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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Action & Adventure
- Subject: Ghost Stories / Paranormal
- Published: 10/05/2010
Encounter With a Stranger
Born 1955, F, from Bandon, Oregon, United StatesDriving in the middle of the Nevada desert on a deserted back road during a blizzard was not Misty Robbins idea of fun, especially when she heard the tell tale sputter of the car engine indicating she was out of gas yet again. She eased the car onto the side of the road out of harms way, engaged the emergency lights then smacked the steering wheel hard. Damn! I’ve got to get that gas gauge fixed one of these days. Shivering, she wondered, now what?
She sat transfixed as she watched the snow falling through the fogging windows. The heater wouldn’t run much longer once the engine cooled and the car would soon be filled with the frigid night air.
Everyone will be worried when I don’t show up for the Christmas party, she thought as she pulled the hood of her jacket up, tucking in her long brown hair that had been carefully done up in a French braid for the party. Buttoning the hood jacket tight, she reached into her purse for her cell phone. “Of course it's still sitting on the dresser at home” she muttered to herself, concerned she had no way of reaching her family.
Fighting panic, Misty bit down on a well chewed fingernail. OK, I can sit here and wait for help on this God forsaken road, or I can get out and start walking. Misty looked out at the rapidly falling snow and the darkening sky, Okay I wait.
She fiddled with the radio dial in a vain attempt for distraction. Nothing but static filled the air waves. I’m not surprised all the way out here, and with all this weather. Sighing she gave up. Better that I don’t run down my battery anyway.
She grabbed a handful of Kleenex from the box on the floor and wiped away the fog. Nothing coming in either direction. No surprise there either, she thought ruefully, not too many people are dumb enough to drive this road, especially on a night like this. Why didn’t I listen to John?
Her brother John was always telling her to take better care of her car, a used but functional mercury racer. He had even offered to fix her gas gauge, but she had put it off because she had what she thought were more important things to do at the time. Mentally she kicked herself. Wincing she thought of the coming lecture she would get for worrying everyone during the Christmas Eve party they had taken such pains to plan. To make matters worse, her parents tended to worry anyway. This would surely spoil the festivities for everyone tonight.
Time seemed to just crawl by. She turned the key to the right to light up the clock but the battery already seemed to have given up the ghost, probably from the extreme cold. Too bad I don’t wear a watch. I wonder how long I've been sitting here, it must be at least forty five minutes or even an hour. She felt rather than saw the clouds formed by her breath in the now dark and increasingly cooling car. It must be below zero in here she thought to herself as her teeth rattled in her head from all the shivering. She brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them in a futile attempt to get warm. Hearing the howl of the blasting wind as the snow piled up impossibly high around her car, she thought with longing of her family and friends at the Christmas Eve party. There would be a cozy fire in the red brick fireplace, the aroma of pine filling the air from the Christmas tree overflowing with presents and decorations. Decorations dating back to her childhood.
Her stomach rumbled at the vision of all the good food and Christmas goodies that would have been served. Too bad I deliberately ate light today. Carols would have been playing on the stereo. Instead family and friends would be wringing hands and wondering where she was. The most important people in her life would be gathered at her parents house tonight, their faces no doubt creased with concern of her whereabouts. Several attempts to reach her by phone would have been made by now and soon someone would be suggesting a search party. With a sinking heart Misty looked at the blanket of snow obscuring the car window. No one would be coming out in this, especially on this particular road. They would assume she had taken the highway like a sensible person, not this scenic back road she had taken on a sentimental whim, wanting to experience the glory of winter. Well I’m experiencing it now she thought wryly. She had no idea a storm like this was brewing. Not even snow plows were attempting this road tonight.
To occupy her mind, Misty fantasized being at the party. Steve her fiance would have gotten there ahead of her since he was bringing over the gifts they had bought together last week. They’d had such fun that day. They had spent the whole day shopping, buying great gifts and gag gifts alike. Doubled over with laughter at the adorable robot dog they had bought for her neice Sandy who’s parents wouldn’t let her have a real dog. It barked, walked, and even wagged its tail. “It does everything but crap” Steve had said laughing. They had literally shopped til they dropped then treated themselves to coffee shop hamburgers deluxe complete with fries and shakes.
Later that night they had gone to Steve’s place to wrap and label the gifts while drinking potent eggnog and eating the roasted chestnuts they had bought from a vendor in the mall. She had loved the way he looked that night in his thick red wool sweater and levis, dark hair falling into his green eyes and catching on his thick lashes. The night had ended in unwedded bliss, bringing a morning so sweet as to make your knees weak.
Then there was Rose, her best friend since the seventh grade. Generous big hearted Rose would be laden with gifts and home made goodies for everyone. It was tradition with Rose, every year she would start baking a good week ahead of time, brownies, santa cookies, fudge…Misty’s stomach gave another growl of protest.
Yes they would all be there, parents, Grandma Jones, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces, but instead of celebrating, now they would be no doubt starting to panic and it was all her fault she thought guiltily.
How long has it been now? She began to feel sleepy as if she had been walking through a field of poppies like that scene in the Wizard of Oz. Was this a sign of hypothermia she wondered, too drowsy to feel panic. Is this what happens, you just drift off into a nice cozy sleep and never wake up? She fought to stay awake, but try as she might she felt herself drifing in and out of conciousness, like walking through molasses she thought dreamily.
The noise sounded like it was coming from a long way off. Tap, tap, tap. There it was again. Misty struggled against inertia. Someone was outside her car. They had wiped the snow off the window on the passenger side and she could see a face peering in at her through the fogged up window. Her heart skipped a beat. This is dangerous she thought fleetingly, but on the other hand she was already knee deep in danger.
