Hi all! I'm back! :) I just realized yesterday morning that *gasp* I haven't posted in a week!! O_o Life has been hectic with school, writing, browsing Pinterest, and lots of reading (some assigned by school and some assigned by me. ;) )
Anyhow. With the last Imagine This contest, someone had tried to send me an entry and it didn't work out for some reason. >_< Ahh!! From now on, if anyone tries to send me something through that little blogger contact gadget, either 1) leave me a comment saying you did (so if I never get it, I can tell you) or 2) make sure I respond to you, otherwise I didn't get your message. ;) Thanks, folks!!
Okay, moving on here. XD Here's two more entries from the last Imagine This assignment that, for whatever reason ;), didn't get to me. :-) The other entry is HERE.
Great job on this one, Bethany!! :) I'm dying to know what happens next!!
Ryan woke up with a start. What had woken him up? Quietly, as to not awaken the sleeping form beside him, he slid out of his sleeping bag and pulled on a jacket and his tennis shoes. Glancing around, he tip-toed around their camp in search of what had woken him. Not seeing anything, he turned to go back to his sleeping bag. Suddenly he heard it.
It was like a rumble. Thunder? Earthquake? Not wanting to be caught in their cave during an earthquake, he hustled over to his sleeping sister. “Julie, you have to wake up,” Ryan shook her gently, then more aggressively, “Julie! Hurry and get up! There might be an earthquake.”
At first Julie only opened her eyes. Then she rolled over. Then it hit her. An earthquake! She leaped out of bed and hurried to grab her shoes and jacket. Without taking time to put them on, she grabbed Ryan and nearly pulled him with her, “We have to get out of this cave! It could collapse in an earthquake!”
Reaching, the entrance to the cave, the two teenaged siblings ran out into the light of the rising sun. It was a good thing Julie often ran barefoot or her feet would be aching. She turned to alter their direction but was suddenly yanked to the ground next to her brother. Furious, she turned to him but stopped her shout at one look at his face. He mouthed something but Julie couldn't catch it. “What?” she whispered.
But even as quiet as she had been, her brother looked frantic. He didn't answer her question at first, but then barely lifted a hand to point. It was not thunder they had heard. Neither was it an approaching earthquake. When Julie saw the source of the rumble she began shaking. It couldn't be. No, she must be mistaken. Maybe they were both just too tired and were seeing things. But then her common sense kicked in. Yes, it was what she feared. No, dreaded. She turned back to Ryan and mouthed the question on both of their minds, “Why are there soldiers here?”
Ryan shook his head and moved just enough to point at another location. Scouts for the soldiers. So that was why they had to be quiet. Julie struggled to stop shaking but it was no use, not only was she freezing, but the mere thought of soldiers in their area was terrifying. The war was over! What were they doing here?
When the scouts rode back to the mass of marching men, brother and sister hurried back to their camp inside the cave. Knowing that they couldn't leave any hint of their presence, they quickly gathered their things and doused the fire. Julie put on her shoes and jacket and they both pulled their knapsacks onto their backs, filled with all their camping gear.
Without a word they followed a narrow trail to the cave entrance and dropped to hands and knees. As quietly as they could, they moved away from the army, hoping to get behind the cave where their horses awaited and then back home to warn everyone. Each minute of crawling seemed like an hour and they soon grew exhausted from their unusual position. Pressing onward, they heard the dull rumble grow louder and more menacing as the army gained. Finally they saw their horses and risked standing to hurry to them before they neighed.
The horses were tied up a hundred feet ahead. Julie took the lead. Both ran swiftly toward their horses but the horses neighed shrilly—impossible to not be heard by the scouts. Ryan glanced behind them and saw the scouts who now raced toward them. Ryan dropped his pack and shouted for Julie to do the same. They reached their horses and untied them as fast as they could.
Ryan and Julie mounted with ease and spun their horses around. Both horses leaped forward in unison and broke into a fast gallop. A quick glance behind them served to prove their worst fears. The scouts were almost upon them. Racing at top speed wasn't enough and they urged their horses faster but the scouts soon pulled even with them. Ryan and Julie were helpless and their horses' bridles were seized. The four horses slid to a halt and each scout took one of the siblings onto their horse and led the other horses back to the army. The siblings had no way of escape. They were being led right toward the enemy. As the scouts pulled them to the ground, they shoved them before the general. With a raised eyebrow he asked, “Are you Ryan and Julie?”
