noise as it started to circle the edge of the marshy soil. She started to tremble and instinctively tried to move backwards away but any movement at this point was allowing the earth to swallow her more and more. She was up to her chest now from twisting and churning her body.
Her hands searched blindly over the slick mud for anything; a tree branch or a sizable rock. All she found was more of the same mushy terrain that was surely going to be her end. Softly she spoke aloud in a trembling voice, “Nice doggy. Go away now.” It snapped its jaws and tucked its ears back. A ridge of fur stood up along its spine. The coyote gingerly tested the ground as it paced back and forth in front of her. “Go away, please?” Sparrow pleaded a little louder. She wasn’t one to be afraid of any manner of animal but this one was clearly sick and she was in no position to either help it or flee from it.
There was another noise behind her. A chill dropped down her spine and her throat went instantly dry. “No. No. No.” she whispered more tears fell from her eyes. She twisted at the waist trying to draw herself up. The coyote apparently didn’t like her sudden movements and snapped at her again. It took a step closer still testing its path. The rustling behind her drew nearer. Sparrow glanced over her shoulder while at the same time wanting to keep an eye on the coyote. She was weary and over worked and terrified. She had no concentration left to search the dark for the new creature approaching.
The coyote took a few more cautious steps towards Sparrow. She swallowed hard watching it intently as it started to crouch down. “What are you doing?” she asked quietly. Then she realized; she could almost see its muscles coil. It was going to attack her, wasn’t it? Everything moved in slow motion. She saw the creature shift its weight to its hind quarter and lean back to spring forward. As the coyote launched itself into the air a shot rang out.
Sparrow screamed more from the deafening sound of a shot gun in the silent evening than from the wild animal coming at her. The coyote let out a high pitched cry as it fell to the ground inches from Sparrow. One extended paw grazed her face.
“What the hell.” Sparrow heard a man’s voice behind her and shifted slightly which was enough to sink her down to where the mud was over her breasts. She lifted her arms which were also sticky with the earth and silt she was engulfed in. When he came into view he was tall, or so it seemed as she was buried more than half way in the ground. He fell to a crouch just behind her and she could make out shaggy dark hair, jeans, heavy scuffed boots, and a large gun that was a little too close to her for comfort. “Jesus.” He said softly face mostly obscured by shadows. “Hold on.” He continued with a little more resolve and he backed off into the dark.
Sparrow blinked a few times, where exactly was she going to go? She turned her attention again to the coyote, it looked like it was still breathing or that might have been a trick of the eye. It certainly wasn’t moving otherwise. After a few minutes she heard a motorized hum and the crunching of leaves and sticks behind her. When it stopped there were heavy foot falls and when she looked over her shoulder the same man emerged from the trees. He had a length of rope held in his leather gloved hands.
“I’m gonna get you out of there.” He said with a note of concern. Sparrow gave a few quick nods unable to find her voice. He worked a slipknot into the rope and widened it a couple of lengths. “Put your arms up over your head, alright?” he used the same measured tone and Sparrow did as asked. He gave a couple of good swings and tossed. She wasn’t that far from him and he was able to lasso her easily.
Sparrow sighed and dropped her arms down as much as she could. She looked up over her shoulder again at him and half smiled. She felt a calm start to creep over her as she turned the lasso around herself putting the knot to middle of her chest. He smiled back and spoke softly, “This is going to be a little awkward but I suspect it will be worth it.” He punctuated his statement with a nod.
“Definitely.” Sparrow agreed her voice a little husky. He adjusted the rope so it snugged around her then stepped out of sight. A motor started and the line around her tensed. She held onto it and little by little she was drug backwards. Every inch she moved the mud sucked and groped at her skin in protest. It was as if the earth was fighting to keep her. Soon Sparrow felt the scratching of leaves and stones against the backs of her legs. There was a sure difference in the stability of the forest floor as opposed to the hidden bog she had found herself in.
The motor idled off and he made himself known by making noise in the dark. He came back with a small pen light tucked behind his ear casting its yellow glow down. He got a hold of Sparrow and lifted her to her feet. She could tangibly feel his eyes move over her. What a spectacle she must have been seeing as how the ground swallowed her socks and jeans. There she was covered in mud and wearing nothing but her underwear and a soaking wet tank top. Sparrow crossed her arms over her stomach squeezing her shoulders in. “Thank…thank you.” She stammered starting to shiver. It was a lot colder when the sun was down. Her condition of being water logged and fatigued probably didn’t help either. All of this despite a desperate heat that rose in her face and throat.
“Of course.” He said not hiding that he wasn’t diverting his gaze. “My name is Decklyn and you are?” he asked reaching towards her. As his hand grazed her side she jumped back nearly landing herself in the same predicament he’d just rescued her from. Luckily he hadn’t unbound her and yanked hard on the rope pulling her to him.
Sparrow stumbled forward and fell into Decklyn. He wrapped an arm around her mud slicked body and held her to him for a moment. Then guided her back away from the edge of the earthen trap she’d nearly fallen into.
She swallowed to wet her throat, “Sparrow. Sparrow Harper.” She looked up into his eyes they were soft and searching her face. His brow knit as the corners of his mouth turned down. She wondered on his expression and as to what he was thinking and leaned back away from him the small measure his embrace would allow.
“Uh oh.” He said gently grazing the side of her face. “Looks like our friend there got you after all.” He kept his voice quiet and when he showed her his hand under the muted yellow light there was shiny dark blood on his fingertips. Sparrow felt her eyes widened and she touched her face as well. It stung when she did. The crimson tinge on her stained fingertips confirmed it for her. If he hadn’t come along when he did….
Sparrow felt a dizziness wash over her and Decklyn’s visage swam before her as her body started to go slack. It was the proverbial straw. He felt her start to slip, “That’s all she wrote, folks,” his voice a distant whisper to her. Deftly he knocked her knees out from under her and swept Sparrow up in his arms. Her head jerked and the sharp movement brought her back from the brink of passing out. She squeezed her eyes shut then blinked a few times.
When Sparrow realized she was being cradled up off the ground her body went rigid and she took a few deep panting breaths. She looked at Decklyn and accidently made eye contact that she could not break. He smiled genuinely, “Almost lost you there.” He paused for a few seconds rubbing his finger tips gently against the side of her thigh. The soft leather work gloves moved easily through the now drying remnants of the soil on her skin. “Where are you going, Sparrow Harper?”
She licked her dry lips pressed into the warmth of his chest with mixed feelings of fright and relief, “Anywhere but here.” Sparrow spoke softly swallowing hard again.
“Well, alright then.” He smirked sauntering off towards his quad still holding her in his arms, rope dragging along the ground behind them.