Misty leaned over and attempted to roll down the window, only to find it was frozen shut. She ulocked the door and tried to push it open against the snow that had piled up against her car.
“Let me help you with that” a male voice said.
After quite some digging the door sprang open to reveal an older man bracing himself against the harsh winter weather. He appeared to be in his mid to late sixties of Native American descent, probably Shoshone she thought to herself. He had a red headband around his forehead and a long gray pony tail. An Indian print blanket was wrapped around what appeared to be a worn red flannel shirt and an old pair of Levi’s. Several beaded necklaces adorned his neck. Hardly enough clothing for this weather. He peered at her through wrinkled but twinkling brown eyes. “I saw your emergency lights from my cabin bout a half mile away. They blinked for some time then they just stopped. I figured your battery had died since I didn’t see anyone drive off. Patting his old blue truck he said, “So I got old Lucy here running and wanted to see if I could help. Took me darn near an hour just to get this far in this crazy weather. You will have to come back to the cabin with me miss until this storm stops. Lucy will never make it all the way into town and you will freeze if you stay out here."
‘God what if he turns out to be some kind of psycho’ Misty thought to herself, but on further inspection he looked harmless enough and he had a strong, kind face. ‘Besides, he probably has heat, hot food and something to drink’ her stomach rumbled in anticipation. “Thank you. It was real nice of you coming out in all this weather. I ran out of gas and I didn’t know what I was going to do. My family was expecting me for a Christmas Eve party tonight. Will I be able to call them from your house and let them know I’m alright?”
“Sorry no phone, no running water or electricity either for that matter. We will just have to wait out the storm. On the bright side, I do have heat, food and plenty of good tea” he replied, reading her mind."
Shivering violently, Misty attempted to gather up her keys and purse. No running water or electricity? In this day and age? Well he does look like he's from another era. Misty turned off the now defunct emergency lights and locked the doors. “Oh wait“ she said, teeth chattering, “let me leave a note in the car in case someone finds it. What’s your name? I’ll tell them I’m staying with you at your cabin”
“Chief” he said good naturedly. “Everyone around here just calls me Chief. Don’t worry, they will know where to look if you say you’re with me, but I doubt anyone will find your car for some time. It won’t be long before it’s buried in another snow drift. Right now I think we should just concentrate on getting you thawed out by a nice log fire and getting some food and hot tea into you”.
“B best offer I’ve had all n night” she chattered.
Chief helped her into the old blue truck he had left running. It looked like something from the fifties but at this moment it was the classiest vehicle she had ever seen. Inside, an enveloping welcome warmth radiated from a heaven sent heater. A slight aroma of sage wafted out at her and a large gray and white wolf-like dog sat on the seat peering at her through steady, slanted, tawny eyes. Chief chuckled at her hesitation, “Oh don’t worry about old Luna there, he’s a sheep in wolves clothing, aren't you guy?” he said ruffling the wolf dogs large furry head.
Helping Misty into the truck he closed the door behind her and got in on the other side. He ground the truck into gear as it stalled and sputtered before springing back to life. “Old Lucy” he said with affection. “She’s tempermental, but you can count on her like the moon and stars”.
They inched their way down the snow covered dirt road, wild wind howling like a banshee. The snow barreled at them against the windshield, illuminated by the headlights, it was a hypnotic sight to behold. The hot air blasted out at them from the heater in cozy contrast. Misty gave a contented sigh, it was the most delicious feeling in the world. Luna in the middle had lain his head across her lap and fallen asleep. With her head resting against the back of the plush seat, Misty soon followed Luna’s example.
“Wake up Miss”
Misty’s eyes flew open, disoriented for a moment before realization dawned. “Oh I’m sorry, I guess I wasn’t much company“ she said sheepishly.
“Not at all miss, it’s better that you slept through it. The drive was brutal. There were a few times I didn’t think we would make it through and it took even longer to get back than it did to get out there, that’s how much it has snowed in that amount of time” he said distractedly. “It looks like we are going to be snowed in a spell. Your family will be worried.”
“Oh dear, this is bad. My family being worried is an understatement. They will be absolutely frantic by now.” Misty’s large grey eyes clouded with concern. ”Oh, I’m Misty by the way“ she said, offering her hand.
Shaking her hand, Chief smiled mischievously. “Must be why I have been calling you ‘Miss’ all this time. Short for Misty.”
Luna dashed out of the truck as soon as the door was opened. “Crazy dog” Chief said affectionately. “I will leave the headlights on until you get to the cabin. There’s a kerosene lamp inside. Leave the door open to light my way till I get in.”
Misty fought the short distance to the cabin door, stepping inside with a sigh of relief. The fire that had been going earlier was long dead but a slight warmth remained along with the same aroma of sage she had noticed earlier in the truck only it was stronger in the cabin. She was happy to see a stack of logs piled high over in the corner behind the woodstove.
Chief finally made it inside closing the door and bolting it behind him. “Well this is it” he said with pride. “Welcome to our humble home” he started feeding logs into the woodstove. “I will have this place nice and warm in no time at all.”
Misty looked around her in the dim light of the lantern. A one room cabin with two windows, heavy blankets for curtains, a couch that had seen better days with a colorful old Indian blanket thrown over the back, Luna already falling asleep again in the middle of it. Soon the fire blazed to life lighting up the room considerably. She pulled a cushion up close to the woodstove and leaned her back against the bottom of the couch with a contented sigh.
Chief picked up a plastic water bottle from a collection of filled water bottles lined up on the floor of a makeshift kitchen, filling a cast iron kettle that he set on back of the woodstove. Lighting a second kerosene lamp, he asked, “Hungry?”
“Starved!” Misty replied.
“Well I hope you like venison. I’m famous for my venison stew in these parts and you’re in luck. I just made a batch yesterday”
Misty’s stomach rumbled. “Right now I could eat nails.”