Stunned, the siblings froze. How did he know their names?
*^*^*^*
Wonderful job, Lauren!! This story is so sweet!! :-)
“How much further, Pa?” Megan asked as she leaned against the mountainside. “It’s almost too dark to see anything.”
“Just a few hundred yards,” Paul promised the little girl.
“Well good grief, if we go any higher, we’ll be able to touch the sky!” Danni exclaimed as she came up behind the two.
“Trust me, it’ll be worth it when we get there.”
A few minutes later, Paul announced, “here we are!”
Faith, Elsie, Danni, Megan, and Lynn stopped and glanced around. Paul had led the girls to an alcove in the mountainside.
“Well we did an awful lot of walking for this,” Danni muttered.
Paul shoved Danni gently, “Aw c’mon! It’ll be worth it in the morning.” Paul tossed his pack on the ground. “Let’s make camp.”
The girls spread out the bedding while Paul built a fire with the firewood he had been collecting on the way up. Paul soon had a roaring fire and warmed up the soup Lillian sent along with the group.
“I’m hungry, Pa,” Megan said, sitting beside Paul.
“Well you’re in luck. Paul’s Restaurant just opened for business.” Paul ladled the soup into bowls for the girls.
Danni sat across from Paul. “I sure hope you just own the restaurant and you don’t cook your own food.”
“I hired a pretty good cook,” Paul winked.
The girls laughed and talked Paul’s ears off as they ate their dinner. Paul didn’t mind a bit. He was enjoying spending time with the girls.
“Pa! Look!” Megan suddenly shouted.
Paul jumped up and ran to the edge of the alcove where Megan was crouched. “What’s wrong?!”
“Look!” Megan pointed up at the sky.
The black and blue night sky, dusted with millions of bright stars, sparkledin sharp contrast to the sky.
“Wow…” Faith breathed softly. “Look at them all.”
“It’s beautiful,” Elsie sighed.
“It is,” Danni knelt with her sisters. “It seems like there are thousands more stars up here than back at the cabin.”
The family sat together, watching the stars while Paul pointed out different constellations to his daughters.
Megan began to fall asleep, signaling to Paul that it was time everyone hit the hay. The girls piled onto the bedding and curled up under the warm quilts, slipping into the peaceful paradise of dream land.
***
A sudden and urgent shaking woke Danni. She started and sat up, pushing the hair out of her eyes.
“Wha?” she mumbled sleepily.
“Hurry up! You’re gonna miss it!” Megan squealed.
Danni looked around and saw the rest of her sisters and Paul sitting by the edge of the mountain alcove. Danni stumbled out from beneath her quilt and made her way over to the opening.
The cold morning air sent shivers through Danni as she crossed the cold rock floor. Her breath made little silver clouds and the crisp air stung her lungs. Danni stood behind Paul and peeked out over the mountainside.
“All right, why on earth are we all up this early?”
“Look,” Elsie whispered.
Danni looked and gasped in delight. Just over the rolling Black Hills was the sunrise. Brilliant shades of orange, pink, and blue fought each other for supremacy. A thick orange glow shone just over the tops of the conifer trees, indicating the sun was waking. Faint stars still littered the morning sky and were slowly fading as the sun rose higher and higher.
The girls watched the sun rise to its full morning height before Paul broke the silence.
“That’s why I brought you here,” he told his daughters.
“That was beautiful, Pa!” Faith ran over to give him a hug. “Thank-you so much!”
“It was my pleasure,” Paul grinned. “I haven’t been up here since…” Paul paused to think. “Since…since I proposed to Lillian!”
This statement caused the girls to turn. “You proposed to Ma here?” Danni asked with interest.
“Yep, we woke up real early one morning and we rode our horses up here. We made it to the top just in time to see the sun come up. After we watched the sunrise together, I bent down and asked her to marry me.”
“You’re more of a romantic than we thought,” Elsie teased.
“Thanks for bringing us to your special place,” Lynn said seriously. “I wouldn’t want to share my special place with others.”
Paul hoisted Lynn into his arms. “We’re a family now and what’s mine is yours. I’m honored that I have the chance to share this place with you gals.”
I'll have more/another post up this weekend. :)
~Faith