Chief walked over to a primitive cupboard and pulled out a large crockery dish with a checkered cloth over it and started spooning stew into a cast iron pan which he set on the stove next to the kettle. “It’ll be awhile before it heats up. I hope you like rosehips tea by the way. I gathered them just a few weeks ago.”
“Actually I can't say Ive ever had the pleasure. What are rose hips?”
Chief smiled, “it’s the fruit of the rose plant. They come out in winter and are full of vitamin C. Good for all kinds of things, worms and kidney stones for instance. My wife used to make a delicious marmalade out of it.”
“Oh where is your wife now?”
“She passed on several years ago. Pneumonia got her.”
“Im sorry.” At the closed look on Chief’s face, Misty quickly changed the subject. “How long have you lived here?”
“Seems like forever,” he laughed, “but actually since I was a young man of twenty. I used to live in Reno. I hated the city life though, found me this cabin out here in the middle of nowhere. It’s got twenty odd acres. I can live off the land here and I don’t answer to no one cept maybe Luna here.” Luna’s ears pricked up at the mention of his name, he stood and stretched, then circled resettling himself on the comfortable old couch. “I found Luna, Looney I call him sometimes” he said affectionately. “Some people wanted to get rid of him. He was about a year old at the time. He has a quarter wolf in him. The people had kids, said he seemed too wild. They were concerned about the little ones getting hurt. I took him in, it’s the best thing I ever did. He’s been with me ten years now.” He leaned over and gave Luna a pat. “Gentle as a lamb and he's a natural born clown.”
The cabin was filling up with the most delightful smells from the pan on the woodstove. The kettle was steaming. Chief filled two large mugs with water and wild rosehips at the bottom, then added heaping spoons of raw wild honey. “We’ll just let that steep awhile” he said. He added more wood to the fire and the cabin crackled with warmth and light. Soon she was eating the most delicious stew she had ever eaten in her life.
“Most of the vegetables in that stew come from my own garden patch,” he boasted. “Got a root cellar out back, loaded to the gills with potatoes, carrots, onions, and turnips all from my garden. That honey there comes from my own bees. You can’t beat growing your own food, at least you know whats in it. Store bought food is full of chemicals these days. I just don’t trust it. In winter I hunt and fish. I do alright out here” he added with satisfaction.
“I can’t believe I ate two large bowls of stew!” said Misty a short time later, starting on her third cup of the delcious and soothing rosehip tea. “that’s the first time I have ever tasted venison. It’s the best stew I’ve ever had. Thank you so much!”
“Aw you were just hungry, that’s why it tasted so good.” But Misty could see the pleasure in Chief’s eyes at the compliment.
“I'm kind of acquiring a taste for this tea as well. What did you say it was again?”
“Rosehips.”
“I like it. So what tribe are you from?” she asked looking around at the various Native American articles that decorated the cabin.
They had resettled against the couch on their cushions. Luna snored softly above their heads. Both were relaxed from the good food, the hot tea and the luxurious warmth of the blazing fire in the woodstove while the storm screeched outside of the sturdy cabin walls.
“I am from the Shoshone tribe,“ he told her, pride in his voice.
“I'm afraid I don’t know much about the Native Americans except maybe from what I’ve seen in movies.”
“Oh you can't go off that, it’s mostly a pack of lies. The school books lie too. Designed to give the Indians a bad name and to cover up the evils the white man did in the past. But we won’t go into that right now. I will tell you an old Shoshone legend instead.
The sharp planes of his face stood out, the firelight emphasizing the prominence of his cheekbones and roman shaped nose. His eyes were the eyes of a wise, courageous and kind man. His soft, gentle voice filled the cabin.
“The coyote, like his brother wolf, was a spiritual being. In the beginning the coyote left his homeland in the Americas and traveled eastward across the ocean in the direction of the rising sun. In the distant lands, he acquired a bride and with her had a great number of children. These children were Indians, the forefathers of the great tribes that were to inhabit the North and South of the great American continents.”
Misty reached behind her to the couch for a blanket and snugly wrapped herself up in it, lulled by the sound of Chief’s hypnotic voice.
“Preparing to return home the coyote put them all in a wosa.”
“Whats a wosa?” asked Misty in a sleepy voice.
“A wosa is a willow basket jug with a cork.” he leaned over and threw a few more logs into the stove then continued. “Anyway, before his journey, he was instructed not to open the jug until he reached his country in the Rockies and the Great Basin. He was a sly and curious person so when he heard singing and the beating of drums from inside the wosa, coyote thought it would not hurt to take a peek when he arrived back on the coast of the American continent. But when he opened the jug, the children inside jumped out and scattered in all directions across North and South America. By the time he got the cap back on, the only two persons who remained in the wosa were the western Shoshone and the Paiute, these he brought home with him. When he reached the Great Basin, he opened the jug and out fell the last two children.”
He paused to drink some tea then continued. “They at once began to fight. The coyote kicked them apart and said, ‘you are my children. Even though the rest got away, you two will be able to fight against the best and beat them.’ so now the western Shoshones and Paiutes also known as Newe and Numa peoples who now live in Nevada, California, Utah, Idaho and Oregon began as allies and populated the Great Basin.
Misty fell asleep one hour into Christmas day.
The third of January she awoke in the Washau County Hospital.
“She’s awake! Nurse! She’s awake!” The voices seemed to be coming from a long way as if through a tunnel.
“Misty! Misty…Can you hear me honey? It’s mom. Oh where is that nurse?”
“Dad went to get her.” Her brothers voice.
Then Steve saying something about coming out of the coma, their voices infused with excitement. Then the unfamiliar voice of a female, must be the nurse.
“Misty can you hear me dear? She moved her hand and her eyes opened for a second” her mother, sounding defensive now. Then the murmer of her fathers voice comforting her distraught mother.
She could feel the nurses hand on hers. “Sometimes when a patient is in a coma, spontaneous movements will occur and the eyes may open in response to an external stimuli. They have even been known to grimace, cry or laugh. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up but on the other hand this could be a very good sign. Right now we’re just concerned she doesn’t get any infections or develop pneumonia. It’s a miracle she doesn’t have pneumonia after spending all that time in the freezing cold like that. Not even a sign of frostbite!” The nurse shook her head, “Dr. Watkins says he’s never seeen anything like it. He says shes’s lucky to be alive.”
A few days later, as if Misty had finally had enough of being in a coma, she simply awoke. Slowly at first, eyes focusing on the blurs that were the anxious figures of her family around her.
“Mom?”
“Oh honey!” tears streamed down her mothers face.
The following week, seated at her parents kitchen table, holding Steves hand and surrounded by family, she was bewildered by the guarded looks on their faces whenever she tried to tell them about the kind elderly Indian named Chief and his dog Luna who had taken her in.
“You’re losin it sis,” said John shaking his head. “Search and rescue found you in an old abandoned shack about a half mile off the road after they saw the note you left on the dashboard.”
“John,” his mother gave him a warning look.
“Well someone has to tell her. She keeps going on and on about eating stew in front of a fire with some old Indian and his dog. Everybody knows she was just hallucinating. There’s no shame in it or anything, she was in a coma after all.”
Changing the subject, Misty’s dad said in an overly cheerful voice meant to distract, “Well Misty, I guess you have some Christmas presents to open.”
The following weeks Misty spent most of her time recuperating in the comfort of her own home. Truth be told it was more like hiding. She was getting tired of the guarded and uncomfortable looks everyone was exchanging back and forth whenever she tried to tell them the truth. Ha, if she had been found lying in an abandoned old shack she would surely have frozen to death but like the doc said, not even a sign of frostbite. How do they explain that one? She had after all been missing nearly a week.
Steve was acting like she was as delicate as porcelin china. Even Rose was being awkward about the whole thing and that hurt most of all. Rose and Misty had been through thick and thin together and always had each others backs, but not this time Misty thought sadly. Well there was only one thing to do. She would go back to the cabin armed with her digital camera and come back with proof!
Heartened, Misty set about preparing for her trip. First of all she would wait a few weeks for the snow to clear, she didn’t want to risk another ordeal. In the meantime she set about preparing. She went downtown to the local bookstore and picked out a nice book of Shoshone legends for Chief as well as the biggest rawhide chew bone she had ever seen for Luna.
Several weeks later, armed with gifts and digital camera for proof, Misty found herself driving down the same road she had been stranded on only one month before, she was grateful the weather had improved greatly and the road had been cleared of all traces of snow. Where is that cabin? It’s got to be around here somewhere! Misty had been driving up and down the road for over an hour now looking for Chiefs cozy cabin and his old blue truck. She was hoping for another cup of the delicious rose hips tea and more conversation by the fire. She drove and drove and the cabin was nowhere to be found. Now that is weird, thought Misty, feeling more than a little uneasy.
Later she pulled into the parking lot of a dinghy out of the way diner set in the center of the tiny town of Drain, about five miles down the road. It appeared to be the local hangout, a real thriving metropolis, Misty thought with amusement
The bell on the door clanged and every eye in the place was on her as she walked up to the counter. She was greeted by an overweight waitress in a soiled apron wearing a name tag that said Maggie. Her mousy hair was pinned up in a careless bun.
“What can I get ya honey?”
“Well I just came in for directions. I’m looking for a man named Chief and I can't seem to find his cabin. I was sure it was just down the road a ways.”
“Well now ya got that part right anyhow!” The woman laughed, looking at the others who were shamelessly eavesdropping with a look of amused conspiracy. “Or at least his cabin used to be down this road. It’s just an old fallen down shack now. Kids used to party in it and the occasional stray hobo’s passing through used if for a spell. Now its just an old pile of falling down planks. That old truck he used to be so fired up about just rusted away to nothing. It's all gutted out now, sitting on rims.
“you mean Lucy?” Asked Misty in disbelief.
“Yeah that’s right, he called it Lucy.“ The waitress slapped the counter and laughed. “What a sight him and that wolf dog of his was, just a puttin down the road in that old truck of his looking proud as punch!” The locals smiled and chuckled, remembering.
“Well I don’t understand. I was just there a month ago."
Maggie looked at her as if she had grown two heads. “Uh honey, now that simply ain't possible. Here now, maybe you better sit yourself down and have a cup a coffee” she said pouring as she spoke. “On the house.”
Misty looked around her at the varying expressions on the faces of the curious people. They ranged from sympathetic to amused.
“Now honey, I don’t know what you think you did or saw, but old Chief and Luna, well now they’ve been gone a good fifteen years now.“
“What do you mean gone?” asked Misty with alarm.
“Honey what I'm trying to say is, well it don’t come easy to say this to you, but Chief and Luna froze to death. They found them out in the ruby mountains miles behind his cabin. They had gone out hunting and one of them freak snow storms hit like the one we had last Christmas. They got stranded and froze to death.“
“Are you alright honey? You look a little pale.” The kindly waitress walked her over to a booth and sat her down until she had regained her equalibrium.
Driving back down the road she had come from Misty saw what she thought was the old pile of planks the waitress described that was once the home of Chief and Luna. An old truck no longer blue but the color of oxidized apples sat forlornly on its rusted out rims. Still in shock Misty sat for the longest time just pondering. Finally remembering her digital camera, she took photos of it. Later on her computer, every one of the uploaded pictures had the ghostly traces of an old smiling Indian and a grey and white wolf dog.
The End.
Encounter With a Stranger(Valerie Potter)
Driving in the middle of the Nevada desert on a deserted back road during a blizzard was not Misty Robbins idea of fun, especially when she heard the tell tale sputter of the car engine indicating she was out of gas yet again. She eased the car onto the side of the road out of harms way, engaged the emergency lights then smacked the steering wheel hard. Damn! I’ve got to get that gas gauge fixed one of these days. Shivering, she wondered, now what?
She sat transfixed as she watched the snow falling through the fogging windows. The heater wouldn’t run much longer once the engine cooled and the car would soon be filled with the frigid night air.
Everyone will be worried when I don’t show up for the Christmas party, she thought as she pulled the hood of her jacket up, tucking in her long brown hair that had been carefully done up in a French braid for the party. Buttoning the hood jacket tight, she reached into her purse for her cell phone. “Of course it's still sitting on the dresser at home” she muttered to herself, concerned she had no way of reaching her family.
Fighting panic, Misty bit down on a well chewed fingernail. OK, I can sit here and wait for help on this God forsaken road, or I can get out and start walking. Misty looked out at the rapidly falling snow and the darkening sky, Okay I wait.
She fiddled with the radio dial in a vain attempt for distraction. Nothing but static filled the air waves. I’m not surprised all the way out here, and with all this weather. Sighing she gave up. Better that I don’t run down my battery anyway.
She grabbed a handful of Kleenex from the box on the floor and wiped away the fog. Nothing coming in either direction. No surprise there either, she thought ruefully, not too many people are dumb enough to drive this road, especially on a night like this. Why didn’t I listen to John?
Her brother John was always telling her to take better care of her car, a used but functional mercury racer. He had even offered to fix her gas gauge, but she had put it off because she had what she thought were more important things to do at the time. Mentally she kicked herself. Wincing she thought of the coming lecture she would get for worrying everyone during the Christmas Eve party they had taken such pains to plan. To make matters worse, her parents tended to worry anyway. This would surely spoil the festivities for everyone tonight.
Time seemed to just crawl by. She turned the key to the right to light up the clock but the battery already seemed to have given up the ghost, probably from the extreme cold. Too bad I don’t wear a watch. I wonder how long I've been sitting here, it must be at least forty five minutes or even an hour. She felt rather than saw the clouds formed by her breath in the now dark and increasingly cooling car. It must be below zero in here she thought to herself as her teeth rattled in her head from all the shivering. She brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them in a futile attempt to get warm. Hearing the howl of the blasting wind as the snow piled up impossibly high around her car, she thought with longing of her family and friends at the Christmas Eve party. There would be a cozy fire in the red brick fireplace, the aroma of pine filling the air from the Christmas tree overflowing with presents and decorations. Decorations dating back to her childhood.
Her stomach rumbled at the vision of all the good food and Christmas goodies that would have been served. Too bad I deliberately ate light today. Carols would have been playing on the stereo. Instead family and friends would be wringing hands and wondering where she was. The most important people in her life would be gathered at her parents house tonight, their faces no doubt creased with concern of her whereabouts. Several attempts to reach her by phone would have been made by now and soon someone would be suggesting a search party. With a sinking heart Misty looked at the blanket of snow obscuring the car window. No one would be coming out in this, especially on this particular road. They would assume she had taken the highway like a sensible person, not this scenic back road she had taken on a sentimental whim, wanting to experience the glory of winter. Well I’m experiencing it now she thought wryly. She had no idea a storm like this was brewing. Not even snow plows were attempting this road tonight.
To occupy her mind, Misty fantasized being at the party. Steve her fiance would have gotten there ahead of her since he was bringing over the gifts they had bought together last week. They’d had such fun that day. They had spent the whole day shopping, buying great gifts and gag gifts alike. Doubled over with laughter at the adorable robot dog they had bought for her neice Sandy who’s parents wouldn’t let her have a real dog. It barked, walked, and even wagged its tail. “It does everything but crap” Steve had said laughing. They had literally shopped til they dropped then treated themselves to coffee shop hamburgers deluxe complete with fries and shakes.
Later that night they had gone to Steve’s place to wrap and label the gifts while drinking potent eggnog and eating the roasted chestnuts they had bought from a vendor in the mall. She had loved the way he looked that night in his thick red wool sweater and levis, dark hair falling into his green eyes and catching on his thick lashes. The night had ended in unwedded bliss, bringing a morning so sweet as to make your knees weak.
Then there was Rose, her best friend since the seventh grade. Generous big hearted Rose would be laden with gifts and home made goodies for everyone. It was tradition with Rose, every year she would start baking a good week ahead of time, brownies, santa cookies, fudge…Misty’s stomach gave another growl of protest.
Yes they would all be there, parents, Grandma Jones, brother, sister, aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces, but instead of celebrating, now they would be no doubt starting to panic and it was all her fault she thought guiltily.
How long has it been now? She began to feel sleepy as if she had been walking through a field of poppies like that scene in the Wizard of Oz. Was this a sign of hypothermia she wondered, too drowsy to feel panic. Is this what happens, you just drift off into a nice cozy sleep and never wake up? She fought to stay awake, but try as she might she felt herself drifing in and out of conciousness, like walking through molasses she thought dreamily.
The noise sounded like it was coming from a long way off. Tap, tap, tap. There it was again. Misty struggled against inertia. Someone was outside her car. They had wiped the snow off the window on the passenger side and she could see a face peering in at her through the fogged up window. Her heart skipped a beat. This is dangerous she thought fleetingly, but on the other hand she was already knee deep in danger.
Misty leaned over and attempted to roll down the window, only to find it was frozen shut. She ulocked the door and tried to push it open against the snow that had piled up against her car.
“Let me help you with that” a male voice said.
After quite some digging the door sprang open to reveal an older man bracing himself against the harsh winter weather. He appeared to be in his mid to late sixties of Native American descent, probably Shoshone she thought to herself. He had a red headband around his forehead and a long gray pony tail. An Indian print blanket was wrapped around what appeared to be a worn red flannel shirt and an old pair of Levi’s. Several beaded necklaces adorned his neck. Hardly enough clothing for this weather. He peered at her through wrinkled but twinkling brown eyes. “I saw your emergency lights from my cabin bout a half mile away. They blinked for some time then they just stopped. I figured your battery had died since I didn’t see anyone drive off. Patting his old blue truck he said, “So I got old Lucy here running and wanted to see if I could help. Took me darn near an hour just to get this far in this crazy weather. You will have to come back to the cabin with me miss until this storm stops. Lucy will never make it all the way into town and you will freeze if you stay out here."
‘God what if he turns out to be some kind of psycho’ Misty thought to herself, but on further inspection he looked harmless enough and he had a strong, kind face. ‘Besides, he probably has heat, hot food and something to drink’ her stomach rumbled in anticipation. “Thank you. It was real nice of you coming out in all this weather. I ran out of gas and I didn’t know what I was going to do. My family was expecting me for a Christmas Eve party tonight. Will I be able to call them from your house and let them know I’m alright?”
“Sorry no phone, no running water or electricity either for that matter. We will just have to wait out the storm. On the bright side, I do have heat, food and plenty of good tea” he replied, reading her mind."
Shivering violently, Misty attempted to gather up her keys and purse. No running water or electricity? In this day and age? Well he does look like he's from another era. Misty turned off the now defunct emergency lights and locked the doors. “Oh wait“ she said, teeth chattering, “let me leave a note in the car in case someone finds it. What’s your name? I’ll tell them I’m staying with you at your cabin”
“Chief” he said good naturedly. “Everyone around here just calls me Chief. Don’t worry, they will know where to look if you say you’re with me, but I doubt anyone will find your car for some time. It won’t be long before it’s buried in another snow drift. Right now I think we should just concentrate on getting you thawed out by a nice log fire and getting some food and hot tea into you”.
“B best offer I’ve had all n night” she chattered.
Chief helped her into the old blue truck he had left running. It looked like something from the fifties but at this moment it was the classiest vehicle she had ever seen. Inside, an enveloping welcome warmth radiated from a heaven sent heater. A slight aroma of sage wafted out at her and a large gray and white wolf-like dog sat on the seat peering at her through steady, slanted, tawny eyes. Chief chuckled at her hesitation, “Oh don’t worry about old Luna there, he’s a sheep in wolves clothing, aren't you guy?” he said ruffling the wolf dogs large furry head.
Helping Misty into the truck he closed the door behind her and got in on the other side. He ground the truck into gear as it stalled and sputtered before springing back to life. “Old Lucy” he said with affection. “She’s tempermental, but you can count on her like the moon and stars”.
They inched their way down the snow covered dirt road, wild wind howling like a banshee. The snow barreled at them against the windshield, illuminated by the headlights, it was a hypnotic sight to behold. The hot air blasted out at them from the heater in cozy contrast. Misty gave a contented sigh, it was the most delicious feeling in the world. Luna in the middle had lain his head across her lap and fallen asleep. With her head resting against the back of the plush seat, Misty soon followed Luna’s example.
“Wake up Miss”
Misty’s eyes flew open, disoriented for a moment before realization dawned. “Oh I’m sorry, I guess I wasn’t much company“ she said sheepishly.
“Not at all miss, it’s better that you slept through it. The drive was brutal. There were a few times I didn’t think we would make it through and it took even longer to get back than it did to get out there, that’s how much it has snowed in that amount of time” he said distractedly. “It looks like we are going to be snowed in a spell. Your family will be worried.”
“Oh dear, this is bad. My family being worried is an understatement. They will be absolutely frantic by now.” Misty’s large grey eyes clouded with concern. ”Oh, I’m Misty by the way“ she said, offering her hand.
Shaking her hand, Chief smiled mischievously. “Must be why I have been calling you ‘Miss’ all this time. Short for Misty.”
Luna dashed out of the truck as soon as the door was opened. “Crazy dog” Chief said affectionately. “I will leave the headlights on until you get to the cabin. There’s a kerosene lamp inside. Leave the door open to light my way till I get in.”
Misty fought the short distance to the cabin door, stepping inside with a sigh of relief. The fire that had been going earlier was long dead but a slight warmth remained along with the same aroma of sage she had noticed earlier in the truck only it was stronger in the cabin. She was happy to see a stack of logs piled high over in the corner behind the woodstove.
Chief finally made it inside closing the door and bolting it behind him. “Well this is it” he said with pride. “Welcome to our humble home” he started feeding logs into the woodstove. “I will have this place nice and warm in no time at all.”
Misty looked around her in the dim light of the lantern. A one room cabin with two windows, heavy blankets for curtains, a couch that had seen better days with a colorful old Indian blanket thrown over the back, Luna already falling asleep again in the middle of it. Soon the fire blazed to life lighting up the room considerably. She pulled a cushion up close to the woodstove and leaned her back against the bottom of the couch with a contented sigh.
Chief picked up a plastic water bottle from a collection of filled water bottles lined up on the floor of a makeshift kitchen, filling a cast iron kettle that he set on back of the woodstove. Lighting a second kerosene lamp, he asked, “Hungry?”
“Starved!” Misty replied.
“Well I hope you like venison. I’m famous for my venison stew in these parts and you’re in luck. I just made a batch yesterday”
Misty’s stomach rumbled. “Right now I could eat nails.”
Chief walked over to a primitive cupboard and pulled out a large crockery dish with a checkered cloth over it and started spooning stew into a cast iron pan which he set on the stove next to the kettle. “It’ll be awhile before it heats up. I hope you like rosehips tea by the way. I gathered them just a few weeks ago.”
“Actually I can't say Ive ever had the pleasure. What are rose hips?”
Chief smiled, “it’s the fruit of the rose plant. They come out in winter and are full of vitamin C. Good for all kinds of things, worms and kidney stones for instance. My wife used to make a delicious marmalade out of it.”
“Oh where is your wife now?”
“She passed on several years ago. Pneumonia got her.”
“Im sorry.” At the closed look on Chief’s face, Misty quickly changed the subject. “How long have you lived here?”
“Seems like forever,” he laughed, “but actually since I was a young man of twenty. I used to live in Reno. I hated the city life though, found me this cabin out here in the middle of nowhere. It’s got twenty odd acres. I can live off the land here and I don’t answer to no one cept maybe Luna here.” Luna’s ears pricked up at the mention of his name, he stood and stretched, then circled resettling himself on the comfortable old couch. “I found Luna, Looney I call him sometimes” he said affectionately. “Some people wanted to get rid of him. He was about a year old at the time. He has a quarter wolf in him. The people had kids, said he seemed too wild. They were concerned about the little ones getting hurt. I took him in, it’s the best thing I ever did. He’s been with me ten years now.” He leaned over and gave Luna a pat. “Gentle as a lamb and he's a natural born clown.”
The cabin was filling up with the most delightful smells from the pan on the woodstove. The kettle was steaming. Chief filled two large mugs with water and wild rosehips at the bottom, then added heaping spoons of raw wild honey. “We’ll just let that steep awhile” he said. He added more wood to the fire and the cabin crackled with warmth and light. Soon she was eating the most delicious stew she had ever eaten in her life.
“Most of the vegetables in that stew come from my own garden patch,” he boasted. “Got a root cellar out back, loaded to the gills with potatoes, carrots, onions, and turnips all from my garden. That honey there comes from my own bees. You can’t beat growing your own food, at least you know whats in it. Store bought food is full of chemicals these days. I just don’t trust it. In winter I hunt and fish. I do alright out here” he added with satisfaction.
“I can’t believe I ate two large bowls of stew!” said Misty a short time later, starting on her third cup of the delcious and soothing rosehip tea. “that’s the first time I have ever tasted venison. It’s the best stew I’ve ever had. Thank you so much!”
“Aw you were just hungry, that’s why it tasted so good.” But Misty could see the pleasure in Chief’s eyes at the compliment.
“I'm kind of acquiring a taste for this tea as well. What did you say it was again?”
“Rosehips.”
“I like it. So what tribe are you from?” she asked looking around at the various Native American articles that decorated the cabin.
They had resettled against the couch on their cushions. Luna snored softly above their heads. Both were relaxed from the good food, the hot tea and the luxurious warmth of the blazing fire in the woodstove while the storm screeched outside of the sturdy cabin walls.
“I am from the Shoshone tribe,“ he told her, pride in his voice.
“I'm afraid I don’t know much about the Native Americans except maybe from what I’ve seen in movies.”
“Oh you can't go off that, it’s mostly a pack of lies. The school books lie too. Designed to give the Indians a bad name and to cover up the evils the white man did in the past. But we won’t go into that right now. I will tell you an old Shoshone legend instead.
The sharp planes of his face stood out, the firelight emphasizing the prominence of his cheekbones and roman shaped nose. His eyes were the eyes of a wise, courageous and kind man. His soft, gentle voice filled the cabin.
“The coyote, like his brother wolf, was a spiritual being. In the beginning the coyote left his homeland in the Americas and traveled eastward across the ocean in the direction of the rising sun. In the distant lands, he acquired a bride and with her had a great number of children. These children were Indians, the forefathers of the great tribes that were to inhabit the North and South of the great American continents.”
Misty reached behind her to the couch for a blanket and snugly wrapped herself up in it, lulled by the sound of Chief’s hypnotic voice.
“Preparing to return home the coyote put them all in a wosa.”
“Whats a wosa?” asked Misty in a sleepy voice.
“A wosa is a willow basket jug with a cork.” he leaned over and threw a few more logs into the stove then continued. “Anyway, before his journey, he was instructed not to open the jug until he reached his country in the Rockies and the Great Basin. He was a sly and curious person so when he heard singing and the beating of drums from inside the wosa, coyote thought it would not hurt to take a peek when he arrived back on the coast of the American continent. But when he opened the jug, the children inside jumped out and scattered in all directions across North and South America. By the time he got the cap back on, the only two persons who remained in the wosa were the western Shoshone and the Paiute, these he brought home with him. When he reached the Great Basin, he opened the jug and out fell the last two children.”
He paused to drink some tea then continued. “They at once began to fight. The coyote kicked them apart and said, ‘you are my children. Even though the rest got away, you two will be able to fight against the best and beat them.’ so now the western Shoshones and Paiutes also known as Newe and Numa peoples who now live in Nevada, California, Utah, Idaho and Oregon began as allies and populated the Great Basin.
Misty fell asleep one hour into Christmas day.
The third of January she awoke in the Washau County Hospital.
“She’s awake! Nurse! She’s awake!” The voices seemed to be coming from a long way as if through a tunnel.
“Misty! Misty…Can you hear me honey? It’s mom. Oh where is that nurse?”
“Dad went to get her.” Her brothers voice.
Then Steve saying something about coming out of the coma, their voices infused with excitement. Then the unfamiliar voice of a female, must be the nurse.
“Misty can you hear me dear? She moved her hand and her eyes opened for a second” her mother, sounding defensive now. Then the murmer of her fathers voice comforting her distraught mother.
She could feel the nurses hand on hers. “Sometimes when a patient is in a coma, spontaneous movements will occur and the eyes may open in response to an external stimuli. They have even been known to grimace, cry or laugh. I just don’t want you to get your hopes up but on the other hand this could be a very good sign. Right now we’re just concerned she doesn’t get any infections or develop pneumonia. It’s a miracle she doesn’t have pneumonia after spending all that time in the freezing cold like that. Not even a sign of frostbite!” The nurse shook her head, “Dr. Watkins says he’s never seeen anything like it. He says shes’s lucky to be alive.”
A few days later, as if Misty had finally had enough of being in a coma, she simply awoke. Slowly at first, eyes focusing on the blurs that were the anxious figures of her family around her.
“Mom?”
“Oh honey!” tears streamed down her mothers face.
The following week, seated at her parents kitchen table, holding Steves hand and surrounded by family, she was bewildered by the guarded looks on their faces whenever she tried to tell them about the kind elderly Indian named Chief and his dog Luna who had taken her in.
“You’re losin it sis,” said John shaking his head. “Search and rescue found you in an old abandoned shack about a half mile off the road after they saw the note you left on the dashboard.”
“John,” his mother gave him a warning look.
“Well someone has to tell her. She keeps going on and on about eating stew in front of a fire with some old Indian and his dog. Everybody knows she was just hallucinating. There’s no shame in it or anything, she was in a coma after all.”
Changing the subject, Misty’s dad said in an overly cheerful voice meant to distract, “Well Misty, I guess you have some Christmas presents to open.”
The following weeks Misty spent most of her time recuperating in the comfort of her own home. Truth be told it was more like hiding. She was getting tired of the guarded and uncomfortable looks everyone was exchanging back and forth whenever she tried to tell them the truth. Ha, if she had been found lying in an abandoned old shack she would surely have frozen to death but like the doc said, not even a sign of frostbite. How do they explain that one? She had after all been missing nearly a week.
Steve was acting like she was as delicate as porcelin china. Even Rose was being awkward about the whole thing and that hurt most of all. Rose and Misty had been through thick and thin together and always had each others backs, but not this time Misty thought sadly. Well there was only one thing to do. She would go back to the cabin armed with her digital camera and come back with proof!
Heartened, Misty set about preparing for her trip. First of all she would wait a few weeks for the snow to clear, she didn’t want to risk another ordeal. In the meantime she set about preparing. She went downtown to the local bookstore and picked out a nice book of Shoshone legends for Chief as well as the biggest rawhide chew bone she had ever seen for Luna.
Several weeks later, armed with gifts and digital camera for proof, Misty found herself driving down the same road she had been stranded on only one month before, she was grateful the weather had improved greatly and the road had been cleared of all traces of snow. Where is that cabin? It’s got to be around here somewhere! Misty had been driving up and down the road for over an hour now looking for Chiefs cozy cabin and his old blue truck. She was hoping for another cup of the delicious rose hips tea and more conversation by the fire. She drove and drove and the cabin was nowhere to be found. Now that is weird, thought Misty, feeling more than a little uneasy.
Later she pulled into the parking lot of a dinghy out of the way diner set in the center of the tiny town of Drain, about five miles down the road. It appeared to be the local hangout, a real thriving metropolis, Misty thought with amusement
The bell on the door clanged and every eye in the place was on her as she walked up to the counter. She was greeted by an overweight waitress in a soiled apron wearing a name tag that said Maggie. Her mousy hair was pinned up in a careless bun.
“What can I get ya honey?”
“Well I just came in for directions. I’m looking for a man named Chief and I can't seem to find his cabin. I was sure it was just down the road a ways.”
“Well now ya got that part right anyhow!” The woman laughed, looking at the others who were shamelessly eavesdropping with a look of amused conspiracy. “Or at least his cabin used to be down this road. It’s just an old fallen down shack now. Kids used to party in it and the occasional stray hobo’s passing through used if for a spell. Now its just an old pile of falling down planks. That old truck he used to be so fired up about just rusted away to nothing. It's all gutted out now, sitting on rims.
“you mean Lucy?” Asked Misty in disbelief.
“Yeah that’s right, he called it Lucy.“ The waitress slapped the counter and laughed. “What a sight him and that wolf dog of his was, just a puttin down the road in that old truck of his looking proud as punch!” The locals smiled and chuckled, remembering.
“Well I don’t understand. I was just there a month ago."
Maggie looked at her as if she had grown two heads. “Uh honey, now that simply ain't possible. Here now, maybe you better sit yourself down and have a cup a coffee” she said pouring as she spoke. “On the house.”
Misty looked around her at the varying expressions on the faces of the curious people. They ranged from sympathetic to amused.
“Now honey, I don’t know what you think you did or saw, but old Chief and Luna, well now they’ve been gone a good fifteen years now.“
“What do you mean gone?” asked Misty with alarm.
“Honey what I'm trying to say is, well it don’t come easy to say this to you, but Chief and Luna froze to death. They found them out in the ruby mountains miles behind his cabin. They had gone out hunting and one of them freak snow storms hit like the one we had last Christmas. They got stranded and froze to death.“
“Are you alright honey? You look a little pale.” The kindly waitress walked her over to a booth and sat her down until she had regained her equalibrium.
Driving back down the road she had come from Misty saw what she thought was the old pile of planks the waitress described that was once the home of Chief and Luna. An old truck no longer blue but the color of oxidized apples sat forlornly on its rusted out rims. Still in shock Misty sat for the longest time just pondering. Finally remembering her digital camera, she took photos of it. Later on her computer, every one of the uploaded pictures had the ghostly traces of an old smiling Indian and a grey and white wolf dog.
The End.
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